Summer is just around the corner and with it comes that feeling of impatience for beach vacations, long afternoons on the coast, sun, sand, etc. Many women act on their first instinct to protect their skin with SPF creams. But, beyond the skin, you should consider taking care of the hair as well.

In addition to protecting your hair from UV rays, you should be mindful of preparing and treating your hair before swimming and contact with salt water. After all, there's a reason so many people are doing Google searches on the link between salt water and hair damage from it.

Is salt water bad for your hair?

As scary as the idea of ??a dip in the sea may be, the lack of hair care can lead to undesirable effects. "Salt water can dehydrate the hair and scalp, leading to brittle, dry hair," says hairdresser Andrew Fitzsimons. "This can lead to further problems such as damaged hair follicles, as salt water makes the hair cuticle more vulnerable and fragile to damage."

But that's not all. Salt water also affects hair color. "Soaking your hair in salt water can weaken the hair structure and remove the artificial color," adds Davines hairstylist Emily Claire. The problems even go further in the degradation of chemical processes such as nutritional treatments, serums for the scalp and hair, keratin, etc.

Salt water has an extremely high concentration of salt, which strips hair of its natural oils leaving it dry, brittle and prone to damage. Additionally, salt water causes hair follicles to swell making them more susceptible to damage, sun exposure and environmental factors.

But don't forget one more detail! Salt water also affects hair loss due to easier breakage, but not hair loss from the root. "This type of water causes a dry and irritated scalp, which does not create a positive microbiome for hair growth," concludes trichologist Angela Onuoha.