SPF For Your Hair?!?

We all know that being in the sun can cause damage to our skin. But did you know that sun can also cause damage to our hair too?! I guess the thought has always been in the back of my head that it was possible seeing how my hair can get really dry in the summertime. So I started to do a bit of research to see what type of damage sun can cause and what I can do to protect my hair.

Did you know you can actually get a sunburn on your scalp if it is exposed to sunlight long enough? And in Texas it literally takes 15 minutes of sun exposure to cause you to get burned. I've found out the hard way about sunburns on the scalp. About a year ago my family and I decided to go to Turner Falls in Oklahoma and Lake Texoma (just North of McKinney) for a little swimming in the lake. I wore corn rows (for the first time) as a protective style and my scalp got sunburned so badly. If I had put more thought into it I would have put an SPF on my scalp but I had never heard of anyone doing this before that day.  After feeling enough irritation and itching my husband suggested that I put sunblock between the braids. Ah Ha! he is a genius. LOL my scalp felt immediately better. So that got me to thinking if it was safe to just put a bit of sunblock in my hands and rub into my hair. Later I found out that people do this all the time and by doing a little bit of goggling I found (thru womenshair.about.com) that there is an even simpler way to go about this.  But before I get into that recipe let me tell you how else the sun can damage the hair.

Causes of Sun Damage:

 -Dry hair

-Frizzy hair

-Split ends

-Fading hair color

Things you can do to protect your hair from sun damage:

-of course wear a hat or scarf when possible

- use an SPF shampoo and conditioner (which is not enough on it's own to protect your hair) and other products made for sun protection that is for the hair

Now for the recipe! I ran across this recipe on a women's hair care site. Dilute 2 teaspoons of SPF (it says SPF 25 but I never buy anything that low) with one cup of water in a spray bottle and simply spray the concoction on your hair and comb through hair with a wide tooth comb throughout the day while you are in the sun. Another rule of thumb when dealing with anything that dries out your hair is to remember to do deep conditioning treatments once a week to once every other week to maintain moisture in your hair.

This is me with my burning scalp

Hats and Shades are the best ways to protect yourself in the sun

My Hair ROCKS: Natural hair confidence

When it comes to finding confidence with your natural hair it's much like finding confidence in yourself. Think of it this way. You just bought a shirt that you truly adore and there are about 5 negative Nancy's out there that think your shirt is atrocious. But you truly love the shirt and in your eyes you look totally awesome in it so you continue to wear it and walk around with your head held high. Well that's self confidence and that's exactly what you are going to need to have while rocking your natural hair.

Unfortunately you will need a ton of confidence to wear natural hair. It seems everybody in the world has an opinion about natural hair. From why you decided to go natural to why you shouldn't embrace your natural hair. The thing to remember is even when you used relaxers people had an opinion on your hair and how you chose to wear it.

Find a hairstyle that best fits you. That you feel beautiful wearing (just as you would when you were relaxed). An Angela Davis Afro isn't for everybody and just because you are natural it doesn't mean you have to wear an afro. Granted when you first start out you will have to wear a TWA (teenie weenie afro) but it's not the same as daunting a huge afro. Hair accessories help and watching youtube videos on different ways to style your hair help as well. Join a couple natural hair blogs sites to get advice and inspiration and also ask some natural friends or relatives. I was very surprised, when I decided to go natural, to find out just how many people around me that I knew personally who are natural.

And if none of that works for you try watching this video a couple of times to help you feel great about your decision. Sesame Street Song: I Love My Hair