Sunscreens and Hair Photoprotection

Hair photoprotection was not commonly addressed by dermatologists because hair is nonliving and does not require protection from UV radiation to prevent carcinogenesis. Damaged hair from sun exposure could be replaced by new growth, making photoprotection seem irrelevant. However, maintaining the cosmetic value of hair was important to patients, leading to a focus on the chemical effects of UV radiation on hair, hair photoaging, intrinsic UV photoprotective mechanisms, and the use of hair sunscreens. The science of hair photoprotection was in its early stages and an area of active research in the hair care industry.