End of Summer: Healthy Hair

The beach is the perfect day long escape in the summer. The sun warming your bronzer-glossed skin, sand between your toes, and wind blowing in your hair is the perfect combination for a perfect day with a book in your lap with icy drink in hand. In fact, the sound of that is enough to relieve tension and ease the mind, right? Think again! The combination of sun, wind, and sand takes a huge toll on hair that goes unnoticed until weeks after serious damage is done. This combination dries out hair, and without proper care, split ends and a flaky scalp is the result. These simple steps will be sure to give you healthy hair!
Sunscreen and Aloe
Consuming alcohol dehydrates the body. So, if you’re having a margarita or shandy on the beach, make sure to drink lots of water to rehydrate your skin. After all, to help your hair, it’s best to start inside out. In addition to keeping hydrated, don’t forget to apply sunscreen on your scalp! This is often forgotten about, but your scalp is just as exposed to the sun as the rest of your body. If a burn occurs, brushing will be difficult and there’s a great chance that your scalp will peel in patches … gross! Try a facial sunblock like Aveeno. These are great for sensitive skin and don’t paint your entire head white.
Olive Oil
After a day of sun, relax a bit when you return home. Pour yourself a glass of water with some lemon slices or veg out and have a snack. Whatever you do, be sure to drizzle some olive oil evenly on your scalp prior to. Let this soak into your scalp and roots for at least fifteen minutes, and then rinse it off with the leftover sand and sea salt you trailed home from the beach.
Leave-In
Leave in conditioner is super easy to use, but can go a long way. Simply spritz a bit into hair and finger comb or fully brush from root to end. This will moisturize your hair (until it gets wet) and leave it perfectly hydrated.
Hot Oil

This slightly differs from olive oil, but if all else fails, pick up a hot oil treatment from any drugstore and follow the directions on the tube. For the most part, all you’ll need to do is allow the tube to heat up in boiling water for a few minutes and apply to hair. The effects should be noticeable post shower.
Summer only comes once a year, but the damage it causes to your hair can last for an extended time. With these tips, your hair will stand against the natural forces summer brings and be healthier for much longer.
 

Feature Image Courtesy of Martin de Witte on Flickr Creative Commons
Post Images Courtesy of Aveeno, TRESemmé, and VO5