When was your last bad hair day?
Bad hair days are the bane of our lives, they always seem to happen when you least need that extra stress and of course they put a dampener on your whole day.
But why do we suffer from them? A new survey has unveiled the top 20 root causes for a bad hair day.
The most popular reason is unfortunately something we can’t control either, just plain bad luck. Almost half of respondents put some of their bad hair days down to 'getting out of bed the wrong side' - easily the most popular answer.
The second most popular cause was the weather, with rain, humidity and summer heatwaves all given as explanations for why we have bad hair on any given day by 42% of those polled.
Bad hair days are often described as one of the great mysteries of modern life. Women have them up to three days a week - meaning 26 years of bad hair throughout their lives.
Studies show that those bad hair days affect more than appearance – and they can shatter an individual's self-confidence.
But hair transplant surgeon Asim Shahmalak said there were strong scientific reasons why our hair does not look its best - and there were simple remedies everyone can take to avoid bad hair days.
Dr Shahmalak - hair loss expert on the TV show Embarrassing Bodies - said: "We've all woken up in the morning and found it impossible to make our hair look good.
"Many people think this is just down to bad luck and there is nothing they can do to prevent bad hair days.
"But there are lots of simple ways to improve the health of your hair - the key is good diet, limiting stress and not damaging your hair through over bleaching."
Having a lie-in was the third most popular cause for a bad hair day- with women in particular blaming a lack of time to do their hair for not looking their best. The fourth most popular answer was a hang-over - with many respondents saying they found it impossible to get their hair sorted after a big night out. Another key factor was thinning hair - in both men AND women.
The results are revealed in a new poll of 1,000 people by Crown Clinic in Manchester - Britain's premier hair transplant clinic.
Dr Shahmalak said that thinning hair - particularly amongst women -was a big reason for bad hair days.
He said: "Thinning hair is not just a problem for men - around 40% of women experience some kind of hair loss in their lives, compared to 65% of men.
"Sometimes this happens temporarily in women due to pregnancy or illness but many women suffer permanent hair loss which can be enormously damaging to their self-esteem.We have seen a big rise in women seeking hair transplants as a permanent solution to the problem."
Dr Shahmalak's five top tips for avoiding bad hair days
1 Food such as eggs, fish, bananas and spinach provide your hair with rich nutrients that stimulate hair growth, strengthen hair cuticles and give your hair that lustre we all crave. A poor diet that lacks nutrients which result in dry, brittle, lifeless hair. You hair grows at a rate of half an inch every four to six weeks. If you change your diet now, you can expect to see better results in 3-6 months.
2 Avoid stress - stress affects your hormones, which results in poor-looking hair. An abundance of estrogen may help the growth and retention of hair, while too much testosterone can have the opposite effect.
3 Certain times of the month for women can be a problem - usually the third week of a woman's cycle will trigger estrogen production which will in turn trigger increased oil production causing the hair to look limp and lifeless and making it difficult to get it into its normal style. A simple remedy is to shampoo twice rather than once.
4 Build-up of hair products - the ingredients in conditioners and styling products cling to our hair and do not get washed out during regular shampooing. It can make hair look straggly and limp. Find a shampoo that is specifically made for ridding their hair of this build-up.
5 Keratin is the protein that gives hair its structure. Humidity in the air makes the bonds inside that protein break apart causing hairs to swell up - making your hair frizzy. Even in winter months when the air turns drier, your hair may still not co-operate. The cold air, combined with dry heat in your home, can remove moisture from your hair, and leave it full of static. The key is to keep your locks trimmed and well-conditioned with high quality products.
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