How to protect hair from the sun

[CaityBear]

Summer is coming, and the sun is coming out much more often so I was wondering ways to protect my hair other than covering it up all the time.

[hurricane_gia]

Ooo, me too. I want to know this too.

I have to confess that for a while I was really digging the sun-bleached streaks I get during the summer, but then I noticed that the blonder chunks of my hair have the most taper. I assume that means they have the most breakage. I guess the cool colors aren't worth it if the hair is going to break off at 12 inches!

In the meantime, I have started wearing a hat when I work in the garden. Two reasons: one, to protect my hair from the sun, two, the hat is SPF50 and has a big brim, so I don't have to wear sunscreen on my face (which means no sunscreen in my eyes! yay!).

[CopperHead]

I just make sure I have some kind of leave-in on my hair if I am going to be in the sun. I can't stand my head covered up, so I just keep my hair in a bun to minimize the exposure. I have been known to put a scarf on my head before working in the garden, though. That is mostly to keep the dirt out of my hair.;)

[walkinglady]

Before I go outside I dampen the length of my hair and bun it. I also dampen my hair throughout the day. Oiling the wet tips of your hair also helps. I still get the sun streaks in my hair, I know it would be better if I didn't but hats break my hair at the scalp so I have to wear a visor.

[Pegasus Marsters]

Bandana's and hats are your friends ;) When my hair was long I'd soak a bandana in water then tie it round my head every day in summer before I went out... it would keep my head cool and my hair protected!

[Ms Monnie]

That's such a good idea Pegs. I've heard that if you're really hot you can put an ice cube in your bun and it really cools you down. I want to try it with the aloe vera ice cubes I've made recently, but it's not been anywhere near hot enough to bother :p.

[Pegasus Marsters]

That's such a good idea Pegs. I've heard that if you're really hot you can put an ice cube in your bun and it really cools you down. I want to try it with the aloe vera ice cubes I've made recently, but it's not been anywhere near hot enough to bother :p.
Haha how fantastic! I wonder how one makes the ice cube stay though?

[Saranne772]

Ive heard of people putting suncream on their hair? How and when etc?

[Pegasus Marsters]

Ive heard of people putting suncream on their hair? How and when etc?

I've done this. I use the spray suncream stuff, put my hair up into a bun or braid first then spray the suncream onto my hands and smooth it over the bun/braid.

[Saranne772]

Do you check what products are in it 1st? Avoid certain ones maybe?

[Pegasus Marsters]

Do you check what products are in it 1st? Avoid certain ones maybe?

I'm not so fussy about that stuff, I use sulfates, cones and dye after all.. but honestly I use such a small amount of sunscreen on my hair I'm sure it cant do any damage.

That said I know Avon sells a leave in conditioner that has sunscreen in it! :flowers:

[mira-chan]

I wear scarves and hats. Scarves mostly. I also have a parasol that I use occasionally.

[rubyann]

Before I went to the beach today I misted my hair and coconut oiled the length and then bunned. I wish I'd had a soft hat, gonna have to go shopping before next weekends trip to the beach.

I misted and oiled DD's hair before braiding in two cute little braids, but I can see now that her scalp is pink along the part. Guess she's gonna need sunscreen on her head or a hat.

I don't do much of anything special for just daily out and about. Maybe I should think about that.

[missmanytoes]

OK, since I live in Florida and it's after midnight and only just now gotten below 80 degrees, I decided to give the ice cube in the bun a try. I have a rule about putting my hair up - ONE fastener. So here I am trying to twist a figure eight around an ice cube and secure it with one hairstick. I can do it, and I feel the coolness, but the ice cube is visible and that makes me think it wouldn't last more than 3 minutes in real heat. So I tried a hairstick knot with a tail. I can hide the ice cube and feel the coolness. Pretty neat. Monday I work inside all day, so I'll have to give this a serious go on Tuesday since I'll actually be outside then. I think I could also do this with a beebutt bun that is fastened with a barrette.

[Riot Crrl]

The potential of freezing hair makes me nervous. I know it is hot there, but like the old fashioned method of making ice cream, ice can actually make things colder as it melts than it can when it's statically frozen.

I have frozen my hair before. I had a hat on, but the length was out and wet. Dumb, I know. My mother always said if I went out with wet hair it would "freeze and break off," which I considered to be a wives' tale designed to prevent viruses and pneumonia. But, while it did not snap off immediately while frozen, it was very damaged afterwards. So ultimately, my mother may have been correct.

I imagine freezing the hair with moisture inside it could have a similar result to boiling the moisture inside the hair. Like a bottle of beer left in the freezer too long.

[sahiba]

I've done this. I use the spray suncream stuff, put my hair up into a bun or braid first then spray the suncream onto my hands and smooth it over the bun/braid.

Dosent it feel sticky?

[Pegasus Marsters]

Dosent it feel sticky?

Nope :) I only use a small amount, not enough to make my hair sticky or greasy.

[Starr]

When it comes to the sun you have two ways to protect, physical or chemical, the best protection of course coming from using both. At the moment I can think of

Coverups:
-Hats
-Pony scrubs
-Scarves
-Snoods


Products:
-Phyto's Phyto Plage Line (an entire line devoted to haircare in the sun)
-Kerastase's Soleil line (entire line)
-Bobbi Brown's Beach Leave In Hair Conditioner SPF 15
-Quintessence Q-Sunshade Leave In Hair Conditioner and Scalp Protectant SPF 30

[Sana]

I have been out in the sun a lot the past few days. I have been putting some shea butter & my hair feels great & I did read that shea has some spf:)

[missy60]

I have heard shea butter is a natural sunscreen so maybe that would help to use instead of oiling. I read that on the net so you know how that goes but it would be as much benefit as oil.

[Anje]

Shea butter has a little natural SPF, but I'm pretty sure it's under SPF 15. I think I may put sunscreen in my hair like oil later this summer, so that my ends get most of it. Only thing is I'm sure I'd have to shampoo the stuff out, and it's not going to absorb as nicely as hair oils.

[mommy2one05]

So maybe this is a stupid question and sorry if it is but what how is the sun bad to your hair? Is it just the way it will affect your haircolor?

[flapjack]

I think the haircolor change varies for everyone. For my hair, a lot of time in the sun will lighten the top of my hair near my part a few shades and it will make my blonde hairs blonder and my red-brown hairs more orange in color. This happens to me every year, even when walking to my car or taking a quick swim (I don't go out and tan or anything).


One of my friends has black hair and nothing happens. Then another friend I have also has black hair but she gets dark and medium brown streaks.


So I guess it just depends.

[Saranne772]

I have several snoods. My parents are not too keen on me having snoods on in public but I think I will wear one when in strong sunlight this year

[hurricane_gia]

I know there is a good "official LHC reason" to keep hair out of the sun, but I can't remember what it is. All I know is what my own hair is doing:

For me, I have noticed that the sun-streaked portions of my hair have more breakage than the rest of my hair, and they get split ends faster. So I would have to say that sun-bleaching, like peroxide-bleaching, damages your hair.

Someone else may have a better explanation.

[lulabelle]

I wear hats and sometimes carry a parasol in the sun; I'm very careful about protecting my skin so my hair usually gets protected as well. I probably wouldn't put sunscreen in my hair since I don't like the idea of extra chemicals, but I do put it along my part when it shows and I don't think it's had any adverse affect. Maybe a natural sunscreen with only physical blocks and no chemicals would work, and might actually be good for your hair. I wonder if something could be made with shea butter and titanium dioxide. I believe shea butter and coconut oil have an spf of around 4, but I'm not positive that's the right number.

[Riot Crrl]

I'll take a stab at it... did you ever leave lawn furniture, or a soft top car, in the sun for months and years? It doesn't just become lighter in color, it becomes dry and brittle. I have seen more than one person fall through a lawn chair that hadn't been sat on in a while because of this.

I know our hair isn't made of plastic and vinyl, but it is clear that ultraviolet radiation has the ability to affect human cells, or there wouldn't be skin cancer. It is also clear that it has the ability to affect hair on a molecular level, or there wouldn't be sun bleaching.

[Schnee]

I don't do anything particular to protect my hair as I have never noticed any sun damage other than sun stripes, and those I like. ;) I do sometimes use a oist/wet scarf etc on my head when it's very hot, but that is to provide some coolness to my head and not really to protect hair.

[Pegasus Marsters]

I'll take a stab at it... did you ever leave lawn furniture, or a soft top car, in the sun for months and years? It doesn't just become lighter in color, it becomes dry and brittle. I have seen more than one person fall through a lawn chair that hadn't been sat on in a while because of this.

I know our hair isn't made of plastic and vinyl, but it is clear that ultraviolet radiation has the ability to affect human cells, or there wouldn't be skin cancer. It is also clear that it has the ability to affect hair on a molecular level, or there wouldn't be sun bleaching.


I laughed so hard at the lawn chair image.

Basically, the sun bleaches your hair. We all know this. We also know anything that bleaches the hair is likely to cause some sort of damage. I don't think sun damage is that big a deal for me, but I'd rather avoid sunburn on my scalp thanks very much :silly:

[jesamyn]

In my case, it just dries out my hair further than the already-dry climate does. I was trying to think of ways to protect it, so I'm really glad to see this thread! I'm mainly wearing my hair up more, but that still leaves my canopy open. That's fine for the short trips to the car and back at work, but I think I'm going to have to try to find a hat that suits for when I'm out more on the weekends.

[havana86]

Hats! :-)
I think hats are very underrated, and though they're not considered so fashionable anymore, my opinion is that it just makes them more fun to wear.
Straw hats, cowboy hats, vintage hats.. Love them all! And yes, what a great way to protect your hair, face and neck from UV-rays.

Edit: sorry, didn't take notice of that you specifically typed "without covering the hair up". I did try some Redken sunscreen for hair one summer, that supposedly was supposed to be good for the hair too. My hair has never looked worse. When I applied it on it made my hair look like I have put white glue all over it, it was impossible to rinse out, and I felt it didn't protect me from the sun at all. So if you want the best hair protection, again - hats;)