Popular summer activities such as swimming may be good for our bodies but damaging to our hair.
Chlorine, sun exposure and excessive heat styling all can fracture the hair shaft and lead to dullness.
"Try to minimize those as much as possible," said Dr. Fiona Prabhu with the Texas Tech Health Sciences Center's family medicine department.
Men and women can avoid loosing hair because of breakage by being more careful about how they treat their hair this summer.
A major cause of hair breakage is improper use of chemical hair treatments, according to the Nemours Foundation. Other causes include brushing and combing hair too frequently.
Prabhu suggested anyone who would like to improve the health of her hair concentrate less on getting monthly trims and more on protection. People who spend lots of time outdoors or in the pool can help decrease the risk of damaging their hair by wearing a hat or swimming cap, Prabhu said.
Tips for healthier hair
Avoid excessive blow-drying or heat styling.
Avoid vigorous towel drying.
Wear a swimming cap if swimming in a chlorinated pool.
Wear a hat during the day to minimize sun exposure.
Maintain a healthy diet that's rich in fruit and vegetables and low in fat.Source: Dr. Fiona Prabhu
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Taking Care of your Hair
Maintaining a diet that is high in fruits and vegetables and low in fat also may help the look and feel of one's hair.
People have about 100,000 hairs on their heads, according to the Nemours Foundation's Teens Health Web site.
Typically, people loose 100 hairs a day, Prabhu said. Losing more than that can be a sign of disease, or it could just be an indication of unhealthy hair.
Unhealthy hair often appears brittle and has lots of split ends, Prabhu said. Healthier hair is smooth, shiny and is not easily matted.
"Healthy hair's usually not easy to knot up or tangle," she said.
Each hair shaft has three layers, with the cuticle, or outside layer, protecting the two inner layers. Shiny hair is a sign of health because the layers of the cuticle lie flat and reflect light, according to the Nemours Foundation. When the scales of the cuticle lie flat, they overlap tightly, so the inner layers are well protected from heat, sun, chlorine and all other hazards.
When the scales of the cuticle are separated, the hair can become dry and the inner two layers are not protected as well, causing the hair to break.
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