Golden Rules to keep your hair healthy
Your hair has a number enemies in the environment around you. But you can protect it – you just need to know what to do. We’ve listed a few of the biggest hair hazards below, along with some ways on how to deal with them.
Protect it from heat
Your hair doesn’t have any nerve endings, so it can’t send a distress signal when things get too hot. But make no mistake: excessive heat does hurt your hair. So, make sure you use only high-quality styling tools, and don't expose your hair to damaging temperatures.
Protect it from the sun
Natural, sun-kissed highlights look gorgeous and are the perfect complement to sun-tanned skin. But your hair, just like your skin, may suffer from overexposure to UV rays. A leave-in conditioner with UV filter will settle down on the outer hair layer and protect your hair for an extended period of time. Headgear, from wide rimmed straw hats and fedoras to headscarves and caps, is also a great way to guard your hair against damaging sunbeams.
Protect it from humidity
Humidity is enemy number one for all of us who have frizzy hair. To protect your hair, you should build up a humidity barrier. Use deep-conditioning and anti-frizz products that will lock the moisture in your hair while keeping any outside humidity at bay.
Protect it from stress
It’s unfair but true – just when a bad hair day is the last thing you need, your hair is just as stressed as you are. Continuous stress may even cause hair loss. So instead of pulling your hair in despair, try tuning things down a little. Give your hair and yourself a rest, don’t schedule any too elaborate and demanding treatments in times of stress and use only high-quality styling tools that don’t damage your hair with excessive heat.
Protect it from the sea or chlorine
It may be the best time of the year for you, but your summer holiday can be the worst for your hair. Chlorine and seawater damage the hair and may leave it dry and straw-like. Unless, that is, you take the proper precautions: wearing a swimming cap may make you look like a 1950s movie star, but it also offers the best protection!
The protective runner-up is conditioning. Use a good leave-in conditioner when you come out of the water – you could even take a little bottle to the beach with you, and spritz liberally over your hair when you get out of the sea or swimming pool. As soon as you’re home, you can finish the job with a good end gentle shampoo and even better, maybe even a moisture-enhancing deep conditioner.
