Hair

Work to rule: Hair styling tips

Experts share how to get the most mileage from your styling tools and products.

by : Sarah Daniel Dolphin- Jan 4th, 2011

MAGIC TOUCH
DO Expect to do some work.

“It’s a styling product—not a genie in a bottle,” says Charles Baker Strahan, a celebrity stylist for Herbal Essences. “If you have
straight hair, a
curl-enhancing product won’t make your hair curly. It will help your hair if you’re curling it, but you curl your hair.”

DON’T Skip hydrating products if you want high-volume hair.

“They won’t weigh your hair down,” explains Strahan. “Think about it in terms of your skin: Moisturizers help plump up fine lines; hydrating products do the same by penetrating the hair and helping to plump it a little bit.”

SMALL DOSES
DO Use your dry shampoo sparingly.

“Don’t use dry shampoo as you would a hairspray—just apply it along the hairline and where you part your hair,” says Kevin Murphy, a celebrity hairstylist based in Australia.

DON’T Mix and match.

“Layer products instead of cocktailing them, especially if you’re using one product to moisturize and another to volumize,” says Murphy. “If you mix them, each will counteract the effectiveness of the other and leave your hair goopy.” Murphy suggests applying conditioning product first and then, once your hair absorbs it,
adding volumizer.

DRY IDEA
DO Experiment with using products on dry hair.

“Even if the label says to use a product on wet hair, I use it on dry hair for a more dramatic effect,” says Mike Viggue, a hairstylist for Sally Hershberger Professional Hair Care. To give limp locks a lift, Viggue spritzes a thickening spray all over the hair and roughs it up with his hands to work the product in; then he mists sections with hairspray before curling hair at the crown and brushing it out.

DON’T style your hair in the bathroom.

“The postshower humidity will hijack your results,” explains Viggue, so it’s best to find another spot to create your look.

Add volume and create soft curls with tips on the next page …

BODY WORK
DO Use your brush to help you
get more volume.

“As you’re applying heat, take a medium or large round brush and bend the hair at the roots in the opposite direction from where you want it to fall,” instructs Frédéric Fekkai, a celebrity hairstylist.

DON’T Aply hairspray straight from the can if you have fine, straight hair. Fekkai suggests misting hairspray on a brush and, while your tresses are still warm from the blow-dryer, flipping your head and brushing your hair upside down to impart shine and add extra body.

SOFT SELL
DO Give mousse a chance.

“Mousse has an ’80s scrunched-hair stigma attached to it, so it’s not as popular,” explains Tyler Colton, a celebrity hairstylist for OS iS Schwarzkopf Professional, “but it’s lightweight, so it gives your hair amazing body and, if you’re curling your hair with an iron, helps make curls look and feel soft rather than stiff.”

DON’T Go overboard.

“The biggest mistake that women make is using too much product,” says Colton. “Start with just a small dollop—you can always add more.”

Check out our top products recommendations from the pros on the next page …