hair protection

[Sissilonghair]

Hi girls...
I am spending the beautiful Summer between going to the beach and the swimming pool :cool:
I love this period:) even if is very hot.
My hair is growing and a lot of my friends have been noticing that:hollie:
I keep my hair in a cinnamon bun all day and I apply coconut oil to my ends before pinning it up,at the end of the day I CO my entire head with my favourite cone free conditioner.
During the day that I spend at the beach ,I spritz my hair just with water because the sun is very strong.
Well ... I was thinking if you all have more advices for me....
For sure I want to avoid to have bad hair at the end of the Summer.
Please don't tell me to wear a hat or bandana because I can't stand anything on my head :no:

[Elfling]

Get a leave-in conditioner or spray with UV protection. I use Paul Mitchell and Frederik Fekkai UV leave ins and like them both; there are lots of products out there.

Hat/bandana is the best way to go but if you don't want to, UV leave-ins are your option.

[Curlsgirl]

I think rinsing with plain water before you go in the water if at all possible and washing out the chlorine or salt water as soon as possible after you swim is very helpful. Otherwise keeping it oiled and moisturized as much as possible like you're doing is great. I don't think there really is a way to avoid all damage from all those elements, especially the sun. But you can minimize it at least. If you won't wear a hat then in my opinion it's a trade-off but of course it's always your choice. I used to be the same way with head coverings but I find it is really worth it in the long run :)

[Darkhorse1]

Um, you need to cover your head with something for your safety, as well as your hair's!

When I started working outdoors, when I left my head exposed, I got :Sunstroke, sunburnt scalp, and headaches.

Try on different hats/bandanas. I recently found the most comfortable tilly hat, and it's the BEST I've ever had. They keep your head cool---also, look for a vented baseball hat. If you're sunning yourself on the beach, maybe find a silk scarf that isn't as heavy as a bandana.

[Rapunzelwannabe]

If you can find a conditioner with UV protection that would probably nix a lot of sun damage that you would get without having to wear a hat or bandana. Neutrogena makes a good one, but it has a fair amount of cones in it.

[nellen]

If you don't like hats or scarves just keep your hair well oiled or otherwise protected. Shea butter is good for protecting your tresses from the sun because shea butter is a bit waxy and really thick. Another good way to protect your hair while at the pool or beach is an inexpensive leave-in spray you can lavishly spray on your hair when needed. For a more protective spray I have added jojoba oil to a small amount of conditioner, mixed those together and added that mix into the inexpensive leave-in spray which tend to be a little more watery than I would like. That way I have added some texture to the spray and of course the extra protection of oil and conditioner doesn't hurt.

[thankyousir74]

Are there any leave-in conditioners that are cone-free? I'm sorry if there's been a thread or not but it just seemed relevant and I have been curious.

[Gothic Lolita]

I will be on the beach too, and wondered what I could do to protect my hair. I don't like bandanas as well.

Before swimming, I'll wet my hair down with normal water to avoid my hair soaking up salt water and chlorine. Then I'll spritz it with watered down conditioner to which I add a bit of oil (I don't think it matters which oil).
When sunning I'll be wearing a baseball cap. I think I'll spritz my bun again with the conditioner mix, because I don't want a dry, brittle length after the summer.

[vindo]

Oiled Hair is always a good way to go (that can also replace leave in conditioners), even when you don't wear anything on your head most oils have a low SPF which can protect your hair to an extend. Also water will have a hard time getting to it when its oiled.
To avoid looking like a greaseball you could create a cute "wetlook" hairstyle..something beachy.
I like wearing bandana the gipsy way, its more comfortable and gives you the chance to expose a few shorter hairs or layers in the front (which I have). My bun is usually wrapped up in a little ball and tied with the ends of the bandana.

Someone asked about leave in conditioners...any natural conditioner is okay to be left in for a day at the beach/pool.
I would even say regular conditioners are but since I can not know about every single chemical they might put in there as natural as possible is a little safer.

In case your hair gets wet I would rinse it out immediately after swimming and possibly even do a quick CO rinse so you dont have to deal with damage from tangles later on.

Thats all I can think of now :)

[VanillaTresses]

When heading out to the beach and/or pool (esp. now that I live in a much hotter climate, that happens more!) I always take along a tote bag with the following items: sunscreen, shampoo, conditioner, large tooth comb, extra hair-ties or clips & swim cap. I don't use these things every time, but they are there if I need them! Usually I will use at least 2 of the lot and am glad that I brought them along. :o

I will say that the top 3 useful items in my bag (the most frequently used) are CONDITIONER, WIDE-TOOTH COMB, and EXTRA HAIR TIES/CLIPS. Hair can get so knotted in the ocean w/o these it is not even funny!

[Firefly]

I thought I had read that UV/SPF protection for hair was a gimmick? Does anyone know if this is true? If they do actually work I plan on running out and buying some!

My #1 hair protection in the summer is to keep it covered... hats, bandanas, scarves. That said, if there was a hair UV protector that worked, it would be nice to wear my hair down once in a while!

[Riot Crrl]

I thought I had read that UV/SPF protection for hair was a gimmick? Does anyone know if this is true? If they do actually work I plan on running out and buying some!

My #1 hair protection in the summer is to keep it covered... hats, bandanas, scarves. That said, if there was a hair UV protector that worked, it would be nice to wear my hair down once in a while!

The FDA doesn't approve SPF for hair products, or even a testing process for it. There are issues with distributing a thick and even enough film of product, and also with sun protection properties of ingredients breaking down on hair faster than they do on skin.

There are US companies who list an SPF on their hair products, using a loophole that if anyone asks, the SPF is just for the scalp. (Which is better than nothing, but you probably have to keep it applied on there very thoroughly and often.)

Here are a couple of articles about it:
http://www.cosmeticscop.com/learn/hair.asp?ID=399

http://thebeautybrains.com/2006/06/04/who-is-skeptical-about-sunscreen-in-their-hair-products/

[Firefly]

Excellent info-- thanks so much, Riot Crrl!

[Ciel]

I agree with using lots of leave-in. I even add a little water to mine for extra moisture protection. :)

[Elfling]

Remember that UV filters (whatever they can do) stick to hair, and sunscreen sticks to skin; you need both. Put sunscreen on your scalp/part/ears, and the leave-in for your hair.

[Darkhorse1]

I just got a magazine that had this question about UV protection on hair. The hair stylist said that UV protection in leave in condition DOES work, but ONLY for color treated hair. He stated that protection in leave in conditioners prevent colored hair from becoming brassy. So, my thoughts are if you hair isn't colored, I doubt it does much good. I had a spray in conditioner with UV filters, and it made my hair very, very dry. I went with biolage moisture mist, which has UV filters, and it's wayy ybettter, but I think it has cones in it. Low on the ingredient list, but it's there.