Regular Sunday Service readers (hi mum!) may recall I got the fright of my life earlier this year, when an infra-red scan awarded my hair a health score of 40%. Not good.
At the time, I vowed to chop off the dead weight, follow my own beauty editor advice on hair masks - i.e. actually use them - then return, avenger-like, my strong, shimmering head of hair resplendent with good health. Or at the very least, not screaming for help.
So after six-ish months and a couple of brutal cuts, I booked back into Haug London Haus and submitted to the scanner. This time in the hands of co-owner and creative director, Siobhan Haug. And reader, guess what?
My hair health scan and new styling hero
Ta da! I present to you my new and improved hair health score of... 64%
This, by most people's metrics, would still be a poor result (barely a D+), but I responded with the jubilation of a teenage driver who's just scraped through their test with 15 minors.
I'm recounting this, not to toot my flute, but to remind anyone who thinks their hair is beyond help that change is possible. "It's a bit like taking vitamins, you do have to be consistent," advises Siobhan. Roger that.
At the end of my appointment, my 'do was bouncily blow-dried, which is the crux of this tale because out came a product that I never see in people's houses but always see in professional stylists' kits.
It's mousse! Good old hair mousse, which, if you can block out crispy '90s flashbacks and accept the idea of malleable new-gen formulas, can be truly life-enhancing. This is the one Siobhan used and - even allowing for pro styling wizardry vs what I can do at home - it did things to my hair I thought weren't possible.
I was able to eke out my blow dry for four days (and counting - make that 4.5) when usually I get two, tops. My roots had lift and didn't go lank, my lengths maintained their swish and flicks. I should add that day two of this testing period was essentially the Everest of keeping a blowout in good nick - rainy and humid and hot, oh my!
(r) The magical mousse in situ at Haug London Haus (r) my bouncy blow dry on day three
As ever, the experts know what's up - and in salons, mousse is still king. This is technically a professional product, but here we are in the Sephora era, so it is widely available online and well worth considering for your home blow dries.
A fringe benefit of mousse facilitating a nice hairstyle, then helping it stick around, is that you don't need to wash and heat style as often, which brings me neatly back to hair health.
Between the K18 masks, the cuts, and less-frequent hair drying, I'm shooting for the stars in my next hair scan. And, thanks to this mousse, I'm becoming increasingly convinced that the week-long blow-dry is not an urban myth after all. Sounds good? Great! Let's chat next Sunday.
