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At Home Beauty Tips
Usually, when you leave the salon your hair looks good, your stylist has explained everything and it all makes sense. But, once you get home and try to work with your hair, you just can't remember all the things you were told.
Here are ten of my most popular at home beauty tips to enjoy!
Healthy Hair Comes from a Healthy Scalp
If you are like most women, you want beautiful, healthy hair. However, have you thought about having a healthy scalp?
A healthy scalp is the foundation for great looking hair and hair growth. If the pores on your scalp are clogged, you will produce excess oil and may even see acne on your scalp or experience itching and flaking. All of these slow down your hair growth and cause dull, lifeless, unhealthy looking hair.
The remedy is easy. When you shampoo, massage your head and work the shampoo into your scalp. For an extra good cleanse, you might want to shampoo twice, especially if you have a lot of product in your hair such as gels, mousse and hair spray.
I also recommend applying a hair mask once a month to deep condition your hair and scalp. The mask will help restore your hair back to its natural and healthy state.
Clients often ask me, “Does my hair stop reacting well to the shampoo I’ve been using for a long time? Should I change to another brand?”
The short answer is: No. The need to change shampoos is a myth.
Your shampoo will work the same – even if you’ve been using the same brand for a long time. However, there is one shampoo-switching caveat: Change your shampoo if your hair changes.
For example, if you get a new chemical service, you will probably need to change your shampoo.
As you age, your hair may require a new shampoo to address your changing body.
As the seasons change from hot (hair becomes oilier) to cold (hair becomes drier), it may be time to adjust your shampoo.
When you notice changes in your hair, consult with your hair stylist to make sure the shampoo you’re using fits your hair’s current needs.
Here's What To Do With Very Dry Hair
Here's a quick way to do a deep conditioning treatment at home for very low cost, with great results.
Put your regular conditioner on dry hair. Allow it to sit in your hair for five to ten minutes before stepping into the shower. Once you’re in the shower, shampoo and condition again.
You'll have shiny, great looking, healthy hair. This conditioning treatment works because you are not wetting your hair first.
Adding conditioner before getting your hair wet allows the conditioner to penetrate deeper into your hair, meaning it ‘deep conditions.’ You'll look like you just left the salon. Try it – you’ll be a believer!
Detangle Long Hair with a Wide Tooth Comb
The best way to detangle your hair is in the shower. Work a good quality conditioner into your hair. Then use a wide tooth comb to detangle; starting at the ends and working up to your scalp.
When rinsing, place your head forward. Do not rub your scalp and hair because it will make it tangle again.
If you have thick hair, leave in a little of the conditioner. If you have fine hair, completely rinse the conditioner out.
When towel drying, be sure to pat your hair dry because rubbing will make your hair tangle again.
Finish by using a spray, leave-in conditioner. Most are very light and won't weigh down your hair, but will balance out the moisture and protein and close your
cuticles.
To apply your leave-in conditioner:
1. Spray once.
2. Work the conditioner in gently with your fingers.
3. Spray again and using your wide tooth comb, start at your ends and work
toward your scalp.
Choosing A New Hair Dryer? Here's What's Important...
Most of my clients and probably you, us a hair dryer. If you’re going to invest in any hair tool, invest in a good hair dryer.
If your hair dryer doesn't put off enough heat and air, it will take you a long time to dry your hair each morning. That's easy to understand.
But how do you avoid buying a dyer that is too weak to do the job?
When considering a new hair dryer the first thing you need to know is the wattage. A rule-of-thumb is the higher wattage the more heat and airflow power the dryer will produce. The result of this added power is quicker dry time, but always us the nozzle attachment, because it concentrates the air flow into a smaller area. It helps with drying your hair twice as fast, and leaving your hair shiny and frizz-free.
A good safe wattage to start with for most people is 1750 watts. The exception would be if you have thick, long hair. In that case you might want to get a little higher wattage so that you can dry your hair even faster.
Be sure to check the wattage of the dryer you now use. You may want to get a little higher wattage so you can cut your drying time in half ... meaning extra sleeping time for YOU!
My Brush is Getting Old, When Should I Replace it?
If you continue using your favorite brush as it wears out, your hair will start getting damaged. The bristles start pulling your hair causing breakage, split ends
and more "flyaways."
To keep this from happening, replace your brush every eight to twelve months. The time depends on how rough you are on your brush and how often you clean it to remove product buildup.
When buying a new brush, look for one with boar bristles. It lasts longer and does not damage your hair like plastic bristles do. Your brush stimulates your scalp and promotes better hair growth. Getting the best is worth the
investment.
Remember to clean your brush at least once a week. The best way is to get a brush cleaner from the beauty supply store. If you need to clean your brush quickly and don’t have a brush cleaner, use a hard bristle toothbrush, warm
water and shampoo. Clean with the toothbrush, soak in the sink for five to ten minutes, dry and you’re ready to brush for another week.
A great brush will help you maintain beautiful, shiny, healthy hair that you can be proud of.
A Round Brush - the Tool That Makes Hot Hair Cool
Many women frequently use a round brush, but use it incorrectly.
Imagine your hair is like a piece of steel. First, you heat it up in a fire. Then, you bend it into the desired shape. Finally, you put the bent steel in cold water to
freeze the shape.
Your hair works much the same way. First, heat up the hydrogen bonds in your hair using a blow dryer with a round brush to hold your heated hair in the desired shape (straight, wavy or curly) while drying. Continue to hold the shape with your round brush as your hair cools and you’ll lock in the desired shape.
Once your hair has cooled down, take the round brush out and you have the perfect shape. Now take that cool, hot look out for an evening at out with someone you care for.
How to Create Volume
Volume takes the flat spots out and gives lift to your facial features. To achieve volume without damaging your hair, follow these simple steps.
Start with the proper tools. To create volume, use a wide tooth plastic pick and hair spray.
Style your hair as you normally would. As a finishing touch, follow these five simple steps in areas where your hair is weighing down:
1. Apply hair spray to your plastic pick.
2. Wait three seconds.
3. Go into the root of the hair with your pick and lift about one-inch from
the root.
4. Hold for three seconds.
5. Slide the pick out and move to another area of your hair. You have created volume without damaging your hair by teasing.
Turning up the Volume on Fine Hair
Many of my clients ask, "I have fine hair what should I use for volume - a gel or mousse?" This is what I always tell them.
For fine hair, don't use a gel on your whole head. It just weighs your hair down. Instead, take a small amount of gel and only work it into your scalp area. Gel gives a firmer hold. By putting gel on the scalp, you’ll build the foundation to support the volume you created in the rest of your style.
Now put mousse on the rest of your hair from the middle to the ends. Mousse is light and gives lots of body and support.
Dry your hair. When finished, use your fingertips to rough up the hair on top of your scalp.
This will break up the product and give you more body and separation at the same time. There you go with your red carpet hair. It's a snap!
How to Turn Straight Hair into Something "Sassy"
Sometimes you feel adventurous and want to turn your beautiful, straight hair into something wavy and "sassy."
If you want to achieve a body wave curl, the best way is to set your hair in Velcro rollers, Yes, they are still around. In fact, they never went away. I still use them in fashion shows, for weddings and other special occasions where a full, wavy look is needed.
Here's how to make them work:
1. Blow-dry your hair to about 90% dry.
2. Spray a setting lotion in your hair and work in with your hands.
3. Place the Velcro rollers in your hair. The size you use determines whether you achieve a loose or tight wave. I generally go with tighter rollers because you can always loosen the wave up after taking them out and the
wave stays in longer throughout the day.
4. After you're done placing the rollers in your hair, do your make-up, get dressed and eat breakfast.
5. Just before you are ready to leave the house, feel the rollers to see if they are dry or not.
