Whether you’re grappling with grease or shedding your strands, our experts are on hand to help
Celebrity hairdresser Michael Douglas and trichologist Eva Proudman have been transforming hair for decades. From frizz-beating tips to Davina’s blow-dry hack, they reveal the tricks to luscious locks…
Look after your scalp
We tend to lavish TLC on our hair, but Eva says it’s vital to care for your scalp too.
‘Ideally, we should wash our hair every day, or every other day,’ she says. ‘But that’s not really for the hair – it’s for the scalp. There are 280,000 oil glands on the scalp, it’s a very oily place. It also has its own microbiome and if you don’t keep it balanced, the yeasts living there can become overactive. It’s then easy to get inflammation, flaking and itchiness, which can affect the hair’s condition.’
As well as regular washing, Eva recommends massaging your scalp.
‘It brings the blood flow into the follicles,’ she explains. ‘I use a Manta Pulse (mantahair.com, £70), which is a brush with a pulse action. It’s brilliant for pulling your conditioner through in the shower, and so relaxing.’
Be shampoo-savvy
Choosing a shampoo is bewildering, but Eva tells her patients to look at shampoos that cost £4 and above.
‘You’re getting better ingredients, says the hair and scalp specialist (ukhairconsultants.com). ‘Be careful of too much silicone, because while it makes hair soft and shiny, it’s not always very water soluble. If you’re not careful, it can build up on the hair fibre and you’ll go from smooth, shiny hair to dull, lifeless hair.’ Eva rates the Aussie range and John Frieda, but she is cautious around shampoos costing ‘silly prices’.
She adds, ‘Just because it has a long list of ingredients, it doesn’t mean it’s a good formulation.’
If your hair is coloured, Michael (mdlondon.co.uk) advises opting for sulphate-free formulations.
‘They are more accurate at targeting grease and dead skin cells, instead of colour molecules,’ he explains. ‘OGX is one of my favourites, it’s affordable too.’
Beat frizz
Few people have hair as enviable as TV presenter Davina McCall, who Michael has been dating since 2019. But you might be surprised to know that her locks aren’t naturally smooth.
‘Davina’s hair is naturally very frizzy,’ he reveals. ‘I use a round bristle brush and I blow-dry it using a nozzle. The beauty about a brush with lots of bristles is that you can get control over lots of strands of hair – each bristle attaches itself to four or five strands. The moment the hair goes from damp to dry is when the magic happens, that’s shiny, frizz-free hair that will last.’
Stop shedding
We know our diet affects our wellbeing, but did you know it impacts your hair health too?
‘Your hair is the second fastest dividing cell in the body, and to grow and shed normally it needs protein,’ says Eva. ‘Women often see excessive shedding during the menopause, and this can be caused by not eating enough protein.’
Most adults need around 750mg of protein per kilo of body weight a day, so take a moment to think about whether you’re eating enough.
‘Good sources include lean meat, fish, eggs and yoghurt with chia seeds,’ adds Eva.
Brave the cold
If you struggle with greasy hair, give it a blast of cold water.
‘Once you’ve shampooed and conditioned, rinse your head with cold water for 10-20 seconds,’ says Michael. ‘It slows down the sebaceous glands, which produce grease – you might get an extra 20% on the longevity of your hairstyle.’
Michael also recommends a weekly hair mask.
‘It makes a big difference to your hair’s shine and how easy it is to style,’ he says.
Manage greys
If you want to hide greys, Michael suggests starting with a semi-permanent colour.
‘Natural Instincts from Clairol is good,’ he says. ‘It lasts about 28 shampoos and causes no damage – there’s no ammonia. It masks the grey but it’s not a dramatic block colour.’
When your greys are more progressed, Michael suggests a permanent colour.
‘Davina uses Garnier Nutrisse, she’s very loyal,’ he says. ‘It’s easy, cost-effective and the ingredients are similar to anything you’d get in a salon.’
Alternatively, you could let nature take its course.
‘Grey hair has become celebrated,’ adds Michael. ‘Dawn French is a client of mine, and we took her hair from being coloured almost black to grey. It looks amazing.’