Hair care is a beauty staple for all shades, but blondes notoriously struggle to keep their hair happy and healthy. Whether you’re a natural blonde, or have a helping hand from the salon, maintaining golden, buttery locks can be hard work. Factors – such as heat styling, chemical treatments, environmental stress and even genetics – can lead to hair damage over time, and trying to revive dry and brittle hair can take time and money that we may not have.

We consulted a celebrity hairdresser David Keogh to find what affordable products and styling techniques he recommends to keep your hair strong and damage-free.

Choosing the right products

Knowing which products are best for you and your hair can be confusing; everyone’s hair needs are different. But for anyone who wants to achieve (and maintain) their best blonde, red or highlighted self without compromise, David recommends John Frieda Blonde+ Repair scope. Their three-step range “works to not only keep hair strong and healthy thanks to bond-building technology, but color tones all summer long,” he says.

The trio of pre-shampoo treatment, shampoo and conditioner, repairs damage caused by colouring, bleaching and heat styling and improves shine, softness and brightens blonde tones. If you’re in need of a sleek, polished finish—which we all are—David recommends John Frieda Secret Weapon Finishing Crème, a product he’s used for twenty years to tame his clients’ annoying frizz and flyaways.

Focus on maintenance

The hardest thing about being blonde is probably the maintenance. Factors such as chlorine and sun exposure, heat styling, hard water and color fading all make blonde hair a tricky business.

Depending on your lifestyle, budget and how much time you want to spend at the salon, consider whether you prefer a color process that needs maintenance every six weeks or every twelve. One of the most common questions David hears as a hairdresser is: How can I avoid regrowth with color? In short, you can’t avoid regrowth completely, but he recommends talking to your stylist to find out what works best for you and how they can blend your color to avoid the dreaded regrowth “streak.”

Everyday rituals

Using the John Frieda range for blondes, brunettes and redheads is an effective and affordable way to keep your hair looking good. Usually we pay the price for beauty, but the availability of this range and the professional formulations means you’re getting a salon quality product for less.

“To avoid breakage, don’t dry or over-dry your hair when styling,” says David. If you have curly hair, use a diffuser on low heat and of course minimize the use of any curling irons or flat irons.

His best tip? “Every woman should own a set of hot rollers, and I still stand by that today,” he says. “They always give a wonderful luxurious, voluminous and sexy look.” We will get our hands on them, ASAP.

Main image: @hoskelsa / @bobbyeliot