Being Girl : Beauty : Hair

If you’re having back-to-back ‘Bad Hair Days’, it’s worth brushing up on your beauty know-how. By getting pro-active with your problem areas you’ll soon be enjoying salon-stylish hair 24/7.

If your hair is greasy, the sebaceous glands in your scalp are over-active and secrete too much oil.

Hair Do:
Wash your hair with mild ph-balanced shampoos and apply only to the middle and tips of your hair. Try to avoid oily, fatty foods in your diet.

Hair Don’t:
Avoid scrubbing your scalp when washing as this will stimulate your oil-producing glands - instead go easy using the flat of your hands. And try not to shampoo daily as your hair will become ever more greasy.

Hair lacks shine when the cuticle has become damaged and is no longer smooth. Dirt and sun-damage are often to blame for lacklustre locks.

Hair Do:
Use conditioners (ideally with silicone) to boost shine. Also try spray-on shine products - but go easy or you’ll suffer from a greasy look.

Hair Don’t:
Avoid overdosing on hair products and make sure you rinse shampoo out thoroughly - product build-up kills shine. Avoid leave-in conditioners and volumisers in particular.

Lifeless hair has lost elasticity and has become more porous. This will make your hair lose moisture easily but also lap it up excessively in humid weather. This means your hair will swing from flyaway and static one day to heavy and lank the next.

Hair Do:
Create body by blow-drying your hair with a wide-toothed vent brush and lifting at the roots. Clever layers or colouring also help the illusion of fuller hair.

Hair Don’t:
Never let styling products build up on the hair shaft - switch shampoos regularly.

Dandruff is the shedding of white skin flakes from the scalp – it’s not a big deal, but can be embarrassing or itchy.

Hair Do:
Use a good-quality anti-dandruff shampoo or ask your chemist for over-the-counter treatments.

Hair Don’t:
Never let conditioners and styling products build up – they can prevent the natural shedding of skin. Choose your shampoo wisely as harsh ingredients can cause your scalp to dry out.

Hair gets dry and rough when its protective outer layer (the cuticle) lifts up, allowing natural moisture to escape.

Hair Do:
Use moisturising shampoos and conditioners on your thirsty hair - particularly if you spend time in dry, air-conditioned environments.

Hair Don’t:
Avoid overdoing it with your hairdryer or styling tools like straighteners. Don’t assume that you need to wash hair every day. And don’t forget that chemical treatments such as colouring and perming play havoc with your hair’s condition.

Again, split ends result from roughened cuticles. If cuticles wear away completely, the hair’s inner strands are left exposed and will fray.

Hair Do:
Get your hair trimmed regularly by a good hairdresser to stop split ends appearing.

Hair Don’t:
Avoid over-brushing your hair especially when it’s wet. Try to use brushes with smooth, wide-set teeth and swap elastic bands for scrunchies to minimise snagging.

The must have handbook for girls teenage life