In summer, what is the best way to protect your hair from the sun and wind? We asked Prof. Gabriele Gallo, a specialist in dermosiphilopathy clinic, and this is his answer
To protect your hair from the effects of atmospheric agents such as the sun and wind, you need to follow some practical tips.
Wear a hat. Hats may not be fashionable, but thanks to them, your hair will always be protected from the aggressive action of the sun and wind.
Use a straightener and hairdryer. The situation is made worse by washing, which becomes more frequent in the summer. If you have a short haircut, you can dry it naturally. If you have long hair, however, before going to the hairdryer can dab it and dry it with a towel and use the hairdryer with cold air so as not to subject the hair to a further thermal shock.
Combine the hair. Wet hair is more vulnerable, better to use the comb when all hair is well dry.
Bottle of water. Bring a bottle of tap water to the beach and then rinse your hair out of the sea, and use the sparkling water in the pool to rinse your hair: bubbles help to remove chlorine.
Shampoo and treatments. Use a shampoo free of sulfates and parabens; try to use only natural products that respect the hair. You can make a moisturizing hair pack based on aloe vera gel to be applied before shampooing, it can also be useful to massage an area of the body in case of slight sunburn.
Argan oil. Argan oil has the ability to nourish and penetrate the hair fibers without greasing them and can bring the active ingredients directly where the hair is damaged. It is an excellent natural remedy for soothing hair damage caused by the sun, chlorine or salt.
A holiday at the seaside or in the mountains can dry out your hair, dehydrate it and fray it, creating the much-hated split ends. It may happen that, after sitting at the hairdresser's, the hair is struggling to stay in the crease: this means they have been mistreated and have suffered severe aggression due to climatic factors such as wind, salt, sand or excessive exposure to sunlight. For this reason, before we go to the beach or expose ourselves to the sun, we must protect them adequately. Here are the hair-saving rules:
One shampoo a day, at night, to eliminate salt, sand, dust, and sweat otherwise the scalp does not breathe and gets irritated.
The last rinse after shampooing should be done with cold water mixed with 1-2 tablespoons of apple vinegar: it restores the natural acidity of the scalp.
The sea hair dryer must be replaced by natural drying: it is less aggressive.
At least a couple of times a week, before shampooing, you should nourish your hair with an oil pack: perfect are those of jojoba, sweet almonds, and wheat germ.
Let's avoid exposing your hair to the sun without protection during the hottest hours: the sun's rays damage the keratin and weaken the scalp.
If you are planning a holiday in the sun, one week before leaving, and for at least a month, a specific dietary supplement is useful to strengthen: every morning we take a pearl (or a teaspoon) of wheat germ oil or supplements based on millet.
On the beach, we use shea butter as a protective filter to put on the hair. It is a vegetable fat extracted from the seed of the Butyrospermum parking berry, a tall tree known in Africa as the "tree of health".
Shea butter, obtained by cold pressing, is an ivory white paste with emollient, antioxidant and moisturizing properties. Simply heat up a teaspoon of butter in your hands and then spread it over your hair and head instead of the normal chemical sunscreens.
During the summer, the hair must be hydrated and nourished daily with a conditioner: in the evening, after shampooing, we apply a treatment product to the scalp and hair, preferably based on chamomile, aloe vera or oat, soothing restructuring substances. Once a week, after a light shampoo, we can use a mixture prepared with a spoonful of wheat germ oil, a spoonful of jojoba oil, an egg yolk, a teaspoonful of honey and a spoonful of cognac on the hair. Spread the preparation with a brush, wrap the head in a damp cloth and leave in place 20 minutes before rinsing.