DIY How To Styling Secrets for any Type Hair

By Victoria Wurdinger

Most women think they know their own hair type best, but why do so many still struggle with it? From bad advice to product propaganda, the reasons are endless. When you want real answers, ask the pros.

Curly Type Hair

Hair Styling Tips ~~Hair Texture Type: Curly

Curly hair has two main issues: dryness and frizz. Even if you use moisturizing shampoos and conditioners, don’t overdo it. Advises celebrity hairdresser Kimmi Hendrix, who has styled Jennifer Hudson, “Don’t over-shampoo and always opt for air-drying when you can.”

In the past, most hair styling solutions relied on silicone, which tends to build up and look greasy, particularly if your hair is fine. Today, a slew of new “dry oils” put back the moisture without the weight. For instance, Macadamia Natural Oil is a new line that blends macadamia with argan oil. Several companies offer similar “natural oil” products, all formulated to absorb fast without looking greasy.

To fight frizz, you need to add moisture and smooth the cuticle. To do that, rub a few drops of oil between your palms, bend at the waist and work through your hair.

When you blow-dry, use this trick from Sam Villa, Redken Education Artistic Director: “Dry naturally curly hair on the ‘cold’ setting with a diffuser and keep your hands off. The colder air will close the cuticle, reducing frizz and promoting shine.”

Fine or Thin Hair Texture

Hair Styling Tips ~~Hair Texture Type: Fine or Thin Hair

The first step to putting in the fix is to add minimal layers. Then, create a little chaos by making your hair style a bit messy so it looks fuller.

Chances are you know all about volumizing mousses and sprays, but a new product type comes in powder form. For example, Big Sexy Hair Powder Play boosts volume instantly—just sprinkle on the roots and massage into your scalp. The powder liquefies and dries on contact, absorbing into the hair shaft.

New flat irons with tightly waved plates also help. Redken’s Villa advises you use them by isolating the hair in the crown and nape, then start an inch or two from the hairline. “Mist vertical sections with Redken Spray Starch 15,” says Villa. “Then compress the base with a tool like my Texture Iron. Work vertically around the head until finished and drop the crown and nape sections to hide the texture you’ve created. The volume will add beautiful natural fullness to fine hair.”

Hair Texture: Straight

Hair Styling Tips ~~Hair Texture Type: Straight

Straight hair isn’t so hard to style; the goal is usually to add volume. Jane Sebeldina from Patrick McIvor Color Studio in Bethlehem, PA, shares this technique:

Apply Matrix Vavoom Volumizing Foam and work through to the ends. Pre-dry hair at the base of the neck, lifting sections with a medium or large round brush. When dry, spritz on Vavoom Gold Heat Iron-In Volume Protective Dry Mist and use a curling iron or hot rollers to curl random sections, then run your fingers throughout to create big wavy texture.

Hot roller sets also give you volume: remember, the bigger the rollers, the bigger and softer the volume and curl.

Hair Texture Type: Thick

Hair Styling Tips ~~Hair Texture Type: Thick

Thick hair is so heavy, it takes a long time to dry, then it won’t hold a set. For a smart solution, start by drying with a micro-fiber towel. Wrap up hair in a turban for 5 minutes, then gently towel-dry (those who tested the new towels say they speed drying time by 20%). Next, blow-dry with a T3 ceramic tourmaline hair dryer , which speeds things up even more. For styling, H2pro’s Presto Flat Iron, especially made for long, thick hair, features a “turbo trigger” to cut styling time and simultaneously seal in moisture. If you want to blow-dry, then roller-set or iron-curl hair, use a strong gel on damp locks. Take sections that are no more than 1 inch thick. If you use Velcro rollers, direct air flow at the rollers. When all else fails, set damp hair and sleep on rollers overnight. In the morning, a quick brush-out is all you’ll need.

Article courtesy of Harris Publications

For further discussion on hair types and hair textures you might want to check out these other articles:

Got a question, war story or comment about this topic? Click on the "Leave Your Comments" link at the very bottom of this article. Some of my best ideas for future articles come from reading reader comments. I'd love to hear from you!

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How to fix hard water hair damage

Hard water hair problems are common here in the U.S. and that’s understandable seeing that more than 85% of households reportedly have hard water. You may be unaware of how hard water affects your hair, but it isn’t pretty.  The effects of hard water hair can go unrecognized for a while. Some tell tale signs like brassy orange hair are easy enough to identify, but other damaging results may accumulate over time and not be so obvious.“Hard Water Hair Tips”

Hairdressers can often feel the effects of hard water hair in a client’s hair even before they know that hard water is the culprit of their hair problems. People are often unaware that their water is making their hair lifeless, brittle or dull looking.  If you make a move from using city water to well water, or vice versa, the effects on your hair become painfully obvious.  But it’s not always as noticeable when you’re water hardness changes slightly, by moving from one area to another.

Iron in Water

How do you know if you have hard water?

If you are connected to city water, your city hall can give you the answer. If not, call your city health department to get instructions on where you can bring a sample of your water to be tested.

Hard water is simply water that contains high amounts of dissolved minerals such as calcium, magnesium and iron in water. Common household effects from hard water include reduced foaming of soaps, spots on dishes, soap scum in sinks, bathtub rings and dingy yellowed clothing.

The most common way of softening water is through installing a water softener.  But, if you’re only concern is to have softened water for your hair and skin, a more economical way to go is with a shower head filter. I use one of these that I bought from Home Depot for about $20.00.  It works great and only needs to be replaced about every 6 months.

Hard Water Hair

You may be experiencing hard water hair problems without knowing THAT’s the problem!

Hard water hair problems look like this;

• Orange, brassy hair or green hair color from too much iron in water
• Crunchy, brittle hair
• Dull looking hair, no shine
• Loss of body
• Chemical services like perms, colors and straightening don’t take well in the hair.
• Hair won’t hold a curl as it used to

How do you remove hard water hair deposits?

Hard water hair deposits coat the hair and to get hair healthy, it needs to be striped of these mineral deposits. The quickest most effective way to rid your hair of hard water damage is to have a clarifying treatment.  In a hair salon these treatments run approximately $25.00 – $35.00. They are especially good to do before a hair color service or any other chemical service to ensure the best results.

Or . . . you can use a Malibu Hard Water Demineralizer treatment at home!  This is a 5 star rated treatment for eliminating brassiness and restoring natural texture and shine to hair damaged from mineral build up. Check out the reviews!  This is a treatment salons use regularly for this purpose. It is suggested to use a cap and process with heat for best results.  It will only cost you about $3.00 per treatment to do at home and will restore your hairs original texture, shine and body.

If your hair is not so obviously affected by hard water, as in turning orange or green, you might be able to strip your hair of hard water deposits by simply using a clarifying shampoo at home as directed. Even though I have a shower filter, I still use a clarifying shampoo for colored hair once a month or so, before coloring my hair. The clarifying shampoo always softens my hair and gives it more shine and body.

Vinegar/water rinses can be used as an option for getting rid of some hard water hair damage, but the clarifying treatment and clarifying shampoos are probably your best bet!

For further discussion on hard water hair issues you might want to check out these other articles:

• How to Solve Hard Water Hair Issues
• Hard Water Hair, Use Less Shampoo
• Apple Cider Vinegar Hair Treatment
• Hair Health Tips

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