If you’re like me, you take sun protection seriously. That means applying a generous layer of sunscreen each morning, reapplying every couple of hours (or sooner if I’m swimming or sweating), and seeking shade whenever possible. I make sure to put sunscreen on my neck and chest, my hands, and my ears. Like I said, I take it seriously.
Recently, though, I realized there was an area I was missing—my scalp. Sure, I wear a hat to the beach, but in everyday life, I’m rarely protecting my scalp and hair like I should be. This has resulted in more than one scalp sunburn where the skin under my hair part turned an angry red color and peeled off in dandruff-like flakes. Sorry for the visual, but yeah, it wasn’t nice.
Apparently, I’m not alone in forgetting to protect my scalp (and hair) from the sun’s harsh rays, because derms say it’s one of the most neglected areas. Take it from board-certified dermatologist and founder of FACET Dermatology, Geeta Yadav, MD. “This is a commonly overlooked area. It sounds silly, but many of us forget that the scalp is skin and it goes neglected often, including when it comes to suncare. The parts of our hair leave our scalp exposed, leaving it susceptible to sunburn and sun damage.”
