Summer has a way of making everything feel a little lighter. The kids are home, the pool bag practically lives in the car, and suddenly washing your hair falls somewhere between making snacks and getting everyone out the door. Between sweat, sunscreen, chlorine, messy buns, and hot tools, your hair can take a beating long before Labor Day.
The good news? You don’t need a complicated routine or a cabinet full of expensive products to keep your hair healthy this summer. Implementing a few simple hair care tips before and after your favorite summer activities can go a long way in preventing dryness, breakage, and frizz. Below are 10 common summer hair care mistakes to avoid so you can enjoy every pool day, workout, vacation, and patio dinner while keeping your hair soft, shiny, and healthy all season long.
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Most of us remember to use sunscreen on our faces and shoulders, but our hair often gets forgotten. UV rays, heat, and dry air can weaken the hair cuticle, fade color-treated hair, and leave strands feeling dry and brittle over time.
Before heading outside, treat your hair like part of your summer skin care routine. Apply a leave-in conditioner, lightweight hair oil, or UV protectant, and wear a sun hat if you’ll be in the sun for extended periods. This is especially important for color-treated, highlighted, curly, fine, or naturally dry hair, which tends to show signs of sun damage more quickly.
Dry hair acts like a sponge. If you jump into a chlorinated pool or salt water with dry strands, your hair absorbs more of those chemicals, which can lead to dryness, tangles, and breakage.
Before you swim, wet your hair with clean water and apply a small amount of leave-in conditioner to the mid-lengths and ends. Since your hair is already saturated with fresh water, it absorbs less chlorine or salt, helping keep it softer and healthier throughout the summer. If you’re spending lots of time at the pool this season, don’t forget to protect your skin, too. Check out my guide to the best non-toxic sunscreen.
After a day at the pool or lake, it’s tempting to throw your hair into a messy bun and deal with it later. The problem is that chlorine, salt, sweat, and minerals continue sitting on your hair until you rinse them away, which can leave it dry, tangled, and brittle.
The good news is you don’t need to shampoo after every swim. A quick rinse with fresh water followed by a little conditioner on the ends can help wash away residue and restore moisture, keeping your hair healthier throughout the summer.
Summer sweat can make your hair feel greasy faster, but washing it too often can strip away its natural oils and leave the ends dry. Before you know it, you’re caught in a cycle of over-washing and adding more products to replace the lost moisture.
Instead, focus shampoo on your scalp and let the suds rinse through the rest of your hair. On days when you don’t need a full wash, try a quick rinse, scalp massage, or dry shampoo at the roots to freshen up without drying out your hair.
Summer already exposes your hair to plenty of heat from the sun, humidity, chlorine, and salt water. Adding a blow dryer, curling iron, or flat iron every day only increases the risk of dryness and breakage.
To avoid damage and breakage in summer hair care, let your natural texture shine whenever you can. Save heat styling for special occasions, use the lowest effective temperature, and always apply a heat protectant before styling.
A messy bun may be the unofficial hairstyle of summer, but wearing the same tight style day after day can put repeated stress on your hairline and lead to breakage over time.
Instead of pulling your hair back as tightly as possible, opt for looser styles and switch up where you place your ponytail or bun. Soft scrunchies, claw clips, and loose braids help reduce tension while still keeping your hair out of your face. If you’re active, you’ll also find more ways to protect your hair in my blog, 8 Hair Care Tips for Protecting Your Hair During Workouts, where I share simple habits to minimize sweat, friction, and damage while exercising.
Healthy hair starts from the inside out. While leave-in conditioners and hair masks can help, your hair also depends on proper hydration and nutrition to stay strong. Between summer workouts, pool days, errands, and chasing kids around, it’s easy to fall behind on your water intake.
Keep a water bottle nearby throughout the day, and consider adding electrolytes if you’re sweating heavily. If you’re not sure where to start, check out my guides on the best electrolyte supplements and post-Pilates workout recovery for simple hydration tips. You can also read The Best Aloe Vera Products for Glowing Skin, Smooth Digestion, and Full-Body Hydration if you’re looking for another easy way to support hydration during the hotter months. Supporting your body with key nutrients can make a difference, too. My guide to the best liquid vitamins for women shares some of my favorite options to help support overall wellness.
When life gets busy, conditioner is often the first step to get skipped. But regularly skipping it can leave your hair more prone to tangles, frizz, and breakage, especially after spending time in the sun or pool.
After shampooing, apply conditioner from the mid-lengths to the ends and let it sit for a minute or two while you finish your shower. If your hair feels extra dry from chlorine, sun exposure, or heat styling, adding a weekly deep-conditioning mask can help restore moisture and keep your hair soft, smooth, and healthy all summer long.
Wet hair is more fragile than dry hair, making it easier to stretch, snag, and break, especially after spending time in the sun, pool, or lake. Pulling a brush through tangled hair can quickly turn a few knots into unnecessary damage.
Instead, use a wide-tooth comb or a detangling brush, starting at the ends and working your way up. If your hair tangles easily, apply a leave-in conditioner or detangling spray first. This simple habit can go a long way in preventing breakage and making post-pool hair much easier to manage.
It’s easy to tell yourself you’ll deal with dry, damaged hair after summer ends. The problem is that split ends and dryness only get worse over time, making your hair more prone to breakage if you wait too long.
Instead, stay ahead of the damage. Schedule a trim when your ends start looking dry or uneven, and use a nourishing hair mask once a week to restore moisture. If you’re interested in supporting healthy hair from the inside out, check out my blog, What Does Collagen Do for a Woman’s Body and Is It Worth Taking? It covers how collagen may support healthy hair, skin, nails, joints, and more. A simple routine you can stick with all summer will do far more for your hair than trying to reverse months of damage in the fall.
The best way to protect your hair from chlorine is to wet it with clean water before swimming and apply a leave-in conditioner. Since your hair is already saturated, it absorbs less chlorinated water. After swimming, rinse your hair as soon as possible to remove chlorine and restore moisture.
Not necessarily, but washing your hair every day can strip away its natural oils and leave it feeling dry. If your hair gets sweaty, try rinsing with water or using dry shampoo between washes. When you do shampoo, focus on your scalp and follow with a moisturizing conditioner.
Keeping your hair moisturized is one of the best ways to reduce frizz. Use a leave-in conditioner or lightweight hair oil, avoid excessive heat styling, and gently detangle your hair with a wide-tooth comb. Wearing protective styles like loose braids or claw clips can also help minimize frizz.
Yes. Just like your skin, your hair can be damaged by prolonged UV exposure. Too much sun can dry out the hair cuticle, fade color-treated hair, and make strands more prone to breakage. Wearing a hat or using a UV-protectant hair product can help reduce sun damage.
The best summer hair care routine is a simple one. Protect your hair from the sun, wet it before swimming, rinse after pool or lake days, stay hydrated, use conditioner regularly, limit heat styling, and trim your ends as needed. These small habits can help keep your hair healthy, shiny, and strong all season long.
The right products can make following these hair care tips even easier. From deep-conditioning treatments and leave-in conditioners to nourishing collagen and gentle hair protection, these are some of my favorite products to help keep your hair healthy, hydrated, and strong all summer long.
Give dry, sun-stressed hair the moisture it needs with this rich conditioning treatment. It’s one of my favorite products for summer hair care and helps support softer, smoother strands after long days in the sun or pool.
If your hair feels damaged from heat styling, chlorine, or color treatments, this leave-in mask helps strengthen and repair from the inside out. It’s a great addition to your routine if you’re looking for hair care tips that focus on preventing breakage.
This lightweight hair oil helps tame frizz, add shine, and protect against dryness without weighing hair down. Apply a few drops before heading outside for added hair protection against summer heat and humidity.
Hydrate, detangle, and protect your hair in one easy step with this leave-in conditioner. It’s perfect for summer hair care, helping reduce tangles after pool days while leaving hair soft and manageable.
Formulated with soothing aloe vera, this shampoo and conditioner gently cleanse while restoring moisture to dry, stressed hair. It’s a simple way to support healthy hair as part of your everyday hair care tips routine.
This intensive conditioning treatment helps replenish moisture and improve the look of dry, damaged hair. Use it weekly to give your summer hair care routine an extra boost after time spent in the sun, pool, or ocean.
Traditional bath towels can create friction that leads to frizz and breakage. This soft microfiber towel gently absorbs excess water, making it one of my favorite hair care tips for protecting wet, fragile hair.
Healthy hair starts from within, and these collagen gummies are an easy way to support your wellness routine. Pair them with smart hair care tips and good nutrition to help support healthy hair, skin, and nails.
Summer is meant to be enjoyed, not spent worrying about dry, damaged hair. Whether you’re swimming with the kids, squeezing in a workout, heading out on vacation, or throwing your hair into another messy bun, a few small habits can make a big difference.
Protect your hair from the sun, rinse away chlorine, stay hydrated, be gentle with styling, and don’t wait until fall to repair damage. These simple steps help keep your hair stronger and healthier without adding another complicated routine to your day.
Remember, consistency always beats perfection. Taking a few extra minutes to care for your hair now can help you enjoy softer, shinier, healthier strands all summer long.
Your Friend & Pilates Expert,
Kayla Brugger
Founder of PILATESBODY by Kayla
Founder of PILATESBODY On-Demand
