Hair rescue: Your 4-step post-beach treatment

Going for a dip in the ocean or the pool this summer? Make sure you've got a game plan for preserving your beautiful hair.

Not many people realize it but the ocean/pool water can be quite damaging to your hair. Simply put, it has a high salt content. What's the problem with that? Salt dries you up. When your hair is exposed to such a high level of salt content, your body tries to get rid of the extra salt by releasing moisture from your hair. As a result of dehydration, you can get coarse and brittle hair, scalp irritation, discoloration and more hair tragedies you won't be happy dealing with.

So, what can you do to save your hair? 4-step post-beach treatment:

1. Rinse it all out

There’s no time to waste. It’s important that you remove all the salt and dirt out of your hair as soon as possible. Make sure you take at least a minute to carefully rinse out everything with water. Just using a towel to wipe your hair or air-drying is a big no-no.

2. Cleanse your scalp

After you've rinsed, focus on cleansing your scalp instead of your hair strands. When you let dirt build up in your scalp, it not only welcomes bacteria, but it causes inflammation and dehydration to your entire hair. Use the balls of your fingers to gently massage your scalp for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. You don't want to overdo it since your scalp is extremely sensitive after being exposed to sunlight and sea salt.

For step-by-step details on the correct way to wash your hair, read our past blog post: The #1 most important step in hair care most women ignore.

3. Double the treatment

As the name implies, you're going to apply treatment twice. After cleansing your scalp apply hair treatment to your strands and then wash it out. Once you've dried your hair with a towel, apply a leave-in treatment. Double treatment helps preserve the nutrients in your hair and is more effective in repairing the damage in your hair.

4. Dry Thoroughly

Once you're out of the shower, take a hair towel separate from the towel you use to dry your body, and gently pat your hair. Then, use your blow-dryer to thoroughly dry your hair. Air-drying your hair or leaving your hair wet for a considerable amount of time leaves your hair cuticles open, which causes dehydration. Heat will actually help close those cuticles, closing in all the nutrients and moisture you applied from your treatment.

Follow these 4 simple steps and you're all set to enjoy your beach days without having to sacrifice beautiful hair. Want to know more about shampoos and treatment products for the summer? Ask our expert hairstylists for recommendations!