It's important to pay special attention to your curly hair during the summer months. While sunny summers mean fun-filled days and leisurely afternoons, they also present unique challenges for curly hair. Your curls can become dry, frizzy, and prone to damage without proper care.

Here, we'll explore some common mistakes, one generally makes while caring for their curls in the summer and provide valuable tips to keep your hair healthy, happy, and full of life all season. From protecting your curls from the sun's harmful rays to avoiding excessive heat styling, we'll provide all the information you need to know to maintain your gorgeous curls throughout the summer months.

Neglecting Moisture

The combination of sun exposure, saltwater, and chlorine can wreak havoc on your curls, leaving them dry, brittle, and prone to breakage. The sun's UV rays can devoid your hair of the natural oils, while saltwater and chlorine can strip away moisture, leaving your curls looking parched. It's important to prioritise moisture balance in your summer hair care routine. Include hydrating products such as a leave-in conditioner or a curl quenching butter, that can help replenish lost moisture and keep your curls looking their best.

Tips For Maintaining Moisture Balance

Hydrating Hair Masks: Treat your curls to our weekly hydrating Moisture Melt Deep Conditioning Hair Mask to replenish lost moisture and nourish your hair from root to tip. After shampooing your hair and leaving it moist or slightly wet, rake in as much of this wonderful mask as you like. Apply two quarter-sized portions from the tips to the roots of your hair. To distribute the product evenly, detangle hair with your fingers or use a wide-tooth comb. Next, put on a shower cap and let it in for ten to twenty minutes. Then, thoroughly rinse off. Now, enjoy moisturised, healthy, and bouncy curls!

Leave-in Conditioners: Invest in a good leave-in conditioner to keep your curls moisturised throughout the day. For a fast condition, use as many pumps as you like from your roots to your lengths and rinse off in five minutes. For deep hydration, put on a shower cap and leave the conditioner for 20 to 30 minutes before rinsing it out! Thanks to oils, butter, and proteins, your curls will be moisturised and bounce as you step out of the shower.

Overexposure to the Sun

The summer sun can be both a blessing and a curse for your curls. While it provides warmth and light, it also emits harmful UV rays that can damage your hair cuticles, leading to dryness, frizz, and dullness. UV rays penetrate the outer layer of your hair, known as the cuticle, and break down the proteins that give the hair its strength and elasticity. This can result in dry, brittle hair, prone to breakage and split ends. UV exposure can also damage your hair's natural shade, giving your curls a lifeless look.

Protecting Your Curls From The Sun

To shield your curls from the damaging effects of the sun, it's essential to take proactive measures to protect them whenever you're outdoors. Here are some simple yet effective ways to keep your curls safe from the sun's harmful rays:

1. Wear a hat: A wide-brimmed hat adds style to your summer outfit and protects your curls from intense sunshine.
2. Wrap it up: Consider wrapping your hair in a scarf or headwrap for added protection against UV rays. Not only will this keep your curls safe, but it also adds a touch of glamour to your summer ensemble.
3. Use UV-protectant hair products: Invest in hair care products specifically formulated to protect your hair from UV damage. You can opt for our leave-in conditioners, styling creams, and gelly that contain UV filters to help shield your curls from the sun's harmful rays.

Skipping Protective Styles

Leaving your curls loose and free-flowing in hot weather can be the perfect way to embrace the carefree spirit of summer. But this can lead to tangling, breakage, and unnecessary damage. When your curls are left to roam free in the summer heat, they are more susceptible to tangling and friction, especially when exposed to wind and humidity. This can lead to knots, tangles, and ultimately breakage, leaving your curls looking frizzy and unkempt.

Suggestions For Protective Styles

Include protective styles in your hair care routine. Here are some stylish and practical options to try from:

1. Braids: Whether you opt for a classic three-strand braid, a fishtail braid, or a trendy French braid, braiding your curls is a great way to keep them protected from the elements while adding a touch of elegance to your look.
2. Twists: Twisting your curls into rope-like strands is another excellent protective style that can help prevent tangling and breakage. You can wear twists as they are or style them into updos or half-up, half-down hairstyles for added versatility.
3. Updos: Updos are attractive and also useful for protecting your curls from damage. Whether you opt for a sleek bun, a messy top knot, or a sophisticated chignon, updos are a great way to keep your curls off your face and protected from the summer heat.

Using Heat Styling Tools Excessively

Reaching for your go-to hot-styling appliances, like curling wands and flat irons, can seem tempting. However, using these tools, especially in intense summer heat, can cause extreme damage to your curls. Excessive heat strips your hair of its natural moisture, leaving your curls dry, brittle, and more prone to breakage. This can result in frizz, split ends, and overall lacklustre hair. 

Tips For Embracing Natural Curl Patterns

Instead of relying on heat styling tools to get your desired look, why not embrace your hair's natural curl pattern? Here are some tips for achieving beautiful, heat-free curls:

1. Air-dry your curls: Allow your hair to air-dry naturally instead of using a blow dryer. This will help retain moisture and minimize damage to your curls.
2. Use the scrunching method: To enhance your natural curl pattern, apply a curl-enhancing product to damp hair and gently scrunch your curls upwards towards your scalp. This will help define your curls and give them a more uniform appearance.
3. Invest in quality styling products: Look for styling products that are specifically formulated to enhance and define your natural curl pattern. There are quality heat-free products available to help you create your desired look without causing damage to your curls.

Ignoring Regular Trims

Ignoring regular trims can leave your curls vulnerable to environmental factors, leading to split ends, breakage, and overall damage. During the summers, your curls are exposed to various environmental factors, including sun, wind, and humidity. Over time, these elements can take a toll on your hair, causing split ends, breakage, and overall dryness. Without regular trims to remove damaged ends, this damage can travel up the hair shaft, leaving your curls looking frizzy, dull, and unhealthy.

Schedule Regular Trims

To maintain healthy curls throughout the summer, it's essential to schedule regular trims with your hairstylist. Here are a few reasons why regular trims are so important:

1. Prevention of split ends: Regular trims help prevent split ends from forming, keeping your curls looking smooth, shiny, and free from damage.
2. Promotion of healthy growth: Regular trims improve healthy hair growth by removing damaged ends, allowing your curls to grow to their full potential.
3. Maintenance of shape and style: Your curls will continue to look their best during the summer with regular cuts that help maintain their shape and appeal. Make sure to schedule a trim every 8-12 weeks, or as needed, to keep your curls looking healthy, happy, and full of life throughout the summer.

Failing to Clarify Buildup

Our curls often bear the brunt of sweat, sunscreen, and styling products during the summer. While these products are essential for protecting and styling our hair, they can also leave behind unwanted buildup, weighing down our curls and making them look dull and lifeless. The combination of sweat, sunscreen, and styling products can create a layer of buildup on our scalp, preventing moisture from penetrating the hair shaft and leaving our curls looking limp and lacklustre. Over time, this buildup can also lead to scalp irritation and dandruff, further exacerbating the problem.

Using Clarifying Shampoos

To restore your curls to their former glory, it's important to include a good clarifying shampoo in your summer hair care routine. Here's why:

1. Remove buildup: Clarifying shampoos are specially formulated to remove stubborn buildup from the hair and scalp, leaving your curls feeling clean, refreshed, and revitalized.
2. Restore curl health: By removing buildup, clarifying shampoos help restore moisture balance to your curls, allowing them to regain their bounce, shine, and vitality.
3. Prevent scalp issues: Using clarifying shampoos regularly will help keep your scalp happy and healthy throughout the summer by reducing problems like dandruff and irritation.

To summarise, it's essential to provide your curls with the attention they require to be healthy and vibrant throughout the summer heat. So, steer clear of typical blunders such as excessive moisture, too much sun exposure, protective style disregard, overuse of heat styling products, regular trim carelessness, and unclear buildup clearing. To maintain your curls happy and resilient all season long, adopt easy tricks like deep conditioning, wearing protective styles, embracing your natural curl pattern, scheduling frequent trims, and utilizing clarifying shampoos. Your curls will be the talk of the summer with a little additional care.