Australia has earned quite a reputation for its long summer days spent at the beach and on backyard barbecues. While people cannot get enough of the warm weather, their hair suffers a great deal from being constantly exposed to the sun’s ultraviolet rays. Besides, salty sea air and chlorine from pools make it even harder for hair to stay healthy and glossy. By February, the majority of Australians’ hair becomes dry, brittle, and lacks its usual vivacity.
One may experience difficulties with styling the ends that turn into straw and find that a colour that was freshly done in winter has faded way too quickly. The thing is that the sun damages the natural protein layer of hair. To recover the lost moisture and structure, you should not rely only on basic shampoo and conditioners. Adjusting one’s wash day ritual will help bring back the healthiness of hair, as well as using leading products like NAK Hair shampoo and conditioner.
Signs of Damage Caused by Ultraviolet Rays
Sun exposure acts on hair much like bleaching, degrading hair cuticles and destroying the chemical bonds within it. Melanin starts to fade, and hair suffers from fast dehydration. Damaged cuticles lose their ability to retain moisture, and as a result, the hair turns dry and easily snaps.
The situation is especially complicated for Australians as they are under some of the highest UV levels in the world. It is important to recognise the signs that tell you that your hair needs immediate care in order to recover from the negative influence of the sun. Once you realise that your hair needs more hydration and restoration, you can alter the rituals to suit your hair better.
Preparation of Hair for Wash Day
Sudden immersion into water will do more harm than good to damaged hair as it causes more tangling and breakage. Start with combing or brushing out all the knots in the hair. A wide-toothed comb or special detangling brushes should be used starting from the ends towards the roots of the hair to avoid unnecessary tension.
Then comes the pre-shampoo treatment or natural oil application. It helps massage the hair and open pores in the cuticle. This way, the moisture will be retained during the washing process. You need to keep the treatment on the hair for at least twenty minutes to achieve good results.
Lukewarm Water and Sulphate-Free Shampoo
It is extremely important to keep the temperature of water used for washing as close to room temperature as possible. Hot water makes the hair cuticles dry and open, thus removing natural oils. Instead, one needs to wash hair in lukewarm water to avoid any kind of shocks.
Another thing to remember is that you should avoid sulphates in shampoos as they are very aggressive detergents, and despite creating a lot of lather, they remove natural sebum produced by the scalp. A good sulphate-free shampoo will help cleanse the hair from all the sweat and sunscreen without causing any damage. Shampoo should be applied to the scalp exclusively to allow the foam to run down to the hair lengths when rinsing.
Hydrating Hair Mask vs Regular Conditioner
Standard conditioners are meant to moisturise hair; however, they lack deep penetration and can do little to restore hair cuticles after severe damage. To prevent further hair thinning and dehydration, you need to replace regular conditioners with rich and hydrating masks, which should be used once per week.
If you notice that your hair feels gummy when wet or starts breaking easily, you should consider applying a special bond-repairing agent. Such products work on rebuilding broken disulphide bonds of hair.
Protecting Hair from Future Damage
What you does with your hair after washing it determines the overall healthiness of the hair considerably. The hair cuticle may become rough due to constant drying with towels, so it is advisable to press it gently with a soft microfiber towel or an old cotton t-shirt. If you cannot avoid blow-drying, the amount of heat should be reduced to a minimum.
The best solution would be to let the hair air dry in order to avoid any damage. While the hair is still wet, apply special leave-in conditioning products. In the end, it would be nice to heat some hair oil in the palms of one’s hands and then smooth it on the ends to restore and protect the hair.
All in All
Repairing hair damaged by ultraviolet rays requires you to perform certain actions repeatedly. If you continue applying the tips suggested above, your hair will remain healthy throughout the whole summer season!
