September 18, 2013

Salon Fresh Hair, On A Wednesday Morning!

Martie Hair, Makeup and Beauty blow dry curly hair, blow dry hair, blow dry hair straight, condition your hair, diffuser, fresh hair, Professional Hair Products, professional products, round brush, silicone diffuser 3 Comments

Salon Fresh Hair on a Wednesday Morning

Do you want salon fresh hair every day?  Don’t we all? Here are some common statements I hear from clients in my chair on a regular basis:

“Now, if I can just keep it like this!”
“If only I could make it look like this when I do it!”
“I need you to come to my house every morning, about 6:00, and fix my hair! I just can’t do it like you!”

*This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you purchase using the links I provided. All opinions are my own.

These comments make us feel indispensable as hairstylists.  We want you to come to us for that salon fresh hair, of course!  But we also know it isn’t feasible to visit your hairstylist every day. Wouldn’t it be great if we could pop our heads off, set them on the bathroom counter, and style our hair from behind? It’s lots easier for me to style someone else’s hair than my own, but that may have something to do with the fact that after styling everyone else’s hair all day, doing my own is like taking my work home with me. No one wants to do that!

I’m sharing my best tips for salon fresh hair on this lovely Wednesday fall morning.  I hope these hair tips will help your achieve that fresh hair feeling any time, but I still want you to keep regular appointments with your stylist, ok?

Salon Fresh Hair Tips:

• Use Professional Products.  If you want professional products, I recommend you buy them at a professional salon. Ask your stylist what he/she recommends, and have them show you how to use the product on your hair. Using too much or too little of any product can cause less-than-perfect results. I’m sure your stylist will be more than happy to consult with you on the matter of products, because we like to see you protect your investment in that great color and cut! You can always find professional products on Amazon, and I’ll share my faves for the lesson below, but there is no replacement for having the actual professional show you how to use the best products for your hair.
• Condition Your Hair. This doesn’t mean you have to glob on ½ cup of super-duper moisture masque. There are lots of great, lightweight conditioning products available, even for oily or limp hair. Conditioning the hair will keep fly-aways at bay, control static electricity, and improve the integrity of the hair. If you are super oily, then only apply your conditioner from the mid-shaft of the hair to the ends, avoiding the scalp area, and rinse immediately. It will also help with tangles, and most conditioners make your hair smell faboo!
• Blow Dry Hair Effectively. This doesn’t mean turn the blow dryer on high and blast your head with crazy heat in every direction until it’s bone-dry. This means to use the right blow dryer, on the correct setting for your hair type, in the proper way.  This may be the hardest part, but I’ll break it down for you below.
• Keep Regular Appointments with your Stylist. This doesn’t mean you have to go to the salon every week for a set, but it does mean you should have a haircut every four to six weeks. The basis for all great hairstyles is a great cut, and hair that hasn’t been cut or trimmed in a few months, as cousin Eddie would say, your hair “just ain’t gonna look right”.

One of my biggest pet peeves as a hairstylist is receiving complaints from clients like “something just is not right with my hair”, when we haven’t seem them in seven or eight weeks. You can expect bad hair days if you let it go that long because one thing about hair that we cannot control is, IT GROWS.

how to blow dry curly hair

If you have curly or permed hair, invest in a great hair diffuser, which is an attachment for the nozzle of your blow dryer that kind of looks like a bullhorn with little fingers in it. You’ll also need a really good blow dryer. Lots of good blow dryers come with a diffuser, so you if you’re in the market for both, click here for an inexpensive blow dryer/diffuser combo, and here for a better quality set that’s a little pricier.

This collapsible silicone diffuser is by far one of my favorites.  You can get one, too, by clicking here.  This thing is so great because it doesn’t get hot to the touch, and it’s a real space-saver!

Use a good product for curly hair, and dry your hair from ends to scalp by sort of scrunching your hair up with the diffuser. My favorite product is Redken Wave Ahead Foam because it fights frizz without making my hair crunchy. You can experiment with the settings on your dryer; some hair types will scrunch better on low to medium speed, but my course hair needs the high setting.

how to blow dry hair straight

If you like a smooth, voluminous look, you need to blow dry your hair straight. I’d love to teach you how to dry hair, and I’m going to try, but it will take a little practice on your part. I’ll share the things that will make it a lot easier.  First, you’ll need a good round brush, paddle brush, or even a vent brush. I prefer a round brush for my hair, and for most of my clients. Here are my faves:

To find similar ones on Amazon, click here for one like the pink one, here for the 1″ black one, and here for the boar bristle brush.

Blow dry hair to about 70-80% dry before you start with the brush.

Hair will conform to the shape of the brush in a damp state, and starting with sopping-wet hair will not only frustrate you,

but it will also cause a lot of unnecessary stretching of the hair shaft. Wet hair stretches more easily than dry, which weakens the hair shaft and increases breakage. Once the hair is pre-dried, divide the hair into sections.  Sectioning hair is super-important, because you’ll get the results you want much faster and easier this way.

Use your brush to lift and bend the ends of your hair as you blow dry. For more wavy volume, use a smaller barrel brush. For big, straighter volume, use a larger barrel brush.

If you struggle with managing the blow dryer, the brush, and the hair with your mere two hands,

experiment with different techniques until you find what works. If you are finding your hair trying to lay in a weird direction compared to what your stylist does, then try swapping hands or swapping directions that you pull the section toward while drying. Another option is to invest in a blow-brush type appliance, like a blow dryer and round brush in one. Just remember to pre-dry the hair some before starting with this tool, just like when using a round brush.

 

You can also finish out this look with a flat iron, but I highly recommend you read this post before you do. I’m all about flat iron safety, guys.

(Once again, please ignore the fact that my ends are at least two months worth of frazzled, and that the way my hair is positioned in that last pic makes it look like I have a wicked assymetrical haircut.)

If you follow this advice, I hope it helps you achieve salon fresh hair that makes your day! I also hope that nothing can replace that actual salon fresh hair experience, because that’s what we take to the bank!  Maybe your best idea of the day would be to call your stylist and book a blow out,  just for the heck of it!

Back to weddings next week….still creeping up on a great giveaway!

X,O,X,O,   Martie

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