Sheet face masks have been the runaway beauty success story of the last few years. The Korean skincare craze evolved from a frankly rather creepy-looking, but super-effective, facial hydrator and morphed into versions of sheet masks for literally every part of our bodies. We can now get our mitts on sheet masks for hands, feet, lips, necks, décolletage, breasts and – believe it or not – even our bums.

The newest iteration of the sheet mask craze is the hair sheet mask. Put simply, these are caps or towels soaked in serums, oils, proteins and hydrators for our hair. You just wrap your hair into the sheets, leave for up to half an hour (some must be left on overnight) and then rinse out.

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Do they work? The most effective ones I’ve tried are the self-heating options, as the thermal element aids the oils in penetrating deeper into our scalp and hair strands. Are they fiddly? A little bit, but they’re also totally worth it – especially if you colour your hair, or suffer from frizziness, split ends and dryness.

For anyone worried about how eco-friendly they are, why not try my at-home DIY hair masking tip below? Read on for some all-round home hair-masking tips to get our crowning glories glossy, groomed and gorgeous.

If you’re too time-strapped to do an at-home DIY mask, why not book a new Kerastase K Water Treatment at your nearest salon? Using lamellar next-gen hair technology, this treatment only takes minutes to work and gives hair an instant shot of silky softness. From €8-11 at Kerastase salons nationwide

DIY – shower cap & hot towel

If you don’t have hair sheet masks to hand, but fancy amping up your DIY hair masking, just use whatever hair treatment product you already have to hand, apply to hair, slip a shower cap on, pop a towel on the radiator to get some heat into it and then wrap around your hair. The heat helps your hair and scalp better absorb the oils and nutrients from your mask.

Six of the best: Hair sheet masks

Best for Short Hair

This Korean-made hair mask uses natural ingredients (basil, juniper and lavender) and a heating thermal effect to make sure hair is looking glossy and gorgeous after use. Use on slightly damp hair, slip the hair wrap over your head and fix it with the sticker included. Leave on for up to half an hour, then rinse thoroughly. Ikoo Infusions Thermal Treatment Wrap Protect and Repair, €7.99 from Boots.

Best for Long Hair

This is a self-heating hair treatment – after shampooing hair, just slather the oil and protein balm, then pop on the 18th-century-looking tissue cap that comes with it! The cap is lined with a self-heating lotion that will help the balm move deeper into your follicles. It works pretty fast (10-15 minutes) and needs to be rinsed off thoroughly. A great masking tip for longer length hair is to brush your locks to make sure the balm is evenly applied. L’Oreal Elvive Dream Lengths Steam Mask, €7.99 from Boots and pharmacies nationwide.

Best for All Hair Types

This hair sheet mask is suitable for straight, wavy, curly and coiled hair – it’s an all-rounder – though technically it’s specifically for hair prone to frizziness. These masks come with a reusable hair cap, are to be used on dry hair, and left to work overnight, washing hair in the morning. Sephora Rose Sheet Hair Sleep Mask, €5.50 from sephora.com

Best Natural Hair Sheet Mask

This hot oil treatment is made with all-natural superfood ingredients, and Ayurvedic herbology. It is jam-packed with virgin coconut oil (which is scientifically proven to be the only natural oil that can fully penetrate the hair shaft to repair hair from the inside out.) Preheat this sheet mask, apply to hair and then use the heat-retaining cap for maximum ingredient absorption. This is a particularly good option for colour treated hair. Starskin Coconut Hair Sheet Mask, €9.50 from Arnotts, and cloud10beauty.com

Best for Dry, Parched Thirsty Locks

This single-use mask is a like a tall glass of water for thirsty hair in need of some quick-acting TLC. The mask will help to maintain hair’s moisture, smoothen the cuticle, and make hair a lot more manageable. It should be used once a week if hair is extra parched, as it was created specifically for severely dry hair, using a mix of cactus extract, aloe vera and sacha inchi oil. To use, just twist and wrap hair fully into the cap (after shampooing), and fasten with the adhesive strip. Gently massage the cap and hair to really work the product into the strands and leave on for 5-10 minutes, then rinse thoroughly. Redken All Soft Mega Sheet Mask, €9.50 from salons nationwide and lookfantastic.com

Scalp Saviour

A healthy scalp is the foundation for a full, bouncing head of hair. Without a healthy, clean scalp there’s zero point in spending time and money on haircare masks and conditioners. If your scalp needs a de-clogging, and you need to go back to basics on your haircare routine, try this new scalp exfoliator to get a clear head-start on a gorgeous head of hair. Kerastase Gamme Fusio Scrub Apaisant, €49 from salons nationwide and lookfantastic.com

Backstage Beauty

TV and radio host Maya Jama (@MayaJama) chats to Weekend magazine  about keeping her lustrous tresses in tip-top shape…

What are your desert island makeup and skincare items?

* Laura Mercier powder

* Mac concealer

* Fenty beauty highlighter

* Mac lip liner

* Maybelline mascara (It gives a great false lash look effect without having to wear fake lashes)

* Face masks are essential – Elemis is great for masks and Rodial Dragon’s Blood eye masks are great too, and super hydrating.

What are you fave hair gadgets and products?

A good hairdryer! I use the GHD Air Festival Collection dryer (pictured). It’s great for drying my hair quickly and smoothly and without damaging it. I love Kerastase Serum for my ends. I really want to try Olaplex too to keep my hair soft and nourished. Lastly, GHD Heat Protect is my go-to ahead of blow-drying or styling!

What is your go-to hairstyle?

Dead straight sleek look with a side parting is what I always create on myself.

How do you keep you hair so healthy and shiny looking?

I like to use overnight hair treatments once a week to help nourish my hair. Also, I’ve found using a silk pillowcase really helps keep my hair silky soft.

What is the biggest beauty and hair myth in your opinion?

Eat the crusts on your bread, otherwise your hair will go curly!

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