Hair Does Not Break at the Beach, It Breaks in Front of the Mirror: Five Mistakes That Cost Nothing to Fix

Summer does not ruin your hair at the beach. You ruin it in front of the mirror, in the bathroom, when you try to comb it out the moment you get out of the water. That is the argument of Spanish hairdresser Pablo Bogado, and it is more interesting than another product list because not one of the five most common mistakes he names requires new spending - only a different order of operations.

"Real luxury is not having perfect hair while you are on holiday, but coming back from the holiday with hair that still looks healthy, shiny and full of life," Bogado says. That is a difference everyone recognises by late August.

Mistake one: you let hair air-dry and assume that is neutral. "The problem is how we leave the hair while it dries. Many people come out of a pool or the sea and spend hours with salt or chlorine on their hair. That way the strand stays damp for a long time, loses hydration and is far more exposed to sun and wind," he explains. The fix is rinsing with fresh water after every swim and removing excess moisture by pressing gently with a towel - no rubbing. Before sun exposure, use protection made specifically for hair.

Two: you expose hair wearing an oil that is not made for the sun. "A cosmetic oil not formulated for sun exposure can add shine or nourishment, but it does not protect against ultraviolet radiation," he warns. He loves oils himself, but for a different time of day: "I use them at the end of the day, when the hair is already clean, to seal in hydration and give softness to the mid-lengths and ends." The comparison he adds closes the subject: "Nobody swaps sunscreen for body oil when they go to the beach. With hair it is exactly the same."

Three: washing with conditioner only, every day, all holiday. It can be a good idea, Bogado says, but it must not become the only routine. "Washing with conditioner alone helps hydrate and makes combing much easier, but it does not properly remove residues of salt, chlorine, sand or protective products." So alternate it with a hydrating shampoo. After washing, he recommends a hydrating cream that repairs the surface of the strand and controls frizz - "one of those products clients particularly value once the hair starts to feel the wear of the holiday".

Four, and the most expensive: combing immediately after swimming. "Wet hair is far more fragile than dry hair. If there is salt or chlorine on it, the strand loses some of its elasticity and the risk of breakage rises significantly," the hairdresser says. First a leave-in cream, then a wide-tooth comb, and always from the ends towards the roots. His verdict is a sentence worth remembering: "Most breakage during the summer does not happen at the beach, it happens in front of the mirror when we try to comb through in too much of a hurry."

Five: you book new highlights when what you actually need is water. "Many clients come back convinced they have to redo their highlights because the blonde has lost its light. But in many cases the colour is still there; what the hair has lost is water. When we restore hydration, the shine comes back and the blonde looks completely different, with no need to bleach again."

That is also the most hidden bill in the whole story. The salon that tells you the truth here loses a service. The one that stays quiet sells it. And that is why the line about hydration versus bleaching is the most useful thing in this entire text - not because of the hair, but because of what it tells you about reading advice from someone who is also selling.