11 ways to get the shine and gloss back into your hair, fast

By Andrea Michelle for Schwarzkopf

Whatever the season, its so easy for our hair to lose its condition and shine. In summer it gets damaged by exposure to sunlight, humidity, saltwater and chlorine, and in winter hair can become brittle and dry due to the impact of central heating and low temperatures.

On a recent holiday to Bali, it was easy to see the impact the Aussie winter had had on my hair first hand. And after a week of outdoorsy, beachy, sunny fun my colour had faded, and my hair looked dull and dry. So while I returned home feeling super relaxed and recharged, my hair was in need of a holiday of it’s own.

before hair

Before: Dull, faded, brittle hair

Keen to get my hair as glossy, shiny and happy as I felt, I’ve been focussing on restoring the condition of my hair with amazing results.

So I turned to the hair experts at Schwarzkopf for some tips and tried them myself. The results have been amazing.

Here’s 11 ways to get the gloss and shine back into your hair too, all in the comfort of your own home. And it’s easier than you might think.

Wash with lukewarm water

It’s a given that a long hot shower is deliciously relaxing, but the experts say hot water opens the hair cuticle leaving it rough and dry. And it fades coloured hair. So drop your water temps down to lukewarm when you are shampooing and conditioning your hair.

Go easy on the rinse

It’s tempting to rinse your hair from conditioners or treatments till it feels squeaky clean, but you’ll end up removing all of that moisturising goodness. Instead, rinse just enough so that your hair still feels silky smooth.

Schedule in a Monday mask

Granted, you can do this any day of the week, but I’ve been scheduling in a hair mask or treatment every Monday so I don’t forget. Most treatments these days only take minutes. Try SCHWARZKOPF Extra Care Ultimate Repair Anti-Damage Mask.

Add the step of a serum

You use a serum as part of your skin care routine, so why not with your hair? The experts recommend using a hair serum every few days. I’ve been using Schwarzkopf Extra Care Magnificent Strength Self-Warming Serum – it takes just one minute in the shower, and feels deliciously warm on your hair – to repair the structure of my hair.

Leave in the conditioner

After shampooing, conditioning, or a treatment, spray on a leave in conditioner to smooth the hair and add shine. This is also great for those days when you are not washing your hair as an extra shot of shine.

Refresh your colour

A fresh colour will add shine and condition in an instant. To take the guess-work out of which hair colour to use at home Schwarzkopf has developed a simple online Colour match tool which will let you know what products are best for you. I’ll walk you through how to use the tool here.

Fix the fade

It’s inevitable that your colour will fade between salon visits, so top it up with a colour refreshing product or a semi colour at home. The process can take from just 3 minute to half an hour depending on the product you choose, and it’s easier than you think. Try Schwarzkopf Mousse Colour Refresher for the quickest option – check out a video I made to demonstrate how easy it is, here.

Protect from the heat

If you’re going to use a blow-drier or hot iron on your hair, always apply a heat protection spray before to protect and strengthen.

Blow dry for shine

When you’re trying to get your hair into shiny shape it can be easy to avoid the hairdryer, thinking it’ll damage it more. But if you protect your hair properly (see above point) you’ll be fine. For maximum smoothness the experts at Schwarzkopf say to blow dry your hair down the shaft, and use the cool button on your hair dryer after you finish with each section. Smooth over a small amount of oil serum like SCHWARZKOPF Extra Care Daily Oil Elixir when you’re done for maximum gloss.

Cover up

Regardless of the season, the sun and environment can damage hair and fade colour. Keep a hat handy and use it as much as possible. Cotton hats will create less staticky frizz than anything made from acrylic or wool.

Do a regular hair care audit

Don’t worry, it’s not as tedious as it sounds. Whenever you are due for new hair care products – especially when it comes to Shampoo and Conditioner – take stock of what your hair really needs at the time. For instance in summer your hair may need products with added moisturisers like SCHWARZKOPF Extra Care Moisture Gloss Shampoo and Conditioner.

And if you’ve changed up your colour your hair could benefit from product designed specifically to retain and protect like SCHWARZKOPF Extra Care Ultimate Colour Shampoo and Conditioner.

after hair