AS many prepare for a summer holiday of sunbathing and regular dips in the sea, it’s important to take good care of our hair in the blazing heat.
Hair care guru and specialist Gina Conway has said that there is a certain routine we should keep to when caring for our hair in the coming months.
Going into detail about advice Gina says that drying your hair with a towel is “fine”, but if you friction it – “it can cause a lot of damage”.
But in terms of what is “an absolute no” for our hair, she says using heated hair tools without a heat protector is the “worst thing you can do” to your locks.
In an interview with Alt Index, she also declares that she is a fan of dry shampoo – and as we approach summer, she backs using sun cream on your scalp and hair, as well as “giving your hair a break.”
Gina continues: “A lot of people go on holiday in the warmer months, so you tend to talk about sun cream on your hair. I recommend doing this.
“And as it’s now cool to have a ‘wet look’ with your hair, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t. You can use hair sunscreen or just normal sunscreen. Either is fine.
“Another thing in the summer is to give your hair a break. Everybody likes a little bit of a beachy wave so take this as a sign to leave your hair alone a bit.
“I would recommend people start using hair oils in the summer more as they try and be a bit more natural with their hair.”
Gina also recommends to be careful when it comes to drying your hair with a towel.
She says: “Towel drying is fine, but never friction your hair because it will raise the cuticle and break it and potentially make it more staticky.
“I always say to squeeze your hair with the towels, put your product in, comb it through, and let it dry naturally till about 90 per cent. Then in the last 10 minutes, use that dryer.”
But on the plus side, Gina is a big fan of using dry shampoo to add volume after just shampooing.
She says: “It’s such a great extender. It’s great at giving you that messy, sexy Bridgette Bardot look. But it also saves time during the week.”
The 4 stages of the hair growth cycle
Hair experts at Philip Kingsley shared the four stages of the hair growtn cycle are: Anagen, Catagen, Telogen and Exogen
Anagen Phase: Also known as the ‘Growth Phase’ or ‘Active Phase’, is when the cells in the root of your hair are most rapidly dividing so more new hair is formed.
During the Anagen Phase, hair grows around half an inch a month [about six inches a year], and faster in the summer than in winter.
This phase of the hair growth cycle lasts an average of three to five years.
Catagen Phase: Following the Anagen Phase, your hair cycle enters a short transitional phase known as the Catagen Phase, which signals the end of active hair growth and cuts individual hairs off from the blood supply and from the cells that produce new hair.
Approximately three percent of all hairs are in this stage at any time and it lasts for around 10 days.
Telogen Phase: The third stage of your natural hair growth cycle is the Telogen Phase, a resting period when strands remain in their follicles but are not actively growing.
An estimate of 10-15 percent of your hairs are in the Telogen Phase at any given moment.
The Telogen Phase lasts around three months or 100 days.
Exogen Phase: The final stage of the Hair Growth Cycle, when individual hair strands are released from their follicles and fall out.
Now the whole process begins again.
Gina also urges beauty fans to avoid using heated tools on dry hair.
She says: “I would say don’t ever use heated tools on dry hair without using a spray protector. It literally ruins everything good you put in your hair.
“Find cute ways to style your hair without heat. The heatless rollers are a game changer. You get amazing results without damaging your hair.”