If you have surf hair, you know the REAL surf hair: UV bleached, sun-fried, split ends, hasn’t been cut for months, wavy like ocean swells, and dry like the Gobi Desert then listen up to The Bare Facts. I can solve your hair problems in 3 easy steps.
- Use a professionally prescribed shampoo, conditioner and leave in treatment for YOUR specific haircare needs. Remember, no two surfer girls are alike, and your haircare needs won’t be either. Speak to your local hairdresser about what will work best for YOU! Hair is made up of half water and half keratin (protein) which is what keeps your hair strong. You need to find the right balance of moisture and protein for your hair to be healthy and manageable. I generally recommend using Repair.Me or Young.Again and a lot of the time a mix of both which should allow for the right amount of protein and moisture to help your locks BUT for optimal results, speak to your local hairdresser to get the best personalised advice.
- Doing regular treatments. This means once a week if you’r really trying to grow your hair but are struggling to see any difference. And one every 2-3 weeks if you’ve got all the length you need, you just need to be able to manage it better. Again you are better off having a prescribed treatment that is paired with your shampoo and conditioner. This will ensure you are getting the necessary amount of moisture and/or strength depending what your hair is lacking more in. Young.Again by Kevin Murphy has the perfect combination of both so I like to mix this masque with my oil, applying it to towel dried pre washed hair and let that bad boy sit for 20-30min, just enough time for an indulgent bath! PLUS the added heat will help open the cuticle helping the treatment to work its magic. Always, always, always condition your hair after you rinse the treatment out. This will help close the cuticle and ensure the goodness stays locked in to your hair.
- Get a GOOD hair oil. My two favourite hair oils are Kevin Murphy’s Young.Again and Oway’s Nurturing drops. Both of them are beautiful products, one of them may work better for your hair than the other but you won’t be disappointed with either of them. I suggest trying them both, see how your hair feels after each of them and stick with the one you prefer. It may even be a smell that you prefer. Generally your body is attracted to what it needs so go with what feels right. Use this oil before you surf and again every morning & night. You will only need half to a whole 5c piece. Rub the oil in your palm slightly and then run your hands through your pony tail. Work the oil in to your hair a little bit, If you can sleep with you hair plaited then do so, this will help stop matting.
Applying hair oil of a night time is like putting a night cream on your face. Your hair will repair itself overnight, soaking up the oil allowing you to wake up with softer, more nourished hair.
To maintain beautiful hair, especially as a surfer girl you need to put a bit of effort in. Using these 3 key steps paired with regular trims or as I like to call them ‘dustings’ will make such a big difference to the condition of your hair and an even bigger impact on your day to day life. I don’t know about you but when my hair looks good I feel good, allowing me to take on each day with a little more confidence.
Ensure you rinse your hair under the shower before you leave the beach or in-between surfs. This will help stop the salt water drying out your hair. And NEVER brush your hair when it’s wet this will break your hair. Only comb your hair when its wet and preferably with conditioner or hair oil in it.
If you find you are ticking all the above boxes and not seeing any difference, your problem will be the products you are using and not your routine. Making sure you get professional products from the hair salon makes all the difference, especially when you put your hair through what it goes through in the summer time. I guarantee with the right combination of hair care products you will see results!
Top Tip:
Before you get in apply your hair oil. This ensures your hair soaks up the oil, not salt water, first. It will help protect your hair from being dried out in the elements and give you an added treatment to your haircare routine.
