Protecting your hair starts in the shower and with a healthy scalp. I have many blog posts about how to shampoo properly, how to use conditioner effectively, and how to keep a healthy scalp this is where you want to start. But this is a full-on guide of helpful tips to protect your hair from environmental damage and some things that are in your control for healthy hair.
How To Protect Your Hair From UV Rays & UV Damage
UVA and UVB rays can damage your hair cuticle and show in different forms such as discoloration, dry and brittle strands, broken or split ends, thinning, and frizziness.
Fine or light-colored hair is more susceptible to sun damage because it lacks the thickness, dark pigment, and oil to protect it from the sun.
So definitely utilize these tips if you have fine or light-colored hair but also if you have dark or thicker hair. You can never be too careful!
- Wear a hat
- Use a protectant spray or product that contains UVA & UVB filters
- Create a protective ‘sheild’ with oil and slick into bun
Some Products To Help:
Hats:
How To Protect Your Hair From Split Ends
Split ends are inevitable, but there are ways to help minimize them. They are at the end of your hair and are the most exposed and vulnerable part of your hair. Over time, daily life your hair will degrade and wear down the hair cuticle, exposing the inner cortex resulting in split ends.
Unfortunately, split ends are the normal life cycle of hair and are a sign that your hair needs a trim!
- Get regular trims
- Limit heat
- Be gentle when brushing hair
- Use a silk pillowcase to avoide friction (whole blog post about it here)
- Minimize bleaching appointment
- Go longer between hair washing
- Hydrate/Moisturize hair with masks/deep conditioners
Some Products To Help:
How To Protect Your Hair From Chlorine
Chlorine can cause you a lot of hair issues, green hair, dry hair, and damage your hair if you aren’t careful. If you are a swimmer, you are going to need to ensure you are taking ALL precautions to protect your hair. If you only get in chlorine every once in a while, it won’t be the end of the world if you don’t use these tips but they will definitely help!
- Wet hair before entering chlorine
- Add a hydrating conditioner before
- Put on a cap over conditioner
- Wash hair as soon as you get out
- Use a hydrating conditioner
Some Products To Help:
How To Protect Your Hair At Night
We spend a lot of time in our beds, so making sure we are protecting our hair when we are sleeping is important. We move around in our sleep allowing our hair to get tangled and cause friction that can lead to damaged hair. These tips will help to reduce those issues at night.
- Use a silk pillowcase
- Dry hair before bed
- Brush hair before bed
- Wear in loose braid with silk scrunchie at the nap of your neck
- Wear a silk scarf or bonnet
Some Products To Help:
How To Protect Your Hair From Heat
Heat damage can look like breakage, split ends, or dry/brittle hair. I have an entire blog post about heat tools you need and go over the materials and heat setting but I’ll give a few visuals here as well.
- Use heat protectant
- Limit usage
- Put it on a lower heat setting
- Have good heat tools for your hair type
- Make sure your hair is completely dry
Some Products To Help:
How To Protect Your Hair From Breakage
Breakage and shedding are different. Breakage happens when the actual strand shreds. Shedding is coming from your scalp and has a follicle attached still. Breakage is little pieces of hair that you usually see on your clothes not full hairs on the ground.
You probably notice breakage around your hairline the most. That is usually due to tight hairstyles and products that contain drying alcohols.
- Keep hair moisturized
- Catch and cut split ends early
- Shampoo correctly
- Regular trims
- Less heat
- Looser hairstyles
Some Products To Help:
Those are just a few quick tips on how to protect your hair in a few different ways.
Do you have any other tips?
XO, Annie
