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With older hair comes added risk of follicular chaos, but here’s how you can tame it like the domestic goddess
Can anyone apart from Diane von Furstenberg make frizzy hair look chic? Probably not. This week television chef Nigella Lawson shared a very honest holiday snap of herself, and what “she normally looks like” with a mass of unruly, tangled “Mrs Rochester” locks. The photo, posted on Instagram, was an accompaniment to a list Lawson had recently published of favourite styling products she uses to smooth her hair into the more glossy waves we usually associate her with.
Frizz occurs when moisture or humidity in the air interferes with the bonds in each of our hair strands, which essentially causes a rough cuticle and makes hair look fluffy. This effect is heightened in midlife when the hair becomes more brittle and dehydrated, often from over-styling or colouring the hair.
We asked a team of hair experts – including Sam McKnight and Luke Hersheson who between them have kept Princess Diana, Kate Moss and the Princess of Wales frizz-free – for their best advice on how to smooth and defrizz difficult midlife hair. Some tips help decrease frizz over time while others are instant fixes which will work quicker than Nigella can say “mee-crow-wav-ay”…
Hair stylist Luke Hersheson says the cut is key. “Invest in a haircut which will minimise your blow-dry time,” he says. “Victoria Beckham’s new mid-length bob is a great example of this. You can come out of the shower, tuck it behind your ears and let it dry about 80 per cent and then just finish off with a hairdryer. The quality of your hair will improve over time if you blow dry less.” But Hersheson warns against sitting around with a towel wrapped around wet hair, “This is a breeding ground for humidity as the towel just keeps in the moisture and causes more frizz. Once you’ve patted the hair dry with a towel (no rough rubbing), let it air dry for as long as possible. And if you haven’t got time to let it air dry use the coolest setting on the hairdryer”.
Hair frizz specialist Gail Federici, who founded Color Wow, originally created the Frizz Ease hair care range with John Frieda over 20 years ago. The Dreamcoat Supernatural Spray is one of their bestsellers and I can see why. It acts like a raincoat for fine, midlife hair. You spritz it on wet hair before it dries and it smoothes, de-frizzes and seems to humidity-proof the hair. There is a new version for curly hair or coils.
“A trick we use backstage is to go over your blow-dry with a mist of hairspray on each section once dry to give long lasting style and protection from humidity,” says hairdressing legend Sam McKnight. Unfortunately, midlife hair is more susceptible to frizz as grey hair or hair that is coloured is more coarse and parched so it’s a good idea to have a lightweight balm in your handbag for easy touch ups throughout the day. McKnight’s Happy Endings Nourishing Balm is also good to use pre-blow drying on frizzy ends.
Color Wow’s Dreamcoat Supernatural spray, £27, SpaceNK; McKnight’s Happy Endings Nourishing Balm, £22, Sam McKnight
Zoë Irwin the creative director of John Frieda salons, says that if you are blow drying your hair at home, you should use a hairdryer which has an instant cooling button to achieve a professional, polished finish. “Once the hair is dry and styled, finish with a cold blast of air as it will set the hair, add shine and help keep frizz at bay.” Irwin uses GHD Helios Professional Hairdryer, which is quick and lightweight.
Hair stylist Michael Charalambous styles many European royals – his blow dries famously can keep unruly hair frizz-free for up to 10 days. His top tip? “If your hair is prone to frizz, cut back on long, hot showers and use lukewarm water to wash the hair instead,” he advises. “Hot water can be too aggressive and remove all of the natural oils on the hair and scalp so hair will appear more dull and frizzier. Instead use lukewarm water and seal the cuticle with a quick cold water rinse if you can. It makes the hair shinier and leaves a hydrophobic coating on the hair which makes it repel moisture and so can make it less frizzy.”
Hands down, the most effective instant de-tangler and frizz slaying pre-blow dry spray I’ve tried is Rahua Hydration Detangler UV Barrier. It’s a leave-in conditioner and instantly smoothes the most unruly, frizzy midlife hair. Everyone I’ve told about this product has raved about it and re-purchased it.
Rahua’s Hydration Detangler spray, £34, Sephora; GHD’s Helios Hair Dryer, £179, _John Lewis
The US Olympic swim team rely on Moroccanoil Hydrating shampoo and conditioner to keep their hair frizz-free. But a new favourite of mine for my 50-plus-year-old hair is Absolute Collagen Complex Hair Thickening shampoo and conditioner. Using collagen instead of silicones (which can weigh the hair down and cause it to snap), this creamy shampoo and conditioner smooths frizz and adds real volume and oomph to thinning, straggly hair. Nigella, take note; it’s a game-changer.
Moroccanoil’s Hydrating shampoo and conditioner, £33.90, LookFantastic; Absolute Collagen’s Complex Hair Thickening shampoo and conditioner, £18, Absolute Collagen