We all know how much damage the sun does to our skin. What gets forgotten is that UV rays are just as tough on your hair. If your colour fades over summer, or your ends turn dry and straw-like after a holiday, the sun is usually to blame. Here is what actually happens to your hair in the sun, and how to protect and repair it.
How the sun damages your hair
It is not just the heat, it is chemistry. When UVA and UVB rays hit the hair, they react with the proteins and pigment inside each strand. Those molecules jump into a high-energy state and start reacting with oxygen in the air, which creates free radicals. It is the same process that turns a sliced apple brown or rusts metal, only it is happening to your hair.
Free radicals break down the keratin and melanin that keep hair strong and hold its colour. Over a summer of sun exposure, that shows up as faded colour, dryness, frizz, brittle ends and a rough, dull texture. Coloured and lightened hair takes the biggest hit, because the pigment is already more exposed.
Signs your hair has sun damage
Colour that fades or turns brassy faster than usual
Dry, straw-like ends that feel rough to the touch
More frizz and flyaways than normal
Breakage and split ends
A dull look with no shine
How to protect your hair from the sun
A hat is the simplest and best protection, but you cannot wear one all day. These habits cover the rest.
Use a UV-protectant product. A leave-in or oil with UV filters shields the hair the way SPF shields your skin. Apply it before you head out and top up through the day.
Rinse after swimming. Chlorine and salt water both dry the hair and lock in mineral build-up. Rinse with fresh water as soon as you are out, and try not to let wet hair bake in the sun.
Protect your colour. If you colour your hair, a colour-protecting range slows fading and keeps tones true. Browse the colour protection range for shampoos and treatments built for this.
Do not over-wash. Washing daily strips the oils that help defend the hair. Two or three times a week is plenty for most people in summer.
Deep condition weekly. A mask once a week puts back the moisture the sun takes out and keeps ends from turning brittle.
How to repair sun-damaged hair
If the damage is already done, the fix is to clear out what is weighing the hair down and then rebuild it. Pool and sea water leave metal and mineral deposits in the hair that dull colour and cause breakage. A treatment like L’Oreal Metal Detox binds to those metals so they rinse away, and our guide on how to use Metal Detox walks through the full routine.
For hair that feels dry, weak or straw-like, a repairing shampoo does the rebuilding. The sulphate-free Absolut Repair Molecular shampoo is a good place to start. If your hair has really been through it, our guide to damaged hair and how to prevent it covers the full repair routine.
The sun is not something to hide from all summer. Protect your hair the way you protect your skin, clear out the build-up when you get home, and your colour and condition will make it to autumn intact.
