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Salt Water Damaged Hair – 5 Great Tips to Treat/Prevent It
By Lydia Iseh
What’s a better mood booster than having fun at the beach, especially in summer? Visiting the beach is a relaxing activity that can lower stress levels and lift your mood. Salt water from the beach can also be a natural shampoo and climate-friendly exfoliator for your scalp. Unfortunately, despite these benefits, salt water damaged hair is also a possibility. You’ll find out how in this article.
More importantly, you’ll also discover how you can reduce or, better, prevent having salt water damaged hair after some time out at the beach. Ready? Let’s begin.
Heading off to the beach? While this article covers salt water damaged hair, you can find out how to protect against sun damage in these other posts:
- 5 Great Reasons You Need Sun Protection for Hair and Scalp Care
- 7 Amazing Products with Sunscreen for Hair and Scalp
Is Salt Water Bad for Your Hair?
As we’ve said, salt water can be beneficial to your hair and scalp. If you have oily hair, salt water can act as an efficient natural shampoo to remove excess oil and dirt. It can also exfoliate your scalp and stimulate hair growth.
But the problem isn’t with using salty water now and again, but with overexposure to salt. Too much water from the sea can dry out your hair and strip it of its natural oils. Your hair will become fragile and difficult to brush.
Overexposure to salt water can also cause dandruff, split hairs, and breakage. The impact is worse if you’ve dyed your hair.
Why is salt water damaged hair such a concern for color-treated hair? Find out here: Caring for Your Natural Hair Before and After a Dye Job – 11 Tips.
How to Deal with Salt Water Damaged Hair
These are the best ways to prevent and reduce damage to your hair due to salt water:
1. Rinse Your Hair with Fresh Water.
One of the best things you can do to prevent salt water damaged hair is rinsing with fresh water before swimming. When your hair soaks up fresh water, it won’t have the capacity to absorb too much salt water. Also, be sure to wash your hair with clarifying shampoo and fresh water post-swim.
Related articles:
- Curly Haircare 101: What Is Clarifying Shampoo and Other Great FAQs Answered
- African Black Soap: What is it, 8 Amazing Benefits, and Product Suggestions!
2. Apply Leave-In Conditioner.
You can also reduce the effects of salt water on your hair by applying a leave-in conditioner before or after swimming. Leave-in conditioner helps to lock in moisture, keeps your hair soft, and prevents dehydrated hair.
3. Coconut Oil is Your Best Bet.
Coconut oil can be applied throughout your hair before a swim to protect it from absorbing too much salt water. Coconut oil also has excellent hair repairing abilities. So, it’s never a bad idea to apply some to your hair after a swim.
Start by massaging a generous amount of coconut oil into your ends, length, and scalp. Next, wrap it with a shower cap and leave for 15 minutes. Rinse off with shampoo and freshwater. If you don’t have coconut oil, argan oil or almond oil are excellent alternatives.
Find out more about oils that can help prevent salt water damaged hair:
- Why Black Hair Needs Hair Oil and 7 of the Best Ones to Use (with Product Examples!)
- Curly Haircare: How Does Almond Oil Help In Hair Growth? 5 Wonderful Benefits
4. Nourish Your Hair with Protein
Your hair needs a significant amount of protein to keep the hair shaft strong. Protein also helps to keep your hair shiny, full, healthy, and silky. Infuse your hair with protein to help counter the effects of salt water. Mix one tablespoon of honey and plain yogurt with an egg. Massage the mixture into clean and moist hair, cover with a shower cap, and rinse after 30 minutes.
Related articles:
- Curly Haircare: These 20 Foods Are Actually Good to Put in Your Natural Hair!
- The Best Protein Treatment for Hair – Our Top 7 Favorites!
5. Use Moisturizing Hair Masks
Nourish your hair with a natural moisturizing hair mask after taking a swim at the beach. You can make yours by blending honey, avocado, and olive oil. Apply the mixture to your hair and leave for 60 minutes before rinsing.
While visiting the beach is a fun activity, the effects of salt water on your strands can make you have a re-think. But lucky you, the practical tips in this article can help prevent and repair salt water damaged hair. Now, you can have more adventurous days at the beach without worries.
What do you think about the recommendations above? If you’ve tried them out already, how was the result? We’d love to hear all about it!
Lydia is a writer with years of experience in writing SEO content that provides value to the reader. As someone who believes in the power of SEO to transform businesses, she enjoys being part of the process that helps websites rank high on search engines.
