Our hair texture, density and thickness vary just like our facial features and body shapes do. Although coarse hair is often described as “difficult” and “challenging”, the main issue is knowing how to look after this kind of hair structure.

Indeed, styling coarse hair requires some effort – from detangling the knots to the potentially longer drying process. While this can sound like a lot to handle, these struggles aren’t harder than styling fine and flat hair; it’s all about learning some tricks and embracing the unique features of your hair.

What is Coarse Hair?

​Coarse and thick hair are often used interchangeably. However, hair thickness is defined by the number of the strands, their density, while coarse hair is hair with a bigger diameter of each individual strand. You can easily check if you have coarse hair by taking a bunch of hair and rubbing it between your fingers: if you can define separate strands and they feel and look like threads, you have coarse hair.
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​The main downside is that this hair structure is more prone to dryness; consequently, it can easily become knotty, wiry, and uncontrollable. On the positive side, coarse hair is very good at holding styles and volume and it doesn’t require too frequent washing. Hence, using good quality hydrating and restoring products, you can easily make coarse hair your best friend.
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Both straight and curly hair can be coarse and fine, as well as thin and thick. On the hair type chart, 1C, 2C, 3C and 4C types are often on the coarse side. While coarse hair structure is mainly determined by genetics, hair often becomes coarser when graying.

7 Tips for Coarse Hair Treatment

Here are 7 tips and tricks that will help you cater to the unique needs of your hair structure. Amend your routine, learn to deal with the challenges, and your hair is sure to be your source of pride and confidence.

#1: Start with the Haircare Products for Coarse Hair
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A healthy hair care routine is the ultimate base needed for good-looking locks, and for coarse hair the key point is moisturizing. The best hair products for coarse hair are those without parabens, sulphates, and other drying ingredients.

While you might not be ready to switch to completely natural hair products, try using weekly coconut oil masks – it will noticeably soften and smooth your hair. Shea Butter Deep Treatment Mask and the whole moisture retention collection is also a good choice for deep hydration of coarse hair. Even though finding products that are right for you can be a bit of a journey, it will soon pay back with healthy and lustrous tresses.

As mentioned before, coarse hair tends to tangle. For detangling, use a nylon paddle brush: firm and smooth bristles penetrate the strands and glide through the hair without causing any damage, while an air cushion protects and massages your scalp. Ideally, brush your hair when it’s semi-dry – it is not as fragile as soaking wet strands and not as knotty as they become when they dry out completely.

A ceramic round brush with longer nylon bristles is a great choice for blow-drying your hair – it retains heat, thus speeds up the process. For a smoother finish, always use cold air in the end.
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#3: Straighten Hair with a Hairdryer Instead of a Flat Iron

It is certainly healthier to blow dry your hair rather than use straighteners or other hot tools. Follow these easy steps to achieve a sleek, salon-worthy blow out:

#4: Choose the Right Temperature
​While you are in process of advancing your blow-drying technique, straighteners are understandably a handy and quick option. Try to reduce the heat to 350F: it is quite likely that this temperature will be absolutely enough to straighten or curl your hair.

Important note: if you apply a heat protecting spray before curlers or straighteners, always make sure the product dries out before you use the hot tools. Applying heat on wet hair literally fries them, which causes immense damage.

#5: Pick the Best Hair Styling Products for Coarse Hair
Think smoothing creams and shine sprays to get a sleek, polished, and frizz-free look. If you like reading ingredients as much as we do, bear in mind that ideally, silicones shouldn’t be listed as the first three in the list on the bottle. Although silicones create a protective layer around hair shafts, this ingredient can also create buildup which causes hair breakage and a dull look.

Briogeo Farewell Frizz silicon-free leave-in conditioner would be a great option that smoothes hair, boosts shine, and eases detangling. Unfortunately, sea salt sprays aren’t made for you – those are making hair rougher and drier – certainly, not the outcome that you are looking for.

#6: Choose the Haircut That Works for Coarse Hair
A graduated bob or long layers are the best options for coarse hair. These shapes won’t look bulky on thicker hair and will show off the beauty of coarse hair: it’s natural volume.

#7: Love Your Coarse Hair
Embrace your natural hair texture and appreciate its advantages like full-body, ability to hold curls and any other styles.

We hope these pieces of advice were useful and you will implement some of them in your day-to-day hair care routine to achieve the best styling results for your coarse hair.

From The Right Hairstyles

Swimming is a fun activity during summer. Who does not like to play with the cool water to beat the effect of the scorching sun? But this fun comes with some challenges to your natural self. Your skin and mostly your hair tends to get damaged by the chemicals used in swimming pools. However, there are simple steps you can take to protect your hair and avoid the possible damages.

What does chlorine do to your hair?
Chlorine added in water pools is used for a variety of purposes. It is mostly used as an antibacterial agent to destroy bacteria and germs in the pool and keep the water safe for swimmers before it needs be replaced. Chlorine is composed of elements that make it unhealthy for hair. It makes the hair shaft dry, that in-turn, will make the hair strand coarse and fragile. Chlorine in the pool seizes the sebum from the hair, leading the hair strand to lose shine, undergo breakage, and also result in split ends.

How to get chlorine out of hair?
Here are some simple, easy to follow tricks that can help you protect your hair from damage by chlorine water:

1. Swim Outdoors - Swimming in an outdoor pool allow gases from the chlorinated water to escape into the air. This will leave less room for contamination of your hair and skin as well. These types of pools are also better for your eyes, nose, throat and lungs. If it’s needed to swim indoors, look for pools that are well-ventilated.
2. Shower before you swim - Wet hair tends to absorb less than dry hair. So taking a shower before you step into the pool decreases the possibility of your hair from absorbing the water molecules from the pool. Same case works for your skin as well. This is the scientific reason behind the necessity to take shower before you enter the pool.
3. Use oil and hair conditioner - Oiling or applying hair conditioner to hair prior to swimming is highly suggested by hair experts. This creates a protective layer between your hair follicles and the chlorinated water in the pool. It also nourishes the hair strands and make them smooth and shiny. However, be sure to use a swim cap if you’re using oil, else the oil is likely to attract sun damage.
4. Wear latex or swim caps - If you tuck your hair entirely into a swim cap and then jump into the swimming pool, you can safeguard your hair against any kind of damage from chemicals present in the pool. The cap will keep your hair dry. It is one smart way to maintain the health of your hair and avoid it from any possible harms.
5. Wash after you swim - A mild and sulfate-free shampoo after swim can help you get rid of all those chemicals hanging around the surface. Be mindful to give your hair a good soak in fresh water as a quick wash can result some chlorine molecules left in the hair follicles.
6. Comb your hair - Using a wide-toothed comb helps avoid frizzy hair and is an easy and effective way to keep your hair tangle-free. It relaxes the mess and also reduces the hair breakage. Avoid using a hair brush immediately after your swimming routine. A wide tooth comb detangles your hair without added stress and possible deterioration.  

You can also follow these home remedies to safeguard your hair from possible chlorine threats.
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1. Olive Oil Massage - Olive oil makes an effective hair coating that protects the hair from many type of damages – including effects of chlorine. The oil strengthens the sebum content  produced by the scalp, therefore enhancing the hair follicles. Olive oil nourishes both the hair and the scalp and makes it naturally beautiful. Coconut oil can be a great alternative. Coconut oil helps to lock in moisture and strengthen the hair shaft.
2. Apple Cider Wash - Apple cider vinegar can be used as a clarifying rinse after every swim session. Using ACV will help get off all those chemicals attached to your hair strands and associated threats. The positive aspect of using this natural remedy for after-swim effects on hair is that it helps get rid of chlorine along with other damaging elements found in pools like copper, salt, and other impurities.
3. Treatment with Tomato puree - Tomatoes are one such nourishing agents that prevent the loss of  moisture due to exposure to chlorinated water in the swimming pool. It also greatly reduces the harm that is caused by chlorine to your hair. You can cut some tomatoes and grind them to get a thick consistent puree. Then apply this paste on your clean hair and leave it on for 20 to 30 minutes before shampoo.
4. Baking Soda cure - Baking soda is another effective home cure for tackling frizzy hair problem due to chlorine water. It cuts out chlorine and other chemicals muddled in the hair follicles. It clears your scalp and makes your hair clean by removing any unnecessary build-up. Add water to some baking soda to make a consistent paste. Apply this paste to your hair and scalp and let it sit for 20 to 30 seconds. Then wash it off with plain water and regular shampoo.

Despite being an antibacterial agent, chlorine is a not a recommended element for your hair. It can cause hair discoloration, brittle and frizzy hair, loss of luster and volume along with dry and itchy scalp. So, if you really want to avoid the resulting consequences with even a single dip in chlorinated water, follow these easy and reliable tips and don’t forget to share your experience.

Weaning yourself off the shampoo bottle might seem daunting, but anyone can do it, given the right approach.

I have developed a reputation for being TreeHugger's 'hair' person, thanks to all the weird experiments I've done over the years, from ditching shampoo in favor of baking soda and apple cider vinegar to not washing with any cleanserfor forty days.

As a result, I get a lot of questions about hair care, particularly from friends who read my posts and wonder how I do it. The most common complaint I hear is, "My hair is so greasy. I could never go that long without washing." Many women and men are preoccupied with this idea of greasiness and needing to fight it on a daily basis. I used to be in this situation myself.

I've come to believe that this is a real problem, and that our obsession with combatting greasy hair gets in the way of appreciating how much more manageable and healthy hair can be when it does have a bit of oil in it.

It is crucial to understand that the more you wash your hair, the greasier it will get. When shampoo strips the hair of its natural oils, the scalp compensates for that loss by producing more oil.1 It creates a cycle in which more washing leads to more oil, and so on. In order to break it, you must be willing to put up with levels of oiliness that may not feel acceptable at first, but eventually an equilibrium will be established.
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I give the following advice when people ask me about how to improve their hair care routines.

Give yourself a vigorous scalp massage with your fingertips to move the oil away from the scalp and distribute down the hair shaft. Do this once or twice daily. Use a hairbrush to do the same. But for the rest of the time, see the next point...

​This won't happen overnight. If you wash daily, try to push it by 12 hours, then skip a day. Avoid washing on weekends if you don't have plans.

Thinking it’s about time to switch things up, hair-wise? Guys, if you’re still getting that dated undercut or the same quick once-over with the hair clippers – yes, we think you’re definitely in need of a hair makeover and perhaps should consider going to a hair salon instead of the barber.

Want a 'do that will up your style cred, as well as get you the right attention? Look to the heads of South Korea’s most popular idols and celebrities for inspiration. They’re setting the biggest hair trends for men in Asia, if not the world, according to Readen Chia, associate director of Chez Vous Hair Salon.
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CNA Lifestyle got him to pick out four “oppa” (older brother) hairstyles that a regular guy can also successfully try, and explain what goes into their making – whether they require a specific cut, hair product, hairstyling tools and techniques that, we assure you, won’t be too tough to execute.

This hairstyle is all about the bangs, which can be parted at the centre or on either side of the hairline (best done in a 3:7 ratio) – no surprise why it takes its name from the drapes hanging over your windows.

Obviously, a longer fringe is requisite for this look. At the same time, it requires some level of volume and texture – in other words, you’ll probably need a perm or, in lieu of that, decent DIY hairstyling skills.

Chia noted that this hairstyle is usually worn with wavy, permed hair. “Unfortunately, this oppa hairstyle may scream ahjussi (uncle) for some, because not everyone looks good with wavy hair. In fact, some of us may look older than we actually are after a perm,” he said.

Want a preview of how it will look on you? Chia suggested asking your hairstylist to create a temporary wave for you with hairstyling tools before you take the plunge.
Chia also advised those with thinning hair or very fine hair to stay away from curtain bangs. “This hairstyle requires good hair density and thickness, otherwise, the parting will look overly wide and sparse,” he explained.

Once you have a perm in place, it’s not too complicated to finesse the look at home.

Here’s what to do:

1. Apply hairstyling mousse on damp hair.
2. Blow-dry hair in the opposite direction of where you want it to fall on your head to create volume.
3. ​Shape and add definition to the fringe and rest of the hair with a light hair wax, then set the hairstyle with hairspray.

This year’s trendiest hairstyle for men is, admittedly, not easy to accept for the average Singaporean gent. But that’s what trends are – they are not meant for everyone, but those with the requisite attitude to pull them off, and definitely jobs that do not have a strict dress code.

Most people think of G-Dragon when the mullet is mentioned, but there are actually many other subtler takes on the hairstyle besides the extreme versions seen on the Korean rapper. In fact, Chia thinks that it can be a very versatile hairstyle for men.

“The mullet can be customised to suit different hair types, and there are so many variations on the style. You can wear it longer at the back and with micro bangs for a punk-rock vibe; with a side fringe part or comma fringe (described below) for a K-pop-idol-inspired look; or not quite so long at the back and with a permed top and fringe for a preppy-ish look,” he explained.

To achieve the version of the modern mullet you desire, Chia advised to go to your hairstylist with reference pictures, since it can be hard for the layman to describe or distinguish between the many different components of the hairstyle’s multiple variations.

“Take note that the back of a mullet can grow out of shape quickly, so it may not be ideal for those with uneven hair growth or a slanted hairline at the back, and probably those who dislike making frequent trips to the salon for haircut maintenance,” he added.

A pro of having a mullet is that it is easy to style at home, says Chia.

Here’s what to do:

1. Use a thickening spray on hair that is damp, and then blow-dry hair.
2. Shape and add definition to hair with hair wax, and spray on a texturising spray

Named after the punctuation mark because of the curled-inwards fringe, this hairstyle has been popular among male Korean idols since a few years ago and, according to Chia, is still in fashion now.

The best thing about it is that you don’t need a perm – all you need is to know how to produce a C-shaped curl with either a flat iron or a hairdryer. It’s not too complicated for a guy to learn – ask your hairstylist for tips on how best to recreate the look he or she has given you.

While comma hair used to be seen on Korean stars in a more precise, defined shape, these days, it’s more commonly worn in a slightly tousled, more-textured style. “Comma-ed” bangs are typically worn on the highly popular two-block cut, or its slightly mushroom-shaped cousin.

Get the haircut right and you’re set for hairstyling success at home:

1. Apply pomade (for a wet look) or hair wax (for a matte look) on damp hair, then part your hair.
2. Blow-dry your hair while using your fingers as a shaping tool. You can create the “comma” curls by picking up individual locks along your hairline and pushing them up into a C shape, then directing the hot air from hairdryer at it until it dries.
3. A flat iron can also be used – clamp it over a lock of hair and flick it inwards, towards your face, while running the styling tool through the hair. Work section by section until you achieve your desired look. You’ll need some practise for either methods, but eventually you’ll learn how to effectively control the hairstyling tool.
4. Set your hairstyle with hairspray.

A classic hairstyle for men, this style channels a smart, dressy vibe, which explains why Korean celebrities love to sport it when attending award ceremonies. Chia pointed out that you’d hardly see any guys with slicked-back hair on the streets in South Korea, however, because many of them actually consider it to be a dated hairdo that makes them look older than they really are.

“For most Korean men, a visible fringe is an important ‘tool’ for appearing youthful – a trait not found in slicked-back hair,” he added. Still, it’s an undeniable fact that the stars look great in the slicked-back look, and you can too. Their secret? Instead of pulling their hair from the front and straight to the back from the hairline, they go for a side-swept variation with a parting.

This hairdo will suit just about any type of hair, although it may look more modern if your hair is cut shorter on the sides and back of the head. “This is the easiest men’s hairstyle to style at home,” said Chia.

For an updated take, leave some strands of the fringe loose and tousled for a “carefree” look.
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1. Apply pomade on hair that has been 50 per cent blow-dried. If you’d like to create a wet look, put the product on wet hair. Alternatively, if you desire a matte look, put it on dry hair.
2. Part hair and comb it in the direction to create your desire look.
3. Set your hairstyle with hairspray.

When you color your hair brown or blonde, you might not like the warmth that comes through your hair color. Going for a cool-toned look, it’s important to have an at-home care routine that will help you neutralize brassy tones and keep your color free of unwanted orange shades.
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If this sounds like something you struggle with, find out more about what a blue shampoo is and how to use it properly to avoid having a green hair mishap.

What Does Blue Shampoo Do?

Blue shampoo is a toning shampoo that contains blue pigments. The latter deposit onto the hair with each wash, neutralizing any warm underlying pigments. If you have red or orange tones in your hair, blue toner will not give you a blue tint: because blue and orange are opposites on the color wheel, blue pigments will do corrective coloring, neutralizing orange and keeping your hair color cool.

Who Should Use Blue Shampoo?

Blue shampoo should be used on lightened and highlighted brown hair and is ideal for anyone trying to maintain a perfect caramel, dirty blonde, and ash brown color. It can also be used on natural brunettes but the effect might not be as drastic.

Here is a color science behind it. Each hair color has a variety of underlying warm pigments that always come through when the hair is being lightened to a new hair level. Medium to light shades of brown hair naturally contain warm undertones such as red and orange, and they almost always come through when going through a color process. In this case, you will most likely benefit from a blue shampoo that will help you reach or maintain the desired brunette hair color.

For highlighted and blonde hair, the results of using a blue pigment may be different and, potentially, less appealing. It is not recommended for golden or yellow-based blondes because blue shampoo can add a green tint to the hair. Remember, when yellow and blue mix, it creates a green color – a hair color mistake that is very difficult to correct. Thus, when your hair is highlighted to yellow, you should be very careful with blue toners and blue shampoos.

If your hair is highlighted to a pale yellow or almost white blonde, a blue shampoo can give it a slight blue tint. Thus, when you seek an icy blonde color, it is key to use a silver blue toner instead of a blue one. It will neutralize the underlying red and orange pigments in your hair and enhance the icy tones.
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Blue Shampoo vs Purple Shampoo

Purple shampoo and blue shampoo work in a similar way, canceling brassy tones in your hair color. Because purple and yellow are opposites on the color wheel, violet pigments cancel out brassy yellow tones, which makes it great for making blonde hair more neutral. However, the purple shampoo will not work as well for caramel highlights or ash brown hair, as brassy orange is best neutralized by blue pigments.

5 Best Blue Shampoos to Choose

​If blue shampoo sounds like something you would benefit from using, look into purchasing one of our favorite ones:

1. Joico Color Balance Blue Shampoo protects the vibrancy of brunette hair, gently color-correcting the unwanted brassy orange hues.
2. Matrix Brass Off deposits blue-violet pigments ensuring flawless results for lightened and highlighted brunettes.
3. DevaCurl No-Poo Blue Anti-Brass Zero Lather Curl Cleanser is a conditioning color-deposing cleanser designed to neutralize brassy tones in lightened and highlighted curly hair.
4. Redken Color Extend Brownlights Blue Shampoo is a popular sulfate-free shampoo for maintaining cool brunette color, which is also great for brunettes covering their grays.
5. Not Your Mother’s Triple Threat Shampoo and Conditioner is a blue treatment shampoo and conditioner based on blue tansy oil that tones down all brunette undertones while soothing and strengthening the color-treated strands.

How to Use a Blue Shampoo?

Whatever your desired look is, most toners are demi-permanent colors. Thus, a color stays looking its freshest for up to 3 weeks, and you can expect to see warm tones coming back through towards this time. Of course, that depends on how often you shampoo your hair, how much you are exposed to the sun, and the quality of your water. If you want to avoid the warm tones, invest in a blue shampoo to use in between hair appointments at home.
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You likely won’t need to start using a blue shampoo until week 3; however, feel free to add it to your hair care routine whenever you notice a lot of unwanted brassy tones coming through your strands. Once you feel it is time to start incorporating it into your hair care routine on a regular basis, use it up to two times a week, which is generally enough to see the tonal change in your hair.