If you've got dry and damaged hair, this one's for you.

If there's one thing that is true of working in the Mamamia office, it's that the team will always give you compliments where they are due. New outfit? New perfume? New haircut? You will definitely hear about it. As is the nature of working with lots of women, one thing I often get comments on is my hair.

So much so that I once recounted my entire step-by-step process in front the entire team while they continued to ask me questions. Following this hair related TED Talk, the team have on many occasions insisted that I should write about how I keep my hair shiny and damage free. So in the interest of helping others, here I am.

I go to great lengths (get it) to make sure my hair is healthy. So I consider myself somewhat of an expert when it comes to avoiding dry and damaged hair. Here is everything I do and all the tips and tricks I follow:

I only wash my hair once a week.

Really. This is the tip that usually gets the biggest reaction because yes, it's a bit gross. But hear me out. Washing my hair is a process. I usually wash it on a Sunday evening and then style it. I'll then wear it down for two days, wear it in a clip for two or three days, and then wear it tied up for two or three days.

This means that I'm really only drying my hair with a blow dryer once a week and heat styling it with a flat iron once or twice. Not washing my hair too often means that I'm not constantly exposing it to heat styling which is what can dry out and damage your hair.

I always use a shampoo and conditioner that focuses on hydration and that is exactly what the PUMP Moisture Repair Range does. I really like that the PUMP Moisture Shampoo leaves my hair clean while also delivering hydration to the hair cuticle. The unique formulation with advanced technology allows the shampoo to target the driest areas and instantly lock in moisture where your hair needs it most.

Image: Supplied.

I'll then follow this with the PUMP Repair Conditioner that aims to target hair damaged by colour, chemical processing or heat styling. It contains sweet almond which seals and protects hair from future breakage, shea butter which improves hair elasticity and hydrates with fatty acids and argan oil which softens hair while treating split ends and preventing frizz. Aloe is an added ingredient that immediately improves hair texture while adding shine. 

Only washing my hair once a week means I don't strip my hair of its natural oils and allows my scalp to do its thing during the week. Meaning as a result, there is less need to wash my hair. You can see I've really thought about this a lot.

I try not to heat style too often.

As already noted, I really don't style my hair with heat that often. In the long run, determining your hair type and finding ways to work with it, rather than against it, is always the best approach for maintaining healthy hair. 

For example, my hair is naturally straight with a bit of a kink at the ends and the texture of my hair is fine but I have lots of it. I try to go with this when styling, which is why I often leave it straight. After washing my hair, I towel dry and then blow dry it. I'll then use a flat iron to straighten it and then after this, I only use the flat iron for touch ups.

When I do heat style, I use products to protect my hair.

I'm very aware that styling my hair with tools is always going to lead to more damage than not. So when I do put heat through my hair, I always make sure I am using products that focus primarily on adding moisture and offer protection against both environmental aggressors and heat styling.

I always use a hydration spray throughout my hair and then a heat protectant focusing on the ends of my hair like the PUMP Heat Protection and PUMP Moisture Hydrate Spray. Typically, in summer when I'm in the sun a lot, if my hair does start to feel particularly dry I'll add in a leave in conditioner and repair mask like the PUMP Leave in Hydrate Conditioner and PUMP Repair Mask. The entire range of salon quality products is specifically designed for dry and damaged hair.

Image: Supplied.

The products are made to nourish your hair from root to tip, leaving it soft, shiny, and manageable. All Moisture products from this collection are made with a blend of nourishing botanical oils and antioxidants that work together to help your hair's natural moisture balance and provide an extra boost of hydration.

I stay close to my natural hair colour when dying and get regular trims.

Remember what I said about working with your hair and not against it? Well, I apply the same principle when I visit my hairdresser.

When it comes to dying my hair, I try not to stray too far away from my natural hair colour and usually go a few shades lighter in summer and a few shades darker in winter. I mostly try to avoid any colour that would require bleaching my hair, as it can lead to dryness and damage. 

On top of this I get my hair trimmed once every three months or so. I'm usually guided by my hairdresser and tell her to take off whatever she thinks my hair needs on the ends. I like to keep my hair long and while cutting it when you want to keep it long might seem counter-intuitive; it means there is less chance of damage allowing for strong strands which means less breakage.

Shop PUMP Haircare's salon-quality Moisture range for dry and damaged hair. 

Feature Image: Supplied.