hair

As someone who has extremely fine hair that is also very long and colour-treated, I struggle to keep it in good condition at the best of times. Right now though, as I’m about six weeks overdue for a cut and colour, my hair is crying out for some love. It’s scraggly, lifeless and the ends are dry and split. Sadly though, whereas many people turn to hydrating and repairing masks to help give their frazzled lengths some life, hair masks have always just made my hair greasy. While I have my skincare and makeup routine down to a fine art, when it comes to my hair, I have always struggled to know exactly what it needs. Every mask, oil or spray recommended to me just seemed to make my hair feel weighed-down and limp. Upon explaining to a hairdresser that I had finally adm...

If your hair is anything like mine, the chances are it is well overdue a cut. I have always had long hair (with the exception of a blip at age 13 when I wanted to look like Victoria Beckham and went for an inverted bob), and as far as my super-long hair goes, it’s always been relatively easy to manage. While my curly haired friends complained of frequent tangling and dryness, my fine, limp lengths had their faults, but tangling wasn’t really one of them. But then, around five years ago, years of bleach damage caught up with me, and my usually smooth hair started matting and knotting in ways I did not know possible. Suddenly, I was having to carry around hairbrushes in my handbag and adding leave-in conditioners and nourishing hair masks into my routine. And af...

Especially when working from home, there really is no better get-stuff-done hairstyle. The topknot is the chic yet easy style that most of us will turn to in times of need. But it turns out a topknot doesn’t just have to be the thrown-up, scruffy style we know it to be. In fact, it can be incredibly stylish, all while helping to reduce the appearance of root contrast. John Vial, global influencer for Revlon Professional, explains that by bringing grown-out lengths to the front of the bun, you can create the illusion of more colour. He explains, “For those with long hair, pull your hair up into a pony and wrap, leaving four or five inches on the ends. Use this hair to create a faux fringe at the front, and use clips to hold in place.” But what about visible roots elsewhere? “Gently tug...

If you’re anything like me, you’ll find the concept of using oils on your fine hair quite scary. The truth is, a bit of dry texture is often the only thing capable of giving fine hair a little bit of life and volume. However, because fine hair is often fragile, it’s important not to starve it of moisture, and this is where oils can be really helpful. Luckily, it turns out that those with fine hair can use hair oils without weighing it down. “The secret to using hair oils on fine hair is to control the amount you use,” says Barton. “Less is more, so apply only one drop, to begin with, and build up if you need more. Massage 2–3 drops into the palms, tip your head upside down and apply the oil through the length. To minimise breakage, I like to comb it through with a Manta hairbrush.” “While ...

And yes, laser is widely regarded as the most effective, risk-free and convenient form of hair removal among experts, however there are some very important things to note, because it definitely isn’t for everyone. Mr Ernesto Azzopardi, Consultant Plastic Surgeon and laser specialist at the Cadogan Clinic says, “The closer the colour of the hair to the skin, the more difficult it becomes to treat without causing side effects. The ideal match is dark hair on fair skin because the background doesn’t provide much else the light treatment can target.” So what does that mean for the rest of us? In order for this treatment to be effective, the hair needs to be dark, and significantly darker thank your skin if you want to avoid harm. Because of this, the treatments aren’t effective for red, b...

There’s no doubt that the current situation has affected our daily beauty routines in different ways. While some of us are thriving as we take a more laissez-faire approach to our appearance, others are itching to get back to the salon. One thing that unites us all in our recent beauty experiences, however, is having to deal with lockdown hair. From grown-out roots to breakage, it seems we’re all at a loss about what to do with our lengths. Whether you’re indulging in more hair masks than ever or have even turned to an at-home cut, believe us when we say we really feel your pain. Constantly seeking new ways to deal with our misbehaving strands, we reached out to some of the chicest people we know to see what at-home routines they have adopted in a bid to get their hair ...

Okay, here’s the tea. We’re not necessarily condoning cutting your hair at home, and, quite honestly, we don’t want you to cheat on your hairdresser. Not only will hair experts everywhere be incredibly dependent on your business once stay-at-home orders begin to relax, but there’s also a large margin for error your stylist would really rather you avoid altogether. (There’s a reason they’re the experts, after all.) That said, since no one seems entirely sure when, exactly, we’ll be able to run back into the arms and chairs of our colourists and stylists, and since our hair has this annoying little habit of, well, growing, an at-home haircut might at some point become necessary. (Even if it’s solely for the sake of preserving you...

A blow-dry is sadly one of the very few beauty treatments that are virtually impossible to do on yourself. Especially one to salon standard. Let’s face it—there is no better feeling than skipping out of the salon with freshly blow-dried hair. With the magic hands of a hairstylist, flat, limp lengths can be transformed into bouncy, voluminous waves in a matter of minutes using nothing more than a hairbrush and a hair dryer. So why is it when we try to do it ourselves at home, it’s such a palaver? With aching arms, mirror reflection confusion and dryer-inflicted burns, there is nothing remotely glamorous about blow-drying your own hair. And 99% of the time, after all of the flap and fuss, the results are so drab that you wish you hadn’t bothered. While salons around the world are closed and ...

Step 1: Make sure your hair is freshly washed, and blow-dry your fringe how you usually like it to sit. Then comb the fringe forward and separate from the sides of the hair by either clipping them out of the way or tucking them behind your ears. Step 2: Split your fringe into three sections: one directly in the middle in line with your nose and one on either side. Step 3: Start with the centre section. Use the comb to lay all the hairs flat, and use fingers to set yourself a guide of what length you’d like the fringe to sit at. Once the length is established, use your scissors and use upward motions to snip into the hair below your fingers. Keep doing this until the hair has become very fine. Step 4: Once the centre has been snipped and the hair is fairly see-through at the ends, use the s...

When it comes to my hair, I tend to fluctuate between two lengths: just above my shoulder or just above my boobs (both technical terms). Yet there always comes a time with both lengths when I start to feel like I want to either chop it all off and start again or indulge my inner Rapunzel and grow it out super long. Right about now, I’m at the chopping-it-all-off stage, mainly down to the fact that I’m seeing cool, short hairstyles pretty much everywhere I look and I know I can’t get it right now. Yes, short hair is definitely trending, and I want in. However, unless I’m actually prepared to cut it myself (I’m not), for now, I think it’s best I simply garner some expert advice on potential styles. “Short hairstyles are on-trend at the mome...

If you have spent the best part of your life worrying about the inevitable arrival of grey hairs, you’re not alone. In fact, since 2018, Pinterest searches for “going grey” have increased by 879%—and we totally get it. After all, going grey requires a whole bunch of hair decisions to be made. While full-colour transformations and highlights prove popular options for those going grey, the maintenance and upkeep can be very expensive. On top of the financial aspect of covering grey hairs comes the pressure to keep them hidden. For many years, there has been an element of shame that comes alongside going grey. So much so that grey hair is cited as the number one hair concern for women in the UK. At the moment, with salons still closed for the time being, it seems people far and wide are at a ...

But what if I told you it didn’t have to be so hard? In fact, temporarily covering up your roots at home couldn’t be easier. Without dyes, bleach or even toner, root concealers and cover-ups provide the ultimate quick fix. By dispersing powdered pigment (either with a spray product or with a brush) through affected areas, you can minimise the appearance of bold, contrasting roots in a matter of seconds. And, while I by no means promise they will sort the problem completely, they certainly do a stand-up job at blending roots and minimising their appearance. Sound like something you could benefit from right now? Keep scrolling for the best root concealers out there… You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with ...