Creating the perfect blow-dry with Errol Douglas

One of my favourite product ranges for helping to tame frizz is Moroccanoil. However, it doesn’t matter how good a treatment is, the real secret to a good blow-dry is technique.

Here are some pointers that I picked up from Errol Douglas, one of the industry’s top hairdressers and the Moroccanoil UK and Republic of Ireland brand ambassador.

Errol Douglas

Prepping the hair

According to Errol preparation is crucial. “It’s really important to select the right shampoo and conditioner,” he says. Errol's tip is to choose one that cleans and hydrates without harshness or weighing the hair down.

“Water temperature is also vital to get right. Make it luke warm to cool,” he says.  “Hot water opens the scalp’s sebaceous glands which stimulates an unhelpful grease risk.”

When it comes to using products, less is more. “This really is the most common blow-dry blunder: overloading the hair with too much product,” he exclaims. “It’s true that damp hair is the first step in introducing something that assists styling, but when you select the right product you really do need very little of it.”

Before applying any product to your hair, Errol recommends squeezing and patting your locks dry with a towel. “Avoid rough drying,” he says. “Place the product in the centre of your hand and warm it before applying first at the roots, then through the middle and to the ends.”

Errol, of course recommends Moroccanoil products. He would wouldn’t he? However, I can vouch for this range as it does make a difference. I have recently used Moroccanoil Curl Control Mousse (£14.25, lookfantastic.com) which I mix with Moroccanoil Oil Treatment (£30.45). This cocktail did help keep the frizzes at bay in high humidity.

Blow-drying technique

“Divide the hair into two sections, start at the back and work your way forward,” instructs Errol. “This technique contributes significantly to how long the blow-dry lasts.” 

If you want to add some movement to your style, Errol’s recommendation is to pin  the section you’re not working on up. Leave it to hang naturally if you want to wear your hair straight.

The secret of getting the perfect blow-dry: tension. Errol reveals it is all down to firm pressure with the right brush as you style your hair. “It creates root movement, and this very movement at the root is like the scaffolding of the blow-dry you construct,” he says.

The tools you need are a good quality anti-static round brush to style your hair and a paddle brush to dry the remaining ends. “It’s all in the finish,” says Errol.

By Daralyn Danns

Hair myths

I was talking to somebody yesterday about hair myths. Even some hairdressers give the wrong info, so here are some of the most common.

Courtesy of Hooker and Young

Myth: drying your hair with your head bent forward increases volume and still keeps the cuticle smooth

Truth:  it does. Says hair guru Philip Kingsley: “Blow-drying backwards with the head forward still follows the cuticles (outer layer) and does not roughen them."

Too much hot air can make your hair frizz, cool air can help smooth out your hair in between blow-dries.

Myth: brushing your hair 100 times a night is good for the hair.
Truth: no, brushing should be kept to a minimum to avoid damage.

Myth: frequent trims make the hair grow.
Truth: they will get rid of dead ends, but won’t encourage hair growth.

Myth: acute stress can make your hair full out.
Truth: it can. We normally shed 50-80 hairs approximately a day, but stressful situations can increase hair loss. Other factors such as a poor diet can also have an effect. If, over a period of a month, you think more hair than usual is falling out contact your doctor or go to see a trichologist.

Myth: switch shampoos as your hair gets too used to it.
Truth: there is no scientific evidence to prove this. You might think it does, especially if your hair type has changed.

Myth: frequent washing of hair harms it.
Truth: it doesn’t. Heated appliances can damage the hair if not used correctly.

Myth: rinsing your hair in cold water makes your hair shinier.
Truth: it doesn’t, according to Philip Kingsley.

Myth: colouring your hair causes damage.
Truth: it can. According to Philip – who thinks that if you want to colour your hair you should – if you don’t follow the manufacturer’s instructions, all colouring processes are potentially harmful. Always do a patch test each time you dye your hair and never leave the colour on for longer than the instructions say. Don’t over-process your hair. Coloured hair does need looking after otherwise it can get dry.

Myth: semi- permanent colours are less harmful than permanent colours.

Truth: semi-permanents tend to fade after a few weeks and need to be reapplied. Permanent colours tend to last a lot longer as normally you apply only to the roots after the first application.

Myth: products can mend split ends.
Truth: they can't, but they can improve the look on a temporary basis.

Myth: plucking out a grey hair means two grow in its place.
Truth: no it doesn’t, but it can damage the hair and continually pulling them out could create a bald patch.

Myth: grey hair is coarser.
Truth: Philip says it may be drier and is usually finer.

By Daralyn Danns

Daniel Galvin team work their magic again

Luckily, this time round my colour had hardly faded. It was slightly warmer than I prefer but most people wouldn’t have noticed, I’m just really fussy especially, where my hair is concerned.  

I now feel that I am beginning to see that the wonderful Liz Edmonds, colour director at Daniel Galvin had well and truly put my tresses on the road to recovery.

“We’ll do the roots and put a gloss through the ends,” said Liz. While she set to work we started to talk about new hair colour product launches as I had recently been talking to Wella Professionals about its latest innovation Illumina Color which claims to be a natural-looking dye that will give your hair an incredible sheen It is also supposed to cover white hair effectively. I’m sure coming from Wella it is a good product, but as I know from previous experiences, not every new colorant on the market is right for everybody.

Liz has well and truly turned the corner

It is all too easy to be seduced by adverts from companies promising beautiful coloured hair that won’t fade. But, how many of us when, we go to the salon to get our hair coloured,, ever ask for a colourant by brand name? We are more likely to ask for a certain colourist as we like their technique.

“At Daniel Galvin, we take the best from each manufacturer,” says Liz. “Your colourist will know your hair type and what product to use. Everybody’s hair is totally different.”

Shades can vary from brand to brand making it more difficult to colour match, so if you want to keep stay the same colour don’t switch brands. Manufacturers tend to have different bases for their colours. For example, one make may have more greenish tones, while another may contain red hues making the colour warmer.

Some brands are more suited to certain types of hair than others. If you have really porous hair, the cooler tones will be absorbed more readily, so the colourist needs to work with bases that will provide the desired results. So, in short, if you are going have your hair coloured, leave it to the experts and try to go to a salon such as Daniel Galvin that works with more than one brand.

By the way, if you are going on holiday, Liz suggests having your hair coloured a couple of weeks before you go and protecting it either with a hat or a product that has an SPF. “Hair is dead and you won’t feel it burn,” says Liz.

When Liz unveiled my locks, I saw a beautiful shade of brown, which a friend said matched my eyes. I have to admit, this time is the best it has been since I can remember. Liz has well and truly turned the corner.

By Daralyn Danns

Daniel Galvin (www.danielgalvin.com)