The scorching summer heat can often take a drastic toll on the quality of your hair. You may notice that your hair starts to get greasier as days go by and your scalp feels hot and itchy. You probably think taking frequent cold showers and washing your hair out might be the solution, however, that can just cause further problems by drying out your hair. Well, fret not, just because it’s hot girl summer doesn’t mean it has to be taken literally. Here are a few tips to have your hot girl summer without losing your hair and having bald girl monsoon.
1. Tie Your Hair Up When You Sleep
If your scalp is oily and there are high chances that your face too is oily which means you would have to take care of that if you have to maintain your hair quality. Your face produces oil while you’re asleep and this can often cause the hair near your forehead to get greasy. It’s a good idea to make use of a satin or silk band to tie your hair loosely at the top of your head.
2. Go Easy On The Shampooing
Shampooing your hair is probably the first thing that comes to mind when you decide to wake up. However, shampooing too much can damage your hair and make your scalp produce excessive oil. This would just end up aggravating the problem further. Instead, oil your hair on every alternate day and leave it overnight. If you have oily hair in general use a lightweight oil like coconut oil or almond oil. Wash your hair out the next morning and rinse and repeat thrice a week.
3. Dilute Your Shampoo
No, you’re not being a cheapskate when you dilute your shampoo. Many of the generic shampoos we use are soaked in chemicals and diluting the shampoo will reduce its strength and make it easier on your hair. Lower the quantities of products you use as well and don’t shampoo your hair more than twice in one sitting unless necessary (eg: if you had the misfortune of being shat on by a pigeon or during Holi).
4. Switch To A Milder, Organic Shampoo
Try looking for shampoos that are free of parabens and SLS. There are many brands available in the Indian market that offer these features for a good price standpoint and it’s a smart idea to invest in them. Even if you feel like your hair is super duper oily, you can pick up a shampoo with neem. Neem also acts as an anti-dandruff agent. You could also look for tea tree among the ingredients present in your shampoo. A gentler shampoo will also be less harsh on your hair strands and won’t overdry them like chemical-based shampoos.
5. Start Using Dry Shampoos More Often
If you’re in a hurry and don’t have time to shampoo your hair out, it’s a good idea to invest in a good quality dry shampoo that you can carry with you on-the-go. If you don’t have dry shampoo on you, you can also make use of baby powder to soak up all the excess grease in your hair and make it look more presentable. However, don’t overuse it and make sure you clean the product out of your hair completely.
6. Use Conditioners And Serums Only On Your Tips
A common error a lot of us make is applying conditioner to our scalps. Conditioner is heavy and sits on top of the root, blocking it’s airflow and making the oil glands go into overdrive. While it is advisable to use conditioners and serums if you’re someone who has greasy hair but if you have a combination of greasy hair and an oily scalp, you should make sure you don’t get the product on your scalp and wash it out well.
7. Avoid Using Silicone Products
A lot of products (including serums) that contain silicone go under the tagline of “smooth and silky”. However, these are just temporary solutions to the problem of frizzy hair and will only “lock-in” the straightness for a short duration of time. Many of these products come for a very cheap price and thus seem extremely tempting to purchase but they might damage your hair in the long run. Although silicone isn’t necessarily dangerous for your hair, it can clog pores and block in oil causing an overproduction. This could cause your scalp to get itchy and greasy.
As the summer slowly fades away we can start packing in our cotton clothes and cooling soaps, but while it rages on at this moment, we need to take extra care of our hair. If you’re really worried about the effects of your shampoo on your hair, try switching to more natural methods or adopting a “no-poo” method. Let us know if these tips helped you in the comment section below.
