We didn’t appreciate quite how spa-like the hairdressers was until we had kids. It’s basically the only place where you can sit uninterrupted while someone brings you tea (and biscuits), where you can’t do anything even if you wanted to as you have a whole heap of hair-dye on your head. Basically it’s bliss.
Last week we decamped to Larry Kings hair salon in South Kensington for a little bit of a parenting break and to get our hair sorted out. Now is the perfect time to get your hair sorted for winter. By sorted, we mean the perfect excuse to check yourself in for some alone time. Tell your partners we told you to!
I’m sure you’ve probably noticed that you colour suddenly looks a bit ‘off’. A lot of it is to do with the damage that summer causes to our hair (UV light lifts the hair colour, salt and chlorine dry it out) but also now the days are darker and the light is starker, you’ll probably find that your hair looks far more dull than it did before. This is because there is less light to reflect off it. Your hair colour may also no longer suit your colouring, as we lose our tans our summer hair colour often looks wrong. My beachy blonde bits were starting to look a bit brassy and Gemma’s poor hair was crying out for a conditioning treatment after going from brunette to blonde to red in the space of six months so we checked in for some Hair Rehab. In case tou were wondering about all the drastic changes, she decided to part ways with the blonde because she didn’t want to be putting harsh bleach on her scalp through pregnancy.
Gemma, as always, decided to do everything all at once – go short, dark and add a fringe. Colourist Hayley Muldoon said that the reason her hair was in such dire condition (dry, brittle and snapping off) was because the bleach had zapped all of the pigment, moisture and goodness from her hair. Just dying it dark again wasn’t enough, she needed to inject moisture back into it too. If, like Gemma, you have dyed your hair all sorts of colours and are paying the price, her prescription went a little something like this:
1/ Re-pigmentation – adding colour back into the hair.
2/ Re-condition – with a deep conditioning treatment (we had Redken PH Bonder applied at the backwash)
3 / Add gloss – with a treatment that boosts shine.
4 / Cut – to get rid of the ends where the hair was most dry.
My hair was in good condition, it just needed a colour fix so colourist Amy Fish painted some darker pieces over where the hair was lightest and covered up my greys. I had a gloss applied too, to up the shine as the dull winter light doesn’t help hair to shine and then cut my layers back in that had grown out.
And voila, the finished look. Back to our brunette roots just in time for winter…what do you think?
Below are some brilliant at-home, hair healing remedies that we all can do from our bathroom, because we know that you can’t always book half a day out from real life (but you should!)
OLAPLEX NO 3: If your colourist hasn’t told you about it then you need to question them. This basically prevents breakage from happening and "glues" back together the broken bonds that happen as a result of colouring. Resuscitate dry, damaged hair in your bathroom – apply to towel dried hair and comb through. Unpack the dishwasher, scroll through Instagram and then 30 minutes later wash it out. You hair will feel like your kids hair does in the bath – silky, smooth and light.
RITA HAZAN IN SHOWER GLOSS FOR BLONDES: As most blondes know, a major part of colour maintenance is warding off brassy orange tones. This mousse-like formula corrects those shades by depositing subtle cool-toned pigments – just enough pigment to give hair colour a noticeable upgrade—but not enough that you risk any drastic, scary changes. Run through hair in the shower, wait a minute and wash out. Repeat 2x a month. Also comes in brunette and clear.
FOR THOSE WHO LOVE BALYAGE
REDKEN ANTI-SNAP SPLIT END SEALER: Ideal for those who are addicted to lighter ends (like me), this is the perfect one to keep on your bedside table. I find that that helps me to remember to use it. The brush on formula is packed with proteins to repair split ends and doesn’t leave hair feeling greasy.
