Banishing frizzy dos and hat hair

Sun, sand and salt can play havoc on our hair. So what to do when the long, hot arid days of summer have created more tortured wilder-locks than luscious locks?

For those challenged by controlling the frizz, applying a small amount of conditioner with a shine serum may help your cause. To define curl, add a styling product with a hold factor to the formula. This will retain and set the curl, all the while protecting those tresses from excessive moisture loss.

Compared to its straighter counterpart, curly hair lacks in those precious commodities of oil and moisture due to their more prevalent use in the active growing phase.

For those in search of natural remedies try an apple- cider vinegar rinse or for darker hair, a beer rinse. If you favour more fizz than frizz, try the more unusual option of a final rinse in carbonated water. All of these solutions are designed to alter the hair pH to lower acidic levels, resulting in shrinking, hardening and closing the outer cuticle. This makes for a flatter surface increasing the shine factor.

If maintaining colour is your biggest challenge, consider your choice of colour. Reds and browns can quickly fade to washed-out orange, and blondes can become brassy or over lighten in the sun.

It always pays to have a temporary colour product on hand that is user friendly without damaging the hair. Ask your hairdresser about the options available to you. Some products are designed to add more depth and others to counteract unwanted tones. They come in many forms from coloured shampoos or mousses to liquid sprays.

How long they remain in the hair depends both on porosity – how quickly hair attracts moisture and how quickly it loses it – and the type of product.

Adding partial colour as highlights or lowlights can work very well to disguise washed out tones. Choose colours that work with the current season and your lifestyle. It is worth remembering that a contrast of light and dark produces the most flattering effect. A two to three shade difference in depth is all that is required between colours.

Swimming, especially in a chlorinated pool, can be really detrimental to coloured or long hair. Conditioner under a swim cap can help prevent those ‘‘not so fetching’’ green tones. It can also reduce the counteraction of red tones caused by green water if your hair is a darker warmer shade.

The best swim caps by far, especially for children, are the lycra caps, as they offer comfort as well as not snagging the hair. However, a plastic cap will protect the hair from chlorinated water more effectively.

Like most things in life it is forward planning that leads to the road of redemption, and hair repair is no different. Get into the habit of giving your hair a masque or treatment every three months, or at the change of season.

But if all else fails, stick to the tried and true.

Probably the simplest solutions by far are: 1) wear a hat and 2) get a haircut or at least a trim.

‘‘Oh No, not hat hair’’ I hear you cry.

Never fear, a sound investment in a mattifying powder to rub through the roots should do the trick, helping revitalise that lift into your locks almost instantly.

Next month: Skincare – man style.

Paula Birnie is a hair and wardrobe stylist who lives in Titahi Bay. For more information about hair, make-up and wardrobe styling go to www. completeenvy.com