HAIR | Your Complete Guide To Great Hair And Beauty

High-tech hair

We've got the same old hair problems....but brand new ways to solve them!
Take a look at what's out there now

It’s hard to imagine life without a ceramic straightening iron, but less than 10 years ago they hadn’t even been invented! Can we even remember how we styled our hair prior to 2001? Fast forward a few years and understandably, they’re at the top of most women’s ‘can’t live without’ lists. Haircare definitely moves in the fast lane, so we’ve picked a few of our favourite and latest innovations that could change the way you manage your hair forever!

Straight hair fors three months!
Taming unruly, frizz-prone hair generally means a daily routine of products and styling tools, but savvy salons are now offering Global Keratin – a taming treatment from Brazil that uses keratin-based formulas (the

primary protein of skin, hair and nails) to reconstruct the hair fibre, smoothing it out for up to three months. The treatment is applied to freshly cleansed hair which is then blow-dried before the treatment is sealed in with irons. You’re advised not to wash your hair for at least two days, or to tie it back to prevent any unwanted kinks. It can be used on virgin hair, but is most effective on damaged locks. This treatment has been given quite a few different names so look out for salons offering Brazilian botox for locks, Brazilian blow-outs and permanent blow-dries, among others. Visit www.globalkeratin.co.uk to find a salon that offers the treatment.

The 10-minute colour makeover
In the salon Until now, colour appointments have taken up valuable space in busy diaries, as we wait for our dyes to develop. However, a new 10-minute in-salon colour from Schwarzkopf Professional called Igora Color10 has been designed with busy lives in mind. This colour innovation beats the clock, without compromising on results, still delivering perfect coverage and vibrant shine. The secret? The amino acids used in its formulation penetrate deeply into the hair, pulling the colour pigments into it in super-fast time! The colour is available in 12 tones, which can be blended to get your perfect shade. Visit www. schwarzkopf–professional.com to find your local Schwarzkopf Professional hairdresser.

At home Although they’ve been around for a while, 10-minute home colour such as Clairol nice ‘n’ easy Perfect 10 and L’Oréal Paris Excell 10 still get a big thumbs up. Easy to use and quick enough for a speedy roots refresh when you need one, they’re a great choice all round if you ask us.

Help for hair loss
First we saw Victoria Beckham with what appeared to be a bald patch and now Pixie Geldof seems to have a similar problem. Hair loss and thinning hair can be triggered by many things including medication, anxiety, or any prolonged stress to the root area, and is shattering for any woman’s confidence. Now extension experts, American Dream have created the QuickFix Clip-In Patch to cleverly conceal thinning hair and cover bald patches. The temporary patch is available in a range of colours and textures – simply match the patch to blend in seamlessly with your existing style. The Clip-in patch is available in two parting finishes – Hand-made Jody and Machine-made Sasha. The hand-made comes in a mesh finish to blend naturally with the colour of your scalp while the machine-made creates the illusion of a natural scalp. For more information, visit www.americandreamextensions.com.

Supersize fine tresses
The perm is back! But don’t panic, corkscrew curls aren’t making a comeback. The modern perm is altogether more chic and is a godsend if you’ve got fine-hair. The root lift perm is a technique that doesn’t look curled or waved, it just gives lift, hold and body to fine hair. The lotion is applied to the roots only to give you everyday lift without the need for a stack of products or constant backcombing.

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Losing hair can be traumatic. Clip-in patches are an easy-to-use solution that can really help Organic Curl Systems’ perm is ammonia-free, instead using Cysteamin HCL, a far gentler ingredient. And the neutraliser system contains plant amino acids, which soothe and condition the scalp and leave the hair with a natural feel. Available at Karine Jackson, London and Herb UK salons nationwide (visit www.organiccoloursystems.com).

Clever products that remember your style
Once in a while we all create a gorgeous style we’d love to do over and over but can never quite recreate again. Well now it’s possible thanks to products that help your hair to ‘remember’ a style. The Memory Lock technology in TRESemmé Smooth Memory Straightening Spray ‘trains’ hair that isn’t naturally straight to remember a sleek finish for up to five washes. This means less need for harsh heat styling, which in turn means less damage to your hair.

Extensions – a new approach
It’s time to think again about hair extensions. While the bad examples make the headlines, the good examples go unnoticed, as they look so natural! They’re great for adding length and volume to fine hair and aren’t damaging when skilfully applied. If it’s the lengthy application time that’s put you off in the past, the new Great Lengths Fast Fusion System is a multi-strand application method, meaning you can have a brand new look in your lunch hour! To find a salon, visit www.greatlengthshair.co.uk.

What’s next? Spider web styling!
Yes, really. Sebastian Professional Microweb Fiber is inspired by the properties of spider silk – flexibility, invisibility and invincibility – to create malleable, touchable texture, thanks to a blend of silky microfibres. It starts off quite sticky and gum-like, but as you clap your hands together the magic happens and small microweb fibres puff out of nowhere, fluffing up hair and creating magnificent volume! The result is a cross between a candyfloss and rocky finish that we can’t wait to try. Step forward your new superhero product!

The hairdryer with a brain!
We’re used to choosing hair products tailored to our hair type, and now the guess work has been taken out of blow-drying and straightening, too. Sassoon’s new Solutions electrical range uses SMART HEAT technology, ensuring the temperature is always right for you. Simply pick the colour-coded button that matches your hair type and the tool will adapt to suit your hair. Check out the range at www.sassoon-solutions.co.uk.