Sun damage a major problem for british women’s hair

New research commissioned by Philip Kingsley reveals that the three things people love most about summer holidays: sun, sea and swimming, are by far the most damaging for the health and appearance of the hair. The research questioned over 2,000 women in the UK and found that the top three things reported to cause the most damage to hair when on holiday are:

1. Sunshine (26%)
2. Chlorine from swimming pools (25%)
3. Sea salt water (18%)

Worryingly, the research suggests that women are not taking precautions to protect their hair and scalp from the sun. Almost two-thirds (66%) of women admit that the sun causes a ‘huge to quite a lot’ of damage to the health of hair and scalp, with the most damaging visible effects reported being:

1. Excessive dryness (19%)
2. Frizz and split ends (17%)
3. Colour fading (13%)
4. Change in hair colour caused by chlorine (7%)
5. Dry scalp (7%)

Some of the effects of holiday sunshine can be seen almost immediately, with over a quarter (26%) of women admitting that they have experienced sunburn on their scalps. However, most women report that the long-term adverse effects only reveal themselves at their worst either towards the end of their holiday (44%) or immediately upon arrival at home (40%). Worryingly, when faced with the fact that “hair can burn just like the skin”, a staggering two-thirds (68%) of women said they were previously not aware of this. Such lack of awareness further adds to the figures of those experiencing hair and scalp damage from prolonged sun exposure. For women who revealed they were previously aware of the effects of summer sunshine, great lengths are taken to protect their hair from sun damage. For instance, many opt to wear a hat on holiday despite it being uncomfortable (41%), others choose to remain indoors (11%), while some change their desired hairstyle to something more practical e.g. a bun instead of free-flowing hair (10%) to prevent exposure to the sun.