Long flights and sudden climate changes can be absolutely brutal on your hair. Hours in super dry airplane cabins pull moisture from out of your strands and leave your hair feeling stiff. The last thing you want is to be dealing with frizzy and fragile locks before you even land. If that’s not enough, the shock of a new environment and going from dry to humid or cold to tropical air with salty coastal breezes will make your hair fall flat.
Thankfully, we’ve got you covered, but let’s start off with something you definitely shouldn’t be doing.
The No-Protection-While-Flying Mistake
Airplane cabins have extremely low humidity levels, which means moisture is constantly being pulled from your hair while you’re in the air. So, flying without any form of protection is going to leave your hair shaft exposed. The shorter point is that hydration will escape. That means your strands will be vulnerable to dryness, brittleness, frizz and breakage.
Before boarding, you have to apply a lightweight serum to help seal moisture in and create a
protective barrier against dehydrating cabin air. This step is especially important for the mid lengths and ends. Why? Well, because this is where dryness and damage tend to attack your hair first.
We recommend The Runway Looks Lacquer Silk Smooth Serum before flying because it gives you lightweight shine and smoothness without weighing your hair down. It’s enriched with Meadowfoam Seed Oil, which helps lock moisture into your hair shaft. It’s great for
all hair textures because it reduces friction and static during travel.
Think of this as skincare for your hair. You wouldn’t sit through a long flight without moisturizing your skin, right? So, you should also protect your hair and treat it as a non-negotiable part of your travel routine.
Tight Travel Hairstyles That Cause Breakage
This is another big one when we’re traveling. Hair gets in the way and when you’re running between terminals before a flight or switching lanes on a road trip, you don’t need your luscious locks getting in the way. Now, having your hair up can be protective but only in certain circumstances. Wearing tight ponytails or buns for long periods of time is not one of those circumstances. In fact, doing that long-term is only going to create constant tension on your hair. In other words, it will break.
Your hairline, nape and ends are the most vulnerable points on long flights because these are the areas that experience the most friction and pulling while you’re sitting. The combination of dryness and tension can lead to thinning edges and snapped strands.
We recommend you go for low-manipulation or low-tension styles during a flight or long car ride. It will help in that you won’t have all that unnecessary stress on your hair while you’re traveling. Think of soft braids or loose twists. You could try a messy bun that allows your hair to stay protected without being pulled tight.
Over-Touching and Dry Brushing Mid Flight
If your hair starts to frizz and you get sight of it mid-flight or trip, you might think that you should reach for your brush. Don’t! When your hair is dry, it becomes far more fragile and prone to breakage. During flights, excessive touching or brushing increases static, which can quickly make your manageable hair frizzy.
Avoid aggressive brushing at all costs, especially on dry hair. If you grab that brush, you’re only going to disrupt the cuticle and worsen your frizz. On top of that, you’ll be weakening your hair’s overall structure.
If you’ve got knots, do a bit of finger-detangling. You can reapply the serum just before you land, but keep it minimal.
Locked-On Target Treatments for Travel Hair Issues
Travel hair care works best when you’re choosing treatments correctly. That means taking care of your hair based on what your hair is actually going through. You have to choose products and add them to your routine if you’re planning on traveling soon.
Protecting Hair From Long Flights and Dry Air
Preparing your hair before travel is one of the best ways to minimize damage during long flights. Start with a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner to help you build a strong hydration base. This will give your hair the strength to deal with the dry conditions of airplane cabins.
Use The Runway Looks Hot Topic Anti-Frizz Shampoo and The Runway Looks Luscious Curls Anti-Frizz Conditioner. It’s also important to avoid over-clarifying your hair while you’re traveling. Clarifying shampoos can strip away natural oils that your hair needs to stay flexible, especially when you’ve exposed it to dry air.
Managing Hair Through Climate Changes
After your flight, conditioning treatments or masks will help you get your softness back. You’ll need to focus on getting your elasticity and overall hair health back up to scratch. If you’re heading somewhere with a dry climate, remember that moisture is going to be pulled out of your hair. Ultimately, the type of mask you use depends on the shampoo and conditioner combo that you’ve picked. If you’ve gone for our Anti-Frizz Shampoo and Conditioner, use our Mask Caffe Deep Conditioning Mask.
Love Your Locks While You’re Traveling
In the end, travel doesn’t have to mean you arrive at your destination with damaged hair. If you use the right preparation steps and get some climate-aware care, your hair can stay hydrated and manageable from takeoff to landing.
Shop your personalized holiday hair stack now at The Runway Looks and start the new year off with good hair days.