SUMMER is almost here! The best time to hit the beach. Who doesn’t get drawn to azure waters and pristine beaches? Island hopping, snorkeling, scuba diving, surfing—endless possibilities.
Bring a book, hang out with friends, take pictures, meet new people, eat exotic foods, try coconut wine and party.
With so many distractions, we tend to forget about our hair. And it may take a long time for a mop of dry, damaged tresses to recover.
So, here are tips on how to take care of your hair, especially during summer.
Why does hair get dry from swimming at the beach and pool?
Your hair doesn’t actually mind swimming in the ocean. Damage occurs when you get out. Moisture along the hair strands acts like a magnifying glass to the sun’s UV rays and the salt from the water makes your hair brittle as it dries.
Solution: If you don’t have access to running fresh water when you come out of the sea, bring a large bottle of tap water to rinse out the salt and shield your hair from the sun. Use a hat, a bandana or even a t-shirt or a towel. If you don’t have anything handy, at least braid your hair to reduce the surface your hair offers to the sun.
Swimming in the pool is different. Chlorine is used to keep its water clean. Think of it as a detergent. When you go swimming with dry hair, the strands will soak up chlorinated water and with it free metals, hence, blonde hair can turn greenish in the pool.
Most pools have a shower and intuitively, people tend to shampoo after swimming to remove the chlorine. Little do they know that using a regular shampoo cannot remove chlorine. Shampoos are in essence a detergent; milder than chlorine. But adding shampoo to the presence of chlorine will make things worse. Over time your hair will become crunchy to touch, stiff and hard to comb. And colors will fade.
Solution: Before going into the pool, wet your hair thoroughly. Don’t shampoo (that would only strip natural oils) but apply and distribute a generous amount of conditioner. Any conditioner will do but we recommend the award-winning OI deep conditioner from Davines with Roucou oil.
Important: Don’t rinse! The conditioner won’t harm the pool. Your hair is now fully saturated and will absorb very little chlorinated pool water and the conditioner acts as a barrier.
After swimming, don’t shampoo. Just rinse well and apply more conditioner. Gently comb through and rinse clean. You may shampoo your hair a few hours later or the next day. Ordinary shampoo doesn’t work at the beach and pool. There are some specialized shampoos.
And here is the latest in beach-awesomeness: BEDHEAD TIGI ‘Totally Beachin’ limited edition hair care consists of a Cleansing Jelly Shampoo, Mellow After Sun Conditioner, Beach Bound Protection Spray and Beach Freak Moisturizing Detangling Spray. Together they effectively defend your hair against chlorine, UV-rays, sand, sweat and heat.
Never rub your hair with a towel. It’s best to use a very soft towel or an old t-shirt instead of a coarse towel. Using softer material will prevent your hair from getting tangled and damaged when you dry it. Gently squeeze wet hair with your hands. Right when you turn off the shower, run your hands over your hair and gently squeeze out the extra water.
Don’t twist your hair, as this can easily damage it. Blot and squeeze your hair dry with the towel. Grab a section of hair and gently blot and squeeze it with the towel, working from the roots all the way to the tips.
Hair is 5 to 10 times more sensitive when wet so please comb gently with patience.
Keep these tips in mind and your hair will thank you for the rest of the year.
Now, where are we going: Boracay, Bantayan or Bohol?