If we are exposed to the sun without protection for too long, our skin burns. But what about the hair? Do you also suffer from strong sunlight?
Frankfurt/Main – The hair also suffers from too much sun. To be more precise, explains Birgit Huber from the Body Care and Detergent Industry Association (IKW), the UV radiation bleaches the hair and deprives it of its natural and artificial color. But is that a sunburn?
No, not that: “But the strains of typical summer activities make the hair drier and more brittle, and the ends often appear straw-like. This is also due to the fact that the cuticle layer of the individual hair is roughened.” And the sun’s rays destroy color pigments in the hair.
Blonde and red hair fade more
Blonde and red hair then become even lighter, as does brown and black hair, but the change is not as pronounced. This is due to the fundamentally higher pigment concentration, but also to the pigment eumelanin that dark hair contains. That makes it “significantly more resistant” to fading, according to Huber. “The color pigment pheomelanin in light and red hair, on the other hand, is destroyed more quickly.”
Much like skin from sunburn, hair can be protected from this destruction. Very simple, with a hat or cap on your head. And that also helps best against sunburn of the scalp – because the skin under the hair can suffer naturally.
Braid long hair or twist it into a bun
Birgit Huber adds a tip: “So that long hair is not too exposed to the sun, braid your hair into a ponytail or twist it into a bun. Then the sun has even fewer chances.”
And there is hair care that tends to avoid fading: “Color protection shampoos, conditioners or styling products such as sprays are also available with UV filters,” says Huber. “And if the hair is still a bit brittle, masks and treatments with special moisturizing active ingredients care for the damaged hair structure and protect the hair from drying out.” dpa
