Dry hair after summer: why?

After summer, hair is often dry because sun, salt and chlorine have lifted the cuticles of the fibre, which then holds water less well. To repair it when autumn comes, a gentle routine is usually enough: a shampoo that cleanses without stripping, a treatment on the lengths, less heat, and sometimes a trim.

Why is hair dry after summer?

In summer, our hair leads quite an eventful life. It sunbathes, dives into the sea, dries in the wind, goes back into the water and sometimes spends the evening with salt all over its ends. Meanwhile, we think we look wonderfully healthy.

At the time, its slightly wild look pleases us a lot: lighter, fuller, almost Californian. Then September arrives. The ends snag, the lengths look dull and the brush meets a resistance it has not known since June. Your hair simply needs someone to finally take care of it.

The sun weakens the hair fibre

UV rays do not only affect the skin. They also reach the hair fibre and can gradually alter its structure and pigments. That is why hair gets lighter over the summer.

With repeated exposure, the cuticles that protect the hair lift. The fibre holds water less well, becomes more porous and loses its suppleness. Hair looks duller, feels rougher and becomes hard to detangle.

Coloured, bleached, curly or naturally dry hair is often affected first. It was already fragile before the holidays, and the sun gave it no time to rest.

Sea salt dehydrates the lengths

Sea water gives volume and that just-back-from-the-beach texture we then try to recreate in the bathroom. The problem comes mainly from the salt left on the hair after swimming.

As it dries, its crystals encourage the fibre to dehydrate. Add wind, towel friction and hair tied up while still wet, and the lengths end up losing their suppleness. The beach look is still charming, but it is better if it does not last until October.

Chlorine dries hair out too

Chlorine keeps swimming pools clean, for which we can all be grateful. Hair is less enthusiastic. Repeated swims can disrupt the hydrolipidic film that protects the fibre and the scalp. Hair becomes drier, rougher and sometimes more brittle.

On coloured or very light hair, some mineral residues in the water can also change the tone. Slightly green blonde no doubt has its supporters, but they keep a low profile. Our tips for next year are in our article on the effects of chlorine on hair.

Why do we only notice it in September?

On holiday, hairstyles are looser, the air is more humid and our standards are much lower. A dry end goes unnoticed when you are wearing sunglasses and holding a cold drink.

Back home, habits change. Out come the hairdryer, the brushes and the heated styling tools. Hair rubs against collars and light scarves. The damage built up over several weeks then becomes far more visible.

So your hair did not dry out overnight. We were simply too busy ordering ice cream to notice.

How to repair dry hair after summer

There is no need to turn your bathroom into a laboratory. Above all, hair needs gentle handling, regular care and a little patience.

• A gentle shampoo. Choose a concentrated shampoo formulated to cleanse without stripping, such as our nourishing solid shampoo for dry hair. Apply it to a well-soaked scalp, then massage gently with your fingertips.
• Lengths you do not scrub. The lather that runs down as you rinse is usually enough to clean them. They have been through enough on holiday.
• A treatment on the lengths. Then apply a hydrating or nourishing treatment, such as our solid conditioner, to the lengths and ends.
• A mask once a week, to bring back more suppleness.
• A few drops of oil on damp hair, to protect the ends and tame flyaways. A few drops, mind: we are not making a salad dressing.
• Less heat. Limit heated styling tools for a while. If you cannot do without them, lower the temperature and use a heat protectant.

To go further, read our article Which shampoo for dry hair?

Should you trim your ends after summer?

Sometimes, yes. Treatments improve the softness, suppleness and look of hair, but none can permanently repair an end that is already split.

Cutting a few centimetres gives you a cleaner base and stops split ends from travelling up the hair. Your length starts again on a healthy base, with a better chance of going the distance.

What if your hair stays dry?

If dryness persists despite a gentle routine, or if your scalp feels tight or itchy, it is worth taking stock. We offer a free scalp diagnosis at the Maison-Atelier, in the Marais, by appointment. In case of irritation or significant hair loss, see a dermatologist.

In short

• Sun, salt and chlorine lift the hair cuticles, so the hair holds water less well.
• We only notice it in September, when the hairdryer and brushes come back out.
• Gentle shampoo, a treatment on the lengths, a weekly mask and less heat.
• A trim helps once split ends have set in.

Dry hair after summer does not call for twelve products or a complicated ceremony. It needs hydration, nourishment, gentle handling and a little consistency. Come to think of it, so do we.

Homnès. For your hair, body and soul.