SUMMER HAIR - SURVIVAL GUIDE

You may be quietly relaxing on the beach or by the pool, but if you listen really hard, you’ll hear your hair screaming! Heat, humidity, sun and chlorine can turn your locks from lustrous to loco. We sat down with Valarie Vasaturo, co-owner of Ciao Bella Salon – which is also celebrating its second anniversary in Doylestown – and a lifelong borough resident, to learn how best to be kind to your hair this summer, so that it will, in turn, be kind to you.

To Thine Own Self be True
Cry uncle to your curls and give way to your waves; summer hair is all about being yourself and raising your white flag to what comes – or, rather, grows – naturally. When getting your hair cut, Vasaturo recommends you ask your stylist to make sure the cut is “friendly,” working with your hair’s natural growth, movement and texture. The thing is, Mother Nature knows what she’s doing, and what comes naturally very often suits us best. And we all want to look our finest when we get that spring in our summertime step.

For those blessed with super-straight hair, sometimes it lacks body. Still, it’s nothing a stylist can’t remedy. Vasaturo suggests cutting texture and layers into your hair to help it move, flow and gain some of that sometimes-elusive body.

For those with natural waves and curls, Vasaturo recommends a Brazilian hair straightening. “It’s more of a softening really,” she admits. “It softens your curls and makes it much easier to blow out. And you can still wear your curls when you want.”

The Lowdown on Highlights
If you want to give your hair that sun-kissed look, consider adding a lighter hue complementary to your natural color. Ask your stylist to guide you toward choosing a tint that your hair would naturally turn by the end of summer. By enhancing your natural hues and giving them the jumpstart they need, you can get that end-of-summer look before some have even made it to the beach.

If you’ve gone lighter or all-out blond, no need to forego a dip in the pool. Vasaturo says that your locks will only turn green if you let the chlorine dry. If you’re more of a dunker than a sunner, rinse after every swim. And while there are shampoos on the market especially formulated to remove chlorine from hair, Vasaturo warns that they not only tend to be drying, they also tend to remove color and need to be followed with deep conditioning.

To Serve and Protect
It’s not only dermatologists who recommend you wear UV protection, so do stylists. Covering yourself head toe really means hair to toe; a UV hairspray will help fight the fade of summer color and overall sun damage. To guarantee protection, follow up with a conditioner. To call in the big guns, consider a salon-caliber conditioning treatment – only $15 at Ciao Bella. At home, Vasaturo advises using either a rinse-out or leave-in conditioner. She recommends Potion 9 by Sebastian with natural oils that fight the frizz by replenishing your hair’s moisture, leaving locks strong and shiny. Make sure that you only apply conditioner from the middle to the ends of your hair to avoid greasy roots.

Photo Finish
Whether your hair is by birth or by bottle, “Put the flat iron down,” says Vasaturo. There’s no point in using heated styling tools indoors since once you step outside, the high temps and humidity will give your hair “permission” to do whatever it wants. Not only that, but the combination of summer and “machine” heat will dry out and damage your do. “Let it dry naturally,” says Vasaturo, and avoid using any gels and sprays that will laden your locks. She recommends lightweight styling products or a texturizing spray that leaves your hair lighter and bouncier. Some products add salt as an ingredient, which leaves you with that just-off-the-beach look.

What’s Vasaturo’s final summer hair tip? “No two people are the same,” she says. “No matter what you want to achieve, it’s best to work with what you have. We encourage everyone to stop in. We can get your hair through summer and beyond.”

Go online at ciabelladoylestown.com