Whether you’ve been natural for a while, or you’ve recently done the big chop, you might be searching for attractive summer hairstyles for natural hair.
Natural hair is unique because our everyday hairstyle can make a significant difference in the health of our curls. Finding hairstyles is sometimes time-consuming because you want something that looks good while not ruining your mane.
In this post, you’ll find some stunning hairstyles you can rock in the summer without damaging your hair. You’ll also get natural hair tips for summer to protect your coils from high heat and humidity.
How to Maintain Natural Hair in the Summer
If you live in a hot climate, you’re probably already smart about maintaining your hair under the sun. But if you live in a city that has four seasons, you might be new to figuring out natural hair in hot weather.
The sun is a top concern for natural hair in the summer. If you see your hair starting to change colors, you might think it’s lovely to have a few pretty highlights.
However, highlights can also mean damage and frizz that you’ll have to deal with for years to come. The sun’s effect on hair is dramatic.
UV can make your hair dry, brittle, and damaged. You probably won’t shed excess hair from the scalp, but you could experience breakage and be stuck with dry, short strands if you don’t protect beforehand.
Summer Natural Hair Regimen
Natural hair faces many threats from elements like UV. It’s these elements that cause you to lose your curls due to breakage, and it’s even worse if you’ve color-treated your hair with peroxide.
It’s good to make some changes to your routine to compensate for the sun and the extra sweat. Adding another co-wash to your week might help relieve the itching and irritation. Plus, you’ll get a chance to hydrate and moisturize your curls fully.
- Do More Washes Mid-Week. Many naturals only wash once per week. However, if you sweat a lot and your scalp is itchy, it may be time to add another wash. Your scalp tends to collect more dirt and grime during the summer because of the heat.
Sweaty hair can lead to an itchy scalp, so you’ll need a way to do a mild cleanse during the week. You can do a wash with a sulfate-free shampoo, a co-wash, or a water-only rinse. Sometimes the water is refreshing enough to relieve the itching so you may want to experiment first with the water-only wash or rice water rinsing.
- Ditch Using Thick Oils for the Scalp. Does your scalp itch more in the summer? The summer often brings more moisture to your scalp, as your head collects heat and sweat. If you usually oil your scalp for dryness or hair growth, you may want to use a lighter oil during the summer. Let go of Jamaican Black castor oil as it may be too heavy for the summer. Butta Butta Cream is a great oil to use in summer as it’s lightweight, not greasy and will moisturize your hair.
Heavy oils can clog hair follicles if they’re blended with dead skin cells and dirt. You can go back to using heavier oils for oiling your scalp as your skin gets drier in the fall and winter months.
- Should You Add or Avoid Glycerin? Now, this is an excellent time to add or avoid glycerin, depending on which region you live in.
If your city’s weather is hot and humid, you’ll probably want to leave glycerin out of your routine. Glycerin draws water from the air into your hair, and it can cause your hair to swell if your climate has high humidity.
If your climate is hot and dry, you’ll probably want to add glycerin to all your products because it can help combat dryness.
However, if you live in a humid city and your hair is still dry, you can probably benefit from glycerin.
Keeping Natural Hair Moisturized in the Summer
Use the same principles that you’d use in the winter for moisturizing your hair. Deep conditioning and the LOC method will help to keep your hair hydrated and moisturized.
You’ll probably need to add more hydration to your routine, especially if you notice that your hair is dry. If you usually only do the LOC method twice during the week, you could try increasing it to three times, or every other day. Some natural queens are moisturizing every day during this season.
Summer Hair Products for Natural Hair
Try anti-humidity products to reduce frizz on humid days. Here is a list of products to use in conjunction with the LOC method for your summer natural hair:
- Use water, aloe vera, or a detangler like Kinky Curly Knot Today to keep the hair hydrated and pliable.
- Keeping the moisture locked inside the shaft is a good way to reduce frizz. Looking for the best hair oil for summer? Use Butta Butta Cream to moisturize, and protect your hair. This is my personal blend of oils, and it will keep your hair moisturized and protected from the sun.
- and are excellent for anti-humidity styling.
Wondering which shampoo and conditioner to buy? Use the same moisturizing shampoos and conditioners that you’d use in the winter.
Beware of anti-humidity products that contain DMDM hydantoin and imidazolidinyl urea. These two chemicals are formaldehyde releasers, and they are dangerous for your body.
How to Style Natural Hair in the Summer
Natural hair can get sweaty in the summer, and the salt from the sweat can dehydrate your strands. Your best bet is to wear your hair off the face and neck during hot weather.
Here are five summer hairstyle ideas:
- High Puff. This is a simple and chic hairstyle where you place a puff on top of your head.
- Summer Scarf Updo. Throwing a scarf into the style can help protect your curls from dehydration. Here’s a great summer scarf tutorial:
- Twisted Updo. This updo looks beautiful for special occasions, but it’s easy enough for everyday use too.
- Preppy Summer Updo. Naptural85 shows us how to do a fashionable style for humid weather.
- Braided Chignon. This easy protective updo only requires bobby pins.
How to Protect Natural Hair During Summer
Protecting your hair in the summer is probably one of your most significant concerns. UV, constant heat, and humidity can all cause frizz and damage.
Here are some ways you can protect against UV on your locks:
- Wear a Hat. An outdoor hat is easy and simple to add to your routine. The usual straw sunhat can work, but only if it’s not too abrasive or tight against your curls.
A satin-lined baseball cap or even buy some soft satin fabric and sew it into your favorite hat.
- Wrap Your Hair in a Scarf. A good scarf and sunglasses will allow you to look fashionable and chic while protecting your mane. Try to buy your scarves in silk. If it’s too expensive, just make sure you get a soft synthetic scarf, so it doesn’t cause friction on your hair.
- Moisturize Your Locks. Hydrating and moisturizing is the ideal way to avoid dryness and breakage on your coils and curls. Deep conditioning and the LOC method are two of the most useful ways to get moisture into your curls and keep it there.
- Do a Protective Hairstyle. These types of hairstyles protect your hair in the summer and can help you retain length year-round. They could be elaborate summer braids or a simple updo. However, you’ll want to avoid making your extensions too tight on your roots. Too much tension can cause traction alopecia.
Instead, go for braids without extensions, twists, or an updo. If you must wear extensions, do crochet braids or goddess braids. They tend to cause less damage than individual braids.
Are you looking for how to keep natural hair straight in summer? Straight hair can be tricky on high-humidity days, especially if you’re on vacation or you’ve just moved to a new place.
Be sure to check out your city’s humidity level each day. Use a heat protectant before you flat iron and an anti-frizz serum afterward. Choose a high or low bun to wear on extra humid days when your ends are likely to frizz.
Above all, be sure to keep your hair protected with the LOC method and deep conditioning treatments when choosing your style.
What is summer like for your natural tresses? Do you have any favorite summer hairstyles for natural hair?
Hey Curl Friend, I’m Patrina Haupt the creator and author of Natural Hair Queen. I hope you find my healthy hair care tips helpful in your hair journey. Healthy hair care practices are definitely, what helped me to achieve waist length hair.
Want to receive my weekly hair care tips and free natural hair care guide? Click Here.