Attached to your hair? Be good to it!

So now that you’ve thought about what you put your hair through (most of us, anyway), let’s talk about trying to fix the damage that has been caused.

If you blowdry, flatiron, curl or colour your hair, chances are that it’s coming out of the winter months a little dry, brittle or fried. And I think we can all agree that hair in that state is not very cooperative or great.

But rather than abusing it some more just hoping that the summer will fix the problem, why not try a treatment?

There are several options for coaxing your hair out of its fragile state – and the good news is that there are options for at the salon AND do-it-yourself.  The two most popular in-salon treatments at Haartek are the clay pack and a fabulous cocktail of minty-tingly revitalizers to repair and seal the cuticles of the hair.

In both cases, the time the treatments stay on your head varies, though with the cocktail the longer it stays the better.

The clay pack is great for fine hair needing some extra care and craving volume. There are three different kinds: a generic one that can be used on any hair colour; one with a lilac toner for cool blonde hues; and one with a gold toner to refresh golden hues in blondes. In all cases though, this treatment adds oomph, strength and fantastic shine.

In terms of a customized treatment cocktail there are a couple of options. Stylist Yuliya’s favourite in-salon treatment is Kevin Murphy’s Born Again. “It’s great for tortured, frizzy, unruly or chemically abused hair.” Like the clay pack, it adds great shine, but can also be customized by your stylist, tailoring the cocktail to your hair needs –  more protein, conditioning or moisture can be added. These additions are only available in the salon, as something like protein in the wrong amount can be extremely damaging to your hair.

The second option is Eufora’s Urgent Repair treatment. Unlike Born Again, which may weigh down fine hair, Urgent Repair is great for everybody. And it can also be customized in the same way – plus Eufora’s Beautifying Serum can be added too.

Treatments are especially recommended for those who colour or highlight their hair. Susan, a Director at Haartek, says, “It’s very important to have a treatment after your colour services. It helps to seal in the colour and condition your hair.” This means that the colour gets locked in and lasts longer because it won’t have any open cuticles to escape from.

Leave-in conditioners are also a great way to protect your hair from all the abuse it takes, and they’ve come a long way in the last few years. Gone are the days when a leave-in cream or spray would leave your locks greasy and weigh them down. Not only do they provide excellent UV protection, but they also seal in any conditioner that you have used in the shower. Remo, co-owner of Haartek, insists that a leave-in conditioner like Goldwell’s Kerasilk Instant Silk Fluid, Kevin Murphy’s Staying.Alive, KMS’ Colourvitality Colour Protect Spray or Eufora’s Hydration Leave-In Conditioner should be the first product you use when you get out of the shower. “It should go on before any other styling product and before combing your hair to evenly distribute the conditioner and to help get through tangles.”

The nice thing about these treatments is that you can use Born Again, Urgent Repair, Beautifying Serum and the leave-in conditioners for hair maintenance at home, ensuring that you always have healthy hair. And when you come into the salon for your services and need that extra TLC, your stylist can add a customized treatment that your hair will thank you for.