How to Protect Your Child's Hair This Summer

Children's hair gets damaged in the summer from the sun and chemicals in the pool. How can you care for children's hair in the summer? Do you leave them inside or make them wear hats all summer long with no pool time? Here are a few solutions for caring for children's hair in the summer.

Conditioner- Conditioner is going to be a parent's best friend for summer hair care. You can use spray-in conditioner that you leave in your child's hair to keep it moisturized. This will also help when you go to comb your child's hair.

Conditioner should be used after washing your child's hair in the summer. It is best to wash the child's hair with a shampoo and conditioner with little to no alcohol. Alcohol will dry your child's hair and when you are trying to moisturize the hair it is counterproductive.

Water - Water is going to help you take care of your child's hair during summer months. Before your child gets into the pool, you want to wet your child's hair with water. If the hair is wet before going into the chemical water of the pool, the hair will absorb less chemicals and stay stronger and healthier.

When your child gets out of the pool, if you cannot immediately wash your child's hair, rinse your child's hair out with water. Getting the chemicals out of the hair and not letting them dry on the hair will keep the hair healthier and shinier. You will still want to wash your child's hair as soon as you can and use conditioner in the hair.

Comb/Brush - Keep your child's hair combed or brushed. Your child's hair will look healthier and shinier by brushing or combing the natural oils in the hair through it. Everyone has natural oils that their body's produce. Combing or brushing your child's hair will naturally moisturize your child's hair.

If your child wears her hair up, use only solid plastic clips. Scrunchies and barrettes pull hair and damage the hair. Split ends can be caused by hair pieces. Hair will get caught in the material or elastic of scrunchies. If you do not have the plastic clips, wrap the hair in material, toilet paper, or paper towels where the hair piece is going.

Shade is best so your child's head does not burn. During the summer months you may want to cover their head and their hair with a hat. The part in the middle of your child's hair can be covered with sun block. I used a SPF 40 for my daughter with dark hair. If your son has a haircut that exposes his scalp sun block should be used for his head too.

However you choose to take care of your child's hair in the summer, it is important so their hair will stay healthy and undamaged. Make your child's hair healthy this summer.