Individuals enjoy experimenting with various products on their hair to achieve various results. Salt water is a common element used to give hair body and texture, but is it healthy for your hair? Even while many individuals enjoy the waves that naturally form after spending time in the ocean, applying salt water to your hair and scalp daily isn’t always the ideal way to enhance your hair care regimen. Indeed, over-exposure to salt water can have some very serious harmful consequences on hair.
How does salt water work?
Naturally, salt and water are the only two components of salt water. It’s also a good idea to know exactly what minerals sea salt contains, which include the following:
- Calcium Magnesium
- Potassium Carbonate with Chloride
Depending on the type of salt, different minerals have varying amounts in it. Table salt contains far more sodium per gram than sea salt, and the two types of salt have quite distinct granule sizes, which may have slightly different impacts on hair.
How Hair Can Be Damaged by Salt Water
You might find that your hair isn’t as lustrous as it once was if you use too much salt water on it or spend too much time in the water. This is because the salt makes your hair’s cuticles swell and extracts moisture and natural oils from it. Your hair ends up brittle and dry as a result; it can even get so dry that sea salt starts to contribute to hair loss. Your hair will become knotted after being in salt water, making brushing it more difficult.
Because bleached hair has already suffered damage, saltwater exacerbates it, causing even more harm to dyed hair. Furthermore, regular exposure to salt water will cause the hair dye to fade, causing you to lose your color and need to apply a new color too soon.
The Advantages of Salt Water for Hair
Is Salt Water Good For Your Hair? You may be wondering if there are any advantages to salt water given the amount of harm it may do. Is there any way that salt water benefits hair? Yes, that is the response! Although it shouldn’t be the only ingredient in a hair care regimen, there are certain indisputable advantages for certain individuals.
Increased Texture
The addition of salt crystals to your hair creates the illusion of body and texture in your hair. You get those organic beach waves from it, which are so beloved by so many. Most faces are perfectly framed by the gentle, lovely appearance that these beach waves create.
The Antifungal Aspects
Salt water can help target and eradicate fungus infections on the scalp, such as those causing dandruff.
The Peeling
A natural exfoliant is salt water. When this is massaged into the scalp, it can help clear debris and increase blood flow, which will lead to healthier hair follicles and increased hair growth. To avoid salt crystals developing, it’s a good idea to rinse the salt water out after exfoliating.
Reduced Grease
People who have oily hair may attest to how challenging it is to resist those natural oils. By eliminating extra oils and sebum from the hair, salt water works as a natural shampoo to keep your hair oil-free for longer.
How to Wash Hair with Salt Water
Saltwater may be a good option for you if you want a little extra texture and have greasy hair. These are the two most effective methods for applying saltwater to hair.
- Hairsprays with salt
Without a doubt, the simplest technique to get salty water on hair is using salt hair sprays. To add extra body to your hair, simply spritz the bottle through your hair, paying particular attention to the roots. You are free to add as little or as much as you desire! Salt hair sprays are widely available in stores, and many of them include additional substances for added protection. However, you can easily make your own at home using salt, water, and a spray bottle.
2: Taking a Dip in the Sea
Swimming in the sea can expose your hair to salt if you’re fortunate enough to live near the seaside! Just take a swim, then savor the added body and texture in your hair. The term “beach waves” is not without meaning.
Is Sea Water Beneficial to Hair?
Is Sea Water Good For Your Hair? Since seawater is the source of all salt, seawater can also be used to denote all salt water. But after you get out of the water, you might notice something different than when you use a saltwater spray! This is because several kinds of salts exist, some having bigger grains and others having more impurities.
It’s crucial to remember that swimming in the ocean can damage hair due to UV radiation. According to one study, UVB and UVA radiation have definite negative impacts on hair, with UVB causing hair protein loss and UVA affecting the color of hair. [2] Remember that UV rays can cause serious skin damage as well. Sun damage can result in skin cancer as well as pigmentation, wrinkles, and blotchiness. [3] It’s essential to wear high-quality sunscreen whenever you’re outside.
Advice for Keeping Your Hair Safe When in Salt Water
Is Ocean Water Good for Your Hair? There’s no doubting how much salt water may harm hair, so if you want to benefit from it, you’ll need to take precautions.
Rinse your hair with fresh water.
It’s always ideal to rinse your hair with fresh water that is devoid of any salt after swimming in the ocean. By doing this, part of the salt will be rinsed out, preventing crystallization and maybe contributing to breaking. When visiting the beach, it’s usually a good idea to have an extra bottle of water with you, separate from your drinking water.
Make Use of a Barrier Product
Before going into the sea, use an oil or hair mask as a barrier to prevent your hair from drying out. If you don’t have a barrier product on hand, even something as easy as washing your hair with fresh water beforehand can be helpful.
Put on a headgear
You may avoid having your hair wet when swimming by using a swim cap. You might also use a moisturizing cream underneath the hair cap for further protection.
Employ Nutritious Hair Care Products
Your hair’s texture and health are greatly influenced by your hair care regimen. If you are in contact with salt water regularly, change your hair care regimen to incorporate lots of nourishing and intensely moisturizing products. Both seed oils and high-quality hair masks can be beneficial. Coconut oil, argan oil, and olive oil are all reasonably priced and can significantly reduce the amount of damage that seawater causes to hair!
Put on a Protective Hairdo
If you don’t have a hair cap, wear a protective hairdo like braids or a bun. Although it won’t stop all damage, it will reduce the quantity of salt water that your hair is exposed to.
Does Hair Get Affected by Pool Water?
Yes, chlorine can be harmful to your hair’s health since it depletes it of its natural oils, much like salt water can. As a result, after swimming in a pool, you could feel dry hair and possibly breakage. This is one of the reasons why a lot of competitive swimmers wear swim caps all the time: it keeps their hair from breaking off and becoming damaged over time. Additionally, chlorine can alter the color of hair. Chlorine can even turn blonde hair that has recently been bleached blonde green.
Want Assistance With Hair Loss?
In a pinch, using salt water to give your hair more body could be a useful technique. That can, however, only be a temporary solution and cause further harm. It is not advisable to use salt water if you are having hair loss. You ought to concentrate on alternative hair repair options instead.
Modern FUE hair transplantation is our specialty at Harley Street Hair Clinic, where we assist patients in growing a complete head of hair. We have the best surgeons and specialized technology to help you get your hair back to its most voluminous, healthy state.
In conclusion, is hair healthier in salt water?
We hope that this answers any queries you may have had, including “What does salty water do to your hair?” Adding a small amount of sea salt to your hair can have some benefits, including adding texture and creating tousled waves, but it can also cause breakage and damage that is easily noticeable.
There are a ton of other fantastic ways to give your hair volume without doing too much damage. To counteract the extremely drying effects of salt water, make sure to incorporate moisturizing hair care products into your routine if you enjoy its effects.
