It’s very easy for naturals to neglect their hair during the summer months. We don’t want to spend hours on end washing, deep conditioning and setting our hair in styles, now do we? Not to mention that most people notice a change in their hair when the summer comes around. Products don’t seem to work, your hair may be drier–our hair starts feeling like it isn’t our hair anymore! It is important to figure out what it needs and why its changed. That’s why I’m here: to help y’all figure out the best ways to care for your hair during the summer!
- Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize!
Whenever someone is having hair trouble and asks me for advice to fix it, this is always the answer I give them: MOISTURE! This is already a given, at least it should be (I’m wagging my finger at you furiously if you’re one of those people who only deep condition once a month). It is especially important for you to deep condition your hair during the summer months because while you’re out and about enjoying the wonderful sun, that wonderful sun’s rays are actually beating down on your hair, which causes it to be dry! If your natural hair is colored, it’s even worse for you because your chemically altered hair is already dry to begin with, so the sun can be even more damaging to you. Always moisturize and seal if your hair feels dry. Remember that the sun is NOT always your friend.
- Different Hair Products
As I’ve mentioned before, your natural hair may change up on you as the warmer months come around. While I was transitioning and was on my usual natural hair video binge on YouTube, I never understood why there were videos titled “Winter Hair Care Routine” and “Summer Hair Care Routine”. Like, what? Don’t you just do the same thing all the time, no matter what time of the year? Truth be told, I thought these YouTubers were just reaching. Maybe they had run out of ideas and now they were just spewing nonsense about a whole change of products to use during the different seasons. Boy, was I in for a surprise.
If you’re hair doesn’t change at all, good for you! But if yours does, listen up!
During the winter months, when your hair is liable to be very dry due to heavy winds and frigid air, you’ll notice that most of the products in your arsenal are those that provide you with heavy moisture. Creams are heavier, oils are thicker and this all used to coat your hair strands to create the best protective coat that’ll fight against the winter air.
Now when spring rolls around, you’ll find that you’ll use these products less and less and when June and July is here, you may have stopped altogether. Why? Because now that it’s no longer cold outside, those heavy creams and thick oils are now weighing your hair down. Before, the cold was fighting against this coat of moisture, so the weighing down of products wasn’t very noticeable because a little of that coat would be gone each day (unless you moisture and seal every day to keep it there; good for you!) Now that it’s warm out, the sun is baking the laden of moisture you’ve put on your hair and weighing it down. Make sense?
How do you combat this? Change your products! I, for example, have switched my creamy leave-in conditioner for a spray leave-in. If spray leave-ins aren’t your thing, purchase one with a lighter consistency versus a thick one. The castor oil I used to coat my strands during the winter is now replaced with a lightweight oil, extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil. Of course there are some exceptions (one of them found in the third tip), but for the most part, try to find products that will not weigh-down your hair as it does during the winter!
- Protective Styling!
This tip may not apply to those who wish to wear there hair during the summer, but if you’re like me and can’t be bothered with your hair for the whole summer, than this is for you!
I got my first protective style ever last summer. They were Marley twists and I loved them a lot. The maintenance was not hard and the look was very different than what I was used to. For five whole weeks I had this style and it kept me from doing my hair throughout that whole time besides styling it every once in a while and doing a few things to make sure it looked decent.
Protective styling doesn’t always have to be extensions either! Buns, mini twists, mini braids and any kind of up-dos contribute to protective styling. Remember: if you can keep your hair in a style for a whole week or more without touching it up much, you are protective styling! By doing this kind of styling, you are free to do whatever your hair desires for the summer without having to mess with your hair. Naturally, if you aren’t using extensions, before you leave your hair alone for a week or two make sure that your hair is protected with enough moisture that will last a whole week. The whole point of this is to be able to keep your hands out of your hair for as long as possible, but to also not neglect your hair fully, a big no-no.
If protective styling isn’t your thing, don’t worry! I’ll have another post coming up soon with FIVE quick and easy summer styles that literally takes no time at all to do! In the meantime, comment down below and tell me the different things you do with your hair in the summertime! Also, what are your favorite products to use?
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