By Diana Bowen-Phillips (That's Shanghai)
Updated: 2006-06-08 08:55

Your tresses (golden or otherwise) needn't suffer stress this season in the sun. But protecting your hair from salt water, burning rays and chlorine on your summer sabbatical is something of a fine art.

Which is why I called on the experts before departing for a diving holiday in the Maldives. You see, I was afraid my glossy locks might be ruined what with all the pool and ocean activity.

Cedric Gonzales of Eric Salon advised me to "rinse hair as soon as possible after swimming in the sea or pool, or, obviously, be smarter and wear a swimming cap". Gonzales recommended Schwarzkopf Hair Therapy shampoo and conditioner (RMB 160 each). For instant shine after blowdrying, Gonzales prefers L'Oreal Digit Gloss (RMB 180) which, unlike those drying gels favored by Wham! in the 80s, feeds nutrients to hair shafts while putting the gloss on high beam. Nice with my developing summer tan for full retro effect.

My Salon's  A Tao (whose name means 'wave' so I presume he's good with hair) recommends Kerastase Age-Recharge (RMB 268, sold only at salons) as a reliable pre-swim deep conditioning treatment. "What you need to know," A Tao says, "is that this product is concentrated, so you can afford to use less, with nonetheless deeply nourishing effects."

Be that as it may, I like the fragrance. For those who prefer to DIY, there are a number of other post-surf conditioning treatments, including beer and mayonnaise. Don't laugh; they work. After shampooing, towel dry and rinse with either of these delicious, yet practical substances. Then, wrap your scalp in plastic cling wrap and wait for at least twenty minutes before rinsing thoroughly. And why not? If you’re on vacation you have plenty of time to experiment.

Eric Paris Salons
Location1: Jinmao Tower, No.88 Shiji Dadao
Tel: 13761390706

Location2: No. 4 Hengshan Lu
Tel: 13761390605

My Salon
Location1: 102A-202A, 1/F Vicioris Apartment, No.128 Ronghua Dongdao, by Shuichenglu, Gubei
Tel: 021-62952108

Location2: No.3312 Hongmeilu, by Huaguangu
Tel: 021-64066617