Hair Masterclass

Bad Hair Days have a tendency to become bad days - full stop. But instead, imagine a life of Good Hair Days. Days of swingy, does-what-you-tell-it hair: perfectly cut, perfectly coloured. Sounds as likely as - oh - scaling Everest, or winning the Lotto? Doesn't have to be. Not if you know the right people. And I do - so thanks to experts from John Frieda, Michaeljohn, Nicky Clarke and the team at Toni & Guy for these insights...

THE PERFECT HAIRSTYLE

What is the perfect cut? It's a look that's been custom-created for your face shape, hair type - and lifestyle. The next day, it should fall into place as naturally as when you left the salon - and require only short-cut styling techniques for extra impact. (In fact, you should know if you've a hit success if your hair seems to get better and better over the next few weeks...)

• If you want to change salons, call to make an appointment for a consultation visit before you book in for a cut. A good hairdresser will always take time out to chat to you and talk you through your options. You should feel a rapport with a stylist - if you "click", he or she is probably the right person for you - and you should also take into account whether the salon feels right. (Does it feel inviting? Is the music too loud, or just the right background level?)
• Don't be shy to take pictures you've torn from magazines along. They really are a short-cut to good communication and no stylist should be insulted. A stylist will be able to tell you whether it's possible to achieve that look with your hair type and if it will suit your face shape and bone structure. If that style isn't going to work, the stylist should be able to suggest the nearest shape or style that will achieve what you want.
• Tell the stylist about your lifestyle and how long you can devote to your hair - and be realistic. If you've only got five minutes in the morning and can't fuss around with straightening irons or rollers, say so. Remember: the more different the style you want is from how your hair naturally grows - if you want it straight when it curls naturally, or you want to put waves in when it's poker-straight - the more time you'll have to devote to daily upkeep.
• If you usually wear glasses, make sure you've got them on when the stylist is cutting, as they affect how your style frames your face.
• For most people, six to eight weeks between haircuts is perfect, to keep hair in shape and in good condition. If you have long hair, get the ends trimmed once a month, even if you're trying to grow it. My hairdresser (at John Frieda) recommends clients book their next appointment when they're paying the bill for this cut, to avoid those days when you wake up looking like the Dulux dog - but your hairdresser can't fit you in for another week.
• Is there a style that suits everyone? Generally, the choppy, layered, textured cut, jaw-length or just longer, with a bit of a fringe, suits most women, of most ages - which is why it's become a modern classic, all over the world. What the bob was to the 60s, this cut is to today.
• Even the best haircutters have "off" days. If it's slightly wrong, ask for your cut to be fixed there and then. If you really hate it, it's best to bite the bullet - and don't go back to the same person, or you're liable to get another bad haircut. Move on. But get your hair fixed right away; don't wait for it to grow out - go shorter.

PERFECT STYLING

Hairdressers (literally) have arms at the back of your head (and sometimes, a junior to hold the drier, too). But here's how to recreate a salon-perfect style, at home...

• Don't waste time in the hairdresser gossiping or reading magazines. Pump them for every bit of information you can on how to recreate the look at home: techniques, products, brushes that are right for your individual hair. Remember: hairdressers actually pay a lot of money to learn other hairdressers' techniques, in seminars, but you can get all that advice for free, if you just pay attention!
• Don't overload your hair with products. Today's products are designed for maximum effect, without having to use masses of them - and when products don't work, it's often "pilot error"! Read instructions and ask your stylist to show you how much of each product you should be applying, but failing that....
• ...A palm-ful of mousse is about right for medium-length hair. The best way to apply it is with a vent brush or a Denman: work the mousse through the brush, then brush through your hair. Don't apply directly to the hair itself or you'll end up with too much product in one place.
• Medium-length hair needs about a 5p-sized dollop of gel - no more. Rub your palms together and then work through sections of the hair, from root to tip.
• When you apply wax, put just a dab in the palm of your hand, rub them together really well and run your fingers through your hair to create texture. Lift the hair at the roots, for volume, and twist the ends, for extra definition.
• Serum is a miracle invention - but it's really easy to overdo it. Again, a 5p-sized squirt of serum, palms together, skim your hands through your hair to the ends, but avoid the roots.
• Start styling hair when it's around 80% dry; before that, towel-dry and ruffle-dry hair, with a drier. If you start trying to style it before then, you'll just make your arms ache!
• Blow-dry down the grain of the hair towards the ends, which will make the cuticle lie flat, so hair is shiny and your style keeps its shape longer.
• ‘Give hair a final blast of cool air, to "set" the style.
• Beware of over-using straightening irons. In general, use them for special occasions only, and only ever on hair that's 100% dry, otherwise they can literally boil the moisture in the hair and damage its structure. Run them quickly down the hair shaft - don't ever clamp them in one place.

There. That's Good Hair Days sorted, then...!

Josephine Fairley co-wrote The Green Beauty Bible: The Ultimate Guide to Being Naturally Gorgeous with Sarah Stacey. Published by Kyle Cathie, it is available from your local bookshop at £19.99.