Hair Care

How to choose bridal hair accessories

Bridal pieces are bought once and photographed extensively, so a few practical points matter more than they would otherwise.

• Decide the hairstyle first, then the accessory. A comb needs something to grip into. It won't hold in loose, freshly washed hair. Headbands suit down or half-up styles; combs and pins suit updos.
• Take it to your hair trial. This is the single most useful thing you can do. What sits beautifully on a mannequin can slip on fine hair or disappear in thick hair.
• Check the weight. Heavier pearl and metal pieces need pinning in properly and can drag on fine hair over a long day.
• Consider the veil. If you're wearing one, the accessory and veil need to work together, decide the order they go in before the day.
• Buy early enough to practise. Both you and whoever is doing your hair should have handled it before the morning.

How to make clips and pins hold in fine or thick hair

• Fine hair: backcomb lightly at the root where the clip sits, or spray with dry shampoo or texture spray first. Clean, silky hair gives grips nothing to hold.
• Thick hair: section it and use several smaller clips rather than one large one fighting the whole weight.
• Insert pins against the direction of the hair, then twist and push in, pushing straight in slides straight out.
• Two pins crossed in an X hold considerably better than two parallel ones.

How to use a toning mask

Purple and toning masks deposit pigment to neutralise brassy or yellow tones in blonde, lightened, highlighted or grey hair. They're temporary and don't lighten or dye.

• Start with less time than the packet says, five minutes on the first use, then adjust upwards. Over-toning gives a lilac or grey cast that takes several washes to clear.
• Apply to damp, not soaking, hair. Excess water dilutes the pigment and gives patchy results.
• Work through evenly with a wide-tooth comb, concentrating on the brassiest sections rather than the roots.
• Wear gloves: pigment stains hands, nails and bath surfaces.
• Once a week at most. More frequent use builds up and dulls the colour.
• Patch test first if you have a sensitive scalp or a history of reactions to hair products.

How to look after coloured or lightened hair

• Wash less often. Every wash removes some colour; dry shampoo between washes extends it considerably.
• Cooler water closes the cuticle and holds colour better than hot.
• Heat protection before styling, every time. Bleached hair is structurally weaker and heat damage on it is not repairable.
• Chlorine turns blonde green. Wet hair with clean water before swimming, saturated hair absorbs less pool water, and rinse immediately after.

How to store accessories so they last

Bridal and occasion pieces tarnish and bend in a drawer. Keep them in the box or a soft pouch, away from damp, a bathroom cabinet is the worst place for anything plated. Pearl and crystal pieces should be kept away from hairspray and perfume, which cloud the finish over time. Hairpins and clips live better in a small tin than loose, where they bend and lose their spring.