As temperatures rise, many of us instinctively reach for SPF to shield our skin from the sun's harmful rays. However, the need to protect our hair often goes overlooked, particularly for those with grey locks.Individuals with grey hair are acutely aware of its increased fragility and susceptibility to damage compared to pigmented strands. This inherent vulnerability makes proper protection during the summer months even more crucial. Here’s what hair experts want you to know about grey hair in the sunshine…How is grey hair different?“Melanin is what gives hair its colour, so when you have a lack of melanin, that’s what causes it to go grey,” explains Dr Amy Vowler, NHS GP and hair restoration doctor at the Hair GP clinic.“Grey hair, when it hasn’t got melanin, is more porous, it tends to soak up more things.”Melanin also gives hair “structural protection”, Vowler says, so without that, locks can be “not quite as strong, not quite as resilient – [they] can be more coarse and wiry in some people.“Often that’s because the oils change – how the body produces sebum and oil changes at the root, so that causes this change in how it feels.Grey hair is more porous and “more exposed” to external factors. (Getty Images)Silvina Neder, grey hair expert and founder of haircare brand Silvina London, agrees that grey hair is “more porous”, calling it “more exposed” to external factors – whether that’s oil, salt or, indeed, the sun.She adds: “In terms of texture, due to being more porous, it’s drier and more easily damaged.”How might it be affected by the sun?In Neder’s experience, “It’s mostly the heat that affects grey hair”, she says. “As it’s drier, when it’s heated with any element – for example, with stylers – it burns, and also in the sun.”Vowler explains that grey hair “just hasn’t got the protection that non-grey hair does”, due to this lack of melanin.She says that sun can have a “dramatic effect”, adding: “It can damage the hair itself and make it fragile, weaker, more prone to breakage – it can also change the colour of it.”The heat from the sun “decreases the moisture in the hair and makes it less elastic”, Vowler says. It might become “coarser” and “a bit more frizzy, a bit untameable – generally the hair is not as healthy, basically”.Heat from the sun “decreases the moisture in the hair and makes it less elastic.” (Getty Images)She continues: “Additionally, you’ve got all the skin cancer risks as well. Not always, but sometimes with grey hair, you can have thinning hair – female pattern hair loss is really common and massively underdiagnosed – and as the hair thins, you see more of the scalp, and that leads you prone to skin cancers. We see people have got wonderfully very diligent at covering up their skin, wearing factor 50 on their face, even on overcast days, but the scalp gets forgotten.”That’s why she says: “You want to be protecting your scalp and protecting your hair simultaneously.”How can you prevent sun damage?For Neder, “The best thing” for your hair is to “avoid” sun damage entirely, with both Neder and Vowler recommending wearing a hat when out in the rays.“You also want to get more moisture into the hair, and there are a couple of different ways of doing it,” says Vowler.“Hair masks can be good, or some oils”– but she warns against leaving oils in your hair for too long, as they can “clog the follicles, and it’s not good for the hair”.Vowler is a big fan of using heat protector spray before going out into the sun, particularly on super-hot days where the temperature outside “is going to be just as hot as your hair dryer”.Experts recommend wearing a hat in the sun to protect your hair. (Getty Images)Neder similarly recommends keeping hair “as hydrated as possible”, advising people to look out for products “made specifically for grey hair”, which can hydrate your locks without giving them a blue tinge.Plus, Neder advises using “a lot of conditioner when you wash your hair”, adding: “No direct heat, never for grey hair.”How can you treat sun-damaged hair?After too much time in the sun, Vowler says: “The thing that it’s missing is moisture,” so she advises people to look to hair masks and oils.“Make sure you’re super-diligent with the heat protector spray, because it’s already vulnerable, it’s more likely to be even more damaged, so you want to be extra careful with it,” she adds.“Maybe wear a hat a bit more often, maybe use a really good heat protector spray or sun creams – do everything you can. Imagine you’ve got dry skin that’s a bit inflamed… You put loads of moisturiser on it, you put SPF on it, you keep out of the sun, wear a long-sleeve top.“Treat [hair] in the same way you would dry, inflamed skin, and just give it a bit more TLC.”Grey hair heroesWella Professionals Invigo Sun Protection Spray, £15.97 (was £18.79), Sally BeautyPercy & Reed Heat Protect Spray, £14.98 (was £24), AmazonBeauty Works Solaré UV Leave-In Conditioning Mist, £16.99Provoke Touch of Silver Ultimate Grey Conditioner, £2.99 (was £5.99), BootsQ+A Intense Hydration Hair Mask, £10.95Silvina London The Grey Hair Oil Ritual, £31No98 Beauty The Gloss Miracle Oil, £30