Yesterday I came to the shockingly wonderful realization that the official start of summer is less than one week away, and judging by the rising temps and lack of rain in the 10-day forecast, it looks like the weather has finally gotten with the program.
Ah, summer… Such great memories, but when I think back to the summers of my youth, I’m surprised I remember them at all. There were no far-flung adventures backpacking through Europe or sailing trips around the world. Nope, my childhood summers were much more mundane. I spent most of them hanging out at the local Thrifty drugstore, where you could get a free ice cream for returning a shopping cart to the store, and watching videos on MTV (back when MTV actually played videos). For the most part, I spent my summers doing absolutely nothing.
Gawd, I miss those days!
Despite doing very little over those summers, I still managed to learn a few things, like these important lessons about hair…
1. Don’t make rash, heat-induced decisions
If the heat is getting to you and the sweat is trickling down from your scalp into your eyes, you might feel like your only relief is to cut off all or most of your hair, but resist the urge.
You don’t want to regret it later. Start by putting your hair up into a bun or ponytail, and give yourself a couple weeks to think it over.
One summer heatwave I showed up at my BFF Jen’s house to find her previously waist-length hair suddenly sitting at her shoulders. In an overheated state, she had cut her long locks herself, and it ended up looking like it had been cut by a three-year old wearing a blindfold.
We laugh about it now, but she felt pretty crappy at the time.
The lesson? No matter how hot it gets, step away from the scissors! Take time to think it over first.
2. Pat sunscreen in your part
If you plan to be out in the sun but don’t have a hat to cover your head, dab a bit of sunscreen at the roots where your hair parts.
On a camping trip when I was 17, I got an awful sunburn right smack dab down the middle of the part in my hair. It was miserable. It hurt so much I thought I’d lose my hair. Oh, and later it peeled, which was like the icing on the cake.
3. Ditch your blowdryer (at least for a little while)
Like heat styling with blowdryers and flat irons, sun, chlorine and saltwater also exact their revenge on hair.
I would blow dry my hair straight daily when I was in my 20s, and then one summer I joined a gym with a pool and started swimming to get in shape. The chlorine coupled with the regular blow drying pretty much fried my locks beyond repair. By August, I had a head of dry, brittle straw that looked and felt like haaay.
This summer, consider putting your blowdryer away (at least for a little while), or ditching it completely if you can. Your lovely hair will thank you. 🙂
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
ooh i didnt know about the sunscreen in your hair trick, that is good to know! I also try to keep my hair au natural during the hot months. Not only are waves “in style” right now but its good to let your hair breathe sometimes too!
Good for you! I bet keeping your waves au natural takes less time to style too.
It def does! My sister, a curly haired girl, actually introduced me to a product line called Deva Curl, have you heard of it? Its a line made for curly/wavy girls, and the shampoo is cool because it doesn’t lather! which means your curls stay curly, and that combined with their styling gel gives me the best curls/waves ive ever had in my life, no joke.
Whether I let it air dry or use a low heat, quick diffuser, its pristine, beautiful curls. So happy with it, and def helps in hot weather for a quick look and upkeep!
I love the Deva An-gel in my wavy hair. Doesn’t get crunchy and keeps frizz down.
Yes! I use the the Deva No Poo Cleanser and love it (which reminds me, I need to review it, stat!).
Which shampoos/conditioners/stylers are you using from the line?
I use both the No Poo and the Low Poo. I was finding that the No Poo wasn’t cleaning my hair as thoroughly as I would have liked it to, and I had read else where that its good to use every other day.
But I use both, first the Low Poo, rinsed out, then No Poo, almost like a conditioning treatment. That and their One Condition conditioner. Sounds like a lot, but honestly using both makes my hair tamer.
And then I style with An-gel, its a lightweight gel, a little goes a long way. The perfect amount to hair dampness is crucial, but once you figure it out, the results are beautiful!
Can’t wait to see your review!
I just finished a bottle of No Poo a few weeks ago. I need to restock! An-gel is great too.
Have you ever had your hair cut at a Deva salon? I used to go years ago. It was great, but I eventually stopped because it was a pain to get to the salon (it’s in SF).
I also didn’t even think about using sunscreen on my hair part. But it totally makes sense since your scalp can still get a sunburn.
If you don’t like using lotion the spray type SPF works too. Just spritz a little on your fingers first and then apply to your part.
The sunscreen is a great idea! My “head crack” always burns and eventually ends up peeling and looks like I have a crazy case of dandruff! Pretty embarrassing!
Hi Brooke,
Always happy to help. Another tip: if you don’t want to deal with rubbing lotion into your part, you could always use a SPF spray. Just spritz some on your fingers and pat into your part. Banana Boat makes a good one:
https://www.makeupandbeautyblog.com/product-reviews/poolside-champ-banana-boat-ultra-defense-continuous-spray-sunblock/
Thanks!
You’re welcome! 🙂 Have a great night!
hahaha, I always go for the scissors (not myself! I let my hairdesser do all the work :p) in summer. Can’t stand having thick, wavy shoulder length hair in this heat- drives me nuts, lol. I always go for a bob, though I’m thinking about the pixie cut this year!
Do it so I can vicariously live through you, LOL! I’ve always wanted to do a pixie cut but don’t feel like I could get away with it.
Me too! My friend just got a pixie cut, but she has a completely different body type/head shape than I do. I’m so jealous.
I usually let my hairdresser chop all my thick curly hair off each summer but not this year. I’m trying to stay strong and resist the scissors. I really dislike having my thick hair against my neck when it’s super hot. Hopefully my hair can make it thru the summer still intact. Wish me luck!
I have long, thick hair too and can’t stand the feeling of it on my neck when it’s hot. Have you tried putting your hair up in a loose bun? The Goody Spin Makes make it really easy.
https://www.makeupandbeautyblog.com/product-reviews/6-goody-spin-pins-its-a-goody-thing-i-took-these-pins-for-a-spin/
ive given up the flat iron for a few months now …. and im working on giving up the blow dryer too. im just waiting for my hair to get a little bit longer. 🙂
How’s it going now that you’re not heat styling? I bet you’re seeing a huge difference!
my hair feels softer and way less fried. 🙂 i think im learning to embrace the natural wave in my hair. 🙂
It took me a while to embrace mine… I’m glad I got to there, though. It takes much less time to style it, that’s for sure!
I never use a blowdryer in the summer. My hair looks and feels better when I let my hair air dry anyway. And putting sunscreen where your hair parts is a great idea!
If you don’t like using sunblock lotion you can always try a spray, too, like this one from Banana Boat:
https://www.makeupandbeautyblog.com/product-reviews/poolside-champ-banana-boat-ultra-defense-continuous-spray-sunblock/
I try and try and try to not touch the blow dryer and flat iron in the summer (especially because my blazing hot bathroom has no window) but my hair is the type that has to be blown out or it’s frizzy and horrible. Plus having this straight bob cut doesn’t help!
Great idea about using a spray SPF on the part!
Do you have a good dry shampoo? That might help you extend the life of your blow outs so you don’t have to hit it with the heat as much.
You couldn’t have posted this at a better time – I’m so close to chopping my bob super-duper short again! I’ll check myself for a few days instead of just showing up at the salon. 🙂
OOh! Seriously — wait at least a good two weeks. It’s easier to put it up than to grow all that hair back, you know?
I wish I could air dry my curly-wavy hair most days. It just takes too long to dry and I don’t like to go into work with wet hair. But I am a big believer in sunblock on the part. Only takes one big part burn to learn that painful lesson.
Hi Steph,
Have you ever tried using the Aquis towel? My hair’s thick, long and usually takes forever to dry, but this little wonder seems to really help shave off the dry time:
https://www.makeupandbeautyblog.com/product-reviews/aquis-hair-towel-a-hair-do/
I have but it still takes tons of time after I blot the extra water.
Oh my God, I was just trying to do what you suggested, lol. I decided to have my hair cut but instead of an impulse visit to my hair dresser I tried to stop and think about it and I guess it’s working. If I had gone to the hair dresser I would be supporting a pixie crop right now, which is definitely not for my hair (thick, wavy, frizzy, untamable hair type, hello) and now I guess I want a shoulder lenght cut. Well, we’ll see in two weeks, I think.
Pixie crops are cute, but a HUGE pain to grow out. I had a friend who did it and the grow out process was INTENSE. I think it’s a good idea to wait a couple of weeks. 🙂
I hate not straightening my hair. And the humidity is making my hair so frizzy, I’m ready to go get a keratin treatment! Any other ideas?
Hi Sami,
How long is your hair? You could always try getting some cute hair accessories to put it up. Goody makes these really neat things called Spin Pins which are great for doing buns. Plus, they’re only $6!
https://www.makeupandbeautyblog.com/product-reviews/6-goody-spin-pins-its-a-goody-thing-i-took-these-pins-for-a-spin/
Karen, can you suggest treatment for damaged hair, or when you swim daily ? Many thanks
Hi Lilly,
Honestly, when I was swimming a lot the things I found most useful for my damaged hair were 1) quitting the blowdryer, 2) wetting my hair before I got into the pool (that way it doesn’t absorb as much chlorine) and 3) conditioner washing (a process that involves using conditioner, rather than shampoo, to wash the hair; you can read up on it here).
As for a treatment, I’m a Bumble & Bumble kinda girl, and I really love the Creme do Coco Masque:
https://www.makeupandbeautyblog.com/product-reviews/review-bumble-and-bumble-creme-de-coco-masque/
Oh, I didn’t know about the wet-your-hair-before-going-into-the-pool thing. Thanks 🙂
Your welcome! It really seems to help. 🙂 Also, a leave-in conditioner might help. Bumble makes one that’s pretty good!
Kerastase Soleil is very good if you swim regularly. It has UV, sea salt and chlorine protection in it. I think they have a shampoo, treatment, spray and a cream
It is OKIE to blow dry your hair every day rite?
Hmm, I’d try to avoid it if possible. Blow drying everyday can do a lot of damage to your hair.
I have one concern. How do you manage to make you hair look good without using a blowdryer? Dried naturally, my hair have no volume, my natural curls look good on one side and are a total mess on the other. Not big deal on days off but looks unprofessional during work hours.
Hi Natalia,
I think a lot of it is the haircut. My stylist cuts mine in a way that allows it to air dry well. Products that fit your hair type also help, too.
Another option is to go for an updo. They’re fast, easy and always look professional. How about trying a bun? Goody makes these amazing doo-dads called Spin Pins that make buns easy:
https://www.makeupandbeautyblog.com/product-reviews/6-goody-spin-pins-its-a-goody-thing-i-took-these-pins-for-a-spin/
You could also stock up on some cute accessories. One of my faves is this headband:
https://www.makeupandbeautyblog.com/product-reviews/holy-mother-of-pearl-goodys-new-pearlized-shell-headwrap-delivers-a-luxe-look-for-less/
Pair it with a low ponytail and you’re good.
I usually just put my hair in a clip for bed after a shower. Other than that, it pretty much is left to air dry. I loved the comment my stylist made last time I got a haircut…”Your hair is so healthy. You have no split ends and no damage!” (I rarely ever blow dry or straighten my hair.)
And this was after my last haircut was August 2010. My haircut was May 2011.
You’re so lucky! I bet your hair feels silky soft. 🙂
A little trick I like to use during the summer is to put some oil in my hair before swimming. I use either almond or Argan oil (make sure it’s 100%!). After my swim, my hair is soft and not dry at all! It’s also not oily. Perfect! 🙂
Thanks for the tip, Ann! I’ll have to try the Argan Oil. What brand do you use?
I agree. I hate how those blow dryers fry your hair after using them in summer. This post is really helpful. Thanks!!!
You’re welcome!
While I do agree that it’s best to skip the rash decisions, cutting hair (a little or a LOT) can be a huge relief 🙂 (and a lot of fun)