Lately I've been wondering why I like having my hair long. It's a major pain sometimes unless I just put it up in a pony tail, but then I hate it. Granted, when I had my hair short (in a bob) I found this to be almost worse. So, it seems people end up either chopping their hair off really short or dealing with the daily wrestle of what to do with it. There's lots of reasons not only mom's but women in general may want to cut their hair:
- It takes time!!!!
- Flyaway's are annoying.
- Climate can change hair's "mood" in a second.
- I'm still getting new baby hair growth coming in after my son was born 2 years ago!! Which drives me nuts because the little hairs stick up all over my head.
- Kids pulling your hair.
-Spit up in hair
-Just even washing your hair. You should see the amount of shampoo and conditioner I go through! It's ridiculous!
-And for some it's just liberating!!
Do you debate this issue? I know, I do. Although, lately I've found someone who actually knows how to cut my hair correctly and that seems to have eased my wanting to chop it off completely.
Once I did find someone who knew how to actually cut hair. It's amazing to me how many hair stylists have no idea how to actually cut hair the right way!!! Then it was much easier to handle. I highly recommend you finding a great stylist and sticking with it. I was reluctant to make reoccurring appointments in the past. I'm not sure why I never did this, and then when I did need a hair appointment, it was too late to get one. Then I would find myself calling the first available stylist and it didn't matter who it was. I would then come home almost in tears sometimes because I hated what they did. My husband was even at his wits end with my constant hair battles. But, once I finally found a stylist who knew what she was doing and learned how to style my own hair it became quite easy.
I actually learned how to style my hair in 10 minutes flat without much fuss. Granted, I don't do this every day because sometimes 10 minutes is even too long!! And lately it seems the weather isn't much help in my hair cooperating as I would like.
But, if you have shoulder length hair this might help you. Sorry curly haired folks, this blog isn't for you. I have no answers for you, but maybe one of you might want to chime in on your secrets for curly hair. I know some of you are out there!!! I've heard your complaints. Perfect time for bloggy sharing!
So here is are my tips and tricks for faking a good hair style in 10 minutes!
Fake a Salon Hair Style in 10 minutes:
When I was a little girl I had hair down to my waist. It was easily kept from being tangled by my mother putting pink cushioned rollers in my hair at night. Not sure why I found this OK to sleep on, but in the morning I'd awake with beautiful curls that were never tangled in which my parents could easily put into pig tails which made everyone oohhh and ahhh. My mother used to also roll my wet hair into Princess Leia buns at night so when I awoke in the morning my hair would be dry and would reveal twisted curls that were perfectly managed.
Once I moved past the stage of my parents doing my hair, to the world of middle school, my sense of hair style quickly jumped off the deep end. Big bangs were all the rage, but I could never figure out how to do those correctly either. I remember looking like I had a frizz birds nest growing out of my forehead instead of the stylish bangs that were in trend. My brother "lovingly" termed me "Monster Bangs". I wasn't too thrilled with this nick name and he has the scars on his arms from my nails to prove it!
Throughout high school I didn't really do much to my hair other than wash it at night. It was dry in the morning, so I brushed it and went on my way. I assume it didn't look half bad seeing as I tried to keep it straight and that was that. This was pretty much my routine throughout college, too. Nothing too fancy. I remember watching my roommate put rollers in her hair every morning and curling her every day before school, finally figuring out the curling iron would be easier. Either way, it looked like a lot of work to me and not quite worth my time. I was lucky to not have frizzy hair, but I wouldn't say it was ever stylish.
I began working two day's post graduation at a job where I was wearing a hairnet every day and also working graveyard shift. So I figured what was the point of doing hair when it was going to be covered up and my social life during working hours consisted of going to Denny's for "lunch" at 2am.
Work shifts changed, but not the hairnet situation. So, I quickly learned that even drying my hair was pointless especially when working 10-13 hour shifts. Plus, I justified it by saying my hair was healthier due to not putting heat on it.
After moving from corporate life to stay-at-home mommy there wasn't much point in drying or styling my hair then either. Except for the weekly date night with hubby or outing to see friends or family. Then I learned that the curling iron was my best friend and I could quickly curl the top of my hair under in 3 minutes flat and look "pulled together" (or so I thought) without much fuss. (See picture below of post blow drying hair before round brushing. I could also blow dry my hair upside down and then curl the top and ends and look like it took me longer than it actually did.
Well, sorry to say, but that's not always the most stylish option either!
Today's styles are straighter and round brushing is a must! Doing a "blow out" out at home either leaves ones arms extremely tired, a body over heated and a person just plain frustrated. It took me much longer than I was willing to spend and it never looked like it did post salon anyway!
Until I learned the magic secret to round brushing!
I can continue to blow dry my hair upside down which dries my hair fairly quickly since it's beyond thick. Blow drying your hair upside down if it's thin is essential, also, so it will gain body.
I used to try to blow dry it in sections like they do in the salon, but it always came out looking flat and not quite right. Plus, I could hardly stand to hold my arms up for that long and I was sweating half to death from the heat of the blow dryer before I could get to even the top sections of my hair!
So, these are my secrets I've learned to do a blow out at home without all the fuss! I can "quickly" do my hair in 10 minutes, which is a huge improvement all while sticking with today's trend.
Here is what my hair looks like post shower. I usually would just let it air cry and figured it was fine. Gave a little wavy look. Who cares, right? Wrong!
Here’s how to do your hair correctly if you have shoulder length or longer hair.
Step 1:
Blow dry your hair upside down! I know this seems like an oxymoron for people who have frizzy hair, but there are tricks for that, too!
- Put a quarter size of heat protectant and smooth down in your hair before you dry it. I like using Redken Smooth Down Heat Glide
http://www.redken.com/products/haircare/smooth-down/smooth-down-heat-glide.
Rub the product through your hands like you are putting on lotion and then apply it to your hair. You will touch more hair strands that way and get more product spread evenly. Do your entire head starting at the ends first so more product will collect there.
- Continue to brush your hair upside down while you blow dry. Don't get too technical here; just keep brushing from scalp to end while you're blow drying upside down. Using a large regular paddle brush here is essential! You can switch hands with your brush and sit down even. It goes faster than you think. You can put your hair dryer on top or underneath. Switch back and forth to get hair dried faster. My hair is super thick and it only takes a few minutes. You can flip your head up once in a while for a “rest” and ensure you are getting all spots dry, but go back to upside down before you are finished to get full body in your hair.
Once your hair is dry and you flip right side up you'll look like you have huge hair possibly in the form of a triangle and you'll think I'm nuts! But don't fret just yet. Brush your hair down with the paddle brush.
The last picture is what happens to my hair after I brush it down. I used to think this was OK, also, and so if I did take the time to blow dry my hair it would end up looking like this. It looks pretty good right??? No!!! Not sure why I thought this looked OK.
Step 2:
Forget about the bottom layer of your hair!!!! Only style the top layer and the sides. I hardly ever do the back even. (Just one or two sections of the top back if needed). 99% of people will not notice you didn't spend the time to round brush the back to a tee! If they do they wouldn't say anything either.
Note: To stop extra frizz, put some more heat glide in your hair again before you start your round brush. Only apply to the ends, not the top. Your hair will look greasy if you apply too much.
Step 3:
Take the round brush. I figured out that using one with soft bristles instead of hard bristles works much better even if you have very thick hair. I would have thought the opposite, but it's not true. I like using a medium sized round brush. Sometimes the big ones make your hair look "little girlish" instead of stylish grown up!
Here are the items I like to use. Note the brush to the very right with the hard bristles is bad. If you have one like this, I’d recommend buying a new one with soft bristles, like the one on the left. I don’t spend a lot of money on products in general. The only product I do recommend that I would spend a lot of money on is the Redken Smooth Down Heat Glide. I’ve found it to work the best!
Now here is the key!!! Whenever holding the round brush always ensure the handle of the brush is pointing downwards in the same direction when you do both sides of your hair. You will notice that you've probably been holding your brush incorrectly this entire time especially when you’re doing the opposite side of your hair with the hand you are not dominate with. You may notice you need to adjust the way you are positioning the brush in your hand. Just ensure the handle of the brush is pointing towards the ground or slightly off to the side. Not directly to the side or up! Always a majority of the time DOWN!
You can experiment with styles here by having your hair curl towards your face or away from your face in a flip. Just ensure the hair around your round brush is positioned for what you are trying to achieve. There isn't guess work here. Think about what you are doing with your brush before you apply your heat.
Now look how I’m holding my brush so that the handle is down and the hair is going to curl in towards my face, not directly under.
This is bad form ladies!!! See how my brush handle is pointing directly sideways and my hair will end up curling under and not towards my face.
You should be able to blow out your hair in 5 or 6 sections and nothing more. If you are doing more than that, you are taking too much hair and too much time!
I always start with the two sections around my face. They are the most important because that is what people see so I take the most time on them to ensure they are right.
Note: Once I figured out I don't actually need to turn the blow dryer off in-between sections or hold it in my hand while I adjust my hair around my brush, this entire process got much easier! I realized I can lay the blow dryer on the counter while I fix my section of hair and the house won't burn down and I won't become frustrated trying to hold it while I'm adjusting the next section of hair.
Step 4 (most important step):
Take the section of hair on one side of your face, brush it out with the round brush and then pull it UP to the ceiling. Place the round brush underneath it close to the scalp. You should not have too much hair here. Just enough to go through the brush. If some falls of, don't fret! This isn't supposed to be difficult. Just pick up that piece with the next section. Ensure your brush handle is pointing down (slightly to the side most likely). Watch the position of your brush before you start. Is your hair going to end up curling towards your face? Is it going to be curling out? Check the way it's going to end up curling before you apply any heat. It all depends on the direction of the handle and the direction the hair is wrapping around the brush. Switch it before you start if needed. If you are right handed you will be holding the brush with your left hand and the hair dryer with your right hand (when doing the left side). So make sure the brush handle is the direction you want it to go in your non dominate hand! This is essential for getting your blow out correct. Sometimes I also have to push my hair into the brush with my hand before I put the blow dryer to it just to ensure I'm getting a good handle on the section of hair. You may need to experiment with this step so you understand what I'm talking about here.
Pull your hair up first!!! Put heat at the root and even underneath the root to get body.
Step 5:
Place the blow dryer on medium. I've been using high heat until I fried off the bottom of my hair today!!! Placed the hair dryer as close to the hair, or in my case, I put it directly on my hair since it's so thick (probably dumb seeing as I just fried my hair, but it makes it smooth in one felt swoop and less work! So thus, I will use medium heat or not place the dryer directly on my hair if using high heat and take a little more time.)
Step 6:
Pull the brush and hair dryer down the length of the hair at the same time. Your hair is dry already from blowing upside down, so you should get a smooth blowout in one try. Two at the most! Once you get to the bottom ensure the ends are curled around the round brush, give an extra boost of heat there at the end.
Continue on doing this with another section on the same side until that side is done. You should only need to do this 2 or 3 times.
Now switch and do two sections on the opposite side.
Off doing the next side now! Left side is done!! I’m right handed, so you can switch which hand you put the blow dryer in when you are doing your dominate side now. Either way it’s imperative you put your brush so your hair curls towards your face. See when I start how I have the hair going to end up curling towards my face as I finish putting heat on the root and then as I start pulling the brush down I will ensure the brush handle is pointed DOWN. Right now it looks like it’s too off to the side. If I kept it like this my hair would end up curling directly under and not towards my face. I believed I switched hands here and held the brush in my right hand and blow dryer in my left. It can be easier to hold the brush in your hand for the side of hair you are doing to get your hair to do what you want it to do.
You could remember “Brush in Left Hand when doing Left side. Brush in Right hand when doing Right Side.”
That's 4 sections ladies! You only have one or two left. This is for the back. Obviously you aren't going to be able to hold the round brush so the handle is facing down here. Don't worry about it; just try to make the top hair on the back a little smoother. Put some curl on the bottom by wrapping the hair around the round brush and giving some extra heat there. Stick straight will always show more flaws. A little tiny curl at the ends will look better.
I only did this twice on two sections of hair in the back!!
So, all the top of your hair should be blown out now. The underneath may be a tiny bit frizzy, but I found this to be beneficial because it gives body to the hair instead of trying to round brush every section of your hair right side up. Don’t focus too much back here. See how I pull the hair from the back next and then curl it under. Then it looks finished without working so many strands in the back.
Put some extra curl on the ends if it looks too frizzy for you in spots. Pull the hair from the back to put some extra curl underneath there.
It should not be frizzy to the point that you can see it through the top layer of hair that you round brushed. If it is you didn't brush it enough with the paddle brush while you were drying your hair upside down. I find it beneficial to still blow dry my hair upside down otherwise my hair will have almost zero body. Body is what makes your hair look so good after they round brush it in sections at the salon! But who has time for that! This is the trick to faking it!
Step 7:
Hair spray! Spray your hair with aerosol hair spray all over. If our not using aerosol in my opinion it won't look finished. Flatten any fly-away's with hair spray and your hands, not a brush. You can then brush through your hair spray after it's dry to give your hair a perfectly natural look if you like. Brush it from UNDERNEATH, not the top, with the round brush not the paddle brush. Do not do this too much, though because you’ll ruin your blow out!
Spray ALL over!!
Step 8 (if desired): Sometimes I add some gel to the ends of my hair to ensure there is no frizz there. Do not use gel to flatten fly-away's. It will quickly flatten your hair and ruin your blow out!
So, if you are thoroughly confused it's as easy as this:
Step 1:
Put smooth down heat glide in your hair.
Blow dry your hair upside down while brushing it straight with a paddle brush. Ensure you keep brushing until your hair is dry if your hair is extra frizzy. If it's not prone to frizz you probably don't need to brush it as much.
Step 2:
Round brush the top layer of your hair, starting with the sides of your face. Pulling the hair up at first and then down. If it looks too flat you didn't put enough heat at the root when you were pulling up. You should do your entire top layer of hair in no more than 6 sections. Don't forget to put some extra heat on the bottom where your hair should curl under. If you did it and it looks too flat at the top, you didn't pull it UP high enough when you first started. Do it again and pull UP to the ceiling and put some extra heat at the roots.
You may need to put the hair dryer down in-between sections to position your hair on the brush before you put the hair dryer to your hair. Unless you have 3 hands I don't find it easy to position my hair on the round brush while holding the blow dryer!
Ensure you are checking the direction your hair is going to curl when you pull down on the round brush. This is essential for the style you are going for!!!
You should also curl the underneath section of your hairs with the round brush if they are "sticking out". Usually I only see two or three spots that may need this. You shouldn't need to go around your entire head. (This goes beyond my 6 section rule, but you may need to do it if your hair frizz is showing at the bottom). That's all people should be able to see (the bottom or your underneath layer) so don't worry about the entire underneath part of your hair because you want to keep that a little untamed to keep body in your style.
Remember if this is taking you longer than 10 minutes you are doing it wrong! You most likely aren't brushing your hair enough upside down while you dry it and you are taking too much hair in your top section of hair when you round brush. This is what your hair should look like when done.
Now I’d say this is an improvement on dry hair prior to round brushing!
Good Luck Ladies!
Now let's hear what your hair struggles are? Any tips and tricks that you want to add?
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