Five simple steps to youthful hair

Everyone wants fresh, youthful hair, but do you know the tips and tricks to pass onto your clients? Celebrity session stylist Neil Moodie offers these tips on behalf of Viviscal Professional.

1 Opt for a softer colour

"As we get older our skin colour changes – it fades and we get paler. Consider what colour is right  as you get older. A lot of women chose a colour they love when they’re young and stick with it for years. As they get older the skin gets paler and the hair colour stays the same, which makes them look washed out and sallow. The colour consultation is never more important that recommending a new shade to those who have had the same colour for years, but the difference can be massive."

 2 Get a shorter crop

"Longer hair on older women can be ageing especially if it’s going grey. Short hair is a bit perkier and it tends to lift people’s faces as opposed to having long hair which draws the face down. This is why women often decide to opt for a shorter cut as they get older. If they don't want to chop the whole lot off, the lob is super flattering while maintaining a bit of length."

3 Take Supplements

"I often find people have trouble with their hair breaking off, or if they have a stress related illness it can  cause their hair to fall out. I always recommend taking supplements as a way to repair the hair and to ensure it grows back in a healthy way. Nourishing the hair from the inside out is the most effective way of getting hair back on track. I recommend Viviscal Professional Hair Growth Programme, and for best results it must be taken 90 days or more.

4 Mix up your style

"People are often scared to experiment and don’t think they can achieve an updo by themselves, when in fact there’s so many quick and easy styles that they can try. Show your clients how to spray hairspray onto the brush so as they're brushing the hair, it distributes evenly and will give hair grip. Marie Antoinette would use powder in her hair to give it the grip it needed to stay up and a matte texture spray is the modern version of that."

 5 Use the right products

"There’s so many products on the market that choosing the right products for the hair can often be confusing. Recommending the right products means clients will be able to recreate the look at home. I never like to overload the hair with product. Just remember it’s much easier to keep adding than to try and take away."

Image: Errol Douglas MBE for Viviscal Professional

Photograph: Jack Eames