Over the years, I’ve slowly learned to care less – maybe it’s something to do with getting older – but there are still occasions when my hair will bother me, especially when it’s humid outside or it’s chucking it down with rain, but they’re less frequent than they used to be. For anybody who’s in the same camp as me, here are a few little tricks and tips I’ve learned along the way.

Remember, it’s only hair

The real irony here is that I’m not precious about my hair – I’ve had it every colour and length you can imagine. Even this year, after it grew to the longest it’s ever been, I went to my hairdresser and told him he could chop it all off, and he did. My view is that hair is just hair, it’ll grow back – and I think that’s a really important thing to remember. A bad cut or colour won’t last forever, I promise.

Get comfortable being uncomfortable

Granted, this phrase is usually reserved for more serious situations, but I’m saying that it applies to hair too. I slowly learned that having uncontrollable kinks or waves in my hair didn’t automatically make my hair look rubbish – in fact, added volume and movement can make it look better – and it was about reframing my thoughts. Start by styling hair differently at home or wearing it in a different way to your preferred look, so you can get used to it before you take it outside into the big wide world.

Take the compliment

If you’re anything like me, whenever somebody comments on my hair I assume it’s because it looks terrible and that’s why they’re drawing attention to it. Even if they’re saying something nice. So, instead of doing what I do, take the compliment: chances are people won’t bother saying anything if they don’t want to, so embrace it, and let the kindness of other people lift your mood up rather than letting your hair bring it down.

“70% of women say they feel self-conscious when they aren’t happy with their hair – and I’m one of them”