It goes without saying that we all want every day to be a
good hair day. But a peek at our pocketbooks and we know something’s gotta give. So when it comes to
hair care, where can we cut a few corners, and where should we spend a little more? We grilled a few hair experts on their thoughts on how to get savvy on spending.

Splurge: Invest in your blow dryer and styling tools. “These are things that can possibily damage your hair [if you cut corners], says
Herbal Essences celebrity stylist Charles Baker Strahan. He favours ceramic tools given their even heat distribution, which helps manage and maintain hair health.

Antonio Tocci, owner of Toronto’s
Tocci Salon, concurs that a quality blow dryer is a must. “With a good blow dryer you will have a shorter drying time and the actual dryer will have a longer lifespan,” he says. He recommends investing in one that is lightweight and 1,700 watts of power.

Save: If you’ve got to scrimp somewhere, let that be on your fixatives such as hairspray and mousse, says Ivan Gibski, owner of
Flaunt Boutique salon in Toronto. “I’m not a fan of cutting corners,” he says, noting that you may end up with a gel that is too crunchy or a product that is too heavy, but reluctantly sharing that this is one area you can save some pennies on.

Charles Baker Strahan agrees – cutting back on expensive stylers, doesn’t always mean skimping on quality. As you might expect, the Herbal Essences
celebrity stylist is a fan of the brand and swears by the new science in the products producing amazing results. “Most of the stylers from Herbal Essences are under $5.”

Splurge: Conditioner. “Moisture is always a big issue—the sun strips it and it can affect your colour and elasticity,” says Ivan, recommending the quality ingredients you’ll get in a premium product as a way to maintain your hair health over the summer season. A more mainstream product may contain more fillers that’ll mask your hair’s issues but perhaps won’t work on improving and protecting it. (
Bonus: higher-end products may also have built-in sun protection).

More ways to save on the next page …
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Splurge: Your arsenal of hair tools should include a good boar brush—and this is for all hair types. “You’ll get results that are much smoother and that will last a lot longer,” says Antonio. Justify the investment by knowing that it is necessary to spend money on both good quality products and tools to achieve the best results, he says.


Save:
Be wary of anything too gimmicky or gadget-like, says Antonio. He’s not a fan of ionic blow dryers, for example. “It is always best to keep it simple,” he says.

Splurge: Regular haircuts. Regardless of what you pay for your haircuts, you want to keep up your regular appointments, says Ivan. “In the summer, a lot of people just let their hair grow as they’re just pinning it up casually and they don’t worry about it, but your hair will just get really beaten up at the ends,” he says. So booking a trim on a regular basis is important. Herbal Essences celebrity stylish Charles Baker Strahan agrees. “A haircut is important is because it is the architecture of your everyday hair style. Without a good cut you have to do so much more work to your hair.”

Splurge: Shampoo. Surprised? Higher end shampoos are key as you need a quality product that will wash our dirt and oil, and have protection built into them. “You also need to ensure your shampoo will help protect your colour,” says Ivan. (which then, of course, will help cut costs when it comes to hair colour).

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Image courtesy of Jean-Claude Lussier.