I’ve been plagued by dry hair for most of my adult life. I’ve had some periods of good hair, but having pumped myself full of fertility drugs, had my children and developed a highlighting addiction, my hair has taken a pounding. After my last pregnancy and the ensuing shedding, my hair was a shadow of its former self. It was basically straw!  It’s quite remarkable the effect bad hair was having on my whole sense of self. My hairdresser had no solution, except going for the chop, and all the products I could lay my hands on weren’t working. It was bad!

Some desperate Googling led me to the solution. Korean hair care! I can be a bit kneejerk when it comes to problem solving, so I dived straight in. I ordered a whole range of treatments which promised me long, luscious strands, along with a scalp massager.

Korean haircare is a whole new philosophy. Unlike Western haircare which generally papers over the cracks, the Korean approach is to improve the actual health of the hair. An essential component in this is scalp health. The skin on our scalp actually ages twice as fast as the skin anywhere else on our body and this has a knock-on effect on our locks. The Korean philosophy promotes the regular use of a massager to increase blood circulation in the scalp.

The scalp massager is a pretty straightforward design. It’s essentially a spiky silicone brush. You’re meant to use it frequently with wet or dry hair, gently rotating it across your scalp. Your scalp is enlivened by the silicone teeth; it almost zings with each turn of the massager. I could fully understand why it’s an essential tool when seeking optimum hair health, if blood flow to the scalp is a factor.

I used my scalp massager for a couple of weeks, but this gradually dropped off. I needed results and while this may have been helping, I think it’s part of a longer-term project. I was just desperate for instant results or some tangible improvement at least.

Korean haircare is big on hair masks. I tried the Hair Sheep Steam Pack. This was highly rated and was sold out on most websites.  I had very high hopes for this mask! A salon grade conditioning treatment at home, it promised to be deeply conditioning and nourishing. The mask is coated on the inside of a cap which is sealed with tape to create a warm and steamy environment for it to work. The first time I used it I had marginally softer hair to the touch, but not the revolutionary results I was hoping for. Possibly unfairly high expectations, but the reviews were so good! The second time I had to abort as it seemed to be over-heating. Sadly not a winner for me. Possibly just a reflection of how knackered my hair was!

I also tried the Toney Moley Haeyo Mayo Hair Nutrition Pack. This is a rich mask containing egg yolk and shea butter. After shampooing, the mask is massaged into towel dried hair and left for 3 minutes. This did result in a slight improvement in condition, but not enough for me to think this would be a good long-term option. As time is tight and my patience is limited with these things, I generally avoid hair masks that extend my hair washing and drying time. I really needed a more convenient and quicker solution.

I was beginning to question if my hair was even beyond Korean help! All that was left to try was Lamellar water. The only thing I could really compare this to is the instantly acting Kérasatase Fusio Dose in salon treatments, which I love, so I was excited to give it a shot.

What is Lamellar water and how do you use it?

As suggested by the name, this is a water-based conditioning treatment, which is supremely lightweight and targets and smooths out damage on each strand of hair. Delivering active ingredients and lipids to your tresses this, however, isn’t a superficial treatment. It actually restores your hair to its healthiest. Lamellar water is also different from conventional conditioning treatments because it doesn’t weigh your hair down or cause any build-up of product. I bought a few different formulations, but given my highlighted hair, I found Redken’s Extreme Bleach Recovery Lamellar Water Treatment best suited my haircare needs.

Lamellar water couldn’t be easier to use. After shampooing, you simply apply this slightly warming product, rinse and condition with your usual conditioner. A 10ml dose is recommended for mid length hair, with this being helpfully marked on the bottle. Being honest, I just apply it all over my hair without worrying about the measure, massage for 10 seconds or so and rinse. It can also be used every time you wash your hair.

Given the hormonal damage, heat treatment and colouring my hair has endured, I was truly astounded by the results produced by Redken’s Lamellar Water.  Since first use, I’ve been completely hooked. My hair was bouncy and silky looking, and to touch, for the first time in more years than I care to remember. It’s not an exaggeration to say that lamellar water saved my hair and booted my esteem by a million miles. Truly a haircare revelation! Almost two years later, I’m still fully in love with this product.

If you, like me, think you’ll never experience a good hair day ever again, lamellar water is absolutely worth trying. Equally, if you have great hair and want to add some extra shine and silkiness, this is the product for you too. A real wonder. Revolutionary in fact!