Back to basics: how to mask tired hair

Beauty with Jenni Baden Howard

Meet the expert: hairdresser Belle Cannan co-owns the Real hair salon in Chelsea. Her many glamorous clients including Elle Macpherson, Laura Bailey, Jerry Hall and Elizabeth Jagger. The salon's new Real Rescue Treatment returns summer-frazzled tresses to their former glossy glory (tel: 020 7589 0877).

Do: make time to treat your hair to a salon-style, deep conditioning mask. "Sun, salt water and chlorine all leave hair dry and brittle," says Cannan. "Feeding your hair is especially important if you frequently blow-dry or colour it."

Start by warming a towel - on a radiator or in the airing cupboard. Before applying your mask, Cannan recommends using a specialist "detox" shampoo. "This will remove any residue from protective products you might have used during the summer months," she says.

After shampooing, lightly towel-dry your hair to avoid drips.

Apply the mask - starting about an inch away from your scalp - using your fingers to smooth it down the hair shaft. Leave plenty on the ends and focus on any areas that are particularly dry or coarse.

"When your hair is covered, pile it on top of your head and clip it in place. Cover it with a shower cap or cling-film - the heat generated will help the ingredients to be absorbed - and then wrap it in the warm towel. Leave the treatment on for about 20 minutes, or as directed. When you rinse it out, use smoothing movements, do not rub," says Cannan.

Don't: be tempted to rinse out your mask before the specified time, or not to heat, if it is recommended. "If you cut corners, the treatment may not penetrate your hair properly," says Cannan.

Shop like a pro: "Read labels carefully," says Cannan. "High protein treatments, for example, will strengthen fine, brittle hair, but may not leave it feeling silky. Look for a product that meets your needs, or consult your hairdresser."

The best buys for less: Michaeljohn's SalonSpa Deep Healing Moisture Masque, a favourite with session stylists and Minnie Driver (£1.49 per sachet; tel: 020 7491 4401); Dove's Hair Silk (£3.99); Boots' Henna Treatment Wax (£1.49); Richard Ward's Rescue Me Energising Repair Masque (£5.96, at Tesco); John Frieda's Beach Blonde Kelp Help (£4.95).

Blow the budget: Realine's Complete Recovery Treatment (£15), which can be combined with a choice of three specialist supplements (from £12 each, at Liberty; 020 7734 1234); Paul Mitchell's The Masque (£10.95), good for dry, damaged or colour-treated hair (01296 390590); Kerastase's classic Masquintense for Thick or Fine Hair (£12.40; 0800 3164400); Joico's K-Pak Deep-Penetrating Reconstructor (£8.95; 01282 683100), suitable for seriously dry or damaged hair.

Trade secret: make your own hair mask by mixing olive oil with raw egg. "But ensure that you wash it out thoroughly," says Cannan, who also suggests using coconut oil as an overnight treatment.

I learned the egg treatment from my mother years ago (she owned a salon in Albany Georia along with my Dad) as one of a number of things you could mix together (including beer).

The only thing I use to treat my hair is olive oil (and yes crisco if I am out of olive oil) and patchouli just to add a scent.

Has anyone tried the egg and beer before? or the egg and olive oil? I'm not going to recomend it myself but she did manage to get my hair down to my knees even with all the screaming and yanking.

She would sit me under the hair dryer after that to process it before rensing it out.

Another thing she used from time to time was clear hena treatment.

She also used that 'Pink oil sheen' on my hair. Now that seems a bit to weighty.

All the years around the 'hair bussiness' has left me a bit warry of it and what is produced BY it.

My father insisted that the whole thing about split ends and trims was completely a sham to keep people comming back.. if you trim more than half an inch off every month you will NEVER get those long locks! Half an inch is rather small amount.

Instead, he claimed that it was best to let the hair go through its own process of growth and breakage. the split ends wont split forever and ultimately you will end up with a split free mane.

His claim was that a lot of splittage was caused by 1)the way that the scisors caused stress along the shaft of the hair and 2) by thethings we use to pin and hold or clip or curl the hair...the hair nearest the curling iron often gets fried like backon on a hotplate!

Thats all i'm gonna rant now.

Your Dad sounds like a logical person.  He's right about the cutting too often.  

As for not cutting the splits, he would be right if you used a dull scizzors.  Using a sharp scizzors and cutting the end perpendicular to the shaft will give a clean cut that will not easily split again.  If a split is left uncut, it could work its way up the hair shaft.

For growing long locks, the less the hair is touched, the better.  A smart Dad you had!