Charles Worthington talks tricks of the trade...
Curly hair can often be untamable. Either thick and bushy or wildly out of control - the process of daily styling can be a marathon stint in front of the mirror. Charles Worthington's new Straight and Smooth is a semi-permanent straightening process, lasting 40 days.
"It's for people who want to make life easy for themselves and have smoother hair," Charles tells FemaleFirst.
"It doesn't make curly hair poker straight, it will make curly hair into softer waves and wavy hair into being really quite smooth, so it just really helps you almost between salon visits, to have really groomed and manageable hair."
Simply shampoo and condition your hair as normal and towel dry. Apply the tube of straightening cream to sections of the hair and comb it through thoroughly, leave this on the hair for 20 minutes.
"My tip would be to keep combing it while you've got the straightening solution in the hair. Just keep gently combing the hair through and taking the time to do that really will make the difference," Charles advises.
After the 20 minutes have passed rinse this off and apply the neutraliser from the kit to get rid of the faint smell of product and to seal in the treatment. Finish by applying the conditioner.
I always say the hair is the frame to the face; think of a picture, you can have the most fabulous picture, but if it's in the wrong frame it can look awful.
"The good thing about it is it still feels like your hair.
"If you have a permenant straightening process done in the salon, or a strong straightening process, that really can turn curly hair into being poker straight so you almost feel like you're wearing a completely different head of hair; whereas with Salon at Home, because it's a gentler process it still feels like your hair but its more controllable.
Charles Worthington has been a prominent name in the hair product and styling industry for many years, having worked with some of the most high profile actresses at the most high profile events.
One of his favourite experiences was styling Sharon Stone for the BAFTA's: " She had an amazing red Dior gown on and she was really fun to work with. You get to meet some really interesting characters like Emilia Fox, I did her hair and she's really wonderful."
His impressive CV boasts owning salons all over London, catering to the cutting needs of over 2,500 clients each week, styling for magazine shoots, red carpets, the Oscars and even London Fashion Week.
"I think working with hair all the time, you're always looking for new ways to make hair better and make life easy for people in the salon or at home, so I've always been driven by creating products that will achieve that."
For the past few seasons Charles and his team have been working with Erdem for his high-end runway shows. "When you're working on runway shows that kind of hair needs different things," he enthuses.
"At the end of the day for a fashion show it is all about showcasing the clothes and making sure it doesn't detract from how the clothes actually look but enhances everything and I think when you're not too distracted by the hair that's when it's perfect."
Predicting all things glossy and super shiny for 2012, Charles believes that now is the perfect time to be ditching the shaggy festival look that has served us so well for a well groomed, Jessie J inspired sharp/soft bob.
"When times are difficult and the economy's not great at the moment, people are going through tough times, to feel glossy and polished makes you feel good about yourself. The crisper, sharper shapes with very shiny hair are great."
Winter can be incredibly unforgiving on hair, as the combination of the outdoor elements and central heating can dry and split it. Charles recommends using a treatment once every two weeks to replenish nutrients and vitamins in the hair.
"It's absolutely essential to step up the conditioning you do with your hair," Charles explains.
"It's a nice idea that if you're putting a hair treatment on to actually put it on before you go to bed, put a hair treatment on about an hour before you go to bed and that will allow it to dry into the hair and sleep with it.
"This really allows the nutrients of the treatment to penerate the hair, so by the time you wake up and wash it in the morning it really does make a difference, it makes it much more intense."
Charles is an avid believer that hair should be 'tickled into place,' as opposed to 'dragged: "I always say the hair is the frame to the face; think of a picture, you can have the most fabulous picture, but if it's in the wrong frame it can look awful, but with the right frame it can look sensational.
"Just is the same with hair, you've got to make sure that that frame around the face is enhancing your good features and detracting from your weak features, so that's where experience comes in, when you've work on red carpet looks for many years you get to know what works."
Products may help to manage our hair, but Charles' top tip for keeping our hair under control is having the right hair cut.
"If you've got the right style of cuts for the texture of your hair then you shouldnt be struggling with it."
Similarly, if you have curly hair or fine hair, Charles recommends finding a stylist with similar hair to your own as they will understand your wants and needs in a hair cut, ultimately giving you the best start at having the perfect hair you've always wanted.
The Charles Worthington Salon at Home range is available now in Boots stores and online at boots.com.