Keisha Brown, Health Writer

Ladies, if your hair's relaxed, it is already dry. At summer time, intense sun exposure will dry hair out even more, so protection is important. Here are a few tips to keep your relaxed hair healthy.

Deep-condition your hair at least once a month. Use a treatment on your mane for 15-20 minutes. Rinse it out thoroughly, then follow with your normal hair-care regimen.

Use a daily moisturising cream with sunscreen made specifically for chemically treated hair. (Tie with SoftSheen pic)

Wear a scarf or hat on extremely hot days to protect your hair.

Change your hairstyle if necessary. Consider pulling your hair back or braiding it for the very hot months.

Drink plenty of water.

Avoid direct sunlight on your hair during peak hours from noon to 3 p.m.

During summer, you will probably spend some time at the beach, increasing the risk of sun damage to your hair. Your hair may feel 'fried' after a day at the beach, but hair can't technically burn because it's not alive.

Protective film

Sun exposure will, however, damage your hair's natural protective film. Research has shown that after just three days of sun exposure, the scale-like cells that cover each hair shaft begin to pull off. This makes hair dry, brittle, fragile and dull. You must, therefore, use hair products that contain sunscreen because hair can suffer damaging effects from the sun if not well protected.

If your hair is colour-treated, it is especially prone to UV damage. Colour treated hair is already damaged as it has been stripped of its natural colour. The sun will cause the cuticle to become rougher, making hair more fragile and dried out. Hence, hair that is colour treated and relaxed is in particular need of sun protection.

What about chlorine and salt water? Both chlorine and salt water dry and discolour hair. Chemicals in pool water bind to the hair and can give hair a greyish or green cast. Mineral deposits in salt water, in combination with sunlight, severely dehydrate hair and can turn it brassy. Rinse hair in fresh water immediately before and after swimming in a pool or seawater (wet hair will absorb less chlorine than dry hair). Club soda makes a good post-pool rinse, or try a shampoo designed to remove chlorine and salt from hair.

Finally, for the sexiest summer hair, schedule trims for the beginning and end of the summer season. This will rid your hair of dry, older ends and keep your cut in shape.