The golden rules of good hair care

We all know at least one woman in our lives with perfectly groomed, non-frizzy, salon-worthy hair that could have bounced straight out of a L'Oreal commercial. She's the one who gets up early to blow-dry her hair, applies regular leave-in treatments, wet combs rather than tears through her locks and won't be caught dead straightening her barney to within a dry crisp of its life.
Much as we admire her (and slightly resent her), we could never be this woman. Our lives are too chaotic and busy and we treasure our lie-ins too much. But there are a few simple steps we can shoehorn into our daily routine to improve the well-being of our locks.
We've rounded up the top five hair care commandments that experts from around the world are agreed on. From washing your hair two or three times a week to brushing from the bottom up and blow-drying from a distance, these are the tips and tricks employed by a stream of leading hair stylists and celebrity colorists; a holy grail of hair rules, if you will.
No matter what your hair type, check out the following simple do 's and don't for healthier, happier and more manageable tresses and banish bad hair days forever...

1. Wash your hair two to three times a week, max

How often should you wash your hair? It's the perennial question of the hair industry and but experts seem to agree that cutting back is a good thing - and washing every day is a mistake, no matter how much you might crave clean-feeling locks.
"Your hair's natural oils are designed to condition and protect your tresses, so when you shampoo daily, it strips these vital oils away," explains New York-based hair stylist Dan Sharp, whose clients include Kate Wins let, Hilary Swank and Charlie Theron.
"It creates a vicious cycle of over-production of oils and a need to shampoo very often. Ideally, to keep your hair healthy, you only need to wash two to three times a week, max."

Don't over wash colored hair

This is especially true for colored hair, which can lose its sheen quickly with too much washing.
"The biggest mistake people make is over-washing colored hair," says colorist Tracey Cunningham, the woman behind Gwyneth Pal trow icy blonde hue.
"Buy a good-quality shampoo – Urology ones are great – and wash it every few days using styling products in between to keep it looking fresh."
"I shampoo just once or twice a week," agrees Naomi Watts' hair stylist Marie Robinson. "Don't shampoo daily. Simply rinse and condition the hair every other day as shampoo can wash out the color."

Take into account your hair type and lifestyle choices
Of course, how often you need to wash your locks also depends on the type of hair you have.
"Your hairdresser can advise how often you should be washing – it depends on how active your scalp is in producing oil," says Tom Gallagher, creative director at the award-winning Oribe Hair Care.
"The curlier your hair is, the longer you can go between washes," explains dermatologist Dr. Doris Day. "The straighter it is, the faster the oil wicks down, so that can make it oilier faster. If you have super straight hair, you may not be able to go more than two days without washing."
And lifestyle choices like going to the gym may also affect how often you shampoo your tresses. But even here, there are ways of cutting back - you could try simply rinsing your hair rather than adding in shampoo.
"You may not be able to imagine not washing your hair after a workout (we totally get that), but you can can always rinse out sweat without shampooing," says hair stylist Kerrie Urban. "A water-only rinse will remove salt and sweat without stripping hair oils."
Invest in some good dry shampoo
And finally if you're aiming to scale back the amount of times you wash your hair per week, remember dry shampoo is your friend.
"Use dry shampoo instead of washing your hair every day. It will help reduce the oil build up in your hair and gives amazing texture," says stylist Mark Townsend, who tends to Reese Wither spoon's hair. "You can also leave dry shampoo in (instead of brushing it out) to give volume."
"As opposed to washing your hair every day, dry shampoo will help to refresh your hair at the roots and the tips whilst helping you to retain all the essential moisture your hair needs," agrees hair visionary Luke Henderson of the Henderson empire.

2. Avoid hot showers and shampoo your scalp, not your roots

Come shampoo time, many of us reach for a large dollop of the good stuff to scrunch into our hair; but there's a technique to good hair washing and overdoing things on the product front will do more harm than good.
"Healthy, beautiful, shiny hair starts in the shower so make sure to use the right shampoo and conditioner for your hair type and level of damage," says Mark Townsend.
"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," says Michael Lendon, advanced creative director at Aleda. "Longer hair needs a 50p-size dollop."

3. Towel-dry your hair before applying conditioner

What conditioner you use and how you use it is, if anything, more important than the shampoo stage. Make sure you invest in a few good quality conditioners and leave-in treatments or hair masks, especially if you have colored hair.
"Invest in your colour at home," says stylist Tracey Cunningham. "Gwyneth’s hair is in such good condition because she regularly uses at-home treatments. People are cheap with what they use on hair but don’t treat their cashmere jumper that way."
Good conditioner is also crucial when it comes to thick, curly hair.
"For curly, highly textured hair, always deep condition," says celebrity hair stylist Ted Gibson, who tends to Lupita Nyong'o's hair. "No two minute conditioners here. Deep conditioning involves a conditioner that will add moisture and strength (protein) back to hair. You should use heat by either applying conditioner to hair while taking a shower and let it sit while showering or by covering the hair with a plastic cap and applying heat from an outside like a hair dryer.
"I believe it’s important to use leave-in conditioners and also not to shampoo it so often. Rinse it if you want to but don’t necessarily shampoo it."

Gently towel-dry the hair before applying conditioner
"Make sure you towel-dry hair after shampooing and before you apply conditioner: excess water in your hair means the conditioner won't be able to penetrate the hair shaft and deliver the necessary moisture to keep hair looking healthy and shiny," advises industry legend Charles Worthington.
If you're short on time, at least squeeze out excess water - "hair that’s saturated with water doesn’t have room to absorb anything else," he says.

Avoid the roots and concentrate on the ends
"Try not to put the conditioner on the roots, because that can cause your scalp to get greasy faster," says stylist Kerrie Urban.
It's also a good idea to think ahead and anticipate situations where your hair might dry out.
"While you exercise, you perspire, which means that your hair gets damp with sweat that can actually make it dry," says famed LA-based hair styling talent Andy LeCompte. "Before you hit the gym (especially during the summer, but this works year-round too) wet your hair and add in some conditioner from the mid-lengths to the ends. Rinse out the conditioner post-workout and you’ll be left with shiny, hydrated hair.

4. Brush your hair twice a day, from the bottom up

Healthy hair needs regular brushing but don't tear through your locks mindlessly.
"For perfectly shiny, healthy and untangled hair, you need to brush your hair twice a day, " says stylist Laura Superbi of iconic French hair salon Jean Louis David. "Once in the morning and once before going to bed, for about a minute each time."
"Don't be rough with your hair: treat it nicely and it will repay you by looking healthy and shiny," cautions Michael Lendon of Aveda.

Comb wet hair, don't brush it
"When your hair is soaking wet, it is weaker, fragile and more susceptible to breakage," says NewBeauty editor Anna Jimenez. "Try not to rough-dry hair with a towel, and instead gently press the water out. Also, do not brush your hair while it is wet. Use a wide-tooth comb, working from the ends of your hair on up."

Brush from the bottom up
"Brushing from the roots causes damage – always brush from the bottom and work up," advises Tracey Cunningham.
Use different brushes for blow-dying and styling
"At home, you should have a round brush for blow-drying, a Mason Pearson brush for styling and a tail comb to move hair around a little," says celebrated hair stylist and darling of the fashion world, Guido Palau.

Keep your brushes clean
According to Anna Jimenez, "Filthy hair brushes that are covered in hair, oil and product build-up are breeding grounds for bacteria. Clean them at least once a month with a mixture of baking soda and lukewarm water. A toothbrush will help you to get into all those tiny bristles."
Laura Superbi is of a similar mind: "To make sure your hairbrush lasts, look after it. Do this by regularly removing all of the hair that gets stuck in the brush. Clean once a month with warm water and a small amount of shampoo."

Cut back on heat-styling tools
"Don't use heat-styling tools daily. Flat irons, curling irons and even blow drying can damage the hair shaft. Damaged hair is not able to retain colour the way that healthy hair can," says colourist Marie Robinson.
"I almost never blow-dry my hair or use hot tools," she adds. "I usually apply Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray, go to bed with damp hair, and wake up with waves."
You can also bypass hot tools by multitasking your hair style, as celebrity stylist Dan Sharp explains:
"Styling doesn’t always have to involve a hot tool. If you give yourself a fierce blowout on Monday, rock it out on Tuesday and on Wed do a fab high ponytail. Making your style last a few days will really help prevent damage."

Use protective treatments
Hair guru Nicky Clarke recommends "always using protective styling products before blow-drying.
"Add a pea-size amount of Nicky Clarke Instant Calmer from the mid-levels to the ends of your hair to seal in moisture and smooth the cuticles down before you head out into the cold," he says.
"Do use leave-in treatments to blow dry your hair, it will protect and moisturise your hair every day," says Alex Brownsell of hip UK hair label Bleach.
"Always use a heat-protector spray, such as Aveda's Brilliant Damage Control spray (£16 RRP)," adds Michael Lendon of Aveda.

Move your hair around
You need a bit of movement for the ideal blow-dry, as hair care expert Harry Josh explains:
"The perfect the at-home blow-out- it’s not as hard as it sounds. Start by flipping your head upside down, and shake your hair around while you blow-dry - the more you move, the more volume you’ll get. Once it’s about 80 percent dry, flip back up and blow-dry hair in sections to smooth, focusing on polished ends. The last three inches are key: Move your brush and dryer right down to the very end of the strands and take your time. It will make all the difference."
Schwarzkopf air stylist Armin Morbach notes: "You should keep the blow-dryer moving constantly to avoid applying too much heat in a single spot. We recommend dividing the hair in several portions and securing the strands with large hair clips or grips.
"Work your way up blow-drying your hair from the neckline to the crown of your head so that you don't hit the same strand of hair multiple times."