Summer hair needs to be looked after and we’ve got some great tips for you from an expert. Image supplied.
Although we are nearing the end of our summer here in New Zealand… sigh. That does not mean that the hot weather and searing sun are showing any signs of slowing down. The days are still humid and hot and we don’t know about you guys but the battle of the frizz is far from over for us, so we got in touch with our resident expert haircare pro, Brooke Frankham and asked her a few questions about how to best take care of your hair in this hot and muggy weather. She gave us some fantastic tips on battling the frizz, hydrating your hair and protecting it from the sun and we couldn’t keep this wealth of knowledge all to ourselves, so we’ve put together this article so that you too, can learn the tricks of the trade on how to go about keeping your mane tame in the summer weather.
How can we protect our hair from the sun and what products would you recommend to use?
The New Zealand summer sun can be extremely harmful to our hair. Just like your skin, UVA and UVB rays can damage the cuticle of your hair, which is the outer layer, that sees the most light. Signs of this could include colour fade, dry and brittle strands, broken or split ends, thinning and frizziness, so to protect your hair from sun damage these are my top tips.
Tip one: Use a leave-in UVA and UVB filtering treatment regularly, this will build up a coating on your hair shaft to protect your locks.
My pick is: ELEVEN Miracle Hair Treatment RRP: $34
Tip two: Apply a deep conditioning mask to your hair and leave it in on days where you will have high exposure to the suns harmful rays. This not only acts as a barrier, but it will also leave your hair feeling amazing! Make sure to re-apply the hair mask after swimming in chlorine or salt water and always make sure to shampoo and condition at the end of the day with fresh water to cleanse the hair of any salt and chlorine build up.
My pick is: PUREOLOGY Colour Fanatic instant deep conditioning mask. This product contains 21 benefits to your hair, including UV filters. RRP: $44
Tip three: Always wear a hat!
What are the best products to use to combat frizzy hair, for all different hair types?
Frizz is a nightmare and something I personally battle with, in the hotter months and through trial and error with multiple products I have found the perfect mix of shampoo, conditioner and styling products to leave your hair smooth and silky, here is my secret combination.
Shampoo: REDKEN Frizz Dismiss $35
Conditioner: REDKEN Frizz Dismiss $35
Leave-in Conditioner/Smoothing Creme: Kevin Murphy Smooth Again Treatment. Apply to towel-dried hair after a shampoo and condition. RRP: $70
Frizz fighting serum: REDKEN Frizz Dismiss instant deflate serum. This can be applied to wet or dry hair, so it ’s a good one for frizz top up’s throughout the day and it has added humidity protection to keep your hair looking smooth all day long. RRP: $35
How should we treat our hair after swimming in the ocean and in chlorinated pools?
As mentioned in the above section, make sure you are regularly using the ELEVEN Miracle Hair leave in treatment in your hair routine to protect your hair against UVA, UVB and chlorine. You can also apply a hydrating mask to your hair and leave it in prior to your swim especially if you are blonde as the chlorine can make your hair turn green, eeek!
After your swim, give your hair some love. Wash with fresh water then shampoo, condition and follow it up with a treatment every time to make sure no salt or chemicals linger and dry out or damage your hair.
How many times a week during the summer months should we be washing our hair?
As a general rule, I always tell my clients that they shouldn’t wash their hair any more than twice per week as it removes the natural oils that hydrate your hair naturally, although in summer, due to swimming this rule changes. In summer you should always wash your hair with fresh water and with a moisturising/repairing shampoo followed by a deep conditioning mask/conditioner after swimming in salt water or in chlorine pools.
If you exercise regularly and feel as though you need to wash your hair every day try just rinsing your hair with fresh water and applying some conditioner to the ends so you feel as though you have washed it. This way it feels clean but you won’t be stripping those natural oils.
My picks for regular washing are: Pureology Hydrate shampoo and conditioner for normal hair types. RRP: $44 each.
Pureology Hydrate Sheer shampoo and conditioner for finer hair types prone to more oil. RRP: $44 each.
REDKEN All Soft shampoo for thicker hair. RRP: $35
REDKEN All Soft mask: RRP: $47.50
How can we keep our hair hydrated?
Make sure you are using good quality hair products that contain moisture, drink lots of water and use a heat protectant product when styling.
My Pick is: REDKEN Fabricate heat protectant products. RRP: $27-$38 depending on the product.
If you feel like pampering yourself, one of my favourite home treatments is mixing the REDKEN Allsoft Mega Mask and the REDKEN All soft Argan oil together and apply it to the mid-lengths and ends of your hair, then heat up a damp hand towel in the microwave for a few seconds and wrap your hair up in it and leave on for approx 20mins. The heat of the towel will not only feel relaxing but will open up the cuticle of the hair allowing the treatment to penetrate properly and leave the hair hydrated and super soft! Note: Try rinsing out the treatment with cooler water for super silky hair.
Are there any other healthy summer hair pro tips we should know about?
One top tip for blonde hair is to be careful when using sunblock at the beach. Try to avoid getting any sunblock through your hair as you could experience some discolouration and orange tones. To avoid this from happening, prior to heading out into the sun and before applying your sunblock- cover your hair in a mask. This will act as a barrier to the sunblock, then you will want to tie your hair up in a bun so no blonde locks can escape. Once you have applied your sunblock, make sure to wash your hands as not to transfer the sunblock to your hair.
Thanks for the tips, Brooke! If you want to follow Brooke on her Insta or ask her any haircare questions yourself or book in for her hair care services you can find her at @brooke.frankham and @morris.co or morrisandcohair.com.