Post-Summer Hair Repair: How to Restore Damaged Hair
Summer might be great for holidays and sunny days, but it can be tough on your hair. Sun exposure, heat styling, chlorine and salt water can all leave hair feeling dry, dull, tangled or more prone to breakage.
If your hair is showing signs of post-summer damage, a few simple changes to your routine can help restore moisture, improve manageability and protect it from further damage. Here’s how to give your hair some much-needed TLC after summer.
How Does Summer Damage Your Hair?
Your hair can face several sources of stress during the summer months. UV exposure can leave hair feeling dry and brittle, while chlorine and salt water may contribute to dryness, tangling and a rougher texture.
Add regular blow-drying, straightening or curling into the mix, and your hair may need a little extra care by the end of the season.
Common signs of summer hair damage include dryness, frizz, dullness, tangling, split ends and increased breakage.
How Do I Repair Hair Damaged by Sun and Heat?
Sun and heat damage can show up in different ways, from dryness, frizz and dullness to brittleness, breakage and split ends. While severe damage, such as split ends, can't be permanently repaired and may require a trim, the right haircare routine can help improve the look and feel of damaged hair, leaving it smoother, softer and more manageable.
Switch to Nourishing Haircare
Start with a shampoo and conditioner suited to dry or damaged hair. When shampooing, concentrate mainly on your scalp rather than rubbing the lengths and ends, which may already be feeling dry.
Follow with conditioner through your mid-lengths and ends to help replenish moisture, smooth the hair and make detangling easier.
Explore our haircare range to find hair oils and treatments for your hair type and concerns.
Give Your Hair an Extra Treatment
If your usual conditioner isn't quite enough after summer, introduce a targeted hair mask, hair oil or treatment into your routine.
Look at what your hair needs most. Dry, rough hair may benefit from additional moisturising and conditioning care, while hair experiencing breakage may benefit from strengthening or bond-focused treatments.
Expert tip: More isn't always better. Choose treatments based on your main hair concern and follow the recommended usage instructions rather than layering several intensive products at once. - Jane Wanniaratchy - Head of Product and Technical Education – 30+ years Hairdressing experience & Nail Experience 20+ years
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Turn Down the Heat
If your hair has spent summer dealing with sunshine and regular heat styling, reducing additional heat can help prevent further stress.
Try air-drying when practical or turn down the temperature on your hairdryer, straighteners or curling tools. When you do use heated styling tools, always apply a suitable heat protectant first.
Explore our hair styling range for heat protection and styling essentials.
Don't Forget Your Ends
The ends are the oldest part of your hair and often show signs of damage first. If they're looking particularly dry, thin or split, a trim can make your hair look and feel healthier.
Between trims, concentrate your conditioner, masks and leave-in products on the mid-lengths and ends to help keep them feeling soft and manageable.
For more tips on managing dryness and frizz, explore our guide on How to fix your frizzy, dry hair.
How Can I Protect My Hair from Further Damage?
If you're heading somewhere sunny or swimming regularly, consider additional hair protection and rinse your hair after swimming to help remove chlorine or salt water.
A consistent routine is usually more useful than suddenly adding lots of new products after damage has already occurred.
Give Your Hair a Post-Summer Refresh
Focus on what your hair needs most, whether that's dry hair, strengthening care, damage repair or simply a break from excessive heat.
Explore Sally Beauty's damaged hair and haircare ranges to find professional-quality products for your hair type and concerns, and head into the new season with hair that looks and feels cared for.
Haircare products can help improve the softness, smoothness, manageability and appearance of damaged hair. However, severely split or broken hair can't be permanently repaired, so regular trims alongside a suitable haircare routine can help manage existing damage while protecting your hair from further stress.
It depends on the product and your hair's needs. Always follow the instructions for your chosen mask or treatment. If your hair is particularly dry after summer, adding a treatment to your regular routine can provide additional conditioning.
It depends on the type and extent of damage. Dry or rough hair may start to feel softer and easier to manage once you introduce suitable conditioning products. More significant breakage or split ends will take longer to grow out and may require regular trims.