Your hair is your crowning glory and shouldn’t be taken for granted. Between the hot, humid weather, stressful lifestyles and product buildup, the accumulated damage can weaken your hair and make it look dull or lackluster.
Follow these 10 simple tips to maintain and protect your tresses, and give it some extra TLC this year, so you can enjoy healthy and beautiful hair all year round:
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UV rays from the sun are notorious for wreaking havoc on skin and causing premature ageing, but they can also damage your hair cuticles, leaving them dry and weathered. Meanwhile, airborne pollution can also cause hair to become brittle and dull-looking. Protect your precious hair from these environmental stressors with products specially formulated with SPF or anti-pollution in mind.
Left: Schwarzkopf Extra Care Purify & Protect Hair Sealer Spray, $18.90 (150 ml), forms a lightweight screen to protect hair against dust and pollution for up to 72 hours.
Right: Phyto Phytoplage Protective Sun Veil, $52.90 (125 ml), shields hair with a UV filter while nourishing it.
For hair to grow well and stay healthy-looking, it’s vital to visit your hairdresser every six to eight weeks to snip off any accumulated damage like split ends, which can weaken hair fibres and make them more prone to breakage. Make your appointments in advance, to prevent putting them off and forgetting your trims entirely.
Never scratch your scalp – it will only encourage the dandruff to multiply. Instead, shampoo hair in circular motions to help gently lift flakes, and follow with a scalp treatment to detox and prevent the formation of pesky flakes.
Left: Give your scalp some extra TLC with the purifying L’Occitane Revitalizing Fresh Cleansing Scrub, $40 (150 ml), which is made with five essential oils and removes build-up.
Right: Use the tea tree essential oil-infused L’Oréal PhytoClear Anti-Dandruff Scalp Rebalancing Spray, $17.90 (100 ml), twice a week to rebalance scalp and reduce itchiness.
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Forget balayage: Make fine and subtle highlights your new go-to colour. This office-friendly, low-maintenance colouring technique looks natural and adds real dimension to fine hair. Even better, babylights are incredibly versatile and suit both light and dark tresses.
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No time to pop into the salon for a refresher? It can be embarrassing if you’ve got a big presentation or event the next day. Thankfully, there are now a myriad of temporary hair colouring solutions that help you conceal regrowth of greys easily and discreetly, such as the KEVIN.MURPHY Retouch.Me, a lightweight spray that uses microfine pigments to blend naturally into your hair.
It’s time to nip your hair woes in the bud. Whether you’re dealing with problems like hair loss, over-processed and brittle hair or simply need a detox, treat yourself every few months to a pampering session at a hair spa or salon and let skillful hands tend to your tresses – you know you deserve it! Click here for our salon recommendations.
Besides having a healthy balanced diet, keep an eye out for products that help restore your hair fibres at a molecular level, such as protein treatments. These can breathe new life into limp, lacklustre hair that had been eroded or lost fullness due to a variety of reasons such as illness, poor hair care habits and general wear and tear.
Left: John Frieda Luxurious Volume Core Restore Advanced Protein Volumiser, $19.90 (60 ml), penetrates each strand to reinforce hair’s internal structure and boost its fullness.
Right: HASK Biotin Boost Thickening Shampoo, $18.90 (355 ml), uses a combination of biotin, collagen and coffee to volumise, strengthen and fortify your locks.
This is the year to finally get that hairstyle you’ve been dreaming about. Reinvent your look with bangs that can take years off your face, a fresh colour, or dare to go for the chop with a trendy bob haircut (or something even shorter!).
Instead of limiting your usage of heat tools like hair dryers and curlers, improve your styling technique. Use a heat-activated spray that shields your hair from heat damage while locking in curls and shine, such as the KMS Thermashape 2-in-1 Spray, $40 (200 ml).
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Let’s be honest: When was the last time you properly looked at your hairbrush, much less gave it a good scrub? Besides removing stray hairs, it’s important to clean right to the root of the bristles and dislodge accumulated dirt, dust and debris that can irritate your scalp and dirty your locks.
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Text: Bauer / Additional Reporting: Elizabeth Liew
Photo: Pexels