The secret to frizz-free hair in autumn

I love autumn for many reasons: the crisp, fresh air that gives me rosy cheeks without the need for blusher, the underrated combination of scarves and sunglasses, and a reason to dust off my trusty Grenson boots.

It’s not all good, though. One thing I cannot stand about the often drizzly, humid weather is what it does to my hair. Frizz happens when there’s moisture in the air, so during the months of September to December, I am rarely without a fine halo of frizz on my head and a multitude of baby hairs sticking up at my hairline.

It’s very annoying. But this year I have found a solution in the form of a quick in-shower hair mask: the Perfect Hair Day High-Shine Gloss by Living Proof (£30, Look Fantastic).

Perfect Hair Day High-Shine Gloss by Living Proof, £30, Look Fantastic

I tend to wash my hair every other day, but use this mask in the shower once a week: the results of one application last up to three washes. After shampooing and conditioning, I smooth the mask on from roots to tips and leave it on for five minutes. (This is slightly faffy, but I put up with it because the results are very good.) After that, I rinse it out and then style my hair as I would normally.

That means a quick run-through with my Philip Kingsley Vented Paddle Brush (£27, Philip Kingsley), and either leaving it to air-dry or giving it a quick blast with a hairdryer. (I do not have the time, nor the inclination, to spend 30 minutes styling my hair in the morning, but of course if you do this will make yours look even more fabulous.)

Philip Kingsley Vented Paddle Brush, £27, Philip Kingsley

My one hesitation in using hair masks until now has been that as someone with fine hair, masks would always leave it feeling weighed down and result in it looking flat. But this product miraculously keeps the little volume and bounce I have, just with an extra touch of smooth shine. If you also have fine hair, I’d advise using a little less conditioner on the days when you apply the mask.

You can give your hair another helping hand in reducing frizz by using a heat-protection spray before hair-
drying, such as the Save The Do Heat Protection Style Starter by Hair by Sam McKnight (£26, Sam McKnight). Super-stylist McKnight, who sees everyone from Kate Moss to Naomi Campbell, also suggests avoiding vigorously towel-drying your hair – which creates unnecessary friction – or washing with water that’s too hot, which can open up the hair cuticle.

Save The Do Heat Protection Style Starter by Hair, £26, Sam McKnight

Of course there are in-salon treatments you can try, too. For example, the peptide treatment K18Repair (available as an add-on in many salons up and down the country from about £25, depending on location). It helps to strengthen, protect and add shine to hair during a colour treatment, which can often leave hair more exposed to frizz and damage, and starts with a mist applied before your colour, followed by a leave-in mask before your blow-dry and styling.

Keratin treatments in salons are also good for smoothing and taming frizz longer-term. ‘Keratin treatments have come a long way as they are known for being super-harsh and heavy on the hair, but done properly they can be the perfect smoothing treatment, and are amazing for curly hair to define curls,’ explains the hairdresser Larry King. These treatments also speed up blow-drying time for coarse and thick hair. At King’s London salons, a full head of keratin treatment costs £290; just the hairline – fantastic for baby hairs – is £180.

Finally, the product that has worked its way into my handbag is the Style + Treat Sleek Stick by Briogeo (£20, Boots). It looks like a deodorant roll-on, but don’t let that put you off. You simply smooth down any fly-aways or frizz and it creates a much more sleek, polished look in around 20 seconds, whether you leave your hair down or have it up in a style.

Style + Treat Sleek Stick by Briogeo, £20, Boots