"Beauty draws us with a single hair." - Alexander Pope
With unpredictable weather patterns, stressful exams and extra-curricular packed end-of-term, bad hair days are as common as BlackBerry cell phones. But with the long awaited and much needed July-August vacation a mere two weeks away, they need to be as rare as the new Nokia N97. Monthly hair-stylist trips and trims can only do so much. Keeping our do's shiny, healthy and frizz-free for the following 30 days is the key. However, not all hair tips apply to hair types. Check out these easy to follow ones for curly, straight, colour-treated, relaxed, long and short hair. Does more than one hair type apply to you (e.g. curly, brown-coloured/highlighted hair)? Mix and match tips! It's as easy as personalizing the wallpaper for your iPhone!
World of Curls- Caring for Curly Hair
1. Airy-Fairy - As curly hair is more fragile than straight hair, blow drying can very damaging and can even cause breakage. Let it air-dry instead.
2. All Washed Up - Washing daily dries out the hair's natural moisture and creates frizz. Every other day, spray hair with water using a spritz bottle and apply conditioner, followed by moisturizer.
3. Be Hands-on - Brushing is not recommended as it breaks down the body and volume of your curls. Finger-combing separates the tangles just enough.
4. ASAP - For moisture-rich curls, apply hair products as soon you get out of the shower. Lightly scrunch curls using a paper towel, then massage in moisturizer. This helps the hair to absorb more moisturizer.
5. The Deep End - Deep conditioning is very important to keep curly hair frizz-free but products can be expensive. Every week apply olive oil to dry hair for 20 minutes after shampooing for an inexpensive chemical-free alternative.
6. Split Personality - Split ends may seem like no big deal, but they inhibit your hair's ability to grow. See your stylist for a trim every 8-10 weeks.
Straight to the Point - Caring for Straight Hair
1. Best of Both Worlds- Ensure that you brush out your hair before your hair, preferably with a paddle brush. Keep a wide tooth comb in your shower caddy so you can comb it through before you rinse out the conditioner. This prevents knots and tangles.
2. Always Use Protection- Using flat irons often can be very damaging to hair. Applying a heat protectant spray to hair before using hot tools and a light-weight moisturizer after-wards helps reduce heat damage.
3. How Low Can You Go - Putting your flat iron on a lower setting may mean taking longer to finish your hair, but it also plays a major part in reducing heat damage.
4. Less is More - To prevent build up of hair products, apply a light moisturizer once a day to keep hair flexible.
5. Wrap it Up- To keep hair smooth at night, wrap it in a circular motion around your head and secure with hair pins. Tie it up with a satin or silk head wrap to keep it from frizzing.
Colour Me Happy - Caring for Colour Treated Hair
1. Cover it up Girl! - Planning to hit the pool? Always wear a swim cap as chlorine and the chemicals in your hair don't mesh well.
2. Don't Wash it Away- Limit shampooing to a weekly basis as regular washing tends to strip the colour from your locks.
3. Conditions Apply- Whenever you do wash your hair, follow up with conditioner as this not moisturizes your hair but also secures the colour.
4. Comb it out - Use a wide-tooth comb instead of a brush as this minimizes breakage.
5. Touch of Class- Colour treatments can be expensive, so use at home kits to brighten up dulling between appointments.
Rest and Relaxation - Caring for Relaxed Hair
1. Daily Does It- Be sure to apply a moisturizer with natural oils like jojoba and coconut to prevent dryness and add body and shine.
2. Easy on the Iron - Flat ironing your hair everyday is a definite no-no, especially for chemically treated hair. Once a week on a relatively low setting is recommended.
3. B(e) Healthy - Using a Vitamin B cuticle oil treatment monthly on the scalp, keeps it protected against dandruff and the harsh relaxer chemicals.
4. Monthly Maintenance - Visit your hairdresser to every 6-8 weeks to re-do the relaxer. This sets your hair for another 2 months and the new growth too.
5. Silky Dreams- To prevent breakage at night either wrap hair using a silk head tie or sleep on a silk pillow case.
Lovely Lengths - Caring for Long Hair
1. Set it Free- Avoid keeping your hair tightly braided or in a pony tail scrunchie too long as it causes breakage. If you do use pony tail holders, make sure that they have no metal clamps.
2. Bold Strokes - Brushing your hair in long strokes helps to spread the natural oils through the length of your hair.
3. All's Well Ends Well- When applying conditioner concentrate on your ends to prevent splitting.
4. Caught Red-Handed - Try to refrain from wearing your hair down while you're running errands especially if it's past mid-back as it can get caught in everything from fans to doors!
5. It's a Wide World - The longer your hair, the wider the flat iron should be. This helps you to cover more surface area without making the job too tedious.
Short and Sweet - Caring for Short Hair
1. Slim and Trim - Be sure to visit stylist every month or two as trimming new growth is essential to keeping your look.
2. Towel Girl- There is no need for the over-drying that hot tools cause. Towel drying is sufficient for short hair.
3. Keep in Shape - The hardest part of maintaining a short haircut is keeping its desired shape. Use a round brush on your hair to add volume without making a mess of it.
4. Kick the Habit - Flat ironed your hair everyday before chopping off your locks? Give up using all hot tools on short hair as the heat can be twice as damaging due to its length.
5. Scrunch Time - Don't rub in moisturizer as this can affect the shape of you cut in a negative way. Using a scrunching motion adds body while maintaining shape.
Yours in mousse and matte lipstick,
~*Beauty Belle*~
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