Summer hair Q&A

Q. What's a good haircare regimen for summer?
A. "First of all, try to avoid washing your hair every day because that tends to stimulate the scalp and leads to the worst case scenario - greasy roots and dry ends," says celebrity stylist Andrew Collinge. "Wash your hair a maximum of three to four times per week. When you shampoo and condition, don't rinse until it squeaks - that means you're taking too much of the hair's goodness out. Always leave a little bit of conditioner in. I also suggest using a moisturising treatment once a week. The conditioning agents in a treatment are a lot more concentrated, so they get in and coat the hair," he adds. Stylist Zoe Irwin, creative director of Headmasters Salons UK, suggests, "Apply a UV-protecting product to your scalp and through to the ends of your hair for complete protection."

Q. How can I protect my hair against colour fade?
A. "The best tip of all is to wear a hat," says Collinge. But a treatment also helps, he adds. "Imagine a hair shaft is like a pine cone. Heat damage can cause the scales to open up and, when in water, the colour just washes away. So a specific treatment for coloured hair will coat and protect the shaft. Using a serum is another great way to seal in colour. A good trick is to give your hair a cold rinse after you condition to help close the cuticle."

Q. How can I avoid that crunchy, dry feeling?
A."You could try putting a little bit of conditioner or a mask in your hair when you go to the beach. A leave-in conditioner also works, but sometimes it can be too light and can burn off too quickly. So apply your product and then use the heat of the sun to make the treatment work. It's all about keeping the hair supple and moist," advises Collinge.

Q. What's the best haircare routine after the beach?
A. "Always rinse your hair with fresh water after swimming in seawater," recommends Collinge. After swimming in a pool, washing is even more important. "Chlorine is like putting a mild form of peroxide in your hair, so you have to rinse it out well. Regular trims and moisturising treatments in summer will also help to eliminate dry ends."

Tressed to impress

Zoe Irwin, of Headmasters Salons UK, says these easy resort-inspired styles will take you from beach to bar in no time.

The high bun: Apply a protecting serum through the lengths and ends. Then, using your fingers, sweep your hair back into a high ponytail. Twist the ponytail and wrap it around itself. Secure it with French pins by weaving them through the bun until they come through to the other side. Twist the ends of the French pins together to fasten.

Braids: Tease the hair at the crown for height. Then loosely braid random sections of hair from the base of the neck and pull them back into a ponytail. For a sexy, messy look, pull bits of hair out from the braids. Decorate with accessories like clips or pins.

Sexy waves: At the beach, apply a moisturising mask and braid or pull hair back into a bun. Later, when it's time to go out, undo the style for sexy, tousled locks. For a glam twist, tease the hair at the crown for some volume and then pull back the top half of the hair, using a simple elastic to secure.