If you have returned from holiday with straw-like hair that has struggled in the hot sun, salty sea or chemically-rich swimming pool – fear not. There's no need to walk back into the office with hair more frazzled than you left with, as there are plenty of products to help.
Carefully targeted treatments and masks can revive your hair fast. To pre-empt further troubles you should resolve to use one of these products regularly – and, maybe, pack one to take with you the next time you go travelling in the sun.
For the September holiday-makers, sun care for your hair is also important – there are a lot of treatments with UV filters that will help to shield your hair and scalp from the elements.
A dehydrated or sun-damaged scalp can also impact hair growth, investing in a scalp treatment will help restore necessary nutrients and minerals.
Aesop Rose Hair & Scalp Moisturising Masque: £23 for 120ml, Selfridges
This is a super-hydrating antidote to prolonged hair exposure to the summer sun.
Our tester massaged it liberally onto clean hair, combed it through with a wide-toothed comb as instructed, and waited 15 minutes before rinsing it off. She ended up with hair that was soft and manageable, while being deeply conditioned.
It calmed down her itchy scalp, she also loved the pervasive smell of roses. So much so that it has become a weekly hair care staple.
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Rahua Hydration Shampoo: £32 for 275ml, Cult Beauty
Using a clarifying shampoo after a long day in the sun helps to remove the build-up of oil, sweat, sand and chlorine.
This one is a wonderfully moisturising thick and creamy shampoo (so thick, in fact, that the only problem is getting it out of the container) which, in conjunction with the matching conditioner, is all you need to give your post-holiday hair some fabulous first aid.
No-one could accuse our tester of having particularly manageable hair, but she found that it had met its match when left to the tender mercies of this gentle but firm combo.
If it can leave her with a soft and perfect bob, she reckons it can deal with anybody’s sun damage.
The Rahua range blends rare oils from the Amazon rainforest and tropical aromas of passion fruit and mango, leaving a hydrated scalp and shiny, frizz-free hair.
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Philip Kingsley After Sun Scalp Mask: £18 for 75ml, Marks & Spencer
Our tester has fine blonde hair and the sort of fair skin that pretty much guarantees a pink and painful parting line the moment she walks out in the hot sun without a hat on.
This product helped combat this with its calming ingredients which include chamomile extract and hydrating aloe vera.
She found it very good at relieving a sunburnt scalp and kind to her sensitive skin, providing immediate and continuing comfort. It is simple to use, too, just dampen your hair and gently massage the product into your scalp, leaving it on for 10 to 20 minutes before shampooing.
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Neal’s Yard Rosemary and Cedarwood Hair Treatment: £6.50 for 50g, Neal’s Yard
Suitable for all hair types, this treatment is a customer favourite at Neal’s Yard and it is easy to see why the nourishing blend of organic coconut oil, rosemary, cedarwood and lavender essential oils is so popular.
Our tester treated her chlorine damaged hair with this product and was impressed with the outcome.
She found it easy to use as a pre-wash conditioner, leaving it on dry hair for about half an hour before shampooing with her usual brand. It left her hair feeling good and looking healthy.
If you have really gone overboard on the sea, sand and sun – you could leave this on overnight for a deep conditioning treatment which should help to restore some shine and body to your hair.
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Korres Red Vine Hair Sun Protection: £10 for 150ml, Lookfantastic
Post-holiday is a good time to get into the habit of protecting your hair – and to keep doing it all year round. With organic extract of active aloe and red vine polyphenols to protect your hair, this deceptively light spray is designed to use in all seasons.
You can spray on dry or wet hair before styling and without rinsing and this will give you a great combination of hydration and UVA protection.
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Bumble And Bumble While You Sleep Overnight Damage Repair Masque: £40 for 190ml, Space NK
This is a nourishing formula for hair that has been damaged by the environment or by treatments such as highlighting and bleaching.
When you are trying to put things right, a twice-weekly application of this masque infused with evening primrose to help repair wear-and-tear, works wonders.
Our tester initially found it quite cold on her scalp – but during the heatwave, the cooling effect really worked in her favour.
A quick 20-minute application pre-shampoo was pretty effective too when it came to restoring some order and shine to her hair.
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Oribe Gold Lust Repair & Restore Shampoo: £46 for 250ml, Cult Beauty
Formulated to benefit sun-damaged, brittle or ageing hair, this gentle cleanser has been designed to restore gloss and health.
It combines traditional healing oils and extracts – cypress, argan and maracuja – with an enzyme derived from pineapple, which gently exfoliates and balances the scalp for optimal hair health and strength while protecting it from further damage.
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Aveda Sun Care After-Sun Masque: £24 for 125ml, John Lewis
This masque – from the company that blends Ayurvedic principals with modern science and botanical technology – is a great one to pack and take with you next time you head off for some sun.
After a day in the heat, moisturise and restore the appearance of your hair with this intensive formula.
It blends a nourishing and softening mix of tamanu oil, organic shea butter and coconut oil to restore moisture, with green tea, organic sunflower oil and vitamin E to help defend against environmental damage and reduce colour fade.
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Monat Rejuvabeads: £45 for 70ml, Monat Global
If you have returned from holiday with a hair emergency and have no chance of getting to the hairdresser any time soon, then the small miracle offered by Monat’s Rejuvabeads may be just what you need.
Frazzling your locks in the sun encourages split ends, as UV rays can damage the outside cuticle of the hair, making it feel dry and brittle.
An application of Rejuvabeads makes them disappear – at least in the short term. It promises to mend split ends and other damaged areas along the hair shaft – temporarily at least – and it does just that.
The appearance of mended ends happens almost at once and lasts for a couple of washes.
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Richard Ward Pro-Formula Rehab Masque with Keratin: £5.99 for 150ml, Waitrose
This ultra-rich conditioning treatment should be your post-holiday saviour.
Keratin is our hair’s natural protein and this formulation binds and interacts with the hair to re-build its natural fibres, enriching frazzled hair while giving UV protection against further damage.
Our tester found that for a quick fix after shampooing, she put a good dollop through the mid-length and ends of her hair and left for just five minutes before rinsing thoroughly.
Its impressive hydrating qualities made her hair much more manageable.
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Ibiza Hairbrush B2: £28, Ibiza Hair
As a post-holiday investment for long-term hair recovery and health, one of the brushes from the Ibiza Hair range will help bring your locks back to life.
These high-quality Spanish brushes have white boar bristles reinforced with nylon, which are extremely gentle and distribute the natural oils in your hair for a shiny finish.