sun damage to hair?

[AmyJorgensen]

I've seen sun damage mentioned in a vague way as an aside in several other threads, and I really don't know what damage the sun can cause to hair other than some lightening. I always thought it looked nice on my hair when it lightens during the summer. So...what all does the sun do to hair?:confused:

[harpgal]

Well, when I was a teenager and spent a lot of time at the beach, my hair was exposed to the sun and was bleached by it. I wondered why it never grew any longer than my shoulders. One day while I was standing a certain way in relation to a window, combing it, I noticed small pieces of hair falling like snow. Very small pieces (about 1/4 inch) were breaking off. No wonder it was not getting any longer.

Long exposure to sun can really damage hair and skin. Now, I always cover up. It just seems like a good precaution and my hair is at lower thigh.