Does your hairdresser always cut off more hair than you want? Can you never get your hair to properly style the way its supposed to? Do you want the right products for your hair but just don't know what to use? Im here to give you my personal hair advice, the same advice I give my own clients here at Studio Nine in Salt Lake City and also in Tacoma, Washington at Angelo Mendi Boutique.
First, there is a very simple solution to telling your hairdresser EXACTLY how much you want trimmed off your ends. NEVER use "inches" the thing about inches is they are different to everyone, your 2 inches may be someone else's 4 inches. Use your fingers held out vertically parallel to each other (ex. one finger, two fingers, three fingers) to show exactly how much you wish to be cut off.
The question I hear the most is, "How do I round brush my own hair?" truth is, i'm a hairdresser and I can hardly round brush my own hair. So my advice is, go get some big hot rollers, and at the least put them on the crown of your head rolled strait back to give you body on the top. Also if you are someone who curls your hair (like me) there is a very specific way to curl your hair to give you those big loose curls. Get a 1 1/4 sized curling iron, and make sure its ceramic. I use the Babyliss shown below, and that is a very affordable iron that works very well ($20-$30).
Although this is hard to explain, your going to want to start the curl at the root, rather than clamping the section of hair and pulling it to the end of the strand of hair then rolling it up. You want to clamp the hair closer to the root, pull the iron about halfway down the strand of hair and roll it up. Next release the clamp a little pulling the iron down the rest of the hair then roll it back up. That way you are curling the whole strand of hair but by starting at the root, you will have curl throughout the whole strand rather than just at the bottom. Your curl will last much longer. To give an even looser curl after your finished curling all your hair brush it out with a large paddle brush then finger through it and hairspray. Its also important to not hold the hair in the iron for too long, this should not take you long and you don't want your curls too tight, and when rolling your hair always roll back. If done properly you should have curls like this.
It's very important to use the right styling products on your hair to keep your hair healthy and to also achieve the looks you are wanting to get. A leave in product is an absolute MUST. Along with a professional shampoo and conditioner. I understand that a professional product is much more expensive than what you can buy in the store, but they are so much better for your hair and worth the investment. They also will last you much longer and keep your hair cleaner longer. If your hair is dry or if you color or most important bleach it, you need to be using something that is hydrating. If you have hair that is healthy but you feel it is flat or gets greasy fast, use something volumizing. If you want to ensure the color service you are getting from the salon you must be using the professional product they recommend, it will give you the longest lasting color you want, saving you money. A leave in product is going to make the biggest difference with styling your hair, whether its just a simple leave in conditioner or a mousse. My favorite brands of products are; ENJOY, Pureology, Kerastase, and Redken is a good line that is a little more affordable.
I've tried just about everything to make my hair grow. There are things you can do to make the process slightly faster, but to be realistic that is just going to take time.
-Vitamins are essential! What I take; biotin (double dose), fish oil, vitamin e, and folic acid. I hear lots of people recommend pre-natals, I say if you're not pregnant theres no reason to take them. Its better to just focus on the vitamins that help your hair.
-Don't go without trimming your hair! it will not grow if the ends are damaged. Every 12 weeks get at least a baby trim, after 12 weeks your hair will start splitting.
-Extensions can be great but they are expensive and a lot of work, personally I buy Sally's clip in extensions. They work great and you can take them in and out as you please. Just get them cut to work with your own haircut.
- Eat a healthy diet, hair is all made up of protein!
-Try to wash your hair every other day so you don't dry it out, and frequently brush your hair to stimulate the scalp.
Thats all for now!
