Scorching UV Rays
Hair Forecast: Singed strands and occasional oxidization
“UV light can actually bleach the pigments in hair, which can either appear as a lightening effect, or a shift to a slightly different color,” explains Thomas. This is particularly an issue for those with an out-of-the-box shade, but it can affect natural color, too. Anyone who as cringed at the sight of orange-tinged tips knows that this effect can go very right (bright sun-kissed highlights”> or oh-so-wrong.
Quick Fix
Never let hair sit in one spot. Alternate your part, pull hair half up-half down, or soak up the sun with your hair flipped over, suggests Gibson. “This allows the sun to hit varied areas of hair, minimizing damage and lessening the chance of ruining your color,” he says.
Styling Solution
Before basking in the sun, suds up with a color-protecting shampoo and conditioner, suggests Gibson. “Healthy hair starts with the shampoo—if color-locking ingredients are the first thing to go inside strands, you’ll automatically shield hair from the inside out.” Of course that doesn’t mean you should skip another layer of protection like a leave-in conditioning spray to keep color vibrant and strands soft. “That crispy, dried out feeling is hair’s version of a sunburn,” says Serafino. “The top layers literally get fried.” And since SPF (sun protection factor”> is only for accurate in skincare, look for natural UV-protectors in hair products such as antioxidantsvitamins E and C, both of which are free-radical fighters that help minimize the scope of the damage the sun’s rays can create on hair.
You can even use the sun to your advantage. Serafino suggests letting rays mimic what colorists are doing in the salon — ombre highlights. “Since the trend right now is to have darker roots and lighter ends, after spraying in a leave in treatment with UV protecting ingredients, leave hair down so the ends are exposed,” she says. Not even coming close to the power of peroxide, the sun’s UV rays will subtly lighten color and give a natural (and way easier to maintain”> version of ombre. The UV-protective spray keeps rays from scorching too much.
