Ask the expert

Our resident expert hairdresser Andrew Barton has been indundated with your "lockdown hair care" questions and has taken a break from his busy schedule to answer some of them today.

Q1. From Annabelle:

I’m a professional woman and spend lots of time on Zoom calls lately and have long hair which is looking somewhat bedraggled. Rather than simply put it into a pony tail, are there any other ways I can put up my hair to ensure that I look smart and well presented?

A. With the amount of zoom calls many of us are doing at the moment our presentation is key to maintaining a professional environment I’m also taking care of my surroundings keeping backgrounds as neutral as possible. Hair accessories are a great way to dress your hair and can add a little sophistication to even a simply dressed ponytail. From luxury to budget there are some beautiful pieces from clasps to slides and pins. Pony tails can also be simply dressed into a simple chignon by gently back brushing the tail of the pony smoothing over the hair and pinning into a neat bun. Spritx with a sine spray or texture spray to add a polished finish.

Q2. From Helen:

Having now missed two hairdressing appointments, I’m struggling with split ends and still using my hairdryer and straighteners. Should I avoid “heat” and is there any product available to prevent this from happening?

A. Hair is much more resilient to much of the myths about hair damage. One of the best way’s to avoid mechanical heat damage to turn down the heat on your styling tool and avoid going over the same section of hair once it’s dry or smooth, the biggest mistake many woman make is to run the heat through the heat too many strokes. My Andrew Barton Heat Protection Spray is a lightweight mist that will not weigh the hair down and adds sheen as well as enviromental protection. Before each mechs of hair styled spritz over the lengths and tips of the hair before heat styling.

Q3. From Victoria:

I cannot see! My full fringe is literally resting on my eyelids and although I’ve resisted the temptation to snip it, I really think I have no option now - is there a video demonstrating how to give a fringe a quick trim?

A. There are many ways of resisting the snip of scissors at home while you wait for the return of your stylist. I’ve been recommending to my clients to change their parting by an inch or so and gently sweep the outgrown fringe to one side. Pretty hair accessories like slides and clips can hold back a outgrown fringe as well as a spritz of a lightweight hairspray.

Q4. From Gary:

I’ve a full head of hair which is fine and lacking any shape now- what would you recommend to help define it and make it look “trendy” - wax/gel etc?

A. There are many styling products on the market to help with styling. Wax can be a little heavy on fine hair so a lightweight gel may be the better option apply a little into the hair before blowdrying and then a tiny amount rubbed into the palms of the hands and tousled through the hair when dry will also add more definition while you wait for your hairdresser to re open hopefully in only a few weeks time.