Summer Hair Care: How to Protect Your Hair from Sun Damage, Dryness and Breakage
The Hair Care Journal
Healthy, glossy hair through every summer moment
Expert ways to protect your hair from UV exposure, heat, chlorine, saltwater, dryness and seasonal breakage.
Book an appointmentSummer brings sunshine, holidays and longer days, but heat, UV rays, chlorine and saltwater can leave hair dry, brittle, frizzy and more prone to breakage.
With a few thoughtful changes to your routine, you can protect moisture, preserve colour and keep your hair looking beautifully healthy all season.
Seasonal stress
Why summer can damage your hair
Hair and scalp are exposed to several environmental factors during warmer weather.
Loss of strength and colour
UV exposure can break down proteins that support elasticity, leaving hair rougher and more vulnerable while accelerating colour fade.
Dryness, swelling and frizz
High temperatures dehydrate the fibre, while humidity can cause swelling, reduced shine and more difficult styling.
Porosity and tangling
Pool water can remove natural oils and leave coloured or highlighted hair feeling dry, porous, tangled and dull.
Moisture loss
Saltwater can draw moisture from the hair, making repeated exposure especially drying for already fragile or chemically treated lengths.
Dryness and sensitivity
The scalp, particularly along the parting, can become dry, irritated or flaky when exposed to prolonged sunshine.
Prepare before the season
Stronger, well-hydrated hair is better equipped to withstand sun, sea and chlorine, making preparation the best first line of defence.
Expert advice
Six ways to protect your hair this summer
Book a trim before your holiday
Removing dry or split ends helps prevent existing damage from travelling further up the hair and keeps lengths looking polished.
Book your appointmentDeeply condition your hair
Weekly masks and professional conditioning treatments replenish moisture, smooth the cuticle and improve elasticity.
Explore salon treatmentsProtect against UV rays
Use products designed to protect hair during sun exposure and wear a wide-brimmed hat or scarf during the hottest part of the day to help shield hair and scalp.
Shop Blonde GuardUse fresh water after swimming
Rinsing promptly helps remove chlorine and salt before they dry onto the hair and weaken the cuticle.
Embrace lower-maintenance styling
Give hair a break from hot tools where possible and always use a heat protectant before blow-drying or styling.
Shop hair careKeep colour looking fresh
Colour-care shampoos, conditioners and professional salon services help maintain vibrancy and shine for longer.
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Michaela's expert advice
Protect condition as well as colour
Michaela Galvin, Senior Stylist at Jo Hansford, says sun exposure does not just affect colour, it can leave hair feeling significantly drier too.
“Keep hair moisturised. Applying a professional leave-in conditioner by the pool or on the beach protects colour and doubles as an intense hydrating treatment,” she says.
Michaela also recommends maintaining regular haircuts throughout the summer and adding a professional K18 treatment to your salon visit, followed by K18 at home to help maintain healthier-feeling hair between appointments.
For hair that becomes difficult to manage in heat and humidity, Michaela also recommends considering a professional keratin treatment.
“They are brilliant for defrizzing and making hair far more manageable in the heat, we are doing a lot of them at the moment.”
Book with Jo HansfordMichaela recommends
Extra rules for heat-stressed hair
A considered salon and at-home routine can help protect condition, colour and manageability throughout the warmer months.
Keep up with regular haircuts
Regular trims remove dry and split ends before damage can travel further up the hair, helping lengths remain healthy-looking, polished and manageable.
Book your haircutAdd K18 to your salon visit
Michaela recommends adding a professional K18 treatment to your salon appointment, particularly when hair has been exposed to sunshine, heat styling, colour or chemical services.
Book a treatmentUse K18 between appointments
Continue your K18 routine at home between salon visits to support heat-stressed lengths and keep hair feeling stronger, softer and more manageable.
Shop K18Add Blonde Guard to your summer routine
Alongside K18, Michaela recommends Kérastase Blond Absolu Blonde Guard as part of a summer hair-care routine, helping keep sun-exposed lengths feeling hydrated, soft and cared for.
Shop Blonde GuardGo for an easy up-do
Buns and plaits keep hair off a hot neck, reduce sweat around the face and minimise the need for repeated heat styling while still looking polished.
Keep sunscreen away from extensions
Take extra care when applying sunscreen around hair extensions, as certain formulas can cause discolouration that may require professional salon attention.
Cover your hair in the pool
A hat or hair turban can provide an additional layer of protection when hair is exposed to the combined effects of chlorine and strong sunshine.
Consider a keratin treatment
A professional keratin treatment can help reduce frizz and make hair easier to manage when heat and humidity make everyday styling more difficult.
Book a consultation
After the season
Restore softness, strength and shine
Even with careful protection, weeks of sunshine, swimming and warmer weather can leave hair needing extra attention.
A professional in-salon treatment paired with a fresh haircut helps replenish lost moisture, reinforce weakened fibres and remove dry, damaged ends.
Book your appointment