The thickest of thick hair.

Pretty much every hairdresser I've ever been to says the same thing, "you have very thick hair" and obviously, I know that seeing as I'm the one who has to battle with it daily. My locks literally have a mind of their own and although my hair "holds a curl"well, a lot of elbow grease and arm strength is required to get it to that stage, no exaggeration. I've tried all the products, many a treatment and enough is enough, it's now time to call in the experts and get some useful tips on how exactly to manage it. ghd ambassador Zoe Irwin says the type of brush you use for thick hair is very important and the award-winning hair guru recommends a paddle brush.

"Paddle brushes are also the gentlest form of brush. The rounded end works well, deep into thicker hair and ensure you cannot scratch the scalp and the evenly spread out plastic bristles cause less tension with fibre interaction when detangling to ensure the scalp isn’t damaged".

I wouldn't have thought there was much of a point in changing brushes but I'm learning a lot about my hair and its various kinks in recent weeks. I've also found that keeping my hair hydrated is half the battle when it comes to managing it. A moisturising shampoo and conditioner are essential and have made a huge difference as to how manageable my locks are. I've been using Shu Uemura Ultimate Reset in recent weeks and honestly, my hair has never looked better. The matching shampoo (€33) and conditioner (€44) nourish, smooth and protect without weighing hair down. Both products are enriched with x Japanese sourced rice extract, choc a bloc with minerals, antioxidants, and B and E vitamins. Referred to as “ nuka biji”, or “beautiful by the rice”, rice is a key ingredient for hair health in Japan and now I understand why. As the name suggests, the range is aimed at "resetting" your hair whatever it's been through so you can rest assured your locks are getting the TLC they deserve. Another recent discovery that I haven't stop raving about is Colour Wow Dream Filter, €29.95 because as many will know, hard water can have a detrimental effect on your treasured mane. It strips colour, leaves your hair lank with the texture of a wire brush (nice) and it's next to impossible to lather your locks with hard water which means you never get to rinse it properly. Gorgeous altogether but thankfully Dream Filter is a gamechanger and has been met with rave reviews by women across the country. Apply it before shampooing and the product works to remove calcium, magnesium, copper, iron, manganese, aluminium, and chlorine, all minerals that are found in water. It helps to keep your colour fresh and ultimately, get your hair in tip-top condition again and if you're anything like me, you'll know how difficult that can be. It's one of those wonder beauty buys that has taken over in recent times and if your hair has a tendency to turn brassy, you'll thank us for this discovery.