Simple Hair Care Tips for Summer

Summer can play merry havoc with your hair, whether you have long locks or a pert, short 'do. However, keeping your hair in top condition during the summer doesn't have to mean long, tedious hair-care routines or major bucks for products. Just a few simple tricks can help you make sure your hair is at its glorious best during the sunny season.

For lazy days, or when you have some extra time, allow your hair to air dry. Blow-drying and processing your hair can strip it of much-needed nutrients and make it harder to style on days when good hair is a major must. Air dried hair doesn't have to be dull and boring, though. If you have long hair, a cute pair of hair sticks or a couple of barrettes can add some spice to simple hair. If you twist your hair up to dry through out the day you will also find, come evening, you have some fun body and waves! If you have short hair, barrettes can be your friend as well. Headbands can look very stylish in short hair and make even a flat hair-day perk up.

When it comes to shampoo, try to stick to good moisturizing ones, but shampoo less often. Your hair has oils on it that provide natural moisture and protection, but daily shampooing strips that away, leaving your hair more vulnerable to the sun. In general, use warm water or, if possible, cool water when rinsing your hair. Heat dries your hair, and hot water is no exception. Leave-in condition is a great way to boost the moisture in your hair, but it can leave your hair heavy and dull. You can time your leave-in treatments for times when you want to pull your hair up or wear some kind of hat or head covering. This will allow you to reap the benefits of an all-day treatment without needing to go around with scary hair. And heads up, short-haired girls -- leave-in treatments are great for your locks, too. Don't feel like you have to buy special leave-in treatments. A conditioner that delivers moisture can be used as a leave-in treatment for about half the cost.

When shopping for hair care products, try to avoid alcohol as an ingredient. This is a very drying agent in a great many products and something to be avoided during the summer -- and whenever your hair is exposed to chemicals, sunlight or excessive heat. Many of the natural products do not use alcohol, but be sure to read your labels.

If you notice you have a lot of trouble with fly-away and frizzy hair, consider getting more frequent trims. This can be a sign that your hair is damaged. If this is the case you definitely want to use some extra conditioning and consider covering your hair up or wearing more buns, knots and braids in the sun. It may also help to reduce the frequency in which you color or perm your hair. Damaged hair, no matter how neatly trimmed, is simply not attractive and is much harder to get under control. Many hair care products come with sunscreen included, and at relatively good prices. Try to use those products when available, but an even more inexpensive fix is to keep your hair covered. If you are really desperate, you can use regular sunscreen on your hair! While hair won't burn, it can lose the protective scales that coat your hair shaft and make it soft. When using normal sunscreen, plan to shampoo and condition after sun exposure because while sunscreen isn't bad for your hair, it may make styling your hair later on a lot more tricky.

If you are going to be swimming in a salt water body or in a chlorinated pool it is always a good idea to wet your hair first. This seems to minimize the amount of these very drying substances your hair absorbs. If you bleach your hair or lighten it, make sure you keep your hair covered or shampoo with a chlorine-eliminating shampoo or you will end up with green, frizzy hair.

Summer can mean more bad hair days, but using a little hair knowledge can give you gorgeous, healthy locks for the season.