by Dr. G. A. Anderson

Created on: July 04, 2010

The lure of the road beckons... "Come! Drive! Explore!" Summer is the traditional season for traveling, and some people will go by plane, train, or bus. Others will prefer to drive. We'll use a road trip to a shore resort area as an example, since a road trip can be the longest and most challenging of all the methods of travel. These are also places where your hair can take a beating.

Summer travel tips for your hair

*1. Visit your hair stylist about a week before you leave home. This gives your hair time to adapt to your own special look before you leave. Never get it cut the same day or the day before! Most women, especially, are dissatisfied with how their hair looks right after a new cut, style, or sometimes even the color. Pack the products and accessories you normally use at home.

*2. If you can wear your hair super-short and get away with it, opt for the short hair The shorter it is, the easier to shampoo, condition, towel or blow dry, and be out the door. It will be well on its way to growing back in by fall.

*3. For those convertible top-down drivers on the road, the short hair is great. However, hair that's long enough to "contain" somehow is fine, too. Choose the style that works for you and make the most of it, either cut short, flying free, or tied back.

*4. Top-down drivers, protect your hair and scalp while you're driving in the sun by wearing a cap or hat (one that won't blow off,) even if driving without the cap feels much better and cooler at the time. You need to keep your scalp from burning and your hair from getting sun and wind damage. You can easily end up with hair of straw-like texture if you neglect the protection. And as much as it hurts to do this, if the sun gets too brutal, put the top up on the car and crank up the air conditioner.

*5. Arriving at your destination, comb or brush your hair to return it to its former glory. It should be fine. If it seems oily from the wind or has flattened out from the cap, follow tip #6.

*6. When you shampoo again, use the shampoo you brought from home - not the cheaply made shampoo supplied by the hotel. Don't forget to condition it well with your own product - again, not the hotel-supplied conditioner that may leave you with NO hair. If you would not wash your face with the cleanser you find in your hotel, using the shampoo and conditioner found there makes no sense, either. Maintain your own routine of hair care, being careful to wash out pool chlorine or ocean water and sand as soon as you can.

Beyond these tips, and if you are on an extended vacation and have been fortunate enough to go with the short cut, it may be necessary to find a salon to trim you up and put some shape (or even color) back into your hairstyle. Find a good shop by asking around. Don't walk into just any walk-in establishment that may or may not have good stylists. Of course, finding a good salon is necessary on an extended trip whether your hair is short or long, color-treated or natural color. Even if you just want a pick-me-up, a trip to the stylist just might be one of the best ways to relax on your summertime trip, and your hair will thank you for the treat.

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