Head space

Post-party recovery plan to transform rock-around-the-clock locks from lacklustre to lustrous by lunchtime...

An excess of party styling over the festive period can leave hair in serious burnout mode. Consecutive late nights, unremittingly harsh weather, exposure to central heating and a surfeit of rich foods are all reflected in its appearance. Make amends by introducing trouble-shooting products into your care regime, after all the show must go on…

Detox session

  Ben Cooke helps tame Victoria's hair An excess of styling products can leave a residue on the hair, making it look dull and lifeless. Give it the Aggie & Kim treatment in a follicular sense with a build-up blitzing shampoo containing higher concentrations of cleansers than normal types and chelating ingredients to remove collected minerals. TRESemmé Vitamin C Deep Cleansing Shampoo, £2.99 and Boots Build-up Remover Shampoo, £2.99 will both leave you feeling clear headed.An excess of styling products can leave a residue on the hair, making it look dull and lifeless

Drink up
Boost hydration levels in your hair with nourishing formulations. Lee Stafford Soflee Soflee Foaming Mousse Shampoo, £5.49, www.leestafford.com
contains hydrolysed silk, while Living Nature Nourishing Shampoo with Manuka Honey & Tea Tree Oil, £15, www.livingnature.com
is packed with natural nutrients. Conditioning is crucial and if hair is dull and lifeless looking it's essential it receives appropriate emergency treatment. Naked Rescue Repair and Renew Hair Treatment, £7.99, Boots, is the vitamin E-laced hero product of a 97% natural haircare range that's free from parabens, petrochemicals and sodium lauryl sulphate. Charles Worthington Results Moisture Seal Hair Healer Intensive Leave-in Conditioner, £4.99, coats hair with a moisturising shield against external, everyday damage and colour loss. Keraflex cleverly targets those areas requiring help, bypassing the parts that don't.

Professional input
'Tis the season for heat-styling abuse so stave off sustained SOS signals by giving your hair the health-farm treatment with supercharged salon professional products. Resuscitate even the most tired and emotional post-party locks with Philip Kingsley's cult product Elasticizer, £20, www.philipkingsleyproducts.com
, a pre-shampoo conditioning treatment that delivers a rush of moisture inside the hair's cuticle. Work into mid-lengths and ends of dampened hair with fingertips for one minute; rinse thoroughly then shampoo and condition as usual. Use weekly or bi-weekly, the concentrated formula lasts for ages. SEAH Hairspa Wintercare Mask, £14.70 www.schwarzkopf-professional.co.uk
is an indulgent blend of comforting sandalwood combined with caring macadamia oil. Alterna Caviar Rapid Repair Spray, £26.50, 0845 458 2825, is a luxury finisher that's lightweight enough to be used throughout the day, restoring vibrancy, strength and elasticity to tired, dull, dry hair.

Root force
There's nothing so trashy as obvious roots and during the hectic run-up to Christmas it's not always possible to schedule an appointment with your in-demand colourist exactly when you need it most. Nice 'n' Easy Root Touch Up, £4.29 takes a wave of a wand and about 10 minutes. In a choice of 12 shades it blends with salon colour as well as leading home hair colourants. Bobbi Brown Natural Brow Shaper and Root Touch Up, £12.50 www.bobbibrown.com
is multi-purpose make-up at its best and can be whisked out for instant hair touch-ups. Six shades range from Blonde to Rich Brown.

Spray time
Dirty stop-outs who have overslept but still need to appear pure and presentable whether for work, your prospective in-laws, or a guilt-fuelled gym session, will find a dry shampoo invaluable thanks to its dirt and grease absorbing properties. Batiste Dry Shampoo, £1.99, is available in two variants – Original and Tropical. Label.m Dry Shampoo, £7.95 contains rice starch as a neutraliser. Kevin.Murphy Fresh.Hair, £10.95, 01282 613413 is a dry cleaner and styling product in one and is especially good for fine hair is it is both oil and residue free. If despite your best efforts hair looks limp by lunchtime and you've an important meeting/date lined up for the afternoon head straight to the ladies for the hand dryer. 'A quick blast at the roots will help to pump up the volume in no time! Give your style staying power with a spritz of hairspray for additional hold,' advises award-winning hairdresser Sally Brooks of top London salon Brooks & Brooks.

Fight the frizz
The contrast between freezing temperatures outdoors and sub-tropical ones indoors can whip up unprecedented levels of frizz. Victoria Beckham's stylist Ben Cooke of Lockonego salon in Chelsea has the following recommendation: 'Treat yourself to a hair mask. I like Herbal Essences Rainforest Flowers 2 Minute Anti Frizz Balm, £2.99, for dry and damaged hair. It will help to fight the frizz on those humid and misty winter mornings after the night before.' VO5's trio of hairsprays with Climate Control technology provides a shield against humidity and damp, reducing frizz by up to a whopping 72%. Choose from Flexible, Firm and Extra Firm, £2.49. A favourite trick of the trade is to mist a brush with hairspray and run it through the hair from root to tip.