We all know sunscreen is essential for your skin, but what about your hair?
When it comes to using sunscreen on your hair, it is to protect it from sun-bleaching and moisture loss. This is especially helpful for people with dyed hair. Dyed hair has less protein, leaving it with less protection. Protecting your colour-treated hair from the sun can help reduce fading, dryness and breakage.
Your hair doesn't need sunscreen the way your skin does. The purpose of using sunscreen on your skin is to shield yourself from burns and protect your skin cells and the DNA within them from UV damage. Since your hair isn’t alive like your skin is, there is no risk of burns or DNA damage. However, short-term sun damage can dehydrate and lighten the hair, giving it a duller appearance. Long-term sun damage can lead to premature hair thinning.
When looking for sunscreen to protect your hair, keep in mind, using regular sunscreen made for the skin isn’t recommended. Using sunscreen made specifically for your hair is the best choice. Due to their different purposes, hair sunscreen and skin sunscreen aren’t made up of the same kinds of ingredients. The formulas for hair sunscreens tend to be lightweight, sprayable and do not make your hair greasy like many skin sunscreens would.Â
While sunscreen on the hair isn't essential, sunscreen for your scalp definitely is. Protecting your scalp is especially important if you have an exposed part in your hair. Your scalp is skin, and therefore it is vulnerable to all sorts of sun damage, both short and long-term. To protect your scalp, you can use skin sunscreen, which can leave your head feeling greasy. Another option, however, is Spruce, which is designed specifically to protect your scalp and absorb excess oil.