8 hours in an air-conditioned office. My summer hair is living in the "dead of winter."

KEMA Column

Advanced · Quality · Oriented

When we think of summer hair damage, most of us picture UV rays or seawater. However, on weekdays, we spend the longest part of our day in air-conditioned offices or indoor spaces. There, a different kind of burden is quietly accumulating on our hair. One is the "dryness" caused by air conditioning. The other is the "tension damage" caused by ponytails or buns worn to beat the heat. In this article, we'll discuss these two hidden types of indoor summer damage and the small changes you can make starting tomorrow.

An air-conditioned office is closer to "mid-winter" for your hair

Air conditioning cools the air while simultaneously removing moisture. In other words, air conditioning is also dehumidifying. While humidity outdoors in a Japanese summer can reach 70–80%, it is not uncommon for the humidity in an office with constant air conditioning to drop to around 40%. This figure is close to that of the outdoors in mid-winter, which is said to be the time when hair is at its driest.

Hair is a "breathing material" that absorbs or releases moisture depending on the surrounding humidity. In a dry room, moisture gradually escapes through the gaps in your cuticles. What makes it tricky is that you likely alternate between the 80% humidity of the outdoors and the 40% humidity of the office during your commute or while running errands. Your hair swells with moisture and then loses it in the AC—repeatedly forcing the cuticles to open and close, which gradually wears them down. The phenomenon of "not having spent time in the sun, yet feeling dry by the evening" is often caused by this back-and-forth movement.

"Directly under the vent" is not a prime seat for hair

In addition to dry air, "wind" is another factor. Just as laundry dries faster on a windy day, if air continues to hit the surface of your hair, moisture evaporation accelerates rapidly. Spending eight hours a day directly under an air conditioning vent or in the path of a draft is like using a very low-heat hair dryer on yourself every single day.

If you have a choice of seats, pick one where the air doesn't hit you directly. If that's difficult, small adjustments like asking for the air vent louvers to be redirected or using a desk partition to block the breeze can change the speed of evaporation. If you use a desktop humidifier to combat skin dryness or dry eyes, it's also a great ally for your hair. Because it's hard to change the office environment alone, it is worth keeping in mind the simple rule: "don't let the air blow directly on your hair."

That ponytail is pulling on your hair and scalp all day long

Another hidden damage is the increase in "updos" during the summer. Ponytails and buns are staples for keeping your neck cool, but tying your hair tightly means applying constant tension to your hair follicles all day. If you tie your hair tightly in the same spot every day, the strain concentrates on your hairline and part, which can lead to breakage or a condition known as "traction alopecia," where the hairline appears to recede.

Additionally, the hair band rubs against the hair at the point where it's tied, causing repeated friction and creating a crease in the same location. The clear "band mark" you see when you take your hair down in the evening is proof of how long your hair was forced into that shape. Hair that has lost its suppleness due to the dehydrating effects of air conditioning is even more vulnerable to this creasing and friction. Dryness and traction are actually two types of damage that advance together in the indoor summer environment.

The secret to damage-free updos is "loose, low, and rotated"

However, it isn't realistic to keep your hair down in this heat. The key is to change how you tie it. First, keep it "loose." Allowing enough room to slip a finger through significantly reduces the tension on your hair follicles. Next, keep it "low." The higher up on your head you tie your hair, the more the weight of your hair concentrates on your hairline, so a low ponytail below your ears or a loose bun is less strenuous. Finally, "rotate it." Shifting the position of your tie or your part slightly every day to prevent strain from concentrating in one place is the best prevention.

Choosing the right tools also helps. Instead of tying it tightly with a thin rubber band, opt for a scrunchie that uses fabric as a cushion, a hair clip that holds the hair across a surface, or a spiral-shaped band that leaves fewer marks. And once you get home, take your hair down first to let your scalp rest. Using the pads of your fingers, gently massage your scalp around where the tie was to relieve the tension on the follicles that were pulled all day.

Mid-day dryness is determined by your "morning prep"

The most realistic way to protect your hair from the dryness of air conditioning is to "seal" it before you leave the house in the morning. Just as you seal in moisture with lotion or cream after toner in your skincare routine, coating your hair with the oils in a leave-in treatment helps slow down moisture evaporation throughout the day. Simply applying a small amount of oil or balm, focusing on the ends, is all it takes.

On days you wear your hair up, applying a thin layer of oil or balm before tying it will soften the friction from the hair band and reduce dryness once you take it down. For stray or frizzy hairs on the surface, take a light-textured serum, spread a thin layer on your palms, and smooth it over—this will tame them without making them stiff. If you feel dryness in the evening, use a tiny amount of balm—just what's left on your palms—to touch up the ends. The trick to looking polished all afternoon is not to over-apply.

After coming home, "untie, loosen, and nourish"

To help your hair recover after a day of enduring air conditioning and tight hair ties, give it a simple recovery routine at night. Once you're home, take your hair down, reset your scalp with shampoo to remove sweat and oils, and use a leave-in treatment after towel-drying to replenish what was lost during the day before blow-drying. Sleep is a time for your hair and scalp to repair. By not going to bed with wet hair and not tying it up tightly, you'll notice a difference in your hair the next morning.

For your daily routine. KEMA's popular items

KEMA's hair care is based on the idea of using advanced liposome technology to deliver repair ingredients deep into the hair, then gently sealing them with oils. For hair that struggles to hold onto moisture even in air-conditioned rooms.

KEMA Penta S Oil

★★★★★ For your morning "seal"

A heat-responsive oil that seals effectively without feeling sticky. Apply before morning styling to protect your ends from office dryness and keep an elegant shine all day long.

¥5,940 (incl. tax)

KEMA Leave-in Balm

★★★★★ For updo prep

A light leave-in treatment. Apply a thin layer before tying your hair to soften friction from hair bands. The light texture is perfect for touch-ups in the evening as well. Won't weigh down even fine hair.

¥5,500 (incl. tax)

KEMA CD Serum

★★★★★ For flyaways and stray hairs

A light-textured styling serum. Spread a small amount on your palms and smooth over the surface to tame flyaways without stiffness, leaving your hair looking sleek and glossy.

¥4,620 (incl. tax)

Korean aesthetics, inherited by KEMA

KEMA cherishes the concepts of order, balance, and harmony. Don't cool it too much, don't tie it too tight, don't apply too much—summer indoor damage control isn't about giving anything up, but rather recalibrating the balance of tension and moisture on your hair. Hair is with you every day, not just under the strong sun, but in cool rooms as well. How you tie your hair today and that single drop of product you use in the morning will shape the hair you have this autumn.