If you wear a daily moisturizer the chances are it now contains an SPF as high as factor 50. In recent years we have all become more aware of the damage caused to our skin by UV exposure; it not only ages us, reducing skin’s elasticity and condition, but it puts us at risk of diseases like skin cancer.
We’re probably all equally aware of the impact the sun has on our hair. On the surface, hair which has been exposed to UV can become dry and brittle, have reduced shine and increased split ends and generally become unwieldy and frizzy. The scientific term for hair which suffers this damage is “photodamaged” or “photoaged”. Although we know this, sun protective treatments for hair, in all its forms, are few and far between and haven’t yet become part of our daily routine.
Let’s get into the detail of what the sun is doing to our hair, and why it matters that we protect our hair and lashes from the sun.
Different types of UV impact your hair in different ways. UVB rays (higher energy per photon) degrade the structure of the hair itself. UVA rays (which you can pick up all year round regardless of the weather) are responsible for hair bleaching and the generation of free radicals.
Your hair is primarily made up of Keratin proteins. These are long protein strains rich in amino acids that give your hair strength. UV light oxidizes these amino acids, causing the bonds holding the hair fibre together to break down.
Oxidization can also affect your hair’s lipids, such as 18-MEA, the oil that coats your cuticle and makes new growth shiny and soft. One analysis found that over 90% of 18-MEA can be lost in just 3 months of sun exposure. This robs hair of its natural moisture barrier and results in rough, porous hair that is prone to breakage. Because it lacks its moisture barrier, your hair then also swells under humidity, making it appear frizzy. Think Monica in Barbados.
Your hair gets its colour, however, from melanin; eumelanin for brown-black hair and pheomelanin for red-yellow hair. Melanin acts as a natural UV filter, absorbing and dissipating UV radiation and neutralizing free radicals to protect your keratin proteins. Eumelanin is most effective at this, which is why darker hair tends to react better to sun exposure than light hair.
Melanin can also be damaged in the sun, however. UVA-led oxidization is what causes photobleaching or lightening of the hair. While some of us might enjoy a different shade of summer hair, there are structural consequences too. If the melanin degrades, it can no longer provide a UV filter, exposing your hair to further damage.
Your hair is your scalp’s natural sun barrier. The thicker your hair, the better the protection against sun damage for the skin beneath it. If hair is fine or sparse, however, the scalp beneath can be prone to sunburn. This can prompt a vicious cycle of loss; the exposed hair follicles in the scalp can be damaged, becoming thinner and more fragile or even greying prematurely under UVA exposure, and entering prolonged “resting” growth phases under UVB exposure. This means your hair pauses for longer between each period of growth.
We’ve all been there. Our hair is feeling dry and brittle and we run for the conditioner and oils. But are they actually helping?
It depends on the conditioner. If your hair has suffered damage, particularly loss of the lipid layer, traditional rinse out conditioners might find it hard to bind. You’ll know this is happening if your hair still feels brittle or tangled after conditioning. Some leave-in products containing natural oils like coconut oil or argan oil can also turn rancid in the sun and heat, releasing free radicals and odour, and those containing unsaturated oils can react with UV and make hair appeal dull throughout a day’s wear.
Some conditioning agents, however, contain silicone and other compounds which form a protective film on the hair. Look out for leave-in products containing polysilicone-15, polyquaternium-59, or cinnamidopropyltrimonium chloride; these bind to hair and absorb UVB while also providing much needed smoothness and moisture.
Antioxidant ingredients like vitamin E can also help to reduce the breakdown of melanin and the associated colour change. As we know, this can help maintain your hair’s natural protection against UV.
Opti Laboratories are lash and brow health specialists. Although the effects of UV exposure might be most apparent on your scalp hair, we see them just as clearly taking their toll on lashes and brows. Lashes and brows which are exposed to UV are lighter in colour, drier and more prone to breakage.
We’ve developed a serum which protects your lashes and brows from these effects. It contains Benzophenone-4, aka Sulisobenzone, a compound that by absorbs, reflects, and scatters UV rays. It also contains Myristoyl Pentapeptide-17, a compound which works to increase the amount of keratin in the hair shaft, and Tocopheryl acetate (aka vitamin E acetate), an antioxidant that helps to mop up free radicals caused by UV light, stopping those free radicals from damaging the proteins in hair.
Our independent tests have conclusively shown the benefits of application of the Sun Protect Serum under UV, both against a control and against another lash serum. The photos below show sections of the same hair, both of which have been exposed to UV at 23 degrees Celsius over an 8 hour period.
Without Opti Laboratories Sun Protect Serum
With Sun Protect Serum
If you have questions about anything in this blog post, the Opti team are always here to help. Contact us and we’ll get right back to you.