Rescue remedies for bad hair days

There are bad hair days. Then there are days you just wish your hair would curl up and dye. Thank goodness we have the technology and a country full of great hairdressers to avert potential hair emergencies and to solve 10 most common hair traumas.

1. How to stop flyaway hair

You've spent hours on your hair and it looks perfect. Hold on, what's that? A few strands of stray hair are sticking straight up at the front. And, for some reason, they are shorter and more stubborn than any other hair on your head. Lucy Vincent-Marr of Stephen Marr salons suggests putting a few drops of serum through your hair before you blow dry. An amazing variety is available, for fine through to thick hair. It's crucial to rub the serum through your hands first for even distribution through the hair. Louise Pilkington, owner of Sevilles Ponsonby, believes prevention starts with the cleansing process. She suggests you use a high-quality shampoo, taking care to massage the scalp to stimulate the hair cuticle. Greg Murell of Ryder Salon explains that these hairs are new hair growth and that in a humid climate such as Auckland they will tend to stick up. A serum such as KMS Silker Therapy will help.

2. How to make hair grow faster

That Keira Knightley pixie cut was a good idea at the time but now you're not so sure. Other than hair extensions for instant length, there's nothing you can do to accelerate the growing process. However, says Vincent-Marr, you can encourage healthy hair growth by ensuring it's in optimum condition. Make sure your diet is balanced and that you are taking supplements such as minerals, vitamins and omegas to give you strong, healthy, shiny hair. Stress and poor diet can make hair thin, lacklustre and certainly impedes growth. Murrell suggests changing the proportions of an unloved haircut to accentuate length in other areas. You need to think about what will look best moving forward, rather than hanging on to length for the sake of it.

3. How to treat greasy hair

So many people suffer from this problem and end up washing their hair every day. Pilkington says this can stimulate the oil glands and make it oily. Vincent-Marr suggests starting with a corrective shampoo and conditioner as some products can exacerbate the problem by stripping hair of its natural oils. She recommends the Wella SP Sensitive Range. Fringes have a tendency to get greasier faster so put the rest of your hair in a ponytail and use a pea-size amount of shampoo to wash just the fringe.

4. How to avoid frizz

Anyone with even the slightest curl to their hair will be familiar with a sense of impending gloom on humid and drizzly days. It seems that no matter how much effort you exert in the morning, by evening your hair will be a mass of frizz. Murrell recommends people with curly hair squeeze the moisture out of it with a towel and avoid rubbing it up and down. A product such as KMS Curl-Up Control Creme should then be used as a binding agent to create texture. Then leave it alone. Running fingers through your hair only encourages frizz.

5. How to give body to fine hair

You always want what you can't have. Vincent-Marr says the trick here is to start with a really good shampoo and conditioner, such as the Sebastian range for fine hair. If you use these products you shouldn't have to use too much in the way of styling as overuse of styling products on fine hair can often make the hair limp and greasy. Murrell recommends applying KMS Amp Volume thickening creme to the roots and giving hair a grunty blowdry.

6. How to repair split ends

The only thing for them is to get a haircut. However, using a professional shampoo and conditioner can make a difference. L'Oreal Professionnel general manager Anya Haarhoff suggests the serie expert Absolut Repair range for providing deep down repair and nourishment.

7. How to maintain sheen

A healthy diet will result in healthy hair just like the models on the shampoo ads, although some people naturally have shinier hair than others. Dark hair is always more shiny than blonde says Murrell, thanks to light refraction.

8. How to keep your colour

Spending hours at the salon achieving the perfect hair colour only to have it become a shadow of its former self a few weeks later is frustrating to say the least. According to Vincent-Marr, hair must be in optimum condition. If it's damaged it won't be able to hold colour for long. Murrell suggests using a colour-specific shampoo and conditioner such as Colour Vitality by KMS, or even a colour-tinted shampoo such as Colour Glow by Goldwell.

9. How to grow out a fringe

Often the idea of growing out a fringe is terrifying enough to stop us getting one in the first place. But Vincent-Marr doesn't think the process has to be so traumatic. "Overgrown fringes can look really hot. I say enjoy the process. If this fails, use a good hairspray." Pilkington recommends sweeping it to one side and having it slightly feathered in the middle, or clipping it to the side in the weekends so you get used to seeing your forehead.

10. How to combat the elements

Sunscreen is for hair, not just the skin. Vincent-Marr recommends using an SPF shampoo and conditioner and having regular protein-based treatments in summer. In winter, it's important to have regular moisture-based treatments to hydrate and nourish. Murrell suggests using a leave-in conditioner such as KMS Moisture Replace Reconstructor to act as a barrier from the sun. He also recommends washing salt out of the hair as soon as practical, and applying a treatment such as Goldwell Vivecap, which has an immediate cosmetic benefit.

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