Health, Beauty and Fitness: The mane chance

Having problem hair is a bit like keeping an exotic pet... it has to be handled with extreme care and cannot be entrusted to just anyone. When it's well maintained it's a thing to marvel at. When it's handled improperly, it can turn very nasty indeed.

My thick, 23in hair has broken the spirit of many a stylist. At best they remark, with thinly veiled resentment: "Oh, you've got a lot of hair," as their arms ache after half an hour's toil with a paddle brush and red-hot hairdryer. At worst, they admit defeat at first sight and plug in the straighteners, which is why I was almost overcome with gratitude when Medusa's creative director Colin McAndrew took my barnet in his stride. He even seemed happy to have so much raw material, and set to work with a super-efficient two-man blow dry followed by a set with Velcro rollers.

If you can forgive the hyperbole for a minute, I'd just like to say – Velcro rollers changed my life. Thanks to this retro discovery, along with a ludicrous hairdryer hood contraption I found on eBay, I can now boast hair that's more shampoo-advert-worthy than Cheryl Cole's wig. Bring on the Hilda Ogden curlers, I say!

Colin worked a considerable amount of mousse into my hair, carefully "rolled me up" in a selection of different sized rollers (for a more natural look) and parked me under the dryer for 15 minutes.

On removing the rollers Colin brushed out my curls, and reshaped them for what he described as a "Hollywood" look. He was spot-on, I looked like a brunette Veronica Lake (well, my hair did). Lustrous buoyant waves cascaded over my shoulders in the style of the ultimate wartime pin-up. The only fly in the pomade was Colin's generous use of mousse.

Usually I have a no-product rule as, for some reason, my hair sucks up humidity when it has anything more than a little serum in it. Sure enough, after a night on the tiles, I felt like a 12.01am Cinderella as my fairy-tale tresses reverted to frizz. My glamorous mink had turned into a woolly alpaca. Since Colin didn't seem to be an overbearing "Mr Teasy-Weasy" type I'm sure this could have been avoided if I'd been more outspoken about my pet peeve.

Mercy Breheny

A wash and blow dry with Colin costs 35. 26 Bread Street, Edinburgh (0131-622 7277, www.medusahair.co.uk)

If you're looking for an added injection of glamour for a big night Medusa also offers a new false lash application service, from 14.

Fab facts for a beautiful life:

Health

Milky marvel

Fans of goat's milk are almost evangelical about its potential to ease eczema, stomach ulcers and even irritable bowel syndrome.

You may be sceptical, but there's no denying these new four packs of two strawberry and two raspberry pro-biotic yoghurts from Delamere Dairy are pretty tasty. If regular cow's milk doesn't agree with you, then this low-cholesterol stuff is worth a whirl.

Delamere Dairy Probiotic Yoghurts, 1.99, Morrisons nationwide (www.delameredairy.co.uk)

Beauty

Ready aroma

Even if you haven't booked your summer holiday yet, this budget travel set from Arran Aromatics is irresistible. It contains dinky (less than 100ml, in case you're flying) versions of some of their Feelgood Formulas. These include Grapefruit and Shea Butter Soap, Rosemary and Sage Spa Bath Soak, Mandarin and Mint Body Lotion (our favourite), Lavender and Lemongrass Shampoo, plus a handy facecloth.

Feelgood Formulas Essential Travel Minis, 10 for set, Arran Aromatics (0141-248 5242, www.arranaromatics.com)

Fitness

Cherry on top

If you're running in tomorrow's Edinburgh Marathon, and are about to invest in a crateload of Lucozade, then stop right there. A recent study at Northumberland University found that runners who drank tart cherry juice before and after a marathon recovered faster than those who had a placebo drink. According to researchers, it could be down to the antioxidants, which help to reduce inflammation and cell damage. Look out that juicer in time for tomorrow's race.

www.edinburgh-marathon.com

This article was first published in The Scotsman on 22 May.