Our June heatwave took everyone by surprise. Last month, all Seattle’s heat records were not only broken, they were shattered, and those record-high temperatures probably made a lot of people reconsider their hair routine. Should you change up your style for the season? How can you protect your hair from the heat? Here’s a guide from Hair By Joey to help you navigate the next couple months.
Damage Control
This is probably the most oft-discussed summer hair dilemma: how do you enjoy an outdoor summer lifestyle while avoiding all the hair hazards that come with? The sun dries out your hair, chlorine from the pool damages it, any color work you’ve had done changes unpredictably, and the constant showers you need dry out your scalp.
One of the reasons your hair’s texture changes so much over the summer is that the wind, salt water, sun, chlorine, etc, are breaking down the hydrolipidic film that coats the shaft of your hair. This film protects your hair from damage and gives it its shine, but it’s easily damaged or destroyed, making your hair more prone to frizziness, uneven color change, and split ends, especially if you’ve already weakened the hydrolipidic film through coloring.
Here are a few ways you can prevent or repair this damage:
1.) Don’t use styling products to cover up the problem— gels and serums are a temporary fix, but taming your frizz with a leave-in condition will not only reduce damage but will also help disguise it.
2.) Use the heat to your advantage—if you’re going to be in the sun for a couple hours but not necessarily out in public, apply a masque to your hair before going outside. The heat will help the deep conditioner permeate the shaft. Hair By Joey recommends the incredibly rich and pampering Caviar Moisture Masque.
3.) Rinse your hair after swimming—no matter where you swim, it probably isn’t very good for your hair. Even though many of our public beaches in Seattle are fresh water, you still need to rinse out the lake, which might contain pollutants or microfauna.
4.) Get glossed—it’s easy to apply a clear gloss to your hair on your own at home. You don’t have to worry about doing a patchy job, because it won’t alter your hair color at all, but a clear coating can protect your hair from the threats of the summer while adding shine. This looks especially good year-round on gray hair. You can also come into Hair By Joey for a gloss—we use top-rated Redken Shades EQ Gloss to deliver incredible shine, protection, and silky feel without changing the color or tone of your hair.
5.) Avoid styling tools—as you probably know, tools like curling irons, flat irons, or blow dryers are never good for your hair, but they’re at their worst in the summer time. Take advantage of the summer heat and let your hair dry naturally, and use the low-key summer atmosphere to embrace your natural texture.
Styling for Summer
Summer also brings its own unique set of styling challenges and opportunities. Here are a few tips for looks and styles that will take the fullest advantage of the season and work with, not against, the weather.
Keep the Length
A lot of style guides will encourage you to cut your hair short for the summer, but in many ways long locks are the most manageable. If your hair is prone to frizz from damage, the weight of long hair will actually help pull down those fly aways. Long hair is also the most adaptable to the messy, “beach wave” look that actually harnesses the power of that dried-out salt water volume, and it’s the easiest to pull up into a pony tail or bun if you’re really out of options.
Cut it Off
Of course, it’s hard to beat a breezy bob. If you’re planning a dramatic cut, though, maybe it’s best to wait for fall. The shaft of your hair is composed of dead cells, and even though many products will claim they can restore and rejuvenate your strands, all they can do is masque the problem or offer a kind of band aid. Even deep conditioning is just a temporary fix—hair isn’t like your skin, and if it’s damaged it’s damaged forever. A haircut at the end of summer or a set of new fall layers is the only way to really get rid of those split ends, and if you pare them away in the fall you’ll have the rest of the year to take care of your hair and get it ready for next summer!
Hair Styles on Trend
Seattle is a pretty lazy city when it comes to personal grooming, but luckily most of the trendiest looks in summer are also the easiest. If you’ve never tried a fishtail braid, now’s the time—it looks beautiful and even baffling, but doesn’t actually take much more effort than a normal braid, while protecting your hair from the need for heat styling and resulting in beautiful beach waves when you take it out. Have you been interested in ombre or balayage? Now’s a great time to try this trending bleaching technique—it actually looks best on slightly messy, wavy hair, and doesn’t require touch-ups to maintain.
Here’s a tutorial we like on the fishtail braid:
Lose the Bangs
Summer is a great time to grow out or pin back your bangs, and if you want to get bangs, maybe wait a couple months. Because of the heat during the summer, you’re probably sweating more, and your forehead is where the first signs of greasy hair can be detected. If you have stringy, greasy bangs, it not only looks bad, but you’ll be tempted to wash your hair more often than is healthy for it. Further, the grease that can build up under your bangs is worse in the summer, creating an incubator for bad skin and clogged pores. Not to mention that the bangs will interfere with your tan lines!
For any more summer hair styling tips, call us at Hair by Joey! We’ll help you find the perfect summer look that also keeps your hair healthy.