Who doesn’t want healthy and shiny hair? It’s like a dream for everyone. But, the rising temperature and scorching heat can make it difficult to achieve your dream hair. Thus, here are 21 summer hair care tips to help you keep your hair safe and lustrous despite the sunny days.
Have you ever seen someone and felt swooned by their hair? Have you ever craved thick, healthy hair, like you see in those shampoo ads?
If the answer is yes, trust me you’re not alone.
I believe that every girl has been there.
Healthy hair is something we all adore. We all want to have that glamorous hair all the time. But, the weather and your lifestyle can impact your hair in more ways than you know.
Especially, in summer, sweat and heat can really damage your hair and take away all its shine.
Hence, to save you from all your hair troubles, I am here with my best summer hair care tips to help you achieve the hair of your dreams. Let’s go!
21 Simple Summer Hair Care Tips For You To Have Fun With Your Hair
Summer is here. It’s the time of the year when all the dirt, dust, and pollution can get inside your scalp and destroy your hair texture. It can really make you regret stepping out in the sun.
But, does that make any sense?
I mean, yes, we all love our hair and want the best. But, would that stop you from going to work or just enjoying the sun?
Most probably not!
Even though my hair is what I love the most about myself, I would not let that come in between my work and life.
This is why, these 21 summer hair care tips will help you with my best practices that keep my hair healthy and shiny despite the sun and its wrath.
But, here are a few things you must know before you indulge in any hair care practice.
4 Things You Should Know Before Your Hair Care
Hair care is a complete process. It is a whole series of events if done in the right way. But, to do that you must have a basic understanding of your hair health.
No hair care product or tips would help you if you are inconsistent with it. Hair care is a commitment. The more you care for them, the healthier they are.
So, let’s begin with learning more about our hair health first!
How is Your Hair Made?
95% of your hair is made up of a protein named keratin and water contributes 25% to the weight of a hair strand.
Therefore, in short protein, water, and minerals are what you need to keep your hair shiny and smooth.
This is why your food and water intake plays such a crucial role in your hair health. Thus, make sure you drink enough water and eat mindfully, especially during the summer.
How to Choose the Right Product for Your Hair?
Not every hair product is for you. Not every hair mask will suit your hair and not every hair serum will make them shine.
Some can even reverse the effect and cause more damage than any growth.
What may work for your best friends, may not work for you.
Hence, you must choose the right hair product for strengthening your locks.
Let me help you do that:
1. Knowing Your Hair Type
Choosing the correct products and treatments requires knowing your hair type. Every variety has unique qualities and needs specialized attention. To find the best products and style methods for managing and styling your hair, identify your hair type first. There are 4 types of hair type:
- Type 1 is straight.
- Type 2 is wavy.
- Type 3 is curly.
- Type 4 is coyly.
2. Understanding Your Hair’s Porosity
The ability of your hair to absorb and hold onto moisture is known as hair porosity. Knowing how porous your hair is will help you choose the right products for its maintenance.
The porosity of hair falls into three primary categories:
a. Low Porosity:
- Hair with low porosity struggles to absorb moisture because of its tightly closed cuticle layer.
- Products could build up while they are left at the hair’s top layer without being absorbed.
- Use water-based, lightweight products.
- Use heat while conditioning treatments to soften the cuticle for better moisture absorption
b. Normal Porosity:
- Hair with normal porosity may absorb and hold moisture in a balanced way.
- The cuticle layer allows for the ideal moisture balance because it is neither porous nor too tightly sealed.
- Frequent conditioning and moisturizing remedies appropriate for your hair type will help you maintain your hair health.
c. High Porosity:
- Hair with a high porosity cuticle layer is very porous, making it easy for moisture to pass through and exit.
- This kind of hair is prone to breakage, frizz, and dryness.
- Use thick, creamy products that can retain moisture.
- Use hair oil or serums to stop moisture loss
3. How to Check Your Hair Porosity?
a. The Float Test
Put clean hair strands in a glass of water and pay attention to how the hair acts.
- Low porosity is indicated by floating
- Rapid sinking is indicative of high porosity
- Suspended in the centre suggests typical porosity
b. Strand Test
Use your fingers to hold a dry hair strand between them and then feel the touch.
- Smoothness is a sign of low porosity.
- Bumpy or rough indicates a high porosity.
- A balanced texture implies normal porosity.
c. The Slip ‘n’ Slide Test
Run your fingers down a strand of dry hair and feel the glide.
- Simple sliding indicates a low porosity.
- Roughness or resistance indicates a high porosity
- Smooth sliding with minimal resistance indicated a normal porosity.
Use these easy tests to determine the porosity of your hair and make any adjustments based on the results.
4. Protein vs. Moisture Balance
Keeping your hair healthy requires finding the ideal ratio of protein to moisture.
- Too much protein without enough moisture can cause stiff, brittle hair.
- Too much moisture without enough protein can result in limp, fragile hair that is easily broken.
Thus, to maintain a healthy balance between them, pay attention to your hair’s demands. Also, make sure you use hydrating and protein-rich products accordingly.
Now that you know the hair care essentials, let’s dive into my best summer hair care tips to help you retain your healthy hair on these sunny days.
21 Best Summer Hair Care Tips for You
These summer hair care tips come from my personal experience as a hair care enthusiast. I hope these will help you flaunt your hair without compromising its health.
Most importantly, you will learn how to take care of your hair daily and build your lifestyle based on the same.
1. Don’t Overwash Your Hair
Overwashing your hair can take away the moisture of your hair. As you produce good oil to support your scalp and hair structure, you must keep a gap of 2–3 days between your hair washes. I usually wash my hair twice a week in the summer, preferably Wednesdays and Sundays.
Also, don’t forget to use a mild, moisturizing shampoo for it.
2. Hairstyling
Summer heat can make you not want to keep your hair open. While that makes complete sense, make sure you don’t tie them too tight. Because that can lead to hair damage.
Avoid tight hairstyles like high ponytails. Instead, go for low-hair buns and style them with cute hair accessories like hair scrunchies or ribbons. Not only are they safe hair styles but they are quite trendy and comfortable too.
Do not wear too many bobby pins or U pins as they can also hurt your scalp or damage your hair roots.
3. Use Scalp Sunscreen
To be honest, this was very new to me, putting sunscreen on your scalp! But from my personal experience, I can tell you that this is the most effective and reliable hair care method.
Not only is it good for your hair but also essential for your scalp. You can start with the mist form of sunscreen and later explore more in various varieties.
4. Avoid using excessive heat styling
I have seen my mom take care of her hair and style it without any heat styling products ever. This is something I learned from her and imbibed in my hair care practices.
Instead of using heat-styling products, I like to go with overnight curls using heatless hair rollers or curls.
However, if you have to use heat styling then always use heat protectant spray and adapt your hair care routine to be extra moisturizing.
5. Using the Right Water for Your Hair Wash
You might not know the power of water you use while washing your hair. Water impacts your hair in many ways.
Cold water doesn’t dissolve natural oils. It boosts the moisture level of your hair. This adds to your hair’s health. Hot water, on the other hand, cleans your hair completely. But, it can lead to dryness and irritation.
Well, this is why I go for the mid-way: lukewarm water.
Also, make sure to use water with less chlorine content. Don’t use hard water (that contains minerals like magnesium and calcium) on your scalp.
6. Use Satin Clothes to Cover Your Hair While Asleep
A cotton pillow cover could be harsh on your hair because of friction between the pillow cover and your hair. This can lead to excessive hair breakage.
Therefore using a satin pillow cover can be a helpful way to manage this issue. Using this tip will also ensure that you won’t look like a spidey in the morning (Friction baby).
7. Keep Yourself Hydrated
Keeping yourself hydrated is probably the most basic and usual hair care advice you will ever receive. But, it’s basic because it’s important.
Hydration is the root of healthy and strong hair. So, while summer does its job make sure you do yours and keep yourself hydrated throughout the day.
8. Tie your hair while using the bathroom
To protect your scalp from having an infection, it’s essential to cover your scalp. Especially if you have long hair as I do.
Places like bathrooms can expose your scalp to bacteria. Hence, make sure you tie your hair so as not to nest any infection on your scalp.
9. Conditioning your locks
Conditioning your hair is an essential way to make it look smooth, silky, and shiny. If you have never tried conditioning ever, make sure you give it a try.
There could be various ways to do it but the most common and easy one is to apply conditioner after your regular hair wash. Now keep it for 10 minutes at least and then rinse it off.
Use a hair mask once/ twice a month as per your hair moisturizing requirement.
10. Scalp Massage
This is my favorite step in summer hair care tips. A deep scalp massage is an essential part of having healthy hair.
I like to massage my scalp while I oil my hair. Not only does it increase the blood flow in your scalp but also improves your hair growth.
In summer, I usually prefer to oil and massage my scalp 2-3 hours before the hair wash. It works great for me, you must try it.
11. Choose the right oil
Obviously, there are a plethora of hair oils to choose from. However, I like to use coconut oil or mustard oil for my hair oiling.
The key is to choose the right oil that aligns with your hair texture, porosity, girth, and of course your scalp too.
12. Bet on Hair remedies
No matter how many products you use, home remedies on your hair will always surpass their impact. Thus, you can definitely bet on them.
One of the most effective home remedies for hair care is applying curd to your hair like a hair mask. It will provide your hair with shine, and moisture and reduce dandruff,
You have to apply it before your wash just for 10-20 mins and then rinse it with normal water.
You can also elevate the remedy by mixing other ingredients like aloe vera, egg, and Vitamin E capsules.
13. Wide-tooth Wooden comb
I know brushes feel fancy and elegant but a wide tooth wooden comb is your hair’s best friend.
Especially if you have frizzy or curly hair, wooden hair combs help to prevent unnecessary hair-pulling. They detangle your hair with ease and make hair combing a smoother experience.
I switched to wooden hair combs 3 years ago and it has been the best decision I took for my hair health.
14. Always carry head-cover
It’s hot outside, and you would not want the sun to grill your hair.
So, cover your hair with a cotton cloth even if you have applied the scalp sunscreen. And ensure that clothes are not black as it absorbs heat easily in summer.
15. Say no to stress
Cortisol is a hormone, the evil hormone. When you are tensed or worried about things, your body releases cortisol. Stress has a direct impact on your hair health.
Too much stress can amplify your hair breakage and reduce hair growth. Thus, not just for your overall health, but for your hair too, you must avoid stress and indulge in activities that boost your mood.
16. Limit heat styling:
The Instagram lifestyle may force you to indulge in heat hair styling. But, unfortunately, that is the worst thing you can do for your hair.
I only use heat on my hair once a year, that too if the occasion is super important for me.
Otherwise, I prefer to embrace natural hairstyles. In fact, I love experimenting with braiding to give my hair a new look quite often.
So, if your hair feels worse, it’s time to stop heating it and try some natural hairstyles.
17. Balanced meal!
What goes inside your body is directly reflected on the outside of your body. Be that your skin or hair, it shows!
Hence, make sure you build healthy eating habits and eat balanced meals.
18. Use a microfibre towel
Regular towels could be harsh on your hair. Hence, using a microfibre towel is a good choice for your hair care.
If you can’t get a microfibre towel then you can use a regular cotton veil for your hair.
19. Limit chemical treatments
Reduce the frequency of chemical treatments like coloring, perming, or bleach during the summer to minimize hair damage.
20. Essential Hair Kit
Always have an essential kit ready for your hair. For example: mine includes my wooden comb, my hair clips, my hair bands, my scrunchies, and the hair bands.
21. Don’t touch your hair
Summer can make it difficult to manage your hair. Thus, it’s advisable to avoid touching your hair over and over again. An effective way to do this is by making loose buns or tying your hair in a braid.
This will not only maintain adequate hygiene but also protect your hair from the germs in your surroundings.
Conclusion
I hope my best summer hair care tips have helped you learn something new today about how you take care of your hair.
Hair care is a therapy to relax and enjoy yourself. Take it like that, don’t stress yourself over it. Instead make a stable hair care routine, using the tips and knowledge I have just shared.
Above all, stay consistent with your hair care efforts.
The goal is not only to have long hair but to have a stronger scalp, and less hair fall and breakage. Thus, adopt a lifestyle that aligns with your hair goals.
At last, all I would suggest is to build a hair care routine (hair care method+diet+exercise) and stick to it for a minimum of 3 months to see the desired results.
Be patient with it and trust the process.
With that, I hope I made your summer easy as far as your hair care practices are concerned!
