Hair Styling Tools

Nowadays coloring our hair is just as routine as is washing our hair.  This is not only true for those of us who are experiencing a natural change in color due to age, but for all ages alike due to modern trends  With this in mind, it extremely important that special care be given to the hair and that the right haircare products are used on the hair for the simple reason that dyes can dry out and cause damage because dye consists of ammonia and peroxides.

Cutting Your Hair:   If you have highlights in your hair, make sure layering the hair is minimized.  The reason for this is that with layers, the overall effect may appear too choppy.

Coloring Your Hair:  The best results can be obtained if you get your hair cut prior to getting your color.  By doing this you will avoid your stylist trimming away any newly added hue.

Haircare Products:   A mild, moisturizing shampoo that is free of sulfates and paraben should be used so that when washing the hair, the cuticle is sealed. which, results in locking in the color and extending the life of the color.  There are two shampoos I recommend:  Potions Internations Super Moist Shampoo and CHI Ionic Color Protect Shampoo.  For conditioning the hair, there are three different products that are high on my list:  Potions Inernational Super Moist Conditioner, Potions International Hydrating Conditioner, and lastly CHI Ionic Color Protector Conditioner.  And, to help with fading of your color, a leave-in UV protective spray is a must.  The favorite product for this is Potions International Super Argan Spray-In.

Picture yourself with long hair in the 1920″s and rather than women wearing their hair down, it is pinned up and pulled back into a roll.  Bring yourself forward in time to the Golden Globe Awards and you will see Amy Adams wearing stylist, Laini Reeves’ creation of  ”a modern textured” 1920′s look.  How was it done?

• Take your favorite styling cream and work it through damp hair. 
• Get your hair dryer out and blow-dry while using your finger to comb through your hair. 
•  To get the textured look, wrap a few sections of your hair around a waving iron (dual waver). 
•  Next, gather your hair and braid it loosely.
• Roll the braid up so the ends of the hair wind up against the nape of your neck.
• Secure the roll with pins.
• Lastly, pull out a few strands on both sides of your face to help soften the overall look.
• For a little extra shine, squeeze out a very minimal amount of hair serum and rub it on your fingertips (we like Potions Internation Super Serum).  Pat your fingertips  on random sections of your  hair.

Ok, so you ended up spraying way too much hairspray on your head and instead of that natural look, you are looking in the mirror at some very lacquered, weighed down hair.  Now what?  Harry Josh, a John Frieda International creative consultant, has devised the perfect fix.

Turn on your hair dryer to the coolest setting and gently brush through your hair while aiming  the blow dryer at your hair.  The force of the air from the dryer will help break up any flaky bit of dried spray.  Now all you need to do is rub a dab of your favorite styling cream haircare product into the palms of your hands and then gently smooth over your hair.  You will now regain the shine back into your hair and you are done.

Whether you get your hair dyed by a professional colorist, or you do it yourself at home, your hair is always subject to dryness and damage due to the ammonia and peroxides that are found in hair dyes.   That is why it is so important that a hair conditioner or moisturizer is applied at some point either during or after the process.  Just recently, colorist , Anthony Palermo reported that by mixing a frizz fighting oil with the hair dye, can result in keeping even bleached hair silky.

Potions International, a manufacturer of  all natural haircare products, has just the right anti-frizz oil that can be mixed with your hair dye.  PI’s Super Serum hair oil is made with organic argan oil and is alcohol and paraben free.  By adding two teaspoons of the serum to the color mixture, you will find that the serum is moisturizing, and thus, resulting in your hair being conditioned while it is being processed.   And, the end result is soft and shiny hair.

Many things can impact the condition of your hair.  Some of the key factors contributing to damaged hair include stress, mental health, diet, overuse of hair styling tools, and excessive coloring of your hair.  Certainly reducing stress,  having a positive outlook, eating the right foods and supplementing with vitamins will have a tremendous affect on getting your hair back to that beautiful, shiny condition we all want to have.  However, most of us who style our hair will continue to use our hair styling tools and we will also continue to get our hair dyed, especially if those unwanted grays continue to poke their ugly heads out every four to six weeks.  For others, our natural color just doesn’t fit the bill so dying the hair is  something  we just can’t stop.

So, this is where a deep conditioning of the hair on a semi-regular basis becomes quite important.  There are many haircare  products on the market that are available, however, I have found a product that I highly recommend.  Potions International has developed an incredible Cream Reconstructor (with pure carrot oil).  It is an exceptional hair, scalp, and body nourishing treatment that is rich in vitamins, marine extracts and essential oils. This synergy helps recondition the skin of the scalp, hair, and the skin of the body through oxygenation and stimulation.  This conditioner is one of the only conditioners in the market that combines the hydrating powers of the purified essential oils, Mango and Olive butter.

Power Construct is easy to use.  Apply a generous amount of this cream conditioner onto the hair and scalp.  Allow to moisturize for 15-25 minutes, then rinse with lukewarm water.   It is recommended that you use on a weekly basis.  This deep conditioner is available in a convenient 2 ounce travel size and 8.5 ounce size for home use.  Give it a try and I’m certain that you will be glad you did.

If you have fine hair, then you already know that unless your hair is cut short, volume is something that is difficult to maintain throughout the day.  Celebrity hair stylist, Daniel Howell has shared some of his secrets to help prevent your style from falling flat.  The two important haircare products to have on hand are hair spray and a smoothing gel.  Try the following steps and see how they work for you:

• Apply smoothing gel from the midshaft down
• Using your blow dryer, dry in 2 – 3 inch sections using a medium size round styling brush – Start at the nape of your neck and work your way toward the front of your head
• As you reach the crown of your head, mist your roots with a very strong-hold hair spray and pull your hair up and forward as you dry to create volume
• Should you need additional lift, tease your crown of hair with either a rattail comb or why not use Spornette’s Little Wonder Teasing Brush?
• Flip your head back over and give it a good shake
• Give you hair a light mist of spray all over and it’s off to a day filled with volume!

Using the right haircare products on a man’s hair can be equally as important as it is for a woman.  Obviously, a man’s hair is no different than a woman’s, and thus, the same problems that women experience with their hair can be equally as challenging to men.

Mens hairstyles and hair lengths ranging from the very short to shoulder length hair and longer can require even more attention than that of their counterpart simply because if the hairstyle is a neatly trimmed shorter cut, a trip to the barber or stylist may be more frequent.  In fact, it is recommended that no more than three weeks should lapse between trims.  If the hairstyle is a little longer, it’s always a good idea to check with the stylist/barber to see if they offer maintenance trims which can be considerably less than a full on haircut.  And, if men use a stylist on a regular basis it is not uncommon for the stylist to offer a free neck shave and quick trim around the ears.

Hairstyles for men are just as trendy now as women’s.  In fact, for certain styles it is not unusual for a man to keep on hand a flat iron for straightening their hair before applying gel.  And, naturally their hair styling tools are going to include a hair dryer.  However, regardless of what the style our men are sporting, the majority of the time it still boils down to whatever takes him the least amount of time to get ready (including the hair) and out the door.  In order to achieve this it is even more important that the right hair styling tools and haircare products are being used for healthy and great looking hair.

For a man’s hair health and to have the ability to complete the style, product should be used every day, regardless of the style.  To eliminate frizz, make sure a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner are being used.  Even a serum for the hair that will help eliminate the frizz and add some shine is perfectly fine as some styles just demand a shine.  The right hair brush is equally as important.  Using boar bristle brushes is an excellent choice as the boar helps to bring out the natural oils of the scalp and this too aids in keeping the scalp and hair healthy.  If you have curly hair, a wide toothed-comb works best, and, if you want to pik out some of those curls, you can use metal or plastic tines.  Lastly, when it comes to the hair dryer, make sure it’s ionic so that all of the technology that has gone into it can be enjoyed and applied to that manly head of hair.

Not  only is using the right hair styling tools on our hair of paramount importance, but the type of haircare products we use definitely plays into keeping our hair, healthy, shiny, and damage free.

The key to using the right haircare products for your particular type of hair must always be part of the equation, especially when there are so many different types of products available in the marketplace.   Whether it be shampoo, conditioner, or some kind of hair protectant that is used prior to blow-drying or when styling, there are certain products that work better for specific types of hair than others.  So let’s focus on what really works to protect those of us who have thick, curly, or wavy hair. 

1. Use a sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner.  Sulfates are harsh and can strip your hair and dry it out even more.  Thicker hair, curly hair, and even wavy hair can sometimes have tendancies to be on the courser and drier side anyway, so the last thing you need is for your hair to dry out even more.
2. If you are going to blow dry your hair, spray on a heat protectant that is also sulfate-free.  If your hair tends to be normal to oily, you need only spray the last two to six inches of your hair, covering the tips of the hair.  If your hair tends to be dry, spray from the root to the tip in order to provide an allover protection and nourishment.   
3. If after you have dried your hair, you go on to straightening or curling right away, you should still have enough product left in your hair for continued protection.
4. If you are straightening or curling your hair on another day without washing it, apply the spray-in heat protectant as described above.

One such product that I have found that contains many natural ingredients, to include the ever popular Argon Oil is Potions International’s Super Argan Spray-in.  This miracle worker not only provides heat protection, but it  is an exceptional hair and scalp type treatment that : a) is safe on color/chemically straightened hair, b) controls frizz, c) creates shine, d) seals the tips of your hair, e) has UV protection, and f) actually repairs damaged hair.  The Super Argan Spray-In is new to the Potions International line and is a spin-off of the ever popular Super Moist Serum that does everything that the Spray-In does for your hair.

Spring is rapidly approaching and of course along with it  new trends for hairstyles.  For those of you who have naturally curly hair, you are in luck.  According to RealBeauty.com, the “tighter and wilder, the better”.  So,  instead of straightening that natural wealth of curl, you can actually now flaunt it.  Let’s get back to those of us who have straight or wavy hair.   With the creation of clipless curling irons or curling wands (as they are sometimes called) tight spiral curls can be easily achieved.  And, your hair doesn’t have to be long to be able to use one.

If you haven’t already seen what I’m talking about, all you need to do is go online, into a beauty supply store or visit any trendy hair salon, you will see that several manufacturers have jumped on board in creating this awesome clipless curling iron.  The name describes this hair styling tool to a tee.  The curling iron has no clamp to hold or grasp your hair in place.  All you need to do is to section off strands of hair and simply wrap them around the barrel of the iron.  Hold the wrapped hair around the iron for a period of  15 to 30 seconds and simply let go of the hair.  What you now have is this beautiful spiral curl.  Continue the process from one side of your head to the other and the final result is a headful of dangling spirals.  One of the keys in wrapping your hair around the barrel is that when you get to the end piece of each section that you are curling, press the end against the iron so that it looks finished rather than coarse and straight.  This begs the question of how can you do this without getting burnt?  Easily.  Each clipless curling iron comes with a heat protectant glove.  You should be wearing the glove on the opposite hand that you are wrapping with so you can easily press the hair against the iron.

Clipless curling irons come in a variety of sizes.  Typically they range from 1″ down to a 1/2″.  Some irons even come in a graduated barrel.  An example of this would be that at one end of the iron it starts out at 1″ and the barrel gradually gets smaller to the end of the barrel.  This is a great concept as you have the opportunity to create different size spirals by using just one iron and not having to change to another size or replace the barrel with another barrel if it happens to be the type that is interchangeable.  One special consideration in selecting a barrel size is that the larger the barrel, the looser the curl.  So, if you are wanting a tight curl, go smaller and also keep in mind that the longer your hair and sometimes the thickness will weigh the hair down and pull at the curls.

Now that you have the tool that is needed, the next step in creating the new trendy style, is to give your hair some lift, especially if it is naturally straight or wavy.  Prior to using the curling iron it is best to apply  haircare products that are designed to give your hair a boost, such as a spray-in gel or root lifter.  Once you have completed the curling aspect of the style, there are so many options.  You can separate the curls by pulling up through the spirals with your fingers to give the appearance of more waves than curls and it also adds volume.  Or, just run your fingers lightly through the curls to give the style a looser and freer look.

While it can sometimes take a little or a lot of extra time to tease your hair (depending on the style), it can make such a huge difference in the outcome.  The key in creating any style, however, is what styling brushes are used to pump up and tease the hair.  Yes, I said styling brushes and not styling combs.  In addition to this there are some simple rules of thumb to follow and selecting the right haircare products for finishing touches.

If you are starting from scratch, meaning your hair is due for a shampoo, the best aid in obtaining the best teasing results  starts with using the right shampoo and conditioner.  You want these haircare products to have body building and volumizing ingredients.   Next, when doing the blowout, use a large round styling brush, pulling your hair up and out to achieve more lift at the roots.  Depending on the style, use whatever styling tool that you have to either curl, wave, or straighten the body of your hair.  You are now ready for the “tease”.

1.  Gather your hair at the crown of your head and separate out in two or three inch sections those areas of your hair that you want to tease.

2. This next step is where you use the appropriate styling brush that is determined by the style.  If you want an airy, wispy look which is usually associated with a chignon style, you will want to use a paddle brush.  Take each section of hair and rather than starting at the roots pull the hair up and brush down each section from the ends of the hair toward the roots.  Continue this process until all sections that you want teased are completed.

3.  If your style is based solely on volume, and it’s lift you are looking for, the best way to achieve this is to section off the hair that you are wanting to tease in small amounts.  Starting with the back sections first, raise the strands of hair up and taking a flatback teasing brush (Spornette Little Wonders are the best) start pushing the brush through the section from the tips of the hair into the roots.  Once that section is complete, lay it toward the back of your crown and then repeat the same process with each forward section.  Once you have the sections teased and laying down, smooth other with the brush so that the top layer is covering all of the teased hair.

As an aside, it sometimes works best to lightly spray each section of teased hair with some hairspray so that the teasing doesn’t drop and maintains stability.  One additional side note is that if you don’t have to wash your hair, don’t. Sometimes teasing works best with day or two old hair.