Summer is the best for heaps of reasons (we'll let you fill in your own blanks), but it sucks the life out of your hair.
Longer days in the sun and salty ocean swims coupled with more outings for the silly season (AKA more times you'll do your hair) often means your strands are a little worse for wear come the end of the season.
The worst culprit in summer?
"One word. Sun. The sun sucks all of the moisture out of hair, especially highly coloured hair," Hairstylist and owner of RAW, Anthony Nader told The Huffington Post Australia.
Nader lived and worked in NYC for more than a decade before returning to Australia last year. He regularly shoots with the world's most prestigious magazines, works backstage on major fashion weeks, and has a slew of celebrity clients to his name. Our point is, he knows what he's talking about.
"In summer, take note that the lighter you take your shade, the more damaged the hair is going to be. Essentially, the lighter the hair the more damage you'll be more susceptible to," Nader said.
It's not all bad, though. Nader has some easy tips (for all hair colours) to protect your strands this summer.
Protect against the elements
Okay, so we know the sun isn't too kind to our strands, and nor is the salty sea water. If you're headed for a day at the beach, use protection.
"Invest in a really good UV protector. They do work," Nader said.
"The other thing to do is, before you go to the beach, apply a heavy product like a mask or a really rich conditioner through the mid lengths and ends. It's great because a slick ponytail can look fun and sporty going to the beach, but it's actually serving a purpose -- it's conditioning at the same time and the product acts as a barrier from the salty ocean water."
Use your hair dryer's cold setting
You can't be blamed for thinking the hottest and highest setting on the hairdryer is the quickest way to style our hair and while that's true, it's not the healthiest.
"I swear by the cold setting on a hair dryer. I always end blow dries on the cold setting because it closes the cuticle and imparts sheen and shine. It also sets the style and makes it last longer," Nader said.
Also, if your hairdryer is a decade old, consider an upgrade. Technology in hair tools has come along way on the past few years.
"When buying a hairdryer look out for buzz words like ceramic, thermal ionic and those tech phrases -- they mean something. Those features will help best care for your hair."
Buy heat-adjustable appliances
The same approach goes for conical tongs, curling wands and hair straighteners -- super hot isn't ideal. Think about it -- if your hot iron burns your forehead or ear instantly, what do you think it's doing to your stands?
"When looking at curlers and straighteners, check that the appliance has a heat control setting. You want the temperature to be adjustable -- not every hair type can take 230 degrees. Say, fine blonde hair, it would just cause more damage," Nader said.
"Start at a lower temperature using heat control and then make the heat higher as needed. If you have time, to make your curls or waves last longer, pin them to your head while they cool rather than using a higher heat setting."
Try not to over wash
Let's blame it on our active lifestyles, but Aussie's love to wash their hair -- more than the rest of the world.
"Unfortunately, over washing hair is an Australian thing. We need to be a little more French in our approach to shampooing our hair," Nader said.
"In actual fact, the more you shampoo, the more you're washing out the natural oils that protect the hair ans scalp. Ideally, I ask clients to wash twice a week, if they can. If your hair gets oily, use dry shampoo. The coloured dry shampoos on the market now are great and your scalp won't go flaky."
Don't ignore split ends
This one can be hard if you're trying to grow your hair long, but split ends evidently mean a bigger trim in the long run.
"You cannot reseal split ends. It's a myth. What the products do which say they can seal split ends is offer a Band-aid solution. The idea is that those product will tie you over until you can get to the salon for your regular trim -- it's not so you can go another six months without a haircut."
"No one has invented a product that seals split ends. And when they are split, the damage is done -- it's only going to get worse unless you cut the split ends off. A trim every 6-8 weeks is ideal for managing not only the health of their hair, but the style," Nader said.
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Easy Ways