Summer Hair Care: 5 Ways To Save Your Strands From Heat, Chlorine And UV Rays (PHOTOS)

Before stepping outside my apartment building last Saturday, I made sure to cover every inch of skin that wasn't underneath my black and white maxi dress in sunscreen. I felt pretty secure that the tiny brown spots on my face wouldn't grown into massive polka dots before finishing up my errands, but I soon realized that the UV rays had zeroed in on an area I totally ignored: My hair.

I could feel (and smell) my big, curly hair and scalp slowly frying in the sun (oow!). I thought to myself, "If this is what women who skip out on sun block go through daily, I want no parts of it." Vowing to take better care of what we've got on top, we asked four stylists for their best summer hair care advice, including how to detect damage, nourishing and stylish ways to cover up and which shampoo ingredient to avoid. And keep clicking through the slideshow below for our UV-shielding hair product picks.

Meanwhile, find out if you're committing one of these nine sun-protection mistakes.

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