Summer Hair Care SOS!
The summer can bring a relief from winter stresses such as central heating and cold snaps, but can bring other challenges such as scalp sun damage and follicle exposure. Whilst it’s important to enjoy the sun responsibly for increased health benefits, we have put together a complete expert guide to ensuring your hair and scalp are protected in the UK heat. Follow up these top 10 tips and your scalp will thank you this summer!
Top Trichologist Stephanie Sey often deals with damaged and over treated hair at her practice. To protect your hair over the summer season, Stephanie recommends the following tips:
Stephanie Sey
1 Cover up – “Wear a hat when you’re out in the sun for protection against sunburn and to shield your strands from damage.”
Pic: Shutterstock
2 SPF – “The sun’s UVA and UVB rays can damage your scalp and hair, so it is important to spritz your scalp and hair with a specially formulated hair SPF.”
3 Wear your hair up loose – “Tight hairstyles can damage the hair further if you already have dried out hair from the summer heat.”
4 Condition the hair – “Try a rich deep conditioning treatment once a week to give your hair a moisture boost. If you are going to be swimming a lot, it is a good idea to put some conditioner through your hair before swimming or make sure you rinse it very well after swimming. UV rays from the sun can also break down the cuticles on your hair strands, so it is a good idea to wear a hat. This will protect the hair from damage and your scalp from sunburn.”
5 Use a wide-tooth comb instead of a brush – “They are gentler for detangling hair, especially when wet, as some brushes can tear and snag strands.”
Pic: Shutterstock
6 Leave the hair straighteners at home – “From salt water to sun damage, your hair will be parched enough, so do your hair a favour and stay away from styling tools which will dry your hair further.”
Pic: Shutterstock
7 Give scalp extra TLC during the summer months – “Wash your hair regularly to remove any dirt, sweat, dead skin cells, bacteria and fungus. And massage gently with a vibrating massage tool – this will help you relax and also increase blood flow to the area as well as improve circulation.”
8 Use oils – “Using an oil such as coconut oil can lock in moisture and act as a natural antioxidant, protecting the strands from free radical damage.”
9 Spend less time in the sun – “Spending excessive time in the sun can be bad for the skin particularly. Be careful not to allow your scalp to burn in the sun as this will exacerbate flaking and drying. Having said that, many people report that their dandruff improves when the weather warms up.”
10 Don’t give you up your hair care regime – “Let’s not have a carefree attitude in the summer– it’s important to keep up our usual haircare regime and continue to use our favourite hair products and treatments such as Nizoral Dandruff Shampoo.”
Nizoral® Dandruff Shampoo
If you’ve already tried everything, try Nizoral® dandruff shampoo for clinically proven, long-lasting relief from dandruff. Compared to most anti-dandruff shampoos that only act on the surface, Nizoral® treats the root cause of dandruff itself, not just the symptoms. The medicated formula gets to work fast to help treat the underlying cause of the condition, restoring the scalp to its normal healthy state.
The formulation contains 2% Ketoconazole; a powerful anti-fungal ingredient which treats skin infections by preventing the growth of the fungus which causes dandruff symptoms – Malassezia furfur. Nizoral® is easy to use and just incorporate into your haircare regime for fast, effective results. For best results, apply a small amount of the shampoo to your hand and massage into a lather, leave on the scalp for an optimum time of 3 – 5 minutes, then rinse thoroughly. You can use alongside your favourite haircare products, just wash with Nizoral® every 3 or 4 days for 2-4 weeks, for up to 3 month’s relief from dandruff. Then use once every 1-2 weeks to prevent further occurrences. The dermatologically tested formula is suitable for all hair types and is gentle on the scalp.
Nizoral® Dandruff Shampoo, £5.00 for 60ml, is available from Boots, Superdrug, Amazon, Lloyds Pharmacy, Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and independent pharmacies nationwide. Always read the label.
Moira Chisholm
I'm the Health Editor on My Weekly and am always interested to hear what's new in this fascinating field. I also deal with the gardening, shopping pages, general features, our website content and the Ask Helen problem page. I have a special interest in Christmas content because I'm on the team for Your Best Ever Christmas Magazine, too!
