Your Questions About Gray Hair UV Protection Answered

You have questions about gray hair UV protection, I have answers: in this post and video, I answer your top questions about UV protective products and how to use them. This is part two on sun protection.

In my previous Ultimate Guide on Sun Damage, I discuss all of your questions on why sun damage occurs and what you can do about it. You can head over there for the rest of the story and photos of what sun damage looks like.

Since gray hair lacks protective melanin, silvers are more prone to damage, and our damage is visible in the way of yellowing. This means we must protect our hair from UV damage.

You might think that treating our hair like our skin when it comes to UV protection would be the same. Not so fast, there are issues that need to be addressed when it comes to our hair, the different types of damage that occur because of UV exposure, and product efficacy.

Is UV Damage/Protection Laboratory Tested?

Yes and Sort of

The science on effectiveness of hair sunscreens is somewhat lacking, but the data on the UV damages to hair is well studied.

In the lab, hair is tested for solar radiation damage via artificial light and artificial simulations. This process is time consuming and costly; at this point, it is not something many brands are going to do for a single product.

Add to this, lab testing is not the same as real-life, where there is repeated exposure to the sun at various times of the day, in addition to washing, drying, brushing, heat styling, various hair chemical processing, lifestyle, the region of the world you live in, etc.

The next issue is ALL THE hair types and colors in the world have different responses to UV damage. This all adds up to real-world and real-life that cannot be easily, adequately, and cost effectively replicated in a laboratory setting.

That all said, the science we do have is clear, UV does damage the hair, and it is advised to protect your hair and scalp either with a product or a physical barrier.

Are Products for UV Protection for Hair Certified Like Sunscreen for Skin?

Not usually. Why not? Skin sunscreen is an FDA approved non-prescription drug and must be regulated to perform as stated. It also must be made in a specific FDA approved lab since it is a drug and is required by law to meet safety and efficacy standards. Hair sunscreens do not fit in this category since they are cosmetics and not drugs.

While some labs do test for hair UV protection, it hasn’t been rated the same way SPF has.

This also means they cannot really claim how strong it is, as in an SPF 30 or SPF 50 that is why you won’t normally see an SPF rating on a hair product unless it has an actual SPF in it like Coola Scalp and Hair Mist.

As more cost-effective and time-efficient testing protocols for hair specific UV products are developed we might get more ‘lab-certified’ UV protections.

When You Say UV Damages the Hair, What Do You Mean?

Aside from yellowing, damages to the hair can be seen and felt. These damages are accumulative. The longer your hair is and/or the more you are out in the sun, the more UV damage your hair will accumulate.

Damage includes:

• Degradation of the lipid layer that protects the cuticle
• Protein loss
• Dryness
• Brittleness and breakage
• Discoloration
• Dullness and loss of sheen
• Rough texture (cuticle damage)
• Split ends

Photoyellowing, is thought be caused by UV radiation causing oxidation of molecules, which results in a yellow tone to the hair. The darker pigments of the hair help protect against this, so when you lose all the pigment you lose all the protection.

UVA radiation is the primary cause of color changes and UVB radiation is the primary cause of protein loss.

Does Your Hair Type Affect its Response to UV Exposure?

Your hair color plays the primary role in how susceptible your hair will be to UV damage.

1. The lighter and whiter your hair, the more prone it will be to damages.
2. The darker your hair, even if it is dark gray, the less prone it will be to damages.

While white hair is the most reflective and absorbs the least amount of UV. Without pigment to protect it, it is the most susceptible to UV damage especially visual damage, and discoloration can happen faster than darker hair colors.

This does not mean that dark hair is less damaged from UV exposure, it just means that the damage is somewhat slower and won’t be as visible. Therefore, UV protection is good for all hair colors of hair. 

Your hair type plays the secondary role in how susceptible your hair will be to sun damage.

1. The thinner and finer your hair the more protected it needs to be.
2. Your ethnicity also plays a role, with Asians having strong hair and African hair types being weaker and more brittle.
3. The higher your porosity is will also mean the more prone your hair is to UV damage.
4. The more chemical treatments you have the more prone you are to UV damage.
5. The longer your hair is and/or the more you are out in the sun, the more accumulative UV damage you will have.

What is the Biggest Issue with UV Protective Products?

The most significant issue is the surface area of the hair is huge, to truly be UV protective it would need to be 100% coated.

It is almost impossible to coat ALL the hairs from root to tip with a product. Barring actually dunking your head in a product and soaking all of your hair in it for a couple of minutes.

As you can see, it would be nearly impossible to coat your hair with adequate sunscreen like you can with your skin. Even then, we’ve all missed a spot when applying sunscreen to our skin, only to find out exactly where that was when the pain of a sunburn arises later.

The best you can do is follow the instructions, section your hair, and make sure you evenly apply and comb the products through the best you can. Some is better than none, but take your time.

Why Can’t I Just Use Sunscreen for Skin on My Hair?

You can, but it can cause other issues especially with lighter hair types.

Organic sunscreens or chemical sunscreens are compounds like oxybenzone and octinoxate; they absorb UV radiation like sponges.

Inorganic sunscreens or physical sunscreens are compounds like zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide; and they reflect and scatter UV radiation.

These are what we put on our skin, but due to their texture they are not ideal for putting on hair because they will make your hair feel terrible.

In addition, some of these sunscreen ingredients can also discolor lighter shades of hair. According to Micheal Anthony Salon,

• Oxybenzone and Avobenzone can react to chlorine and turn lighter shades of hair yellow or green.
• Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide can buildup on the hair causing discolorations and dullness.

This is why we need hair specific sunscreens with UV filters and different ingredients to help protect the hair without making it feel terrible, look greasy, or discolor silvers.

What Ingredients Can We Use to Protect the Hair from UV Damage?

One of the top ingredients to look for in a UV protective product is CATC- Cinnamidopropyltrimonium chloride.

According to Science-yHairBlog:

Top of the list is cinnamidopropyltrimonium chloride it works great, even in small amounts in a product because it bonds to the hair even in shampoo and conditioner and won’t come off if you go into the water.

Additional UV protection to look for:

Products with the ingredient are hyperlinked, click the link to go to the product.

• Cinnamates
• Salicylates
• Octylmethoxycinnamate
• Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
• Benzophenone-3, Benzophone-4
• Quaternium-95 and Propanediol
• Polyquaternium-59
• Polysilicone-15
• Polysilicone-19
• Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
• Baobab Fruit
• Moringa Oleifera
• Marine algae extract
• Sunflower seed oil
• Monoi Oil

Antioxidants for UV Damage Control:

Paul Cornwell at TRI Princeton and I discussed via email, in short, controlling free radical damage is something that would be of great benefit, especially for gray hair. Therefore, looking for products that also contain antioxidants could be highly beneficial for healthy shiny silvers.

Can a Product Claim UV protection Just Because It Contains a UV Protective Ingredient?

Pretty much, since there are no real regulatory (FDA) guidelines for hair protection like there are for skin sunscreens.

To make sure you are getting a product with UV protection, make sure the brand has identified that benefit, just because it contains one of the above ingredients does not mean it has enough to be a UV protective product.

Some companies do test and do know the effectiveness of their UV protective ingredients and products. They usually will claim this, or you can ask by contacting them.

Keep in mind that because of lab issues, coverage issues, certification limitations, and individual formula limitations, not all UV protection is created equally. You may have to try different ones to find the one that works for you and your hair type. In other words, there is no one perfect UV protection for all hair types.

Do Hair UV Protectants Work at Peak UV hours?

Yes, if it has been applied in the last 3-5 hours. After that the efficacy will diminish.

Do Hair UV Protectants Work Until the Next Washday?

No, just like skin sunscreen they will degrade with time. They will also rub off on your pillowcase, hands, and clothing.

Does My Heat Protection Work for UV Protection?

No! A UV protectant and Heat protectant are not the same thing.

There are combination products like SEEN Cremes and Leave-In.

A UV only product will not protect against heat and a heat only product will not protect against UV damage. I know the sun is hot, but the damage from UV is not from the heat of the sun.

Should I Add UV Protection to My Hair Before Each Exposure?

Yes. Just like physical sunscreen, organic sunscreens (which are what would be in hair products) degrade over time. So best practice is to reapply before being out in the sun.

Additionally, when out for extended periods a physical cover…hat, buff, or shade…will be of most benefit.

Wearing a protective style where your hair is mostly covered by the style like braids, buns, and French twists will also protect your silvers, make sure the outside layer still gets UV protection.

I hope you found this post educational and helpful.

Thank you for reading. Please feel free to share.

As always it is about so much more than the hair.

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Works Cited:

Thank you to Paul Cornwell at TRI Princeton for helping me to answer some of these questions.

1. Malinauskyte, Ernesta. “Effects of Solar Radiation on Hair: Will Your Products Protect Against It?” TRI Princeton, 2019, library.triprinceton.org/1cts0dg/

2. Stolecka-Warzecha A, Wilczyński S, Bożek M, Libionka S, Chmielewski Ł. “Assessment of the photoprotection properties of hair cosmetics using the hemispherical directional reflectance method.” Skin Res Technol. 2023 Oct;29(10):e13443. doi: 10.1111/srt.13443. PMID: 37881048; PMCID: PMC10577393. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10577393/pdf/SRT-29-e13443.pdf.
3. Giancola, Giorgiana, and Ernesta Malinauskyte. “Adaptive Measures: Translating UV Protection to Hair Claims.” Cosmetics & Toiletries, 29 Mar. 2019, www.cosmeticsandtoiletries.com/testing/efficacy/article/21837357/adaptive-measures-translating-uv-protection-to-hair-claims.

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