Achieve that just-from-the-salon look without an appointment.
By Kari Molvar

What to do when you need smooth, shiny hair, and there’s ‘nary a blow-dry bar in sight? Fire up your tools and take your strands into your own hands. Here, we got insider tips and pro pointers from stylist Gregory Patterson of Blow, the New York Blow Dry Bar, to help you achieve that just-from-the-salon look without an appointment.
 
“A great blow-out actually starts in the shower,” says Patterson. “Many women don’t wash out their conditioner enough. But that residue will ruin your blow-dry. So I shampoo, condition and then shampoo again to really get the hair clean. And to help ensure hair doesn’t get singed, make sure you get a blowdryer that comes with a nozzle attachment to keep some distance between your hair and the heat.”
 
“After the shower, try patting hair with a shammy rather than terry towel to absorb excess water without putting stress on delicate strands. Then apply a heat protective spray to detangle and add shine. My favorite is Blowpro The Heat Is On—it’s like vitamin water for your hair with aloe vera to calm a sensitive scalp.”

“Divide your hair into eight sections around the head—the key is to work in small zones and to use a round or oval brush that will allow you to create enough tension to give hair a smooth and polished look.”
 
“If you have really thick hair that takes a long time to dry, mist on a product that speeds up your blow-dry. I like Blowpro Ready, Set, Blow since it pushes water off the hair so you can do less passes with the dryer.”

“A lot of women start their blow-out in the back of the head, but we start at the front. That’s the area you see first and really want to smooth while it’s still wet and you have more control. Once you’ve gotten the top party completely dry, pop in two Velcro rollers—it’ll add body while your hair cools and sets.”

“Next blow-dry the sides, holding your brush vertically and twirling it away from your face for a soft effect. Always keep the nozzle pointed down to prevent frizz. Once that area is dry, wrap hair into loose curls with your fingers and secure with duckbill clips. This keeps a soft bend in the hair without creating kinks.”

“Finish the back sections of your head, holding the brush horizontally and curling the hair toward your face now. Work your way through from left to right, making sure that no wet hair sits on top of dry hair as you’re going along. Drape sections over your shoulder to cool and set. To seal everything, flip your head over and mist on a flexible hairspray.”

​“To preserve your blow-out, it’s all about the dry shampoo. Work it into your roots to absorb excess oil, especially if you’re hitting the gym and will be sweating. At night, it does help to sleep on silk or satin sheets to minimize friction that can cause tangles or frizz. Otherwise, wrapping your hair in a silk scarf also does the trick.”

Banish dry, frizzy hair for good with these 10 easy hacks for hair happiness.
 
In my quest for #hairgoals, that is shiny and soft hair, I’ve had my battles. Frizz is always getting in the way of a good style and dry hair can dull my day.
 
But luckily I have the tricks to turn those bad hair days around and I’m going to share them with you.

Head massages
Head massages are my favorite part of the salon experience, and they are an effective hair treatment too. Your head is one of the easiest parts of your body to massage, and doing so stimulates the blood flow to your hair follicles. This can help your hair to grow faster and look healthier. It also distributes the oil from your scalp and feels amazing. Do it tonight while you’re watching TV.
 
Weekly treatments
My hair is so happy when I do a treatment. My naturally curly hair can be so dry and it drinks up moisture masks. I love a quick weekly treatment.  If you have fine hair, switch your conditioner for a treatment to help hydrate your hair and control your frizz.
 
The extra conditioning step
Frizz happens to good hair that’s feeling a bit dry. Keep up your hair’s hydration so frizz can’t take hold. Leave in-conditioners are my secret weapon to keeping my hair from looking dry and frizzy.

Lock in hydration
Control frizz before it forms by applying products to wet hair. I lock in the moisture to my hair with a water-based cream. Then once my hair is dry I use a serum to add shine.

Save time with a cocktail
I mix my own hair care cocktail to get the perfect blend of product treatment for my hair.  Mixing your own products saves application time, which means I can get ready faster too.
 
Turn down the heat
Your hairdryer can do too good of a job on your hair and dry it out more than you want. Drop the heat for a gentler experience and skip it where possible so you can let your hair air dry.

Style when wet
So if you can’t dry your hair, what are you supposed to do? Style it wet of course! There’s an added bonus of styling wet hair: heatless curls! Braids in wet hair leave gorgeous waves behind once your hair dries. Even a simple top knot can create loose waves as it dries.

My Mason Pearson brush
A splurge, but one that’s totally worth it. A pure bristle brush like the Mason Pearson brush is an investment in shiny hair. If you have curly hair, this isn’t necessary for you, but if you have straight or wavy hair, then you can instantly see the difference this brush makes. It distributes the oil from your scalp to the ends of your hair so they’re soft and shiny.

Dry shampoo
I could do a top 10 hair hacks just about dry shampoo!  It is one of my fave products and I use it almost daily. It makes clean hair easy to style and refreshes dirty hair too. It adds volume, creates texture and saves you time – dream hair right there!

Invisible hold for flyaways
Now, even if you follow all my hair hacks, you could still have some frizz or flyaways in your hair (I blame the weather). Now it’s time to put those rebel hairs back in their place. Spraying hairspray directly on to your hair can leave a thick layer of product. Instead, spray a strong hairspray on your hands or a blush brush so you can smooth those flyaways down with a fine, invisible layer of product.

These easy hair hacks have made a huge difference to my hair. I’m already seeing a difference in my naturally dry hair. It’s feeling softer and I have less frizz and breakage too.

It’s like a hair miracle, and that brings me so much hair happiness.

By Hair Romance

​Break These Bad Habits ASAP
By Del Sandeen
 
Does it seem as if your hair isn't growing? Well, most likely, it is (if it truly isn't, there may be an underlying health reason, in which case you should consult a doctor). But if your hair breaks off at an equal or higher rate than it grows, you'll never see any length gains.
 
Hair may show stagnant or negative growth rates for a number of reasons. Do any of these sound familiar to you? Because if they do, it's imperative to break these bad hair habits and begin promoting healthy practices that allow you to keep every inch of growth possible.

1.  Chemical Overprocessing
Overlapping relaxers, aggressive bleaching and applying too many chemicals to tresses are all prime culprits in damage to black hair (all hair types, actually). Damaged hair will still grow from the scalp, but it often breaks off at the ends or requires a drastic cut to get rid of unhealthy sections. Ask yourself if you:

• Relax / texturize / color your mane at home
• Have a chemical straightening process and color
• Have a hair color at least two shades lighter than your natural shade

If you answered yes to any of these, it's possible that your hair is overprocessed. Although stylists aren't always foolproof, it's usually better to receive chemical services in a salon at the hands of a capable professional.
 
2.  Trimming Too Often
You can have too much of a good thing, and trims fall into this category if you want longer hair. Many women resort to trimming their own hair at home after suffering the results of a scissor-happy stylist. Healthy hair doesn't require as many trims as unhealthy tresses; the less you do to your hair, the less likely you'll need frequent trims that take off an inch or more. Hair grows an average of 1/4 to 1/2 inch per month, so if you care for your hair properly, you don't need to cut more than 1/2 inch every few months or so if you want to see growth.
 
3.  Lack of Conditioning
Dry, brittle hair can happen to anyone if she's not diligent about conditioning. Black hair (basically curly hair) often craves moisture, even natural locks. If you're not currently:

• Applying a moisturizer as needed, whether once a day or several times per week
• Deep conditioning at least twice per month
• Conditioning after every shampoo
• Applying a leave-in conditioner after a shampoo/condition session

​you may need to start. It's very difficult to over-condition black hair (or curly hair), so the more moisturizing products and practices you use, the better conditioned -- and less likely to break -- your tresses will be.
 
4.  Poor Protein Structure
Along with a good moisture level, hair needs a suitable protein balance to remain strong. The more chemicals or harsh practices that your mane goes through, the more important protein becomes, simply because every relaxer/touch-up, color and even flat iron press compromises the strength of your strands' cuticles. Weak hair usually breaks, after becoming thinner and less elastic over time. Because hair is comprised of protein, it needs protein in some form or other. As long as you follow a healthy regimen, you won't need as much protein as someone who doesn't, but a little protein helps most women maintain strong tresses.

5.  Traction Alopecia
Tight styles, particularly ones that pull at the hairline, can do serious damage; in some cases, this damage is permanent, killing follicles forever. If your hairline is sparse, this condition may unfortunately be irreversible. Braids that are too tight, ponytails that pull, suffocating weaves and more are all styles that need to be abandoned. In many cases, a mindset is what needs to change at the same time the style changes. Sleek, straight hair that's pulled within an inch of its life may look good, but healthy hair is about so much more than appearance. It may be time to reexamine your usual hairdos if you realize they're often too tight for your own good.