What is the sun really doing to your hair?

With Summer upon us here are some critical points to protecting your hair against sun damage, and avoiding the big chop in a few months time.

​First of all let's consider just how fine a single strand of hair is, and how it varies from person to person. Now let's consider how quickly your skin burns, or the grass dries out in this heat, and how quickly water evaporates. With a strand of hair as fine as it is, it is incredibly easy to burn and destroy it.

So what is the sun really doing to your hair!?

It's dry.
It's frizzy.
It feels like straw.
It lacks shine.
The ends are splitting.
Your colour is fading or getting lighter.

Why is it dry?
Your hair is mostly made up of water and protein, and like any water, when it reaches a certain heat it evaporates into a gas.

Why is it frizzy?
The number one reason for frizz is lack of moisture.

Why does it feel like straw?
In addition to lacking moisture, sunlight damages certain bonds in the hair shaft which is the protein that creates elasticity and hold the hair shaft together.

Why does it lack shine?
​The moisture content of hair is made up of oil and water
​Melanin in hair is what gives it it's colour, and the UV in sunlight oxidises the melanin into a colourless compound.

How to Protect your Hair?

1. ​Minimise sun exposure - damage can be done in as little as 30 minutes - wear a hat, stay in the shade.
2. Use a leave in moisturiser.
3. Use a treatment both for moisture and protein.
4. Get regular trims to trim off the old hair before it starts to split.
5. Avoid further heat damage from heated appliances and hot showers.

By protecting your hair now, you'll avoid the big chop, the dreaded hair cut, when your hair is so damaged that you need a few inches cut off.

Again, prevention is key, not only will your hair thank you, but you'll be thanking your self too.

Leave your comments below, how much is the most you've ever had to have cut off?