So yesterday, I made the terrible decision of not blow-drying and straightening my hair properly before going to bed. It was late.. I was tired... and I really regret it today. Having a 9am lecture meant I had to choose between that valuable extra half hour's sleep or organising my hair into some sort of acceptable style. Needless to say.. in questions such as these, my bed triumphs every time.
On the bus this morning then, I became very aware, being incredibly self-conscious of my own look, of everyone else's hairstyles. There was some frizzy, some straight, some up and some laced with incredibly blinding colours. I began to wonder at the sheer variety and noticed just how your hairstyle can completely change your look and, to a certain extent, define your character. For me, I definitely aim for that straight, sleek and shiny look, reflecting perhaps my OCD with regards to neatness and tidiness- or perhaps it is just because I have not yet been able to get that 'messy-sheek' look that I have tried so often, without looking like I've had an electric shock. I have to say, the straight, careful appearance is an awful lot easier to obtain than the 'scruffy, couldn't care less' one. So what are my tips to staying away from frizz and maintaining a strong shine?
1. Heat. Despite the fact we are all told not to touch any form of heat-styler with a barge pole, it is necessary if you harbour such a frizzy and untamed mess as I do. Provided you use an essential heat protection, my favourite being TRESemmé Care & Protect Heat Defence Styling Spray, and maintain a distance between your blow-dryer and your hair, or use the lowest setting on the straighteners for example, heat should not cause much of a problem.
2. Never go to bed with wet hair. We are all guilty of having a quick shower before bed and then hitting the sheets before thoroughly drying our hair, but not only does this have immediate effects the next day, but it could also damage your hair in the long run. Moving around on your pillow will create a static between the strands of your hair. Rubbing the individual strands against one another as you move, creates friction and will wear away at them. Even better would be if you could plait your hair or weave it into a style that protects the majority of the strands before going to bed.
3. Use a comb. The urge to drag a brush through your hair when you just need to get rid of a few of those knotty tangles in the morning can be overwhelming. However, all that achieves is pulling the hair with unreasonable force, rendering it weaker at the roots, or even succeeding in tearing out the knot by actually breaking the hair. A far better solution would be to use a comb in order to gently tease out the knots, or even using your fingers to separate the individual strands. In you have particularly knotty hair, perhaps consider investing in a de-tangling conditioner, and comb through your hair while it is wet in the shower.
4. Lastly, a key tip that I'm sure many of you have already heard of, is to change your parting regularly. Not only will that give you a fresh look every couple of months, but further wearing your parting in the same place weakens the hair attached at the roots. If this hair becomes weaker, it is more likely to fall out earlier.
These are some of the methods I use to keep my hair looking better for longer. After all, hair seems to be something we all take for granted, yet if we don't maintain it properly, we'll only realise when its too late!
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