While the United Kingdom is hit by high and humid temperatures once again, it's common knowledge that the sun can damage our skin and leave us feeling severely dehydrated if we're not careful.
It's lesser known however, that the sun can pose a variety of dangers to our hair too. As a matter of fact, experts claim that the sun is one of the highest contributing factors to hair loss, with the heat drying out locks and making them prone to breakage.
Pharmacist Navin Khosla told Express.co.uk that many don't notice the impact of the sun on their hair until it's far too late - and shared some easy steps that people can take to protect their barnet. One of which is incredibly simple, and involves using water.
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The Mirror reports that, Navin, Superintendent Pharmacist at FROM MARS, said: "During the summer months we want to be able to enjoy the sun and the activities on offer, but we also need to ensure we are looking after our bodies and our hair simultaneously. Hair care can easily be forgotten as we often don't notice the damage until it's too late, so by keeping this advice in mind, your hair can stay healthy throughout the year.
"The sun is one of the main culprits for summer hair loss, drying the hair out and increasing the chances of breakage. You need to also be sure you're protecting your scalp from possible sunburn as this can damage the hair follicles and increase the possibility of hair loss."
One of the more simple ways of preventing heatwave-related hair loss is by simply upping your water intake. By drinking more or eating food high in H2O such as watermelon, your hair will be kept healthy and less prone to drying out. Navin, added: "Make sure you're drinking plenty of water or juice and eating foods, such as watermelon, to maintain hydration levels. When your hair follicles are deprived of enough water and nutrients, they can become damaged and hair growth can be halted.
"Dehydration can also cause the hair strands to become dry and brittle, leading to accelerated breakage."
According to Pharmica UK, each hair strand goes through several hair-growth cycles - known as anagen, catagen, and telogen. The health body adds that each strand of hair has an expected life cycle of between two and six years, where hairs normally form. But during the summer months, hair strands remain in the telegenic phase for a longer timescale.
Pharmica UK stated: "Around 10 per cent of our hairs may be in the resting phase where they are in preparation for regrowth so it is prone to extra shedding and falling out."
This could be due to the increased exposure to sunlight, which in-turn leads to a shortfall in melatonin production. However, it should also be noted that if you notice more shedding over the course of the summer and autumn, it's not always something to worry about. The hair should be replaced by regrowth during the winter.
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