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How necessary is it to wear hair sunscreen?
If your skin needs sunscreen to keep it looking its best, so does your hair.
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If your skin needs sunscreen to keep it looking its best, so does your hair. (Shutterstock/Russ Full)
R
ecently, a new wave of hair care products that promise to protect your hair from the sun is flooding the market. These products claim to prevent dryness or color fading and promise to keep your hair beautiful and healthy. Do they live up to these lofty claims?
Here is the response from professionals, as reported by the Huffington Post.
The sun affects your hair the same way it affects your skin
If your skin needs sunscreen to keep it looking its best, so does your hair.
Excessive exposure to sunlight leads to dry, frizzy hair and gradual discoloration for both dyed hair and natural hair color.
As the UVB rays hits hair, the proteins found in the hair’s outer layer—the cuticle—are broken down, exposing the hair and allowing heat to remove moisture and even pigmentation. The result? Dry, frizzy hair, fading pigmentation and even split ends.
Hairstylist Kristen Klontz said, “UVB rays oxidize the hair and break down the proteins in the hair that keep it healthy.”
Read also: Common hair-washing mistakes stopping you from having healthy hair
Different products deliver different results
Identifying which products can really protect your hair lies in the distinction between products advertised with SPF (sun protection factor) values, and products advertised as UV filters or UV protection.
This is due to the ambiguity of terms like “protective”, while product makers don’t include the SPF values. While such products may protect your hair, your scalp is left unprotected.
Products made for hair, such as Clarins Sunscreen Care oil spray with SPF 30, work well, but even regular sheer sunscreen, such as Neutrogena’s Ultra Sheer lightweight sunscreen spray, can work as well with regular reapplication.
How necessary is it?
While leaving hair unprotected under the sun isn’t life threatening, it’s certainly to be avoided to protect the quality of your hair. However, protecting your scalp with SPF or a sunhat is a must to avoid exposing an overlooked area of your skin to radiation.
In the end, if you want to avoid dryness, split ends and fading of pigmentation, any hairstylist would recommend you protect your hair with the right products. (ayr/wng)
