by Noelle Chen
They say that all good things must come to an end. Another summer has (sadly) come and gone, and soon we’ll be replacing rooftop cocktail sessions for warm hot toddies, bikinis for zip-up hoodies. Salt and sun will no longer be part of our daily repertoires…but that may not necessarily be a bad thing (bear with me on this).
You may have discovered that exposure to the elements these past few months has left your hair feeling dry, damaged, and a little dull. While you likely had fun, your hair is thirsty for a break. A few quick tips will get your mane back to where it was before you were having a blast at the beach:
1. Start with the scalp
We often forget about the place from which our hair grows, don’t we? It’s super important to treat everything––scalp first, then ends––so that hair can grow healthfully. The sun’s rays have probably left your base feeling dry––even itchy maybe, yikes––but a weekly scalp treatment or scrub is the best place to start. (Important: don’t do the scrub if your scalp is dry or tight from a sunburn––the scrubbing will make it worse!) Massage it in, leave on for at least 10 minutes, and then shampoo it out.
2. Moisture, moisture, moisture
For those who hate the word ‘moist,’ I’m sorry to offend, but it’s key to achieving post-summer hair recovery. Consider caring for your hair how you care for your face with a daily routine; using a moisturizing serum or an at-home moisture mask on hairs’ ends will trap water into the follicles, ensuring repair. My new favorite is Oribe’s Gold Lust Pre-Shampoo Intensive Treatment––they recommend to use it once a week, but my hair loves it so much I slather it on my ends twice a week.
3. Restore, reset, refresh
Visiting your stylist as summer comes to a close is a wise choice. A color refresher will bring it back to its shiny self, while a cut will salvage any damage that has traveled up the hair shaft. If you’re cautious of chopping a whole lot, a trim will suffice; however, you must cut off enough of the damaged ends to save your hair. Make an appointment now so your locks are prepped and ready for the holiday season––think of it as a “hair pregame” (yes, we’re already looking that far ahead).
Though I wish I could press fast-forward on the weeks that come after arguably everyone’s favorite season, I have no doubt that following these simple steps will get you and your hair excited for the cooler days ahead.