Stylists definitely know all the tricks! It doesn’t matter if you are looking for a bombshell blowout, gorgeous color, or incredibly healthy locks, stylists have learned all the tricks to get you there. Finally, the top stylists reveal their top must-try tips.
1) Try and find a shampoo that lathers less. Just because it is all sudsy doesn’t necessarily mean that it is clean—actually, it can mean the opposite. If a shampoo lathers too much, it is usually overloaded with moisturizing products, and that can leave build-up in your hair, which makes it look and feel dirty. Better to choose a sulfate-free formula.
2) Give your locks a burst of cold. Just before hopping out of the shower, switch on the cold water on for a second and give your strands a quick rinse. That will help to seal the cuticle, which adds a nice, sleek finish to your hair.
3) Play hot-and-cold as you dry. If you use a round brush to dry your hair in different sections, it is best to start from the roots and making sure to dry all the way to the ends. This lets the brush linger at the tips of your strands, which allows your hair to cool off. Let it cool off like this on its own for five seconds or so, and then repeat on another section of your hair. If you alternate between heating and cooling-down, this helps to set your style, and your blowout will have more body.
4) Glaze your hair at-home between color appointments. Glazes fill holes and rough spots in your hair cuticles, which help smooth out locks and putting moisture back into your hair. Your hair will stay shiny and bright longer and will look better. You can also snag an at-home kit from your local drugstore, which makes it easy to do.
5) For that high-volume hair, use rollers. For sex-kitten lift, you will want to blow out your locks until they are dry. Then, you will need to section off the hair on top of your head—starting with the part between your temples and all the way back to the crown of your hair. After that, you will want to divide up that section into three smaller sections vertically (as if you were making a mohawk), and then wrap each of them in a 2-inch velcro hair roller. You will want to let your hair sit like this for 30 minutes or so, and then unwrap your strands, lightly comb them out, and spray for hold.
6) Drop the towel. Frizzy hair is often caused by leaving a towel wrapped around wet strands for a half-hour as you do your make-up. Cotton tends to be rough, which forces your hair cuticles open, and that makes them more likely to go in different directions. Try squeezing out excess water from your hair when you get out of the shower, and then allow your hair to air-dry for ten minutes before beginning to blow dry.
7) Try applying products 10 minutes before you style. It doesn’t matter if you are curling, straightening, or something else, if you apply product 10 minutes in advance it gives it a chance to fully absorb into your strands so that you will get all of the benefits with more time to do its work.
8) Instead of clamping, wrap your hair for quick curls. You don’t need to fasten your locks to the barrel when using a curling iron. If you wrap sections around the iron and then hold them in place for 10 seconds or so, you can create the same soft, sexy curls.
9) Spray bottles make a great lazy-day BFF. Nobody likes waking up to flat or grungy locks from the day before, but if you just spray the top layer of your hair until it is damp, you can then use a big barrel round brush (2 inches or more) to blow your locks dry. You will create a high volume look for that top layer, and also create the illusion of all-over smooth hair since it is freshly blown out.
10) Try using dry shampoo in a different way. For instance, apply a dab of dry shampoo to your roots right after you wash and dry them instead of waiting until they really need a dirt-fighting pick-me-up. This extra barrier will help stave off the debris and oil your hair will collect through the day. As an added bonus however, it will give your hair killer volume.