Why You Need Hair SPF

I know what you are thinking, is there any area of this girl's body that she won't douse in SPF? In short no - I've got SPF for days (well weeks) and I protect just about every inch of myself when out and about. I will however admit that SPF for my hair is a fairly new concept I have jump aboard and even then in most instances it would be occasional use, opposed to daily.

Why should you use SPF or UV protection on your hair as skin cancer is not possible? In short to protect from damage, just like the rest of our body hair ages too - especially if it is long and believe it or not Sun and general light exposure can be a huge factor in speeding up the process. Not only does the Sun's harmful UV rays age the hair but it can strip it of colour (natural or not), be the cause of both dryness and weakness. If you find that come the Summer season that your hair is brittle and generally a little more difficult to manage believe it or not it could be the weather to blame!

The Sun will strip pigment from the hair - artificial or not and leave bleached blondes brassy, deeper hues with red tones and generally leave hair colour dull. As a side note it does seem that us who have chemically treated our hair will be more prone to damage - this is because the hair shaft is already sensitised. So what's a gal or guy to do? Find either an SPF for the hair or a UV hair filter - surprisingly there is plenty on the market so it needn't cost an arm and a leg. I should point out that your typical bottle of SPF won't really be suitable for the hair (unless it states so), as most hair sun protetctants aim to reduce loss of moisture and prevent colour fade.

I'm a firm believer in multi-tasking products - why pay or carry around more when one product will do the job nicely. Not only do Clarins Sun Care Oil Spray SPF 30 (£17.15/150ml) and Decleor  Aroma Sun Expert Summer Oil SPF30 (£32/150ml) protect the hair and body but they deeply nourish and hydrate all over too. Both oils are very similar - the Clarins version is of course more affordable (always a winner) and is lighter in texture not to mention the fruity fragrance is scrumptious. The Declor version is a smidgen more hydrating, loaded with anti-ageing properties (great of using all over) but a tad more oily -I'm guessing when sat on the beach no-one truly cares if their hair looks a little greasy non? If using either of the above options (or anything similar) be sure to use a build up removing shampoo every couple of days.

Like I said SPF for my hair is not a daily occurrence, I have however taken to misting my hair down after each wash with Pantene UV Protection Spray (£6.99 not online yet) that is a rather clever product. Not only is it lightweight and applied to damp hair before styling, it is non-greasy, hydrating and does somewhat help with the de-tangling process. Unlike the above options this is not an SPF so it can't be used on the body but for the hair it is ideal - it prevents not only colour fade but also damage from heat of any type.

If all else fails deeply condition your hair (I used to sit by the pool with Aussie 3 Minute Miracle in my hair - it was a sight to behold!) after each Sun session to minimise the damage. You may also want to ditch heat styling to keep your locks in the best condition possible this Summer.

Is hair SPF a new concept to you too or have you always used something similar to prevent fade and damage?