Glowy hair is better than Botox in your 50s – here’s how to get it

My best friend’s mum, a great beauty now in her 80s, always says, “Good hair is better than Botox”. Approaching my mid-50s, I know what she means. Having a good hair day makes me feel much more pulled together and youthful. I don’t mean having a perfect salon blow-dry (as wonderful as they are, they can sometimes be a bit ageing if they are too ‘done’). I mean hair that is lovely and glossy, looks healthy and moves well (ie an ‘undone’ blow-dry in hairdresser speak).

A great case in point was Nicole Kidman last week when she was spotted arriving at the Robin Williams Center for Performing Arts in New York. Her relaxed blow-dry was a masterclass in midlife, glossy hair. Of course it was professionally blow-dried, but was not overly styled and hairsprayed. And the shine was next level. It looked glossy and youthful. Angelina Jolie, Sienna Miller and Victoria Beckham are also very good at ‘undone’, glowy hair.

“It’s the glow that makes it look youthful,” says the A-list hairdresser Sam McKnight. “As we get older, our hair can lose its vibrancy. Volume, density and shine goes down, while frizz and fluff is on the up. Investing in products to deliver what your hair is lacking will pay dividends. The easiest thing to do is swap your conditioner for a treatment mask. This will improve the condition of the hair, so it will move better and look more shiny. A lightweight oil used on damp hair before blow-drying is also a good way to make dull hair glossier. But it’s important to find one which isn’t too heavy as this will just weigh the hair down. You want it to look glossy, not greasy.”

The hairstylist Tom Smith agrees that masks and oils are key and suggests using them at night as a weekly treatment. “These days it’s not just about having glass-like skin, my clients want a glass-like shine on their hair too,” he explains. “I recommend applying some oil or serum on to the hair once a week as a treatment before going to sleep.”

Lots of salons have cottoned on and have introduced treatments to make the hair shine. John Frieda salons have a Radiance Reset treatment which is good in between hair colour appointments as it refreshes the colour and leaves it with an enviable shine. Zoe Irwin, a creative director at John Frieda, is a magician at whisking up glosses and glazes at the backwash and can make the dullest blonde hair shine with health.

“Blondes are much more difficult to make shiny than brunettes,” she tells me, “but these days there are some excellent glosses you can buy over the counter to use at home which work even on blondes. I like a range called Glaze which are semi-permanent gloss treatments. More than conditioners, they leave pigments on the hair that reflect the light in a certain way – which is why they are so effective.”

My highlighted hair felt frazzled after the summer. Before trying an at-home hair glaze, I wanted to improve the condition, so I booked into Hershesons salon in West Halkin Street for a Kerastase Fusio-Dose treatment which rehydrates and adds shine. It took less than five minutes at the backwash and left me with one of the most natural yet glossy blow-dries I’ve had in a long time (ask for Melina).

Luke Hersheson (who is responsible for Victoria Beckham’s new mid-length bob) tells me, “For midlife hair to be glossy, it’s also important to invest in good shampoos and conditioners – not the cheap stuff that are very cosmetic and loaded with silicones which eventually lead to your hair becoming dehydrated.” I came away with a tube of his Almost Everything Cream which I’ve been applying daily after brushing to smooth frizzy ends and flyaways. I also use it pre-blow-drying and it has transformed my hair into something with much more sheen.

While I won’t be cancelling my Botox appointments, I will continue with the occasional hair glossing treatment,especially before a big event. And I agree that after a certain age, cheap shampoo is a bit like cheap denim – best avoided.

The Midlife Hair Glow Essentials

Hair by Sam McKnight Deeper Love Hair Mask, £22

Rahua Hydration Shampoo, £34, and Hydration Conditioner, £36

Hair by Sam McKnight Love Me Do Hair Oil, £32

Hershesons Almost Everything Cream, £10.50

Living Proof Perfect Hair Day High Shine Gloss treatment, £24