For when France seems too far away. Shop for inspiring images of France and discover travel tips, packing advice, recipes, book reviews and more.
For when France seems too far away. Shop for inspiring images of France and discover travel tips, packing advice, recipes, book reviews and more.

Need It Now: French Haircare Advice

French Haircare Advice

A friend of mine, who I met on a Canadian train (of all places) and who we’ll call B for the purposes of this post, wrote to me recently.

B was keen to understand how it is that French women always look so stylish. And she was particularly interested in learning more about their hair. 

To emphasise her point, B enclosed a photo of a friend of hers who happens to be a very chic French woman of a certain age. And from what I could see, this lady certainly does have a very lovely hairstyle.

Great hair is something that’s regularly associated with French women of all ages. The good news is their hair care tips are both easy to find (the internet is full of them) and to follow. And what’s more, they work. As someone who has had a fraught relationship with her hair for the longest time, I’m happy to report that since I’ve been incorporating a healthy dose of French haircare advice into my life, my hair is no longer a source of frustration. 

Here are the tips that have worked for me. I hope they help you too xx.

French Haircare Advice

Get An Excellent Hair Cut

You see this piece of advice all of the time when you read anything about the haircare secrets of French women. But how do you define what an ‘excellent cut’ actually is? I decided to ask my own hairdresser for his thoughts on the matter. He suggested that a fabulous cut is one that works with – rather than against – your natural hair, both in terms of the way it grows and its texture. In this way you are enhancing what you have rather than trying to change things.

He also advised that a really good cut will work with your lifestyle. Which makes sense. If you haven’t got the time or the skills for elaborate styling, there is no point going for a cut that requires it.

Avoid High Temperatures And Over Colouring

This French haircare advice also pops up universally. And with good reason. Damaged hair is anything but stylish. Both styling tools and chemicals can ‘cook’ your hair. Take a tip from the French and be kind your hair. Let it air dry, or lower the heat settings. At first this might leave you with hair that ‘misbehaves’ in the short term, but over longer periods of time you’ll find your hair health will improve dramatically.

Use The ‘Right’ Products

Don’t be afraid to seek professional support when it comes to product selection. For so long, I’d just use any old thing on my hair. And I’d get the results to match. These days, I use a combination of L’Oreal and Christophe Robin products and I can definitely see the difference to the health and manageability of my hair. Before I made the switch, I used to have to wash my hair every day. Now, I can get two or three days between washes, which is great for my hair, and also for my ability to get to work on time.

As an aside, if you are going to invest in one product, I’d suggest you consider a great deep conditioning treatment. This is an area where my hairdresser was very aligned to the French haircare advice. And my personal experience tells me that when I go to the trouble of deep conditioning my hair, the results are well worth the effort.

Consider A Supplement To Support Your Hair Health

Ok, so there are lots of differences between French and Australian pharmacies. But it took me a few visits to France before I noticed this specific one. In Australia, all the health supplements are kept in the ‘vitamins’ section of the store. However in France, many of the supplements specific to hair live with the haircare products. Sporting the same branding as the actual haircare products, it’s easy to add a nutritional support to your haircare regime. 

Now –  supplements aren’t useful for everyone, especially if you have a great diet. And do check with your doctor before you introduce a new supplement.

Don’t Underestimate The Power Of A Chignon

A chignon is a powerful tool in the French woman’s hairstyle arsenal. Great for travel and for warmer weather, a chignon suits women of all ages and stages. Remember, you are not looking for perfection – and you don’t need super long hair. Simply twist, secure and go.

Your turn now. Have you incorporated any French haircare advice into your life? Do you have any haircare tips of your own? If so, please get busy and share them in the comments section below.

And until next time – au revoir.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

9 thoughts on “Need It Now: French Haircare Advice”

%d bloggers like this: