Dry, porous, unmanageable, brittle and yellowed hair. Brittle nails, ruined by semi-permanent nail polish, chlorine and saltiness. When you return from your holidays, you have to deal with the damage that the sun, sea water and the swimming pool cause to your hair, scalp and fingernails and toenails.
Few remedies, prevention is essential
“Damage that is impossible to remedy without adequate prevention – he explains Bianca Maria Piraccinidirector of Dermatology at the University of Bologna, member of the Scientific Committee of the Italian Society of Dermatology and Sexually Transmitted Diseases (Sidemast) – However, food supplements, in particular those based on vitamin H, oils and nourishing hair masks, transparent and moisturizing creams and gels for nails can do a lot, together with a healthy and balanced diet that contains proteins, vitamins, mineral salts and amino acids”. But what are the most suitable foods for healthy hair and nails? “Eggs, meat and fish – underlines Piraccini – legumes are also good for vegetarians, therefore fruit and vegetables”.
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Sun lightened hair: what to do
With the warm season, the desire for the “sun-kissed hair” effect returns, naturally lightened by salt and sun, often styled with a straightener or curling iron. “Actually it’s white, dull and brittle hair like a surfer’s – remarks the expert – They look like straw, because the sun and salt air have degraded the proteins in the hair and consequently also the pigment. Women who delight in this blonde nuance are wrong , their hair is not healthy and healthy because the shaft has been degraded by sunlight, sea water and chlorine”. A summer damage that remains over time.
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The only remedy for degeneration “and the oxidative process is to cut at least 2-3 centimeters, it is necessary to eliminate the most fragile and damaged hair, as well as damaged split ends. Then, after shampooing, apply packs with nourishing masks or serums and dry oils , all nutrients because the watchword is hydration”.
Avoiding all this, however, is possible with adequate prevention. “When you go to the beach, you need to apply sunscreen products before and after your bath to regenerate and protect your hair – warns Piraccini – so as to avoid direct contact with salt and chlorine. There are all types and for all budgets, you can buy them at the pharmacy, at the hairdresser but also at the supermarket”.
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Also take care of the scalp
The scalp must also be given the utmost attention. “In case of baldness, both men and women must protect themselves from the sun with hats, as well as sunscreen spray for hair. The skin in this area is very delicate – warns the dermatologist – it is true that it tans but it it also burns, if exposed to ultraviolet rays. This burn causes hair loss in autumn, against which it is good to take food supplements with antioxidants for a period of not less than 3 months, from September to November”.
How to avoid nail damage
Separate chapter for nails. “If on vacation we leave them free from nail polish, semi-permanent or not – warns Piraccini – always being outdoors, applying after-sun or moisturizing creams all over the body, but above all using little or no detergents to wash dishes and dishes , our nails will be fine. On the contrary, if we use nail polish, acetone, substances to remove semi-permanent, then we make them more fragile and brittle”. We can take care of it “with transparent and nourishing gels that are commercially available in pharmacies”.
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Nutrition and supplements
Remedies and strategies which, he concludes, “cannot be separated from a healthy and balanced diet and from the intake of biotin, vitamin H: one 5 mg tablet a day is enough for 3 months, in the case of damaged hair, and for six months if we want healthier nails”.