Style your hair happy

When it comes to shampoo and conditioner, one size doesn't fit all. Choose products specifically formulated for your hair needs. Photograph: TOPAS/Corbis
We all love those days when we experience glossy, full-bodied hair. But according to new research, 53% of women are concerned about hair thinning and 68% feel self-conscious about their hair and how it looks. Thankfully, there are simple ways to give your hair a fuller, thicker appearance.
"A haircut is a very individual thing, so there is no set answer for what cut someone with thinning hair should have," says Michael Lendon, advanced creative director at Aveda. "But having a cut with a strong structure can help. Blunt edges can help to give weight and define shape. Graduations towards the back of the head can also add impact to a look.
"For longer haircuts, I'd suggest not over-texturising the hair with layers, as this can make it look thinner. And avoid fringes unless you're sure it won't go wispy – wispy hair automatically looks thin."
There are other styling tricks you can borrow from the professionals to give your hair the appearance of extra thickness. "When styling your hair, try to move your hair up and away from your face to create height and volume," says Lendon.
"Heated rollers are great, too; even just three or four put in dry hair before you go out will add a lovely soft lift to your hair. Spray a little Aveda Air Control Hairspray (£18 RRP for 300mls) in each section before you roll to ensure it holds – and leave the rollers to cool down properly before taking them out, otherwise your hair will drop flat."
Five steps to fuller-looking hair
There's more to washing your hair than dunking it under a hot shower. Follow Aveda creative director Michael Lendon's expert advice:
Get personal
When it comes to shampoo and conditioner, one size doesn't fit all. Choose products specifically formulated for the needs of thinning hair, such as Aveda's Invati range. The three products are made from a blend of Ayurvedic herbs, including turmeric and ginseng, which – when massaged in – help to revitalise the scalp around the follicles. The exfoliating shampoo (£20.50 RRP), thickening conditioner (£22.50 RRP) and scalp revitaliser (£43 RRP) are made with 97% naturally derived ingredients, and can help you to get thicker, fuller looking hair for longer. Discover how to get a free Invati sample at aveda.co.uk/guardian
Go with the flow
Giving your head an invigorating massage as you shampoo is a good way to encourage blood circulation and helps to detoxify the scalp.
Splash out the right amount
The volume of shampoo you should use depends on the length and thickness of your hair, but a blob the size of a 20p coin is a good start. Longer hair needs a 50p-size dollop. Use shampoo on wet hair and use a little more water to help get extra lather. Cleanse twice, as this will really encourage a healthy scalp. In turn this means better hair growth and thicker-looking locks.
De-knot, avoid hot
Comb your conditioner through your hair, as this will help to ensure the product works its magic on each individual strand. Leave it in for two to five minutes and then rinse it out with warm or cool water – never hot.
Step away from the hairdryer
You should always be careful with heat, but this is especially true if your hair is thinning. Keep the hairdryer nozzle two inches away from your hair and always use a heat-protector spray, such as Aveda's Brilliant Damage Control spray (£16 RRP). Use a soft brush, such as the Aveda wooden paddle brush (£19 RRP), and don't be rough with your hair: treat it nicely and it will repay you by looking healthy and shiny.

How to Tame Split Ends

You've been growing out your hair into long, Jemima Kirke waves for months now, and yet, there's something standing in your way of Jessa hair perfection: split ends. Nothing will kill the length and strength of hair quicker than split ends, and they're so tricky to fix, because the more you have, the quicker they multiply. Plus, everything from brushing to straightening to fishtail braiding can exacerbate the situation. Luckily, we’ve got a plan to get rid of them that starts before your morning shower and keeps working straight through the night, even while you sleep.
Pre-Shower:
To fight the good fight against split ends, defense should begin before you even shampoo. Try pre-wash treatments that act as cuticle menders and sealants, like Michael Van Clarke’s 3” More Inches Pre-Wash Treatment. Apply it an hour or so before getting in the shower and leave on as long as you like, letting the cashmere proteins and amino acids perform their anti-aging, moisturizing magic. Or reach for Orico’s Superseed Vitamin Dry Multi-Oil, which you can leave on for just 15 minutes before you hop in the shower.
Related: The 100 Best Hair Salons in America 2014
In Shower:
For a one-two-punch of split end mending sorcery, Davines Melu Shampoo and Conditioner will revitalize strands that are prone to breakage. The spinach extract and apricot butter strengthen and soften while the Quaternium-8 makes combing through wet or dry tresses super easy. It also minimizes heating tool damage and protects the hair by significantly cutting down drying time.
Related: 16 Dry Shampoos to Get You Through Festival Season
Post-Shower:
AG Hair’s Keratin Repair Serum uses one of your locks’ primary building blocks, keratin protein, to penetrate frazzled cuticles and bond to broken hair, correcting past damage and preventing further breakage in the process. As you continue to use it, you’ll find your split ends fused together and the overall health of your hair renewed. As an added bonus, it restores elasticity, giving you bouncier tresses, too.
Another keratin-packed wonder, Phyto Paris’ PHYTOKÉRATINE Reparative Serum, uses not only the aforementioned ingredients, but also silk peptides, which act like a bandage, smoothing and repairing split ends immediately. Plus, its hyaluronic acid is an unparalleled moisturizer, so applying to your ends will give you a supple and shiny look, straightway.
Before You Style:
Reach for Gold Lust, a nourishing and non-greasy oil that's liquid gold for dry and damaged manes. As one of Oribe’s most popular products, its signature mixture of watermelon, lychee, and edelweiss flower extracts works as your hair’s arsenal against aging, oxidative stress, and the deterioration of your cuticle’s natural keratin reserve. Boasting a bevy of oils, this emollient formula is sure to be a standout shelf staple in your battle against brittle ends.
If you're looking for something that offers immediate relief from frizzy locks, opt for R+Co’s Tinsel Oil. It features exotic oils like argan and jojoba compounded with antioxidant rich vitamin E for a supremely strengthening formula that will leave your hair in child-like form, no frizz in sight.
While You Sleep:
Nighttime is the right time to rectify your split ends, as your strands are least exposed to external aggressors while you catch up on your Zzzzs. To repair while you snooze, spread a nickel-sized amount of Phyto’s SECRET DE NUIT Intense Hydration Regenerating Night Treatment through freshly brushed ends before bed. You'll boast suppler, shinier, and more manageable locks upon waking, thanks to the ceramides encapsulated in chronospheres, which offer time-released hydration and nourishment while you hit the sack.