Quick answer: yes, hair needs protecting from the sun. UV light, salt water and chlorine dry hair out, weaken the hair fibre, fade colour and turn blonde brassy. To protect it, spray a leave-in hair protector through your hair before going out and reapply after swimming, wet your hair with fresh water before you swim, cover up with a hat in strong sun, and use an antioxidant shampoo and mask to look after it afterwards. Don't forget your scalp and parting, which can burn.
What does the sun do to your hair?
- Dries it out: heat, sun and wind pull moisture from the lengths, leaving hair rough and frizzy.
- Weakens the hair fibre: UV exposure and the free radicals it generates break down the hair's protein over time, so hair becomes more brittle and prone to breakage and split ends.
- Fades colour: UV breaks down colour molecules, so coloured hair fades and changes tone faster in summer.
- Turns blonde brassy: sun lightens hair unevenly and brings out warm, yellow tones.
- Dulls shine: a roughened cuticle reflects less light.
Sea water and chlorine
Salt water draws moisture out of the hair as it dries, leaving it tangled and straw-like. Chlorine in swimming pools is drying too, and it's especially hard on coloured, bleached and blonde hair. Both make sun damage worse, because wet, roughened hair is more vulnerable.
How to protect your hair from the sun
- Spray on a hair protector before you go out. Protective Hair Spray is a lightweight leave-in conditioning milk that helps defend hair against sun, sea salt, chlorine and pollution. It's made with karanja oil, valued for its natural ability to help absorb UV light, plus the antioxidant microalgae astaxanthin and Dunaliella salina, which help neutralise the free radicals that fade colour and weaken the hair. Spray generously through wet or dry hair from 15–20cm away.
- Reapply through the day, especially after swimming.
- Wet your hair with fresh water before you swim. Hair that's already full of fresh water soaks up less salt water or chlorine.
- Rinse after every swim, then reapply your protector.
- Wear a hat in strong midday sun. It's the most reliable protection for your hair and scalp.
- Tie long hair up loosely to reduce wind tangles, avoiding tight elastics on wet hair.
- Go easy on heat styling on holiday; your hair is already under stress.
Protect your scalp and parting
Your scalp can burn, especially along your parting and on thinning areas. Hair products aren't sunscreens and don't carry an SPF rating, so for your scalp use a hat, or a sunscreen that's suitable for the scalp, and move your parting from time to time.
Sun protection for coloured and blonde hair
- Protect before every sun session, because UV fades colour.
- Use a colour-protecting shampoo, such as Protective Shampoo, through the summer.
- For blondes, Cold Reflections Brightening Shampoo neutralises sun-induced brassiness once or twice a week. Read our guide to purple shampoo and brassy hair.
- Ask your colourist about timing: many suggest colouring a little before a holiday rather than the day before.
More in how to make hair colour last longer.
After-sun hair care
Once you're back in the shade, the job is to cleanse away salt, chlorine and sunscreen gently and put moisture back.
- Cleanse: Antioxidant Shampoo helps protect hair from sun, sea air, wind, chlorine and pollution, with organic carrot extract (rich in beta-carotene), soybean, hazelnut and jojoba oils and shea butter.
- Condition: Antioxidant Hair Conditioner detangles and leaves hair soft and glossy.
- Mask once a week: the Antioxidant Hair Mask restores shine and body to dull, sun-stressed hair.
- Very dry or damaged after a holiday? Switch to the Dry Hair range or Damaged Hair range for a few weeks, and book a trim if the ends are split.
Packing for a holiday
Protective Hair Spray comes in a 100ml bottle, and our 100ml shampoos and 75ml masks are easy to pack. See our guide to travel shampoo and conditioner and the full travel collection.
Frequently asked questions
Does hair need SPF?
Hair products aren't sunscreens and aren't SPF-rated in the same way, but hair still benefits from protection. A leave-in protector with UV-absorbing and antioxidant ingredients, plus a hat, is the practical approach.
Can I put sunscreen on my hair?
Ordinary body sunscreen tends to leave hair greasy and is hard to wash out. Use a hair protector on the lengths and a scalp-suitable sunscreen or hat for your parting.
Why does chlorine turn blonde hair green?
The green tinge is usually blamed on metals such as copper in pool water binding to light, porous hair. Wetting hair with fresh water first, protecting it and rinsing straight after swimming all help.
Does the sun lighten hair permanently?
Yes. Sun-lightened hair stays lighter until it grows out or is coloured, because the change happens in the hair fibre.
Do I need sun protection for my hair in the UK?
On bright days, yes, especially if your hair is coloured or blonde, or you're at the beach or pool.
About the author
Charlotte Read has spent six years in the hair industry with Insight Professional and holds a First Class BSc in Business Management and Marketing. She writes with reference to real salons across social media and the wider Insight community, and draws on the Insight office team, who between them bring over 100 years of combined experience on salon floors.
Where technical expertise is needed, Charlotte consults Lorraine Matic, Head of Insight UK Education, who brings over 38 years of global experience in colour, technique and hair science.