WASHING your hair is pretty simple, right? Wrong.
According to Zoe Irwin, dubbed the Blowdry Queen by Vogue magazine, we have been doing it incorrectly – from the amount of product we use to how we lather it in.
Zoe, who is on a mission to educate the nation on how to wash their hair, says: “Hair for some people is often a bit of an afterthought, unlike skincare which has been more taught.
"Your hair needs the same treatment in order to look its healthiest.”
As someone whose hair often feels limp and a bit greasy, I am desperate to know the secrets so I paid Zoe, creative director at John Frieda Salons, a visit . . .
Cut back on shampoo
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OFTEN we can apply and waste way too much shampoo. Zoe says the easiest way to make sure you’re not using too much is to buy a refillable pump – these can cost as little as 99p from Amazon.
Start with one pump, which is around a 50 pence piece size, before deciding if you need more. If you have longer or thicker hair, for example, you may need another squirt.
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I often find myself using three times as much shampoo, thinking I don’t have enough product on.
Zoe also says that instead of having one blob in your palm, you should coat your entire hand in shampoo, by rubbing it all over the palm and fingers, almost like you would with hand cream.
This gives an even distribution of product and you can use your whole hand to coat the hair.
Never rub or lather
WHEN I put shampoo on my head I naturally rub it in without really thinking about it. But I should be massaging my scalp instead because our hair is most fragile when it is wet so rubbing can cause damage.
Zoe suggests holding your head still and moving your fingers and thumbs around your scalp. This stretches the cells with the hair follicles, giving a thicker diameter of growth.
According to Zoe this can accelerate your hair growth by 24 per cent. She also recommends spending longer massaging your scalp the older you are, as hair gets more brittle as we age.
Not only does this technique make for healthier hair but you’re giving yourself a head massage after every shower…What’s not to love?
Don’t condition at the roots
WHEN it comes to conditioning, coat your hands and start at the bottom of your hair using a stroking method.
Subdivide your hair into sections so the conditioner can make its way into every part. Zoe recommends taking a flexible hairbrush – such as the Manta healthy hairbrush, £25 – into the shower with you to brush through the product evenly.
Once the bottom of your hair is coated, move to the top near your scalp. As the conditioner will be diluted with the water from your hair, run your fingers through, starting from your hairline.
Leave enough time for it to sink in, then subdivide your hair when rinsing to get rid of all the product. I used to avoid conditioner on the top of my head for fear of it making my hair greasy. But Zoe says it is all about the application.
Avoid rough drying
FIRST, wrap your hair in a towel to get rid of the excess moisture. But instead of rubbing your hair, pat and press on your head to be more delicate, aiming to take about 85 per cent of the water out of your hair.
Zoe says the longer the towel is on the better, as often people begin to blow-dry their hair when it is too wet. Then, with your hairdryer and small sections of your hair, dry in a circular motion, with the dryer never leaving your hair.
Taking small sections helps to concentrate the heat so it dries quicker. A clip can also be handy to keep the sections of the hair in place while drying. You might think (like me) whacking the heat and speed up to full makes it dry quicker. But Zoe says that is not the case.
Medium heat is best so your hair does not fly all over the place and will not be damaged. A cold blast of air at the end sets the hair in place.
Twist straighteners
IF you want to finish off your blow-dry with a bounce, this is the final step in Zoe’s masterclass. Many people use curling tongs, but straighteners do the job and it saves you having to buy two hair tools.
The best way to achieve a curl from straighteners is to hold it at a diagonal. Wrap the hair once around the straightener before turning your wrist and pulling down.
Once you have a curl formed, Zoe suggests holding it for a second before letting it drop and not touching your hair until all the curls are complete – hold the curls in place with a clip. For extra oomph Zoe also backcombed my crown slightly using a comb.
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Curling may be a technique I have to practise a few more times but I love the outcome of my new glossy blow-dry.
EXPERT SECRETS
- SLEEP in dry shampoo: Zoe says sleeping in the product helps absorb all the grease from your hair overnight and makes it less powdery than doing it in the morning.
- SLEEP on a silk pillow: It may sound a bit extra, but sleeping on a silk pillow protects hair more. You can get them from £15 at Cult Beauty.
- WASH your hair with tepid water: Washing with boiling water is no good for your head. Instead, Zoe suggests using tepid water which calms your scalp and makes your hair less prone to dry out.
- DOUBLE cleanse: Just like your face, your hair often needs a double cleanse. Zoe advises doing this every other wash. The first wash will take away the oils and some of the dead skin, with the second getting the full benefit of the shampoo.
- BRUSH your hair before you shower: As well as taking a brush into the shower with you, brush it before you get in. This will give you the least amount of knots and cause less damage when you are trying to detangle when it’s wet.
- AVOID touching your hair: As nice as it may feel freshly washed, touching your hair is no good for it, with our hands carrying bacteria and unwanted oils. Try carrying a brush with you at all times, making it a habit to use that instead of your fingers.
- A hair masterclass with Zoe Irwin is £55 at John Frieda, Aldford Street, West London.
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