I rather abused my hair in 2013. I coloured it, grew it, cut it, styled it and even added in super long hair extensions for a few months, followed by a rather sad period of mourning said extensions. The result was a scraggly mess of hair that needed a lot of care and attention to get it looking great. My hair was dry, dull, frizzy and suffering from serious split ends - I just didn't know what to do or where to turn. It was by pure chance that I was invited along to Michael Van Clarke's salon in Marylebone for a re-style, where the fabulous Gustav chopped off a length and gave me my mojo back. However, it was the maintenance routine, top tips and products he gave me that have really made a difference over the last couple of months. Finally I have back the hair of yesteryear. As a result, these are my top tips to banish dry, split and damaged hair and help get your hair looking fabulous again.
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1. Get A Great Cut
Although it can be incredibly tempting to 'grow out' your hair when it's feeling a bit drab, it will just leave you feeling frustrated. Leaving your hair to do its own thing for months on end will only see you pinning it up, in an attempt to hide the lack of style, and struggling with styling tools. Getting a great cut from a fab hairdresser will help you to 'reset' and get a look that will work with your current situation. Although I was despertaely trying to keep my length, Gustav at Michael Van Clarke explained it was weighing my hair down and making it look drab; cutting off a significant length enabled it to bounce back and look 100% thicker - I couldn't be more pleased. A great cut is incomparable to anything else.
2. Turn Down The Heat
We're all guilty of using too much heat on our hair - it's the one thing that will damage it the most, causing hair to become dull, brittle, broken and frizzy. Turning down the heat of your hair straightener, removing the nozzle on your hair dryer and trying to air dry as much as possible will seriously help to improve the condition of your barnet. If you make a commitment to only style your hair completely once or twice a week (leaving it more natural and free-flowing the rest of the time,) it will not only help improve the condition, but leave you much more satisfied when you do style your hair to perfection. Don't forget to protect hair with a great heat protecting spray too.
3. Treat Your Hair
There are some great treatments available to help repair hair from within, and the Pre-Wash Treatment (£29.00) from Michael Van Clarke has been my ultimate saviour. You can use this before you wash and condition your hair, leaving it for around an hour before you jump in the shower, or simply wack it on and relax in the bath for as long as possible. As it's super light and non-gloopy, you can also apply it before bed to let the nutrients really get to work. The Pre-Wash Treatment has been infused with a cashmere protein to help slow down the ageing process of hair, as well as being specially formulated to protect from everyday stresses to leave hair stronger and more resilient. The result is hair that looks and feels so much better, added strength and a touch of shine.
4. Use Amazing Products
Great hair isn't just about a fab cut and minimising the use of your electrical styling tools, but about the great products you use too. Adding a touch of serum or oil to hair will not only help reduce frizz, but will add a touch of shine which will add the look of health to your hair. I'm currently loving Aveda's Dry-Remedy Oil (£17.50), which is also fab for using on dry ends to improve the look and feel. It's extremely light and non-greasy, meaning you can build up the amount of product you use (and even add a touch more throughout the day as it's needed.) A little volumising mousse, hair spray and working spray will also help to create volume and movement - something we associate with healthy looking hair.
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Do you have any top tips for banishing dull hair?![]()
1. Get A Great Cut
Although it can be incredibly tempting to 'grow out' your hair when it's feeling a bit drab, it will just leave you feeling frustrated. Leaving your hair to do its own thing for months on end will only see you pinning it up, in an attempt to hide the lack of style, and struggling with styling tools. Getting a great cut from a fab hairdresser will help you to 'reset' and get a look that will work with your current situation. Although I was despertaely trying to keep my length, Gustav at Michael Van Clarke explained it was weighing my hair down and making it look drab; cutting off a significant length enabled it to bounce back and look 100% thicker - I couldn't be more pleased. A great cut is incomparable to anything else.
2. Turn Down The Heat
We're all guilty of using too much heat on our hair - it's the one thing that will damage it the most, causing hair to become dull, brittle, broken and frizzy. Turning down the heat of your hair straightener, removing the nozzle on your hair dryer and trying to air dry as much as possible will seriously help to improve the condition of your barnet. If you make a commitment to only style your hair completely once or twice a week (leaving it more natural and free-flowing the rest of the time,) it will not only help improve the condition, but leave you much more satisfied when you do style your hair to perfection. Don't forget to protect hair with a great heat protecting spray too.
3. Treat Your Hair
There are some great treatments available to help repair hair from within, and the Pre-Wash Treatment (£29.00) from Michael Van Clarke has been my ultimate saviour. You can use this before you wash and condition your hair, leaving it for around an hour before you jump in the shower, or simply wack it on and relax in the bath for as long as possible. As it's super light and non-gloopy, you can also apply it before bed to let the nutrients really get to work. The Pre-Wash Treatment has been infused with a cashmere protein to help slow down the ageing process of hair, as well as being specially formulated to protect from everyday stresses to leave hair stronger and more resilient. The result is hair that looks and feels so much better, added strength and a touch of shine.
4. Use Amazing Products
Great hair isn't just about a fab cut and minimising the use of your electrical styling tools, but about the great products you use too. Adding a touch of serum or oil to hair will not only help reduce frizz, but will add a touch of shine which will add the look of health to your hair. I'm currently loving Aveda's Dry-Remedy Oil (£17.50), which is also fab for using on dry ends to improve the look and feel. It's extremely light and non-greasy, meaning you can build up the amount of product you use (and even add a touch more throughout the day as it's needed.) A little volumising mousse, hair spray and working spray will also help to create volume and movement - something we associate with healthy looking hair.
Do you have any top tips for banishing dull hair?