7 Ways to Protect Your Hair from the Sun ...

1. Buy a Cute Hat or Scarf

Of all the ways to protect your hair from the sun, covering it up is obviously the best! Whether you shop around for the perfect sun-hat or a light scarf to wrap your hair in, most cover-ups provide 100% protection from the sun's rays. Of course, if portions of your hair hang out of the hat, you'll want to protect them in other ways! Wearing something to cover up your hair is also a great way to avoid sunburn to your scalp!

2. Use UV-Shielding Products

Just like you would apply sunscreen to your skin to prevent burns, you can apply product to your hair as well, to shield UV rays. There are many products out there specifically designed to protect your hair from UV rays. They also help prevent highlighted hair from lightening too quickly and can keep dark hair from turning brassy or red. Keep in mind that these products always need to be applied to damp hair, otherwise they'll sit on the surface and won't sink into the hair. You can also dilute some regular sunscreen with water and spray onto your hair with a squirt bottle!

3. Get a Haircut

It's always best to get a trim before the summer months. The sun will do extra damage to hair with dead ends, so getting them trimmed off will put you in better shape to tackle the sun. It's then recommended to hold off getting another trim until the summer is over. The summer will cause more dead ends, so it's best to get them cut off once the summer sun is gone!

4. Dampen Your Hair

Spray some water on your hair before you go into the pool or ocean. Thus, when you go swimming, your hair isn't as likely to absorb 100 percent of the chlorinated water. This can be especially helpful to girls with blonde hair that has a tendency to turn green in the summer. The less saturation of chlorine, the less chance your hair will turn green!

5. No Oily, Peroxide, Alcohol, or Lemon Based Products

Peroxide, alcohol and lemon based products will cause your strands to dry out even faster when combined with the sun. You should also refrain from using any oily hair products before going into direct sunlight. Products such as oil sheen, hair sprays, and gels can heat up to dangerous temperatures from the sun and cause hair damage. Instead, try using these products before bedtime, or on days when you won't be in the sun for long periods of time.

6. Weekly Deep Conditioning

The sun's rays can damage proteins in your hair. To help avoid this, use a deep conditioning treatment that contains the protein keratin. Make sure to use the deep conditioner at least once per week to add back any proteins that the sun may have destroyed!

7. Limit Your Hot Styling Tools

During the hot summer months, it's best to limit your use of your blow dryer, flat iron, or curling iron. Your hair is already going to be damaged from the sun, so adding more damaging heat is not a great idea. If you really need to use styling tools, make sure to apply a heat protectant beforehand. Keep in mind, though, that air drying your hair naturally is the "in" look during the summer months, giving you a beachy fashion style.

We all love the summer time, but we need to also remember to take care of ourselves while we're in the sun! These tips should also be applied to your hair if you use tanning beds, but I hope you don't! How does your hair do in the summer time? Do you find that the summer sun negatively affects your hair or not so much?