After-Sun and Surf Hair Repair

Sun Damage

“Sun is bad for you. Everything our parents said was good is bad. Sun, milk, red meat, college…” That’s Woody Allen in Annie Hall. The actor-director is right about one thing: Sun is bad for you. Specifically, unprotected sun exposure. Add to that chlorine, salt water and humidity, and that's a recipe for some serious damage. If you’ve overdone it this historically hot summer, it’s not too late to get your repair on.

Weathered Hair

“Chlorine, salt water, sand and the sun’s ultraviolet light are a lethal combination that strips the hair cuticle,” says Washington, D.C. based dermatologist Dr. Tina Alster. “The shaft itself is protected by the cuticle, and chemicals break it down. Your hair’s being weathered.” Rinse out after swimming, and comb either of these comforting conditioners through it: Frédéric Fekkai Summer Hair After Sun Daily Mask ($25); Oribe Signature Moisture Masque ($59) and leave in until your next shampoo.

For Virgin Hair

If you have virgin (non-colored) hair, sun fades and dries out natural color. “Damaged, dried-out hair always looks frizzy and breaks more easily,” Alster says. Since nobody wears sunscreen in their hair, use a leave-in product, such as Keratin Complex Infusion Therapy ($36), and cover up with a cute scarf, cap or hat at the pool or the beach. And Alster suggests using a product to get the beach look.

To buy: Oribe Après Wave and Shine Spray, from $20

For Colored Hair

Since hair is dead, it can’t burn, blister or develop cancer. But UVA (aging) and UVB (burning) rays can destroy texture and color. Result? Weakened, coarse, brittle strands. “To keep hair strong and hold on to your color as long as possible, find hair care products that deliver superior moisturization and damage repair,” says West Palm Beach, Fla. dermatologist Dr. Kenneth Beer.

To buy: Alterna Bamboo UV+ Vibrant Color Shampoo, $20; ColorProof Evolved Color Care SuperRich Moisture Condition, $30 (available in salons)

Deep Condition It

Beer likes Neutrogena Triple Moisture Deep Recovery Hair Mask ($7), an intensive treatment to revitalize and resuscitate dehydrated hair. These will rock your parched locks, too: Paul Mitchell Awapuhi Wild Ginger Keratin Intensive Treatment ($26); Moroccan Oil Restorative Hair Mask ($40).

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Nourish Hair

All fried hair needs hyper-nourishing, weightless products for day. These deliver soft, silken shine in no time: Matrix Biolage Exquisite Oil Shampoo and Conditioner ($17, $18; available in salons); Calista Tools Enrich Argan Shampoo and Conditioner (from $20 each).

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