hair today, gone tomorrow

There are so many conflicting reports as to how to wash your hair, from washing it every day to once a week… and then what do you wash it with? Traditional shampoo and conditioner combo? Just water? Beer even? Or egg? Yes, egg has been professed to work… well, I’m going to pass on the scrambled egg hair. But all the different hints, tips and ‘how-to’ videos leave me in such a tizz, it’s no wonder my hair’s gone frizzy! So here’s my short and sweet guide to healthy hair, an essential read for these bracing the winter months.
Okay, so the thing that most salons can agree on for general hair care are to, one: get a haircut every 6 weeks to two months. This is not to boost their profits, but because leaving it too long can lead to uneven layers and split ends which leaves hair looking dull and unhealthy. Secondly, whilst some of you might love a nice hot shower, it’s no good for your scalp! A happy medium is what we want, as really hot water is drying and can leave your scalp feeling tight. The third rule of thumb is don’t skip the conditioner! No matter what length your hair is, be it a cute pixie cut or Rapunzel-esque locks, when you shampoo your hair is stripped of its natural oils so not conditioning can leave hair feeling dry and lifeless.
Whatever colour of the rainbow you opt to dye your hair, coloured hair needs to be conditioned daily as it requires moisture to keep it soft and smooth. It is also important to be especially gentle with coloured hair as colouring weakens hair and makes it more prone to breaking. Only use covered hair bobbles to tie your hair up as the metal clasps snag on hair and brush hair with a natural bristle brush when it’s dry.
Wet hair is more delicate than dry hair so don’t vigorously towel dry it after washing, squeeze out water and then gently brush it through to remove excess water.
Finally, that sunshine might be great for your tan, but UV rays react with colour and may cause it to fade or alter so always cover your hair with a scarf or hat if you want to keep your colour vibrant for longer.
If you’re forever on the search for added volume, when blow drying hair, flip your head upside down and use your fingers to create texture and volume. It might sound basic, but the difference it makes really pays off. Next, you need to avoid really heavy conditioners and conditioning styling products, lightweight products will help create and keep lift. Though, as we’ve already learned, even when you want to achieve volume, this doesn’t mean you should boycott the conditioner altogether as nobody wants split ends. If you’re worried about it weighing your hair down don’t apply it to the roots, condition from mid length to the tips for luscious locks.
For those of us with curly hair, according to the experts you should avoid scrunching hair as apparently this doesn’t make you hair curl more, but actually makes curls frizzy and promotes dryness. So, definitely something to avoid. To avoid the dreaded knots, a wide tooth comb should be deployed as this will get rid of knots as well as avoiding the dreaded frizz! And finally, you shouldn’t shampoo your hair too often as curly hair is naturally drier, so shampooing too often strips away oils. Leaving your hair, you guessed it, frizzy! Instead shampoo hair one to two times a week at most!
So with these killer tips, we should all be rocking fabulous hair for 2015… cue Instagram photos!