Summer Haircare Tips for Men
Hot time, summer in the city - or the suburbs, or the countryside. Wherever you’re having your summer, it’s probably going to be hard on the old follies (follicles, mate, we’re talking about your hair).
Want to know how men can take care of their hair in the summer? If you’re looking for hot weather hair care tips for men, you’ve come to the right place. Read on!
Does summer damage men’s hair?
Summertime is a season of fun, but not for your hair. So many different summertime conditions and activities that are pleasant and fun can lead to your hair having a total meltdown.
What makes summer hard on men’s hair?
For one, summertime usually means extra sun. The ultraviolet rays radiating from the sun can basically bake the hair shaft.
That’s why hair gets naturally lighter the more time you spend in the sun, but it also means damage to your hair, making it dry and frizzy.
Is swimming bad for your hair?
Then there’s that wonderful wet and wild summer activity that is known to be murder on your hair - swimming! Chlorine, the chemical that keeps most pools clean, is a disinfectant.
The whole purpose of disinfectants is to kill germs, but they also break down dirt and oil.
Yes, oil, you know, that substance that keeps your hair from being a dried-out pile of straw on your head. Months of soaking your locks in chlorine will leave you with dry, porous, damaged swimmer’s hair.
For the mermen among you, swimming in the ocean or a saltwater pool can be just as bad. It shouldn’t come as a shock to beef jerky fans that heaps and heaps of salt dries things out, including hair.
Salt extracts water from that which it touches. Since hair is made of mostly water and a little protein, that’s a recipe for crispy fragile strands if we ever heard one.
For a safer way to get that fresh-from-a-day-at-the-beach tousled and textured look, check out our Bondi waves sea salt texture spray. It has just a kiss of sea salt, just enough to absorb excess oil and help with dandruff, but not so much as to dry your hair out, especially given that it also has moisturising aloe vera juice. We’re all about balance!
How can I protect my hair in summer?
They say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, so here are some things men can do to protect their hair in the summer:
- Skip the hot styling tools - It’s already hot enough, mate, so put down the curling iron and flat iron and set the blow dryer to cool. Or better yet, skip the blow dryer altogether, jump into a convertible, and use the gorgeous weather to naturally dry your hair!
- Cover up - summer’s the perfect time to bust out that natty straw hat to cover your locks and protect from excess sun. A baseball cap will do as well, but a nice wide-brimmed number can help protect your skin in the summer as well. And when you jump into the pool or sea, a swimming cap will keep your hair protected.
- Soak your hair pre-swim - if a swimming cap is out of the question, getting your hair completely soaking wet with fresh clean water from your tap or using a high-quality leave-in conditioner before you swim protects your hair by not allowing as much salt or chlorine to be absorbed into the shaft.
- Rinse your hair post-swim - we know the sea and pool smell like pure vacation and it’s tempting to leave that delicious aquatic perfume in your hair for a while.
Sadly, the best thing for hair is to rinse it with fresh water as soon as possible post-swim. The less time chlorine and salt sit on your hair, the less damage!
Get a haircut - it doesn’t have to be a major new style, mate, we’re talking about a little trim. Get rid of any burgeoning split ends to start summer with a healthy hair base looking as fresh as a daisy!
How do I reverse summer hair damage?
If your hair’s already feeling a tad crunchy and dry, no worries, it can be helped.
Switching to an all-natural moisturising shampoo coupled with an all-natural moisturizing conditioner will help hair regain essential moisture.
Hair grows from the scalp, which is really just skin that also reacts to the environment and can get dried out. The scalp is home to the sebaceous glands which produce sebum, the oil that protects your hair.
If your hair is really thirsty, your scalp might need a drink via a really excellent men's scalp treatment. It naturally cleanses, soothes, and moisturizes your scalp. Happy scalp, happy hair!
Now that you know how to take care of your hair in the summertime, there’s nothing holding you back from enjoying this most magical of seasons.
Now go buy a boat!