By Memorial Day weekend, you're either at Elkhart Lake, on a Lake Michigan beach in Sheboygan or Port Washington, or pulling into someone's cottage on one of Wisconsin's hundreds of inland lakes. Within a few weekends, you'll start to notice it: your color isn't quite the color you left the salon with. Here's why summer fades color so quickly — and the seven things you can actually do about it.
Why Summer Is So Hard on Color
Three things conspire against your color the second the weather warms up: UV rays, mineral-rich water, and chlorine. Each works on the hair shaft differently, and each is harder to undo than the next.
Sun (UV)
UV oxidizes the color molecules locked in your hair's cortex. Reds fade first, followed by warm blondes, with cool tones often shifting brassy as the underlying warm pigment underneath gets exposed. A single full-day at the lake can visibly soften a fresh balayage.
Lake Water
Wisconsin lake water carries minerals, organic matter, and (in some lakes) trace iron or copper. These bind to the hair and dull tone, especially on lighter blondes and any dimensional color work. Repeated exposure without rinsing accelerates the fade and can shift cool blondes warm — or worse, slightly green.
Pool Chlorine
Chlorine is the harshest of the three. It strips natural oils, opens the cuticle, and reacts with copper from pool plumbing to deposit a green tint on lighter hair. One afternoon in a pool without rinsing can do more damage than a full week at the lake.
Tip 1: Wet Your Hair Before You Get In
The single most under-used trick: soak your hair in clean fresh water from the dock or beach shower before going into the lake or pool. Hair is like a sponge — once it's already saturated with clean water, it absorbs much less of the lake or chlorinated water it gets dunked in.
This one habit alone cuts color fade dramatically. Pair it with a leave-in conditioner spray applied just before swimming, and you've created a barrier that absorbs the worst of the contact.
Tip 2: Rinse Immediately After Swimming
The longer lake water or chlorine sits on your hair, the more it deposits and damages. Rinse with fresh, clean water within 15 minutes of getting out — even if you don't have time for a full wash. Cottage outdoor showers, marina rinses, or even a water bottle squeezed over your head are all better than nothing.
Save the actual shampoo wash for the end of the day. Each shampoo cycle pulls a bit of color, so washing every time you swim accelerates fade rather than preventing it.
Tip 3: Wear a Hat (Or a Scarf, Or Anything)
Physical UV protection beats every product on the market. A wide-brim hat, a beach-friendly headscarf, or even a turban-style wrap on a cottage day shields color from the sun in a way no spray fully matches.
The bonus: hat hair is forgiving. Lake hair under a sun beating down for six hours is not. If you're going to spend a full day on a boat, dock, or beach — wear something on your head.
Tip 4: Use a UV-Protection Spray Made for Hair
Several professional brands make UV-filter sprays specifically for color-treated hair. Apply before sun exposure, reapply every 2 hours and after swimming, and they meaningfully reduce oxidation.
We can recommend specific products at your appointment based on your hair type and color. Most professional UV sprays also include a heat protectant, which is a useful side benefit if you're styling between lake days.
Tip 5: Put a Mid-Summer Gloss on the Calendar
A full balayage every 8 weeks all summer is expensive and unnecessary. A smarter rhythm for many of our clients: full color in May, a gloss or toner refresh in mid-July, and another full color session before fall.
A gloss neutralizes brassiness, refreshes shine, and resets your tone — usually for $40–$75 and 30–45 minutes. It's the difference between feeling fresh through August and feeling like you need to hide your hair under a bun by July.
Read more about color in our balayage pricing guide.
Tip 6: Treat Your Hair Like It's Working Out
Summer-stressed hair needs more nourishment than winter hair. Add a weekly bond-repair or deep-conditioning treatment at home through June, July, and August. Olaplex, K18, or any quality bond-builder used between services keeps the cuticle sealed and color locked in longer.
For severely damaged or compromised hair, in-salon Olaplex bond treatments do work that home-care can't replicate. We add this to color services for any client whose hair is being lifted significantly. Read about how Olaplex actually works.
Tip 7: Consider a Pre-Summer Keratin
A keratin smoothing treatment before lake season seals the hair cuticle, dramatically reduces frizz, and creates a kind of summer armor — water beads off, salt and chlorine wash out faster, and styling time gets cut in half. For women who spend significant time at the lake, on boats, or by the pool, the keratin investment pays for itself in protected color over the season.
Read our complete keratin guide for what to expect.
The Lake-Day Hair Kit
- 01UV-protectant hair spray. Applied before leaving the cottage, reapplied after swimming.
- 02Leave-in conditioner. Light coat before sun, heavier coat after swimming.
- 03Wide-brim hat or scarf. Physical block, no chemistry required.
- 04Water bottle for rinsing. If there's no shower, the next-best move.
- 05A weekly bond-repair mask. Sunday-night routine through summer.
Book Your Pre-Summer Refresh at Ann Michael
The smartest move is the one you make before Memorial Day weekend, not after Labor Day. A pre-summer balayage refresh, gloss, or keratin treatment sets your hair up to hold its tone and integrity through the months of swimming, sun, and lake water ahead.
Ann Michael Collective is at 44d Gottfried St in Elkhart Lake — about 30 minutes from Sheboygan and convenient for clients in Plymouth, Kohler, Manitowoc, Sheboygan Falls, Fond du Lac, and Port Washington. Call (920) 781-2057 or book online to lock in a slot before the lake-season rush.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does lake water damage colored hair?
Yes. Lake water contains minerals, organic matter, and trace metals that deposit on the hair shaft, dull color, and shift tone — especially on lighter blondes and balayage. Repeated exposure without rinsing accelerates the fade.
How does the sun fade hair color?
UV rays oxidize hair color from the inside out, breaking down color molecules in the cortex. Reds fade fastest, followed by warm blondes. Cool tones can shift brassy as underlying warm pigments are exposed.
How often should I refresh my color in summer?
Many clients add a gloss or toner refresh mid-summer between full balayage appointments to neutralize brass and revive vibrancy without committing to a full color session.
Should I wear a hat in the sun?
Yes — physical UV protection is the single most effective way to keep color from fading. A wide-brim hat or scarf protects both your color and your scalp on full sun days.
Is there a UV protection spray for hair?
Yes. Several professional brands make UV-filter sprays specifically for color-treated hair. Apply before sun exposure and reapply after swimming. We can recommend specific products at your appointment.
Book Before Lake Season
Ann Michael Collective — Elkhart Lake. Serving Sheboygan, Manitowoc, Plymouth, Kohler, and the Lake Michigan coast.
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