Top Ten Hair Care Tips

Article by BR Natalie

It might seem like hair care products are constantly developing and evolving but when it comes to the basics of hair care things don't really change much at all.  Here's our top ten hair care tips, whatever your hair type or style!

1. Rinse your hair thoroughly after shampooing and conditioning.  Left over product and residue will dull hair, make it look greasy and weigh it down.  Aim to spend as long on the final rinse as you did shampooing and conditioning.  Agitate the roots with your fingers to ensure all product residue is removed.
2. Make the most of conditioning time.  We all know the power of a good conditioner.  They leave our hair soft, supple and shiny.  But don't just slap on your conditioner and rinse straight away.  Once you've applied conditioner to the mid-lengths and ends of your hair use a wide tooth comb to distribute the conditioner, stimulate the scalp and leave your hair shiny and tangle free.
3. Don't fall for 'You must change your products or your hair will get used to them'.  Your hair is effectively dead from the roots down - it doesn't feel and it certainly doesn't know if you're using the same brand day after day, month after month.  If you've found a product that works for you, don't feel the need to change it up every month.  The products will perform in the same manner every time you use it, although if your hair is oil-prone or you use a lot of waxy or sticky styling products, be sure to use a clarifying shampoo once a fortnight to remove residue and product build up.
4. Get your ends trimmed regularly.  Contrary to popular myth, trimming your ends doesn't make you hair grow any faster.  On average your hair will grow 1/2 inch a month, whether you have regular trims or not.  Trims ensure your hair looks it's best by removing split ends, which make hair look unruly, dry and damaged.  Clinging on to split ends won't maintain your length, as the strands will continue to split further up the shaft - and they won't do it evenly, meaning when you do eventually go to the salon you'll probably need more taking off than you really want just for the sake of evenness.
5. Exercise good blow drying.  If you can skip blow drying altogether, all the better for your hair, but if you must blow dry follow these rules. Opt for the medium heat setting, it might take a little longer, but it's better than essentially frying your hair on the highest setting.  Hold the dryer at least 6 to 8 inches away from your hair and direct the air blast down the shaft from the root to prevent frizz.  As with any kind of heat styling, don't forget to use some form of heat protection when blow drying. Experiment with serums, milks, creams and sprays to find what works best for you.
6. Go easy with the brush.  Brushing your hair 100 times morning and night will not leave your hair any more shiny than usual.  It might cause some unwanted breakage and frizz though.  It's best to brush your hair when you need to - so when you're styling it.  Avoid brushing wet hair, as when hair is wet, it's at it's most fragile.  Opt for a wide tooth comb or a gentle tangle brush to de-tangle wet hair, and reserve the brush strictly for styling.
7. Use a towel gently.  You know the vigourous towel drying you mum would subject you to?  Do the exact opposite!  Rubbing your hair with a towel when it’s wet will ruffle the cuticle and cause tangles, increasing frizz and damage.  De-tangle hair while conditioner and gently squeeze out excess water after rinsing.  Wrap your hair in a microfibre towel and towel dry gently, with minimum effort!
8. Volumise the easy way.  Even when opting for a straight look a little volume will give hair a fuller, bouncier and healthier look.  If you're blow drying flip your head upside down and blow dry until almost dry.  Flip your volumised hair back and finish styling and smoothing for a volumised look with out the need for extra product.  A simple trick for a fuller hair do is to part and style your hair in the opposite direction to usual. Try it! You can also consider using technology to pump up the volume. L'Oréal Paris ELVIVE has an active ingredient called Filloxane in their Fiberology range that penetrates deep in to the hair fibre, and then expands and solidifys, creating thickness from within. We're going to be looking for a trial team to review this range for us this week so if you have fine hair stay close!
9. Amp up the intensity.  At least once a fortnight treat your hair to an intensive treatment.  Many brands such as L'Oréal Paris ELVIVE offer an intensive treatment product so you can continue to use a complementary product to your existing shampoo and conditioner. For faster penetration of the product wrap a warm towel around your head. Leave it for 30 minutes before rinsing thoroughly.
10. Use the right product for your hair type.  You might think product varieties are marketing hype, but if you want to get the most out of your products, look for products especially formulated for your hair type.  For example curly hair is naturally dry (oil doesn't travel down the kinky hair shaft as easily as on straight hair) so products aimed at curly hair will contain ingredients to soften the hair and minimise frizz, helping the oils travel more easily.  They're likely to be creamy and moisturising.  Conversely products aimed at oily hair will be light and gentle (look for a thinner consistency and clear colour).  So whether your hair is fine, limp, dry, damaged, coarse, coloured, curly or oily, look for a product range that address the specific needs that come with each type.

So there's our top tips - what tips do you have to share with us?  Get chatting below!