Picture the scene: it’s 6.20am on a Monday morning, you’ve slept through the alarm that sounded its urgent beep! beep! beep! a crucial 20 minutes ago, and now you’re left with half the time you need before you leave for work. To make matters worse: you have to wash your hair.
It’s a stress-inducing situation most women are painfully familiar with. But just because you pressed the snooze button a few too many times doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice smooth, clean hair – read on for our quick tips on how to boost your hair’s shine in a flash.
1/ Find a hair dryer that’s on your side
As tempting as it is to set the hair dryer to full blast when you’re in a mad rush, the damage wreaked by extreme temperatures can be irreparable, resulting in hair that looks lifeless, less shiny and prone to split ends.
Instead, find a hair dryer that will do the hard work for you, without compromising your hair’s natural shine. Take the fast-drying Dyson Supersonic™ hair dryer, which boasts intelligent heat control to ensure your tresses aren’t exposed to excessive temperatures. The result of four years of research by Dyson’s expert team, the Dyson SupersonicÔ hair dryer creates a focused jet of air for controlled drying and styling simultaneously – just what you want when you’re short of time.
2/ Style your hair right
No more breakfast first, hair later: according to leading editorial stylist and Dyson Supersonic™ hair dryer ambassador Renya Xydis, you should allow 15 minutes for your hair to dry (preferably under a towel turban) before you hit it with the hair dryer. So have breakfast after you shower, then return to the bathroom for your fastest drying sesh yet. “Start by flipping your head upside down and shake your hair around while you blow-dry – the more you move, the more volume you’ll get,” guides Xydis. “Once it’s about 80 per cent dry, flip back up and blow-dry hair in sections to smooth, focusing on polished ends.”
Her top tips? First, don’t hold the hair-dryer close to your head: “The nozzle should be pointed straight down, about three inches away from the hair”. And to give your style staying power, use a hair dryer with a cooling button (like the Dyson Supersonic™ hair dryer) as your final step to set.
3/ Brush for one minute each morning
“For perfectly smooth and untangled hair, you need to brush your hair twice a day, once in the morning and once before going to bed, for about a minute each time,” says Xydis. “Don’t be rough with your hair: treat it nicely and it will repay you by looking healthy and shiny.”
Always use a wide-tooth comb to detangle wet hair, never a brush, as this is when hair is at its weakest and most susceptible to breakage. By the same token, avoid rough-drying hair with a towel and gently press the water out instead.
4/ Spritz on this
Allow us to introduce to you the two products every woman in pursuit of shiny hair should have in her kit: heat protectant spray and shine serum. Spritz on the heat protectant before applying heat to hair (that’s pre-blow-drying, tonging and straightening) and rub a shine serum into the ends after blow-drying to seal in your hair’s silkiness in a matter of seconds. You can also try a hair oil (or even a touch of natural jojoba) to get the same effect.
5/ Wash your hair less (yes!)
Permission to hit the snooze button at least a couple more times a week: when it comes to hair washing, less is actually best. “Your natural oils give moisture to your hair, so over-washing creates dryness,” explains Xydis, adding, “If you have oily roots but dry ends, try shampooing the hair at the roots only and then condition the ends only.”
When you do wash your hair, make sure to massage your shampoo into your scalp to stimulate hair growth, and use a shine-enhancing shampoo and conditioner recommended by your hairdresser.
