Your Unfiltered Guide to Saving Your Hair This Summer

After countless summers behind the salon chair, I can tell you one thing for sure: summer is the ultimate test for your hair. So many people walk back in after a vacation with hair that feels like straw, looks weirdly faded, and has a texture they barely recognize. My goal isn’t just to fix that damage in September, but to give you the playbook to prevent it from ever happening.

And let’s be real, it’s not about a few generic tips. It’s about understanding what’s actually happening to your hair and building a simple, solid routine to fight back. The sun, salt, and chlorine team up to strip your hair of everything good. But with the right strategy, your hair can honestly look just as good at the end of summer as it did at the beginning. This is the exact advice I share with my clients, so let’s get into it.

First, Know Your Enemy

To protect your hair, you have to know what you’re up against. It’s not just “the heat”—it’s a few specific things, and each one causes a different kind of trouble.

The Sun’s UV Rays: Think of your hair like your skin. It can get sunburned. UVA rays are the ones that cause fading and aging; they dig deep into the hair and break down the proteins that keep it strong. This leads to breakage and split ends. UVB rays, on the other hand, burn the surface. They attack the outer layer of your hair (the cuticle), which should be smooth and flat. UVB rays rough it up, making it feel coarse, tangle easily, and unable to hold moisture. A hat is genuinely your hair’s best friend. Seriously.

Chlorine’s Chemical Attack: Chlorine is designed to strip things, and it doesn’t know the difference between bacteria and the natural, protective oils on your hair. It strips them right off, leaving your hair naked and dry. It gets worse, though. Chlorine grabs onto minerals in the water, like copper, and bonds them to your hair. For blondes, that copper is what turns your hair that dreaded shade of green. For brunettes, it just looks dull and muddy.

Salt Water Dehydration: A day at the beach is amazing, but saltwater literally sucks the moisture out of your hair through osmosis. Your hair has water in it, and the ocean has a high salt content. Nature tries to balance this out by pulling the water from your hair into the ocean. The result? Brittle, parched strands.

Your Summer Game Plan Starts with a Smart Haircut

So many people wait until fall to cut off the summer damage. From a pro’s perspective, this is a huge mistake. You want to start the season with your hair in its best possible shape. Any split ends you have now are just weak spots waiting to travel further up the hair shaft. Cut them off first.

When you go to your stylist, tell them about your summer plans. Are you a daily swimmer? Hitting the beach for a week straight? This context helps us help you. Ask for a healthy trim to get rid of any porous, dry ends that are just asking for trouble. Think of it like fixing a tiny crack in a windshield before it spiders across the whole thing.

The Pre-Swim Playbook You Absolutely Need

Okay, this is probably the most important part. If you do nothing else, do this before you get in the pool or ocean. It takes 30 seconds.

• Step 1: Drench Your Hair. Find a shower or a bottle of fresh water and completely soak your hair. Your hair is like a sponge. If you fill it with clean water first, it can’t absorb as much of the chlorinated or salt water.
• Step 2: Add a Barrier. Slather a cheap conditioner or a leave-in conditioner from the middle of your hair to the ends. You don’t need the expensive stuff for this! Something like a basic Suave or Garnier conditioner works perfectly. This creates a physical shield.
• Step 3: Put It Up. A simple braid or a high bun will keep it contained and minimize those awful tangles you get after a swim.

Quick Win: The second you get out of the water for the day, rinse your hair with fresh water. Even if you can’t do a full wash, a quick rinse makes a world of difference.

Build Your Summer Hair Survival Kit

Having the right products on hand is key. You don’t need a hundred things, just a few smart choices. Here’s what should be in your beach bag.

• A UV Protectant Spray: This is like sunscreen for your hair. Look for products with ingredients like benzophenone-4. For a budget-friendly option, Sun Bum’s Heat Protector spray is fantastic and usually costs around $15 at places like Target. If you want a salon-quality splurge, the Aveda Sun Care Protective Hair Veil is a cult favorite, running about $35.
• A Wide-Tooth Comb: Never, ever use a brush on wet, tangled beach hair. A wide-tooth comb is your only option for gently working through knots without causing massive breakage.
• A Leave-In Conditioner: A light spray to keep things moisturized throughout the day.
• A Good Hat: I know I said it before, but it’s the most effective tool you have!

Emergency First-Aid for Your Hair

Sometimes, despite our best efforts, things go wrong. Don’t panic.

SOS: My Hair is Green!
Oh yeah, the dreaded post-pool green tint. It’s the copper, not the chlorine. For a weird but effective immediate fix, you can try saturating your hair in ketchup or tomato juice for 15-20 minutes. The acid helps neutralize the green. (It’s a bit messy, but it works in a pinch!). For a real, long-term fix, you need a chelating or clarifying shampoo. Look for something like Malibu C Hard Water Wellness Shampoo, which is specifically designed to strip those mineral deposits without wrecking your hair.

DIY Rescue Mask
After a long day in the sun, your hair is thirsty. You can whip up an amazing restorative mask right in your kitchen. Mash up half an avocado, a tablespoon of olive oil, and a tablespoon of honey. The healthy fats in the avocado and olive oil are incredible for restoring moisture, and honey is a natural humectant, which means it helps draw moisture into the hair. Slather it on damp hair, leave it for 20 minutes, and then shampoo and condition as usual.

Top 3 Summer Hair Mistakes to Avoid

To wrap it all up, let’s just be crystal clear on what NOT to do.

1. Skipping the Pre-Summer Trim. Starting the season with split ends is setting yourself up for failure. Get them cut off first.
2. Ignoring Your Scalp. Your scalp can get sunburned, especially along your part line! This is painful and damaging. Use a scalp-safe sunscreen spray or wear a hat.
3. Using a Brush on Wet Hair. This is the fast track to breakage and split ends. Only use a wide-tooth comb, starting from the ends and working your way up.

And there you have it. Summer doesn’t have to be a death sentence for your hair. With a little bit of prep and the right daily habits, you can keep it healthy, strong, and looking great all season long.

Galerie d’inspiration

How do you actually prep your hair before a swim?

The secret isn’t just getting it wet—it’s about filling the strand with something good *before* the bad stuff (chlorine, salt) can get in. Drench your hair with clean, fresh water from a shower or bottle. Then, work a generous amount of a silicone-free conditioner or a specialized pre-swim mask, like Philip Kingsley’s Swimcap, through your lengths and ends. Your hair acts like a sponge; by soaking it with nourishing ingredients first, you leave no room for damaging chemicals and minerals to penetrate.