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Want Paris Hilton's long locks? ELLE tells you how!
Discover the secrets to having Rapunzel-like tresses!
By Alison Garwood-Jones
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Want to copy Angelina Jolie's gorgeous hair? Check our our Virtual Makeover Tool, where you can test-drive different celebrity looks!
Tress tips According to Cheri McMaster, senior scientist for Procter & Gamble, poor grooming habits and harmful styling procedures are to blame for the majority of hair loss and damage midway through the growth cycle. "We see lots of people with hairs broken two or three inches from their scalp -- an area we call the 'zone of breakage,'" she says. "Even at the salon, you see women bobbing their heads from all the pulling and tension on their hair from flatirons and hair dryers. It's not like your hairstylist is going to show you how many of your hairs are in her brush! The strands are never going to reach their potential length -- at the shoulder blades, mid-back or wherever your natural growth cycle ends -- because inches were lost very early in the cycle."
If you plan on high-tailing it every day, be forewarned: "We see a lot of damage from ponytails, especially where the elastic band rests," says McMaster. "The pressure of some elastic bands can be so much that it compresses the strands in that one spot for 12 hours a day, sometimes every day." McMaster recommends moving the position of your ponytail each day -- even if it's by a centimetre or two -- so it's not straining the same group of hairs. Pulling the hair back too tightly can also cause breakage at the hairline, cutting short the anagen growth phase.
Never pile your hair on top of your head when you wash it: "Colour-treated hair, in particular, will ‘Velcro' and lock, creating big balls of matted hair that have to be cut out," says McMaster. Instead, gently massage a dime-size amount of shampoo all over the scalp and finger-comb the suds down the length of the hair. "You don't need to scrub the length of your hair, just the roots," says McMaster. "Water alone will remove most styling products."
Keeping it wiggy: Halle Berry transformed herself from a short-haired sex symbol to a long-haired vixen last year when she began sporting back-grazing extensions. Now, more women want in on the instant glam action, says Chris Popovski, creator of True Hair Extensions. By adding sections of human hair, you can increase the thickness and length of your current 'do. Take your pick.
Temporary extensions, such as clip-on ponytails and wigs, cost between $20 and $200, depending on hair type and length. Hair falls, which a stylist can attach to your scalp, start at $20 a row at many salons. Interlocking and braiding extensions, which are woven into your hair by a stylist, are most popular among black clients, says Grace Tartaglia, owner of Image Makeovers in Toronto. Prices range from $200 to $2,000 for a full head of hair. Fusion involves having extensions melded to sections of your hair using a bonding agent. It looks more natural than temporary extensions and adheres well to fine hair. It costs about $1,500 to $2,000 for 150 to 200 strands.
For more great hair and styling tips, click here!
Photo courtesy of Tim Whitby/wireimage.com
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