Read The Ultimate Hairstyle Handbook Online
Authors: Abby Smith
The Ultimate Hairstyle Handbook
This book would not have been possible without the kind support and help from my wonderful mother No matter how crazy my aspirations, she’s always believed in me and been my biggest supporter.
©2012, 2011 by Abby Smith
All rights reserved. First Edition 2011
Section Edition 2012
ISBN-13:978-1481 127165
The scanning, uploading and distribution of this book via the Internet or any other means without the permission of the author is illegal, and punishable by law.
was a girl who hated my hair. It was dry, my ends were constantly breaking off and I couldn’t grow it out to save my life. After heeding suggestions from my stylist, spending a few dollars on new product and lots of patience, I was finally able to grow long hair. And it was healthy and thick. Soft and shiny. Needless to say, I loved everything about it.
I wrote this book to share with you what I’ve learned over the last few years. I’m not a hairdresser, nor do I profess to be one. I’m just a girl with a passion for hair. I hope this book can provide you with a few extra tips on how to care for and style your hair.
| 1) | Start out with healthy hair. That’s right. Chop off every inch of hair that is damaged. It’s just non-negotiable. If you want healthy hair you need to start with healthy hair. |
| 2) | Get it trimmed every 12-15 weeks. Many stylists will tell you to trim your ends every six weeks. In fact, while I was growing out my hair that’s exactly what I did. I trimmed it every six weeks and it took forever. I met a professional stylist from LA and he told me that it’s unnecessary to trim your locks before twelve weeks. |
| 3) | Do not wash your hair everyday. Your best friend in growing out your hair will be the natural oil your body produces. It will strengthen your hair against the elements. It will keep it from drying out and breaking off. Wash your hair every 2-6 days to avoid stripping it of those natural oils. Did I just say 6 days? Sure did! I wash my hair once or twice a week. And no it doesn’t stink, no it’s not oily and yes I work out! |
Two common complaints about rule number three: “Absolutely not! My hair gets way too greasy, there’s no way I could go that long” and “I work out too much. . . I
have
to wash it everyday.”
Here’s the deal. Because you’re washing your hair everyday—stripping it of those natural oils that we love so much—you’re telling your body that it needs to produce more. You can’t just wake up one morning and say, “Hey, I’m gonna go four days without washing you!” Because yes… that would be gross.
You’ve got to train your
hair.
Train it to do what you want. You are the boss. Go one extra day in between washings and give your hair time to acclimate to the change. When it stops producing as much oil, try going one more day! Give it some time though, your body needs it to get use to the changes.
Let me guess… you workout. And your hair gets so super wet around your face from sweating that you just
have
to wash it? Not anymore! Pull your hair up while you shower off and when you get out of the shower just blow the nape of your neck dry and where ever else it’s wet. I promise it’s not gross. Sweat is made up of mostly water So just dry it and you’ll never know the difference. If your hair is anything like mine you’ll probably have a bunch of kinks in it when you get out of the shower Immediately let your hair down after getting out the shower and brush it through while blowing it dry and the kinks should release themselves. Then just style it like normal.
If you must wash your hair every day, go easy on the straighteners and curling irons. Maybe even let it air dry one day. Avoid heat whenever possible.
| 4) | Spend money on products. If you want to know what products I use, please refer to my products post at twistmepretty.com . The thing about products is they can be expensive. . . for cryin’ out loud I’d rather buy a new pair of boots! But you need them. It’s a love hate relationship really. The products I use have allowed my hair to not only grow long and healthy but stay long and healthy. |
| 1) | Buy some thermal heat spray or serum. I use Hana Shine from Misikko. Please don’t buy the cheap stuff! You usually get what you pay for. Depending on the serum, you can put it in while your hair is wet or you’ll need to put it in after you blow it dry. I use a nickel sized amount and apply it to dry hair You’ll want to avoid putting the serum in your roots as it can cause your hair to look greasy if you use too much. If you’re not washing your hair, use it before you use a straightener or curling iron. Whether or not I’m using heat, I use it everyday to tame frizz and condition my hair |
| 2) | If you have thin, lifeless hair you might want to try a volumizer/thickifier. I use Small Talk by Bed Head. I don’t have super thin hair but there is a night and day difference when I don’t use it. I use the product when my hair is wet, and because I only wash my hair every four to six days my bottle lasts forever. |
| 3) | If you chemically treat your hair you should be using a product that has protein in it. I use Anti-Snap by Redkin. The protein will coat your hair, helping to defend it against the elements. I put mine in the ends of my hair when it’s wet, making it another product that lasts. |
| 4) | Ever heard of dry shampoo? It’s THE best product. You lightly spray it on your roots and it’ll absorb the greasy oil and take away the unwanted sheen all while leaving in your natural oil to help strengthen and moisturize your hair. If you have thin, lifeless hair, or even short hair with choppy layers, you can use the dry shampoo to give your hair a great new texture. It also smells so yummy! I buy the Suave Dry Shampoo from Walmart. |
| 5) | Avoid heat when possible. I wash my hair, dry it and either curl or straighten it. The next day, if it’s relatively straight or the curls are still in tact, I will wear it down again and maybe freshen up the pieces around my face. Day three I’ll pull my hair half up, avoiding heat. By day four my hair feels dirty, so I pull it off my face into a bun, or side braid. If my bangs have gotten heavy and greasy, I’ll wet them and dry them again helping them feel fresh and clean. Using dry shampoo can extend the life of my hair for another two days. The stuff is amazing. Avoid heat where you can. |
| 6) | Take vitamins. Hair is composed mostly of a protein called keratin. Multivitamins, prenatals or biotin can help assist the body in producing just that. Whichever you choose, always consult with a doctor first. The hardest part about taking vitamins isn’t finding them. . . it’s taking them consistently! |
Don’t wash your hair with super hot water.
The heat from the water will suck all the moisture out of your scalp and open up your hair cuticle. Um. . . what does that mean? In a nutshell it means washing your hair in hot water can lead to dandruff and faded hair color Watch out your hot shower takers! Right before you get out of the shower wet your hair down with cold water and it’ll close the cuticle, leaving your hair feeling smooth. Rinsing with cold water will also lock in the color to help your color stay fresh and vibrant.
If you
swoop your bangs
like I do, blow them dry the opposite way you want them to lay. Then blow them to your normal side. Doing this will help your bangs swoop and it will also help keep your bangs from laying too flat on your forehead.
Use that little
nozzle attachment
your blow dryer comes with. It directs the hair cuticle downward giving you much smoother hair When your hair is all dry, you can then remove the nozzle and mess up your hair just a bit.
Don’t hairspray your hair until the end of the styling.
When you spray your hair with hairspray before you curl or straighten it you are essentially baking alcohol into your hair. Yeah I know, that can’t be good! If you need something to help hold curl, use a thermal spray or serum.
To help tackle frizz
try not to roughen up your hair too much with a towel. Instead, work your way down the hair shaft or gently scrunch it. If you have curly hair try using a t-shirt instead of a towel. It’s an old trick that helps eliminate frizz.
At the pool a lot?
Before swimming please wet your hair down. If your hair has already soaked up some clean water it’s not going to take in a whole bunch of chlorine. If you swim laps and use a cap, wet your hair down, condition it and then put your swim cap on. I was a swimmer in high school and it was the conditioner under the swim cap that saved my hair. Every day I got a good deep condition while my friends who didn’t put conditioner under their cap were drying out their hair! If you like to lay out, apply a deep conditioner to your hair and put it up in a bun before you go. The heat from the sun will warm up the conditioner giving you a salon quality deep condition.
Keep the conditioner in your hair
as long as possible. The second I get in the shower I shampoo my hair, rinse it and immediately put the conditioner in. That way the conditioner is working on my hair while I’m shaving and washing my body. You want to maximize the time the conditioner is in your hair. If you can, put your hair inside a shower cap and let the conditioner work on your hair for at least ten minutes.
Brush out the tangles while you are conditioning it.
After letting the conditioner sit on your hair for a few minutes, brush out the tangles by using your fingers or a wide-toothed comb. Doing this will help evenly distribute the conditioner and make your hair that much easier to brush out when out of the shower. Harsh detangling can be traumatic, as your hair is most vulnerable when wet.
Ever gotten to that point when your
hair no longer wants to curl or straighten
for you? What you’ve done is removed all the moisture in your hair from the heat you’ve applied. Your hair needs that moisture to cooperate. Stop applying heat and please put some moisture back in it! Mist it with water or thermal spray, let it dry and come back to it.
Don’t use grocery store bobby pins.
They are not all created equal! If you want the hairstyles to hold, you must use strong bobby pins that stay closed. If you have thick, heavy hair, try using large bobby pins.
Need some volume?
Use velcro rollers. First, mist hair with a styling spray. Then while your hair is warm from the blow dryer, wrap it up in some velcro rollers starting from the crown and working your way down. Warm your hair for a few minutes with your blow dryer, then freeze it out for another few minutes with the cold shot button. Finish getting ready and when you’re all ready to go, take them out. It’s like magic!
Try switching up your part.
It will give those top pieces that commonly see all the heat, time to rest and cool underneath. You can also spray your paddle brush with some shine spray and brush your hair from mid shaft to ends. It will deposit enough product in your hair to calm the fly aways and frizz.