Heat Wave and Hair: Protecting Your Hair in Extreme Texas Heat

It's grueling outside here in Texas. This heat is getting dangerous with temperatures going all the way up to 106 degrees with no relief in sight. Even just walking to the car outside is miserable and we should wear sunscreen for just being outside for a few minutes so we don't burn. Our hair is just as fragile being out there unprotected.

Why Heat Damages Your Hair

Wear a big sun hat? Sure, but for those of us who aren't hat people or the situation does not fit, this is the perfect time to talk about keeping your hair healthy in this heat with the sun being so powerful. It makes our skin and hair extra dry which means we need more protection and moisture for our skin and hair.

When our hair is heated it's more likely to have an open cuticle, which allows the hair to get damaged by the elements. When you get your hair chemically treated, it also opens up the cuticle so that the color or chemical can go inside your hair and change the color. At the salon, when we do a chemical process, we always follow up with either a cold rinse, vinegar rinse, or conditioner after shampooing to close the cuticle and protect the hair and the process that has been done. The same goes for when we are in the heat. We need something to protect our hair to keep our cuticle closed so that our hair will stay healthy and smooth instead of damaged and frizzy.

How to Protect Your Hair

• Use a hair product with UV protectant to shield against sun damage
• Always use a leave-in conditioner to keep your hair cuticle closed, especially on the ends
• Use a heat protectant every day that protects up to 428 degrees when you are using hot tools
• Don't wash your hair every day if you can avoid it, because it washes out all of your natural oils that can protect your hair
• Keep a serum in your bag so that you can run it through your hair if your hair starts to feel dry during the day

Products We Recommend

• Curl Revive or Serum --- Provides UV protection, heat protection, and extra moisture with nourishing oils
• Beautifying Serum --- A collection of oils that are nourishing to your hair with UV protection
• Thermal Defense Spray --- A dedicated heat protectant for hot tool styling
• Leave-in Hydration --- Keeps your cuticle sealed and hair hydrated throughout the day
• Keratin Fortifi Spray --- Can even be used before you go into the pool to keep your cuticle closed and your hair protected

For more information on how to keep your hair healthy or if you would like to schedule a conditioning treatment, book an appointment at Lee Graves Salon.