Of course, some people strive each year for the “summer blonde” look and go to many lengths to get
it. Some use lemon juice, sun-lightening products and in some cases people have used 6% peroxide in order to create highlights. What
this type of thing does is blast open the cuticle of the hair, allowing the moisture inside to be dissipated, along with the
color-dispersal necessary to create the lightening effect. The end result is hair that looks and feels like straw.
Physical Damage:
Most women and men are unaware that pure water makes their hair weaker and susceptible to breakage
from physical stress. In fact when the hair is wet you can also more easily rip the hair out by its roots. Add to this that the hair
may be chemically treated and already subjected to sun and water-chemical damage and you could be seriously adding more injury to
already mistreated hair.
Wet hair that is otherwise healthy will stretch up to 200% of its normal length without breaking.
When the hair has been damaged it loses its ability to rebound from the stretching, and to keep from breaking due to the stresses
involved. Furthermore, prolonged exposure to the water (as noted by fingers turning pruny) can weaken the integrity of the skin,
and since that’s where the follicles are, pulling on the hair after it has been wet for an extended period of time can result in
pulling out clusters of hair.
Here are some simple tips to minimize the damage potential in dealing with wet hair:
• NEVER rub the hair to dry it. Gently pat or squeeze the hair between folds of a
towel and blot away the extra moisture.
• Use a detangling spray or leave-in conditioner on the hair before you try to
comb through towel-dried hair.
• ALWAYS use a wide-tooth comb to remove any snarls or tangles in damp hair.
NEVER use a brush on wet hair. Many
women think nothing of grabbing the “tined” brushes popular today and raking them through their
towel-dried hair after
emerging from the pool. Then they wonder why their brushes get so full of hair.
• If you must blow-dry your hair, use a diffuser attachment and re-apply any
leave-in conditioner. Also, use your fingers to
lift the hair and allow the air to circulate at the scalp level.
• If you have curly hair, avoid the dryer altogether and simply fluff up the
hair using your fingers. This is also good for wavy
hair types, too. As an alternative, you can simply braid the hair into a loose
braid and allow it to dry naturally, then finger-
comb out the waves.
• Avoid putting the hair into ponytails, pigtails, or tightly-wound buns or
knots when wet. It may make matters simple while
you wait for the hair to dry, but can add stress to the hair in unexpected points.
Specifically ponytails worn with wet hair
can lead to the recession of the hairline over a period of time.
