Hair Sunscreen 101: Do You Really Need It? Experts Explain + Best Products

Dryness, split ends, and fading color—these common hair concerns can be attributed to a plethora of different causes, such as excessive heat styling, color treatments, etc. However, you may be surprised to learn about this unexpected contributing factor: sun exposure. 

Hair sunscreen is pretty much what it sounds like: a product to buffer your strands from UV damage. Depending on which product you select, some of the products can double as scalp sunscreen as well (more on that in a moment).

But hair sunscreens are very different from their skin-focused counterparts. Sunscreen used on the face and body is regulated by the FDA, whereas hair sunscreen isn't. This is because your hair calls for different protection than the skin, and the end goal with hair sunscreen is a bit nuanced. 

See, you apply daily SPF on the skin to protect from sun damage and sunburn, but your strands themselves don't exactly turn red, itchy, or tender. Rather, hair sunscreen helps protect those strands from UV damage that may contribute to physical signs of hair aging—like dryness, loss of pigment, and loss of density. Think antioxidants to disarm free radicals and serve as a UV barrier, as well as moisturizing butters and oils to nourish parched strands.

When the hair is dry, brittleness will likely follow suit. This means your hair will potentially break easier when being brushed, secured with a hair tie or elastic, or styled using heat. Just as the sun can dry out your skin, it can do the same thing to your strands. 

In this scientific review of UV damage on the hair1, it's reported that UVB radiation is responsible for hair protein loss, while UVA radiation is responsible for the color changes. And when the hair shaft is weakened, it will not be as resilient to things like heat styling, physical styling, and future UV exposure. 

While you may think sun-induced color changes are only a risk for those with color-treated hair, that's not actually the case. One study investigated the physical effects of UVA and UVB rays on undyed (i.e., virgin) hair in each color and reached a rather surprising result: "Significant color changes were observed in every hair type, after lamp and sun irradiation, being more pronounced for the light-colored hairs," when focusing on UVA rays, the report reads.

The aging process is a beautiful, natural thing—graying hair included. That being said, some may want to avoid going gray prematurely. If this sounds like you, then you may want to consider protecting your scalp and strands.

If you go a few months without cutting your hair, you'll likely face a few split ends (or more). While this is nothing to sound the alarm over, it's safe to say most people would rather not speed this process up. Enter, sun protection. According to Abramite, "UV damage stresses the hair cuticle, causing dry, frizzy split ends." 

It's important to note that hair sunscreen is starkly different from scalp sunscreen. While hair products, like those listed above, will help protect the strands from UV damage, they are not regulated products like face and body sunscreen. 

Your skin cells (which are not found in the hair) need protection from UV rays; otherwise, the exposure can damage the cell DNA. Given that your hair is already dead, the goal is not to protect it from DNA damage but rather to buffer it against aesthetic and functional damage, like color changes, dryness, and the rest listed above.