Effective Hair Retention Tips and Tricks for Hair Styling Enthusiasts
Who doesn’t want a perfect hairstyle for and for it to stay for a longer period of time? If Hairstyling is something you are passionate about, you must have also faced the aftermaths of styling your hair using various products and styling tools as well.
Therefore it is essential to know some tricks and tips that will both help you revive already done hairstyles and re-energize your hair to take all that extra stress on itself that are caused by various products and gadgets that produce heat. Following are some tricks and tips for hairstyle retention you might find useful.
1. Hair-care Before Washing
Nourishment of your hair is necessary and hence caring for your hair starts before you wash it. If you have some time in your hand, it is important to do some oil massage on your hair. The easiest and the best is using basic coconut oil and simply massage it in your scalps. Remember, if your scalps are relaxed and your hair gets its nourishment, it will have a gorgeous after wash glow. There are many great coconut oils in the market.
Currently, the most popular one is Viva Naturals Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil. You can also use Argan oil instead of Coconut oil. There are many brands selling Argan Oil, among them Poppy Austin Pure Argan Oil and PURA D’OR Organic Moroccan Argan Oil has a great reputation.
2. Hair-care While Washing
Washing your hair with a good shampoo is important. But what defines a good shampoo? Whether a shampoo is good for your hair depends on its pH level. It is always a good decision to wash your hair with a mild shampoo with a lower pH. Using such shampoos will make sure your hair cuticles are not naïve after wash.
Wet hair is sensitive and prone to damage and a neutral shampoo makes sure it is not as much whereas a harsher shampoo aggravates it. Recently, the Tree to Tub Soapberry Shampoo is a favorite of many health-conscious consumers for its neutral properties.
3. Before Blow Drying
After you have already washed your hair with a shampoo of good quality, do not right away start to blow drying them. Use a soft towel or an old t-shirt to reduce its drenching wetness. While it is still damp but not dripping wet, you can apply some hair mousse evenly. While getting a hair mousse, do make sure it is suitable for your hair type. L’Oreal Paris Hair Care Advanced Volume Inject Mousse is a mousse that can be used on almost all kinds of hair.
If you have wavy, curly, natural or African American Hair, try the John Frieda Frizz Ease Curl Reviver Mousse. Mousses give you the extra hold you need and they really do contribute to the volume factor.
4. While Drying Your Hair
If you are simply going to dry your hair and head out, then rough dry your hair up to 70% first. Then it is a good idea to section your hair into several parts and secure them with styling clips. Now take each section and blow dry those using a concentrator nozzle if you have fine or straight hair. If your hair is curly and you want your natural curls the way they are, use a diffuser instead of a concentrator.
If you are planning to use heated rollers, curling irons or straighteners, roughly blow-drying it to 100% is a better idea. Because with damp hair, the results aren’t so great with heat producing tools. This is for those with fine hair.
For the ones with curls and ethnic hair, rough dry it until its 60-80 % dry and then use other tools or a round brush in it for the best results. In this way, the styles remain longer also, there is less damage done to the hair.
If you are keen to know which hairdryer can do this job the best? The safest choice is to go with a Tourmaline based hairdryer. Because Tourmaline suits all types of hair easily and it also ensures minimal damage. Try the Elchim Healthy Ionic hairdryer. It is really handy and does the job just fine!
5. Styling With Hot Rollers
Although hot rollers are the safest heat styling tools out there, there are some thumb rules for perfect retention and minimal damage done to your hair.
First of all, you need to choose the right kind of hot rollers. It is best to use flocked or foam based hot rollers as the sheets work as a protection for your hair when they are rolled against your hair.
Secondly, your hair needs to be completely dry before you decide to put hot rollers on. Applying hairspray needs to be done after your curls are set.
Thirdly, leave the rollers on your hair for at least 10 minutes. The maximum time should not exceed 30 minutes.
The sections on the crown of your head and the sides needs to be rolled up first. But when it comes to removing the rollers, you need to remove them from these sections last. This is the rule of thumb if you want more volume.
If you prefer foam rollers, you might want to try Caruso Molecular Steam Hot Roller set. The Steam technology adds the moisture and the heat to create styles that retain for longer. If you are more inclined to flocked rollers, you can go for T3 Voluminous Hot Rollers. But for the hair to remain in style for longer you may need to add some more hairspray.
6. Styling With a Curling Iron or a Flat Iron
Styling with a curling iron or a flat iron might not the healthiest choice but sometimes it becomes necessary if you want a hairstyle that will stay for longer. To make sure you are not causing too much damage to your hair using these tools, it is best to be cautious.
Flat irons are the ultimate tool for length retention while curling irons are needed for curl retention.
Choosing the correct straightener or curling iron is the first step. Do not choose an iron that emits excessive heat. Look for something with a ceramic base since Ceramic balances out the heat and protects hair with infrared rays.
Before you decide to use these heated tools on your hair, you need to ensure your hair is properly dried and has no sign of wetness. Since these tools make your hair exposed to direct heat, it is important to use heat protectant spray. HSI PROFESSIONAL Argan Oil Heat Protector is a favorite of many who do frequent heat styling. For keeping the style for longer, you might need to add some hairspray to take control of it. Try Kenra Platinum Hairspray.
7. Using Hair Sprays
If you are using a straightener, it does not need any hairspray. But for curling irons and hot rollers, the scenario is a bit different. If you want your curls to remain in place for a longer time, you need to use hairsprays in a generous amount.
While hairsprays are life saviors at parties and occasion, they are not the best thing to stay on your hair.
Your hair sure looks great, but it loses it a soft texture and tangles your hair in the long run. Therefore it is essential to soften your hair using coconut oil or Argan oil and relax your hair and scalp.
Other Tricks
To save your cuticles from further damage, you can choose to sleep in softer pillows. Silk pillowcases are great if you want to retain your already done volume style for the next day. For really long hair, make a loose ponytail on the top of your head before sleeping. To get back the volume the next day you can apply some dry shampoo or hairspray for that extra lift.
Final Verdict
While retaining a hairstyle can be everything you need at some moments, it comes with its baggage. In this write-up, we have tried to help create an overall hair retention procedure that also includes what are the ways to keep your hair healthy at the same time. Without healthy hair, hair retention is meaningless and hence, striking the balance is essential.
Sources
- Curls Understood, LENGTH RETENTION TIPS FOR NATURAL HAIR
- Melissa, 4 Tips To Maximize Your Length Retention