My hair hasn't always been the greatest. When I was little it was fine and frizzy. In adolescence it turned into full, but still fine, naturally curly hair. By my twenties my hair has seen some hardship, probably due to my "always wanting to be blonder and straighter" mindset. So I can say I have had a little bit of every problem; how to make curly hair, full beautiful curls, and fight frizz, how to make curly hair straight, how to grow back damaged, broken hair (from the heat from flat irons and blow dryers), and how to make those beautiful waves all the celebs are sporting.
Now, after working in a hair salon and having access to products and services, my hair is beginning to feel fuller and healthier than ever before. Read on for some tips and tricks I have picked up over the years and in the last 2 months.Tip #1: Don't try to be something you're not, enhance what you've got.
- Ask your stylist the best hair colors for your complexion and eye color. If they are good at what they do, they should know what color will make your eyes and skin pop. If you go in saying you want to be a red head and you don't listen your stylist's input, then you might be doing a disgrace to yourself. Think about what celebrity you resemble color wise and look at the different things they have done with their hair over the years. Find what stands out to you and go from there. The celebs you see here have the hottest, most desired hair, this season!
- Don't try to fight the texture of your hair. It is only damaging it more. If your hair is curly experiment to find out how to make the best curly hair possible, if your hair is straight don't put gel in it, scrunch it and make nastly wavy hair, figure out how to give your hair the best, most volumous, blowout ever. If your hair is in between your work is cut out for you. You probably have some frizz to fight and use every tool known to man to create straight, wavy, or curly hair. You will need to know how to prevent heat damage.
Tip #2: Use the best products you can afford.
- I didn't realize how much products really make a difference. I thought it was all tied into marketing and status, but that is not the case. The other thing I've learned is the better the product, the less fillers it has and the more wholesome rich nutrients your hair needs. After saying that Kerastase is the best product I have used yet. Most products average $34 whether it's shampoo or a styling product, but it is worth it. If you can't afford to have all Kerastase than I would start out with shampoo and conditioner and one top priority styling product. It's worth the splurge. No one wants to wake up to a bad hair day.
Tip #3: Damage Control
- Take a good look in the mirror and assess the healthiness of your hair. Signs of damage include; frayed ends, broken pieces at the scalp (probably standing up after you just flat ironed it), brittle and dry. If you have questions consult your stylist for more input. Now lets think about priority. Frayed ends can be cut, but broken pieces at the scalp have to grow. Pay close attention to how much is broken/growing in. This is the hair you want to nuture the most. At the salon we recommend using the protein (green) Kerastase line for this. You will want a shampoo/conditioner rich in protein and a heat protectant cream to put on your hair before styling. This all makes your hair stronger and protects it from the heat, so more does not break off. We also recommend taking a supplement called Biotin which makes your hair and nails grow faster. If your hair is mostly just brittle, dry, and dull we recommend adding moisture. This is the orange line in Kerastase. Again, there are many great products, but a good conditioning mask, moisture heat protectant, and shine serum should do the trick.
Tip #4: Tools of the trade
- Boar bristle round brush- best for smoothing hair while blowing out. Proper technique creates volume, shine, and wave.
- Flat iron- try to use sparingly, but it's the only thing to give stick straight hair. This tool can be very damaging so always spray on a heat protector before ironing.
- Diffuser- a gadget that attaches to a blowdryer to direct heat or heat flow. The flat nozel is great for when you are using a round brush to direct heat in a solid line and eliminate frizz. The big round diffusers (often with spikes) are great for curly hair. After applying curl product, scrunch hair with a towel to soak in extra product or water and create ringlets. Hang head upside down and allow hair to sit in the diffuser. Move over head until 85% dry. Allow hair to air dry the rest of the way.
- Blowdryer- I recommend at 2600 watt blowdryer. Nothing works as good as these. Usually sold in salons, Ulta, or Sephora. Not only is it faster drying time, but it eliminates frizz as well.
- Tease comb- essential for high volume hair. Create small sections around crown of the head and back comb using a tease comb. Spray with hairspray. Lightly comb top layer to smooth and spray again.
- Curling iron- Hot Tools curling iron is the best. It gets the hottest and has a dial so you can control temperature. If you are still curling your hair the way your mother taught you stop now! It fries your ends and looks like Goldilocks. Use the wrap around technique: unclamp the iron and wrap hair around the barrel (making sure hair is turning away from your face) hold hair there for 5-8 seconds and release. Notice you never clamp the barrel down. This takes practice and I'm sure you can Google the exact instructions. This is definately worth knowing!
