We are all aware that styling your own hair at home can be a vigorous task, especially when we want to achieve a salon finish. But… it doesn’t have to be, time to uncover some tips from the professionals.
First things first! Preparation is key
It is best to start and finish your styling by using some quality hair products. Listed below are specific products built to tame and assist in styling frizzy hair.
- Milkshakes moisture plus shampoo and conditioner – These products are sulphate free, and ideal for frizzy hair types. Sulphates in shampoos and conditioners are a big culprit for producing frizz. Sulphates are not entirely bad; their main purpose is to strip away oils and dirt. But of frizzy hair that already lacks moisture, this just enhances the frizz.
- Paul Mitchell’s Super skinny serum – This is a heavier serum that contains a water-based silicone, designed to wash out when the hair washed. Which in particularly coats the hair strands, providing a defence barrier and leaving a smooth cuticle. Another benefit is this product cuts down blow-drying time by 50% by penetrating into the hair and displacing the water. Ideal for all frizzy hair types.
- Milkshake’s Lifestyling Smoothing cream – Similar to the skinny serum, this is a cream that counteracts frizz with a water-based silicon ingredient creating a transparent film that smooths the cuticle. Other benefits this product offers are: colour fading, thermal and UV protection, conditioning properties. Ideal for medium to thick hair types.
- Lifestyling thermo protector spray – This product was formulated to be extra fine, to eliminate the possibility of the hair getting oily, whilst reinforcing protection against thermal tools.
To the tools….
While the frizz fighting products make an extensive difference, frizzy prone hair will usually still need to be styled to be 100% smoothed. A great way to start is a downward directed blow-dry. You’ll need these tools:
- Blow-dryer with the nozzle attached, this ensures the air is being concentrated on the piece of hair you’re working on. Also, protecting your hair from the heated metal bars at the end of the hairdryer, which can burn the hair.
- Medium to large round brush, or flat paddle brush
- Clips, to section out the hair
To save a bunch of time and arm power, alternatively you could use; Hot tools volumizer one- step blowout dryer. It is a one-step hairdryer and oval brush built into one, creating a simpler way of achieving not only a smoothed look, but also, a salon quality bouncy blow dry.
The perfect blowout
When styling frizzy hair, the way the hair is blow-dried makes a world of difference! A rushed blast of air just isn’t going to give you that salon fresh finish. Not to worry, the following is a step-by-step tutorial for the perfect at- home blow dry.
Step 1. Add your choice of frizz fighting products and thermal protection to freshly washed hair.
Step 2. Brush out hair ensuring the product is evenly spread. Using the hair dryer on the medium heat setting, start blow-drying, with the blow-dryer held above your head, pointing the hair downwards towards the floor. This step is only to remove the excess water, so five minutes will suffice. If you are using a hot tools thermal brush, you can just squeeze out any excess water using a towel.
Step 3. Next step is the bangs/ face framing, as this hair is the finest and dries quite fast. You want to bring all the fringe forward and onto your face, placing your round brush underneath. Holding the blow-dryer above your head, nozzle positioned directly on top of the round brush, pointing away from your face and slightly downwards. On medium heat and a slow setting, start turning the round brush clockwise, and sliding down to the very ends of the hair. Keep repeating this process until it’s 100% dry. If you are using a thermal brush, the same process applies, minus the blow-dryer. If you are using a paddle brush, you will continue brushing the fringe forwards to the left, then to the right, with the hairdryer pointing downwards.
Step 4. Making sure you have placed your correct parting placement, half the hair in the back of the head, so you have two sections on either side of your head. Taking a small subsection of hair at the back of the head, about an inch thick.
Step 5. Using the thermal brush, place it at the very roots and slowly drag upwards, to add volume at the roots. Once the roots are dry, for a smooth/ straight look, drag downwards without Turing the brush, repeating throughout the whole head. Same concept if you are using a round brush and blow-dryer, just making sure the blow-dryer is pointing downwards when drying the ends of the hair. When using a paddle brush, you will continuously brush the hair downwards, you can drag the brush and hairdryer down together whilst drying the ends, making sure the air is always flowing downwards.
Finishing touches
Don’t forget to finish with hairspray to keep your style in place all day! To tame any new growth hairs, you can simply spray them with hairspray, while using the side of a heated straightener, pressing them down.