Happy Hair Days

As the weather starts to warm up hair like skin needs attention so it’s ready for the sun. Here’s how to give yours the care it deserves

It's not just skin that suffers in the spring and summer sun. Ultra violet (UV) rays break down the protein structure of unprotected hair reducing its elasticity and making it more likely to break. Expensive highlights can fade to a dull orange after just a day in the sun.

Spending time by a swimming pool can also take its toll. Chlorine makes hair porous and can change the colour of bleached locks. If you're blond you may find your hair takes on a greenish hue. Seawater is not much better either. The high salt content can quickly dry out hair leaving it matted, tangled and difficult to manage. So if you want lustrous holiday locks it makes sense to protect them before full exposure to the sun.

ADVANCE TACTICS

Have a routine trim. Even if your hair is only a little dry the sun will make it worse so a trim will help to minimise split ends. Getting hair in as good condition as you can also helps it to stand up to the heat. Start a once-a-week series of deep conditioning treatments such as oils or hair masks six weeks before you go away They take as little as 15 minutes and your hair will look so much better for them. If you colour your hair try to leave any treatments to when you come back.

PROTECT IT

The most important thing you can do for the health of your hair is to screen it from the sun as you would your skin. According to the experts if you don’t, you can do the same amount of damage on a two-week beach holiday as you’d do in 52 weeks at home. That’s equivalent to the damage you’d inflict with a year of blow drying and heated appliances.

Mist a UV protector spray over dry hair to provide a protective barrier for scalp and hair. Some leave-in conditioners contain a sunscreen; smooth a palmful through your hair before you go out, paying special attention to the ends. And don’t forget your parting is a common place for burning. Spray it well with hair sunscreen or use body sun lotion to cover it.

It also makes sense to wear a hat whenever you can. Go for one with a wide brim - as well as protecting hair it will shield your neck from the burning rays and protect you from sunstroke. The ends of hair are especially dry and delicate so if your hair is long tuck it up underneath your hat.

FOR THE HEALTH OF YOUR HAIR…

• *Make sure fresh fruit and vegetables and oily fish feature high on your menu. Cut out caffeine, salt, sugar and saturated fats.
• Supplementing your diet with a vitamin B complex can help to keep your scalp healthy.
• Other hair friendly foods include olive, safflower and sesame oils, pulses, seeds, oats, millet and almonds.
• Try to drink at least eight glasses of water a day and get plenty of fresh air, exercise and sleep.

IF your hair becomes dry and dehydrated try one of the following treatments to bring back the gloss and shine. One takes 15 minutes while the other is best left on overnight

BANANA SPLIT

• Mash one banana with a tbsp of olive oil and smooth it onto hair – from the roots to the ends.
• Massage into hair and scalp then wrap hair in cling film or a hot towel for 15 minutes.
• Rinse, shampoo and condition as normal.

JOJOBA JEWEL

• Mix 3tsp jojoba essential oil with 2tsp apricot kernel oil and place in a screw top jar.
• Add a vanilla pod and leave to infuse for at least three days before using. Don’t store in the fridge as this will solidify the jojoba oil and slow down the infusion process.
• Apply to dry hair and leave for at least an hour but preferably overnight. Wrap your hair in an old scarf or towel to avoid staining pillowcase.
• In the morning rinse off and shampoo as normal.