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How to Repair Summer Hair Damage

Key Takeaways

  • Summer hair damage can make your hair look dry, frizzy, or dull.
  • The sun, salt water, and chlorine are known to damage your hair.
  • You can fight summer hair damage at home with the right hair treatments , like bond-builders and hair masks.

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How to Repair Summer Hair Damage

While we enjoy our summer holidays under the sun, sometimes our hair may wish it had stayed home. Although beachy hair is synonymous with the coveted Californian look, sun-kissed locks can result in hair damage, too. Don't wait until the season ends is over to repair your hair from summer damage.

 

The major contributors to summer hair damage are excessive sun, salt water, and chlorine. This can lead to dry, brittle, damaged hair by the end of the season. Without summer hair treatments before, during, and after summer activities, your hair may become compromised and need more significant repair. OLAPLEX rebuilds broken bonds, which means you'll get healthier-looking hair.

 

Before diving into summer hair treatments, it's important to understand how and why the sun, salt water, and chlorine can damage your hair.


How Does the Sun Damage Your Hair?

The UVA and UVB rays from the sun can damage the outside of your hair (the hair cuticle). Too much sun exposure can make your hair dry, frizzy, and brittle. The sun can also lighten your hair, but this lightening process can damage your hair's keratin, a type of protein essential to hair's structure and strength.


How Does Salt Water Damage Your Hair?

Although swimming in the ocean can feel refreshing, saltwater might not be kind to your hair. Salt water can strip your hair of its natural oils, making it dehydrated. This can leave it feeling brittle, dry, and damaged. Since saltwater can dry out your hair, it can also lead to breakage.

 

Salt water can also damage dyed hair. If you dye your hair and then swim in the ocean or a saltwater pool, the water can strip the color from your hair and weaken your hair structure.


How Does Chlorine Damage Your Hair?

Is your hair feeling dry and brittle after dipping in the pool? It may be due to chlorine. Chlorine can strip away your hair's natural oils and compromise your hair cuticles. The antimicrobial and algicidal chemicals in chlorine can also damage your hair.


4 Summer Hair Treatments to Try at Home

If you notice your hair is dry, brittle, or frizzy in the summer, don't worry with the right summer hair treatments, you can restore your hair's softness and shine. Consider these four haircare products that fight damage and restore your hair’s strength:


OLAPLEX Nº.0 Intensive Bond Building Hair Treatment

Start your summer hair repair with OLAPLEX Nº.0 Intensive Bond Building Hair Treatment before OLAPLEX Nº.3 Hair Perfector™. This spray-on treatment primes hair for deeper repair while strengthening and protecting hair integrity. Nº.0 is formulated with OLAPLEX Bond Building Technology®, which repairs broken bonds for stronger hair when used with Nº.3.


OLAPLEX Nº.3 Hair Perfector®

Celebrity hair colorist Tracey Cunningham is a longtime advocate for bond-building:

"In the summer, I always tell my clients: start with a Nº.3 treatment," she says. Nº.3 Hair Perfector® is a pre-shampoo treatment powered by patented OLAPLEX Bond Building Technology® to repair and strengthen hair from the inside out. Fighting damage with Nº.3 Hair Perfector® is easy: simply apply it to damp hair from roots to ends, rinse thoroughly, and follow with OLAPLEX shampoo and conditioner. Use it alone or paired with OLAPLEX Nº.0 for maximum at-home repair in 3 to 10 minutes.


Rich Hydration Mask

Summer damage can make your hair look dull, dry, and lifeless. After restoring strength with a bond builder, Tracey adds: "Then follow with a moisture mask—salt water and chlorine can really take a toll on your hair." 

 

If you deal with dryness or have medium to thick hair, try the Rich Hydration Mask. This deeply restorative, moisturizing hair mask locks in intense hydration for up to five washes* to prevent moisture loss and keep hair smoother and shinier. It also delivers all-day frizz control, detangles hair, and reduces and prevents breakage.

 

Weightless Nourishing Hair Mask

 

Fine hair is more prone to flatness and oiliness. If your hair is fine to medium, the best summer hair mask for you is the Weightless Nourishing Mask. This hair mask locks in lightweight hydration, reduces and prevents breakage for up to five washes,** and creates instant, all-day volume.

 

Let OLAPLEX lead the way to softer, healthier-looking hair this summer. Take the Hair Quiz to get a personalized OLAPLEX routine and explore more hair products.

The Mini Essentials Set

Nourish healthy summer hair with the Mini Essentials Kit. Repair and strengthen hair from the inside out with N°.3 Hair Perfector™ to start. Then wash and condition with N°4 Bond Maintenance® Shampoo and N°5 Bond Maintenance® Conditioner for smoother hair, better detangling, and less breakage.* Smooth frizz, add shine, and protect from heat up to 450°F with the styling trifecta N°9 Bond Protector, N°6 Bond Smoother®, and OLAPLEX N°.7 Bonding Oil.

Take the Hair Quiz to get a personalized OLAPLEX routine or discover hair products that fight damage and repair hair bonds.

*When used as a system of N°3, N°4, and N°5.

*On bleached hair tresses

**On virgin hair tresses

Sources

  1. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/best-ways-to-protect-your-hair-from-sun-damage
  2. https://www.instyle.com/is-salt-water-bad-for-your-hair-8647603
  3. https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/health-wellness/2024/06/14/is-chlorine-bad-for-your-hair/73842675007/
  4. https://www.byrdie.com/how-to-protect-your-hair-from-chlorine-5271383