Summer Hair Repair!
Summer is gone and we are now moving into the cool rainy days of Autumn. Most of us let our hair go through Summer but the natural effects have began to settle in and our hair isn’t feeling at its best! The days of letting it go natural and wild have really taken its toll. Now that it’s Fall we want to curl our hair and wear cute braids, but our once beautiful locks have become dry, damaged and brittle from all the months of laying at the beach and playing in the water. So, now what?
What’s the cure for damaged summer hair?
I’m going to give you my top favorite remedies for Summer hair recovery but I want to explain more about why the Summer has such strong effects on our hair!
If your a beach girl, you’ve probably noticed your hair gradually getting dryer the more you were in the water. Ocean water contains high levels of salt, which when added to the hair makes for some beautiful beach waves but it can naturally dry out the hair. If you have ever used a synthetic “salt spray” from the beauty supply store you know exactly the feeling I’m describing. Your hair begins to dry out immensely, then it gets brittle and super rough to the touch. If you are more of a pool girl you should also be very aware of the effects of Chlorine. Chlorine that is found in the water from a pool has a similar effect as salt water, but the added disadvantage is that it can also cause a green hue!
The other factor that can have a huge impact on your Summer hair is the sun and free radicals. The sun can be a wonderful thing for your hair as it can encourage hair growth and give you lots of Vitamin D, but there are also reasons to be careful when you are in the sun a lot. Studies have shown that excessive sun exposure cause serious impairment to the hair shaft, degrade your hair proteins, cause weaker and duller looking hair. It can remove moisture which will cause frizz, dryness and a rough texture. If your hair is thinning, you could be more susceptible to sunburns which leads to more hair loss and possible scalp cancer. Free radicals are also something to be avoided! Free Radicals are something we hear a lot about but no one really knows that they are, so let me take you back to science class for a minute! For short, Free Radicals are an atom that do not have a paired electron, so they are constantly searching for another atom with an attached electron. Once it finds its match, it attaches itself to the other atom and its electron. Then it removes the second atom and creates a new molecule and causes it to function improperly or it dies. When molecules begin to die, they age. So if free radicals come into contact with your hair it can cause it to age quicker and quicker!
Okay I’m scared, how can I prevent all this damage?
I know this can all sound terrifying, but this is all something that most hair care companies have taken into consideration when they’ve designed their products! So you may have already been protected and not have even known it. Professional hair care lines add in ingredients to help protect against UV rays, free radicals and anything that can help to prevent the effects of both of these concerns!
Now let’s get into some of my top favorite remedies to Summer recovery! I’d also like to mention that I have added all the links on where to purchase these products, but most you can find at Sugar Plum Salon if that’s more convenient. So here we go!
Get a haircut!
We all know that most of us get a haircut right before Summer begins to make sure we have a cute style or fresh ends for all those days we’ll be walking around in our little bikinis! Now I know this is hard to do because of how much its grown after all the Vitamin D take in, but those dry and split ends will not continue to grow without a fresh cut!
Wen our hair grows it grows from our scalp outwards, so if we leave split, dry and malnourished ends it will only cause more breakage. This is why a lot of women feel like their hair has become stagnant and as if it “stops” growing. So if you want long luscious hair, go see your Stylist and take off those damaged ends and I promise you it will grow that much more! Most of my guests I have come in no more than every 12 weeks for a fresh dusting, because after that marker your ends will begin to naturally texturize themselves and this is when damage will begin to appear.
Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize
When was the last time you broke out that deep conditioner? If it’s been a minute I would suggest trying it out! Doing on deep conditioner once a week can make the biggest difference on your moisture levels. If you do not own a deep conditioner I have a few favorites that I’d like to share with you!
Amika The Kure - This particular deep conditioner is the most intense of the two treatments Amika carries. It’s designed to repair, restore, and help weak and damaged hair. This has a matching shampoo and conditioner too, in case you need an extra dose!
Amika Soulfood - If your hair is not at a breaking point and it just feels a bit dry this one’s for you! It helps condition, hydrate and bring your dry hair back to a moisturized state.
Joico K-Pack Color Therapy - This treatment has been one of my favorites since Beauty School! It dramatically makes your hair stronger, shinier, healthier and helps protect your hair against heat damage and breakage. There is a shampoo and conditioner that goes along with this treatment to help rebuild your hair even more.
Get a hair treatment!
Deep Conditioners are separate from actual Treatments themselves! Deep conditioners help coat the outside but your internal cortex needs to be taken care of too.
There are a number of treatments I love but I’m going to talk about one of my favorite lines in particular, Olaplex! Olaplex is the number one system out there that helps to rebuild your hair from the inside out. The entire system will help repair any broken down bonds in your cuticle and help make your hair stronger, moisturized and healthy!
Let me introduce you:
Olaplex No.1 & 2 - Both of these are done as “in salon” treatments only. The No.1 is added into your color or can be done as a stand alone treatment and the No. 2 follows it at the shampoo bowl. Both help to prevent damage to your hair while doing any chemical services and help to rebond the bonds broken down afterwards from any heat damage or chemical services.
Olaplex No. 3 - This is the Treatment I send most of my guests home with. It’s quite similar to the No. 2 but on a much more mild level. It’s designed to reduce breakage, improve the strength and appearance. It's applied wet, combed through and left on for about 20 minutes! Then shampoo and condition with the following.
Olaplex No. 4 Shampoo - This shampoo will repair damaged hair, mend your split ends and relink any broken bonds! It will make your hair much more shiney, manageable and moisturized. It will also eliminate frizz and flyaways! No. 4 is very concentrated, so a little will go a long way and this tiny bottle will actually last you awhile before you’ll have to replace it.
Olaplex No. 5 Conditioner - In my opinion, this is the best conditioner on the market. This adds bonds back into the hair, moisturizes and strengthens the hair. I personally use the No.4 and 5 on my hair and hair extensions and the before and after difference is incredible! Your hair will feel super soft and back to its old self in no time!
Olaplex No. 6 Bond Smoother - This is the best smoother and will eliminate all frizz and help smooth out those flyaways for up to 72 hours! It will also hydrate, strengthen and for an added bonus speed up your blow dry time.
Olaplex No. 7 Oil - There is nothing this oil can’t do! It is weightless and a great addition to the No. 6. It is designed to increase shine, softness, color vibrancy, minimize flyaways and give you heat protection up to 450 degrees. You can use this on dry, wet or damp hair!
This line is so incredible and will absolutely nurse your dry, damaged locks back to health! They are also formulated without parabens, sulfates, phthalates, and are cruelty free and vegan friendly.
In conclusion…
There are a ton of great remedies to rejuvenate those sad Summer locks into beautiful Autumn waves! If you decide to try any of the suggestions above I would love to know how they have worked for you, so please feel free to send me an email or leave a comment for me below!
xoxo,
shelby alexandra
