When it comes to hair tips, I’m a sponge. Since the age of 9, I have loved everything about hair and have been my own guinea pig.
I've had highs (lovely healthy hair down to my waist) I've had lows (hair so dead from too much bleach, I've had no choice but to practically shave it off and wear a wig for 6 months) but, you can't go to hell and back without picking up a few tips and tricks along the way and so I wanted to share these with you in the hope that everyday is a good hair day, from now on.
1. Before using any heat on your hair, always use a heat protectant spray. A heat protectant adds moisture to your hair while forming a protective barrier that reduces moisture loss when heat is applied to your hair shafts. This, in turn, prevents hair breakage and damage. (On clients, I use Wella’s “EIMI Thermal Image” which not only protects from damage but also adds softness and shine)
2. When your hair is around 80% dry (it is just starting to feel dry) start using a brush to style. If you use it before then, you’re wasting your time. When drying a clients hair, I will always rough dry the roots first before bringing out my styling brush.
3. When you buy a new dryer, keep the nozzle – it’s the most important part of your hairdryer, because it concentrates the heat and directs it where you want it.
4. Once you've finished drying, give your hair a shot of cold air to set your style and seal the cuticles to add shine. If you need extra staying power, spray lightly with a light hold hair spray that will give hold without weighing the style down.
5. If your hair is naturally very curly, applying a serum to wet hair and, using your fingers to twist random-sized sections into a ‘rope’ and leaving until completely dry, will give a rippled wave effect.
6. What you eat can affect the condition of your hair, if you want to have shiny hair then you'll need a balanced diet with plenty of vitamins, minerals and nutrients. If you want to boost your diet with supplements to help your hair health then take vitamin B complex, zinc and Omega 3 to provide essential fatty acids.
7. The major cause of dull hair is too much shampoo and not enough rinsing. That squirt of shampoo takes about four minutes to rinse out properly. So use less and rinse much more.
8. Lather. Rinse. Repeat. There is a reason that shampoo bottles are usually bigger than their conditioning counter-part and it's not to make you buy more. Its for one simple reason. The first shampoo is to break down oils and product build-up. When you lift these oils from the scalp, they travel down the hair shaft and when you rinse, you are only rinsing away part of the build up. The second shampoo is to CLEAN and completely wash them out. Shampooing your hair twice is beneficial because it allows for proper cleansing, giving you longer periods of time with a clean scalp and keeps away any oily hair problem, it also keeps you away from over-shampooing your hair (Shampooing every day) Excessive shampooing can over-dry your hair, causing it to become weak and brittle.
9. Your hair and scalp should be treated with the same love as your face and body. Give your hair deep treatments in addition to regular shampoo-and-conditioning. I always advise a deep treatment up to twice a week for really damaged or dry hair. For maintenance, deep treatments should be anywhere from once a week to once a fortnight. It's also a good idea to treat hair a day or two before having colour or bleach to minimise potential damage and help deposit the chemicals evenly. (I love Olaplex Stage 3 which actually helps to repair broken bonds from the inside)
10. Washing your hair with beer is great as it can add both strength and shine to dull, limp hair. The malt and hops found in beer are full of protein, which nourishes and strengthens hair. The nutrients found in beer can even help repair dried out damaged hair. The protein binds to dehydrated hair (from blow drying, straightening and harsh weather) and restores strength and body to it. Plus, the alcohol in the beer contains B vitamins that load up your hair with shine. (They actually tighten the hair’s cuticles, which makes light bounce off of your hair. Hence shiner. But, that’s all scientific and such.)
11. If you don't like the idea of washing your hair with beer, you can also use Coconut Oil as an over night hair mask. As well as producing gloss and shine it is also said to repair damaged hair and encourage hair growth Due to the composition of coconut oil, it will help to bind to the protein in hair, preventing protein loss and protect both the roots and strands of hair from breakage. (You can buy a jar from Lidl for under £2)
12. Another one that helps with hair growth is Biotin tablets. You can get them from health stores and actually Amazon, which is where i get mine. It takes a few weeks of taking one each to day to start seeing results but if you persevere you will start to see that not only is your hair looking healthier but your nails are stronger too!
13. It’s great to finish rinsing hair with a blast of really cold water (it’s not an old wives’ tale) cold water really does help seal the cuticle, so hair is smoother.
14. When you have dried and styled your hair, spray a cloud of perfume into the air and then walk through it. Hair holds scent really well, so this little trick should create wafts of gorgeousness every time you flick and turn your head.
15. You may not be aware of this, but you probably carry a lot of tension in your scalp. It's why I always try to give my clients a good firm scalp massage when conditioning. If the scalp feels tight, I will massage until I can feel it move. Regular massage makes the scalp move much more flexibly and increases blood flow to the hair follicles, boosting hair health. Use the fingers, pads and palms of your hands to make circular movements over the scalp, for at least three or four minutes, two or three times a week.
16. Use an intensive conditioning mask every week and leave the treatment on as long as possible. If you can sleep with it on, then do. otherwise, put it on, then paint your toenails, do your eyebrows and any other beauty treatments before rinsing the treatment off. This gives time for the treatment to penetrate deep into the hair, and is the biggest single thing you can do to maintain gloss, shine and overall hair health. (I always recommend OSMO’s intensive deep repair mask, which not only does what it says but it also smells gorgeous too.)
17. Avocado, greek yogurt, honey and egg is my favourite home made conditioning mask. Mash a ripe avocado, add a tablespoon of honey, one egg and half a pot of natural greek yoghurt. Mix well and then work the mixture through the hair, wait 30 minutes and then rinse off. This is an excellent deep moisturising treatment for your hair. (Just make sure the avocado is ripe, I have a wonderful story about a health visitor coming over to be greeted by me with lumps of avocado falling from my head!)
18. Use a wide-toothed comb or a tangle teaser to detangle – never a brush. Brushes are for styling purposes only.
19. Always pat your hair dry – don’t rub it. This causes less friction and encourages shine, because it keeps the cuticle (which reflects light) smooth.
20. Take a break from heat styling every now and then and let your hair dry naturally – especially if you’re just staying at home, to help its overall condition.
21. And finally, (the most painful thing for me to ever see someone do)... Never ever, brush your hair from the root, downwards!! When you brush downward from the root, you run into tangles in the mid-lengths and ends and the hair can snap. Over time, this can add up to a lot of breakage. Instead, start a few inches away from the ends, once the knots are out, move up a few more inches. Eventually, the hair will be fully detangled and you'll be able to smoothly brush through from root too ends.
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