Maintaining Healthy Hair & Skin in the Summer
Causes of Dry Hair and Skin
Three main things cause summer dryness. The warmth and nature of summer activities can negatively affect your body, your self-care products can be more damaging than you think, and you don't always get the proper nutrients your skin and hair need.
Dry Summer Climates
Spending time outside means exposing ourselves to the heat of the summer, which in turn will warm up the skin and cause dryness. Without appropriate use of sunscreen, your skin can experience some serious damage.
Additionally, blowing wind can dry out your skin because it doesn’t carry any moisture. This wears on your skin and leaves your body thirsty for lotion. Most people like to beat the summer heat by jumping in a pool, lake, or ocean.
While this can refresh you, momentarily, it is easy to overlook the effect the water has on your body. Pools are chlorinated and oceans are salty. These chemicals work against your body’s natural moisturizers to dry out your skin.
The Products You Use
Let’s talk about hair. If your hair feels dull, brittle, or frizzy, it’s too dry. Beyond exposure to summer climates, something in your self-care routine could be causing this. Styling tools like blow dryers and flat irons can harm hair when used too much because of their heat. You’ll see damage if you use these tools for too long or too often.
Harsh shampoos can also cause problems (as well as washing your hair too often). Not all shampoos are created equal; some shampoos are healthier than others. Don’t fall into the trap of choosing the shampoo that smells the best if it contains harmful chemicals.
Be careful with dyes, perms, and relaxers because they also contain chemicals that are harmful if used in excess. Overuse of hair dyes can expose your locks to chemicals that dry out hair beyond repair. If you use any of these products to style your hair, simply be careful and use them lightly or infrequently.There are several different men’s skin types. Your skincare routine may require a certain product that another person’s routine wouldn’t benefit from. Most men, regardless of skin type or tone, benefit from the use of sunscreen, though. Whether you often get sunburnt or not, wearing sunscreen outside can prevent dryness.
Nutrient Deficiency
Solutions
Now that you know what causes dry hair and skin, you’re probably wondering what you can do to prevent them. You can avoid harmful products, improve your self-care habits, and take your vitamins.
Avoid Harmful Products
Form Healthy Hair and Skincare Habits
As mentioned above, the way you use products is as important as which products you use. You can prevent hair and skin dryness by simply altering a few habits. First, wash your hair less often. There’s a misconception that men should wash their hair every time they sweat. This is not true. You can probably get away with using shampoo once or twice a week instead of every day. If you use heat tools for styling, reducing the number of times you wash your hair reduces how often you need to use a blow dryer, too.
Second, trim split ends. Even on short hairstyles, split ends contribute to a frizzy look. Make regular visits to your barber to clean these up. Removing split ends will make you look and feel better.Take Your Vitamins
Last but not least, take your vitamins. Because our diets are imperfect, we don’t always get the nutrients our bodies need. Consider taking a multivitamin – taking vitamins and minerals with iron, selenium, vitamin D, and folate can promote healthy hair. As discussed, biotin and other B vitamins are the most vital. These will provide your skin and hair with the nutrients they need to survive the hot summer months.
