Hairstyling
tips are available in all kinds of fashion
magazines and on Web sites. Styling ones own hair and or
recreating the style done by your hair stylist is not an
easy thing. You have to deal with two major challenges.
The first is that you are not a hair stylist and therefore
lack the techniques and know- how of styling hair. The second
challenge is that you cannot stand "next to your body"
like your hair stylist does. There are however a few basic
hair styling techniques that you should be aware of. They
are fundamental to styling hair and will help you get good
results.
If you want to change the shape
of your hair be it to curl it and or to give
it body, it is best to start with wet hair. It doesn't need
to be dripping wet, just towel dried. Putting rollers into
dry hair no matter how long you leave them will not curl it
enough or give it body. You will only get an effect for a
very short period of time. Why?
The reason for that is this:
In order for your hair to stay curled, hydrogen bonds in
your hair need to be displaced while the hair is wrapped
around the roller. This process can only take place with
wet hair. Hence no curl. With the addition of heat the hair
dries and will stay in that curled position. Remove the
rollers only when the hair is completely dry. The realignment
of the hydrogen bonds can only be achieved if the hair is
wet and dried with heat. Now you can have body that will
last a while. Of course once your hair becomes wet it will
return to its original shape. This same method applies when
styling your hair with a round brush and blow dryer. The
drier the hair is when you curl your hair with a roller
or round brush the less body you will get in your hair.
When using a curling iron, straightening
iron or electric rollers your hair needs to
be completely dry and these styling tools need to be hot enough.
However, hair that is styled while wet will always have more
body and last longer. Granted, it takes longer to do but you
won't have to redo you hair the next day.
Use a setting lotion to give
your hair more body. After washing your
hair use a setting lotion before setting it or blow styling
it. It doesn't matter if your hair is coarse, fine, thick,
straight or curly. After a shampoo all types of hair are
too soft.
Another tip is to use two mirrors
or any other arrangement that allows you to work on your hair
with both hands at the same time while seeing the back of
your head and your profile.
When setting hair in rollers
or using a round brush for blow styling,
section hair with a tail comb into a half-inch wide horizontal
sections and about four inches long. Comb each section neatly,
holding it at a 90-degree angle. Apply some tension and
wind the hair again neatly around the roller or the round
brush. Holding each section of hair at a 90 degree angle
will lift the roots and give it body.
When blow styling your hair
first take a section of hair that you want to work on and
comb it through neatly and wrap it around your round brush.
Do this with your left hand (if you are right handed). Now
take your blow dryer and hold it in your right hand. With
your right hand now, which is the more dexterous hand hold
the blow dryer downward and move it from one end of the brush
to the other, about half an inch away from the hair for about
ten seconds. Now unwind the brush (don't pull it out) and
repeat this procedure a few more times. Don't forget to brush
the section with your round brush each time you go over it.
Make sure each section is dry before you move on to the next
one.
Scrunching your hair. You can
use this method if you want your wet curly
hair to look curly when it is dry but with more volume. Scrunching
is also a good way to bring out the soft curl in your hair;
the type of curl that would otherwise be straight when dry.
The scrunching method is used to lift the hair from the roots
and to maintain the curl.
How to scrunch you hair.
With your left hand (if you are right handed) grab a section
of your hair. Take the blow dryer and point it at the hair
in your hand while at the same time moving the roots with
your fingertips and slightly squeezing the hair in your
hand. Do this with all of your hair. This will give you
a full curly look. It should take you about fifteen minutes
to style your hair this way.
Use a diffuser to keep your curly
hair curly when dry. You can use a diffuser
after shampooing and combing your wet hair into your style
and then drying it in just that position. If you want more
volume bend down your head and then dry it. To avoid frizz
put a liquid styling gel in your hair before drying it. |
