heat damage from the sun?

[writer_mom]

I live in texas, and the can get pretty intense down here. I am wondering if hair can sustain heat damage from prolonged exposure to this?

Thanks in advance for you input.

[Madora]

Yes, your hair can get damaged from too much sun..not to mention severe sunburn on your scalp, which is very painful, as some here can attest.

To protect your hair, wear a WHITE cotton scarf or a white straw hat.

[writer_mom]

I have gotten a few burns on my scalp before. I have a vegetable garden, so in the spring I am out there for hours tiling and such. Thanks for answering this Madora. I'll be sure to sheild my hair from now on.

[BlazingHeart]

You can definitely get damage from the sun, but it's not actually heat damage per se. It's solar damage. The same way you get sunburns - it's not actually the heat of the sun that burns your skin, it has to do with the nature of sunlight - we describe the problematic component as UV rays.

If you're trying to get the best protection for your hair (or your skin!) from the sun, what you want is a tightly woven, synthetic fabric of a dark or intense color - the very best are shiny and reflect back some of the light.

White fabric is less effective.

This website goes through what kinds of fabrics work best - http://www.skincancer.org/prevention/sun-protection/clothing/clothing-our-first-line-of-defense

The easiest way to tell this is to put a piece of fabric in the sun and leave it there for a while, and then feel it. Fabrics that get hot are absorbing more of the UV rays BEFORE they get through. Fabrics that don't get as hot aren't absorbing as much of the UV rays.

[dainaleeo2]

From years of playing soccer while out in the hot Georgia sun...trust me, it can :(
Sweating doesn't help either, since the salt just makes the issue worse. But, you can actually take a bit of sunscreen, & mix that into a small spray bottle along with water & conditioner, & that usually helps protect. I do that before I go to the beach. There are also a lot of conditioners that have UV filters in them just to protect hair. I think Aveda makes a leave-in that protects hair from the sun & from heat damage. Fredrick Fekkai makes one as well.

Hats work as well. I personally don't wear them or else I am a sweaty mess. I tend to stick to the shaded areas as best as I can on my walk across campus. I think minimal exposure is fine, but if you are going to be in the sun a long time I would definitely try to use something to protect it.

[Laylah]

Is light hair more susceptible to this? I spent many a summer in the hot california desert sun, swimming, hiking, and pretty much just all day in the sun and got no damage, but I have black hair.

[Hyacinth]

If you're trying to get the best protection for your hair (or your skin!) from the sun, what you want is a tightly woven, synthetic fabric of a dark or intense color - the very best are shiny and reflect back some of the light.

White fabric is less effective.

This website goes through what kinds of fabrics work best - http://www.skincancer.org/prevention/sun-protection/clothing/clothing-our-first-line-of-defense



Wow, that is really interesting!! I always thought that white reflects all the negative sun-damaging stuff and won't get to your body. Although dark fabric may not "feel" better, then it's better for your skin and hair? Amazing!

[Madora]

Wow, that is really interesting!! I always thought that white reflects all the negative sun-damaging stuff and won't get to your body. Although dark fabric may not "feel" better, then it's better for your skin and hair? Amazing!

White solars are worn in the tropics to help ward off the sun and keep the body cooler.

Dr. George Michael, Czar of Long Hair, always recommended wearing a white scarf to protect the hair from the sun..or a white straw hat. Black color absorbs the heat from the sun..white color deflects it (per George Michael's Secrets for Beautiful Hair, 1982, Doubleday).

[jacqueline101]

Oh yeah sun can damage your hair it can cause sun burn of the scalp. It dries out your hair too.

[Hyacinth]

White solars are worn in the tropics to help ward off the sun and keep the body cooler.

Dr. George Michael, Czar of Long Hair, always recommended wearing a white scarf to protect the hair from the sun..or a white straw hat. Black color absorbs the heat from the sun..white color deflects it (per George Michael's Secrets for Beautiful Hair, 1982, Doubleday).

OK now I'm really confused because the Skin Cancer Foundation article mentioned here says "Color: Dark or bright colors, like red or black, absorb more UVR than white or pastel shades, stopping the rays before they reach the skin. The more intense the hue, the better the UV defense."

I would not care so much how a fabric "feels" on my body as much as how well it protects my hair and skin from the harmful UV rays. So, which is better to wear, light or dark fabrics? :confused:

[darklyndsea]

OK now I'm really confused because the Skin Cancer Foundation article mentioned here says "Color: Dark or bright colors, like red or black, absorb more UVR than white or pastel shades, stopping the rays before they reach the skin. The more intense the hue, the better the UV defense."

I would not care so much how a fabric "feels" on my body as much as how well it protects my hair and skin from the harmful UV rays. So, which is better to wear, light or dark fabrics? :confused:
I'm on the Skin Cancer Foundation's side for this one. George Michael seems to be primarily concerned about the heat of the sun damaging the hair, which isn't going to be much more than the heat of the air. The Skin Cancer Foundation seems to have based their information on a scholarly paper/papers, although I didn't see them cite the source (and who knows what methodology they used?); I am unsure of whether George Michael had any research to back his claims other than knowledge that darks get hotter than lights in the sun.

Either way, I think we can agree: any protection is better than none, and tightly-woven/knit fabrics are better than looser ones.

Can anybody dig up actual scientific evidence?