Hot hair. How to tame your hair when the weather’s hot and sticky.

 

Summer is just about everyone’s favorite season--just don’t ask your hair how it feels about it. Heat, humidity, sun, chlorine and salt water do a number on hair, so it’s no wonder that it retaliates by frizzing up or refusing to comply with the brush or blow dryer. Our editor-at-large Jane Larkworthy asked a few hairstylists to share their favorite summer tricks, go-tos and hacks to keep hair healthy and, for the most part, presentable (if you plan to camp out by your pool for the entirety of August, we sure hope there’s an outdoor shower nearby…)

Is summer a good time or bad time to get a short cut?

“Don’t go short in the summer,” says D.J. Quintero, stylist at Serge Normant for John Frieda. “Summer is the time of year when you want to be able to pull it back in a sassy/bitchy pony. Wait for fall to go short.”

Favorite summer hairstyle

“Wet hair is hot,” says Arsen Gurgov, of the eponymous new salon in New York. “Pulled back in a pony, twisted along the hairline, or, if your hair is short, neatly slicked back with a light gel.”

What are your go-to types of products for summer?

“I love oil based creams,” says Cranford. “I think they enhance naturally dried hair and make it look more piecey and lived in.”  For Gurgov, it’s all about hydration: “You want to always keep as much moisture in your hair as possible,” he says. “Of course, hair should have moisture all year round, but in the summer, you need products that keep your hair protected from the sun, salt water and chlorine.”

Is humidity hair’s worst enemy?

“No one likes the frizz that humidity creates, but it doesn’t damage hair,” explains Gurgov. “Chlorine damages hair. Any time you go in a pool, you need to rinse it out of your hair right after you get out.”

The most common request you get at the salon in the summer?

“More blonde!” says Cranford. “Also, more beach looks. People want an overall cut and color that requires less maintenance.” Quintero gets requests for easy hair. “Layers,” he says. “But layers long enough to be able to still get most of it in a ponytail. But a few loose pieces hanging out is sexy.”

Favorite beauty hack for hair?

“Body lotion is an impressive stand-in for smoothing serum,” says Teddi Cranford.

Any kitchen hacks you like in hair?

Quintero offers three DIY masks. For deep conditioning: Coconut Oil +Avocado + Olive Oil+ Honey. For dry hair: egg + raw honey + mayonnaise. For repairing, avocado + egg + olive oil.

Favorite hair tool for summer?

“No tools in the summer!” proclaims Cranford.  “I love the way the ocean makes hair look, and I love natural hair that celebrates its own natural texture.”