Step 1 the haircut: Slight step cuts appear more and more voluminous.
Step 2 the care: Make sure to use the care products that suit your hair type. Especially with fine hair, too much care often has the opposite effect, because rinses for damaged or coloured hair, for example, tend to weigh down. Special volume care coats the hair fibres with selected proteins that build up and strengthen the hair.
Step 3 the hair colour: Natural hair colours and strands have an optically condensing effect.
Step 4 the styling: Always dry the hairline with a round brush before blow-drying the rest of the hair. This will also give you more volume.

Roberto Gruber, hair expert and trainer at Schwarzkopf Professional, recommends for fine hair: “The right blow-drying technique contributes to fuller hair. The most effective method is to blow-dry the hair overhead, turn it onto large Velcro pads, warm it up again with the blow-dryer and let it cool down completely. My secret tip: Spray the hair with volume hairspray while it is still on the rollers.

When does the hairdresser go on?

When the hair tips become thinner, split ends appear or the haircut loses its shape completely, professionals should go for it. Even very extreme colour changes that put a strain on the hair structure – for example, if you want to change your dark curls to platinum blonde – should be left to the professionals. Even if the colours for home use are becoming increasingly gentle, the hairdresser knows the right tricks to ensure that the hair survives the procedure undamaged and does not lose its shine.

My hair is so dull: How do I bring more shine into it?

Every single hair is surrounded by a fine layer of scales, which resembles a fish skin. If cold, UV radiation, heating air or similar environmental influences attack the hair, this cuticle layer is damaged. The individual scales no longer lie next to each other, but stand out horizontally like a risen fir cone. The light can no longer be refracted in these roughened hairs, they look dull and all shine is lost.
In order to give the hair back the shine that it actually has by nature, the cuticle layer must be closed again – then it reflects the light again, the hair shines. Special moisturising shampoos and conditioners can help. A final (cold) rinse after washing also closes the dandruff layer and makes the hair shiny.

My hair color always fades so quickly. Is there anything we can do about it?

Yes, especially in summer, shampoos with UV protection protect against colour fading. For daily care, it is best to choose a product line for coloured hair – they contain oils that support the shine of the colour as well as antioxidant substances that delay fading. Colour refresher products – adapted to the type for blonde, brunette, black, red hair etc. – support the luminosity of pigments and nourish with natural oils and waxes.

Is air drying not the best way to dry the mane?

Blow-drying heat can damage the hair – but simple air-drying does not always deliver the dream styling result. If you keep your distance when blow-drying and don’t set the hot-air blow dryer to full heat, you can safely reach for the dryer. New appliances are also no longer so aggressive for the hair. Optimal: If you can regulate heat and air intensity separately. A spray treatment or mousse, which does not need to be rinsed out, protects the hair from the hot air and gives the mane power and volume. By the way: Even rubbing the hair dry with a towel before blow-drying is pure stress for the fine structure. Better: Wrap damp hair in a towel and carefully press out any wet hair. When combing, do not pull the hair, but gently untangle it. If the hair tends to form nodules, use a conditioner after washing to make the hair easier to comb (a little apple or lemon vinegar mixed with water has the same effect. Don’t worry, you won’t smell like you fell into the salad bowl). If you want to use a straightening iron or curling iron, you should protect your hair with a heat balm beforehand. This makes it easier to deform the hair and forms an invisible protective cover that protects the inside of the hair from heat damage.

A hair treatment: Do I need that?

Anyone with healthy, shiny hair can easily do without this extra care. It looks different when the hair is stressed: the hair is affected by colour treatments, the frequent use of straightening irons and the like, but also by sunbathing or contact with chlorine or salt water. Because such extratours damage the hair structure, a cure is necessary to prevent hair breakage and to repair minor damage. Even with beginning split ends and very dry hair, extra care with ceramides, moisture and nourishing oils can ensure healthy, manageable hair.

How do I tame my natural curls?

Flowing curls – those who do not have them, wish for them. But women with natural curls don’t have it easy either: curly manes always need a little more care than straight hair, as they tend to split ends and lose their shine more quickly. Curls are stubborn and unruly, because naturally curly hair is often very dry. You should therefore not wash your hair daily, but only at intervals of about three to four days.
Use special series for natural curls to care for the hair. They give the hair a lot of moisture, which provides natural bounce. To increase the elasticity, mousse can be used before drying. It is important that the mousse does not have any additives in the form of alcohol – such products only dry out the hair unnecessarily. When blow-drying, do not brush, but knead the hair with your hands – this also increases the curling power.
Hair professional Roberto Gruber recommends the following for handling curls: “To work out and define curls, it is best to use a curling balm (e.g. OSiS Curl Me Soft, OSiS Twin Curl). Work this into washed, towel-dried hair and let it air dry or blow-dry with a diffuser attachment. Then loosen the hair with your fingers – do not comb!

Are dandruff a mistake in care?

Dandruff can have various causes. Often dry and irritated scalp is to blame. In such cases, only a particularly gentle shampoo that soothes the scalp can help.
You should also treat yourself to balancing massages with a mild scalp care lotion.
But a yeast fungus can also cause dandruff – usually recognizable by rather greasy scales that are yellowish clumped. This problem is only solved by special dandruff shampoos with tea tree oil, ketoconazole, bifonazole or zinc pyrithione, which specifically combat the fungus without straining the scalp even more.
Important: Also treat brush and comb with the dandruff shampoo so that the fungus does not get stuck there.

It looks like I’m getting widow’s peak – but aren’t they typically male?

Men are more likely to suffer from hair loss – but women’s hair can also thicken significantly. Often it is the hairstyle that is to blame: Those who constantly wear a heavily tied braid or knot pull on their hair and can provoke hair loss.
Hormone fluctuations during pregnancy and menopause can also promote hair loss. In such cases, talk to a gynaecologist or get advice in special hair consultation hours offered by some university clinics. In the meantime, there are good products that help to reduce hair loss in women.

Do styling products harm if I use them daily?

Style as you like – just make sure to remove the products from your hair. That means: Brush your hair well in the evening and brush regularly. When washing your hair every three weeks, use a so-called neutral shampoo that really does remove all possible residues of styling and care.

Does my diet affect my hair?

The hair roots need especially many nutrients, since the cells actively divide here. Important building blocks for healthy hair are all vitamins of the B-complex, especially vitamin B3, B5 and B6. They strengthen the hair. Yeast, meat, egg yolk, nuts, legumes and wheat germ are valuable suppliers of vitamin B.
Even without iron, hair cannot grow – especially vegetarians and women with heavy menstruation risk hair loss. Good to know: Vitamin C improves the utilization of iron. Hair consists of keratin, which is largely made up of protein, the basic structure of all cells. That’s why a protein-rich diet – with poultry, fish and soya, for example – helps the hair.
Copper deficiency leads to thin, brittle hair. Rich in copper are wholemeal bread, pulses, nuts and dried fruit.
And the trace element zinc also promotes hair growth and a healthy scalp. A lot of it is contained in oysters, oatmeal, eggs and cheese.