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Winter does lots of unpleasant things to our bodies – it can make faces dry, thighs flaky, heels cracked and arms bumpy, but with a bit of exfoliation and a load of moisturiser, it's easily fixable. But what about our hair? If it's suffering from colour abuse, heat damage or styling havoc, it's rarely a big enough incentive for us to give up the highlights, ceramics or curling tongs forever – badly-treated hair is still preferable to an eternity of bad-hair days – so emergency maintenance is often necessary.
Thankfully, there are now so many hair treatments, masques, balms, oils and moisturisers on the market, that abused locks are spoilt for choice. Bleached and pre-lightened hair needs the most attention as it can easily become dry and brittle. If you are a home colour lover, choose a formula that's as kind as possible – L'Orיal Excellence, £2.72 www.lorealparis.co.uk, is a UK bestseller and it not only contains a pre-colour protective serum but it also comes with a generous dose of after-care Ceramide Protein conditioner. Coloured hair is also prone to dullness so invest in colour brightening products like Elvive Colour Masks in Blonde, Brunette and Red, £4.99 each. For everyday use, choose fortifying products, which will improve the strength of your hair over time and make it strong enough to accept future colour treatments. Colour lovers, like Cat Deeley, favour Garnier Fructis Repair + Shine Shampoo and Conditioner, £1.99 each www.garnierbeautybar.co.uk. And set aside half an hour every week, when you can layer on Garnier Fructis Fortifying Deep Nourishing Mask £3.99.
If you're still a slave to your ceramics you have to use protection each time you straighten, unless you think split ends and burnt strands look good. Run L'Orיal Studio Hot Straight Cream, £2.99, through each section of hair, just before passing the irons over it and finish each straightening session with a cold blast of air from your hairdryer, which will dramatically increase your hair's shine.
If you use lots of styling products (gel, mousse, serum, spray or balm), use a build-up remover shampoo once a week too, which will eradicate gloss-destroying residue. And for all hair types, bear in mind, that the fewer styling products you use, the better your hair will look. In fact the easiest way to get glossy locks is simple (and free!): whilst washing hair, spend at least four minutes rinsing out conditioner to ensure that it is entirely residue-free and finish with an icy shot of cold water, which will seal your hair's cuticles and make it look far glossier than normal.
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