While we break out the coats and look up that great recipe for the best hot chocolate (again) summer is a distant memory, but has your hair recovered? Ricky Allen spoke with three hair experts to uncover their insights on post-summer hair care and how products have evolved to meet the unique needs.
Ash Croker
Renowned stylist, national hair educator for L’Oréal Paris, and owner of The Salon by Ash Croker in Clovelly, NSW, Ash Croker, shared her expert insights and answered some key hair care questions for us:
What are the biggest hair concerns that people exhibit at the end of summer?
Their concerns include dehydration, split ends, sun damage and colour fading. The summer climate can also lead to metal build-up in the hair from water exposure. This leads to dullness, lack of shine and harder to manage hair.
Does the hair grow faster in summer affecting hair styling?
Yes, hair does grow faster. This accelerated growth can affect the longevity and shape of certain hairstyles, requiring more frequent trims and maintenance to keep the style looking fresh.
Which should you prioritise first: colour, condition, or style? And can they be addressed simultaneously?
Improving the condition should be the first priority as this provides the best foundation for both colour and style. Restoring moisture, repairing damage and strengthening the hair ensures that colour takes more evenly and lasts longer. However, a tailored approach can address colour, conditioner and style simultaneously with the right treatments and professional techniques.
What do you suggest for in-salon care and should this be followed with home care as well?
For salon care, I always start with scalp health. I use the K-Scan to professionally diagnose any concerns, including issue with the scalp microbiome. In-salon treatments like Fusio Scrubs are also fantastic for deep cleansing and revitalising the scalp. Of course, following up with the right at home care is essential to maintain and support the in-salon work.
What do you suggest for hair colour for the cooler months?
It is a great opportunity for blondes to go a little deeper with their shade to complement the richer clothing palettes of the season and our typically fairer skin tones. I also suggest your colourist do a skin tone analysis to ensure your colour enhances your natural complexion and suits your seasonal look.
What about style, should we change or modify our hair styles for winter?
In winter, I always love a fringe – it is the perfect season for it. A shorter length also pairs beautifully with coats and layered fashion. I love to play with more cuts during the cooler months. An added benefit is that I can eliminate any split ends that do not respond to treatments.
Adrian Mezzina and Tim Persley
Next on list of hair experts are the dynamic duo Adrian Mezzina and Tim Persley, developers of the Australian-made haircare brand St. Louis Says and owners of Brisbane men’s hair salon Twin Palm.
Do you have a main post-summer haircare focus?
We launched St. Louis Says to keep haircare routines clean, simple, effective and accessible and – that is our mission. More of our customers are looking to go deeper in caring for their scalp and rest of their hair, especially after summer.
How does St. Louis address seasonal hair concerns, like post-summer damage, while providing accessible guidance for healthy hair routines?
Our whole range including our treatment masks with key ingredients such as Piroctone Olamine and Salicylic Acid, lead, the charge for healthier, stronger hair long term, no matter the season. Over the last eight years in the industry, we have seen how people are unsure how to adapt their haircare routine. There is a real appetite for guidance that feels approachable. We weave seasonal tips into everything – from our packaging, socials, our journal at stlouissays.com.
What solutions do you offer for people with hair that is still suffering at this time of year?
Our ranges are designed to be universal as well as responding to today’s market. We create solutions that are results driven across all ages, from working on stress, environment ageing and hereditary hair problems. Our products are definitely necessary to help with end of summer hair damage.
What specific products and tools do you offer to address this?
Products such as St. Louis All Hail Hydration Moisture Repair Duo ($46) St. Louis Says Hair Masks offer deep nourishment without the extra weight on the hair so that hair feels shinier, softer and generally healthier after only one use – such as the Resurrection Repair Treatment Hair Mask ($27). Our new scalp massager is an essential hair health tool, as it really helps to improve the circulation to the scalp. Look out for our new Infrared Brush which will be a game changer in hair care.
Adir Abergel
Lastly, we spoke to Adir Abergel, Virtue Haircare Creative Director and hairstylist to Hollywood stars.
What do you recommend from the Virtue range for hair that is still suffering summer damage as we approach winter?
Virtue hair care is an ideal range for addressing this by creating and maintaining beautiful healthy hair. All products contain Alpha Keratin 60ku®. It is clinically proven to heal the hair from the outside in. It replaces lost keratin as it is an 100% bio-identical ingredient, making it identical to the keratin in your hair and perfect repairing summer damage.
Virtue also has masks such as the Virtue Restorative Treatment Mask ($47) as well as their Virtue Healing Oil ($38), both of which should be used once a week, throughout the year, especially at the end of summer to cope with that extra damage done to the hair. Virtue Hair Recovery Shampoo and Conditioner ($123) is also excellent for healing unhealthy hair.
Any other tips to address this problem?
Sleeping on a silk pillowcase is also beneficial to the hair. Gaining healthy hair and keeping it healthy also means using the appropriate products for your hair type such as thin, thick, curly etc. If you have fine hair that gets oily you should wash daily and use the conditioner from mid shafts to the ends and if dry and full then wash twice a week and use conditioner closer to the roots.
One tip I recommend is to emulsify the conditioner in my hands first then apply to the hair. We recently launched the Virtue Scalp Remedy Duo which is an essential duo to use during the year as our hair problems start at the scalp. This duo does not just clean, but actively rebalances the microbiome of the scalp.
Final thoughts
As the seasons shift, so too should your approach to haircare. The insights from Ash Croker, Adrian Mezzina and Tim Persley, and Adir Abergel highlight just how important it is to nurture both the scalp and hair with targeted treatments, professional care, and thoughtful at-home routines. From revitalising the scalp and embracing richer tones to choosing season-specific products, post-summer hair recovery doesn’t have to be complicated — just consistent and informed. With the right guidance and tools, healthy, resilient hair can be maintained year-round.
Some other hair care products to try are:
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