The secret to amazing hair everyday.

By introducing a few basic changes to your hair care routine, your hair will feel and look its best, while avoiding unnecessary damage.

Everyone knows the feeling when you first have your hair done, it looks and smells great, but once you have washed it, you can't get it to look the same. A lot of how your hair will look is determined by how you wash and care for it, and what products you use. When your hair is styled by a professional it can seem like they have performed a small miracle, but once you know how to achieve the same results, you can look your best all the time.

Many people do not wash their hair thoroughly, so they find they need to wash it more often. Always shampoo your hair twice. Generally, once hair needs to be washed the first shampoo will not lather up very well. The first wash will remove the worst of the dirt and the second shampoo will actually be able to clean the hair. Once shampooed twice, squeeze excess water from your hair and apply a generous amount of conditioner from mid-lengths to ends. There is no need to put conditioner on the roots as it will weight your hair down and make it feel like it needs washing sooner.

Only ever use a wide toothed comb on wet hair, and NEVER drag it through tangles, treat your hair with respect like it is spun gold. Hair is fragile when wet and can easily snap, Hold your hair at the top and work your way up the hair shaft, starting at the ends. Do not vigorously rub your hair with a towel, as it will matt up your hair and rough up the cuticle. Instead gentle squeeze it with a towel, if it holds the water, blot using kitchen towel, If you like to put your hair in a turban, use a micro fibre towel, as heavy towel, can break your hair.

Always apply a product before blow-drying your hair, to create a barrier from the heat. If you use a good product, such a Matrix Miracle Creator, it will contain multiple benefits, to save your time and budget; using a multi-tasking product will also help prevent your hair from feeling weighed down. This product claims to have 20 benefits, so is well worth purchasing.

If you are not going out, it is a good idea to allow your hair to dry naturally once a week if possible. If you do like to blow dry your hair, invest in a quality hairdryer. The more powerful, the quicker your hair will dry, which means you will be exposing it to the heat for considerably less time. A professional hairdryer can be purchased for as little as £30.00. Visit a wholesaler if your hairdressers does not sell hairdryers, such as Sallys, which will also sell to the general public, not just trade professionals!

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Many people are sceptical about the benefits of using quality products, but often professional products are not much more in price, but use more expensive ingredients and are targeted for certain types of hair. Cheap shampoo can strip your hair of its natural oils and colour, It will also coat your hair in silicone. The first few times you use products with this in, you will feel that your hair has an amazing shine, but over time it will build up in layers on your hair, quickly making it look dull and weighing it down.

“Silicone is almost like rubber and/or plastic. It is used as a sealant against water and even air. It is not a natural ingredient and its side effects are bad for our hair. It gives the hair the illusion of shine, but it is not the shine we want—it is a fake shine from the plastic. The shine we want is when the cuticle layer is sealed and light reflects off the hair. This only happens when hair is properly hydrated and kept as healthy as possible.

Silicone will weigh the hair down making it limp, lifeless, and with time, very dull. It prevents moisture from penetrating the hair shaft and becomes like a magnet for dirt and other ingredients. So in essence, we get a good shine for a couple of days, but over time it will attract more buildup on the hair. With time it will dry the hair out because it won't allow in the conditioner and it ends up sitting on the surface. Due to lack of moisture, the hair will become very brittle and could lead to frizz and breakage.” —Shai Amiel, Celebrity Hairstylist & Owner, CAPELLA Salon

So how can you pick the right shampoo? Identify the problems you find with your hair i.e lack of body and volume, lack of shine, greasiness, dry etc. If your hair is curly it will always have a natural tendency to be dry, so you may need a moisturising shampoo, if your hair is fine though, it may be too heavy, so a volumizing shampoo would be better. If you are not sure, just ask! The correct shampoo to use, is as personal as choosing the right size clothing,

If you bought an expensive item of clothing that was dry clean only, you would not even consider bringing it home, and putting it in the washing machine. When people do not follow the correct procedure for washing and caring for their hair, they are effectively doing this. If you consider how much money you spend on your hair over a lifetime, investing the time in making small changes to your routine is well worth it. The results will speak for themselves and not only will your hair be in better condition, the colours will last longer too.