Hair Styling Tools

If you are one of those people that have fine hair, you already know, it can be quite the task to keep it under control while blow drying and styling it.  For whatever reason there tends to be more static, the style doesn’t want to hold, and the ends of the hair tend to be frizzy or have the appearance of being dry. 

When trying out new haircare products it is usually very difficult to find one that will solve the multitude of issues one has going on with their hair.  So many of us have bathroom vanities as well as bathroom cupboards stocked with haircare products that we have tried and don’t work, or it just takes 2-3 products to accomplish what we all  wish we could find in just one bottle.

Well, I am happy to say that I actually found a product that works superbly on fine hair.  And now for the drum roll……….the product is a CHI haircare product and it is called CHI Straight Guard.  If you are going just by the name, you might think that this is a product just for straight hair.  This is not necessarily true.  While it works great on straight hair, this product is designed to work on all types of hair, even if your hair is wavy or curly. 

My particular hairstyle is that of a concave bob with bangs.  My hair is longer in the front on the sides and gets shorter around the back.  It has some slight layering for affect and as previously mentioned, my hair is very fine.  So, if you are familiar with this cut/style, it requires that the underneath hairs somewhat curl under and that you don’t have hairs sticking out all over the place.

After washing my hair and initially towel drying it, I used my detangler comb to get out any tangles.  I then pumped out about the size of a quarter the CHI Straight Guard in my fingers and proceeded to spread the somewhat clear cream throughout my hair.  I then blow dried my hair with my styling brush as I always do.  However, this time I noticed that as I was drying each section of hair, the hair became more manageable and there was no static.  When I finished styling/drying my hair, I bent my head forward so that all of my hair was hanging forward so that I could slightly tease the under layers of my hair like I always do.  What I noticed this time, however, was that when I raised my head back upright and started to slightly comb over the areas of teased hair, my hair was extremely soft, shiny, not frizzy, and very sleek looking.  WOW!!!       

According to the manufacturer’s instructions, this product can also be used on hair that has been shampooed and that you let dry naturally without using a blow dryer.  Additionally, depending on the thickness and length of your hair, more or less of the product may be needed.  

As you can see I am sold on this product.  I would challenge you to find something that is comparable or better.  This product can be found online or in most hair care sections of beauty supply stores for around $12.00.

It has always appeared that when you see someone wearing a ponytail, it is someone who has longer hair.  Well, don’t fret because there are ways to pull short hair into a ponytail aka “deertail” due to the shortness of the tail.  You can also create a ponytail style using the currently popular hair extensions.

If you can pull your hair back and secure it with an elastic band, you will instantly have a ponytail.  The problem with short hair, however, is that you may have a lot of strands that just aren’t long enough to pull back into the band and that is what needs to be dealt with.  Thank goodness for the multitude of haircare products available in the marketplace.  The two items that are needed the most are bobbie pins or barrettes, and some firm holding mousse or gel.   However, if you want to leave out the short side hairs of your haircut and only pull back the back of your hair into the tail as shown in the picture above, this too works and actually looks pretty good.

After you have washed and towel dried your hair, the mousse or gel is applied.  You will probably want to apply more to the sides of your hair before you actually blow dry your hair.  This extra added product will enable you to tame the sides of your hair more as it is pulled back into the tail.   You can also use stylish bobbie pins or barrettes on both sides of your head to help hold down the loose hairs.

As for the rest of the style, it is an open book of choices.  You may want some of the side hairs that grow in front of your ears to hang down to add a little volume closest to your face.  If the strands are not too short, you can use a very small barrel curling iron to create a curl that can be spread apart with your fingers after curling so that you don’t have that ringlet look. 

To finish off the style, you will definitely want to use a strong holding hairspray and/or shine spray to give it the hold that is needed as well as that polished shiny look.

For those of you who don’t want to have the “deertail” type ponytail, but have short hair, why not try a hair extension or synthetic add-on ponytail?  Most hair extensions are easy to use and usually just clip right on to your existing hair.  You will want to make sure that you use a color that is compatible with yours or has the look that you want to achieve. 

When using a hair extension or add-on, it is best that you start out with clean hair.  Select the spot that you want to secure the extension and make sure that you have enough of your own hair to pull over the extension so that the appearance is seamless.  You may want to also use some type of jeweled pin or barrette to help camouflage where your hair and the extension merge.  Once the styling is complete, apply a light hairspray and you are ready to go.

Well, I’ve covered finding the right look for day or night, some ponytail styles for both formal and casual, and some do’s and don’ts in wearing ponytails.  Now I’m going to address the how to’s for those of us who have bangs and want to wear our hair in a ponytail.

Since bangs are coming back into popularity, many of us already have them and yet, there are still those times when we want to be able to wear our hair up in a ponytail and not yet end up looking like we are in elementary school.  However, for some of us, we don’t mind looking a few years younger.

The nice thing about bangs is that there are still many options as to how to wear them as well as change up the look of the ponytail.  No matter what look you go for however, be sure you use the right hair styling tools when styling your hair.  Whether it be the brush, the curling iron, or the hair product that you use, continue to take good care of your hair.

Side-Swept Bangs

In spite of the length of your bangs, you still should be able to sweep them to the side to get a more sophisticated look with your ponytail.  The first thing to do is to wet your hair.  Next, part it on one side and then blow dry your bangs with a large round brush toward the opposite side of your face.  Use a gel or mousse to keep your bangs pushed to the side.  After your hair is dry, use large velcro rollers to roll your hair around the roller from the ends to the roots.  After about 20 minutes take your hair out of the rollers.  Brush your bangs with a boar bristle brush to the side of your face and spray with a super hold hairspray.  Take the balance of your hair and pull it back into a ponytail about mid-point at the back of your head.  Or, as in Julie Benz’ picture above, pull your hair back and secure the ponytail off to whichever side you like and let it drape down your bodice.  Be sure to use a protective band to secure the ponytail.  To give the ponytail some more definition, use a large barrel curling iron to curl under the ends of the ponytail.  Another way to change up the style would be to back comb your hair at the crown prior to pulling it back into the pony.  Add some chic earrings and you now have more of an elegant look. 

Front-View Bangs 

Again, based on the length of your bangs, there are many ways that they can be worn.  Rashida Jones as pictured below has her bangs somewhat pieced together with her ponytail reflecting a slightly texturized look.  To achieve this you take damp hair and apply a decent amount of styling lotion to coat the hair.  Blow dry the hair using your fingers to run through it as you dry.  Take a vent brush to dry the bangs straight down.  Then you pull your hair back into a low positioned ponytail and you are done.

Or, what about Alexa Havens also pictured below with her grown out bangs parted down the middle and hanging on both sides of her face.  The ponytail, while not pictured here could be worn at mid-point on the back of the head or even closer to the nape of the neck.  While there is an ever-slight curl to the bangs, the ponytail could easily be curled with a mid-size barrel curling iron to add some elegance to the style. 

It’s clear that the options of how to wear a ponytail with bangs is endless.  Perhaps you can create something unique that others will really like and you too can set the next trend.

Part 3 in a 5 Part Series on Ponytails 

As with almost anything, there are always do’s and don’ts that need to be considered.  This even holds true with wearing your hair in a ponytail.  Fortunately these do’s and don’ts are intended to help keep your hair healthy, be informational, and most importantly result in having a positive ponytail experience.

PONYTAIL DO’S

1)  If you are on a ponytail binge, do allow your hair a break every couple of days. 

2)  As you are creating your ponytail style, apply some extra strong holding gel on shorter layers and hair strands that have the potential of falling out.  These dampened strands of hair will not fall out or stick out as the strands of hair start to dry.

3)  To eliminate flyaway hair, do spray a bristle brush with hairspray before pulling your hair back into a ponytail.   

4)  Do accessorize whenever you have the chance.  Ponytail styles can be a lot of fun and can be dressed up or dressed down. 

PONYTAIL DON’TS

1)  Never go to bed with your hair in a ponytail.  Unfortunately, a ponytail can cause stress and strain on your scalp.  There is also the possibility of the tail getting tangled up around the pony elastic.

2)  Don’t neglect the treatment of your hair just because you are putting it up in a ponytail.  Continue to use good haircare products such as conditioners, detanglers, shine sprays, hair sprays and whatever else you normally use on your hair. 

3)  If you are wearing a ponytail for a dressy occasion, don’t wear just an elastic band to secure the pony.  Dress your pony up with a jeweled hairpin, jeweled barrette, or anything that makes a elegant statement.

4)  Don’t use your everyday run of the mill rubber band to secure your ponytail as these break and strip the hair strands.  Use one of the more hair friendly elastics that are in the marketplace. 

5)  If your hair is long and/or thick, don’t continually wear a high ponytail.  The weight of the ponytail can cause tension headaches.  Alternate by wearing the ponytail with the base near the nape of the neck.   

This is part 2 in a 5 part series where I am discussing anything and everything to do with wearing the classic ponytail hairstyle.  As I’ve been researching, it is truly amazing how many ideas have been explored and created out of simply pulling one’s hair back into a ponytail.  While you can dress up or dress down this style, the creativity to make it more than it ever started out to be can be left up to anyone’s imagination.

While yesterday I provided a couple of different ways to spruce up the ponytail look for a formal or dressy occasion, today I’m going to share a couple of idea sof how to wear a ponytail style that will work for both a formal or casual event.  Let’s say you have a special date planned for the evening but you want your hair already styled prior to the date because you have errands to run.  How about trying a Fishtail Braid?  This is a ponytail style but actually taking it a step further and braiding it.  Here are some instructions to achieve this style:

1) Pull your hair back into a ponytail tightly.  If you were to take your finger and draw an imaginary line from where the top of your ear starts to the center of the back of your head, you will have the right placement of the hairband and where the ponytail should start.  This should be about a little more than halfway from the top of your head and about a quarter of the way up from where your hairline starts above your neck.

2)  Separate the ponytail into two sections, rather than the usual three.  Start out by holding the two sections of hair with your left hand

3)  With your right hand separate a small section from the outside of the right section of the divided ponytail and join it with the entire left section of the divided ponytail.

4)  Next you are going to reverse how you are holding the hair and switch hands.

5)  Now with your left hand you are going to separate a small section from the outside of the left section of the divided ponytail and join it with the entire right section of the divided ponytail.

6) Continue to repeat steps 3 and 5 until you have the desired length of the braid.  Finish the braid off with whatever tie suits the occasion. 

 As you can see by the picture of Diane Kruger above, her fishtail braid has been loosly woven.  While she has chosen this style for a gala affair, this style will definitely work for any casual activity you may be involved with. Especially today, where wearing jeans with a fancy top will work for an evening out be it casual or a somewhat dressier occasion. 

For the second ponytail style,  I’m going to share a style that is extremely easy to achieve and yet it can take on a glamorous look or can be worn with casual attire as well.  When looking at the front of the hair, you think that the style is actually a chignon.   After looking at the back, you will automatically see that the back is a ponytail as portrayed in the picture below.  

To achieve this slicked back look, start by parting your hair on the side and use haircare products that you usually select when you are wanting to smooth down any flyaway hair that you may have.  My personal preference is a new Super Serum I was recently introduced to by Potions International.  The next step is to use a protective elastic band to hold the ponytail near the top of the head.  After this is done, attach the ponytail to the nape of your neck with a couple of large bobbie pins to hold the section in place.  To give the pony a sleek look spray some shine spray on the hair and off you go.

Now that I have provided some ponytail styles that will work for both formal and casual wear, in Part 3 of this 5 Part series, I will address some of the do’s and don’ts associated with wearing ponytails.   

Who would have ever thought that wearing a pony tail would actually be the style that you select for going out for a formal evening affair?  It is also a very inexpensive way to style your hair and doesn’t necessarily require an appointment with your hair stylist. 

Since celebs set the trends, the place to look for the current styles are in fashion magazines, online news articles and even more popular now than anywhere else are the online blogs.  After perusing these resources, it is obvious that there are many ways to achieve a variety of  ponytail styles as well as how to accessorize them.  Whether you are looking for a casual yet chic style, or an elegant or polished look, there is a ponytail style just for you.

In the first of a series of five articles this week, I’m going to be sharing how-to’s, do’s and don’ts, and helpful hints for styling your hair in a ponytail.

Let’s start with some ideas for pulling off the chic, glam, sophisticated (whatever you want to call it) longer pony tail style that works for that dressier occasion .

You can start by parting your hair on one side, down the middle, or even not at all, but you do want to pull your hair back into a low hanging pony.  If you don’t have naturally curly hair and you use professional curling irons, select the appropriate size barrel to determine what size curl or wave you would like.  Depending on the thickness of your hair, you can either divide the ponytail into sections, or take the entire tail and curl under the length of your pony to give it shape, or hold your curling iron parallel with the strands of your hair and wrap your hair around the barrel.  This way you can achieve ringlet type curls which you can either let cascade naturally, or you can run your fingers through the curls to give them more body and a more natural looking curl.    If you have flyaways sprouting up on the crown or along the part line, be sure to use a little gel or your favorite hair styling serum.

Another classic way to wear a ponytail is to brush all of your hair back into a high hanging ponytail.  If you do not have bangs make sure all of the hair is pulled back with no loose strands falling out.  If you do have bangs and are able to side-sweep them, do so.  If your hairtype is straight, you may only need to ever so slightly curl under the ends of the tail with a large barrel curling iron, a flat iron, or even using some large curlers with extra hold hairspray for a short period of time to give it that uniform look of body.  Let the tail hang naturally from its high perch.  What you are creating here is the sleek, yet sexy look.  If you are fortunate enough to have thicker hair you can also take a section of the tail and wrap it around the ponytail holder to cover it up and tuck it in using hairpins that blend in with your hair.  While the style is simple, it opens the door for accessorizing. 

The accessories for ponytails will either dress up the style or dress it down.  For the elegant look, there are several options.  You can take any hair jewelry, like jeweled hairpins to keep some of the loose flyaway hairs pinned back.  To hold the ponytail up, there are a multitude of ways to disguise that ponytail holder to create the sophisticated look.  Look in your jewelry box or borrow from a friend or family member an old brooch that will add sparkle to the style.  All you have to do is open the brooch and insert it over the ponytail holder.  Clasp it and you now have a creative hair statement with a simple addition of a piece of jewelry.  Of course, there are also many beautiful jeweled hair accessories in the marketplace that you can choose from as well.

If you choose not to decorate the ponytail or your hair itself, certainly accessorizing the neckline with a beautiful necklace or wearing some long dangling earrings or large shaped earrings with posts will also play up the sophisticated look you are going for. 

Stay tuned for tomorrow when I will discuss ponytail alternatives that can either be updos or are more appealing to the casual dresser.

How many times have you pushed that alarm in the morning for just another five minutes and when you finally tumble out of bed you’ve snoozed for a half hour?  This is the morning that you have to wash your hair and style it before going to work.  That extra twenty-five minutes of sleep has encroached on the time you need to blow dry your hair and style it, and then use the curling iron or flat iron on those different layers of hair.  So, what can you do to save time?  The answer lies in the hot air brush.

Hot air brushes have been around for awhile and have gained popularity over the past several years.  These wonderful hairstyling tools have saved the day for many on countless occasions.  You may be asking the question, “why is a hot air brush such a time saver?”  The answer lies in the fact that you are actually drying and styling your hair with just one tool and you can still achieve a reasonable style in a shorter period of time.

While there are many manufacturers of hot air brushes, I have found that Helen of Troy and Hot Tools has the best selection of types and sizes available.  Depending on your hair type and length, you can choose from sizes starting at a 3/4″ barrel for short hair and soft curls,  and moving up in sizes to a 1 1/2″ barrel for longer hair and waves.  There are nylon brush bristle hot air brushes and flexible soft ball tipped bristles.  Whatever the type that works best for you, you can’t go wrong with these versatile hair styling tools.