Since moving to Los Angeles I’ve found a huge change in my hair quality, the weather and massive lifestyle changes have wreaked havoc.

While living in London I was aware that the water in Britain’s capital was extremely harsh, and the weather is terrible, and due to a combination of these two elements, I saw changes in my hair and skin during a period of adjustment to living in London which left my scalp very flaky.

Now that I’ve relocated to sunny Los Angeles my challenges are different, mostly because I’m swimming regularly, in the sea, the hot tub, and the pool.  These are all salt-water pools, and as you may not be aware salt water is really bad for your hair, because when the salt water dries on the hair it creates a high-saline solution which builds up over time and causes hair to feel dry, weighed down and hard to manage.

Because it’s important to wash the salt out of your hair I shower and wash my hair again after swimming, and this excessive hair washing is probably not helping matters.

I am also shedding a huge amount of hair because of dehydration in my hair and scalp, and the salt water is making my hair more tangled, which in turn means more of my hair is getting caught up in my hairbrush. Pulling out clumps of hair from my hairbrush all the time really is terrifying.

I have previously tried taking hair and nail supplements and felt that they were ineffective.

I have also tried using a hair oil, but this process is very time consuming, and to be honest, trying to sleep with hair oil seems to result in oily skin and spots. Instead, I’ve been considering potential shampoos for dry scalp.

I’ve also been considering ways to protect my scalp from the sun damage that comes with living in sunny California. Not being a cap kind of girl, and having very fair skin, I am conscious of sun protection on my face but somehow the scalp gets forgotten.

While the salt is damaging my hair and scalp from an aesthetic standpoint, sun damage on the head is an actual serious issue which can result in skin cancer if you are not diligent.

Sun damage on the scalp, compounded with the salt water, can lead to itchy and flaky scalp, also known as dandruff.  If you get very sunburnt on your head, it will peel just like you would from a sunburn anywhere else on the body.

I’ve experienced sunburn in my hairline parting before and it is horrific, so I try to stay out of the sun and wear my hair in a way that doesn’t leave any one part too exposed. I may have to go hat shopping soon as a proper solution.

Once I have chosen a new shampoo for dry scalp I’m hopeful that the damage to my hair from the sea and sun will start to be repaired so I can make the most of enjoying the California lifestyle and everything it has to offer.