Thatch not quite as thick as it used to be? Hair going the way of poor old Prince William’s? Don’t worry, hang onto what you have with The Grooming Guru’s hair-maximizing tips…

STEP 1 Look after your scalp.

In the same way that a field of corn needs good soil to flourish, your hair needs a healthy scalp if it’s to emerge strong and healthy (or emerge at all!) So make sure it’s in tip top condition by using Aveda Men Pure-Formance™ Exfoliating Shampoo to gently exfoliate the skin, remove any follicle-blocking dead cells and maintain optimum hair quality.

Tip: Not only does sun make hair brittle and fragile, burning your bonce causes the scalp to produce a compound called superoxide that can cause hair follicles to switch from a growth phase to a shedding one. So always wear a hat on the beach and protect your scalp (even if you only have a tiny bald spot) with a sunscreen. Transparent sprays like Ambre Solaire Clear Protect Spray are best as they’re non-sticky, easy to use and provide good coverage.

STEP 2 Don’t scratch! You might not realise it but dandruff isn’t just a disaster when it comes to dating, there’s some research to suggest it may be linked to hairloss too. That’s because the bug that causes the flakes (a yeast called Malassezia globos) makes your scalp sore and itchy which in turn makes you scratch. And scratching often leads to hair snapping off.

Research has also shown that dandruff sufferers often have less shine and flexibility hair too – signs of weaker hair structure. And that means your crowning glory is more prone to tearing and snapping. Thankfully, though, dealing with dandruff is pretty straightforward.

To tackle the problem head on (sorry!) try an anti-dandruff shampoo like Head & Shoulders For Men which contains flake-busting Zinc Pyrithione. And if you tend to suffer from an itchy scalp, stop the itch in its tracks with Philip Kingsley’s soothing Flaky Itchy Scalp Shampoo.

Tip: Rough drying, harsh rubbing and over-combing can all cause hair to break so instead of rough towel drying, try gently patting hair dry and try styling with your fingers rather than a comb. Don’t fiddle with your hair either! Playing with it can cause damage.

STEP 3 Feed your head!

Hair might be dead but the follicles that produce it are very much alive and need adequate nutrition to function properly, so stock up on foods rich in B vitamins, zinc and iron (like breakfast cereals, liver and apricots) and vitamin C-rich fruits like strawberries which help the body retain the nutrients essential for hair health. And up your intake of silicon – some studies have shown this to limit hair loss. Wheat, rice and onions are good sources. You can also improve the condition of hair by washing with a nutrient-packed shampoo like Korres Magnesium and Wheat Proteins Hair  Loss Shampoo.

Taking a supplement like Holland & Barrett – Vitamins for the Hair can help too by providing hair with a concentrated and potent array of  vitamins and minerals to promote healthy growth.

Tip: If you smoke, give up. A study by Harvard School of Public Health in America showed that smoking not only increases levels of the hormones that trigger hair loss, it also constricts the tiny blood vessels that supply the scalp, quite literally starving your hair of nutrients.

STEP 4 Halt the hairloss.

Hair loss is thought to affect as many as one in three men ages between 25 and 34 and as much as 18% of men under 24. Over half of us will have experienced some thinning by the time we’re 50 and in Britain alone, thinning hair is thought to affect a whopping 8 million men.

The first thing worth thinking about if you notice your thatch is beginning to thin out a little is a topical hair loss treatment like Regaine For Men Foam which contains Minoxidil – an ingredient clinically proven to trigger hair growth and minimise hairloss.

It won’t work in every case and it’s a long-term strategy rather than a short-term fix so be prepared to be diligent (you’ll need to build using it into your daily regime) and have a deep pocket.

Tip: Hair maximizing products tend to be most effective in men whose hair has just begun to thin so as soon as you notice your hair isn’t as thick as it used to be don’t delay –  take action!