We’re all extremely self-conscious when we’re on holiday, wondering what people are going to think about us as we strip down to our bikini, but it’s not just our body shape that we are worrying about these days. Our skin tone and the colour of our hair is something which we are all conscious of during our holiday away from home, but it’s sometimes difficult to know how to properly care for your colours while in a foreign country.
Photo Credit: Bi0star
How Does A Holiday Damage Your Hair?
The constant sun and the huge amount of swimming we tend to do on holiday is enough to put your hair in particular under some serious pressure, but you’d be amazed to find out that while all of us are sure to pack our sun cream before we board the plane, very few of us think to stick any hair protection and conditioning products in our suitcase before we head to the airport.
The primary reason for hair beginning to look less bright and much more frazzled during your holiday is the power of the sun, drying out the hair after it has continually been moisturised by the swimming pool at your hotel. This daily back-and-forth struggle between moisture and dryness eventually begins to take its toll on your hair strands, especially if it’s missing any protection from the elements.
Top Tips For Great Holiday Hair
So how can you go about your holiday with the great looking hair you boarded the plane with? Firstly, make sure you get down to the salon before you jet off and get yourself a new cut, even if it’s only a slight trim. This will mean that any already dried or split ends which will show up much more when you are on holiday will be removed before you leave the country.
Make sure you are treating your hair to great conditioner for the weeks leading up to your holiday, to make sure that when you land in the sun it is already in the best condition it can be, ready for the onslaught of UV rays and chlorine-filled swimming pools. Continue to use your conditioner while you’re away, every three days, to maintain great levels of moisture and keep your hair full of volume. Whenever you leave your hair uncovered, you should be mindful to apply a protective product to it, just as you would to your skin. With a huge range of products available with SPF protection, there is no excuse not to give your hair the same level of protection as the rest of your body.
Finally, think about your colouring before you leave. If you’re planning to get highlights before you leave, make sure you complete them two or three shades darker than you normally would, because the sun will lighten your hair naturally while you are out of the country, resulting in the same colour appearing eventually. If you’re someone who regularly colours their entire hair, using black hair dye for example, make sure that dye your hair and begin the conditioning treatment with enough time to spare before you holiday in order to allow your strands to recover from any bleaching or chemical processes you expose them to during the colouring process.
Laura Watson is a passionate hair dye lover and writes about all subjects relating to caring for bright and very dark coloured hair.
