Ultimate shiny hair tips - by the experts

One of the most common questions we get asked is how to get shiny hair. If you’re after the ultimate gloss, we’ve got your covered….

What’s one thing I can do for healthy hair?

We all have different needs so the best thing to do is talk to your stylist about the correct product for your hair. This will save you money on products that aren’t right for your hair.

Is hair shinier when you rinse it in cold water?

Hydrating products like hair masks and deep conditioners are best for shiny hair, but there’s no harm in a lukewarm rinse. This closes down the cuticles, the outer protection of the hair, making hair appear smoother and look shinier.

Which is better for hair - oil or serum?

Depending on what your hair needs, oils penetrate your hair, giving it nourishment while serums are more cosmetic and are for taming and smoothing your hair. This can get confusing as some brands call them serums ‘oil’, like like Olaplex No7. These are dry oils and for soothing your hair.

Why getting a haircut is the best thing you could do for healthy hair

Been putting off getting a haircut? Here why you should give us a call today…

Getting a fresh haircut feels great, doesn’t it. And while you may think it is just about aesthetics, there are many benefits of getting a regular haircut - and it could boost your mental, physical, and even financial health….

Getting a haircut boosts your mood

Maintaining good grooming is essential for our mental wellbeing. And when you get a haircut it boosts your mood and confidence. Taking care of yourself can also reduce stress and anxiety levels. When we look good, we feel good.

Healthy hair = healthy head

A regular trim can help reduce scalp itchiness and irritation, as hair hygiene helps keep the scalp clean and healthy. Plus, a regular haircut promotes better scalp circulation, helping to stimulate healthier hair growth and shinier locks.

Regular haircuts could save you money

Getting regular haircuts not only keeps hair looking healthy, it could even save you money as you don’t need to keep spending on products to counteract damage or dryness.

How do I protect my hair while I sleep?

As much as we love sleeping is, it can play havoc with your hair.

But there are a few things you can do to protect it. Here are our top tips and tricks for protecting your hair while you sleep…

Seven ways to protect your hair while sleeping:

1. Dry your hair before bed: wet hair is fragile so if it’s dry when you go to sleep it will be less likely to get damaged when you move around.

2. Avoid sleeping with your hair tied up: wearing your hair up puts it under pressure so keep it loose and carefree for perfect ‘just got out of bed’ hair in the morning.

3. Use scrunchies over hair bobbles: hair bobbles are more abrasive than scrunchies.

4. Apply some dry shampoo: this adds an extra layer of protectin when you’re moving around in your sleep.

5. Use a silk scarf: another level of protection from friction when you move positions in your sleep.

6. Apply an overnight conditioning treatment: hair needs hydration and when you sleep in a deep conditioner you not only add moisture but you also protect it from movement-related friction.

7. Splurge on a silk pillowcase: in the same way as a silk scarf, this type of pillowcase keeps hair soft and protected.

How do I take care of blonde curly hair?

Being blonde and curly are two things that need just that little bit extra attention when it comes to hair care.

Here are our top tips for looking after your colour and curls.

Shampoo sparingly

Over-washing curly hair can strip it of the natural oils you need to keep it healthy, shiny and hydrated. Opt for colour enhancing purple shampoos. Click here to read about our pick of the best.

Condition like crazy

Coloured hair, as well as curl, need extra moisture, so invest in some quality deep conditioner and try and do a hair mask once a week.

Over avoid-styling

Heated styling tools like hairdryers, straighteners and curlers really play havoc with hair, so try to minimise how often you do this, and keep the heat setting low.

Expert secrets to growing out a short bob

When you're growing out your hair it can feel painstakingly slow, and there's nothing worse than that in between stage when you feel like you're neither one style nor another.

The thing is, there is no single product that will make your hair grow quicker (sorry, we wish there was!). But there are certain things you can do which will get your hair in great condition to help it grow:

Stop towel drying your hair

If you wrap your hair into a bath towel turban after washing, stop! This causes hair to break, and towel rubbing it dry causes even more damage. Instead invest in a microfibre hair wrap like this, which is more gentle on the follicles and also helps to de-frizz at the same time.

Treat your hair with some TLC

Try and exfoliating shampoo to properly cleanse your hair and strengthen it against breakage. We like this one from L'Oreal Paris. A rich argan-oil based conditioner like this will also keep your locks in good condition.

Cut your hair every six - eight weeks

We know this sounds scary and counterproductive to someone growing their hair, but regular trims will give your follicles a boost and help with your game-term plan to have long, luscious locks . Book your next appointment by calling us on 01865 553725 or clicking here.

How to repair chemically damaged hair

Too many chemical treatments, like hair dyes, professional straightening or perms, can leave your hair in serious need of some TLC.

While going for a drastic chop and starting again is one option, if you can't face a completely new look there are a few things you can do to repair your hair and stop it from getting worse...

Unlike your skin, your hair doesn't regenerate itself once it is damaged. The good news is, increasing the moisture with a hydrating mask can help bond the hair cuticles back, both in the salon and at home. Talk to us today about the moisturising treatments we have on offer.

Weekly hair mask

If you're doing a DIY hair mask, aim for once a week. You can even sleep in it overnight (with hair wrapped in a microfibre towel) for maximum hydration.

Comb conditioner through before rinsing

Another way to improve the appearance of frazzled hair by combing conditioner through your mid-lengths and ends before rinsing, which has the effect of smoothing the hair cuticles down.

Use hair serum

A fortifying hair serum nourishes the scalp and hair follicles. We like L'Oreal's Absolute Repair Serum, which you can buy here.

Regular haircuts

A great haircut will also revitalise hair and make you look - and feel - better about your damaged hair. You don't have to do anything drastic. We can work with your hair to create a style that complements the way it moves.

How do I choose the right hair colour for me?

When it comes to choosing the right hair colour for you, our colourists know the three elements that combined will create your perfect look...

1) Your complexion

The colour of your skin tone is actually one of the most important aspects of choosing the perfect hair colour. The correct colour will compliment your skin and make it appear even more beautiful, while the wrong colour might make your skin look dull and dreary.

2) Your eyes

To really enhance and intensify your eye colour, we might recommend a contrasting colour. For instance - if your eyes are blue, a caramel or golden blonde tone will make them appear even bluer. If they are green, a fiery or soft red tone could be the perfect colour for you.

3) Personal style

Once the hair colour has been narrowed down to suit your complexion and eye colour, your personal style should be considered - and this is where you know best. Do you want to be noticed or blend in? Do you need to be more daring or does your outfit say enough? Make sure the shades you and your hair stylist choose is one that will make you feel confident and yourself.

Shiny hair secrets, from the experts

Everyday exposure to things like showers, pollution, and hair styling products can decrease your hair's health and make it look less shiny than you'd like.

The most important thing for shiny hair is that the hair cuticle is closed and smooth so it can reflect the light. Well-moisturised, healthy hair is naturally shinier—and applying hot hair oils is the fastest way to boost hydration levels and improve existing damage.

Here are three more ways to boost shine:

1. Blast your hair with cold water after washing: an icy cold rinse in the shower shuts all the cuticles down, making them lay flat so your strands will shine.

2. Try a leave in conditioner: a lightweight leave-in conditioner can help moisturise and smooth the hair cuticles.

3. Avoid harmful ingredients: check labels on shampoo, conditioner and styling products and avoid anything with paragons, which can strip the hair of moisture.

How to handle hair loss

Hair loss? Don't panic...when you consider we lose up to 100 hairs a day, it’s no wonder we’re all after the secret to healthy hair. 

With 50 per cent of women experiencing hair loss at some point in their lives, here's our top three tips to preserve and protect:

Feed your follicles

What you eat really does affect how healthy your hair is. The hair follicle lives in what is known as the ‘dermal layer’ of the scalp, which is supplied by a network of blood vessels that deliver nutrients to the cells.

So you need a healthy diet rich in proteins and vitamins in order for your hair to benefit. Protein like meat, eggs, cheese, tofu and nuts are particularly good for follicles because they help boost the hair-thickening fibre, keratin.

Eat foods rich in Vitamin D - like tuna,mackerel and salmon - to keep the hair growth cycle ticking over. Iron, found in red meat and spinach, helps carry oxygen to the hair and zinc, found in baked beans and almonds, encourages the production of protein.

Give yourself a head massage

Massages aren’t just good for the body and soul - a head massage is a simple and quick way to boost the blood flow to your hair bulbs, spurring them into action.

You don’t even need to go to a fancy salon. Just use your fingertips to push and press products into your scalp. Apply some castor or sesame oil, which is full of fatty acids and proteins to promote growth, into your hair before massaging. A recent study revealed that scalp massage increased hair thickness!

Blame the seasons and fake it

Eating well, not feeling stressed and have no history of hereditary hair loss but you’re still filling the shower plughole daily? Research has found that hair tends to shed most in late summer and early autumn, which could be down to evolution.

Less hair loss in summer means we are protecting the scalp against harmful UV rays with our luscious locks, but as they die down in autumn the hairs will often fall out. So what’s the answer? Fake it by investing in some of these scalp-stimulating and follicle-fattening products….

Your hair questions answered - by the experts

Always wanted to know what happens if you pluck a grey hair out? What about if washing hair in beer is a good idea? We answer some of the most common hair care questions….

Q: Can apple cider vinegar make hair shinier?

In a word, yes! Try working about 5ml of apple cider vinegar into your hair and leave for roughly five minutes before rinsing with cold water. This leaves your hair shiny and less frizzy because the apple vinegar lowers the PH scale on your scalp, redressing the balance. It also closes and smoothes the hair cuticles to retain nutrients and moisture. Note: if you have dry hair, don’t do this too often, but if you have oily hair, do it frequently to help with build up.

Q: If you pluck a grey hair, will 10 grow back in its place?

You’ll be pleased to know that this is a complete myth and your grey hair will not grow back. If a single strand annoys you, just cut it as near to the root as possible as plucking it will only cause stress to the follicle, and if it gets infected you could cause hair loss in that area which is the last thing you want!

Q: Does washing your hair in beer help make it healthy?

There is no clinical evidence that this is true, but some say that Guinness, because of all the B vitamins and antioxidants it contains, can add shine to hair.

Q: Will brushing 100 times a day keep hair healthy?

No, brushing your hair that many times a day will actually do some damage through all the friction, especially if you have fine, brittle hair or if you do it when it’s wet. However, a few gentle brush strokes daily with a natural bristle brush on dry hair can stimulate scalp circulation, and help to distribute natural oils from roots to tips.