The Beauty Report: Maintaining your hair

When Maya Angelou said that a woman’s hair is her glory, she really wasn’t exaggerating. Your hair will make a statement about you whether you want it to or not. When out, I’ll occasionally spot one of those eccentric older ladies – the kind who wears lavender eyeshadow up to her eyebrows, with red lipstick and a royal blue kimono in her eighties, and I’ll feel a touch conflicted.

Yes, it is a slightly unforgiving look. Mostly, though, I envy these women – they’re fantastically confident, know exactly who they are, and they discarded all the rules years ago. That’s powerful.

So there aren’t any hard and fast rules when it comes to hair, though there are certain practicalities to consider. You don’t need to go short because you’re more mature, for example, but it is better to opt for a style that works for your face shape and colouring rather than something trend-driven.

With any change of style, it’s important to find a good hairstylist you can trust, but don’t leave all the power in their hands; go to the salon armed with questions.

When changing style or colour, be sure to ask whether the style you want is going to require lots of daily maintenance or costly salon visits. There’s no objective standard that you have to fit in with. Ask for your stylist’s advice so that you’re fully informed, but it’s your hair – do what you want with it.

At this time of year, the weather becomes kinder, the light brightens, and the urge to blow the cobwebs off a hairstyle you’ve sported through the darkness of winter can become suddenly more urgent. Often, women opt to lighten their hair in the spring. It’s a fun, liberating thing to do, has no age limit, and provides immediate results.

When opting to go lighter, it’s always a good idea to ask your stylist to recommend appropriate products to address the dryness that is inevitable when stripping hair of colour. Regular masks will help to restore and maintain hair condition.

Ultimate Remedy Extreme Restoration Treatment from Shu Uemura Art of Hair

(€41.50 online and from selected salons) will leave tired, drab and frazzled hair feeling like handfuls of heavy silk and restore glossy shine.

For a more intense treatment, apply it to dry hair and leave it for several hours before washing. If you need a quick fix, coconut oil will do the job very nicely. Purchase from a pharmacy rather than a supermarket, as the edible version is more expensive, but your hair won’t know the difference.

It’s always best to keep the use of heated tools to a minimum with blonde hair, so finishing products for abating frizz become essential.

K-Pak Color Therapy Dry Oil Spray from Joico

(€25 online and from selected stockists) is a marvel.

Spray it all over hair from a distance for immediate shine and lustre, or spray it into your palms and run through hair to tame flyaways.

lkennedy@irishtimes.com