Sun Protection for Hair?

[amino]

What do you do to protect your hair from the sun? A hat, a shawl? Some type of spray? I've been curious and found https://wrapunzel.wordpress.com/, which makes me want to start covering my hair during the summer or on and off throughout the week, even. I'll be going away as a counselor for a camp in two weeks, and I'll be outside in the sun most of the time, so I'd like to find something that will help me prevent too much exposure. Preferably something that requires no hands once it's on—it's also a religious camp, so I'm thinking the weird looks will be minimal. :D

[lapushka]

Why not try a buff. Google it, I'm sure it'll come up. They're awesome. I have several knock-offs from our local Aldi (targeted towards bikers), but they're pretty awesome for this.

[neko_kawaii]

Those wraps are gorgeous. I go for a wide brimmed hat to shade my eyes or I'd be sorely tempted.

[missrandie]

Buffs are epic. I borrowed my husband's, and loved it for running here in Texas. It kept the sweat out of my eyes and my hair out of my face AND off my neck.

Trolleypup uses Pony Scrubs.. look them up on Etsy and you will find a ton of them.

I am also a big fan of eide brimmed hats.. a boonie hat to be exact! It looks kind of funny, but it protects my ears and shades my eyes, so I can't complain.

[TrapperCreekD]

Wide brimmed hats are an option, though they can be a hassle since a lot of styles don't fit under a hat and require some extra planning. "Oh, I want to wear X style today... oh, wait, that won't fit under my hat, now I have to think of something else."

Personally I'm not much of a hat person so my vote would be a bandana or buff. They go over pretty much anything and stay all day!

[Betazed]

I've been thinking of starting a thread with this exact topic.

Sorry to do a little hijacking here but..
Does anyone know if there's any kind of natural sunscreen for hair? I've checked at my local drug store and the 3 I found had lots of 'cones listed in it's ingredients. Since I don't use 'cones or sulfates, I'm a bit worried this may cause build-up. I spend (at the very least) 2 hours every day in the hot afternoon sun and I can tell by my crazy tan (which developed with the ample use of sunscreen, mind you) that I'm getting quite a bit UVA/UVB. I worry that all of this sun can be damaging but I get too hot if my head is covered in a hat. I'm going to try a scarf and see if it causes the same overheating that a hat does but I'm not too hopefu. I would prefer to just spritz something on my hair and forget about it.

[amino]

I've been wondering about that too, NicCarpenter! No worries. :)

Thanks, everyone!

[lapushka]

I still have a spritz bottle of sun-protect stuff by L'oréal they once came out with. It is *years* old (but still okay). I hardly use it. I don't think it helps - at all. Anyhow, it's in my stash, so I'll use it up. :shrug:

[Anje]

I typically wear a brimmed hat with a braid, though that doesn't protect all my hair. My usual alternative is a bun with a bandanna tied over my head. I usually do try to wear something if I'm going to be out in the sun for a long period -- I've learned the hard way that my whole scalp (not just my part) will burn if given the chance.


Does anyone know if there's any kind of natural sunscreen for hair? I've checked at my local drug store and the 3 I found had lots of 'cones listed in it's ingredients. Since I don't use 'cones or sulfates, I'm a bit worried this may cause build-up. I spend (at the very least) 2 hours every day in the hot afternoon sun and I can tell by my crazy tan (which developed with the ample use of sunscreen, mind you) that I'm getting quite a bit UVA/UVB. I worry that all of this sun can be damaging but I get too hot if my head is covered in a hat. I'm going to try a scarf and see if it causes the same overheating that a hat does but I'm not too hopefu. I would prefer to just spritz something on my hair and forget about it.
Some oils are said to provide a measure of SPF, but I don't know by what mechanism. Raspberry seed is the most known for this, but I believe even coconut oil is reported to be about SPF 4.

Your natural, reflective varieties of sunscreen tend to use zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, which are bright white in larger quantities. Honestly, I hate even using these and then touching my hair, because it makes my hair feel awful. I wouldn't go there for hair protection.

That leaves the chemical sunscreens, which work by repeatedly absorbing photons, changing the chemical shape, and then releasing the energy and going back to their normal form again. The molecules can only do this so much before they break down, which is why you need to reapply them to skin every so often and why they eventually go bad if you have them sitting around unused for ages. That's what most of your hair-specific sunscreens are. I think the relevant chemicals are usually soluble in oils or silicones, not so much in water; therefore both skin sunscreens and hair sunscreens tend to be oily or silicone-y.

[WannabeViking]

Why not try a buff. Google it, I'm sure it'll come up. They're awesome. I have several knock-offs from our local Aldi (targeted towards bikers), but they're pretty awesome for this.

Ooo, that is a great idea! Speaking from a guy's perspective (and someone who lives in a windy place), I prefer a boonie hat. They are military-issue sun hats, and they have a lanyard that you can snug up under your chin for those sudden wind gusts. :p Mine is in digital desert, but they can be had in solid colors as well.

[WannabeViking]

(I forgot to add, I typically wear mine with a low "man-bun". :) )

[neko_kawaii]

Just about anything can be done as a low nape bun and admit a hat. I've documented a few that work for me. (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/entry.php?b=105865) My summer hat recently died (the brim now flops in my face and the crown is flattened after a cat discovered it was a comfortable place to sleep) and I've been using a straw hat belonging to my husband which is super scratchy and hair grabby inside, so a bandana is required. So, it is possible to wear a hat, bandana, and bun for those that want shade on their faces that wraps alone don't provide.