"My hair was thin and gross. A $0 hack changed absolutely bloody everything."

I love peanut butter. But you know what I love more than peanut butter? Life hacks that cost precisely $0.

Because if you’ve got a way I can revolutionise my life without spending a cent, I am all ears, buddy. I AM ALL OF THE EARS.

That’s why, when a friend told me about the “reverse wash system”, I basically sprinted home to my shower to give it a whirl. (Don’t stress – “reverse wash system” sounds like it pertains to the laundry and requires nasty chemicals. It doesn’t. It’s just fancy hairdresser speak for “when you start washing your hair differently”.)

But before I get into the hack that has made me one step closer to a swooshy hair commercial, let me give you insight into my hair.

I would describe my it as BAWT: Blonde and wispy thin. Desperately thin. A does-she-even-have-hair-on-her-head level of thin.

Given we’re taught to hate every teeny tiny aspect of our appearance from the moment we exit the womb, my lank hair has been a problem since the dawn of time. Which meant countless “volumising” hair sprays! Designer shampoos! Dry shampoos! Thickening shampoos! Layered hair cuts! Bob haircuts! Haircuts to fix the haircuts!

It was a very exhausting, expenny, non-productive hair mission.

Listen: And, ahem, another befuddling hair problemo.

Ah, if only I knew my hair could look a trillion times better by just… reversing what I was using.

Which brings me to the $0 hack that makes my hair feel like I’ve just left a salon every time I wash it. Here is literally everything you need to know:

You wash your hair with conditioner first. Then you shampoo second. And that… that’s… it.

“What the hell are you talking about, weird hair lady?” I hear you asking behind your screen. But hear me out.

For thin-haired women (and, as Mamamia’s resident beauty guru Brittany Stewart tells me, curly-haired women) this switcheroo is a lifesaver. Your hair still gets the nourishment from conditioner, but using the shampoo afterwards? It means your hair isn’t weighed down in leftover moisturiser goo.

Washing your hair this way will leave it feeling bouncy and light and like a magical hairy cloud. It might not feel great when it’s still wet, but it will once it’s dry. I promise.

Even better, reverse washing your hair means it doesn't get that oily look so early, and you'll find yourself washing your hair far less frequently every week.

Basically, I have solved every major problem in your life, am saving you money, and expect flowers on my desk by Monday.

To join our sparkly reverse cycle hair club, you can use any old shampoo and conditioner that's in your shower right now. If you want to go next level, Tresemme's special reverse products do work wonders too.

It's a movement, people. A reverse washing hair movement. And you're all so very welcome to join.

To follow Michelle Andrews for more #VeryImportantHairUpdates, click here.