How to protect your hair from the sun

Avoiding sun protection can result in dry, dull and brittle tresses, and it does no favours for coloured hair either. The following products will help look after your locks in the scorching heat

As well as UVA and UVB rays, salt and chlorine can also take their toll (Getty/iStock)

Thanks to consistent warnings of skin cancer, sun spots ageing woes, we all know how important it is to soak our skin in sunscreen. But what about our hair?

You might think that wearing sun protection on your locks is just another unnecessary step in your beauty routine, but according to experts exposure to UV rays damages the hair just as much as it does our skin.

This is because our hair is considered a “non-living entity” meaning that, while it might not burn like our skin, it does experience the same side effects. As such, avoiding sun protection can result in dry, dull and brittle tresses.

But that’s not all. A quick dip in the ocean or pool when you’re on holiday can damage it too because of the drying effects of chlorine and salt, while bleached or lifted hair is more susceptible to fading from UV exposure.

So, what can you do to protect it?

Philip Kingsley, Swimcap, £17, John Lewis

Before you reach for your nearest bottle of sunscreen and apply it to your entire head, you’ll be pleased to know that the beauty industry has formulated products specifically designed to care for your hair in the sun.

Daytime Protective Repair Fluid, £35, Bumble & Bumble

From sprays and serums made to protect your tresses from harmful UVA and UVB rays to oils, masks and treatments that will help boost hydration levels, there are plenty of steps you can take to repair and restore your locks back to full health.

Sachajuan, Hair In The Sun, £20, Cult Beauty

If you wear your hair in a parted style, or have a super-short crop, it’s also important to invest in scalp protection, as it has the same construction as the skin on other parts of the body making it vulnerable to itching, peeling and skin cancer.

Malibu, SPF30 Scalp Protector, £3.99, Superdrug

Aveda, Sun Care Protective Hair Veil, £22.50, Look Fantastic