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Ten Most Common Hairstyling Mistakes

Professional hair dressers estimate that fewer than 25% of women are good at styling their own hair. Most say the wrong (or too much) product and bad blow-drying skills are the primary problems. See if you’re committing a style sin, and if so, how to find a solution that works for you and your locks:

“Ten Most Common Hairstyling Mistakes”

• Gunking it Up A good haircut should fall right into place with very little product. Think in terms of a dime-sized amount of any liquid and a few short bursts of spray stylers even less for shine serums and pomades. Unless it also has unruly curl, it’s rare that even the thickest, coarsest hair requires more than that. Fine hair can look even worse with product that weighs it down. Most of the styling aid should be concentrated at the roots, while the rest should be combed through. For detailing ends or controlling cowlicks, use barely-there dabs.

• Wrong Direction Volume is the number one tress request, but most of us can’t seem to get it right! In addition to using the wrong tools to achieve volume many women are blow-drying their hair straight back instead of straight up. Roots should be lifted and strands then pulled out or softly curved at the ends, depending on the look you want Round brushes are best for smoothing and adding some root lift, while vent brushes can create super volume. When it comes to heat styling, don’t over-do it. Hold your blower at least 12-inches from your head and keep it moving back and forth. Direct air flow down the hair shaft, unless you’re using it to blow hair out from underneath. Blow-drying hair against the cuticle, toward the scalp, is a huge problem with wavy or curly hair. After roughing up the cuticle, women try to fix it with a brush or flat iron. When using flat and curling irons, keep temperatures low and hold for a count of seven to start. For best results, style hair in small sections. Work up in time and temperature gradually if your hair is curly and you want it straightened or if it’s limp and you want it curled.

• Lack of Protection Studies from Regis salons show not even half of all women who use heat-styling tools use a thermal protector. Thermal protectants are crucial for healthy tresses, so don’t skimp on this styling step. Mist them on lightly and distribute evenly for the sleekest, healthiest finish.

• Too Much Pull If the ponytail has become your old faithful, go get a cut or learn how to style your hair! Even if you’re in a hurry most of the time, try to avoid sticking your hair back in an itty-bitty pony. Pulling tresses back can look too severe with short cuts. Crops look better styled simply to frame your face in a flattering way.

• Falling Fiat Flat-ironing doesn’t mean locks have to be stick-straight. Whenever using an iron, first use a thermal protector, and then take small sections nearly the width of the tool. Pull the iron out a bit as you sleeken the sections, then bend hair up slightly at the ends. Today’s newer flat irons use steam so you can flat-iron damp locks, but don’t use just any iron on wet strands. Be sure the flat iron is a wet-to-dry model, or you risk scorching your hair beyond repair.

• Choosing Unwisely “We’ve been offering free lessons with new associates for two years,” says Nikki Trowbridge, owner of Statements Salon and Spa in Woodbridge. VA “Yet all the clients had the same misunderstanding about the best products for their hair type” This shouldn’t be a problem, with so many product lines specifically labeled for fine, curly, straight or color-treated hair. The heavier the product, the heavier the hair it should be used on. Thick gels don’t mix with fine hair and a light mousse won’t prevent curly hair from going frizzy. The simplest solution: Ask your stylist for a recommendation that suits you.

• Working too Fast Don’t attempt to style hair when it’s still damp—moisture should be removed completely with a blower. Apply products to dry hair, then begin styling on a low to medium heat setting. Heat styling dry tresses is the only way to get hair to hold a specific shape for any long amount of time.

• Waiting too Long Remember, great hair is all in the cut. There are some styling tricks that can take you longer between trims and a few cuts that are crafted to grow out more gracefully. But if you want healthy tresses, don’t wait too long before trims—your split ends will thank you!

• Going Overboard Sometimes, we forget that less is more. Blow-drying, roller-setting and iron-curling are for runway models, and it’s very hard on even the toughest tresses because heat-styling overworks hair. Also, short hair is rarely intended to look perfect. Today’s cuts have natural movement and fall freely, so there’s no reason to over-style it.

• Doing Nothing Air-drying and the natural look may be all the rage, but that doesn’t necessarily mean your short hair is simply wash-and-go. Even beachy waves or naturally straight strands need a little bit of TLC. The right products, tools and styling techniques will take your locks from stressed to fabulously tressed.

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