You know when people say I need a vacation from my vacation? That's how your curly hair feels after a Middle Eastern Summer. High temperatures, relentless humidity feels like it lasts for months on end, and your curls? They somehow have to navigate that battle between excess moisture vapour and drying air conditioning, leaving them in survival mode. By September, many women step into a curly hair salon in Dubai searching for one thing - repair!

People often associate curly hair repair with a simple wash, condition and a targeted treatment at the salon. We’re going to take it a step further to say - it will take more than one salon visit to repair your curls. As noted in our expert tips section of the best curly hair salons article, that health of your hair is ultimately determined by the healthy hair habits you adopt and maintain as part of your regimen, outside of the salon. 

From weekly use of a deep conditioner and leave in to your protective night care for your curls - this is where the recovery begins. Repairing your curls post summer requires you to adapt your curly hair routine, not just to hydrate but to focus on deep moisture using the right curly hair products in Dubai.

What Summer Really Does to Curly Hair 

Summer in the Middle East has always been known for scorching temperatures, leading to discomfort, and you'll often find yourself wanting to minimise the time spent outdoors but yet still wanting to enjoy summer outdoors at beach clubs and rooftop restaurants. This same tug of war exists for your curls - trying to decide whether to let your curls loose and free or just throwing in the towel and slicking it back into a bun or a pineapple. Though we hope this wasn't the case for you this summer - Our Summer Curl Edit was curated for curls just like yours, built on porosity science so you can enjoy sculpted definition and long lasting hold in the height of summer and humidity - The reviews of this limited edition summer curl kit say it all.

Outside of commonly known environment aggressors that have a negative impact on curly hair such as hard water, air pollution, dry air and dry heat. During the summer, curly hair in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and the wider Middle East becomes more exposed to heat generated UV rays, one aggressor that is often overlooked.

Curly hair is structurally more fragile than straight strands. Over exposure to UV rays weakens and can significantly degrade the hair cuticle. This isn’t a claim, this is supported by  evidence in the article Effects of UV rays and particulate matter on hair porosity.

A degraded hair cuticle increases hair porosity, causing curly hair to be more susceptible to brittleness and dryness. Once cuticle health is compromised, even the best curl creams and leave in conditioners struggle to completely hydrate and aid moisture retention. As sun generated UV rays alter cysteine bonds into cystic acid which weakens the hair by reducing its elasticity due to protein degradation. This degree of damage is not always visible to the human eye and doesn’t show up as frizz, but does become apparent with frayed, split ends. The cure is providing your curls with what they crave before damage becomes irreversible. 

Prevention and consistency are your curls armour: start with a gentle clarifying shampoo for curly hair to give your curls a clean slate, followed by a moisture rich regimen which delivers a cycle of deep moisture, strength and repair. A one off hydrating treatment at a curly hair salon in Dubai will not deliver lasting repair but regular balanced moisture - protein infusions beyond the hair’s surface will unlock long lasting hydration and stronger curls. 

Why Deep Moisture Is Essential For Curly Hair Repair

In the curly hair community, moisture and hydrating are often used interchangeably incorrectly. They are not the same and one cannot exist without the other - Moisture doesn’t exist without the first step of hydration. Hydration is a moisture anchor and is made available through water based formulas that quench the surface of curly strands.

This is why a spritz of a hydrating refresher, may temporarily revive definition but cannot meet the deeper structural needs of curly hair, particularly in the Middle East climate. This is also why we recommend a form of conditioning treatment after cleansing. Real moisture that penetrates the hair cortex is only made possible through a deep conditioner.

The benefits of deep conditioning curly hair:

• Increased moisture retention
• Increased hair elasticity and bounce
• Reduced static halo frizz
• Increased natural shine
• Balanced hair pH

When deep moisture becomes an integral part of your curly hair routine, your curls become stronger and more resilient to handle environmental aggressors and remain healthy through every season.

If you're not sure where to start with choosing the right conditioner for your curls, discover our range of moisturising conditioning treatments.

Signs Your Curls Are Craving Deep Moisture

It's easy to miss the signals your curls are sending if your regimen is fixated on your curl type and achieving the best styling results. Curls that are frequently nourished and moisturised naturally deliver better styling results. Where heat, hard water and humidity are daily realities, recognising what your curls need early on is the first step to real curly hair repair. Signs to watch for:

1. Chronic Dryness Despite Regular Product Use - If your curls feel brittle or straw like even after applying a leave in conditioner or curl cream, this is a sign that curls are screaming for a clean slate. It's also a deeper signal that you are in need of a deep conditioner for curly hair. Brittle, straw like curls typically points to an imbalance - too much protein or clogged strands where there has been heavy product use (back to back) and your curls need a reset by using clarifying shampoo.
2. Stubborn Frizz - The occasional frizz is completely normal but if you notice ongoing halo frizz or undefined strands, it means your curls are struggling to retain moisture. Ensure moisture rich products are included in your routine along with strong hold products. Using just a strong hold curl defining gel will mask the problem.
3. Lack of Curl Definition - Curls that are flat, limp and frizzy are an indicator of structural weakness. Often caused by overexposure to hard water, UV rays increasing porosity, resulting in curls that cannot hold moisture or definition. The path to repairing curly hair includes both moisture retention and momentum through moisture rich curly hair products.
4. Split Ends and Breakage - Frayed ends are an obvious sign of dehydrated curls, where you begin to see tangles form quickly, your curls are more fragile, this points to lost curl elasticity. The only way to combat this is to build a regimen that includes regular deep conditioning treatments that offers both essential moisture and protein to rebuild strength.

Post Summer Curly Hair Routine: How To Repair and Hydrate Curls 

Repairing dry parched curls following a Middle Eastern summer required moisture momentum - this simply means a consistent cycle of moisture rich product layer, ensure you do not wait before your curls dry out before remoisturising, its key to understand your porosity in order to determine how much moisture your curls need and how regularly it needs it. Think of your curly hair products as your two-fold armour to prevent and protect - from dryness, frizz and damage.

Step 1: Reset With A Clarifying Shampoo

A clarifying shampoo for curly hair gently removes the weeks of product build up, chlorine and mineral deposits from hard water, creating the perfect foundation for moisture to absorb and penetrate the hair shaft again.

Step 2: Restore With Deep Moisture

Next step following a clarifying wash is a deep conditioner for curly hair at least once week. Once moisture momentum has been built and your curls retain moisture for longer, the frequency can be reduced to every 10-14 days. This goes beyond surface hydration that a curl refresher offers by penetrating the cortex and restoring moisture, elasticity and strength from the inside out. When your curls feel dry, brittle or unmanageable, this is the treatment that will bring them back to life.

Step 3: Lock in Hydration With A Leave In Conditioner

A well formulated leave-in conditioner provides ongoing hydration and primes the curls for styling. This step ensure smoother and more manageable strands that are less prone to halo frizz.

Step 4: Define and Protect with Curl Creams

Seal in the moisture with a curl defining cream or gel designed to keep curls soft, defined and frizz free for longer whilst defending against rapid moisture loss. This is especially key for high porosity hair.

Step 5: Consistency is Key

The biggest mistake many individuals with textured hair make is thinking moisture can be restored with a spritz of a refresher or one off moisturising treatment. True curly hair repair comes from committing to a regimen that priorities moisture, repair and strength at least weekly.

This is exactly why we curate edits like the Summer Curl Edit and why we'll continue to introduce limited edition curations that targets specific curly hair challenges as the seasons change.

In the Middle East, where curly hair requires a little more TLC, your best defence is a moisture rich curly hair routine built on balance and consistency. Deep moisture isn't just a treatment is the foundation of breakage resistant, frizz free curls.