The UK has been heating up again, with temperatures soaring across the country this week and a drought declared in eight areas of England.
While many are set to spend the weekend enjoying the warm weather, the sun also comes with lots of dangers.
From heatstroke to skin damage, there's many ways the sun can affect your health, but did you know that it could also be killing your hair?
Dr Kristy Lau, medical director at Yuchi Medical, working with Revitacare UK, and Dr Jinah Yoo, a leading consultant dermatologist, have revealed how the summer sun can damage our luscious locks in five ways — including causing that pesky summer frizz.
But luckily, they also told the Mirror about one simple ingredient that can be used to treat sun-damaged hair, and it might already be a part of your skincare routine.
Is sun heat good for hair?
While sitting under the sizzling sun can sometimes feel like bliss, it won't be doing any good for your hair.
Just like your skin, hair is susceptible to the sun’s harmful UV rays. From frizz and dandruff to breakage and even hair loss, the summer sun can wreak havoc on our tresses.
Here's all the ways that the sun could be killing your hair.
Itchy scalp and dandruff
Regardless of how much moisturiser you lather on in the sunny weather, you might find that your skin starts to become a little drier and itchier, and this can happen to your scalp too.
Dr Kristy said: “Since the scalp is just skin, the same hydration benefits apply. As the weather starts to warm up, a lot of people find the scalp becomes dry, starts to itch more, and notice an increase in flaky skin and dandruff."
She explained: "This is because the humidity from the sun stops sweat from evaporating effectively. This excess sweat then traps bacteria, excess oil, pollutants, and dirt and causes a build-up on the scalp.
"This quickly builds up and leads to the scalp barrier becoming weakened, which in turn causes it to dry out and leads to irritation and dandruff."
Breakage and split ends
As well as an itchy scalp, the hot sun can also cause your hair to become more dry and brittle, resulting in more breakage and split ends, and this is also one of the reasons that your hair can get more frizzy in the heat.
Dr Kristy explained: "The prolonged exposure to the sun’s harmful UVA and UVB rays can damage the outside cover of the hair strand, known as the cuticle.
“This may cause split ends, and brittle strands, and overall, the hair may become more frizzy and less manageable. Combined with hair styling techniques, like hot tools and styling products, this can be a recipe for disaster, particularly if you have bleached hair or fine or light-coloured hair."
So, while you might be tempted to tame the frizz with straighteners, you should probably try to avoid them if you can.
Hair loss
If you don't do anything about dry or brittle hair, then this could cause hair loss.
Dr Kristy says: "Left untreated, this may lead to the hair starting to thin and fall out, so I would advise you to monitor the condition of your hair closely.
"Try to use plenty of hair treatments and oils, steer away from harsh chemicals, limit heat styling, and shade the hair from the sun when it is at its highest."
Dr Jinah Yoo added that you may need to see a GP if you are experiencing it.
She said: “This is another one that isn’t limited to the summer. Hair loss can unfortunately be attributed to an underlying health condition, including hormonal imbalances, thyroid issues, and anaemia so it’s important to see your GP if you are concerned about the root cause."
Hay fever hair breakage
Another thing that can cause hair loss is hay fever.
While the sun isn't to blame for this hair issue, it is common during the summer months.
While the common symptoms of hay fever include a runny nose and itchy eyes, it can also be causing hair breakage.
In severe cases of an allergic reaction pollen, your body's immune system may begin to conserve energy to protect your other organs.
Unfortunately, this may temporarily stop the hair growth process, causing the follicles to stop growing new hair and become weak, leading to breakage and hair loss.
Frizz
One of the most common hair issues in the hot weather is frizz, which can seem impossible to tame during hotter months.
Dr Kristy revealed why it's so unmanageable, explaining: “Prolonged sun exposure can cause the hair to become frizzy, and overall, less manageable.
“This is usually down to a decrease in lipids in the hair leading to frizz and a coarse straw-like texture.
"Naturally, you might find that no matter how many oils and frizz-fighting wonder products you try, nothing will help to tame it. This is because a lot of the ingredients used in frizz-fighting haircare are unable to penetrate the hair deep enough, and only work superficially."
How can I protect my hair from the sun?
While keeping your hair covered from the sun seems like the obvious way to protect it, this isn't always the most practical solution.
But luckily our sun-damaged hair prayers have been answered and Dr Jinah and Dr Kirsty have revealed that there's one simple ingredient that can be used to treat all of the above issues: hyaluronic acid.
Dr Kristy told us: "Hyaluronic acid treatments are fantastic when it comes to scalp hydration.
"Known as a humectant, its primary function is to bind water to hydrate various tissues within the body.
"Think of it like a sponge, it draws in and holds moisture from its surroundings, so when used on the scalp it helps to replenish hydration levels by retaining water molecules within the dermis to soothe, relieve and moisturise the skin.”
Dr Kristy explained that hydration is the key to solving sun-damaged hair and said that it can help to reduce frizz and prevent breakage.
She explained: "Hyaluronic acid is made up of large and small molecules that can penetrate deep into both the follicle, and the hair strand.
"By drawing in moisture and holding it in the hair, it may help to reduce and control frizz. In addition, its plumping properties can make the hair appear more voluminous and give it structure, which is always a plus."
She added: "Hyaluronic acid’s unique ability to draw and hold water from its surroundings can help the hair strands retain moisture without saturating the structure, which may help prevent breakage and reduce any subsequent hair loss.”
Dr Jinah Yoo explained that there's also some other things you can try to treat your sun damaged hair, adding: “A well-hydrated scalp is a healthy scalp.
"Besides hyaluronic acid, you could try massaging your scalp and hair a couple of times per week with some warm oil, like coconut oil or olive oil to help hydrate the scalp and combat dandruff.”
