“During summer season, most people start taking out their skin protection, forgetting that their hair is feeling the heat just as much,” says Farah. “Many customers who come to the salon after their summer vacation suffer from dry and brittle hair with ragged ends.”

Sunrays, heat and humidity may damage the hair’s cuticle, and thus lead to bad hair, according to Farah. “All types of hair — from fine and medium to thick hair, and from straight to wavy or curly — suffer from too much heat, with dry and frizzy hair as a result,” she says.

The hairstylist offers solutions on how to protect your hair from the summer sun. “Try to use not so much shampoo to allow your hair to absorb its natural oils.” In other words, you should wash your hair less in summer. She adds, “Limit the use of hair chemicals like hair color, bleach, gel and chemical straightening as much as possible.”

Other advices from Farah are to “avoid hair treatments that contain alcohol, as they dry your hair even more” and to “switch to products that contain natural resources as much as possible.”

Avoiding hot styling tools is a ‘summer must,’ says the hairstylist. “Hot tools such as blow dryers, rollers and flat irons might stress your hair. Try to give your hair a rest in summertime by air drying it and letting it breathe,” she says. “If you are one of those people who cannot give up their hair dryer, apply hair protection against the heat and use high heat instead of low,” she adds.

This might sound contradictory, but, according to Farah, “It’s much better to use high heat when drying, because you expose your hair to the heat for a shorter time than you would using low or medium heat.”

Your hair needs special care, especially in summer. Farah recommends regular deep conditioning treatments, to be done either at home or at the salon. “Go to your hair salon and ask for an intensive conditioning treatment or an after sun repair mask. Do this at least once a week to keep your hair healthy and breathable.” If you prefer to treat your hair at home, “you can apply a deep conditioner hair mask and cover it with a plastic wrap or shower cap overnight to allow the conditioner to soak into your hair,” she adds.

A good way to protect your hair is by wearing a hat. “Use fashion for your advantage,” suggests Farah. When it comes to summer, women only think about sunglasses and sun dresses. “You can add summer hats to this list. Wearing hats and headbands are a stylish way to protect your hair from the sun.”

Farah recommends hats with holes in them or soft cotton head bans that allow your hair to breathe, while protecting it from direct sunrays.

Chlorine is another cause for hair problems. “Chlorine does it all: from drying out hair to fading your dyed hair color. There are a few ways to protect your hair against this chemical; one simple way is to soak your hair in fresh water before swimming. This way, your hair will absorb less of the chlorine water. Make sure to wash it again with fresh water after you’ve finished swimming,” says Farah.

Another tip Farah gives is to wear a swimming cap. “I cannot guarantee that no water will go into the cap, but it will definitely help.”

Apart from these precautionary measures, the best way to protect your hair is to use shampoos and conditioners with sunscreen. The general consensus is to use an SPF of 10-15 in hair products, with SPF 12 being a very popular choice among hair product manufacturers.

You can make your own hair protection at home by simply mixing two teaspoons of an SPF 25 sunblock down with one cup of water. Using a spray bottle, diffuse the product on moist hair before styling. For additional protection, mist the solution on throughout the day.

Finally, says Farah, do not ignore the fact that the food you eat generally reflects on your hair. “Try to maintain a good summer diet that contains vitamin B5, which can be found in mushrooms, eggs and fresh vegetables,” she says. “Drink water as much as possible: we lose lots of fluids because of all the sweating, and we need to drink plenty of water to maintain the balance,” she adds.