Why is salt so bad for your hair?

OK, it goes hand in hand with holidays and creates a perfect wavy look in your hair. However, salt also has many disadvantages for your locks. Here is why you should be (seriously) wary of it during your holidays at the seaside.

Because it dries out your hair…

Known for being a powerful drying agent, salt absorbs water and retains it in its crystals. When it comes into contact with your locks, it dehydrates them, which is extremely detrimental to your hair’s health. It prevents the hair fibre from containing enough water to be healthy. As a result, the hair fibre dries out considerably. This effect combines with the abrasive action of the salt crystals, which harms the protective barrier of the hair and lifts the cuticles, speeding up the drying-out of the fibre and weakening your locks even more. Your hair in turn becomes brittle and split ends form, making your hair feel as coarse as straw. It is a real vicious circle! That’s why regular swimming in the sea can be a real problem if your hair is dry or damaged.

…and it can alter your hair colour

The corrosive effect of salt crystals also impacts on your hair colour. Rubbing against the hair fibre, the crystals can wash out your colour, which lightens and in turn becomes dull. On natural hair colour this inconvenience often goes unnoticed, but with the pigments used in hair dye the colour can be completely altered. This is why blond hair can go brassy and brunette locks take on an unsightly orange tinge. As a result, it is best to protect your locks from salt!

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