Protecting Your Natural Hair from Sun Damage
There’s a few reasons why many naturals wear their hair in protective styles during the summer season. Shrinkage and dehydrated hair are probably the two main reasons but sun damage is an additional reason that most of us don’t think about. With the sun being so strong in the summer, it can be another form of possible heat damage for us. Sun damage is not exclusive to just one hair type. All types of hair can be exposed to and experience sun damage.
Ultraviolet Rays
As we know, we can definitely feel the heat coming from the sun, especially on higher degree days. The sun emits light, heat and ultraviolet (UV) rays. Unfortunately we cannot see or feel the sun’s radiation, however there are 3 different types of UV rays: Ultraviolet A rays (UVA), Ultraviolet B rays (UVB) and Ultraviolet C rays (UVC). Each type is classified by their wavelengths, with UVAs having the longest wavelength and UVCs having the shortest.
UVA rays make up 95% of the rays that reach the Earth, since the Earth’s Ozone layer doesn’t absorb them. 5% of UVB rays reach Earth as well but UVC rays are completely absorbed by the Ozone layer. UVA rays are strong and normally penetrate through clouds and windows. UVA and UVB rays are also commonly used together in tanning beds. Though these rays are the main ones we feel on Earth, UVC rays are the worst type of rays and can cause the most damage to any living thing.
Sun Damage
How are these UV rays relevant to hair care? UVA and UVB rays penetrate our skin the most and can reach the deeper cells within our skin. This means the same thing goes for our hair. The longer our hair is exposed to the sun, the more damage it can do to our hair cuticles. It’s pretty much the same thing as heat damage. When we use heat consistently on our curls, our hair can become dry, brittle and begin to have split ends. The same drawbacks can be caused by the sun. The sun can also make your hair lighter, similar to how a bleaching process can take the color pigment out of your hair, damaging the cuticle and keratin within your strands. Too much sun equals dehydrated and brittle hair.
Ways to Protect Your Curls
So what does this all mean? We need to protect our hair from prolonged exposure to the sun, especially during the summer time. Never underestimate the sun’s strength to damage your skin and your hair. Protective styles of course are the best type of styles to protect your strands. But paying attention to the time of day is another important factor to protect your strands. Between the hours of 12 pm and 4 pm are the times where the sun is the strongest. Avoiding these times of day with direct contact with the sun can help reduce sun damage or sun burn. Using headwraps, scarfs or hats are another way to tuck your hair away to reduce sun exposure Lastly, using a scalp sunscreen or hair protectant can help protect your hair as well. They come in a variety of different sprays, mists or creams that contain SPF to protect your hair cuticles.
All types of hair can be exposed to and experience sun damage. Sun damage is just as common as sun damage to our skin and we may not even notice it. But we can better protect our strands by applying extra protection and avoiding unnecessary sun exposure. Shrinkage and dry hair is not the only thing we need to avoid is summer!