Once the long, hot summer holiday ends, our tresses are the ones to pay the price. With sun, sea and sand taking its toll, creative director of the Y12 salon Luca Comella shares his secrets on nursing our manes back to lustre.
• During this time of year in-salon treatments from Wella System Professional work wonders. These encourage the restoration of shiny and healthy looking and feeling hair. We’d suggest starting with an intense treatment based on the SP Luxe Oil, where the airy consistency makes the application simple and the micro-fine mousse infuses deeply into the hair. This helps to renew the health of the hair and scalp and provides a long-lasting effect without weighing it down. The mix is applied on freshly washed locks, section by section, followed by a gentle head massage to distribute the treatment and boost relaxation. After 30 minutes under the heat the hair is rinsed, conditioned and then blow-dried.
• A haircut is always a good idea after a holiday, as it cleans up dry and dead ends. Better still, a restyle will add freshness to your look, and takes advantage of a good tan and a great positive energy after a summer away.
• Hair can behave differently in the sun depending on whether or not it’s coloured. Dyed hair is more sensitive, dehydrated and may become dull in which case the above Wella SP Luxe Oil is the perfect solution along with a colour touch-up. On the other side, natural hair reacts better in the sun and may in fact be transformed into beautiful, naturally highlighted hair. In this case a Sebastian Professional Potion 9 leave in-salon treatment will work wonders at restoring lost moisture and enhancing that natural glow.
• When styling hair at home, make sure you rinse out conditioner fully. They have the role of holding moisture in the hair and strengthening its structure and the oils and glosses are the main ingredients to help dry hair in becoming soft, pliable and shiny – but when not washed out thoroughly, those same ingredients weigh the hair down causing it to look limp and lifeless.
• A burst of cool water is ideal when washing hair as it closes up the hair cuticles and locks in moisture. Try not to rub your wet hair with a towel as it roughens up the cuticles and encourages frizz. Your hair will also be more fragile during this time so avoid any aggressive combing or brushing, it may stretch and snap causing more split ends and fly away hairs.
• It’s also important to use a good thermal protector which will create a screen between any hot tools and the hair, preventing loss of moisture. Together with Potion 9, the protector will prevent hair from becoming frizzed and static. Similarly, it’s very important to ensure your hot tool has a temperature control – any heat above 200ᵒC will cause the hair to loose moisture which will lead to more dehydration than it’s already suffered. Better still, during and after a holiday its good to refrain from using hot tools as much as possible as the hair is already being exposed to heat through the sun.
• Do not pull your hair too severely when styling, if it’s tangled, start detangling from the ends and work your way up to the roots – this will prevent further breakage.
• After a well deserved break, food is also very important for hair as exposure to the sun, sea and sand can lead to a loss of strengthening minerals such as copper and zinc. These can be replaced through dry fruits and seeds. Carrots and anti-oxidants in general will definitely assist the scalp in staying hydrated which the hair will in turn benefit from.
• A smooth large round blow-dry with volume is always a winner when trying to create a glossy finish. The keratin in Wella’s Reflection Oil will also encourage this.
