Embrace Filth
Don’t shampoo your hair too often, warned Jimmy Pham, a New York City-based photographer and surfer with jet-black, shoulder-length hair. “My hair gets frizzy and bowl-shaped if I use shampoo,” he said, crediting the ocean for giving his stick straight hair a slight wave. “I wash it twice a month—max.” While shampooing twice a month might war with your commitment to hygiene, try reducing washes to every other day for a more casual, less fluffy look.

​Get Salty
Salt is a key ingredient in good beach hair. Gritty salt wraps around the hair shaft to give it texture. “I like the way it makes everything thicker,” said Michael Kololyan, the co-founder of Locals Surf School in Rockaway Beach, N.Y.
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Those who don’t harness the waves regularly can find plenty of salt-infused hairstyling products, such as the R+Co spray pictured below. A homemade mix works just as well: Combine a handful of salt with water, and spritz using a spray bottle. Just remember to moisturize dry ends with a lubricant like argan oil, said Daniel Kent, a Rockaway Beach-based surfer and woodworker. “You don’t want to look like a surf rat.” Anabel Kingsley, a consultant trichologist and president of hair clinic Philip Kingsley, goes one step further. She advises saturating the hair with cream, oil or fresh water before getting in the sea, saying saltwater makes hair brittle without protection.

​Lighten Up
Rather than use chemical, time-sucking Just for Men dye, surfers let their hair speckle gray naturally—or let the sun bleach highlights into it. “All it takes is two weeks in the sun for your hair to lighten up,” said Michael Reinhardt, another co-founder of Locals Surf School, who is known as “Blonde Mike” for his peroxide-white hair color in the summer months. Not everyone’s hair lightens as rapidly as Blonde Mike’s, so if it’s darker or thicker it may take more time or more sunshine.

Of course, not all worker bees have the luxury of endless beach time. To encourage the process, try tinctures with natural lighteners such as chamomile or freshly squeezed lemons. But remember: Just because the sun and lemons are natural brighteners doesn’t mean they’re not damaging. The chemical reaction within the hair is similar to that of bleach, warns Ms. Kingsley. If you must put lemon juice in your hair while out in the sun, “reserve it for the roots to the upper mid length, and comb a protective product through the rest of your hair.” She recommends a hydrating mask.

Shape It Spontaneously
Many surfers cut their own hair once it gets untenably disheveled. “It’s part of [our] image,” said Mr. Herrick, recalling the DIY mentality of 1970s surfers such as George Greenough, whose stringy blonde shag would fit right in with the at-home haircuts people are posting today using the #covidcuts hashtag. “Surfers shaped the boards they rode, and they shaped each other’s hair, too,” said Mr. Herrick.
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When it comes to giving yourself a trim, don’t overthink it, said Queens, N.Y., surfer and hair stylist Bobby Reynolds, who recently lopped off 7 inches of curls on the beach while still in his wetsuit. Use your fingers to estimate length (two fingers stacked equals about 1 inch), taking care around the hairline and nape of your neck. And crucially, don’t rely too heavily on a mirror, which can interfere with hand-eye coordination, he said. Surfers are nothing if not coordinated.

We use them every day, relying on them to de-frizz, detangle and generally tame hair, but how much attention do we pay to our hairbrushes?

Whether yours is round, paddle, bristle or boar hair, the reality is that as well as smoothing hair, brushes can also end up collecting spare strands, dead skin, product build-up and oil, leaving them less effective.

Ultimately, this can end up with us distributing dirt or oil back through our hair, resulting in lank locks or hair that lacks shine. Worse still, bristles can become a breeding ground for bacteria or yeast, leading to potential scalp issues.
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Luckily, though, keeping brushes clean is one of the quickest ways to maintain hair health. But, what is the best way, and how often should you do it?

Read on to learn some tips and steps on how to clean a hairbrush.

The Cleaning Steps
While the exact technique varies slightly with each brush type (see farther down this post for more details.), the steps and tools for cleaning your hairbrush are the same:

1. Remove all the hair
First, manually remove any hair lodged in your brush by pulling out what you can by hand, before using the end of a comb (or something similar like a bamboo skewer or tweezers) to remove any remaining strands. If hair build-up is particularly bad, use a pair of scissors to cut away the excess.

2. Pick your cleanser
Just as it works to clean your hair, a gentle shampoo will also thoroughly cleanse brushes. Avoid any harsh detergents, especially if cleaning a natural-bristle brush, which might damage your hair tools, but do pick a shampoo containing sulphates to thoroughly clean them.

Alternatively, a couple of teaspoons of baking soda will also gently cleanse while lifting away dirt and debris.

3. Use warm water
Using warm, not hot, water, fill a medium-sized bowl and add your chosen detergent.

4. Don’t skip the details
After cleansing your brush according to its type and what it is made of (see below for more details on how to clean each type of hairbrush), if dirt remains, use a toothbrush soaked in your cleaning solution to gently remove the rest. There are also special brush cleaners of different shapes.

5. Dry brush carefully
​Finally, dry carefully, laying the brushes with their bristles down on a paper or hand towel, before letting them dry overnight to make sure all moisture is gone.

Different Kinds of Hairbrushes
Whether it’s plastic, metal or natural material, the type of brush will dictate exactly how it needs to be cleansed and how to avoid damaging it.

Paddle brushes: As one of the most helpful tools in any haircare enthusiasts kit, paddle brushes are great for blow drying and smoothing hair. So, to keep locks looking their best, make sure to clean your paddle hairbrush thoroughly by dipping a toothbrush in your cleansing solution and gently going over the roots of bristles and the brush pad itself.

Never fully submerge the brush pad itself in water as this can lead to moisture building up behind the bristles, causing mildew or mould to form.

Bristle brushes: Whether a round brush or small styling tool, nylon-bristle brushes are one of the most common hair-care tools. And, although it may take a little while longer to remove all the hair from the small bristles, after doing so they can be cleaned in the same way as paddle brushes; using a toothbrush soaked in your cleansing solution to cleanse bristles and pads.

Plastic brushes: Rigid plastic brushes like combs or wet brushes are perhaps the easiest to cleanse since they are often wide-toothed (meaning more space between each bristle so less hair gets trapped there) and are also able to be fully submerged in water.

Pretty much the most robust brush types, these can be kept in water for 20 minutes to dislodge any oil and dirt before using a toothbrush to remove any excess grime.

Wooden brushes: Eco-friendly and often long-lasting, wooden brushes can be kind on the hair and the environment. But, to avoid having to replace them, the wood needs to be kept in good condition.

Therefore, you need to clean wooden hairbrushes with care, using a cleansing solution-soaked toothbrush again; except this time, make sure to use only the gentlest shampoo or other cleanser. Similarly, try to not allow the brush to get too wet as it may have trouble drying out fully, leading to potential mildew issues.

Boar brushes: Boar brushes are one of the oldest forms of hair tools and are typically recommended by stylists for their ability to absorb hair’s natural oils, distributing them evenly along strands and helping to keep ends moisturised.

These natural bristles can be delicate, however, so take care to cleanse them the same way as wooden brushes; using the gentlest cleansers and never allowing them to get too wet.

Men’s brushes: Finally, men’s brushes need to be kept clean, too. Depending on its type and material, use the guide above to gently cleanse any hairbrushes that are designed specifically for men.

How Often to Clean?

How often you should clean your hairbrush depends on several factors, including what it’s made of, how much product you tend to use, and whether you have any other hair issues like dandruff or head lice.

For all brush types, though, make sure to manually remove hair build up at least once a week to help reduce product build up and to give your brush the best chance of detangling and smoothing hair.

For plastic, nylon or metal brushes, aim to wash them once a month. If your hair is prone to product build-up, though, up this to once every three weeks.

For boar bristles and wooden brushes, cleanse every other month to avoid damaging the tool itself. If you use a lot of products in your hair, however, wash the brushes every six weeks.

What About Dandruff?

For scalp conditions like dandruff, keeping brushes clean of lint, dirt and oil is especially important to avoid irritating sensitive skin further and to prevent build-up of yeast, which can exacerbate the condition. When a hairbrush is kept clean, brushing can actually be good for dandruff by removing dead skin cells and distributing oils throughout hair.

Take care to clean a hairbrush with dandruff by using an anti-dandruff shampoo containing anti-fungal ingredients, such as tea tree oil to limit yeast and bacteria growth. Similarly, wash brushes more often than normal — around every two weeks for plastic, nylon or metal brushes, or once a month for boar bristle or wooden brushes.

Don’t Let Head Lice Bug You

Finally, if you or someone in your household has had head lice, take special steps to clean the brush thoroughly to avoid spreading lice and their eggs farther. Place brushes in hot (not boiling) water for at least 15 minutes to kill any remaining bugs without damaging the tool itself. Alternatively, remove hair from the brush and place in a sealed bag in the freezer for at least 12 hours.

After killing all the lice, cleanse the brush as normal, according to its type using the guide above.

Keeping your brushes clean is one of the quickest (and cheapest) ways to keep hair looking healthy. Understanding how to clean a hairbrush easily — and how often — could also help extend the life of any expensive tools, meaning less money on brushes and more for the things you love.
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I found these brush cleaning tips at The Right Hairstyles

Here’s What Experts Say About Salon Safety

• Hair salons are beginning to open after being closed for several weeks due to the coronavirus pandemic.
• Connecticut recently banned the use of blowf dryers in hair salons due to safety concerns. The ban has since been reversed.
• We spoke with an infectious disease expert and salon owners about how to prevent the spread of COVID-19 during hair appointments.

Salons have been closed for months due to the coronavirus pandemic, but as states slowly start reopening, businesses are grappling with the safest way to open their doors. After all, a stylist and client can’t stand six feet away from each other and salons are often small, enclosed spaces. A new concern that’s also recently popped up: Can services like blow drying spread germs?

Recently, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont announced that local hair salons could reopen on May 20, but they would not be allowed to use blow dryers. He later reversed the restriction.

So, what’s the deal? We spoke with an infectious disease expert to break down the risks of heading back to the salon, as well as stylists to find out what they’re doing to keep clients safe.

Back up: How does the novel coronavirus spread in hair salons?

COVID-19 can spread in hair salons the same way it spreads anywhere: “The number one way coronavirus spreads is through respiratory droplets from someone who is sick,” says Michael A. Ben-Aderet, M.D., infectious disease specialist and associate medical director of Hospital Epidemiology at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles.

And while viruses can’t grow on surfaces, Dr. Ben-Aderet says they can persist on certain surfaces for a particular amount of time. One study found that the novel coronavirus can survive up to three hours in the air, up to four hours on copper, up to 24 hours on cardboard, and up to two to three days on plastic and stainless steel.

So, touching a surface that is contaminated “with secretions or mucus membranes from a sick individual and then touching your face can make you sick,” he explains, adding that “it’s important to remember that viruses need to grow in a person.”

Still, Center for Disease Control and Detection (CDC) maintains that this isn’t thought to be the driving force of COVID-19 transmission, as viruses need hosts to replicate. After no human contact, the virus will eventually die on the surface—it’s just that experts aren’t exactly sure how long that takes.

Can blow dryers really spread coronavirus germs?

The thinking behind this makes some sense, but there isn’t any concrete data to back it up. A blow dryer does have the potential to spread contaminated air around a room, Dr. Ben-Aderet explains—but again, there needs to be an infected person around. “Unless someone coughs into a hair dryer and that spreads the droplets, it’s very unlikely,” he says.

As for the device itself? “I think it would be unlikely for a hair dryer to be contaminated with coronavirus,” he adds.

The CDC says that “it is unknown how long the air inside a room occupied by someone with confirmed COVID-19 remains potentially infectious.” However, bigger, well-ventilated rooms “will help shorten the time it takes respiratory droplets to be removed from the air.”

How can hair salons prevent the spread of COVID-19?

Safety standards for hair salons will vary according to state, but there are some precautions salons can implement to keep their clients healthy.

When possible, it’s important to ensure that people entering the salon aren’t currently sick. One way to do this is to screen clients before appointments to make sure those who are sick reschedule if they have a fever, cough, or shortness of breath, Dr. Ben-Aderet suggests.

He adds that “hair salons should minimize the amount of people in a room by having people wait outside and not come in until their scheduled appointment.” Then, hair stylists and clients should wear face masks, practice good hand hygiene, and avoid touching their faces.

How U.S. hair salons are reopening

Because small businesses like hair salons have taken financial hits, we wanted to hear from salon owners about how they planned to open back up.

For Suelyn Farel, CEO of Julien Farel Salon and Spa in New York City, it’s all about safety. “The biggest challenge will be to ensure that our customers and employees feel safe to come into our salon and spa,” she says. “It is a business where people come in close proximity to each other, so with the correct protective gear and measures, we hope everyone will be confident that we are as super-clean.”

She says “no one can enter the business without a mask and having their temperature taken. We’re taking extreme measures—like putting handbags into plastic bags and handing out individually wrapped wipes to each client for their phone/glasses.”

Crystal Witz, owner of Vintage Rose Salon and Spa in Placer County, California, plans to install a hospital-grade air purifier into her salon. Surfaces will be frequently cleaned, too. “All salon chairs, hair washing stations, hair drying chairs and styling tools will be disinfected between each client,” she says. “Hand sanitizing stations will be placed at each entrance to the salon.”

Mario Solis, owner and founder of The Hair Studio, will not allow guests of clients into the hair salon to enforce social distancing measures.

Dawn James, master stylist at Salon Concepts, says she’s had to cut back on business to compensate for social distancing. “I’ve extended my working hours, so I only work with one client at a time,” she says.

All stylists said that they would continue to provide blow outs at the end of their clients’ appointments, unless the government restricts them from doing so or the client declines.

“Although I cannot speak to the epidemiological risks in blow drying, I can speak to the happiness I see in clients’ eyes when they see their hair freshly done and styled,” James says. “I would hope that if blow dryers spreading germs caused serious alarm, there would be that kind of data out there well before the pandemic occurred.”

You can find the full article at Prevention

It’s essential to get things right when tying a bandana around your head so that you don’t look like you’re trying too hard! 

​Be confident and laid back, and you’ll carry off this look effortlessly. Here’s how to tie a bandana around your head:

1. Lay your bandana flat
2. Fold it lengthwise a few times until you have a long rectangle
3. Tuck in the loose edges 
4. Tie around your head
5. Rock on!

Bear in mind that this is easiest with a larger bandana, and cotton is the easiest fabric to work with here. Silk and satin fabrics look great but can be more difficult to tie and hold in place.