HAIRCARE 101

Five tips to nail the basics of looking after your locks

CHOOSE YOUR SHAMPOO WISELY

Your skincare stash likely consists of various serums and masks that cater to specific issues. Your haircare should be no different, says hairstylist Larry King. ‘Your scalp and hair’s needs vary throughout the month, due to hormonal changes, stress, how much you exercise and mechanical damage from styling. This means you require different ingredients at different times to combat things like limpness, dehydration or excess sebum [an oil produced by glands in the scalp],’ he explains. It’s the reason he launched the Larry King Wash Cycle

– a collection of three shampoos (£39 each) and a conditioner (£42) that cater to your hair depending on its needs that day. City is a clarifying shampoo, Good is a deepconditioning one (more on both later), while Social is an everyday wash that delivers instant volume, grip and gloss – and the detangling, moisture-boosting conditioner Liquid Hairbrush is for as and when you need it. ‘These sulphate-free, nutrient-packed products have been designed for all hair types; you’re the best judge of when your hair needs what,’ adds King. Don’t know where to start? We’ve got you.

ALL SWEATED OUT You’ll want Larry

King Wash Cycle City Shampoo for removing excess oil and Hiit-induced sweat and product build-up (dry shampoo is a major offender), with sebum-regulating and scalp-stimulating zinc pyrrolidone carboxylic acid (PCA). It helps to control the oil production on the scalp, as well as preventing yeast and bacteria from forming.

GREASE IS THE WORD Oil-free shampoos that deploy clay will help to mop up excess oil. L’oréal Elvive Extraordinary Clay Re-balancing Shampoo, £4.99, contains oil-sucking kaolin and dandruff-banishing salicylic acid.

DAMAGED GOODS For times when your hair feels parched and damaged (from heat-styling, for example, or wearing tight braids), go for Larry King Wash Cycle Good Shampoo with fortifying biotin, protective green tea and hydrating panthenol.

DULL AND DRY Colour fading faster than your patience with people forgoing face masks?

Avoid silicone-laced shampoos. While it’s true the ingredient can deliver shine, if overused, it leads to build-up, leaving coloured hair lank and lifeless. Try Nexxus Keraphix Damage Healing Shampoo, £13.99. Packed with fermented rice water, the proteinrich formula fortifies hair so it’s better able to hold on to hydration.

AFRO HAIR If you have Afro hair, you’ll know that dryness can be an issue – natural oils have a hard time reaching the ends of strands because of the way curls are formed. Dizziak Hydration Wash, £20, is sulphate-free – a must, since this cleansing agent strips oils – and formulated with quinoa protein to form protective films around each strand, while babassu oil eases dryness.

WASH YOUR HAIR WITH CARE

Hold the eye roll. We’re not telling you that you’re doing the thing you’ve done thousands of times before wrong, just that, much like your burpee technique and your baba ghanoush, there’s probably room for improvement. You know that scalp massage that’s the highlight of your trip to the hairdressers? It isn’t just relaxing. ‘Your scalp is a living, skin-shedding, oil-producing, sweating tissue that’s exposed to the same environmental pollution as your face, making regular cleansing a must,’ says trichologist Anabel Kingsley. Take the time to massage your shampoo into a lather across the scalp, paying particular attention to the hairline and the nape. ‘These tend to be dirtier than other areas, as they retain a lot of heat, which often leads to light sweating,’ adds Inanch Emir, hairdresser and founder of Inanch London Salon. As for when your sweating is anything but light? Follow this golden rule from Kingsley: ‘After every workout, rinse your scalp with water. If you don’t, sweat can crystallise on its surface, drying it out and hindering hair growth by blocking your follicles.’