Is your colourist over-processing your hair?

This is not a paid post.

When I first visited Tina at Sanrizz, Knightsbridge, she told me that my hair was over-processed. 

You think you go to good salons (I was going to a well-known salon in Covent Garden) so you can take the advice of the colourist and trust them. How wrong I was. It turned out that the colourists there were not putting the gloss on my ends for the time recommended by the manufacturer and, therefore, the colour was fading quickly. That meant I had to keep putting the gloss through the ends which had a devastating effect on my hair. It was dry and frizzy. I thought as I coloured my hair it was something I had to put up with. I was wrong.

What some colourists call glosses are, usually, demi-permanents which are ammonia-free but have a small amount of peroxide. Damage may be minimal when used correctly but as it opens up the cuticle it can leave hair with the dreaded frizzes and lacking in moisture.

Semi-permanents coat the hair but wash out quickly. Dark colours can run if you get caught in the rain or on a hot day if you perspire.

Tina uses a permanent colour on my roots. It is now over six months since she used a “gloss” on my ends. And, wow, are my locks in better condition. No longer does it turn to candy floss when I am in humidity. It still gets a little fluffy as this is my natural texture so there is nothing I can do about it.

I was tempted to buy the new ghd glide hot brush but I know the heat will kill my hair and having worked so hard to get it back on form, I resisted.

If you are getting problems with your hair after colouring, it may be time to get another opinion.

By Daralyn Danns

Good leave-in hair treatments

This is not a paid post. Products are press samples.

I always find a good leave-in treatment makes a difference to how long your style will last after blow-drying and also keeping frizz at bay.

After years of using products from the big brands, I now seek out those with niche labels. These two are my favourites.

Shea Moisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen & Restore Leave-In Conditioner, £12.99, feelunique.com
I cannot rate this highly enough. It is a great weapon in the battle against frizz as it forms a protective layer over the hair, leaving it feeling soft and silky.

If you have coloured hair or are addicted to straighteners, this is the product for you. Also is ideal for those with curly locks. Another tip for second day hair, is to put a small amount through your hair and put on a shower cap to cover. The steam from the shower will help to get rid of any kinks or fuzzy bits you may have. This conditioner does not contain parabens or sulphates. 

Davines Ol in One Milk, £20.50, libertylondon.com
This is perfect to use before blow-drying or to revive hair the next day. This light-weight spray, enriched with provitamin B5 and racou oil, detangles and aids in the fight against frizz as well as helping to make hair smooth and shiny.  Ideal if your hair is fine. My hero product from this Italian brand.

By Daralyn Danns

Spotlight on Clarins Extra-Firming Phyto-Serum, £75 & Extra-Firming Eye, £41

This is not a paid post. Products are press samples.

As we age we know only too well that things do not function as well as they used to do. 

So besides surgery or injecting fillers into the skin, what is a woman to do? Well, according to Clarins, the answer is Kangaroo flower extract from Australia. It helps to boost skin’s regeneration.

The new Clarins Extra-Firming Phyto-Serum (£75) laced with two new plant sugars, blue agave and quinoa, is a potent cocktail that visibly makes your complexion look lifted and firmer from the first application. There is also Extra-Firming Eye (£41). If slackened skin is your problem, these products are worth a shot.

By Daralyn Danns