Why shiny hair is the new beauty status symbol – and how to get it
Hairstyling trends often dictate what length of a bob is in fashion, the right tone of blonde for the season or whether a choppy fringe is ‘in’ or firmly ‘out’.
But there’s one beauty ideal – swishy, shiny hair on all lengths and all hair textures – that will never go out of fashion.
It’s having somewhat of a revival now thanks to younger generations; the term ‘glass hair’, which is Gen Z-speak for ‘shiny hair’, has amassed almost 400 million views on TikTok. Pleasingly, shiny hair is attainable whether you’re in your twenties or sixties.
“Shiny hair looks immediately expensive,” explains the leading colourist and hairstylist Anita Rice, who runs a chain of salons in London. “It’s considered and indicates elegance.”
Rice points out that at its core, shiny hair is healthy hair. While uncoloured, well-maintained hair is healthy, and therefore shiny, what about if you colour your hair and use styling tools and heat? Thankfully there’s a whole host of products to give brilliant ‘artificial’ shine, because even if you look after your hair, as soon as you begin colouring it you reduce the hair’s natural reflective quality.
Here are five ways to get your most shiny hair, from prep to styling.
Start with an oil
Glossy hair begins before washing the hair. Pre-wash oils, such as the Bringadi Scalp & Hair Oil, £49, by Kama Ayurveda, nourish the scalp which in turn helps to promote healthy, shiny hair. The best way to use a pre-wash oil without overloading the hair is to apply a couple of drops dotted evenly across the scalp. Massage the oil in for a couple of minutes to promote blood circulation and ideally leave the oil in overnight, washing out the next morning. When it comes to washing your hair, the new Acidic Color Gloss Shampoo and Conditioner by Redken (£25.70) is a brilliant duo. It contains citric acid to return the hair to a healthy pH level, and seals the hair cuticle to protect it from pollution.
Bringadi Scalp & Hair Oil, £49, by Kama Ayurveda; Acidic Color Gloss Shampoo and Conditioner by Redken, £25.70, Sephora
The new ‘laminators’
This summer, haircare brands have taken note from trending skincare ingredients to create concoctions that improve the condition of the hair. The new Glycolic Gloss range by L’Oreal Paris is excellent. The 5 Minute Lamination Rinse-Off is an at-home glossing treatment that uses glycolic acid to improve hair quality: apply it once a week for five minutes after shampooing and conditioning, and rinse. It’s currently £8 on the Boots website, which is great value for an excellent hair care innovation.
Glycolic Gloss from L’Oreal Paris, £7.99, Boots; Dyson Supersonic Hairdryer, £329.99
Protect from heat damage
Heat protection sprays are becoming more commonplace now in the haircare world, and for good reason: they help to protect your hair from the intense heat from hair dryers or tools. The Moisture Sealing Lotion, £38, by Beyonce’s new haircare brand Cecred is a fantastic leave-in treatment you can apply after washing your hair. It makes straight hair more polished and curly hair more defined. We love the scent of the products, too – with notes of oud, musk and sandalwood, these products make your hair look and smell expensive.
Moisture Sealing Lotion, £38, Cecred
The right blow-drying technique
To maximise shine, you might have to switch up how you dry your hair. “When you’re using your hairdryer, make sure the flow of the air is working with the hair shaft,” explains Rice. This means strictly not throwing your hair upside down and blasting it with heat, and instead drying it with the heat directing downwards from root to tip.
“You want to use the hot air going from the top of the head towards the end to seal the hair shaft, therefore adding more shine.” The Dyson Supersonic Hairdryer, £330, has a ‘flyaway attachment’ which is a gamechanger for smoothing the hair cuticles and preventing frizz.
Shiny hair with a straightener
The look can also be achieved with hair straighteners that encourage that glass-like finish. The new Chronos styler by ghd, £289 offers three times faster styling than a regular hair straightener, with 85 per cent more shine: it’s a tool the leading celebrity stylist Halley Brisker uses on his clients who include Julianne Moore and Lily James. “Shine is a really important factor in my work, and this straightener creates a glossy finish without the need for lots of products,” he explains.
Chronos styler by ghd, £289
100 strokes a day
The humble hairbrush has an impact on how shiny your hair looks, too, despite often being an afterthought. According to Flore Robert, the co-founder of luxury French hairbrush brand La Bonne Brosse, it would appear that our grandmothers’ golden rule of 100 strokes of the hairbrush per day still holds true.
This is the best way to remove pollution particles from our hair, which can impact the overall shine. The Universal Hair Care Brush by La Bonne Brosse is a real investment piece, costing £138. Alternatively, try the best-selling Manta Healthy Hair Brush, £30.
The Universal Hair Care Brush by La Bonne Brosse, £138; Manta Healthy Hair Brush, £30
The finishing touch
In the same Glycolic Gloss range, L’Oreal Paris has a very good Leave-In Serum, £8, which you can apply in wet or dry hair for the ultimate glossy look. Anita Rice is a fan of the Davines Shimmering Mist, £21.75, which she describes as “instant gloss in an aerosol can.”
Rest assured, it doesn’t leave your hair looking greasy – just glowy. She adds that any serum or oil repair product will also help to improve the condition of the hair whilst giving a glossy effect. Try the Taming Balm, £11, by Kerasilk.
Taming Balm, £11, Kerasilk; Davines Shimmering Mist, £21.75
