hair SPF? Sunscreen?

**Abacus** · January 27th, 2022, 11:27 AM

Originally Posted by Kat

I used to mix sunscreen with conditioner and put it in my hair sometimes-- years ago we had a discussion about that here-- but stopped doing it. I never wore "sunscreen" on my hair in Thailand (I usually had a hat on, but that would've only protected the hair directly under the hat) and didn't have issues.

I agree that sunburns in the part of your hair suck, though! Worst is when they start peeling... it happened to me once years ago and it took me a few minutes to figure out why I suddenly seemed to have humongous turbo dandruff... then realized it was the sunburn peeling. I can't even remember how I dealt with that when I had to go out in public.

Oof that sounds like a painful experience! I've been lucky enough never to have a sunburn on my scalp, I don't think. Mostly my issue is with my hair looking fried and crispy on top after being in the sun too much.

**Finda** · January 27th, 2022, 03:13 PM

I burned my part a couple of times very painfully, usually when my part aligned with the vents of my bike helmet during longer tours, so I now wear a hat underneath my helmet year round. Apart from that I use baseball caps and (straw) hats, but not religiously. A high bun without a part usually gives enough sun protection to prevent burns. I also notice a distinct difference in color depending on how much my hair was exposed to the sun.

Maybe this video might help. It's Dr. Dray (dermatologist) talking about sunscreen for hair and scalp.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lbD8cAAxa0

**Kat** · January 27th, 2022, 06:37 PM

Originally Posted by Abacus

Oof that sounds like a painful experience! I've been lucky enough never to have a sunburn on my scalp, I don't think. Mostly my issue is with my hair looking fried and crispy on top after being in the sun too much.

The scalp burn wasn't the most painful part. My mom and I went to an outdoor dance competition and forgot to bring sunscreen. She had an umbrella in the car so we tried sitting under that all day, but... sun does reflect up from concrete! It was pretty bad. I was burned quite well, in addition to the top of my head, on the backs of my upper arms and face (as in, the bridge of my nose swelled up. I looked like a Klingon, lol. Nightmare) and her face was pretty burned. It was not nice. Yes, now I always double-check that I have my sunscreen ever since...

**lapushka** · January 28th, 2022, 03:30 AM

A burned part can hurt! I got severely burned once in my teens from laying out in the sun for too long (back then we oiled instead of using SPF). My goodness. Those were the days.

If I knew then what I know now, I would not have been this careless. Isn't that always how it goes? My head hurt, literally hurt.

**TatsuOni** · January 28th, 2022, 12:36 PM

I use a scarf or a hat.

**Kathie** · January 28th, 2022, 03:51 PM

I've always wanted to make a scarf work for me. Once a year or so I'll go to a festival over summer, which involves camping, blazing sun, and dust. It gets so hot that people wet fabric wraps to cover themselves.

Because I feel I look better with my hair out, and its a special occasion, I wear my hair down. Needless to say, it takes its toll! I should practice wrapping a scarf some more... less dust and drying sun in and on my hair.

**Finda** · January 28th, 2022, 04:42 PM

Originally Posted by Lady Stardust

I used some kind of UV protection for my hair over 20 years ago, but it was greasy and I had to keep my hair well away from my face. I can’t remember if it was particularly effective but I found it better in the end to use a hat or a scarf. Maybe more modern formulations are better. When they say they give UV protection I’m never sure if they mean against day to day sun exposure, or against very strong sunshine that would burn your skin in 20 minutes.

I always cover my hair in the sun these days because my hair gets sun bleached very easily, and once that has happened, it will split. I find a scarf to be more comfortable than a hat in very hot weather, but sometimes the brim from the hat is welcome additional protection for my face.

Just came across this post by skinperspective over on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CRl6B1brG5W/
She writes that a lot of hair products for sun protection only mention a "hair protection factor" that is not standardized and therefore not comparable to the SPF. So there is no way to tell how well a product that claims sun protection really works unless it is broad spectrum and has a specific SPF listed.