For part two of our hair and beauty special, Sandra Bull, Weston College’s Hair and Beauty Curriculum Manager (who has over 25 years’ experience in the hairdressing industry), answers some of the most frequently asked hairdressing questions…

Click here to read part one of our hair and beauty special!

How often should I shampoo my hair?

This depends on your hair type and personal preferences. Your hair can actually clean itself, however your hair naturally dehydrates during the day from wind, pollution and sunlight, so washing it regularly is important to maintain its health.

It’s important to make sure you wash your hair with a shampoo made for your hair type, and always double wash.

Oily hair should be washed daily and dry hair should be washed a maximum of three times per week using a smaller amount of shampoo. If you’re a brunette or have curly hair you can wash it every two to three days.

How can I make my hair feel soft?

First of all, brush your hair before and after showering to get rid of any knots or tangles. Brushing before helps you to shampoo and condition your hair. When you’re in the shower, use shampoo and conditioner that matches your hair type. When shampooing, soak your hair and use lukewarm water. A good tip is to use half the amount of shampoo you usually use but wash your hair twice.

Turn the water’s heat down when conditioning and comb the conditioner evenly through your hair. To ensure the conditioner isn’t washed out, turn the shower off while doing this. Rinse the conditioner out of your hair with cold water as this seals the cuticle and gives your hair a good shine.

Don’t blow dry as this can damage and dry out your hair. Instead, use a towel to pat it dry.

How can I find out more about hairdressing?

Weston College offers a range of hair and barbering courses from introductory level right up to salon management at Level 4. These courses can give you practical experience with real clients and enable you to learn from industry professionals.

This week is New Year New You week, and our team is on hand at all campuses to give free help and guidance towards your health and wellbeing goals for the new year. Click here to find out about the fun and free sessions we're holding, and read on to discover our top tips for a healthy mind...

Eat healthily

The things you consume have a big effect on your mental happiness. Eating a balanced diet will keep your energy levels up throughout the day and make you feel a lot healthier.

Watch what you drink

Drinking water and cutting back on alcohol and caffeine can also improve your mental health, as well as stopping smoking. Drinking water helps your body flush out toxins and is key to healthy skin, preventing spots, making your eyes look brighter and makes you more alert.

Be more active

Exercising every day has both physical and mental benefits. Exercise makes your body release endorphins which can greatly improve your mood. Walking or cycling (instead of driving), dancing, and even doing housework are all easy ways to get the blood pumping. Combine this with eating healthy and you’ll start to look and feel better.

Get a good night’s sleep

Getting a good night’s sleep is also essential to relaxing your brain. Get into a good sleep routine and try not to watch television or browse the internet before sleeping - this could disrupt your body's natural sleep process through intrusive blue light.

Talk to others

Feeling connected with other people is an important part of what makes us human and neglecting this part of life can have detrimental effects on your mental health. Many mental health problems can be helped or even prevented by keeping in touch with others and maintaining strong relationships. If you are having difficulties then some of the best help can be given by friends or family, so talk to them about how you feel as well as listening to their thoughts and emotions.

Do something new

This one’s easy – all you have to do is something you’ve never done before, even something as simple as visiting a new place, starting a new hobby or reading a book by an author you’ve never heard of. New experiences challenge your brain to process and store new information and keep it active.

Remember that help is available

It might seem easy to start these changes, but sticking to them is going to challenge you. Our health care assistants are on hand to help you achieve your healthy living goals.

Students from Weston College's Sport and Public Services Department visited Weston Town Hall last week to discuss the changes to Weston-super-Mare's town centre with Cllr John Crockford-Hawley, Chairman of North Somerset Council.

The students discussed projects such as the Tropicana, Backwell leisure facilities, the town square/Italian Gardens development and using sport as a rehabilitation tool.

Cllr John Crockford-Hawley said: "The students showed their excellent debating skills and their ability to present new ideas. They were very passionate about using sport to help people struggling with addiction.

"I wish all debates that I chair could be of this quality!"