Hair Tips
 
Wash & Condition....but how often?
What's what!

If you compare hair care to skin care, shampoo is the soap that cleans your hair whilst conditioner is the moisturiser that helps smooth down the cuticles to make them look healthy and shiny.

Think about the condition of your hair, and natural wear and tear. If you have long hair the ends can be up to five years old, therefore they have endured, five summers, fifteen hundred shampoos plus any number of blow dries etc etc. So treat your hair with care, you've been through a lot together!

When shampooing, remember that you are shampooing your scalp and roots of your hair as they are much oilier than the ends. So pay less attention to the mid lengths and ends of your hair as these will get cleansed as the shampoo is removed from your scalp.

When using conditioner, application is just as important as the conditioner you are using. To get the best from your chosen product, ensure you smooth the conditioner through your hair from roots to tips, as this is the same direction as your hair's cuticles.

When you have applied a conditioning treatment to your hair, wrap up your hair in 15-20 loose layers of cling-film, this will create hundreds of tiny air pockets that will get warm with the natural heat from your head, giving a nice and even temperature to process your treatment.

Tip: For extra shine on long good condition hair, after shampooing add a little real ale to your rinse water as this will impart a surprising shine to your hair. Honest!

Dull hair?
One of the reasons for dull hair is because it's dirty or oily, but some hair types stay 'brighter' for longer. The key to keeping hair in great condition is to wash it only when it needs it. A good guide is to wash curly hair every third day, wavy hair every second day and straight and fine hair every day.

Oily hair?
If you suffer from oily hair, try shampooing it in cool water and not massaging it too much. Hot water and massage stimulate the sebaceous (oil) glands on the scalp, encouraging them to produce more oil!

Itchy scalp?
To help to soothe an itchy scalp, try adding a couple of drops of pure lavender oil to the water that you rinse your hair in after shampooing. Important: if you are using a non-detergent shampoo this will greatly reduce the likelihood of your scalp being itchy in the first place. All Fish shampoos do not contain detergents.
 
Cut & Colour
When to visit the hairdresser
Hair grows on average about 2.5cm every six weeks, so go for a trim every six to eight weeks. If you are growing your hair, leave it about 10 to 12 weeks between cuts, and then just get the ends trimmed. Those old wives' tale about a regular trim making you hair grow faster just isn't true

Colour and perms
After eight weeks, semi-permanent colour will probably have washed out and will need new treatment. Highlights might need freshing up and a perm will probably need to be boosted at the roots to bring back life to your style.

Read the instructions
To get the full benefit of Fish Unisexy (or any other) hair care products, take a moment to read the instructions on pack. We are not asking you to forget everything you ever learned about looking after your hair, but products usually work best if you use them as suggested.

Why re-style?
Out with the old, in with the new - a re-style will cut out accumulated 'debris' and give you hair (and mood) a new lease of life. Changing your hairstyle is a quick way to upgrade your image. But if, of course, if you love your hairstyle the way it is then don't mess with a winning formula!

Straight hair
If you don't like to stray from the straight and narrow then your hair has probably seen its fair share of blow-drying and the straightening 'iron' . So it's important to use a good serum (Batteredfish for instance) to protect, hydrate and repair your hair. It will also help to smooth any stray 'frizzy bits'. To look good, poker straight hair need to be sleek, so choose a shine-boasting shampoo (select one from the Fish Unisexy range).
 
Split ends - How tp avaid them
You can't mend a split end, but with a bit of care and common sense you can avoid them.
Step 1: According to trichologists the only total cure for a split end is to trim them. So try and avoid them in the first place.
Step 2: Don't brush hair when it's wet as that is when it's most vulnerable.
Step 3: Don't over do it with hair dryers, straightening irons, crimpers, curling irons and hot curlers. Over drying your hair is one of the biggest split end culprits! Too many products and treatments won't help either.
Step 4: Use a natural-bristle brush that won't pull on your hair.
Step 5: Wear a hat to minimise sun damage and ensure you use a conditioner after washing your hair.
Step 6: Try a hair split repair serum (Batteredfish) or spray (Bigfish Volume Root Spray). They can't repair damage, but they will minimise them and help keep stray hairs under control.
Step 7: Get your hair trimmed every six weeks to keep it in perfect condition.
 
Hairdryers - Practical Advice
Preparation
Before using your hairdryer it is best to coat your hair with a protective styling spray or serum (like Batteredfish Hair Serum). Whilst modern hairdryers are nowhere near as scorching as they were a few years ago, power drying is till detrimental to your cuticles, and they need all the moisture they can get. A hair spray such as Bigfish Volume Root Spray can also help mould, shape and add volume to your hair

In the beginning...
Start by giving your hair a warm, invigorating blast with the ordinary nozzle (always keeping it six inches from the hair itself). The will eliminate excess water and speed up the drying and styling process.

Tip: When blow-drying your hair, always keep your hairdryer pointed down (his will be in the same direction as your hair cuticle - they are like roof tiles) so as not to 'ruffle' your cuticles which causes 'frizz'.

If you are drying fine or curly hair, attach you diffuser, and aim it at the roots, where it will help create lift and volume. Move the diffuser in small circles, to promote even distribution of warm air to your hair.

Moving on
How you progress from here depends on your styling routine. If you're creating high flicks, long lasting curls or pulling curly hair straight, switch your dryer off when your locks are 80% dry. Now is the time to apply your heated rollers, straightening iron, curling rod or air styler. If not, switch the hairdryer to cool because a cold blast is perfect for setting your style.
 
The Glossary of Hair
Alopecia is the medical term for hair loss, which can affect the whole head or just random patches of hair. There is no universal cure, and even the cause remains a mystery.
Ammonia is a colouring ingredient that works with hydrogen peroxide.
Cationic Agent is a conditioning ingredient that delivers a positive electric charge to moisturising ingredients in the same formational. This makes them cling to the hair where they smooth and re-moisturise parched and damaged cuticle cells.
Coal Tar is a traditional therapeutic ingredient with a distinctive smell, used to treat dandruff and other dry and flaking scalp conditions.
Combination Hair is greasy at the root, dry at the ends.
Conditioner is an after-shampoo treatment product that promotes moisture, smoothes cuticle cells and enhances shine and manageability.
Cortex is the soft middle layer of hair cells between the cuticle and the medulla.
Cuticle is the outermost layer of the hair, comprising hard, flat, overlapping cells.
Dandruff is a mild medical condition caused by the pityrosporum ovale yeast and characterised by white flakes falling from the scalp.
Dry Hair is lacking in vital lipids, it feels straw like and brittle, and appears dull. Because dry cuticle cells are less supple and resilient, this hair type is easily damaged.
Fine Hair is not necessarily thin or thinning, but has a smaller than average circumference, giving an overall thinner appearance.
Follicles are pore-like structures in the epidermis each container a papilla and growing hair shaft.
Greasy Hair suffers from over-production of sebum, and appears oily, lank and dull.
Grey Hair has lost its colour pigment, a mysterious phenomenon that occurs with age.
Hydrogen Peroxide is a colouring ingredient that works with ammonia.
Hydrolysed Protein is used in shampoos and conditioners to "replace" damaged sections of cuticle cells.
Keratin is the protein from which the hair shaft is made. Its elements include nitrogen, oxygen, carbon, hydrogen and sulphur.
Lye or "no-lye" formulas are found in the Afro hairdressing sector, referring to particular types of relaxing formula.
Medulla is the soft innermost core of the hair.
Melanin is the colour pigment that gives each hair its natural shade.
No-Lye (See Lye).
Oily Hair (See Greasy Hair).
Panthenol (see Pro-Vitamin B5).
Papilla is the very root of the hair, where living hair cells are produced.
Permanent Waving involves applying thioglycolate to the hair and then curling it, introducing permanent waves to the hair shaft.
Peroxide (see Hydrogen Peroxide).
PH is a scale of measurement (usually tested by a substance called litmus) that indicates how acidic or alkaline a substance is.
Pityrosporum Ovale is the fungal yeast responsible for causing dandruff.
Pro-Vitamin B5 (Panthenol) is a nourishing, conditioning ingredient: the only vitamin known to penetrate the hair shaft.
Roots (1) the papillae from which each individual hair shaft grows or (2) the visible re-growth of natural hair colour once a Level 3 colourant has been applied.
Sebum is the hair's natural lubricating oil, produced in the sebaceous gland, positioned between the papilla and the mouth of the follicle.
Shampoo is a lathering hair cleansing formula.
Shaft is the hair's length, from follicle to tip.
Split Ends are damaged areas of the hair shaft, which split and tear.
Thioglycolate is the active ingredient in perming solution and depilatory cream. It breaks down protein bonds between the hair cells.
Trichology is the term for the medical study and treatment of hair.