How to protect your hair on a plane journey

This sunny weather's got us thinking about holidays, and if you live in the UK, you know that the best getaways are the ones that involve jet-setting overseas to a location of warmer climes.

While we're secretly like little kids in the airport environment, our bodies are far less excited about the prospect of a several-hour-long plane journey. It's no secret that flights, whether long-or-short haul, can cause all sorts of damage to our hair, skin and bodies. While this damage can't be all-round prevented- unless someone finds a way to turn altitude off- there are things we can do to make sure we're protected on our journey.

What happens to hair on a plane?

First off, let's get to the science behind what really goes down with our hair when we're living our best duty-free lives thousands of miles above the ground. Sitting for several hours on end in recycled cabin air is hardly the healthiest atmosphere for your hair, leaving it flat and frizzy.

The lack of fresh, clean air can cause hair to dry out, and if you're static-prone as it is, expect to leave the plane looking like you've just been electric shocked. You may also find that the staleness of a plane environment causes hair to take on a funny smell, too.

The problem doesn't magically go away once you arrive at your destination, either. Your already-tired hair then gets subjected to a good ol' dose of sunlight, which it's hardly used to, if you come from the UK. A bit of sunlight's good for you, of course, but an excess of UV rays can be incredibly damaging to the scalp and hair cuticles, leading to discoloration, dryness, split ends, thinning and frizziness.

How can I protect my hair on a trip away?

We promise it's not all doom and gloom- there's plenty that can be done to keep your hair happy and healthy on your travels.

There are plenty of ways to prepare your hair pre-flight to avoid too much of the nastiness once you get to the other side. If you want to avoid unruly hair in a location where there's really not much that can be done about it, do the easy thing and scrape it back into a fixed bun for the flight. This should avoid the excessive frizziness of wild hair let loose in a cabin atmosphere.

You can prepare for your hair drying out, too, by giving it a good dose of moisture before your plane journey. The easiest way to do this is to apply a hair mask the morning or night before, which will condition strands, helping them to retain their smoothness and shiny quality.

Alternatively, hair oils are just as effective in keeping hair hydrated- and bonus points to you if you bring a travel-size bottle with you to apply on the plane. If even oils seem like too much fuss, there are plenty of leave-in conditioners that you can apply to your ends to ensure they don't become too brittle in the dry air.

Any post-flight funny hair smells can be dealt with simply by bringing a hair fragrance along with you. Don't be tempted to settle for perfume. Often they contain alcohol, which dries out hair- not what you need right now. Instead, go for a scent that's been designed for use on hair; there are plenty available at your local beauty store or online, trust us. A hair scent should keep you going until you can get to your hotel and give your hair a much-needed rinse-off and wash (remember to always bring your own shampoos and conditioners with you to avoid poor-quality hotel alternatives!)

Finally, hair can easily be protected from too much sunlight simply by covering up with a cap or a sun hat. If you want to go that extra mile, there are special UV-protection sprays made specifically for hair that you can take with you, which should help your hair to stay healthy and fresh throughout your trip.

If you're going away soon, be sure to keep these little snippets of advice in mind- you'll be thanking us later, we promise. Wherever you're off to, happy flying! Us, jealous? Not at all. *Disappears off to cry in a corner*