Tips from Dermatology/ The best ways to protect your hair from sun damage

2023-06-28 18:01:00, Shëndeti CNA

Now that we are in the summer season, one of our concerns is hair damage from the sun.

Sun damage can happen to most hair types, but there are ways to keep your strands and scalp protected.

Dermatology Wilma Bergfeld explains how sun damage happens to hair and how to best protect your hair while in the sun.

"If your hair has been exposed to the sun for a long time, UVA and UVB rays can damage the outer covering of the hair shaft, called the cuticle," says Dr. Bergfeld.

Thus, your hair can become dry, fine, paler in color and rough, in other words like straw. Over time, heat and dryness can cause them to crack.

The good news is that you can take precautions to protect your hair from the hot summer sun.

As stated by Dr. Bergfeld, you can use an SPF (sun protection factor) product that takes care of protecting your hair from harmful rays.

How it works?

Sunscreen hair cream works by forming a protective barrier on the surface of your hair that helps protect it from the sun's harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays. Active ingredients in hair protection products typically include UV filters such as avobenzone, octinoxate, and zinc oxide.

But it's important to note that sunscreen for your hair works differently than sunscreen for your skin. Since our hair is technically made up of dead skin cells, it doesn't have the same reaction to sun damage as our skin which can have visible redness, burning, shedding, etc.

Instead, hair sunscreen focuses on protecting the cuticle (the outer area of ??the hair shaft) by creating a barrier between it and the sun's rays.

While to have shiny hair it is important to note that our scalp requires stronger protection from the sun. To do this, apply a regular product with SPF (a lotion or spray) that prevents cell damage from UV rays.

However, there are also specific sprays or balms, but they leave the hair a little foamy or greasy. You can also try mineral or powder sunscreen.

The application of the protector to the hair is applied after styling or combing the hair, while the cream can also be applied before styling.

Use your fingers or a comb to distribute the product throughout your hair, covering all areas. Allow the hair sunscreen to dry completely before going outside.