Danielle Sarah Salon

Why Does Your Hair Colour Look Different at Home Than It Does in the Salon?

Have you ever left the hair salon absolutely loving your colour, only to get home, look in the mirror and think…

“Hang on, why does my hair look different?”

You might notice your blonde looks warmer, your brunette appears darker, or your highlights seem less noticeable.

But here’s something many people don’t realise.

Your hair colour can look completely different depending on the lighting around you.

And it doesn’t necessarily mean your colour has changed.

Different types of lighting affect how we see colour.

Warm indoor lighting can make blonde hair appear more golden, while cooler lighting may make ash tones look more noticeable.

Natural daylight often reveals more of the subtle tones and dimension in your hair.

This is particularly noticeable with balayage, highlights and colours that contain several different shades.

Even photographs can be misleading because phone cameras automatically adjust brightness and colour.

Danielle’s Professional Tip

If you’ve recently had your hair coloured, try looking at it in soft, natural daylight as well as indoors.

Avoid judging your new colour under just one type of lighting.

And when bringing inspiration pictures to your hairdresser, try to find several photographs of the colour you love.

A single photograph might have been taken under professional lighting or edited with filters, making the shade look different from how it would appear in everyday life.

Remember, beautiful hair colour isn’t always one flat shade.

It’s often the different tones, depth and dimension that make it look so natural.

Have you ever noticed your hair colour looking different depending on where you are?

Does your hair look better in natural daylight, bathroom lighting or at the salon?

Let me know in the comments.

For more professional hair advice and honest product recommendations, visit www.daniellesarahhair.com.

Does More Shampoo Foam Mean Your Hair Is Cleaner?

Have you ever washed your hair and noticed that your shampoo hardly foams the first time, but produces loads of bubbles the second time?

You might assume your hair wasn’t getting clean during that first wash.

But that’s not necessarily true.

More bubbles don’t automatically mean cleaner hair.

Shampoos contain cleansing ingredients called surfactants, which help remove oil, dirt and product build-up from your scalp.

These ingredients also help create foam, but the amount of foam isn’t a reliable way to measure how effectively your shampoo is cleaning.

If your hair is particularly oily or you’ve been using lots of styling products, you might notice less foam during your first wash.

That’s because oils and product residue can affect how easily your shampoo lathers.

Once some of that residue has been removed, a second wash may produce more bubbles.

But here’s the important part.

You don’t necessarily need to shampoo your hair twice every time you wash it.

For many people, one thorough wash is enough.

Danielle’s Professional Tip

When washing your hair, concentrate your shampoo on your scalp rather than scrubbing it through the full length of your hair.

Gently massage your scalp with your fingertips, then rinse thoroughly.

If you’ve used lots of styling products or your scalp is particularly oily, a second shampoo may be helpful.

But don’t automatically add more shampoo just because you’re not seeing loads of bubbles.

The most important thing is choosing a shampoo suitable for your hair and scalp, then using it correctly.

Do you shampoo your hair once or twice when you wash it?

Once, always
Twice, always
It depends on how my hair feels
I’ve never really thought about it!

Let me know in the comments.

For more professional hair advice and honest product recommendations, visit www.daniellesarahhair.com.

Can hair oil actually repair split ends?

Hair oils can make dry ends look and feel much better.

They can add shine, smooth frizz, reduce that rough feeling and help the hair feel softer.

But there’s an important difference between making damaged hair look better and actually repairing a split end.

Once the end of a hair has physically split, an oil can’t permanently join it back together again.

Some products can temporarily smooth and coat the hair so the split is less noticeable, but the damaged section is still there underneath.

That’s why sometimes your ends can look amazing immediately after applying an oil — and then look dry or split again once the product has worn off.

Danielle’s Professional Tip

Hair oil can still be a brilliant part of your routine.

Use a small amount through the mid-lengths and ends, particularly if your hair feels dry, frizzy or rough.

But don’t keep adding more and more product because your ends are splitting.

If an end is genuinely split, the only way to completely remove that split is to trim the damaged section away.

Think of oils and serums as helping to protect, smooth and improve the appearance of your hair — not as glue for damaged ends.

Do you use a hair oil or serum on your ends?

• Every day
• After every wash
• Occasionally
• Never

Let me know in the comments.

For more professional hair advice and honest product recommendations, visit www.daniellesarahhair.com.

Could the water coming out of your shower be affecting how your hair feels?

If your hair sometimes feels rough, dull, coated or harder to manage, your products might not be the only thing worth looking at.

Hard water contains higher levels of minerals such as calcium and magnesium. Every time you wash your hair, some of those minerals can interact with the hair fibre and gradually build up.

That doesn’t mean hard water automatically “ruins” your hair — the research is actually mixed on whether it directly weakens hair.

But studies have found that minerals from water can deposit on the hair, particularly around the outer cuticle, and can change some of the hair’s physical properties.

You might even notice your hair behaves differently when you wash it somewhere else — for example, on holiday or after moving house.

Danielle’s Professional Tip

If your hair feels coated even after you’ve washed it, don’t automatically keep adding more conditioner and styling products.

Sometimes the issue can be build-up rather than dryness.

A suitable clarifying or chelating shampoo used occasionally may help remove deposits and product build-up — but it shouldn’t necessarily replace your normal shampoo every wash.

And if your hair is coloured, bleached or already dry, choose products carefully because repeatedly over-cleansing can leave the hair feeling even drier.

The important thing is finding out what your hair actually needs before adding more products to it.

Have you ever noticed your hair feels completely different when you wash it somewhere else?

• Yes — definitely
• Sometimes
• Never noticed
• I’m going to pay attention now!

Let me know in the comments.

For more professional hair advice and honest product recommendations, visit www.daniellesarahhair.com.

Could the way you towel-dry your hair be causing unnecessary damage?

Most of us finish washing our hair, grab a towel and start rubbing.

It feels completely normal.

But wet hair needs a little more care than that.

When hair is wet, it’s more delicate. Roughly rubbing it backwards and forwards with a towel can create unnecessary friction, tangling and damage. The American Academy of Dermatology specifically recommends gently wrapping wet hair in a towel or T-shirt to absorb moisture rather than rubbing it dry.

That doesn’t mean you need an expensive new hair towel.

Sometimes the biggest improvement is simply changing how you dry your hair.

Danielle’s Professional Tip

After washing, gently squeeze out excess water rather than twisting or wringing your hair.

Then use your towel to blot, press or gently wrap the hair instead of vigorously rubbing it.

And remember your ends are usually the oldest and often most fragile part of your hair, so there’s no benefit in scrubbing them with a towel.

Small changes like this can make your whole routine much gentler.

How do you normally dry your hair after washing it?

• Rub it with a towel
• Wrap it in a towel
• Let it air-dry
• Use a hairdryer

Let me know in the comments.

For more professional hair advice and honest product recommendations, visit www.daniellesarahhair.com.

Is your ponytail too tight?

A sleek ponytail can look amazing — but if your hairstyle regularly feels tight, uncomfortable or painful, your hair may be telling you something.

When hair is repeatedly pulled tightly into ponytails, buns, braids or other styles, that constant tension can put stress on both the hair and the follicles.

Over time, you may start noticing short broken hairs around the hairline, thinning around the temples or a hairline that appears to be moving backwards.

Repeated pulling can even contribute to a type of hair loss known as traction alopecia.

That doesn’t mean you have to stop wearing your favourite hairstyles.

It means how tightly you wear them matters.

Danielle’s Professional Tip

Your hairstyle shouldn’t hurt.

If your ponytail, bun or braids leave your scalp feeling sore, give your hair a break and loosen the style.

Try changing where you position your ponytail instead of pulling the same section of hair tightly every day, and avoid repeatedly putting tension on the delicate hairs around your hairline.

You can still achieve a polished style without pulling your hair as tightly as possible.

Sometimes looking after your hair isn’t about adding another product.

It’s about removing unnecessary stress from it.

Does your ponytail ever leave your scalp feeling sore?

• Yes — quite often
• Occasionally
• Never
• I hardly ever tie my hair up

Let me know in the comments.

For more professional hair advice and honest product recommendations, visit www.daniellesarahhair.com.

Can your hair actually get sunburnt?

We normally think about protecting our skin from the sun, but what about our hair?

Hair itself can’t get sunburnt in the same way your skin can, because the visible hair shaft is made from dead cells.

But UV exposure can still affect your hair.

Over time, sunlight can contribute to changes in the hair’s proteins and pigment, which may leave it feeling drier, weaker, rougher or more brittle. Coloured hair can also fade more quickly with repeated sun exposure.

And there’s another area that’s very easy to forget:

Your scalp can burn.

This is particularly important around your parting or anywhere the hair is thinner and more scalp is exposed.

Danielle’s Professional Tip

If you’re going to be outside for a long period, think about your hair and scalp as well as your skin.

A hat can provide useful physical protection, particularly for your scalp and parting.

If you have coloured, highlighted or already dry hair, summer is also a good time to pay extra attention to conditioning and reducing unnecessary additional damage from excessive heat styling.

And remember — an exposed scalp is still skin.

If your parting is exposed to strong sunshine, it needs appropriate sun protection too.

Healthy summer hair isn’t just about fixing dryness afterwards — protection matters as well.

Do you ever think about protecting your hair and scalp from the sun?

• Yes, always
• Only on holiday
• Sometimes
• I’ve never really thought about it

Let me know in the comments.

For more professional hair advice and honest product recommendations, visit www.daniellesarahhair.com.

When did you last clean your straighteners?

We regularly wash our hair and clean our brushes — but heated styling tools are very easy to forget about.

Straighteners, curling irons and other styling tools can gradually collect hairspray, oils, heat protectant and styling-product residue on their surfaces.

That build-up can affect how smoothly the tool moves through your hair and how well it performs.

So if your straighteners don’t seem to glide quite like they used to, the problem might not be your hair.

Danielle’s Professional Tip

Have a look at the plates of your straighteners when they’re completely cool.

If you can see product residue building up, it may be time to clean them.

Always unplug the tool first, allow it to cool completely and follow the manufacturer’s cleaning instructions. Never immerse an electrical styling tool in water.

And don’t forget your brushes and combs either — hair, oil and styling products build up on those too.

Keeping your tools clean is one of those small parts of a good hair routine that’s very easy to overlook.

Be honest — when did you last clean your straighteners?

• This week
• Within the last few months
• I can’t remember
• I’ve never cleaned them!

Let me know in the comments.

For more professional hair advice and honest product recommendations, visit www.daniellesarahhair.com.

Should you brush your hair when it’s wet?

You’ve probably heard the advice:

“Never brush wet hair.”

But like a lot of hair advice, the real answer depends on your hair type and how you detangle it.

Wet hair can be more fragile and more prone to stretching and breakage, so aggressively dragging a brush through knots straight after washing isn’t a good idea.

For many people with straight or loosely wavy hair, allowing the hair to dry slightly and then gently detangling with a wide-tooth comb can reduce unnecessary pulling.

But curly, coily and textured hair can be different.

Detangling while the hair is wet and conditioned can actually make it easier to work through curls without pulling the hair apart when it is dry. The American Academy of Dermatology specifically notes that people with thick or curly hair may benefit from combing in the shower before rinsing out conditioner, while most people should handle wet hair gently because it is more vulnerable to damage.

Danielle’s Professional Tip

Whatever your hair type, the biggest mistake is forcing a brush through a knot.

Start at the ends of your hair and gradually work upwards rather than beginning at the roots and pulling every tangle down through the length.

If your hair is straight or fine, try letting it dry a little before detangling.

If your hair is curly or textured, detangling gently while it’s wet and conditioned may work much better for you.

The important thing isn’t simply wet versus dry — it’s being gentle and using the right technique for your hair.

When do you normally brush your hair?

• Straight after washing
• When it’s damp
• When it’s completely dry
• Only when it has conditioner in it

Let me know in the comments.

For more professional hair advice and honest product recommendations, visit www.daniellesarahhair.com.

Does rinsing your hair with cold water really make it shinier?

You may have heard that finishing your wash with freezing-cold water “closes the hair cuticle” and gives you shinier hair.

It sounds convincing — but the evidence behind it isn’t particularly strong.

Cold water can certainly feel refreshing, but you don’t need to stand under an uncomfortable freezing shower just to get healthy-looking, shiny hair.

What tends to make a much bigger difference is the condition of the hair itself — using the right shampoo and conditioner, limiting unnecessary heat damage, being gentle when the hair is wet and using finishing products that suit your hair type.

Danielle’s Professional Tip

Don’t feel that your final rinse has to be freezing cold.

A comfortable lukewarm rinse is absolutely fine.

If you want smoother, shinier-looking hair, concentrate on choosing the right conditioner for your hair, rinsing your products properly and looking after the condition of your lengths and ends.

And remember — shine is often about how smoothly light reflects from the surface of the hair. A good conditioning routine can make much more difference than suffering through an ice-cold rinse.

Have you ever rinsed your hair with cold water because you thought it would make it shinier?

• Yes, every time
• Sometimes
• Never
• I genuinely thought I had to!

Let me know in the comments.

For more professional hair advice and honest product recommendations, visit www.daniellesarahhair.com.