How damaging is the sun anyway?

[SandyBottom]

I wonder how a UV Buff is supposed to work? I actually have one, had it for years, and the only difference I notice compared to other Buffs I have, is that it is slightly, just slightly thicker material. I always wear some tube scarf over my hair in a bun, whether in winter or summer.

Oils in hair might be a good idea, if some part of hair is exposed. Not just any oils though. I read that coconut oil can actually fry your hair if exposed to scalding sun? Or is that a myth, I don´t know really.

But I would try raspberry seed oil - it is natural and is proven to have a SPF of at least 20, some sources might say even 30-50. I am going to order it for my face in any case, since my skin became sensitive to most cosmetic products (containing parfum).

The buff I have is recommended by the Skin Cancer Foundation and uses HeiQ Cooling Technology. If you do a search online using just that term a bunch of info comes up explaining.

Thank you SandyBottom! I like the 'lots of conditioner' idea and wonder if I can wear that under a hat or with a UV Bun (will look into).

Thank you, Nefcerka! I will research on the rasberry seed oil. It would be great if it is especially moisturizing as well since, even without direct sun, my hair struggles with dryness in the summer. I've even tried ways of doing a midday spritz of water in my hair to preserve moisture.

You're welcome. When I use the conditioner, spritzing my hair first (heavily) is exactly what I do before applying the conditioner. It's like having a deep conditioning treatment while i go to the beach and bake in the sun!

[jenniferrae]

I had a really bad habit (for a few summers) of sitting in the sun for an hour or two on weekends, on purpose, to try and lighten my hair naturally. The top layers that got lightened have significantly more breakage and the underneath layers that are still darker are notably silkier and grow longer with less damage at the ends. I even had cut layers into my hair because the bottom length never needs a trim as much as the top layers. I committed last October to stopping that habit for good, and I'm really looking forward to seeing how the texture of the top layers improves over the next few years.

[Nefcerka]

The buff I have is recommended by the Skin Cancer Foundation and uses HeiQ Cooling Technology. If you do a search online using just that term a bunch of info comes up explaining.

Thanks!
I see they have certification of sorts, but I´m not sure I believe this marketing. I see little difference between that UV Buff and a regular one Can´t say it´s any better at keeping off sweat, or sun. It´s a dark color and sun-protecting clothing should generally be white or light-colored, shouldn´t it?

[SandyBottom]

I don't know and started to search for answers. Maybe it has something to do with the weave of the fabric? A tighter weave blocks more of the UV rays. I always thought you should go for light colored or white clothing in the sun also, not so much for sun protection, but for keeping cooler. When researching this, the information was contradictory. Apparently some studies have been done which concluded that dark blue provided the best protection!?, and then other sources stated white/light colors. I get overwhelmed by information overload. Quite literally TMI and I shut down.

[LongHairFaerie]

I had a really bad habit (for a few summers) of sitting in the sun for an hour or two on weekends, on purpose, to try and lighten my hair naturally. The top layers that got lightened have significantly more breakage and the underneath layers that are still darker are notably silkier and grow longer with less damage at the ends. I even had cut layers into my hair because the bottom length never needs a trim as much as the top layers. I committed last October to stopping that habit for good, and I'm really looking forward to seeing how the texture of the top layers improves over the next few years.

Even with keeping my hair in a braid and being a normal sun-exposed child, I still have a broken, sun-lightened, crunchy top layer and a long, smooth, "silk" underlayer. My bad "top-to-bottom" former brushing technique wasn't helping, either. I'm debating whether or not to trim it any more beyond my usual S&D.