Here's what you need to know to keep your hair healthy, stylish in summer

Kangana Ranaut went all out with her curly look at the Cannes Film Festival picGetty ImagesKangana Ranauts jaunty curls have recently been living it up under the balmy French sun mdash a feat that stylists and other curlyhair wearers swear is much more challenging than it appears The heat and humidity that are typical of Mumbai summers cause curly hair to quickly become dull and dehydrated Your curls lose their shape and definition faster and your mane becomes frizzy discoloured and untameable as the mercury risesMuch of this damage can be attributed to increased exposure to UV light during sunnier months says Dr Batul Patel a dermatologist at The Bombay Skin Clinic UVA radiation is responsible for changes to hair colour while UVB rays cause keratin a fibrous protein that is the primary constituent of hair to deteriorate she explains The heat causes curly hair mdash already drier than straight hair mdash to become even more dehydrated which in turn makes the cuticle the outermost layer of the hair shaft scaly Your hair absorbs moisture from the atmosphere and individual strands swell up leading to that dreaded summer frizz says Amir Khan style director at Jean Claude Biguine It also gets sweatier much faster and regular washing is essential to keep your scalp clean However repeated shampooing can strip your hair of moisture which contributes to more frizz and fewer good hair daysHeres how you can make a few simple changes to your hair care routine and achieve the bouncy curly hair of your dreamsAsha BarrakChoose the right productsThe key to achieving a lush head of curls lies in identifying the right products for curly hair says Pavithra Rajkumar blogger at Purely Curlie Most conditioners and serums contain silicones which leave behind residue To combat this shampoos are infused with sulphates which can be especially drying for curly hair she says Asha Barrak who blogs about curly hair on Right Ringlets and is also the founder of the Facebook group Indian Curl Pride recommends avoiding gels or other hold products that contain alcohol denat SD alcohol or any other forms of alcohol as they can cause further drynessInstead she recommends using a mild sulphatefree shampoo followed by a rich moisturising conditioner Follow this up with a leavein conditioner and layer this with gel to give your hair lasting hold and definition Look for hard hold gels containing styling polymers such as VPVA copolymer and acrylates copolymer or polyquaterniums Avoid products that contain a high concentration of humectants such as glycerine propylene glycol and sodium PCA she says This done scrunch your hair to enhance your curls and let your hair air dry Dont separate your curls as this will introduce frizz she warns adding that the gel can leave a cast as it dries Scrunching your hair to remove this cast once it is completely dry will make your hair feel soft again she suggests Fellow curly hair blogger Pallavi Juneja The Curious Jalebi points out that brushing curly hair causes breakage and frizz Instead she asks that you detangle your hair using your fingers or a widetoothed comb while your hair is still coated with conditionerPallavi JunejaPrevent drynessIn addition to regular conditioning Juneja advocates treating your hair to a moisturising deep conditioning mask at least once a week during summer She uses several DIY recipes including a combination of one ripe banana two tablespoons of olive coconut or almond oil and one tablespoon of yoghurt along with a few drops of your favourite essential oil to combat the odour Leave the mask for roughly 30 minutes before rinsing with plain water Alternatively use two tablespoons of coconut milk and one tablespoon of honey These masks work best when used on freshly washed damp hair Further she advises minimising the use of shampoo during summer and simply rinsing sweaty hair out with water or washing the lengths of your hair with conditioner instead of shampoo She also whips up a simple gel by combining ground flaxseed and water with a few drops of essential oil Products containing genuine Argan oil moisturise hair and fight dryness with remarkable efficiency says Rohit Murgai national head of hair services at VLCCProtect your maneIf you intend to spend a good amount of time in the pool in summer Murgai advises soaking your hair in tap water before heading out for a swim Hair saturated with clean water will not soak up as much chlorinated pool water he says You can also protect your hair with a light layer of oil After each swim make sure to rinse out all the chlorinated water and apply a deep conditioner Juneja also recommends covering your hair with a latex cap while swimming and a satin scarf or hat while travellingDisha JagadishStyle it rightInstead of further drying out your strands with heat styling Disha Jagadish digital marketer and blogger at That Sassy Curl advises slicking your hair back into a high ponytail to stay cool while also flaunting your curls Smoothen out any frizz with gel she says and cover up your hair tie with a section of hair for a more sophisticated finish Messy buns are another simple but stylish way to beat the heat she adds For fancy occasions wear your hair halfup and halfdown pulling the hair around your face to the back of your head and securing it with bobby pins Tug gently on the crown for added volume she says Damaged hair and split ends arent very good at retaining moisture says Juneja who makes it a point to trim her hair before each summer If your hair is extensively damaged choose a trendy layered style to start afresh she advisesCurlspirationActor Tanaaz Irani was amongst the first to proudly embrace her curls on the silver screen and has inspired thousands of women to shun the flat iron Speaking about her summer hair maintenance routine she says I make sure to use a leavein conditioner in summer combined with oil replacement therapy This along with regular hair spas keeps my curls moisturised If I am in a hurry I use an oil mask and leave it on for 30 minutes before washing I dont use too many styling products in summer as they make the hair stiff and hard to maintain In the day I use lighter products that dont weigh the hair down and reserve heavier products for eveningsCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates