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This season's shades | Looking younger | Remedies | Bad hair | Perms | Dyeing | Home hair tipsHAIR REMEDIES
Wandering through Boots a bit bored, it's tempting to pick up some home dye and envisage new mahogany-toned highlights, only to find yourself staring in your bathroom mirror two hours later with ginger chunks that get brighter by the second. There are ways to remedy any hair disaster - but make sure you choose a good product and always read the instructions carefully!
Too bleached
Bleaching your hair at home can be quicker, cheaper and less tedious than sitting in a hairdresser, but make sure you do it right! Johnnie Sapong, hairdresser to the stars, advises that the absolute darkest shade of hair that can withstand bleach is an ash blonde tone. Any darker and roots look more obvious and can need a professional colour correction. The wisest thing to do is to have darker sections put back into your hair to even out the tone. The peroxide opens up your hair cuticle and strips out your colour, so adding colour will improve the look and with the right intensive treatments will also improve the texture.
Bleaching your hair at home can be quicker, cheaper and less tedious than sitting in a hairdresser, but make sure you do it right! Johnnie Sapong, hairdresser to the stars, advises that the absolute darkest shade of hair that can withstand bleach is an ash blonde tone. Any darker and roots look more obvious and can need a professional colour correction. The wisest thing to do is to have darker sections put back into your hair to even out the tone. The peroxide opens up your hair cuticle and strips out your colour, so adding colour will improve the look and with the right intensive treatments will also improve the texture.
Too dark
Dyeing your hair too dark is easier to deal with than bleaching as the foreign bodies added to your hair shaft can be lifted out. Never colour on top of hair that already has colour in it, or it will react differently from what you are expecting. Ask your colourist to remove any residual colours and have a consultation before you add further colour. If you hate your dark colour, Johnnie advises using crystals to remove the colour. They act as an emulsifier that lifts out the staining of the dye - and you have to take a trip to your salon to have the treatment.
Bad home perm
If your perm ended up far too frizzy and tightly curled, immediately condition your hair with a rich deep treatment conditioner. Comb it through your hair from root to tip and rinse it out after 20 minutes. Then when your hair is still wet, set it in large rollers and leave it to air dry. If this doesn't help, Johnnie admits that you need to have your hair relaxed very gently at a salon. He says: "The last thing you should do is add any more chemicals to your hair. The curls will eventually drop, but as your hair bonds have been restructured, you need to relax it slowly with intensive treatments." In addition you may need a course of after treatments to keep the moisture in your hair.
If your perm ended up far too frizzy and tightly curled, immediately condition your hair with a rich deep treatment conditioner. Comb it through your hair from root to tip and rinse it out after 20 minutes. Then when your hair is still wet, set it in large rollers and leave it to air dry. If this doesn't help, Johnnie admits that you need to have your hair relaxed very gently at a salon. He says: "The last thing you should do is add any more chemicals to your hair. The curls will eventually drop, but as your hair bonds have been restructured, you need to relax it slowly with intensive treatments." In addition you may need a course of after treatments to keep the moisture in your hair.
Cutting your own fringe
It's quite tempting to have a little snip at your fringe in between haircuts rather than traipsing all the way down to the hairdresser. Johnnie agrees that trimming fringes is fine as long as you don't cut straight across or cut it when it's dry. "When your hair is wet it stretches out, so when your fringe dries, it springs up and will be shorter than you expected." He adds: "Be aware that if you have a cowslick, a widow's peak or an awkward hairline you could be risking it."
Pointing your scissors upwards into your hair and using the tip to snip along your fringe takes out some weight and prevents a lop-sided fringe. If you have made a mess, change your parting and wear it to one side, or play around with Kirby grips and clip it aside. Within a month it will have grown out enough to be wearable again.
Too many layers
Everyone knows the feeling when your stylist holds up the mirror and you want to cry but smile and nod politely before shooting into the nearest McDonalds toilet to flatten the mess on your head.
Too many layers can lift your hair up and give it volume that you can't handle, and one way to reduce it is to straighten down your hair. Stylists often blow-dry hot air into the root making it look much bigger than it normally would. Strangely, adding more layers underneath your hair can reduce the chunky look, as the top layers will fall flatter if there is less bulk underneath them. For dire situations, hair extensions will lengthen short sections, but only if they are in the middle or bottom sections of your hair. Short layers on the top of your hair simply need to be grown out patiently.
Chewing gum in your hair
Even if you're not six years old and clueless about the dangers of Wrigleys and Hubba Bubba, it's amazing how often chewing gum can get in your hair: leaning on the back of a cinema chair, toddlers helpfully sticking it in your hair and picking it up from scarves and coats left about in pubs and bars. Fear not, you don't need to take a pair of scissors to your hair but rub in some plain peanut butter instead. Cover the lump fully and gently rub at it, easing it out slowly. If it refuses to come out, freeze it first between two ice cubes and it will chip away with more ease.
Greasy hair
Using lots of products, hot weather, washing your hair too frequently and generally running your hands through your hair can leave it really greasy. However, there is nothing wrong with washing your hair everyday if that's what suits you. Johnnie explains that chopping and changing your shampoos is fine - your hair does get used to types and adapts itself to each one. If you wash your hair everyday with a moisturising shampoo, he advises using a clarifying shampoo on the third day, or if you use a shampoo for greasy hair, use a neutral shampoo every three days.
Words: Monisha Rajesh.
This season's shades | Looking younger | Remedies | Bad hair | Perms | Dyeing | Home hair tips
