Gabby Logan is no stranger to our TV screens. With the world of sport (thankfully) never asleep, Gabby is never far from a camera, which subsequently means her hair is never far from a styling tool.
With her hair often subject to heat from the best hair dryers and styling tools, I was keen to know more about Gabby's hair care routine. Does she use any hair treatments, an award-winning shampoo or one of the best hot brushes?
Speaking with her at a recent Cloud Nine healthy hair event, Gabby shared how her hair has changed over time, issues she has experienced in the past, and how all of that has affected how she cares for her hair today.
"I had wavy hair from late teens, but when I got into TV I stopped wearing it so. No-one else on telly had wavy hair so I thought 'I had to have straight hair', and so I really got into using heat products in my early 20s. As I got older I noticed it started looking less 'nice curl' and more frizz, because I was damaging it with the hair tools I was using.
"I did notice changes through pregnancy too, but the biggest change was when I got to the perimenopausal stage in my mid 40s. I thought 'my god, it feels really wiry dry', and I didn't know why as I didn't know what perimenopause symptoms were.'
It was by accident Gabby became aware the changes in her hair were directly linked to her stage in life. "Thank god I found out what that was going on. Through my podcast, Midpoint, actually, where I accidentally ended up speaking to Mariella Frostrup and thinking, 'these symptoms sound familiar'. After that everything sort of started to fall into place, and so I thought 'ok what have I got to do?"
At that point, Gabby made some lifestyle changes to help her hair feel and look its best.
"I went back to having regular hair treatments, and tried to reduce the amount of heat I used. If I was filming, I would avoid heat on the days in between to give it a break." Gabby has also used a Keratin blowdry as a way of reducing the amount of styling she needs. "If I'm going away for a big chunk of work, like the World Cup, it makes life easier as I have to use much less heat. It will save me time and save my hair, so it's a balance of having that treatment in the first place over what it will save me needing during that time.
"This is why I love heat-controlled products, they are so sophisticated you don't feel the guilt of using them on your hair."
Gabby also turned her attention inwards. "Seeing a nutritionist, who made sure I included lots of protein in my diet, was a game-changer for me in that perimenopausal phase. And it definitely wasn't a placebo effect or in my imagination, as many people have commented on how much better my hair looks since I paid more attention to my diet."
The final thing Gabby swears by to maintain healthy hair is regular trims. "I would say every six to eight weeks. And what's nice about that is you are reminded of how important washing and conditioning your hair properly is. There's a reason you think your hair feels great after coming out of a salon, and it's because they spend so much longer cleaning and conditioning it.
"I very much try to take control of things that would help my hair health, including making sure I had a good shampoo and conditioner. I use Living Proof. I've tried others but always come back to it, it just works for me. I also use Cloud Nine's Magic Spray pre blow dry if my hair has been washed and conditioned and it's starting to dry out a little bit.
"In one way, being on TV is a bit of a nightmare in terms of my hair health, but in other ways it's made me more aware – I pay much more attention to it."
Fizzy hair care must-haves
Gabby uses Cloud Nine's Magic Quick Dry Potion pre blow dry to help reduce drying time and add a bit of extra conditioning. Designed to protect hair from heat, this product has over a thousand positive reviews on the Cloud Nine website. "My hair hasn’t felt this good in years," one reviewer wrote.
Gabby's favoured brand of shampoo and conditioner, Living Proof is a popular choice for others too, with hundreds of positive reviews on the company website. 'Perfection', one says. 'Perfect hair day everyday', wrote another.
Cloud Nine's latest hair straightener breaks the mould. A 2-in-1 tool that can both straighten and curl, the Contouring Pro's curved plates make both styles simple and quick. And the in-built temperature control means less damage to you hair for guilt-free styling.
