Corkscrew curls, moisturising and stay natural – top tips for home hair care.
Go with the flow of your locks: There's no point desperately trying to straighten corkscrew curls. Nothing can protect your hair from daily abuse caused by 200-degree straighteners, tongs and blow-dryers. Never start styling your hair when it's dripping wet. Leave it to dry naturally, and when it's just damp finish styling with a dryer if you have to.
Moisturise your scalp: For dry, flaky scalps, heat coconut or olive oil in a small bowl and massage it through your hair and scalp. Blast it with a hair dryer to melt the oil, wrap your head in a towel and leave it overnight. Wash as normal the next morning and you'll find your hair shinier and your scalp free from dryness.
Don't over-wash your hair: Your hair needs natural oils to stay healthy. The more you wash it, the faster your scalp will try to replace it. If you do wash daily, lightly dust talcum powder into your roots. If you're dark haired, dip a cotton wool ball in witch hazel and dab it on greasy areas.
Keep ends trimmed: Trimming removes the forked ends that leave your hair with a bushy, straw-like texture. A centimetre off every month makes your hair look fuller, shinier and healthier. Trimming your fringe or bits around your face in between haircuts also makes your hair look tidier and better groomed.
Safe Dyeing: When dying your hair yourself, limit chemical contact with your skin. To prevent the dye from settling spread a thick layer of Vaseline around your hairline where the dye is most likely to meet your skin. Dye will slide over it and wash off. If your skin has been dyed, rub in toothpaste – this takes the colour away.
Stay natural: For healthy hair go natural. Instead of a serum, smooth coconut oil over the ends of your hair which leaves ends looking shiny and plump. If you run out of hair spray, boil a chopped up orange in a pan with two cups of water until it has reduced by half. Strain it, pour it into an atomizer and refrigerate. Add more water if needed.
Increase blood flow: Increase your circulation by massaging your scalp. Each follicle has an individual source of blood and will grow better if stimulated. When you wash your hair, shock the follicles by dousing your head in icy water, then turning the water back to warm. Massaging with the tips of your fingers will get the blood flowing, as will warm baths, spicy food and a bit of alcohol!
Avoid hat hair: Before you put your hat on, part your hair into different sections – this will lift up and keep volume when you eventually take off your hat. For emergencies, keep a sheet of Bounce in your bag and quickly rub it over your hair to get rid of any static charges that make hair stand on end.
Feed your hair from within: Both hair and nails are made from the protein keratin, and ridged or pitted nails is a sign that your hair is unhealthy. Eating one portion of food rich in beta carotene (sweet potato, butternut squash, carrots) daily will noticeably improve your hair. Omega-3 fatty acids (liver, spinach and oily fish) help reduce dandruff and itchy scalps, as well as eczema and psoriasis.
Treat your tresses kindly: Leave your hair down as often as possible so its weight is evenly distributed – tying it back tightly pulls on roots and can cause traction alopecia where hair thins and falls out at the root. Use rubber padded brushes to insulate against static, and always detangle your hair from the ends upwards.
Words: Monisha Rajesh, Photography: John Stewardson, Make up/hair: Nadine Gibbons, Model: Hannah Cook of Adage.
