The main causes of damaged hair

“The main cause of damage to the hair that we commonly see is over use or incorrect use of chemical processes such as bleaches, perms, relaxers, and chemical straighteners or reverse perms,” says Philip Kingsley, a leading authority on hair and scalp health. “Damage most commonly occurs when more than one of these processes is carried out on the same hair.” 

Using too much heat can also seriously harm the hair, especially if it is chemically processed.  So be careful with straightening irons and curling tongs. Even a hairdryer that is too hot can “burn” the hair.

“If handled incorrectly, hot irons are a potential danger to hair, although if they are used with care, the damage they cause is minimal,” says Philip. “For irons to work effectively the hair should be fairly dry, in this way the natural moisture content of the hair is used to create a new style. If care is not taken, you can make your hair brittle.”

Heat can damage the hair’s cuticle (the outer protective layer) by lifting it and roughening it up leading to tangling and potential breakage. Hair can also become dull and you will have difficulty in handling it.  “The hair’s configuration is compromised by this. It is interesting to note that very dry hair (due to heat) frizzes and in many circumstances, moisture penetration from the air and rain can also have the same effect,” says Philip.

Courtesy of  Philip Kingsley

Keratin treatments

You many want to think twice before shelling out on these procedures.

“Keratin treatments are to smooth hair – not necessarily to defrizz or straighten, so they are not as damaging as permanent straighteners,” says Philip. “They are still damaging to an extent, particularly when the process is repeated, as it has to be.”

Philip advises the best way of caring for fluffy hair is to use a moisturising shampoo and conditioner and to use Elasticizer (£27.50), a pre-shampooing treatment once a week and a product such as his Philip Kingsley Preen Cream (£22.50) to help protect and condition.

If you want to have your hair extra sleek for a special occasion, head to the salon. A good blow-dry should last a couple of days, unless you have greasy hair.

Choosing rollers and curlers

Waves and curls are still on-trend and many of us use rollers to create the look, so which ones are the best?

“Look for smooth or foam-covered rollers without spikes and, preferably, without a Velcro-like covering. Why? Because Velco rollers can tangle the hair and can also be impossible to remove without breaking off some hair,” says Philip.

 “Be careful not to roll the hair too tightly, nor sleep in your rollers. Similarly with curlers, remember not to roll too tightly nor over-dry with a hairdryer.”

Heated rollers may be convenient and quick to use, but Philip cautions about over using them as you run the risk of dried and split hair. “Choose steam-producing, thermostatically controlled rollers,” he adds!

By Daralyn Danns

Get clever with your hair brushing techniques

Although we all know that brushing your hair too much can damage it, we do need to use hair brushes when styling. There are so many types on the market that it can be hard to decide which one to buy. Sometimes changing your look means that you need to style your hair differently and a new brush is needed. The bristles and spacing have varying effects when creating your do.

Hair guru, Philip Kingsley advises choosing brushes with long, widely spaced, plastic bristles as they are smoother and blunter, so are kinder to your hair than bristles. 

Jay Goodwin, stylist at Daniel Galvin, advocates using Mason Pearson brushes (or Mason Pearson- styled brushes) for smoothing the hair. “The bristles are densely packed to create tension. The more bristle, the more tension. For styling try a combination of nylon and bristle,” he says.

Denman Paddle Brush

Paddle brushes, he advises are great for flattening the root and getting most of the water out. This wide, flat brush can hold a lot of hair and, therefore, speed up the drying process on long hair.

Denman Paddle Brush (£10, Boots) is a good one. If you want to get more root lift, try brushing the hair in the opposite direction to your parting while blow-drying, then let it fall into place once dry.

“A round brush creates bend in the hair,” says Jay. “If you have shorter hair they are not easy to use as they create lift which you may not need. They are good for straightening curly locks.”

Ceramic brushes have to be used with care, according to Jay. “They can smooth out coarse or processed hair, but the heat burns the hair and damages it, if you are not careful, especially if you hold the brush in one place for too long. They won’t get rid of frizz,” he explains.

Jay’s tip to get rid of frizz is to pull the section out with your hands and then point the nozzle of the hairdryer downwards as you dry it.

For a tussled look, he recommends smoothing out the roots and leaving the ends to dry naturally. Moroccanoil‘s new Frizz Control (£18.65) is perfect for those whose tresses are prone to the dreaded frizz as it does help keep it under control without weighing it down.

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