The sun damages the scalp and hair scales. In his column "The daily sores" in Without appointment , Friday, our journalist Benjamin Lévêque gives all his tips for a summer safe for his hair, guaranteed without dry hair in September, or even lightened naturally.
Why does the sun damage hair?
"All the mop are at risk but the thinner the hair, the more vulnerable it is," warns Benjamin Lévêque. And be careful if you have made a color just before going on vacation: colored hair is even more sensitive than natural hair.
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To understand why the sun is bad for the hair, François Laly, hairdresser and beauty expert for René Furterer salons, compares it to the tiled roof of a house. "Imagine that these tiles are the scales of your hair. With the sun, from the first day, the scales begin to swell. On the second day, they rise. On the third day, the scales are completely raised. It is as if the tiles on our roof were completely raised and we had holes everywhere inside, "he explains.
In fact, "UV rays penetrate the hair and damage the keratin in the hair" sums up the hairdresser. The hair is therefore no longer protected by keratin which is "the foundation of our hair". This explains why, at the end of summer, some people end up with very dry, brittle, and coarse hair. In addition, who says summer, says swimming: "Sea water and chlorinated water in the pool can also cause damage," warns Benjamin Lévêque.
How to protect your hair from the sun?
The journalist of Europe 1 advises to apply "an anti-UV spray" on his hair, in the same way as one puts a sunscreen on his skin. "This hair cream will protect the hair from the sun's rays. We apply it from the roots to the tips, before and during exposure to the sun. And we put a good layer on it after swimming," he explains. .
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Then when you get back, you have to rinse your hair. There are also after-sun oils that can be applied on the way home. Benjamin Lévêque also recommends, in the evening before going to bed, to apply "a mask that is left to sit overnight under a warm towel to moisturize your hair". To protect your hair as much as possible during the day, it is also recommended to wear a hat or bandana.
Does the sun lighten hair?
The sun actually brightens the hair. If you appreciate the pretty reflections in your hair at the end of the summer, beware, this is not a good sign, warns Benjamin Lévêque. "It means UV breaks down the hair pigment." "This lightening is due to the oxidation of the hair with the sun and therefore to the lifting of the scales of the hair, which is therefore damaged," specifies the hairdresser François Laly.
And in this case, "we have altered the keratin of the hair", so it is already too late. Either it can be repaired "with keratin-based care" if it hasn't gone too far, or "the hair color has changed", so we are in "an irreversible phase" and we will have to cut .
How to lighten your hair while keeping it healthy?
The easiest way to lighten hair without damaging it is to buy "a lightening spray", advises Benjamin Lévêque. "But you have to look at the composition of the product and make sure there is no hydrogen peroxide, otherwise we will have red reflections."
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Certain foods also lighten hair safely for their health. "You can apply lemon juice on a few strands of hair or all over your hair, which you let dry in the sun or in the open air," explains naturopath Angèle Ferreux-Maeght. She also advises honey: "You can add two tablespoons of honey to your hair mask and leave it on for about fifteen minutes." Another solution: chamomile tea. "After washing your hair, you can rinse it with chamomile tea, it's quite effective," notes Angèle Ferreux-Maeght.
Apple vinegar and baking soda are also quite effective, "but only on blonde hair". It will not work on dark hair at the base, recalls Benjamin Lévêque.