"Should I use sun protection for my hair as well as my skin?"
Helena,
33 years old
René's answer
“ Dear Helena,
Yes! 100% yes! You need to protect your hair from the sun, as I hope you already do for your skin! Golden skin, blonde surfer highlights, beachy waves... summer spoils us. But watch out for the after-effects once vacation is over! If you don't want to spend the fall fixing everything, it's better to be safe than sorry.
When exposed to the sun, the hair suffers the same damage as the skin. UV rays attack the keratin that protects the hair fiber, making your hair dry and brittle. In terms of color, while the skin darkens, the hair lightens, because the melanin in hair, which gives it its color, is destroyed by UV rays. The result is an irreversible loss of color, which is certainly pretty at the time, but reveals the damage a few weeks later. And if you have white hair, beware of yellowing (a true hair proverb)! All this is even worse if you add the effects of salt or chlorine, our two companions for a successful summer! The scalp is not happy at all either: aggravated and dried out by the sun, it is so irritated that it will start to flake and produce dandruff, like your skin when it peels!
There's only one solution: protect it to get the most out of it.”
René's advice
Start with a small course of food supplements to prepare your body and hair for the sun and make UV rays easier to deal with. Especially if you've spent the year in gloomy weather, the shock can be significant!
Then, start building up a special hair care routine for the sun. To establish a protective barrier around hair fibers, there's nothing like a dry oil or a fluid with a high protection factor (SPF for the skin or KPF*, the special hair factor developed by Furterer). Apply this protection before going out in the sun and reapply it after swimming or – a good reference point – as often as you reapply sun cream. Next, use a special sun shampoo to nourish the hair while removing impurities, chlorine and salt. Finally, apply a nourishing and repairing mask as often as necessary to replenish keratin and restore your hair's shine in between sunbathing sessions.
Of course, the usual advice still applies: avoid exposure at times of the day when the UV index is strongest (between 12 pm and 4 pm) and find yourself a nice hat to give your hair and your pretty face a little shade (and to complete your look!). At the end of your vacation, take a trip to your hairdresser: one last little pampering session before going back to work or school, and a refreshing boost for your sun-kissed hair!
*Keratin Protection Factor, patented index
