Tips for Protecting Hair from UV Rays and Sun Damage

Protecting your hair from the UV light of the sun is a necessary step to take if you want to maintain a good haircut or style, your hair color and your hair texture throughout the length of the summer. Overexposure to UV rays will lighten your hair and make it brighter throughout summer, but it will also strip your hair of key nutrients, such as the protein that keeps it strong and healthy. Taking a few extra steps throughout June, July, August and September when treating your hair and spending time outdoors will ensure that you go into fall with healthy, shiny and manageable locks.

Avoid High Noon

When at all possible, avoid being outside during peak hours of sunlight and heat. In certain areas of the country, this is not only good for your hair, but good for your overall health as well. If an egg can fry on the sidewalk in the summer heat, visualize what is happening to the natural oils at the root of your hair when you are walking along the same sidewalk for any length of time.

Wear a Cap or Hat When Spending Time Outdoors

Even if it is not particularly hot when you are outside, or if it is an overcast day, UV rays are still pouring down. If you are outside, take the time to embrace the fashion statement of a good hat. A baseball cap, a dedicated sun hat or even a fedora can provide adequate coverage to keep your hair, in particular your roots, from the sun. Women with particularly long hair should take care that their hat provides enough shade to cover the entire length. If it does not, wrap your hair up into a loose ball and tuck it under the hat until you get indoors. Unless you have a very delicate style crafted, the loose ball should unfurl smoothly when released.

Use "Fortified" Shampoos and Conditioners

When you are shopping for shampoo and conditioner in the summer, look for products that advertise strengthening capabilities or that promote their "vitamin" content. Most products will do this conspicuously on the front of the bottle. You want to verify that protein is in any product, as it is key to healthy hair.

Use Sunblock for Your Hair

There are hair-care products on the market from several brands that have UV protection built-in. If you can only locate standard shampoos and conditioners with UV blocking benefits, then buy the conditioner and mix a small portion of it with a cup of water. Brush it through your hair after showering, while your hair is still damp, and leave it in. On days when you are sure to be exposed to lots of sunlight, such as at a pool party, apply a bit of the mixture at every opportunity to protect your hair.

Protecting your hair from UV rays in the summer is key if you need to maintain a sleek and well-groomed appearance for work or school, so be careful when you are outside to minimize sun damage.