Summer may be nothing but a distant memory by now, however your hair may still be feeling the repercussions. Damage from sun, salt water and chlorine might be making your hair flat, lifeless and frizzy. Follow these steps to repair and restore your hair to its former pre-summer glory.

Cut off split ends

You don’t need to cut your hair drastica-lly, but trimming the split and broken ends of your hair can help. Split ends keep the rest of your hair follicles broken, and removing them can keep your hair smoother, healthier and allow for faster hair growth.

Change your Hair Products

Consider switching to a shampoo and conditioner designed for moisturizing and color protection. Extra moisture helps restore broken strands, and color protection rejuvenates hair color — both natural and dyed — after months of sun and chlorine bleaching. Try a product like Herbal Essences “Color Me Happy” shampoo and conditioner ($.99, Drugstore), which not only protects hair color against the elements but also moisturizes.

Style Differently

Layoff chemical-filled hairsprays that can buildup and style your hair with leave-in conditioner instead. Even though rinse-out conditioner is still important to restore your hair, leave-in conditioners keep your hair silky all day long. The right leave-in conditioner will strengthen your hair without weighing it down. Consider a product like Number 4 Super Combo Prep & Protect ($32, Birchbox), whose natural conditioners strengthen hair while its UV/Color Polar Shield repairs and protects natural or dyed hair from sun or heat damage.

Soften Hair

Restore softness and shine to your strands by replacing your normal conditioner with a hair mask once a week. Hair masks revive dead locks and protect against future breaking. One great item is Aveda’s Sun Care After-Sun hair masque ($15 on amazon.com), which specifically designed to recover hair that has been weakened by time in the sun through the use of natural oils and proteins.

Lay off the Heat

Exposing your hair to more heat through blow-drying, straightening or curling can cause more heat damage. Your hair follicles can become even more brittle and begin to break. Reduce heat styling until you’ve already repaired your hair from summer damage. If you must use heat for styling, protect your hair by using a heat-protection spray, such as Trésemme Keratin Smooth Hair Protection shine spray ($4.99, Drugstore). The keratin reduces frizz and adds shine.

A version of this story appeared in the Wednesday, Sept. 25 print edition. Bryna Shuman is a staff writer. Email her at [email protected].