When: January to February
Wedding planning, bridal trials and
postal strikes may have you pulling your hair out, but we've got
some great tips on how you can get your locks looking their healthy
best.
Its time to get back to basics and
examine your hairbrush. Before you even contemplate deep
conditioning treatments, you need to have the right bristles for
your tresses. Cheap, nasty plastic brushes may sound like a cost
effective idea, but the expensive damage they can cause to your hair
is not worth it. Instead opt for a natural bristle brush for
everyday use and a rubber bristle one for damp hair.
Another insider tip is brushing
your hair before you shampoo it. The brushing will stimulate the
scalp, helping blood flow and growth. When you apply the shampoo its
important to not overdo the product, a simple ten pence size amount
is spot on for most. Believe it or not there is a technique to
washing your hair. Simply piling it up and rubbing the life out of
it will not only increase tangling but also breakage. Instead use
your fingertips and start massaging and working the shampoo into the
scalp. It's a similar technique that your hairdresser uses, as its
thorough but gentle
If your hair is coloured or
highlighted, its essential to use a colour protect shampoo and
conditioner. Normal shampoo can strip the colour out far quicker,
whilst specialist shampoos are far gentler and encourage your colour
to last longer. The longer it lasts the less you have to colour it
frequently, and the less you expose your hair to ammonia's and
peroxides.
Remember when your mum used to nag
you about putting oil in your hair every other weekend? If you
suffered the smelly indignity then chances are that your hair is in
great condition. If you managed to escape it, then you can still
rescue your dry brittle hair. Deep conditioning is the name and
beautiful soft, silky hair is the game. Whether its specific
products from the high street or your mums secret hair oil, slap it
on at least once every two weeks. With traditional hair oil, only
leave on for around half an hour, as you don't want to loosen the
cuticles of your hair too much.
If you use a hair dryer or
straightener, it's essential that you protect your hair from the
punishing heat. Extreme heat can result in crispy fried hair, so use
a heat-protecting product EVERY time. Another great way to protect
the hair is to use an Ionic dryer, which uses cunning physics to
keep your locks lush. Ions contain the all-important positive and
negative charges. The ion dryer that has these heat busting elements
covers your hair in negative ions, which penetrates wet hair and
cancels out the hair destroying positive heat ions. If that has
brought back horror memories of school, then all you need to know is
that these electrical products cut the drying time in half and give
you fab results.
Ever wondered how the
hairdresser's blow dry looks great and yours looks, well, not so
great. Apart from the years spent at hairdressing school, one of the
key reasons is that they always use a nozzle on the hairdryer. The
nozzle concentrates the flow of heat, without it your hair is
exposed to the full blast of the hairdryers grill, which can lead to
breakage and damage. You should aim the nozzle in the direction of
the brush as you follow through.
Finally don't be tempted to wash
your hair every day, as yucky as that sounds, excessive washing will
lead to chemical and residual build up on your scalp. Instead let
your hair produce its natural oils in between washes and give it a
few days before you hit the shampoo.
