A money-savvy individual who likes to keep an efficient eye over their finances and write about ways to optimise their resources.

Tipping Your Barber

So, going for a haircut, are we? Good; there are few feelings more satisfying than going to the barbers and getting a classic haircut.

Hairstyling is always a good way to make you feel good about yourself, and it can play a leading role in making you generally feel more positive. When you look in the mirror and see a stylish fade, you know that you are onto a winner. However, if you want to make sure you always get the best cut, you want to have a barber you go to each time.

Having your own choice of barber means they soon work out exactly what you are looking for in terms of style. They get to know your quirks, and they also get to know your chatter. Now, they can stop asking you the same generic questions, and over time, you can learn a good bit about them. This is a wise choice as having a barber whom you have a rapport with and can trust is very important.

When the job is done, though, and they ring you up at the till, you want to make sure you offer them a tip that feels like a fair reflection of their efforts. With that in mind, then, you might be wondering how much do you tip a barber?

The challenge is that barber tips are quite hard to work out. You want to find a fair value, so what works for most barbers?

Should You Tip Your Barber?

The short answer? Yes, absolutely!

The long answer? Yes, it is the right thing to do. A barber deserves you to respect their craft and to see the work that they do as worthwhile. If you are someone who is unsure about tipping a barber, then just ask yourself this: could you do the same quality of cutting yourself? Could you even buy a decent pair of clippers for this cost?

This is something to focus on, as the quality of work that a barber does can be priceless to your look. You can stick on the suave and stylish suit, but if you walk about with straggly hair and a messy beard, you won’t look as good as you could. Get a barber to tidy you up, though, and you can look a million bucks!

So, if you are wondering whether or not you should tip a barber, then the simple answer is yes. You should give them the respect their work deserves, and you should ensure they are properly compensated for the work they do. A barber should always be tipped purely because the work they do is always a good value for money.

You cannot cut your own hair without hundreds of hours of training and a lot of expensive hair-cutting tools. A barber has all of this, and in less than an hour, could have you looking glorious.

How Much Do You Tip a Barber?

Typically, the cost of tipping a barber is dependent on the service provided. If you go for a standard haircut, you should probably simply round up whatever the cost is; if your haircut costs you $17.50, then round it up to $20, etc.

However, for a more structured cost, anything from 15% to 20% should be enough for most barbers to be delighted. If you are merely happy with the result, then around 15% is still seen as fair compensation for their skill and time. If you are delighted, though, going to 20-25% should make a good investment for the future.

What do we mean by investment? The same as we noted above. A barber will be able to better understand you, your hair, and how you try to look if you simply give them a better tip. They will put more effort in, they will grow to understand what you like, and they will be more focused on the end result.

Especially if you are in the process of a long-term hair change – such as growing your hair out – it makes sense to go to the same barber as much as you can. If that is the case, then you should learn how much to tip that barber. The longer you are going to them, the more comfortable you will both become. However, a little tip on top does a fine job of cementing that positive and productive relationship.

So, how much do you tip a barber? Around 15-20% should be suitable for any barber.

Tipping Alternatives

It's not just money that you can tip your barber with; if you are particularly close, you can treat them to tickets to see their favorite sports team or a voucher for a shop you know they like. It's the thought that counts, and after getting to know your barber, you will get a better idea of what makes sense for you and for them.

Likewise, though, know that you don't have to tip your barber if you are not happy with the services; it's totally up to you. You can ultimately decide if you have had a good experience or not and are happy with the outcome, then you can determine whether it is appropriate to go ahead with the tip.

It goes without saying that any barber should be hugely appreciative of any tip or even gift that comes their way, as you have gone above and beyond for them to reward them. If you don't think they are all that appreciative, then maybe next time, it is not something you feel you should do going forward. I think it becomes a little bit of an issue when they start to automatically expect tips from you. So I recommend only really rewarding when they have gone the extra mile in their service.

Let us know your thoughts. Do you tip your barber? If so, how much and why? Likewise, if not, why not? Is there some happy medium that you think is appropriate? We would really appreciate hearing your thoughts in the comments section just below.

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

© 2021 Russel Garret

Misbah is a big fan of the supernatural. Halloween is one of her favorite holidays, and it has influenced her since she was a child.

10 Hairstyles Ideas for Halloween

No matter how beautiful your dress is and no matter how worked your makeup is, if you don't do a good hairstyle, your costume for October 31 will not be complete. But don't worry, because I will give you 10 hairstyle ideas for Halloween that will make you the most admired one at the party. Never again doubt how to comb your hair on the night of the ghosts.

1. Spider Hairstyles

In the world of Halloween costumes, the spider theme is a classic. Cobwebs are necessary for creating the most frightening atmosphere possible for the night of fear. Why not wear them in your hair as well?

A bow, which serves as an arachnid nest, is the most common spider in Halloween hairstyles. You may create your spider's legs out of various colored wires. To further tangle your hair, you can apply artificial cobwebs. It would be a great idea if you included some eyeballs as well. It will make your hairdo less scary and more enjoyable.

2. Skeleton Hairstyles

Skeletons are the star characters of Halloween because it is a simple and very effective costume. If you work on it a bit, you can make everyone's jaw drop.

If you are going to dress up as a skeleton, the most important part is the makeup, but the hairstyle should complement what you have worn. In addition, you have an infinite number of possibilities to make your hair: you can use hairpins shaped like bones, dye your hair a striking color such as lilac or white. The easiest thing is to leave the brush at home and ruffle the hair a little with your hands.

3. Cat Halloween Hairstyles

Are you planning on dressing up as a kitten for Halloween? This is a highly flexible costume: you may channel your inner sexy feline or dress up as the cutest cat on the planet. It's entirely up to you!

Makeup, as well as your hair, is highly crucial while dressing up as a cat. To finish the makeover, do a little work on your hair and add an ear-shaped headband. But have you ever tried making your own ears out of your own hair? Simply create two bows on either side of your head. Isn't it a wacky way to do things?

4. Zombie Hairstyles

On Halloween night, the zombies come alive. If you have a last-minute commitment and require a costume, the zombie is a good choice because it is both frightening and simple (you only need some old clothes, some white paint, a hairbrush, and Hairspray).

Imagine you've been underground for hundreds of years while brushing your hair like a zombie. In fact, ruffling your hair is more important than combing it. Tease your hair with a brush, and when it's shaggy enough, spray it with hairspray to prevent it from moving. It could be a good idea to apply fake blood and cosmetics to make your hair appear filthy.

5. Devil Doll Hairstyles

Remember, if you're going to dress up like a doll for Halloween, it needs to be terrifying. Use a lot of blood, wounds, and bruises now and save the sweetness for Carnival. The clothing you pick is also crucial in helping you to immerse yourself in the character.

However, if you want to look like a true devil doll, you must pay special attention to your hairstyle, as it is what distinguishes a great costume from a bad one. The two pigtails are a great hairdo for this costume, but you can also make adorable ringlets or a bow with a headband and bows.

6. Pumpkin Halloween Hairstyles

Orange! This is the secret to making pumpkin dressing. This costume is a popular choice for Halloween, although the results are not always satisfactory.

On Halloween, there are a lot of pumpkins, so if you want to stand out, you need to pay attention to your hair. There are several excellent choices for your hair, but most of them include the use of a temporary orange color. You may, for example, use a spray to transform your bun into a little pumpkin, produce gorgeous, defined waves, or just color your entire head of hair an orange tone. You will be the most distinctive pumpkin at the party if you wear these hairstyles.

7. Catrina Hairstyles

The Catrina costume is one of the most gorgeous you'll see on the street on Halloween, and it's growing increasingly popular as it appeals to everyone. You certainly perceive yourself disguised in this way. Makeup is so important in this costume that it makes no difference what clothes you wear. However, if you want it to appear well, you must be skilled at applying cosmetics and styling your hair.

When it comes to hair, there are numerous options, but placing flowers on your head is always a winner. And the brighter they are, the better. You can have a headband with many flower hairpins or single flower hairpins that you can wear depending on how you comb your hair. To complete the appearance, make sure your hair looks healthy to finish off the Catrina look.

8. Vampire Hairstyles

Are you dressing up as a vampire for Halloween? Do not just rely on cosmetics and clothing, because a hairdo is equally essential. If you want to stand out, try one of these hairstyles since they will look great with your costume.

To imitate a vampire's hairstyle, create two tiny bows or buns on either side of the head. This outfit also looks more genuine with spiky or combed hair. However, if there is a color associated with Dracula, it is blood red, therefore you may dye yourself or apply some reflections of this shade to yourself. Don't forget your fangs at home.

9. Medusa Hairstyles

If you are looking for an original costume, choose the Medusa one. Pumpkins, cats, vampires, corpse brides… there are usually many, but very few jellyfish. This mythological character is perfect as a Halloween costume because it can be very scary if it suits you.

In this case, the hair is essential because the costume would not be understood if you do not put some snakes in your mane. You can use a lot of hairspray to lift your hair up like lurking reptiles. You can also buy small toy snakes and thread them into your hair with different hooks and bobby pins. If you want to go easy, you can always do a lot of very small and fine braids or dye your hair green.

10. Unicorn Hairstyle for Halloween

The unicorn style is fashionable and looks great, so it is valid for Halloween as well as for any other day of the year. There are many ways to put your hair in this style, but the important thing is that it has the colors of the rainbow.

Would you dare to dye your hair just for tonight? Use a Hair chalk comb and make a ponytail updo to make it look like the unicorn's tail. If you have a good hand with hair, take a paper cone and wrap it with your own hair or extensions. It will look like you have a unicorn horn on top of your head.

My Childhood Halloween Memories

Halloween has always inspired me since I was 9 years old. My school used to hold a bonfire night every 31st October. Being a child, I have always enjoyed this holiday. The school used to have food stalls, music, open ground decorated with orange pumpkins and red lights. I still remember the beautiful decorations and the costumes we used to wear. None of my friends and I have ever missed the opportunity to dress like a real witch, a fairy, or a cute doll.

Even as an adult, the holiday continues to inspire me. I still prepare my costumes, makeup, and jewelry for Halloween. A superb hairdo, on the other hand, is something that many women overlook. Even if you dress as a witch, if you don't have a stunning hairdo, you've lost your charm, my darling. So, in this article, we will look at some of the most famous hairstyles for Halloween.

“Eye of newt, and toe of frog,

Wool of bat, and tongue of dog,

Adder's fork, and blind-worm's sting,

Lizard's leg, and owlet's wing,—

For a charm of powerful trouble,

Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.

Double, double toil and trouble;

Fire burn, and caldron bubble.”

— William Shakespeare

Last Thoughts

So, pick a great hairstyle and dress up in a fantastic costume to become an unforgettable character this Halloween. Make it a night of the dead filled with chills and thrills. Make it eerie, spooky and enjoy it deadly. It won't return back before a year. Good luck!

References:

• Easy Halloween Hairstyles for the Last-Minute Costume Crammer
• 21+ Vampire Hairstyles Halloween
• Halloween Hairstyles: 7 Spooky, Cool Hair Ideas For Halloween
• Halloween 2021
• 20 Magical Unicorn Hair Looks to Try This Halloween
• Medusa Halloween Hair
• 10 of the Spookiest Halloween Hairstyles
• 17 Halloween Hairstyles to Complete Your Killer Costume

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

© 2021 Misbah Sheikh

Comments

Misbah Sheikh (author) from The World of Rebels. on October 08, 2021:

Thank you so much for your generosity, Zeenat. I'm glad you liked the hub. I know it can be difficult to find hubs in the feed at times. Thank you so much for your kind words of appreciation. Much appreciated!

Blessings and Love to you!

Zeenat on October 08, 2021:

Hi Misbah

I have read your hub about Halloween makeup it’s too cool but I don’t know how to comment there so letting you know here. Thank you!

Misbah Sheikh (author) from The World of Rebels. on October 06, 2021:

Thank you so much for your support, Nithya. I am glad you enjoyed reading it. Yes, a killer hairstyle is a must.

Take care and stay well.

Blessings to you!

Nithya Venkat from Dubai on October 05, 2021:

I enjoyed reading your article about hairstyles for Halloween. A stunning hairdo completes the look; I agree.

Misbah Sheikh (author) from The World of Rebels. on October 05, 2021:

Hello, Rosina.

I'm delighted you liked it and thought it was creative. I had a great time creating this hub. It was fun. I'm working on another draft with the same theme, 'Halloween.' Hopefully, I'll be able to publish it tomorrow morning. Thank you for your kind and encouraging comment. I appreciate that! Take care and keep smiling.

Blessings and Love to you!

Misbah Sheikh (author) from The World of Rebels. on October 05, 2021:

Hello, Amara. Dear sister, thank you so much for your sweet and generous words. I'm not sure why, but all of your comments are being sent to my spam comments section. That is very weird. I experienced the same thing approximately 5 or 6 months ago. The issue was at HP's end, and it was fixed after I sent them an email about it. Isn't it mysterious?

I am glad you enjoyed it. Gratitude, dear sister.

Blessings and Love to you!!

Rosina S Khan on October 05, 2021:

I really like your article about various hairstyles going with different costumes for Halloween. It is highly creative and fun to read. Thank you for sharing, Misbah.

Misbah Sheikh (author) from The World of Rebels. on October 05, 2021:

Linda, thank you so much for your warm and encouraging response. I'm glad you liked it. I'll be publishing another one tomorrow with the same theme, "Halloween." I'm glad you enjoyed it. Gratitude!

Blessings and Love to you!

Misbah Sheikh (author) from The World of Rebels. on October 05, 2021:

Yes, Devika the clock is ticking and guess what? Too fast. Halloween is back again. I am glad to see you after so long.

Thank you for your kind comment.

Blessings always!!

Misbah Sheikh (author) from The World of Rebels. on October 05, 2021:

Thank you so much for your beautiful comment, Srushti. Yes, Halloween is a cool holiday. I always enjoy it. I am glad you enjoyed reading it.

Hugs and Love to you too

Amara from Pakistan on October 05, 2021:

Hi Misbah, you mentioned some unique, spooky, and interesting hairstyles ideas which will go well on Halloween. Well done.

Linda Crampton from British Columbia, Canada on October 05, 2021:

You chose a great theme for an article! I love your ideas.

Devika Primić from Dubrovnik, Croatia on October 05, 2021:

Misbah786 I like the ideas for such hairstyles. Halloween again it makes me see how time has flown by.

Srushti Gamit on October 05, 2021:

This article is so much fun to read Misbah!!

Braided cat ears and skeleton hair style is so cool.

Take care dear friend

Hugs and love to you

Misbah Sheikh (author) from The World of Rebels. on October 05, 2021:

Lol! Peggy, you are a very beautiful and kind soul. Thank you for your sweet comment. Enjoy and keep smiling.

Blessings and Lots of Love as always. :)

Misbah Sheikh (author) from The World of Rebels. on October 05, 2021:

Thank you so much for reading, Zeenat. Your enthusiasm for Halloween Night is quite visible in your comment. I am glad you liked it. Enjoy!

Blessings to you!

Misbah Sheikh (author) from The World of Rebels. on October 05, 2021:

Thank you so much for your kind comment, Rozlin. I am glad you enjoyed it. Stay well, dear sister.

Blessings and Lots of Love to you!

Peggy Woods from Houston, Texas on October 05, 2021:

For people with long hair, these hairstyles for Halloween would be fun. I would need a wig to pull most of them off. Ha! Enjoy your Halloween festivities this year.

Zeenat on October 05, 2021:

This is so cool. I loved the hairstyle ideas you suggested. I am definitely going to pick one of them. Thanks!

Misbah Sheikh (author) from The World of Rebels. on October 05, 2021:

Ha Ha! Bredz, that spooks, I assume, will live on in internet indefinitely. LOL! That sounds so good that you dressed up as a cat last year. Yes, Halloween has been lost in space due to Covid. I'm hoping it'll be over soon. The situation in Spain is under control. I'm hoping we'll be able to celebrate it this year in Spain.

Thank you so much for the sweet comment. I enjoyed reading it.

Blessings and Love always!

Misbah Sheikh (author) from The World of Rebels. on October 05, 2021:

Flourish, I really enjoyed the excitement in your comment. Halloween is not only about wearing a costume, but it is about discovering the creativity and costume within ourselves. Yes, that black cat eyeliner will look wow!

Thank you so much for your sweet comment.

Love and Blessings to you, dear friend

Misbah Sheikh (author) from The World of Rebels. on October 05, 2021:

Eman, Thank you very much for your kind response. I am glad you the hairstyles to be amazing. Take care and stay well.

Blessings and Love, dear sister

Misbah Sheikh (author) from The World of Rebels. on October 05, 2021:

Thank you so much, Chitra Di. I always feel happy to hear from you. I am glad you found it interesting. Good makeup and hairdo are a must to bring out the real magic of the Halloween character. Much Gratitude! You, too, have a good day.

Blessings always!

Rozlin from UAE on October 05, 2021:

Interesting article on Halloween hairstyles, Misbah. It was fun reading. Thank you for sharing.

Blessings and love to you, dear sister.

Misbah Sheikh (author) from The World of Rebels. on October 05, 2021:

Thank you so much for your kind and sweet comment, Pamela. Yes, a nice hairstyle always brings out more grace. I am glad you found it a fun read. Take care and stay happy.

Blessings and Love to you too.

BRENDA ARLEDGE from Washington Court House on October 04, 2021:

Misbah

I dressed up like a black cat last year. Complete with ears & tail.

It was alot of fun.

I love those Skelton hair pins.

I'm not sure if I'll be dressing up this year.

Covid is on the rise again, so a get together is probably not gonna happen.

Let you know though.

And the spooks are still in cyberspace, i didn't get a message about this one.

FlourishAnyway from USA on October 04, 2021:

I am ALL about the cat ears hairstyle omg that is perfect. I’m not sure that I’ll even wait for Halloween! Add some black cat eyeliner and wow!

Nian from Pakistan on October 04, 2021:

An interesting article with amazing hairstyle ideas.

Many Love and Blessings.

Chitrangada Sharan from New Delhi, India on October 04, 2021:

Hello Misbah!

An interesting and well illustrated article. There are so many possibilities with the hair. I liked all those makeups and hairstyles suggested by you. An enjoyable read.

Thank you for sharing. A good day to you.

Misbah Sheikh (author) from The World of Rebels. on October 04, 2021:

Hello, John.

I'm delighted you found it enjoyable to read. Yes, to bring out the charm, a terrific hairdo is extremely important. Lol! I had a lot of fun writing this article. It was fun. I enjoyed reading your wonderful response. Thank you so much for taking the time to read and leave such a positive comment. Much Gratitude, dear friend. God bless you and keep you safe. Amen!

Sending Blessings to you and your loved ones.

Misbah Sheikh (author) from The World of Rebels. on October 04, 2021:

Oh Gosh! No, Mr. Bill, you are extremely handsome. Ask Ms Bev if you don't believe me. Her gorgeous smile in your wedding video proves that I'm telling you the truth. You are a nice and generous friend. Thank you so much for taking the time to read and leave such a beautiful comment. All is well with me. I am happy today. I hope you are also doing well. Sir, stay healthy and keep smiling.

Blessings and regards to you and your family.

Pamela Oglesby from Sunny Florida on October 04, 2021:

I able that a good hairstyle is important,and I enjoyed everything you wrote, Misbah. You surely listed a vast number of hairstyles for Halloween.

It was fun to read your article.

Much love and blessings,

John Hansen from Gondwana Land on October 04, 2021:

This is a very helpful article for the ladies to may their Halloween costumes really impress by adding a killer hair style to suit. It is amazing what you can do with a good head of hair. The only thing I could do would be wear a wig lol. Good job with this, Misbah. I am sure it was fun to write.

Bill Holland from Olympia, WA on October 04, 2021:

LOL...I don't have to change what I look like, or my hairstyle, for Halloween. I'm scary enough just the way I naturally am. :)

Fun read, my friend, and Happy Monday to you! I hope all is well with you.

Blessings and happiness always

Alyssa is a wife, mom, and coffee enthusiast who loves sharing her favorite lifestyle tips with the world.

How to Fix a Broken Paddle Hair Brush

My hair is long and thick. Most days, I love it, but there are times when I seriously consider chopping it all off. It's prone to tangling, and brushing it out can be a real chore. I used a pic for many years, and then I upgraded to a wide-toothed comb meant for curly hair. The comb is amazing for wet hair, but I needed a brush. Last year, I found this paddle brush. It cut detangling time in half and worked well. That is until my hair declared war. Over the past few months, my hair managed to dislodge the bristles, and the brush started coming apart. I didn't want to purchase a new one, so I set out to fix this one.

Using my trusty hot glue gun, I managed to get it back together. Three months later, it's still working great! Because of this, I decided to share my process just in case you encounter the same issue.

Repair Instructions

1. The first thing to do is completely remove the rubber with bristles from the plastic backing and handle.
2. Remove all hair and debris from the bristles. Run this piece under warm water and use a toothbrush to clean in between the bristles.
3. Lay flat on a paper towel and allow the rubber to completely dry.
4. Remove all the glue from the plastic and make sure the inside of the backing is as clean as possible. I used a Phillips head screwdriver and a can of compressed air to get as much of the old glue out as possible.
5. Using a hot glue gun and Gorilla Hot Glue Sticks, run a thin line of glue around the plastic on the inside of the backing. Start at the top and quickly work your way around.
6. Gently, but quickly, push the rubber back into the plastic.
7. Moving the bristles gently out of the way, run another thin line of hot glue around the seam where the rubber and plastic meet.
8. Allow the glue to completely dry before using your brush.

© 2021 Alyssa

Comments

Alyssa (author) from Ohio on September 16, 2021:

It's so frustrating, isn't it? I hope this helps in the future. Have a wonderful weekend!

Alyssa (author) from Ohio on September 16, 2021:

Isn't it annoying Denise? Thank you for stopping by! Have a wonderful weekend!

Alyssa (author) from Ohio on September 16, 2021:

Aren't hot glue guns amazing? I have two now and feel unstoppable haha! Thanks Peggy! Have a wonderful weekend!

Alyssa (author) from Ohio on September 16, 2021:

Thank you Pamela!

Alyssa (author) from Ohio on September 16, 2021:

hahaha! Thanks Bill!

BRENDA ARLEDGE from Washington Court House on September 15, 2021:

Ugh! I hate it when your brush breaks & you are in the middle of using it.

My hair is long also. Not as long as yours though..since mine has curls.

Great job telling us how to fix it.

Denise McGill from Fresno CA on September 15, 2021:

Very practical advice. I've had this happen to me many times when my hair was longer.

Blessings,

Denise

Peggy Woods from Houston, Texas on September 15, 2021:

Hot glue guns are an amazing tool, and it is good to know that the Gorilla hot glue sticks have kept your brush intact. Thanks, Alyssa.

Pamela Oglesby from Sunny Florida on September 15, 2021:

This is a practical article that will probably help someone who has a problem with their paddle brush. I don't have a brush like that one, but it is always good to know how to repair things. Thank you Alyssa.

Bill Holland from Olympia, WA on September 15, 2021:

Well there we go! I now know infinitely more about paddle brushes than I did in the past, thanks to you. :) Happy Wednesday, Alyssa!

Amber is a web writer whose articles focus on beauty, skincare, health, and wellness!

Growing up, I always had healthy hair. I take steps to prevent damage because I use heat to style my hair and think it’s fun to dye my hair. There is also a hair maintenance routine that I use to make sure that my hair stays healthy. It’s still far from dry or frizzy, though.

Then, along came my third little one. Her hair type is the definition of both dry and frizzy. Without proper hair care, it’s a mess that can only be tamed by putting it in a bun. It took quite a while, and a lot of trial and error, but I have finally developed a complete system for caring for her hair to make it look beautiful, and keep it moisturized.

Ditch The Cheap Shampoos

We went from baby shampoo to Pantene and other brands. Then, while at Family Dollar, my little one spotted Frozen shampoo. She was dying for it. It was only a dollar. Without thinking, I bought it for her. Within one day her hair looked more damaged than mine had in my life. I was mortified.

We have never used cheap shampoo on her hair again. Instead, it’s only wonderful brands. Thankfully, we’ve never had this problem again. She was equally mortified and understands why we don’t use Frozen shampoo anymore.

Use Leave In Conditioner Daily

When you are dealing with dry, damaged, or frizzy hair you’re going to need to constantly moisturize the hair. Leave in conditioner is the best product for that. We use Aussie Leave In Conditioner. I’ve had a hard time finding it in the stores lately, but you can still order it off of Amazon. We use this every day. (It also worked wonders for my older daughter’s hair when it was severely damaged.)

Consider Using Hair Oil

Leave in conditioner isn’t for everyone. I love Aussie because it doesn’t make anyone’s hair feel or look greasy. However, there have been times when it wasn’t an option.

During those times, I used Brazilian hair oil. Not only are hair oils and serums great for damaged hair, but they also provide moisture that dry hair desperately needs. When used in small amounts, you can enjoy all of the benefits of hair oil without your hair looking oily.

Always Use Conditioner After Shampoo

When hair is damaged, it has been stripped of the protective outer layer that helps keep moisture locked in. Conditioner coats the hair so that it can act as a protective layer for your hair. It does the same thing for dry hair!

Do A Weekly Hair Mask

Hair masks are quite as popular as other products, but they should be. Depending on the hair mask, these are wonderful for your hair.

There are two different types of hair masks on the market. One works like leave in conditioner. You put it in your hair every morning, just like you would other products. The other type of hair mask is used once a week. These hair masks are applied to the hair just like shampoo. Then, you wait until you are supposed to wash it out (it will tell you on the bottle) and wash your hair. Some hair masks recommend rinsing with only water. Others say that you should use shampoo. It’s important to read the directions to make sure that you use them correctly.

Avoid Damaging Your Hair When Possible

My littlest adores having her hair blow-dried after the shower. Unfortunately, that only happens on a rare occasion. We try to avoid any type of heat to prevent further damage to her hair. You’ll also want to avoid:

• Any styling that involves heat when possible
• Overwashing your hair
• Extremely hot water
• Cheap styling products

This isn’t going to make your hair less frizzy, but preventing damage will help you guarantee that it doesn’t get worse.

Develop A Hair Care Routine

A hair care routine will look different for each person. If your hair requires that extra coating that conditioner provides, it could include washing your hair with conditioner every night but only using shampoo every other day. A hair mask is a great idea to include in your hair care routine.

We have a morning hair care routine that involves moisturizing via leave in conditioner, brushing, and styling. After I brush her hair, I run my fingers through it to make sure that it’s properly moisturized.

Our nightly hair care routine consists of washing and conditioning. No heat is used. When I dry her hair, I never rub the towel all over her head. Instead, I gently move the towel in a motion from her scalp to the end of her hair squeezing as I go. This helps dry her hair without tangling it.

As you can see, I moisturize her hair at least twice a day. If something happens where she does not take a nightly bath, I use leave in conditioner or hair oil at night. Not only does this moisturize her hair, but it also helps prevent tangles!

In Conclusion

If you’re wondering how to take care of dry hair, remember that the key is to keep it moisturized. While I love Aussie leave in conditioner, hair oil might be better for your hair. Try them both. Consider what works best for your hair, and develop a personal hair care routine to keep your hair silky smooth.

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

© 2021 Amber Lynn

Comments

Iqra from East County on April 26, 2021:

I am very thankful to you Angel because these tips are very useful for my dry hairs, I must follow these tips. Blessings

Amber is a web writer whose articles focus on beauty, skincare, health, and wellness!

Why I Chopped My Waist-Length Hair

For years, I had hair that was gorgeous and long. My long locks were perfectly even with my waistline.

Then came the damage. I used an amazing curling iron daily. The results were beautiful, but the damage took its toll. Soon, those long locks began to break off mere inches away from my scalp.

I instantly quit styling my hair, but it was too late. The breakage continued no matter what I did. Six months later, the large chunks of broken hair had grown down to my chin. The remaining strands were stringy and the opposite of beautiful.

It was tough, but I decided to cut all of my hair in a short, bob-style haircut that was up to my chin. It was the shortest my hair has ever been, but it wasn’t that bad. There were so many great things about having short hair! On the other hand, there were a few downsides too. You’ll need to consider both the pros and cons of short hairstyles before chopping off your hair.

Advantages of Having a Short Haircut

When you opt to get a short haircut, you’re opting for one of the most low-maintenance hairstyles there is. There are quite a few great things about rocking a short haircut that you might not be aware of.

1. You’ll Spend Less Time in the Shower

The amount of time that we spend in the shower is unreal some days. Shaving everything feels like a marathon! Washing waist-length hair is quite a task too. Once you have short hair, you’ll instantly notice how much quicker your showers are.

2. Short Hair Has More Volume

I have naturally thick hair. When it’s long, it instantly appears thinner than it is due to the weight of my hair. The longer your hair is, the more weight there is that is preventing your hair from having a natural bounce. Once you have short hair, you instantly have more volume.

3. Less Shedding

One thing that everyone in my house seemed to appreciate was that I was no longer shedding. We used to find hairs everywhere. There was even one in the baby’s diaper once! I had no clue how they made it everywhere in the house. Shedding was never an issue when I had short hair.

4. Fewer Tangles

Long hair gets tangled all day long. The longer your hair is, the longer it takes to brush. Short hair, on the other hand, is easy to run a brush through in the morning. It instantly looks better as the day goes on instead of worse and takes minutes off your morning routine.

5. Little Kids Don’t Pull Your Hair as Often

Another great thing I noticed about having short hair was that it removed the temptation for my grandson to pull my hair. He barely seemed to notice that it was there! Now that it’s growing out again, he’s become fascinated with it once again. The length seems to really matter when it comes to small children.

6. Short Haircuts Are Easier to Style and Dye

Long hair is more difficult to manage. Short haircuts, by nature, are instantly easier to style. This is because you have less hair to work with. You’ll notice the same thing when you dye your hair. It doesn’t take as long, and it’s a lot cheaper!

7. Short Hair Looks More Stylish

Everyone seems to have long hair, but unless it’s styled daily, it looks the same on everyone. Short hair can make you stand out, which instantly makes you look chic and trendy. You don’t have to do anything to your short hair to get this effect.

8. It Feels Like Freedom

There’s something about cutting all of your hair off that is liberating. It instantly makes you feel free and fabulous. It’s as if cutting all the weight off of your hair is the emotional equivalent to cutting the dead weight out of your life.

9. Your Hair Will Instantly Frame Your Face

Keep in mind that this does not apply to short, Pixie hair cuts. (Three inches of hair will not frame your face.) If your hair is chin-length, it will instantly frame your face in the most adorable ways! You won’t have to style your hair or use certain tools to pull off that look, either.

10. It’s More Cost-Effective

Short hair is cheaper than long hair. Stylists won’t charge you as much for a trim or dye job. You don’t use as much shampoo or conditioner. If you use other styling products, such as leave-in conditioner, you will automatically use less of those as well. In the long run, this can save you a lot of money.

Disadvantages of Having a Short Haircut

Short haircuts are packed with advantages. From saving money to looking great, you can trust that there’s a short hairstyle for you. However, there are a few disadvantages that you’ll want to keep in mind before taking the plunge and chopping your hair off.

1. Limited Styling Options

I love to style my hair. Curling it and trying out new hairstyles is always my idea of a fun afternoon. That wasn’t an option with my chin-length hair. In fact, there were almost no hairstyles for short hair that I was in love with.

However, if you don’t care to style your hair, this might actually be a good thing! Styling options are so limited that you don’t have to be bothered by doing your hair.

2. Monthly Trims Are Necessary

If you want to keep your short hair, you’ll need to head to the salon every month for a trim. If you don’t, it’s going to grow back out quickly.

3. You Might Have to Style It Every Day

Styling isn’t necessary if you have chin-length hair. However, there are certain short haircuts that will require daily maintenance. For example, a pixie haircut always looks better when it’s properly styled.

4. You Can’t Pull It Into a Ponytail

There are certain days when you just need to pull your hair up in a ponytail. If you didn’t have time to wash it, and it can’t handle any more dry shampoo, a ponytail is your best friend. The same applies to bedhead, bad hair days, or any situation when your hair is not looking its best.

5. It’s Harder to Look Feminine

You can pull off a feminine look with short hair. However, I think it’s a lot harder when your hair is short. The shorter your hair is, the harder it is.

6. Short Hair Doesn’t Work With Every Face Shape

Long hair is great regardless of your face shape. Short hair is the opposite. If you have a round face with chubby cheeks, it can make your face look fat.

7. People Are Really Judgemental

Unfortunately, no matter what you do, people are going to judge you. Once you have short hair, people tend to judge you more. They think that you’re edgy and don’t listen to anyone.

I don’t think that you should make decisions based on what other people think. You should always be your own version of beautiful. However, I do think you should keep that in mind and be mentally prepared for it before cutting your hair.

8. Depending on Your Haircut, There Might Be an Ugly Grow-Out Phase

We all remember when having hair that was long in the front and a mere one inch in the back was the most popular hairstyle. The one bad thing about that hairstyle was growing it back out. The back of the hair wound up being just long tufts of hair that you simply could not style. Wearing a hat was your only option to cover it up.

Other haircuts, like a Pixie haircut, can land you in the same position. It typically happens when you’re in the middle of growing it out.

If you’re concerned about what your hair will look like when growing it back out, consider a bob hair cut. These don’t have an ugly phase.

9. Short Hair Is Colder

You never realize how much your hair helps you keep warm until you don’t have it anymore. Make sure that you pick up a hat and a scarf for the cold weather!

10. The Lack of Options Can Get Boring

For me, this was one of the biggest downfalls to having short hair and still is. You don’t have the same styling options that you do with longer hair. If you enjoy having different looks, it won’t take long for you to get bored with your hair.

In Conclusion

Short hair isn’t for everyone, but there are some people that love it. I’m not a huge fan of it on me, but I think some people look so much better with short hair. Make whatever decision you think is best for you. Remember that it’s okay if you hate it. Hair always grows back!

© 2021 Amber Lynn

Comments

Iqra from East County on April 26, 2021:

I love this article, yes short hair is not for everyone, but there are some people that love it. I have long hair and I like long hair. Thanks for sharing this useful info about Shorthairs.

I love to dye my hair all colors of the rainbow. I love all things vintage, and I enjoy creating art, taking photos, and doing it myself.

Clarifying Shampoo Works!

I’ve been dying and stripping my own hair color for the past eight years. In that time, I’ve experimented with a slew of color-removal techniques. Some are much harsher than others. More recently, I’ve become a huge fan of fading with clarifying shampoo.

It’s less harsh than using a color stripper and requires no extra effort than what you’d normally be doing, i.e., washing your hair! So far, I’ve used clarifying shampoo to successfully fade two bright, semi-permanent dyes. In this article, I’ll share my methods and photos.

What Is Clarifying Shampoo?

Clarifying shampoo is a product used to cleanse hair while also removing buildup of excess product and dye. As you use hair products and come into contact with hard water or chlorine, mineral deposits and chemicals begin to weigh your hair down. If your hair starts to feel lifeless and your normal shampoo isn’t getting the job done, it may be time to use a clarifying shampoo. The ultra-cleaning aspects of it make it perfect for someone who is aiming to fade a semi-permanent hair color!

How to Remove Hair Dye With Clarifying Shampoo

Step 1: Dye hair.

Step 2. Wash it.

Okay, it really is that simple. I typically dye my hair all different colors of the rainbow; I start with bright, deep colors and let them fade gradually over time. However, I usually only wash my hair once or twice a week. If I want the color to fade faster than that, I swap out my normal shampoo for the clarifying shampoo.

Pour a healthy amount into your hands and massage it into your scalp and hair. The bottom layers of my hair tend to hold color more than the top. Because of this, I pay extra attention to massaging it into the bottom so the color will hopefully fade more evenly.

Once I’m satisfied with my lather, I rinse it out. Warm water will help here, too, as it also assists in fading hair dye. If I’m really desperate to get a color out, I’ll shampoo twice, but if you do that, make sure to double up on the conditioner, too. I highly recommend using a leave-in conditioner after using a clarifying shampoo. We’ll go more into after-care below.

Things to Consider Before Using a Clarifying Shampoo

Don’t Expect It to Work In One Wash

Clarifying shampoo is a product that will work over time to fade color and remove buildup. Don’t expect it to work after one use! That being said, it’s a great alternative to using harsh chemicals and developers on your hair to remove color. You’re going to shampoo anyway, right? You might as well use a product that will speed up the fading process.

Clarifying Shampoo Can Dry Out Your Hair

This is a downside to clarifying shampoo; while it strips out all of the bad stuff, it also strips your hair and scalp’s natural oils. After using a clarifying shampoo, make sure you go back in with a conditioner, hair mask, or leave-in conditioner to maintain moisture.

You may have gotten a keratin or protein treatment at a salon before and noticed how light and healthy your hair feels afterwards. Chances are, the stylist first used clarifying shampoo to strip away all of the unwanted buildup. Then, the treatments can really soak in and keep your hair healthy!

Which Clarifying Shampoos Work Best (for Removing Hair Dye)

Well, a big thing to remember here is to make sure your clarifying shampoo label does NOT say “color-safe.” Kinda defeats the purpose, you know?

• Quantum Clarifying Shampoo, $9.99, Sally Beauty: This is my go-to clarifying shampoo. It’s inexpensive and works like a charm! After use, my hair feels so light and clean, not to mention detangled. All of the fade photos in this article were from using Quantum.
• Axe 3-in-1 Shampoo, $9.47, Amazon: Yes, this is a “men’s” product, but men’s shower products seem to be a little harsher, which is great for stripping buildup and color from the hair. Other 3-in-1s work well, too, like Arm & Hammer or Head & Shoulders.
• Attitude Clarifying Shampoo, $11.99, Sally Beauty: If you’re looking for all-natural products and willing to spend a couple more dollars, check out this brand at Sally’s! This shampoo is rich in antioxidants and hypoallergenic.

Post-Dye Removal Hair Care Guide

It’s important to put moisture back into your hair after using a clarifying shampoo. Make sure you use conditioner afterwards (I love Generic Brand Tea Tree and Lavender), or even a hair mask if you can. My favorite hair mask to use is Briogeo Be Gentle, Be Kind.

After using a clarifying shampoo once a week, I use a conditioner or mask in the shower. When my hair is damp, I use FoxyBae’s leave-in conditioner to rehydrate even more. The result is incredibly soft, shiny, detangled hair that is several shades lighter!

Other Tips for Removing Hair Dye

Of course, there are multiple ways to remove hair dye, but clarifying shampoo is, in my opinion, the easiest if you’re willing to take the slow road. I say, embrace the fade! If you’d like to speed up the process, consider the following.

• Spend time in the sun. Sunlight will naturally fade your dye!
• Hop in a pool. Chlorine has a way of pulling semi-permanent color right out.
• Shampoo with hot water. Both shampoo and heat help color to fade quicker.
• Stay conditioned. Pulling color out of your hair will dry it out.
• Watch videos on YouTube. There are SO many “guaranteed” ways to remove color involving things like dish soap, vitamin C tablets, baking soda, and more. Before using products that could be very harmful to your scalp and hair, I recommend watching videos of people using these methods before risking your own hair. Always do your research.

Easily Remove Hair Dye

Dyeing your hair truly is a commitment, but sometimes you just need to pull the color out. Clarifying shampoo is one of the safer, easier, less-expensive options. You’re going to wash your hair anyways, right? It’s a method I stand by for maintaining healthier, less-damaged colorful hair.

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

Amber is a web writer whose articles focus on beauty, skincare, health, and wellness!

Going from a medium-brown shade to platinum blonde hair was an unforgettable experience. I became a master of DIY hair care, including learning how to maintain platinum blonde hair.

Stylists are not lying when they say that this is a high-maintenance color. There are quite a few things that you’ll need to incorporate into your hair care routine, and you’ll need to put in some extra effort for your hair.

How to Care for Damaged, Bleached Hair

All bleached hair winds up being damaged. It took so many bleaching sessions to transform my hair from a brown to a white-blond that it was destined to be damaged. You’ll need to take special care to make sure that you don’t accidentally do further damage. If you don’t, your hair can wind up dead, and it’s impossible to recover from that.

Avoid Using Heat on Your Hair

Heat can damage your hair. If it’s already damaged, bleached hair, using any type of heat will make the damage worse. You should avoid using a hairdryer, curling iron, flat iron, etc. Eliminate heat treatments from your hair care routine if you can. Wash your hair in lukewarm water instead of hot.

If You Have to Use Heat, Purchase Heat Protectant Spray

For some events and hair types, you’re going to have to use heat. It seems like it’s simply unavoidable. In those situations, you want to use a good heat protectant spray. Heat protectant spray provides a protective layer over your hair so that you can get the look you want without the damage. I used Tresemme Heat Protectant Spray with wonderful results.

Only Wash Your Hair 2–3 Times Per Week

Washing your hair can be harsh for your hair. It strips your hair of the natural oils that it needs. Instead, implement a new routine that involves washing your hair the least amount possible. If you have naturally greasy hair, pick up some dry shampoo.

Focus on Repairing Your Hair

Once your hair is damaged, you need to change your focus to repairing your hair. There are a lot of products that you can use. Some people swear by oils and serums, while others are devoted to more natural remedies like coconut oil.

Personally, I used a leave-in conditioner every day. These are essential for adding moisture to your hair. If your hair is damaged, it’s more than likely too dry too.

Repairing damaged hair means that you should not be using cheap shampoo. If you can’t find an affordable brand for your hair type at a salon, consider other brands like Pantene, Whole Blends, or Aussie. These are all great for damaged hair, but they’re more affordable than professional products.

Always Use Conditioner

Conditioner is damaged hair’s best friend. Once your hair is damaged, it doesn’t have the protective outer layer anymore. The conditioner helps to restore that outer layer. It can coat your hair to provide additional protection until your hair is repaired, too.

Use Purple Shampoo Once per Week

If you recently finished dying your hair white blonde, you might not have noticed the brassy or yellow tones showing through yet. It can take a couple of weeks before you start to notice a yellow hue to your currently white hair. The purple shampoo has violet hues to counteract both orange, brassy tones, and yellow tones. If you use it once per week, you’ll never have to deal with your white hair slowly turning yellow or orange.

Prepare to Head to the Salon Every Few Weeks

If you’re dying your own hair, you’ll want a stockpile of bleach to maintain your hair. Those that prefer to leave it to the professionals will need to plan to head to the salon every 3–4 weeks. It doesn’t take long for your dark roots to start growing back in, and they grow a lot faster than you realize.

Avoid Excessive Sun Exposure

The sun gives off a lot more heat than styling tools do. Too much sun exposure can quickly damage your already damaged hair. It can help your yellow and orange tones come through quicker than they normally would, too. Consider wearing a hat if you’re going to be outside for long periods of time to minimize damage.

Final Tips to Keep Your Platinum Blonde Hair Healthy

To keep your hair platinum blonde and beautiful, you’ll need to:

• Avoid using heat
• Invest in a heat protectant spray
• Minimize damage from washing
• Use condition
• Use a hair mask
• Use purple shampoo
• Protect your hair from the sun
• Make sure you have time for touch-ups

If you follow these tips, your platinum blonde hair will be as beautiful as it was in the beginning until you’re ready for a color change!

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

© 2021 Amber Lynn

I love to dye my hair all colors of the rainbow. I love all things vintage, and I enjoy creating art, taking photos, and doing it myself.

Use All-Natural Henna Hair Dye to Color Your Hair

I’ve been doing at-home hair coloring for nearly 10 years now—with every type of dye under the sun. More recently, it’s been a lot of bleach and semi-permanent hair dye for fun colors. When my roots grow out, I start to notice how many greys have come in—and then it’s a mad dash to grab some more color.

Some people rock the grey hair, but there are many who also seek to cover it up. If that’s you, add henna to your list of dyes to consider. When your hair starts to grey, it tends to get wiry and brittle, so permanent dyes with chemicals dry it out further. The great thing about henna dye is that it is natural! The henna process has multiple steps, so make sure to read the whole tutorial below before starting.

What Does Henna Dye Do?

First of all, let’s talk about what you’re able to do with henna. Henna dye will only add color to your hair, therefore darkening it. If you’re looking to go lighter, that will absolutely not be possible with henna.

Henna shades are a mixture of different powders. The ratio can be pre-mixed, or you can use your own ratio to achieve different shades. The powders you’ll use are:

• Henna powder: This provides warm red and orange tones.
• Indigo powder: This contains blue and green tones and will neutralize henna's warmth to create varying shades of brown.

This tutorial will be based on dyeing gray hair brown with Moroccan Method International henna powder. They also have red, black, and blonde (this will not lighten, only enhance blonde hair) henna. The instructions for using red, black, and blonde henna are different—they actually have fewer steps as you are only working with one form of powder.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Dye Your Hair With Henna

Tools Needed

• Two non-metal mixing bowls
• Non-metal mixing spoon
• Plastic wrap or shower cap
• Gloves
• Towel
• Measuring cup

Ingredients

• Brown henna: One package of henna powder, and one package of indigo powder,
• 2 cups black tea: Strongly brewed and cooled down.
• Apple cider vinegar OR freshly squeezed lemon juice: This is if you’d like to deepen the color (max 3 tablespoons).
• 1 cup filtered warm water
• Optional clove, ginger, or cinnamon: To mask the strong smell of henna.
• Optional Euro Oil: To add moisture back into the hair (max 3 teaspoons).

Instructions

1. Add the brown henna powder to one of the bowls. The smell is terrible, so at this point, you may want to also mix in cinnamon, clove, or ginger. For a deeper tone, add in no more than three tablespoons of apple cider vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon juice. Be careful how much of these ingredients you mix; they have drying effects on the hair. They also increase how long you need to wait for the dye to release.
2. Slowly add in black tea, stirring it into the powder. Do not add all two cups at once. Gradually add more and more until the mixture is the consistency of pudding or yogurt. Ideally, it should not be runny. If you lift up the spoon, you do not want it to drip, but the mixture should be easily spreadable.
3. If you added vinegar or lemon juice, you may want to also drop in some Euro Oil at this point. It will help combat the drying effects of the henna but use no more than three teaspoons. Adding oil also dilutes the mixture and will increase the amount of time you need to wait for the dye to release. If you add too much oil, the dye may not stick to your hair.
4. Now, let it sit. Cover the bowl with wrap and set it aside for 8–12 hours while the dye releases (this may take up to 12 hours if you added in ACV/lemon juice and oil). As it gets close to the 8-hour mark, you should notice the color changing on the top of the mixture to a brown-red tone.
5. Next, get out another clean bowl and add the indigo powder. Take the warm water and add it in slowly, again until the mixture is a pudding or yogurt consistency.
6. Mix the contents of the two bowls together. If the consistency is too thick, add in a bit of warm water until it’s like pudding again. You’ll want to use this mixture immediately on dry hair—do not let it sit! Your hair does not have to be freshly shampooed, but it shouldn’t be caked with products or oil either. Ideally, you want to use henna a day after a wash.
7. At this point, you’ll want to apply oil around your hairline to prevent staining, and drape a towel around your shoulders. Apply the dye quickly and thoroughly working with small sections of hair, making sure to evenly coat each section.
8. Once the dye is applied, wrap your head with plastic wrap or put on a shower cap. The goal here is to keep the dye wet. It will not work if it dries out. You’ll want to leave the mixture in for 1–4 hours, but don’t go crazy and leave it overnight because it will likely dry and clump in your hair.
9. Rinse out the mixture with warm water, using conditioner if necessary. Do not shampoo for at least 24 hours! Your new dye should last for 8–12 weeks.

Which Henna Is Best for Grey Hair?

Honestly, any shade of henna can work great for covering grey hair, especially if you add a bit of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice to make the color more intense. Blonde and light brown henna can have similar effects that a toner would on blonde hair. The henna blends out the grey so it doesn't look as noticeable once grey roots start coming in. The lighter colors would definitely be easier if you have a full head of grey hair and want to do less upkeep.

That being said, traditional red, black, or brown work as well. Just check the reviews and before and after photos for the brand you choose if you want to be sure. The darker colors will definitely need upkeep if you’re working with a full head of grey hair—silver roots will definitely be noticeable.

FAQs

Is Henna Dye Good for Grey?

Yes! While the apple cider vinegar or lemon juice can be drying, it’s still preferable to harsh chemicals and ammonia that are present in normal box dyes. All of the ingredients in henna dye are natural, which is much better for greying, coarse, and brittle hair.

Can You Mix Box Dye With Henna?

Not always. Here’s why… Some henna dyes have metallic salts in them. These can enhance or change the color. They are fine on their own but start a chemical reaction when combined with the ammonia in hair dye. Your hair can quite literally start smoking and melt. If you have previously used henna dye and would like to revert back to box dye for whatever reason, wait at least four weeks after the initial henna process.

Now, if you wanted to put henna over previously dyed hair, it has the potential to turn green. This depends on the amount of additives in the dye and how much indigo you use. Some say that the greenish tone will fade out after a few days once the dye settles in, but you should always do a strand test just in case.

Tips and Tricks

Here are some tips to consider before dying your hair.

• You may have to apply more than once for darker colors. Dark brown, dark red, and black can sometimes need extra applications. You can apply as often as you’d like.
• Make sure your henna powder does not contain PPD (paraphenylenediamine). It can be very harmful to both hair and skin.
• Don’t apply on dirty hair. If your hair is oily or covered in product, it can block the henna from absorbing into your hair and make the color fade quickly.
• Follow the instructions for your brand. Not all henna dyes are created equal! This is the recommended process for Moroccan Method International—some dyes may recommend a shorter process.
• The color will darken for 2–3 days. After you rinse the dye out of your hair, it will continue to develop over the course of a few days. Don’t be alarmed! It’s just like a henna tattoo.

Warnings:

Henna Can Permanently Change Your Hair!

There are a couple of warnings to do with henna. First of all, it is a permanent dye. It will fade over time, but it will not completely leave your hair. The only way to truly be rid of it is to grow out your hair and cut it. Otherwise, you can continue to dye your hair with henna or wait at least four weeks and use permanent hair dye.

Henna Can Loosen Naturally Curly Hair

The next change affects those with curly hair. Henna has been known to loosen curl patterns. If you’re planning to use henna on curly hair, you can use alma powder to help retain some of the texture. Alma powder will also cool down the red tones in the dye.

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

Comments

MG Singh emge from Singapore on March 26, 2021:

This is a nice article and informative. I have never used Henna but many I know do.

Sp Greaney from Ireland on March 26, 2021:

I have heard of henna dye before but I have never used it. This is a really good guide as well. The tips you mention about adding the spices and apple cider is good too.

Tori enjoys experimenting with hair cuts and colors and sharing her knowledge.

A Long Bob Is a Timeless Hairstyle

Even though the Gen Z’ers like to dunk on Millennials for side parts and skinny jeans, the long bob haircut has stood the test of time. Anyone and everyone looks great with this cut whether it’s chin-length, medium-length, or shoulder-length. The long bob cut is easy to change to fit any style.

I’ve been changing my hair up since high school with interesting cuts and colors. When I get the urge to cut it, a long bob is one of my favorite choices.

Long Bobs in the Early 1900s

In 1909, the original short bob was born. The hairstyle was popularized by the first “celebrity hairdresser” known as Monsieur Antoine, who had a shop in Paris and said his inspiration was Joan of Arc. (Source, Source)

In the 1920s, many women favored this haircut in defiance of social standards of the time, which dictated that long hair was feminine and short hair was not. World War I had just ended, and most women's general sentiment was “Let’s live for now!” instead of continuing to follow social norms. This led to both shorter hemlines and shorter haircuts, which were not acceptable in society for many years.

Preachers demonized the haircut in their sermons, and in an effort to convince women to not cut their hair, conservative pundits spread rumors that a bob cut could lead to baldness and the growing of mustaches. In America during the mid-1920s, female teachers, secretaries, and department store workers were fired for going to work with bobbed hair. (Source)

Styles of the 1920s

The 1920s were a time of experimentation with the bob, and it could be worn in many ways. The traditional original bob, sometimes called the “Buster Brown,” was characterized by blunt cut fringe bangs and hair chopped just below the ears.

The “Charleston Bob” was a softer version of this haircut, characterized by soft waves and a side part. Women often took the Charleston bob and added finger waves too, which were a version of soft flat waves made with a wet comb.

For women who wanted the style but didn’t want to cut their hair, it became popular to create two braids, wind them up and pin them just under the ears to create the illusion of short hair, often called the “Earphone Style.”

Bobs of the 1940s Through the 1980s

Long bobs, or lobs, became popular during the 1940s and ‘50s when it became fashionable to keep hair longer again. Women of this era often styled a lob with victory rolls or soft curls.

In the 1960s, ‘70s, and ‘80s, lobs managed to stay in style with a few different additions. In the ‘60s and ‘70s, adding fringe and loose curls was most popular, while extra volume was the big addition of the ‘80s.

Resurgence of the Long Bob

The long bob made another appearance in 1995 with the debut of the tv show Friends. Jennifer Anniston’s haircut, which many refer to as the “Rachel” cut, took hold. Inspired by shag cuts of the ’60s and '70s and paired with highlights, it became a highly requested cut at salons in the ’90s.

The "Rachel" cut was designed by Chris McMillan of Estilo Salon in Los Angeles, who originally came up with the cut as a way to help Anniston grow out her bangs (source). Many women, including Anniston herself, said that the style was very hard to keep up and required a certain kind of styling to have the volume people wanted. It was nearly impossible for Anniston to get it looking just right without McMillan's help fixing it for her on set. Even with its upkeep issues, the style broke hair barriers in that it really has not gone out of style, and people are still asking for it over 25 years later.

A Long Bob Looks Great With Any Face Shape

Lobs look great with every face shape. They are also versatile in that you can part your hair in the middle or on the side, and it will still look great. If you’re still trying to decide between a long bob and other haircut types, it can sometimes help to know your face shape.

How to Determine Your Face Shape

You can determine your face shape by taking measurements of your face using a measuring tape. You’ll need to write down four measurements:

1. Face Length: Start at the center of your hairline and measure down to the tip of your chin.
2. Forehead: Start at the peak of one eyebrow arch, and measure to the other eyebrow arch.
3. Jaw: Start from the widest part of your jaw and measure across to the other side. Usually, the widest part of your jaw is about an inch below your ear, where you can feel the bone start to curve in to become your chin.
4. Cheeks: Start from the sharp bump of your cheekbone just underneath the outside of your eye and measure to the same spot on the other side.

Once you have written these measurements, you can determine which of the following face shapes fits you best.

• Round: Your face length and cheeks have a similar measurement that is larger than the forehead and jaw measurements. Additionally, you’ll notice your jawline is softer.
• Square: All four measurements come out to be about the same, and you’ll notice a sharper jawline.
• Oval: The face length measurement is longer than any other measurement, and everything else is similar in length.
• Triangle: The forehead is the largest measurement, followed by cheekbones and then jawline. The face length can be anything here.
• Heart: The forehead is wider than the jaw. Your hairline may form in a widow’s peak in the middle, and the line of your jaw is a little softer.

Are There Different Types of Long Bobs?

The short answer is YES! You can pair yours with bangs, waves, curls, or layers. Lobs can be symmetric, asymmetric, inverted, and more. A long bob is a great medium-length haircut with many different options to customize. Luckily, since this is one of my favorite lengths, I’ve got a few examples of different long bobs on my own hair that might help you decide what you like best.

Angled Bob / Asymmetric Bob

One of my favorite ways to wear a lob is with an angled cut. An angled bob, sometimes called an inverted bob, is where the hair is cut without layering, and there is a clear angled line from the back, which is shorter, to the front, which is longer.

It’s easy to get an angled long bob cut that is shoulder-length or medium-length. I’ve had it cut where the short part starts at the base of my head, and the longest part barely scrapes my shoulders. I’ve also had it cut like the photo above, where the short part starts at my shoulders, and the long part reaches below my shoulders. An angled bob is low maintenance and easy to grow out because it looks good at both shoulder-length and medium-length!

You can also pair an angled bob with an asymmetric cut beautifully, as my hairstylist did for me. An asymmetric bob adds some additional character to the cut. The only difference between an angled bob and an asymmetrical bob is that one side is longer than the other with an asymmetrical bob.

Layered Bob

Another popular way to wear a long bob is with layers or feathering. I’ve done layers with my long bob several times. A layered look is a very professional look and is also easy to maintain. My standard styling routine before I started dying my hair was to blow it dry, then use a round brush with the blowdryer to curve the ends a bit. A layered bob is perfect if you prefer symmetric haircuts. I normally part my hair to the side, but it is so easy to do a middle part with a symmetric layered bob.

If symmetry is your preference, make sure to part your hair the way you want it before you go to the salon so that the stylist can make the layering match.

How to Style a Long Bob

Long bobs are also so much fun to wear with curls. Because I dye my hair bright colors nowadays, I usually create heatless curls because I don’t want to damage my hair with a curling iron or straightener.

My favorite way to make curls without heat is using a Curl Scarf. A curl scarf makes it easy to curl your hair anytime because it looks like a cute headband—so you can wear it overnight to bed or while you’re out and about. After 6–8 hours, you’ve got pretty curls!

A long bob doesn’t have to be above your shoulders. You can also get one that comes just past! As seen in the photo above from when I had green and yellow hair, the long bob looks great if it’s just a bit past your shoulders too. In this picture, I did loose waves created again by the curl scarf but brushed out.

How to Talk to Your Stylist About Getting a Long Bob

A long bob is such a classic hairstyle that your hairstylist should be able to do it easily. You will definitely want to give specifics, though. You will want to decide some things before you go to the salon so that you can accurately describe your preferred lob cut to your hairstylist. Consider whether or not you want:

• Bangs and what length you'd like them to be
• Layers
• Feathering (like Farrah Fawcett)
• An angled cut
• A blunt cut (a straight line across)
• Shoulder-length or medium-length
• Asymmetrical or symmetrical

It may also help to bring a picture along. Search for your favorite celebrities online to see if they’ve had a long bob haircut that you would like to copy. If you plan to also have your stylist do color along with your haircut, make sure to bring ideas or sample color palettes with you so that you can ensure you get exactly what you’re looking for!

I love to dye my hair all colors of the rainbow. I love all things vintage, and I enjoy creating art, taking photos, and doing it myself.

Is It Possible to Bleach Your Eyebrows From Home?

The bleached eyebrow trend is among us, which has many people asking, "Can you bleach your eyebrows at home?" The answer is yes! If you’d like to soften a dark brow or even just lighten your eyebrows temporarily, this article has all of the information you’re looking for.

Bleaching your eyebrows at home is super simple. All you need is a bleach powder, 20 volume developer, gloves, an eyebrow brush, and a non-metallic bowl. I do recommend a tissue and vaseline to help protect your eyes and the skin around your brows—though these items are not absolutely necessary. Scroll down for a full tutorial, along with tips and safety precautions.

As the bleached eyebrow trend has been blowing up recently, I’d like to share my knowledge to help you achieve your brow goals! Bleaching your eyebrows is essentially the same process as bleaching your hair, but it’s much quicker and uses way less product.

Is Bleaching Your Eyebrows Safe? Risks and Possible Side Effects

So, I probably shouldn’t have to say this, but bleach is a chemical. Using chemicals on your skin and hair can result in burns, flaky skin, rashes, and fried hair. But hey, that doesn’t stop some people from using it anyways (myself included). There are ways to mitigate these risks when doing the job yourself, which I’ll go into below.

Here is your disclaimer—go to a professional stylist. Bleaching takes some getting used to, so if you’re not comfortable with it, don’t do it! That being said, some people are dead set on doing it themselves, so if you want to proceed, please do so with caution.

There are steps you can take to reduce the risks associated with bleaching at home. My number one recommendation is to never use a developer over 30 volume, and for this process, I’d actually recommend using only 10 or 20 volume developers. If your eyebrows aren’t lightened enough the first go-round, you can always wait a few days and repeat the process. This is obviously much better than burning your skin or frying your eyebrows.

What to Think About Before Bleaching: Tips and Considerations

Do your research first! Check out different bleached eyebrow looks on Pinterest and Instagram. Sleep on it. Hey, you could even test it out without actually bleaching or use a facial cream bleach that is less intimidating!

Test the Look First

If you’re not sold on the commitment of bleaching, there are several ways you can test out the look. (Hint: scroll down for the concealer method!) I’ve also included several methods that can lighten your brows without the use of bleach and developer.

Yes, Your Eyebrows May Turn Orange

When hair is lightened, it typically will turn orange and then go even lighter to yellow. Do not be alarmed if your eyebrows turn orange! It’s fixable, and it’s normal. If you find a blue-based bleach (like L’Oreal Quick Blue), it can actually help counteract the inevitable brassy colors that come with lightening hair.

Tip: Toning Eyebrows

I would not recommend using a toner/developer mixture on eyebrows because toner is very runny and could drip into your eyes. If you have already bleached to a light yellow and would like to tone, consider using a semi-permanent dye that doesn’t have any harsh chemicals. I’d recommend Manic Panic Virgin Snow or Arctic Fox Girl’s Night diluted with conditioner. These are very light, purple-toned dyes that can help to pull brassy, yellow tones out.

Consideration: It Lasts 4–6 Weeks

Before bleaching your eyebrows, consider that it will last for around 4–6 weeks. It is somewhat of a commitment. Yes, your natural eyebrows should grow back just fine, but if you don’t want to or aren't able to rock this look for around a month, use one of the temporary methods listed below!

Tutorial: How to Bleach Your Eyebrows at Home

This is a pretty quick process, but the steps are all very important—not only for your safety but also for your desired results!

Materials Needed

• Bleach: My go-to bleach is Ion Bright White Cream Lightener. Blue lighteners are also good; just check the reviews.
• Developer: As I mentioned earlier, I wouldn’t use higher than 10 or 20 volumes. My preferred brand is Salon Care Creme Developer.
• Mixing Bowl: Glass or plastic will do, but no metal!
• Gloves: ALWAYS use gloves when working with bleach.
• Eyebrow Brush or Spoolie: You can pick these up at your local beauty supply store.
• Vaseline or Aquaphor: This is to protect your skin.
• Tissue: This is for covering your eye while you apply bleach to the brow.

Instructions

1. Make sure your eyebrows are clean. No products!
2. Put on your gloves.
3. Add about one teaspoon of bleach to the bowl. Mix in one teaspoon of developer. The desired consistency is a paste—you don’t want the mixture to be too liquid or drip once you’ve applied it. Mix it thoroughly with your eyebrow brush.
4. Apply vaseline around the edges of your eyebrow, being careful not to get it onto your actual brow hairs. It will act as a barrier to keep the bleach off of your skin.
5. Cover the eye you are starting on with a tissue to ensure bleach does not fall into it (ouch!). Using your brow brush, apply the bleach mixture to your eyebrow against the grain of your hair. You want to make sure to cover the roots and coat the front and back of the hair.
6. Apply to the opposite eyebrow. (You can also do one eyebrow at a time.)
7. Let it sit for about 8–15 minutes, checking the lightness as you go. If your eyebrows are already on the lighter side, you don't need to leave the mixture on for as long. If you have very dark brown hair like me, it’ll probably be closer to 15 minutes.
8. If the mixture begins to dry, use your brow brush to apply a little bit more and keep the mixture wet. Bleach stops working when it is dry.
9. If you begin to feel any irritation, WIPE THE BLEACH OFF! Don’t continue if it is causing you pain or discomfort. It is not worth it.
10. When you are satisfied with the lightness, wipe the bleach off and rinse the area with warm water and a washcloth.
11. If your eyebrows are brassy or yellow, you can repeat this process to lift more color out. It’s important to give yourself time between bleaches because, again, chemicals.

Aftercare and Maintenance Tips

After bleaching, you’ll want to avoid using makeup or products around your eyebrows, as the skin will likely be irritated or red. To maintain the look, you can repeat the bleaching process when your dark roots start to show.

Can You Lighten Your Eyebrows Without Bleach?

The short answer is yes. If you’d like to bleach your eyebrows without using bleach, scroll down for various methods!

Fake-Bleach Concealer Method (Temporary)

This is a great trick if you don’t want to commit to bleaching or if you want to test how it might look beforehand! Use a peachy-toned concealer and an eyebrow brush.

1. Apply the concealer in the opposite direction that your eyebrows grow with the eyebrow brush. This covers the bottom side of the hairs.
2. Brush concealer on in the way you’d normally brush your brows. This covers the tops of the hairs.
3. Dust on some setting powder, and you’re good to go!

Hydrogen Peroxide Method

This is a great method to gradually lighten eyebrows and works especially well for those with sensitive skin. Use a q-tip to apply enough hydrogen peroxide to coat your brows, being careful not to drip it into your eyes. You can do this daily to slowly lighten your brows to the desired shade.

Chamomile Method

The chamomile method of lightening eyebrows is a natural, subtle way to go a few shades lighter. Mix equal parts of chamomile tea with lemon juice, and apply with a q-tip. This will generally work better if you spend some time in the sun.

Pencil Method

Very similar to the concealer method, this technique will require an eyebrow pencil that is several shades lighter than your actual eyebrows. Fill in your brows lightly, covering your natural color. It may be helpful here to use the pencil in the opposite direction of hair growth first, like with the concealer method, so that the roots of your eyebrow hairs are covered. Then, go back over in the direction that your eyebrows naturally grow in.

How Did the Bleached Eyebrow Trend Start?

This “trend” is more like an anti-trend in my eyes. It’s a shocking look and completely changes the look of the face. It's quite a stark contrast from the big, dark, bushy brows we’ve been seeing lately.

The bleached brow look is bold, daring, and really high-fashion. It’s spotted on runway models constantly, from Kendall Jenner to Bella Hadid, Irina Shayk to Lara Stone. Madonna rocked the bleached brow look in the ’80s, and musicians like Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, and Miley Cyrus have all been spotted with them. One thing is for certain; bleached brows always accompany a bold personality.

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

After two big chops, I'm committed to learning as much as I can about growing healthy natural hair.

The last place you would expect to leave crying tears of empathy and pure joy after a masterclass in vulnerability and authenticity is a get-ready-with-me-style YouTube video. The study of vulnerability, shame, and courage is more the domain of acclaimed researchers like Brené Brown who explains that “our sense of belonging can never be greater than our level of self-acceptance.” That quote from Daring Greatly, Brené’s book which I received as a birthday gift four years ago, changed my life, and admittedly, I have actively been searching for people who exhibit radical self-acceptance.

So, by the power vested in me after watching hours (more like days) of natural hair content on YouTube this year, I pronounce Kat Graham’s touching and teaching Natural Hair Beauty Routine video as the biggest natural hair moment of 2020. Here are the lessons and tips you and I can incorporate from this video at any stage of our natural hair journeys.

1. Your Natural Hair Flourishes Without Heat

Kat described her hair as healthy and she showed us how long it had grown after months of it not being straightened or exposed to heat. I am always skeptical of natural hair influencers who insist that you should never see your hair straight. Going natural is not some sort of punishment so you should be able to experiment and see your hair in as many styles as you imagine possible. However, heat damage is the usual suspect when people report having brittle, breaking, and unhealthy natural hair. Heat damage is caused by using too much heat on your hair and not applying any heat protectors when you do. I must confess that my love for straighteners and curlers was a major reason for both of my big chops. You’d think that I’d learnt my lesson after the first time.

2. Natural Hair Representation Is a Matter of Emergency

As an actress, Kat explained that afro-textured hair is not embraced in Hollywood and that she hopes to one day play a character that she actually looks like. We often celebrate diversity when we see people that look like us on the big screen. That progress should be applauded, but Kat’s words mean that there is a layer of representation that is still missing. Current racial diversity in Hollywood includes African American, African, or biracial actors while concealing their distinct features such as their hair texture. It is time for Hollywood to incorporate natural hair as an acceptable look on casting calls and auditions for African American, African, and biracial actors.

3. Harsh Protective Styling Can Be Damaging to Your Natural Hair

Related to the point on representation, Kat pointed out that as a job specification, wearing a lace front wig which needed to be glued on with cornrows and braids under it had been “hard on my hair.” Protective styling can be the key to growing natural hair and wigs are often a safe and fun way to experiment with color and other textures.

The dark side of protective styling shows up when braids and cornrows are plaited too tight or left in for too long, and wig glue and styling gel are not carefully removed. This can lead to matting and knotting of hair, breakage, and even premature receding hairlines or traction alopecia. All of these are not a good look and they are not what you want for your natural hair. The simple tip here is to be gentle and careful with your hair and place a time limit on protective styling.

4. You Don’t Have to Go on Your Natural Hair Journey Alone

The most memorable part of the video was when Kat shed a tear as she told us that her hairstylist encouraged her to nurture her own hair and left her with some conditioner just before the lockdown. She added that wearing her hair out had been therapeutic and her eyes lit up with excitement when she talked about being responsible for caring for her own hair.

I loved this moment because it reminded me of how something as simple as an affirmation from a friend about your hair can make you love and embrace it more. In a world where natural hair is not the gold standard so people feel more comfortable criticizing it than they do complimenting it, be the person who makes others feel good for wearing and caring for their natural hair.

5. Conditioning and Moisturizing Are Game-Changers

Kat listed leave-in conditioner, manuka oil, argan oil, and black rice oil as the products that showed that her hair would work with her if she didn’t give up on it. She also mentioned that curling custard defined her curls. I couldn’t agree more. Moisturized hair flourishes and all its curls and coils take center stage. After my second big chop, I swear by leave-in conditioner—it has made my hair more manageable and it gives me the confidence to show off my moisturized curls.

6. Your Hair, Your Rules!

This might be a rather puzzling lesson from someone who’s been extracting tips from a glimpse into someone else’s natural hair journey—it’s your hair so do what feels right for you. Kat said that her favorite hair concoction was one that she made herself—a mixture of mustard seed oil and Jamaican black castor oil.

As long as you are not actively doing something to derail your healthy hair journey, feel free to break the rules sometimes. Try washing your hair at a time that suits you best and mix oil combinations that you think will work for you. There are so many rules out there about what you should do to retain length, maintain lustre, and achieve your dream look. Take the helpful stuff from those lists but don’t let them turn your hair journey into some boring replica. Like Kat, take ownership of this journey and enjoy the ride to achieving your natural hair goals.

© 2020 Alundrah Sibanda

Justine works and writes from her home in Michigan. She loves to encourage others through her writing.

Is It Time to Change Your Hair Color?

Recently I’ve really been craving a drastic change. I have been getting sick of my drab hair color and wanted something more brilliant. My hair has mostly been a dirty blond my whole life but recently I began bleaching it and learned it's very hard to maintain blond hair. After bleaching, you need to tone, and tone regularly in the shower. It's truly hard work! But being a blond can be well worth it if you can keep up on it.

In the past, I’ve spent tons of money on purple toners, shampoos, and bleach in order to maintain my blond locks. After my most recent attempt to bleach, I noticed my hair was more orange than I wanted it to be, so I realized I needed to bleach again! Bleach does so much damage I just finally gave in and decided to try something darker. After buying several boxes of hair dye I finally settled on the perfect color. Let’s see if this box color can live up to my expectations.

The Salon Is My Enemy

Months ago I won a makeover from a local salon from my local radio station. Being a mom, I am too busy to put much effort into myself and I was excited to receive a new hairstyle. The day went and I sat down in a very young, barely twenty-something hairdresser's chair. She claimed to be a “color expert.” She had a very bubbly attitude and made me feel better as she chatted me up.

I told her how it’s been months of trying to get my hair to platinum blond in order to go silver which was my goal. She ensured me she could help me reach my hair goal. I told her I needed to lighten more on the top and I spent hours in the chair. But she didn’t use any bleach and I became skeptical she knew what she was doing. The salon owner even stated I needed to be two shades lighter to achieve this.

I sat in this chair for over four and a half hours. When I finally got to see the results I was devastated. It was months and months of trying to go platinum blond shot right out the window. My hair was brown on top and very grey at the ends. I was literally so sick of being there that I tipped her $20 and vowed never to return. And that was the last time I’ve ever been to a salon. This story brings me to my next question. Can box dye achieve better than salon results? At this point, I didn't have much to lose.

How to Use a Box Dye

After removing everything from the box. The first thing I noticed was that this dye comes with very nice black latex gloves, unlike the very ill-fitting, humongous gloves that some box dyes give you. The box includes developer, color booster, aromatic shimmer serum, shampoo, conditioner, and gloves.

As I began mixing the color, I realized the dye itself was actually bright red, this box dye is mostly red and with very little brown tones. I was nervous about the intensity of the red at first but now I am highly satisfied. I never really fell in love with boxed color, but this is changing my mind.

The bright red stains things very easily. Just be sure to cover your sink and be careful what you touch. Halfway through dying my hair, I realized red dye was beginning to stain my white sink. I wiped it right away and then cleaned it up later with Clorox bleach spray.

The color seemed to soak right into my thirsty dry hair. Only one box was needed for my shoulder-length hair, even though I bought two just in case. I let the dye sit in my hair for the recommended time of 30 minutes to develop. Then I showered to rinse it all out. It took a bit of time to rinse the color out because it is so intense. It was a few minutes before the water finally ran mostly clear. I used the shampoo and conditioner provided.

The Results

The results are amazing. Like I mentioned above, I was nervous about the bright red base of the color but it turned out to be absolutely gorgeous! My final verdict on this box dye is this, much better than box dyes I’ve tried in the past. It has natural highlights and is shinier than before.

If you are thinking about a change, you must embrace it and live your extra life! If you feel like trying something drastic don’t be afraid. Great hair color can completely change how you feel about yourself and can be a great reliever of stress, which I learned from one of my favorite social media personalities, Brad Mondo. Be a little extra like Brad Mondo says, and go for bold!

Want to hear candid views on products? You have come to the right place!

About The Body Shop

Started in 1976, The Body Shop was founded in Brighton (England) by Dame Anita Roddick. The company was based on the concept of ethically sourced and natural ingredients directly from the source and cruelty-free products. Today, the company has over 3000 stores and has over 1000+ products in its portfolio. The brand has its presence in over 65 countries and its popularity continues to grow.

About The Body Shop Banana Truly Nourishing Hair Mask

The hair mask is a vegan product meant to deeply nourish normal to dry hair. As the name mentions, banana is a key ingredient in the product formula. Apart from the banana puree, the formula also contains shea butter and brazil nut oil. Banana is a natural skin softener, and shea butter and brazil nut oil provide nourishment to the skin.

Ingredients

The product has the following ingredients:

Aqua/Water/Eau, Musa Sapientum Fruit Extract/Banana Fruit Extract, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Bertholletia Excelsa Seed Oil, Cetyl Alcohol, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter/Cocoa Seed Butter, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter/Shea Butter, Behentrimonium Chloride, Distearoylethyl Hydroxyethylmonium Methosulfate, Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter, Benzyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbitan Olivate, Cetearyl Olivate, Cetrimonium Chloride, Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Parfum/Fragrance, Tocopheryl Acetate, Diheptyl Succinate, Citric Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Isopropyl Alcohol, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Ascorbic Acid, Linalool, Panthenol, Tocopherol, CI 19140/Yellow 5, CI 15985/Yellow 6.

Price of the Product and Packaging

The product is priced at USD 18.00 for 8.2 OZ. (232 g). It comes in a black plastic tub packaging. The packaging is sturdy and is travel friendly. It's small and does not leak, making it really good for traveling.

The Product

The hair mask is a light yellow coloured cream. You can apply it easily on your hair with your fingers. The hair mask appears to be thick, but as soon as it comes in contact with damp hair, it thins out and is easy to apply. You also only need a small amount. The amount needed also depends on the hair of a person, whether it is long or short, thick or fine. The product smells like banana puree. After washing it out of your hair, the smell doesn't linger. The product leaves your hair shiny, soft and really smooth.

How to Use The Product

Like any other hair mask, the product is to be applied after cleansing your hair. I use it on damp, cleansed hair. I take some product on my fingers and run it throughout my hair. After 5–6 minutes, I wash my hair and let it dry. Then voila, smooth and shiny hair in minutes!

Pros of The Body Shop Banana Truly Nourishing Hair Mask:

• The hair mask leaves keeps the hair nourished and smooth.
• The packaging is travel friendly.
• The hair mask is easy to apply.

Cons of The Body Shop Banana Truly Nourishing Hair Mask:

• I feel that the fragrance of the product is a little too artificial, but it doesn’t affect the functionality of the product.

Personal Opinion

I have high praise for this hair mask. It has some great ingredients and does a good job at making your hair smooth and shiny. As discussed, the fragrance was the only drawback that I found. Other than that I feel the product is great. Would I recommend it? I would give a rating of 4.5 out of 5 for this hair mask. I will definitely be buying this again.

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

© 2020 PGupta0919

I've been dying my hair a variety of colors for the past few years. Here I review some of the more interesting dyes I've used.

About a year ago, one of my friends suggested I dye my hair red, which was quickly supported by the rest of my friends. I had wanted to dye it for a while but was having a hard time settling on a color. I thought red was a great idea and went out to buy one of the popular red dyes from Manic Panic. Little did I know at the time that the "permanent" in semi-permanent would be a sign for the months to come!

Dying My Hair

My hair-dying method is a bit unorthodox. Instead of using dye brushes, I put on disposable gloves and use my hands to apply the dye directly to my hair. It's a bit messier, but I find it easier to get to all of my hair with this method. After I was done, I waited about 40 minutes before I decided to rinse it off.

The shower quickly turned into a bloodbath! I turned the water temperature all the way down to freezing, but even then, red dye was coming out of my hair in buckets. It stained parts of the bathtub a pink color, which I was able to scrub off afterward. I waited under the showerhead for over 20 minutes, and still, red was coming out of my hair. Eventually, the water started running clear.

I let my hair air dry and took a look at the results a few hours later. I was expecting my hair to be much redder and thought I had washed all of the dye out! It was getting late, so I decided to go to sleep and evaluate my hair again the next day.

The Next Morning

The first thing I noticed upon waking up was that, the horror of horrors, I had stained my pillowcase! I hadn't had that problem before with other dye colors, but in retrospect, I probably should have slept with a towel under my head.

The color was much better than what I remembered from the night before. I have light-ish hair, which used to be a pretty solid blonde but is now slowly turning brown. But it's still light enough to dye without bleaching it first, which does mean that colors show up a little more darkly on my hair. This means that the Vampire Red dye was a slightly darker tone on my hair, but still pretty red. I was happy with the results!

The Next Few Months

You know how on the listing for Vampire Red, the informational section predicts that the color will last 4–6 weeks? Quite the contrary!

By my best guess, I would say that the dye lasted 6 months. That's not to mention the months after that where my hair was still tinged a reddish-pink color!

I was happy at first that the color was holding and that I wouldn't have to redye it anytime soon, but then gradually became irritated that I couldn't get the red out of my hair. The strongest reds faded after a few weeks, but the red itself stayed in my hair for a long, long time, but at more of a pink color than the red I wanted.

I got tired of the faded red, especially as I wanted to dye my hair another color. I scoured the internet for clues and found a variety of websites and forums where other people complained about the longevity of the Vampire Red dye. In many places, I found the same suggestion: Dandruff shampoo and baking soda.

Dandruff Shampoo and Baking Soda: Does It Really Strip Dyed Hair Color?

I was glad to have seemingly found a solution to my problem, so I went out and got a bottle of Head & Shoulders and some baking soda. Everyone seemed to have a different opinion on the ratio, so I just poured some of both into my hand while I was in the shower and mixed them together. I then massaged it into my hair and left it for about 15 minutes, and then rinsed it out. Afterward, I used conditioner in an attempt to keep my hair healthy.

A few hours after the shower, when my hair was finished air drying, I was disappointed to discover that it hadn't done much at all. Most people had reported that it had at least lifted the color somewhat, but my red tones hadn't budged an inch.

Every day after that, I kept trying. I tried out different ratios of shampoo to baking soda, leaving it in for longer before rinsing, applying it multiple times in the same day, but to no end. The red simply refused to go. After a few weeks of no results, I gave up.

The Aftermath

In the end, I simply had to wait for the red to fade naturally, which it did, months and months after I first applied it. Towards the end, the light red tones looked pretty cool in my hair, but it wasn't really worth the months of a more pinkish color that I didn't really want.

Maybe the dandruff shampoo and baking soda trick works for other people, but for me, it probably just ruined my hair health without bringing about any results. Perhaps it works better on less intense hair dyes.

In the end, I have mixed feelings about Vampire Red. It looks pretty great when you first apply it, but then you're locked into whatever colors it fades to since it's so hard to get rid of without getting it professionally removed. It's good if you want a long-lasting dye; however, it didn't really work out for me since I like the dependability of being able to change my hair color every so often. Ultimately, it's a fine dye, but I'll be looking into other reds if I choose to dye my hair that color again anytime soon.

Maffew is a hairdresser, marketer, and dabbler in many things who enjoys sharing knowledge about the science of hair coloring and hair care.

Is your hair frizzy, curly, and difficult to manage? A keratin treatment is one of the best ways to smooth out and transform the texture of your hair, but it's not only effective as a straightening treatment.

Keratin treatments are versatile and have several advantages over the other kinds of long-lasting straightening available. This article will help you learn everything you need to know to decide if it's the right product for you, and even how to save significant amounts of money and time by applying the treatment at home.

How It Works

Your hair is composed of a protein called keratin that gives it structure, but it's the presence of bonds between each protein that gives your hair strength and shape. Hair that has a lot of bonds between cysteine amino acids—disulfide bonds—tends to be not only stronger but curlier.

Unfortunately, cysteine and the bonds it forms are very susceptible to damage from the oxidation of hair dyes, bleach, and other treatments, weakening your hair. This is why a keratin hair treatment is so useful though.

Keratin treatments create new bonds and repair the bonds that were previously broken by damage. This has two beneficial effects: setting your hair into a new texture, and repairing the damage.

After treatment, your hair will be smooth, straight, and left in better condition than before the application. This can last several months if performed properly

Benefits

Keratin hair treatments have numerous benefits, and some of these benefits are unique to this kind of straightening. A keratin treatment can:

• Straighten and smooth out frizzy hair
• Add shine and a soft texture to your hair
• Repair damage
• Improve porosity and hair strength
• Make your hair significantly easier to style

Unlike relaxers, keratin hair straightening can be used on damaged hair. In fact, it is the ideal method of straightening colored hair for this reason. While thermal conditioning is also usually safe to use on previously dyed hair, keratin straightening can be performed even on severely damaged hair.

It also has a more natural smoothing effect. Specific treatments designed for curly or wavy hair can help to reduce frizz significantly without removing too much of your natural curl. With either use, whether to straighten completely or just smooth curls, the treatment makes your hair easier to style. It also helps to equalize porosity by filling in gaps in the protein structure that would soak up too much dye when you color your hair.

Cost

Keratin treatments are time-consuming to apply, and this factors into the cost if you prefer to have them applied in a salon. Expect to pay at least $200, likely more depending on factors like how long and thick your hair is, the experience of the stylist performing it, and whether you need any other services performed at the same time.

The treatment can be applied at home relatively easily, however, and this can save you up to a few hundred dollars if you're confident in your ability to apply it. If in doubt, find a reputable salon that uses a quality brand like Goldwell Kerasilk.

Application

Your stylist will assess your hair before the actual application to determine which treatment will best serve your needs depending on how smooth and straight you want your hair to be, and how coarse and thick your hair is in texture. Very coarse or curly hair can require a stronger formulation and longer application time.

Careful assessment is the best way to guarantee a great result and it should never be skipped.

Pre-Treatment

Your hair needs to be thoroughly shampooed with clarifying shampoo before a keratin treatment is applied. This strips out oils, minerals, and hair product buildup to ensure the treatment will work properly. If your hair isn't fully cleaned like this, the results may be uneven or impaired.

Applying the Treatment

Once your hair has been shampooed and the right treatment has been selected, the application can begin and this is the start of a rather long process that can take 1–2 hours to complete entirely. Your stylist will start by lightly drying your hair and then apply the keratin treatment onto it quickly and evenly while it's still slightly damp.

The treatment needs to sit for about 15–20 minutes to process, and this is when it will start to build new bonds in your hair.

Blow-Drying and Ironing

Heat is the most important catalyst in a keratin treatment, and your hair will need to be blow-dried and straightened with a flat iron after processing. Blow-drying needs to be done in the direction of the hair growth, using a concentrator nozzle to confine the area that the hot air flows and smooth your hair out flat.

For most products, your hair won't be rinsed before this step as that dilutes the strength of the treatment significantly. Some products for home use do get rinsed at this point, and treatments like this will be less effective on coarse or curly hair.

Final Steps

The keratin treatment will need to be left in your hair for at least 1–2 days, preferably up to 72 hours before you can rinse it from your hair. During this time, you will also need to keep your hair straight and avoid getting it wet. If it does get wet accidentally, this won't be harmful but it may affect the quality and durability of your results.

Keep a close eye on how your hair looks during this time and be sure to re-straighten any areas of your hair that aren't perfectly smooth at any point. See the video below for a great look at how the entire process will be performed in-salon.

How to Apply a Keratin Treatment at Home

Keratin hair treatments are easy enough to apply at home and this can save a substantial amount of money. If you'd prefer to go this route, you should still pay more for a quality product.

Treatment Safety

Only use products based on glyoxylic acid. If the treatment contains formaldehyde or methylene glycol like the old Brazilian blowout-styled products, avoid it completely. Most manufacturers don't use these variants of formaldehyde anymore, but you still need to be aware and check ingredients lists because this kind of treatment, while effective, releases noxious fumes.

However, even the newer, milder treatments release some fumes, so treat the product like you would dyes or bleach and always ensure that there is adequate ventilation where you use and apply the treatment. If you have asthma or other respiratory conditions, discuss with your doctor first before either home or salon use.

Application Steps

Now that the safety is out of the way, applying a keratin hair treatment is the same process whether at home or in a salon.

1. Wash your hair with clarifying shampoo first.
2. Towel dry and then lightly blow dry until just damp.
3. Apply the treatment slightly away from the scalp and smooth it through your hair, keeping your hair flat and straight afterward.
4. Blow-dry your hair meticulously in sections along the direction of hair growth.
5. Straighten your hair in sections until it is perfectly smooth.
6. Allow the product to finish setting into your hair over up to 72 hours, keeping it smooth and dry until that point, then shampoo it out.

Aftercare and Maintenance

Aftercare is important following any keratin treatment. How you care for your hair from this point on will determine how long the effects last, and the treatment requires you to do a few simple things to achieve this.

To maintain a keratin hair treatment:

• Avoid salt water and products containing sodium lauryl sulfate whenever possible. These compounds decrease how long the treatment lasts by stripping it out of your hair quicker.
• Use a keratin shampoo and conditioner. Products designed for your treated hair help to infuse a little more keratin back into the hair every time you wash it, prolonging the effects. They're also free of ingredients that could be detrimental to the treatment.
• Don't dye your hair for 2 weeks after treatment, though it's fine to dye it immediately before the treatment is used. Using dye or bleach too soon afterward will decrease its durability.
• Protect your hair from excessive sunlight exposure or pool water.

Other general hair care can also help to prolong the effects, including the use of leave-in conditioners and serums to keep your hair hydrated and protected from humidity and heat from styling tools if you use them.

Alternatives

While keratin treatments are highly effective and easy to use—albeit time-consuming—they are one of three different kinds of chemical straightening that can be used to get long-lasting results.

The other two options consist of thermal reconditioning and relaxers. These are permanent treatments but can cause damage to your hair and can't always be used on hair that has been previously dyed.

If you have extensively dyed or damaged hair, a keratin hair treatment is the better choice for you, while the other two options are better if you don't dye your hair as often and want permanent results that won't gradually wash out. They also both produce completely straight hair compared to the softer effects of keratin.

• What is Japanese Hair Straightening?
  Want to know more about thermal reconditioning, also known as Japanese straightening? You can find it here and decide if it's the right choice for you.

Silky, luxurious hair is something widely sought after and you deserve to feel great about the way yours looks. With a little time and effort, you can use keratin straightening to eliminate frizz and get the hair you really long for.

Have a question about hair straightening or a favorite product to recommend? Leave a comment and share your insight with other readers.

© 2020 Maffew James

Maffew is a hairdresser, marketer, and dabbler in many things who enjoys sharing knowledge about the science of hair coloring and hair care.

Japanese hair straightening is a method of permanent hair straightening that has become popular around the world in recent years. The treatment can give you beautiful, flawlessly straight hair, but is it the right choice for you?

This article will tell you everything you need to know about this popular straightening treatment, including how it differs from the other available options and how it is performed.

What Is It?

Curly and wavy hair look that way because disulfide bonds cause the structure of your hair to curve back towards itself. These kinds of bonds are present even in naturally straight hair, where they are also responsible for much of your hair's strength. It's the amount and position of bonds, rather than presence alone, that determines its texture.

Also known as thermal reconditioning because of the way it is applied, Japanese straightening uses ammonium thioglycolate to break these bonds so that they can be reset in a way that creates straightened hair.

Benefits and Drawbacks

Japanese hair straightening works in a very similar way to relaxers, but unlike traditional hair relaxers, it uses a different active ingredient to straighten your hair. This makes the treatment, milder, safer, and much less damaging for your hair.

The major benefits to this kind of straightening include:

• Less damage
• Perfectly straight hair that doesn't curl in response to water or humidity
• A smooth texture, making your hair easier to style
• Permanent results that don't wear off or wash out over time
• Can usually still be performed on dyed or lightened hair

Benefits

Compared to a relaxer, Japanese hair straightening only mildly damages your hair and you can generally still apply the treatment even if your hair has been colored in the past. Of course, a proper assessment is necessary before application to ensure your hair is in good enough condition for this.

You can also still dye your hair after straightening it, as long as you aren't too aggressive with the number of color changes you want to make. Regular relaxers multiply the damage of any dye that is applied afterward. Japanese straightening does this too, but only to an extent slightly higher than normal, making it a better choice if you color your hair.

Your hair will maintain incredible smoothness and a sleek, straight finish permanently following the procedure. Unlike a keratin treatment, Japanese hair straightening doesn't diminish over time. Previously straightened hair will remain that way permanently while new regrowth will have to be treated again after several weeks to maintain the effect as your hair grows.

Overall, this kind of straightening is a great option to keep a sleek hairstyle with minimal damage while retaining the ability to change your hair color. If you want to wear curls or waves sometimes, you can still do this temporarily using a straightener or curling rod.

Drawbacks

As with any other straightening treatment, there are also drawbacks to its use that you need to be aware of before deciding if the procedure is right for you. While you can dye your hair before and after straightening, the amount of damage is compounded slightly compared to natural hair, and the treatment itself adds a small amount of damage to your hair because it breaks bonds.

Japanese straightening has drawbacks of being:

• Somewhat damaging
• Very costly
• A long application time
• Difficult procedure requiring a salon visit
• Unsuitable for very damaged hair

Unless you're very experienced in the use of relaxers and can ensure that you use them properly, this kind of straightening treatment shouldn't be applied at home and this, combined with the long time required to perform the treatment, makes it very costly.

Cost

Thermal reconditioning costs a lot. Salons charge several hundred dollars for the treatment, and this can vary based on the amount of experience your hairdresser has with the treatment and other factors like your hair length and thickness.

Most of this exorbitant cost is the result of the difficulty and time involved because while you can technically apply it at home at a fraction of the cost, you should only do this if you have extensive experience with relaxers. Used incorrectly, the treatment can damage your hair severely and cause chemical burns or damage to your eyes. When in doubt, avoid use.

In the hands of a professional, however, it is a very mild and safe way to straighten your hair, albeit pricey.

Japanese Straightening vs. Keratin Treatments vs. Relaxers

Of the three available options to chemically straighten hair, thermal reconditioning is the best option for hair that is either natural or minimally dyed.

If you dye your hair extensively or have severely damaged hair, a keratin treatment is a much better option that is safe to use on your damaged hair. In fact, it reverses the damage. The drawback is that it only lasts a few months and requires a lot more maintenance.

Traditional relaxers should generally be avoided in most cases because the Japanese straightening method supersedes them. You can use the table below to gain a better understanding of how all these treatments compare.

How It Is Performed

After assessing your hair condition, your hair will be gently shampooed and then given a pre-treatment to improve the results and ensure any potential problems like previous damage are addressed first. Stylists highly experienced in Japanese hair straightening will look at many sections of your hair to get a good idea of how each area will react to the product and adjust their application based on what they notice.

Treatment Application

Once your hair has been pre-treated, the thermal reconditioning treatment will be applied quickly and evenly. Application speed is critical to results because the hair it is applied to first will be exposed for longer, increasing the risk of damage. The treatment is left in your hair for a period of time after this, depending on how curly and coarse your hair is and the bonds will start to be broken.

This alone isn't enough to get your hair straight through, as these bonds will gradually reform. To prevent them from reforming in the wrong way, your hair will be rinsed and then blow-dried and straightened meticulously, similar to how a keratin treatment is applied.

The blow-drying and iron-straightening part of the procedure is where the bulk of the time and cost occurs because the way it is handled will directly influence the final result. Your hair must be dried smooth in the direction of growth, then every section needs to be straightened perfectly to lock in the precise position for new bonds to form.

These new bonds will make your hair permanently straight if applied correctly and your hair will then be neutralized for a period of time using hydrogen peroxide to set them in place. Following this, drying and flat-iron straightening occur yet again, and you will need to maintain your hair in this straightened style for several days before washing, which is again, a lot like the method for using a keratin treatment.

Aftercare and Maintenance

Hair that has been treated with Japanese hair straightening needs to be kept straight and smooth for a period of up to three days following the treatment, but there isn't any specific hair care regime required after that. This is different from a keratin treatment where you need to use specialized shampoo and conditioner and avoid certain things like saltwater to extend how long it lasts.

With that said, there are definite things you can do to keep your hair in good condition and this will help to make your new straightened hair look even better. Aftercare can include:

• Protein treatments to reverse the damage
• Conditioning treatments to make the hair feel silkier and alleviate dryness
• Hair products like serums to make your hair glossy

You can style your hair in any way you want, including curls or waves using a curling rod or flat iron if you would like to bring back some curl temporarily, but you should always use a heat-protectant spray before using any form of heat-styling to prevent further damage.

You do need to avoid extensive use of dyes or bleach, however. Hair that has been smoothed with Japanese hair straightening can be dyed, but you should keep this to a minimum and only if your hair is still in good condition. Always assess the health of your hair before applying any further chemical treatments.

Japanese hair straightening is the best way to get permanently straight hair with minimal damage, but it's not for everyone. The treatment is costly and time-consuming, making it one of the most extreme processes you can put your hair through. If you've decided to try it though, you can rest assured that it will give you smoother hair than you've ever imagined you could have.

Have a question about permanent straightening or a particular treatment? Leave a comment to share your insight with other readers.

© 2020 Maffew James

Maffew is a hairdresser, marketer, and dabbler in many things who enjoys sharing knowledge about the science of hair coloring and hair care.

Dry hair is a common problem that can occur due to many reasons and this affects how it is treated. Treatments for one cause won't necessarily improve the hydration of your hair if your dryness is the result of a different cause, making it important to understand what is contributing to the condition of your hair to fix it.

By assessing your hair and giving it the care it needs, you can ensure it feels silky and smooth at all times.

Causes

The causes of dry hair are numerous, and you may be experiencing more than one. Some of the major problems include:

• Damage
• Washing your hair too much
• Failing to condition your hair properly
• Heat-styling
• Use of hair products containing alcohols
• A lack of natural oil production

Hair Damage

Damaged hair is prone to dryness because the structural integrity is weakened and cuticles that line the surface of each hair become jagged or outright destroyed. Damage to the structure of the hair affects the protein and bonds within the hair, preventing it from holding moisture in the correct areas for optimal elasticity, while damaged cuticles prevent your hair from sealing properly and give a rough texture to the surface.

In most cases, if your hair is only mildly damaged, your dry hair is the result of cuticle damage and the structure will still be intact. Moderate or severe damage is affected by both, and this makes it more difficult to treat effectively. In either case, the more cuticle damage you have, the rougher, drier, and frizzier your hair will appear and it will also be less responsive to treatments.

To determine whether your dry hair is being caused by damage, you need to consider the kinds of chemical treatments you've subjected it to in the past, as well as how you style and care for it. If you've bleached, dyed, or relaxed your hair in the past, chances are that this is either one of or the sole contributing factor to your dryness.

Hair that is damaged will also snap more readily, may suffer from more split ends, and feels less smooth. If it stretches apart when pulled gently while wet, that is a sign of severe structural damage. You can use this test to gauge how much damage is present based on the elasticity loss.

Shampooing Your Hair Too Frequently

There is no hard rule for how often you should wash your hair because it's dependent on factors like your natural oil production, what products you use, and how dirty it gets. Over-washing is a significant cause of dry hair though, and this needs to be ruled out before you can determine anything else.

Unless your hair is naturally very oily, daily shampooing is too frequent. Most people benefit from washing their hair every second day instead, while you may even only have to wash it every third day if you don't produce a lot of oil. Try a different shampoo regime first to rule this out as the cause. Either shampoo less frequently for a week, or switch to a milder shampoo designed for dry hair.

One of the best indications that you're washing your hair too often or with a shampoo that is too strong is if your hair is dry the day of shampooing and then starts to settle down by the next day. This occurs because oils have been able to build up and moisturize the hair in this time, alleviating the dryness.

Lack of Conditioner

Your hair needs conditioning every time it is washed, and often even between those periods with other conditioning products like leave-ins if your hair isn't naturally oily. Dry hair may be the result of using a conditioner that is too weak, using it infrequently, or not using one at all.

Heat Styling

Styling your hair with heated appliances like straighteners can make it look great, but the high heat also dries your hair out. If you use tools like this, it is easy to determine if they are the root cause of dryness by avoiding their use for a period of time and seeing if the condition improves.

Hair Products

Hair products can also be the cause of dry hair, especially if they contain alcohol because this readily evaporates off your hair, taking moisture with it. Hairsprays are the worst offenders in this case and can dry your hair out a lot if you use too much of them.

Check the ingredients of each of your regular products and consider running a test period of no use to rule them out as causes of the dryness.

Natural Oil Production

Your hair is moisturized naturally with a waxy oil called sebum and the production of this can vary widely between different people. To determine whether you have naturally dry hair, assess your hair together with the condition of your skin and lips.

If you experience dryness in these areas too, this is a reliable sign that impaired oil production is to blame. Sometimes this can be the result of medical conditions, but it is also normal for some people to have less natural oil than others.

It's more likely to have a medical reason if it has changed suddenly or is occurring in combination with other symptoms. See your doctor if you think this is the case because it can be an early sign of conditions like hypothyroidism.

Treatment

Once you've understood and identified the contributing factors, it's relatively easy to treat dry hair with products and a hair care regime that matches your needs. In cases where your hair dryness can't be fixed, it can still be minimized significantly.

Treatments for Every Situation

Even if you don't know what is causing your hair dryness, this isn't a major problem. You can still fix dry hair, but doing so is slightly less effective if you're unable to identify the root cause. There are several treatments that will work to reduce the dryness of your hair regardless of the cause.

Conditioner is the most important as it restores oils to your hair after washing and sets the foundation for other treatments. Ideally, you should use a high-quality, heavy conditioner if suffering from dry hair as this will help the most. Regular conditioner is only for regular hair and won't have a strong enough effect.

Another product that can be used to fix dry hair is a hot oil treatment. This is a very strong conditioning agent that can moisturize your hair significantly when used in place of your conditioner, but it should only be done a few times a week at most as the product can build up and cause your hair to look and feel too oily if you overuse it.

Leave-in conditioners and sealing treatments are some of the most effective products to use between washes to treat and prevent dry hair, as are hair serums and oils. To get the best results, use a high-quality serum like Redken All Soft on damp, towel-dried hair, then again on completely dried hair before styling.

Products like this help to moisturize your hair and will work no matter what the cause is, but you should aim to address the root cause of dryness if at all possible because doing so will produce the best result.

Shampoo Usage

If the way you wash your hair is a major cause of your hair dryness, you can address this by reducing how frequently you wash your hair, switching to a milder shampoo that is designed for dry hair, or both. Always follow up with a high-quality conditioner to ensure that you restore moisture to your hair after washing it.

In situations where you have oily hair but tend to suffer from dryness immediately after shampooing until those oils accumulate again, this method can lead to your hair feeling oily so it is better to wash your hair normally and use leave-in conditioner between washes to treat the dryness instead.

Styling

To fix dry hair caused by heat-styling doesn't require you to discontinue the use of your curling rod or straightening iron. You do need to use a heat-protectant product from now on, however. Consider also adding a serum or leave-in spray conditioner after styling as this will help to return any lost moisture caused by the heat.

Products

Avoid the use of any product containing alcohol if possible because products like this will strip moisture out and even exacerbate dryness caused by other factors. Products that you can use without issue include:

• Most alcohol-free hair products
• Hair serums
• Hair oils
• Conditioning agents

These kinds of products help to reduce existing dryness and help to prevent it from reoccurring by maintaining the correct moisture balance inside the hair.

Fix Damaged Hair

If you have any structural damage to your hair, this needs to be dealt with as a priority because it will make a huge difference to the condition of your hair. Damaged hair can be repaired with products like protein treatments, keratin treatments, and bond rebuilders, but there is no way to restore destroyed cuticles, unfortunately.

If you have severely damaged hair cuticles, this is simply something you need to tolerate until your hair eventually grows out. You can treat the problem symptomatically, however. To replicate the function of the cuticles, use a sealing treatment or hair serum after washing your hair and then again after styling.

Both of these kinds of products work to lock hydration inside the hair shaft and prevent it from escaping and leading to dryness.

• How to Repair Damaged Hair Properly
  If you need more information about repairing your hair, you can find it here.

It feels great to have soft, beautiful hair and you don't need to tolerate dryness or rough texture in your own locks. By assessing the condition of your hair and adjusting your hair care routine to quash it at the source, you can fix dry hair and make it feel great again.

Have a question about the condition of your hair, or how to improve the way it feels? Leave a comment and share your insight with other readers.

© 2020 Maffew James

Maffew is a hairdresser, marketer, and dabbler in many things who enjoys sharing knowledge about the science of hair coloring and hair care.

Have you ever wanted to have cotton candy colored hair? Pastel hair colors are not only fashionable but also incredibly fun and diverse, allowing you to create unique, modern looks.

What Is It?

Pastel hair is any style that makes use of muted colors dyed over a base of pale hair for a subtle but colorful and unnatural look. As these styles are fairly light, any fading tends to take a lot of the color with it and pastels need more maintenance than most other hair colors to continue looking good.

The style is generally only going to be a good fit for you if you have enough time and motivation to devote to proper upkeep as not only is regular color refreshing necessary, but being a light shade also means most people will have dark roots growing in that need attention every few weeks.

How to Achieve the Look

To get pastel hair you need to start from a pale blonde base. Even natural blondes often don't have light enough hair though—most people will require some amount of lightening to achieve the style unless they already happen to have platinum hair.

If you have dark hair, you'll need to approach the process in two steps, which are:

1. Pre-lightening your hair
2. Dyeing your hair with pastel dye

Pre-Lightening Hair

Most of the different shades of pastel hair require a platinum blonde base and this means your hair needs to be either pre-lightened to a pale yellow or naturally platinum blonde, to begin with. Some shades can work on slightly darker hair depending on what color you want to use, but even that doesn't give very much leeway since you'll still need hair that is close to platinum even for those shades.

If you don't already fit these criteria, you'll need to lighten your hair with bleach and this will require a few items to ensure everything goes smoothly:

• High-quality hair bleach
• Developer
• A tinting bowl and brush
• A comb and gloves

Lightener and Developer

Due to needing a very pale base to work with before dyeing your ideal pastel shade, a high-quality bleach product should be used. Cheaper generic products have more potential to cause damage or lighten inconsistently and less thoroughly and this is something you want to completely avoid as any inconsistencies in the application or processing will show through to the final color as unevenness or too much dark pigment left for the shade to show.

Where possible, use a salon-branded powder lightener on dark hair. If you already have light hair, to begin with, but not pale enough for pastel yet, you may prefer to use a cream or oil-based lightener because these products are gentler on hair that doesn't require as much raw power in terms of lift. These kinds of bleach products should only be used if your hair isn't starting from a darker shade, however.

As a general guide:

• Salon powder bleach with 20 vol developer can lift 7–8 levels which are enough to take dark brown hair to platinum in one process
• Generic powder with 20 vol developer can lift 2–3 levels or 3–4 levels with 30 vol
• Salon cream and oil lighteners are more variable as some products can still lift up to 6–7 levels but in most cases, you can expect a lot less lift in exchange for a gentler process with less scalp irritation

• Choosing the Best Hair Bleach
  If you need some helping choosing the right product to lighten your hair properly, you can find it here.

Tools and Assistance

There are two main reasons pastel hair tends to turn out incorrectly, namely that the hair is left too dark or uneven. In light shades like this, any patchiness due to a clumsy application will be visible even if it's only slight. Getting a completely even and consistent lightening of every hair section is paramount to the perfect result.

For this reason, you will benefit greatly from using a tinting bowl and brush to apply your lightener product to sectioned hair. While doing this will speed up your application, you should also get a friend to help if you still can't do it quickly enough as this will effectively halve the time it takes to get your hair covered in lightener and will also provide another set of eyes to check over the process and ensure that no spots are missed.

Sectioning Hair

Sectioning out your hair is very simple for this process as you can just use quadrants. These are easy to create by parting your hair twice—once straight down the middle and again along the top from ear to ear. This will give you 4 square sections of hair to work with systematically.

Preparation

If you have all your tools ready and your hair sectioned, the last step before you can begin lightening your hair is to prepare your bleach mixture. To do this you'll need to mix the product with developer in the recommended ratio of the manufacturer for the brand you're using.

In situations where there is a variable ratio that can be used, such as with Wella Blondor, more developer leads to a runnier consistency. This can make it easier to get even coverage and work more rapidly, but it also has more potential to be messy if you're not confident with the application.

Mix your lightener at the exact moment you're ready to apply it because it will start reacting and lose potency from this point onward.

Application

Applying the lightener is relatively simple if you've sectioned your hair out properly, but you need to work quickly to ensure the lift is even and consistent across every section of your hair.

To facilitate this, take sections of hair from each quadrant, one at a time, and brush a controlled but generous portion of bleach onto them. Simply repeat this until your hair is covered entirely and then gently massage it through the lengths to ends but not directly into the scalp.

If you have very dark hair, you can get a better application by applying out from the roots first and then applying to the roots mid-application as this area is closer to the scalp where the hair is warmest. Warmer sections will lighten quicker.

This may not exactly be easy though, leading to more potential unevenness if done wrong, so an alternative is to wrap your hair taut and close to your scalp with cling film to retain and equalize heat through every area. This will improve overall lightening and also help to keep the product moist while it processes.

Processing

The processing time is—at maximum—the time that the manufacturer states not to exceed. This is based on the idea that most of the lightening reaction will be spent by this point, and that exposing the hair to alkaline conditions will just lead to increased damage and irritation without significantly more lift.

Most people won't even need to reach the maximum processing time, however, especially if you don't have dark brown hair and are using a high-quality lightener. This is why checking your hair regularly every 5 minutes during processing is important.

As soon as your hair is a pale yellow banana color, rinse the lightener out because you've reached the right foundation for achieving pastel hair now.

• How to Bleach Hair
  See here for an in-depth guide to lightening hair if you need more help before you start.

Dyeing

The next job is where you will actually dye your hair with your chosen shade of pastel. Of course, you should have a good idea of what you want to do before this point already, so having a look at what's available is an important step to take first.

Shade Choice

Any color can be a pastel shade. In fact, you might not even want just one color but rather a mixed shade like lavender, and the only rule to follow is to choose what you find appealing or a shade that suits your features. There are some specific tips to follow though:

• Green or blue pastel hair requires the lightest base because these colors won't show properly on darker hair or where there's too much yellow pigment still visible.
• Pink, red, orange, and similar blends like mauve don't require as clean a base but can still turn out more orange than expected if there is too much yellow pigment left.
• Violet or lilac will be neutralized by too much yellow.
• Rose-gold and similar shades cover well over a slightly darker base and also require less upkeep.

Dye Choice

Dyes used to achieve pastel hair tend to more commonly be demi-permanent or semi-permanent and will gradually wash out of the hair over a period of weeks. This presents some benefits to you though as these dyes are less damaging or not at all damaging depending on which you choose, and when the dye does fade you can choose a brand new shade.

Pastel shades are fairly trendy and have been for a few years now but there is inertia associated with a lot of manufacturers, so options can be limited depending on what brand you choose. One excellent option is Wella's Color Touch Instamatics though, a line of demi-permanent dyes designed to create fashionable pastel looks.

Another good alternative is to use a semi-permanent brand like Manic Panic that offers a lot of different ready-made pastel shades. Any already-light semi-permanent color can be turned into a pastel dye with a little experimentation though by diluting with conditioner, but this requires playing around with the mix yourself.

This is more difficult but can also be more rewarding as it does give the greatest possible range of colors since you can mix anything you want.

Application

If you've chosen the shade you want and a good dye to use to achieve it, the last step of course is to apply the dye to finally get pastel hair. By this point, you've already done most of the hard work and the actual application is comparatively easy.

You'll need the same tools to start, consisting of a tinting bowl, brush, comb, and gloves. There are some differences in application depending on what kind of dye you prefer to use, however.

Semi-Permanent Dye

If you've chosen to use a semi-permanent pastel dye or create your own by mixing/diluting other dyes, this is very easy to apply. Because these dyes cause no damage to the hair at all and don't have a true processing time, a potentially uneven application will usually still result in a perfect result as long as you cover all the hair eventually and then leave it long enough to equalize.

This is possible because the dye doesn't develop—rather, it stains the hair. There is only so much staining that can occur to a single section so if you're slow or messy with the application just massage it through thoroughly and leave it longer so that the areas covered last have enough time to still reach the same shade.

You can apply this type of dye in whatever way is easiest for you and the only way you can really mess it up is by missing spots outright and not bothering to spread it through by massage after. It's literally that easy to use.

Apply the dye, massage it through your hair evenly, and leave it to sit for at least 20 minutes, although longer is better. You can then rinse it out and enjoy your new pastel hair.

Permanent or Demi-Permanent Dye

These kinds of dyes are less forgiving options for acquiring pastel hair but still easy to use. The key here is to apply the product quickly and evenly using a tinting brush—just like when you pre-lightened your hair. Your hair should once again be sectioned for this to ensure speed and an even result.

These pastel dyes will also have a development time you need to follow that is brand-dependent so check the guidelines for the product you're using so that you process the color for the correct amount of time. Leaving it too long can be damaging, whilst rinsing it out too soon will lead to the color not taking properly or fading quickly.

After development, wash the dye out and follow up with a good conditioner if you're experiencing any dryness. You can then style your new look.

• How to Dye Your Hair
  Need more generalized help using and applying any kind of hair dye? You can find it here.

Maintenance and After-Care

Pastel hair requires lightening and the use of dyes to achieve. This process can be damaging to the hair and that is something that needs to be addressed afterward in order to keep your hair looking great.

Hair that is damaged will be more prone to dryness, frizz, and breakages which can be addressed with the use of a good protein treatment and conditioning products. Whether you get much damage at all is more likely if you're starting from a darker shade like brown, however, and it's definitely possible to get to pastel without any noticeable damage with lighter hair.

Regardless of which position you find yourself in, unless you dye your hair very frequently and have changed colors a lot in the past, a few simple treatments are all it takes to repair your hair.

Color Fading

A more likely problem that you will definitely face now that you have pastel hair is fading of your new color. Even if you use a permanent dye, this will still occur and lead to the loss of the style eventually but it can be managed.

In most cases, if you can manage to find a decent color refreshing shampoo, this is all that will be required to keep your color vibrant without any additional damage or hassle. This isn't possible for all shades though but mainly for some of the popular and less outlandish colors like rose-gold or lilac. Product lines like De Lorenzo Nova Fusion shampoo have a few different shampoos that can maintain pink or violet pastel shades.

Retouching

In other cases, especially for shades like pastel blue or metallic colors, it will be necessary to reapply dye after a few weeks to reverse fading and keep the color for longer. If you can use a semi-permanent dye for this, this is ideal as you won't be causing any additional damage to the hair.

If you must use a more permanent option, you should do so only every 4–6 weeks if possible in order to minimize damage but the darker your natural hair color is, the earlier you'll need to address it before it's noticeable. Demi-permanent dye causes a negligible amount of damage to your hair but even this can gradually add up over time if you're careless.

Being both careful and mindful of how you treat your hair will ensure that your pastel hair continues to look and feel amazing.

Do you have a question about dyeing your hair pastel? Have a favorite shade or product to recommend? Leave a comment for tailored advice and share your insight with other readers!

© 2020 Maffew James

Comments

Sp Greaney from Ireland on September 11, 2020:

I love seeing people who have hair color like this. It always looks amazing. Your instructions are very good at explaining how to complete this process at home.

Maffew is a hairdresser, marketer, and dabbler in many things who enjoys sharing knowledge about the science of hair coloring and hair care.

Hair color fading is an unfortunate problem that occurs even with the use of a permanent dye. When fading starts to set in, what was once a vibrant, beautiful shade can turn drab and lifeless.

But it doesn't have to be that way! It's possible to slow fading or even reverse it with a quick retouch.

Why Does Hair Color Fade?

Hair color fades even if you've used a permanent dye, and this is just a fact that should be expected when you dye your hair. This is ultimately the result of a few different factors, including:

• How the dye was applied and the condition of your hair.
• How often you wash your hair and what shampoo you use.
• The ways you style your hair and the tools you use for it.
• Exposure to sunlight and humidity.

Understanding how each of these factors contributes to and causes fading is not only important to reduce fading, but will even help you to dye your hair in a way that makes the color more durable.

How to Improve Dye Application

The way you apply your dye is absolutely crucial to slowing the process of hair color fading because it's directly tied into why fading happens.

Permanent dye is able to be permanent because of the chemical action of developer on the dye molecules which changes them into a form that is bound to and trapped within the hair shaft. This results in these molecules becoming too large to be washed back out.

Knowing how it works can already give you two great insights into the causes behind a dye fading. Namely:

• Not letting the dye develop long enough
• Using a developer strength that is too low

Dye Development Time

Dye has to develop for an adequate amount of time in order to gain permanency and this directly affects how much fading occurs long after the dye has processed and been washed out.

Ideally, it is almost always the correct choice to let the dye develop for the maximum amount of time that the particular brand you're using recommends. Whilst your hair may appear to take on the correct color a lot earlier than this, washing it out too early leads to color that doesn't last long and this results in greater costs and time wasted further down the track when you're forced to retouch the shade a lot earlier than would otherwise be necessary.

Developer Volume

Developer is hydrogen peroxide and this is responsible for two processes in permanent dye:

• Lightening
• Color development

The stronger the developer, the more of the natural pigment it lifts, but more important to the process of fading is its impact on color development, as the name implies. This is also why a higher developer volume tends to regularly be used on resistant or grey hair because it leads to more color development, which results in greater color depth and a decreased likelihood of it washing out rapidly.

Ideally, you should use at least 10 vol developer in a permanent dye if going darker as this will process properly, but 20 vol developer is better in most cases if you tend to experience a lot of hair color fading. For shades that will be lighter than your starting color, use 20 vol for up to 2 levels of lift, 30 vol for up to 3 levels, or 40 vol developer for up to 4 levels of lift as a rough guide but refer to manufacturer directions for your own brand.

In a box dye, the developer is already included in an applicator bottle and you don't know what strength they've chosen but it's likely 20 vol for most shades, 10 vol for the darkest, and 30 vol for blonde shades to try to fit all purposes. You can choose to throw this out and replace it with the same amount of your own developer however and the dye's colorfastness can really be improved a lot of the time.

Alternatively, use salon dye instead and this is better in every way because box dyes are already notorious for fading—it's part of their business model to make you need to buy their products more often!

Washing Hair

The biggest factor involved in exacerbating or decreasing fading besides how you apply your new shade is how you choose to wash your hair after dyeing. This includes the type of shampoo you use, how you use the shampoo, and how often you wash your hair.

Shampoo Choice

Shampoo is great for cleaning your hair because it emulsifies oils and all the other grime present allowing it to be carried out of the hair by water. Unfortunately, this also works on hair dye and shampoo tends to cause a little of your new color to be washed out every time you wash your hair.

Part of this problem comes down to your dye application as the shampoo is washing out dye molecules that didn't set inside the hair properly and instead stained the outside. For this reason, fixing problems with your application is already helping you before you even address your hair washing habits. However, some amount of permanent dye will break down a little over time and be washed out of the hair too.

The types of shampoos that are more likely to increase hair fading include:

• Clarifying shampoo
• Chelating shampoo
• Anti-dandruff shampoo and certain other kinds of medicated products
• Shampoo designed for oily hair

This is because all of these shampoos clean the hair very effectively. They're designed to strip out oils, debris, and hair product buildup but this also means they have a greater effect on your new hair color too.

Where possible, you should avoid these kinds of shampoos and instead use a shampoo designed for colored hair or with a milder cleansing action unless your hair is a more oily type and really needs the extra strength. For some shades like blonde or red, you may be able to get a toning or color refreshing shampoo to match your shade and reduce the fading by adding pigment back into your hair every wash.

• How to Choose the Best Shampoo
  For more tips on how to choose the right shampoo for you to reduce fading while also fitting your other individual needs, see my article here.

How Often You Wash Your Hair

As well as the type of shampoo you use, how often you wash your hair has a direct effect on how fast your color fades.

Barely anyone needs to wash their hair every day, but this happens frequently and leads to increased fading and dryness. A simple tip is that if your hair suffers from dryness that improves over time between washes, you may be washing it too frequently. Shampooing your hair every other day is ideal for most people.

Obviously, you need to skip this recommendation if your hair is naturally very oily or you partake in a lot of physical activity due to work or recreation that results in your hair being exposed to sweat, saltwater, or humidity. In these situations, it's important to wash it more often to keep your hair feeling clean and looking great and you just need to accept that you'll get increased fading too.

Luckily there are still other ways to reduce hair color fading that you can apply.

Heat and Styling

Exposure to heat, particularly from the use of styling tools like blow dryers, straighteners, and curling rods is another significant factor in how fast your hair color fades. In this situation, the heat from tools like this can break down color molecules over time, causing them to be washed out of your hair more readily.

This doesn't mean you need to avoid heated styling, but you will diminish a lot of the color fading if you can. If you prefer to use these tools regularly though, one of the best ways to decrease its effect on your hair color is to always use a heat protectant serum or spray prior to applying any heat and this will help to not only reduce fading but also to reduce damage.

Another very important thing to note is that hair that is properly hydrated is less susceptible to fading or damage from heat and other factors, meaning that if you suffer from dry hair you should try products like leave-in conditioners or serums to remedy this before straightening or curling your hair.

Finally, with any heated styling tool, you should always use only the maximum heat that works to give you the style you want. In many cases, people use their straightener or curling rod at the maximum temperature by default and this can be highly damaging.

Unless you have very coarse, thick, strong hair, the maximum temperature is way too high for you, and even in those cases it can still be too high as many straighteners can be set up to 230°C (446°F) for use with keratin treatments and this temperature shouldn't be used except for the application of those treatments.

Sunlight and Humidity

Environmental factors are another important consideration to slow fading as the sun's UV radiation has a bleaching effect on hair color. In this case, sunlight directly causes fading by chemically altering both your natural pigment and the artificial color of the dye.

Just like how you can protect your skin from sunlight using sunscreen, certain shampoos and hair products contain UV filters to reduce the damaging effect of the sun on your hair and you should look for products like this if you are outdoors often and for long periods of time.

Pool and Beach Water

Water that contains salt or chlorine also has a significant effect on your hair. Salt is drying and this increases fading by stripping moisture out of your hair and color molecules with it, whereas chlorine in pool water has a bleaching effect that directly lightens hair color very slightly. Mineral deposits can also change how your color looks by giving a brassy or greenish tinge to your hair over time.

It's best to avoid exposure to either of these kinds of water if possible, but if you can't avoid it or simply don't want to, be sure to use a good chelating shampoo afterward and follow up with a decent conditioner or treatment. While a chelating shampoo normally increases fading, in this situation the benefit it has in stripping salt, chlorine, and minerals out of the hair leads to less fading than if you let those accumulate.

Humidity

Lastly, humidity or lack thereof is another relevant consideration if you suffer from a lot of fading. Moisture balance is very important for the condition of your hair and for retaining color longer.

Anything that upsets this balance can lead to an increase of fading and this means you should use a product that protects against moisture imbalance like a hair serum if you're exposed to a lot of high or low humidity conditions.

Hair Color Refreshing

It's never too late to take measures to decrease the fading of your new color, but if you already have significant fading then the best way to deal with this is to refresh your hair color instead. This can be done in a few ways, including:

• Color refreshing shampoo
• Semi-permanent or demi-permanent dye
• Color wash
• Dye retouch

Color Refreshing Shampoo

This kind of shampoo is pigmented and designed to add color back into your hair with each wash to delay or reverse fading. If you have blonde hair you're likely familiar with products like this because toning shampoos also fit into this category, but color refreshing shampoos are much broader than that and there are products that work for brown, red or even burgundy hair.

Deeply pigmented products may not just slow hair color fading but actually reverse it in lighter hair but this is dependent on what color your hair is and what shampoo you use. De Lorenzo's Nova Fusion line is a good example of a quality product with many different shades available though.

Semi-Permanent or Demi-Permanent Dye

Semi-permanent dye isn't damaging at all to hair, whilst demi-permanent is only very slightly damaging but lasts a lot longer. Either product can be used to refresh your hair color and reverse fading.

For this purpose, you want to use a shade that is close to what your hair color is, and these dyes can help to keep your hair looking great for longer between permanent dye applications without causing additional damage.

Color Wash

A color wash is kind of an old trick where you mix a little dye with shampoo either alone or with a splash of developer too and use this to wash your hair. This can be used regularly between regular washes to slow or even prevent hair color fading from occurring, but it also is very good at refreshing lost color.

Like the previous option, it is only very mildly damaging but it may dry out your hair a little so it needs to be followed up with a good conditioner.

Retouching

Hair color retouching is simply going back over it with the same dye to completely reverse the fading. This is the most extreme method to reverse fading, but it's also guaranteed to work swiftly and decisively to get your shade looking its best. It has more potential for damage but this is still less than a full dye application since it doesn't contact the hair as long.

Ideally, a retouch should be done when your root regrowth is long enough to treat. First, start by applying permanent dye only to your roots, then mix up some fresh dye and apply this to the lengths and ends in the last 10 minutes of the development to renew the fading color of these areas.

Dye Aftercare

Hair color fading can't entirely be avoided but it can be reduced or reversed and this is an important part of the aftercare of any dye application. Taking care of your color properly is the difference between saving time, money, and the condition of your hair. With a few adjustments to how you treat your hair, you can keep it looking and feeling its best.

Do you have a question about hair color fading or have problematic hair? Leave a comment for tailored advice and share your insight with other readers.

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

© 2020 Maffew James

Comments

Maffew James (author) on September 23, 2020:

Hi Bella,

Exactly right. 10 vol developer for the lengths if you can and this will minimize damage to those areas.

Bella629 on September 11, 2020:

Hi Maffew,

Love your articles! Thank you so much for sharing the knowledge of hair coloring!

A question on retouching hair color, should I use a different volume developer for the length and ends (since they are lighter) from the roots?

I offer professional advice and knowledge about all things hair dye. Discover the terminology, chemistry, and processes behind dyeing hair.

Bleach is one of the most effective tools for lightening your hair and changing its color completely. It also has a well-known propensity to damage the hair, which has lead to disastrous situations for many people.

Having hair that feels and looks like straw is certainly a distressing situation to find yourself in, but don't rush to cut it off just yet. There are simple, effective ways to save your hair and style.

How Does Bleach Damage Hair?

Bleach and other hair lighteners work through a chemical process called oxidation, and whilst this is highly effective for lightening the color of your hair by altering the natural melanin pigment within, oxidation may also attack a protein called keratin. This is bad because keratin comprises your hair, giving it structure and texture, meaning that any damage readily results in a loss of strength and condition.

It's not just keratin itself that is relevant to your hair's shape and form, though. A type of bond called a disulfide bridge forms readily between cysteine amino acids in the keratin protein, and this is responsible for a lot of the strength inherent to your hair, as well as being partially responsible for your hair's texture. This amino acid is particularly vulnerable to oxidation, which causes the bonds to be broken, leading to weakness and loss of texture.

It's not all bad news, however, when left alone, these bonds will gradually reform to an extent over time, and this is why hair seems to get better if it's not constantly subjected to chemical treatments. Speeding up and improving this process is crucial to repairing bleached hair and restoring it to good condition more effectively.

How to Know If You Have Bleach-Damaged Hair

If you've just bleached your hair and rinsed it out to discover that your hair feels as if it's simply breaking apart or melting, this is the absolute worst condition your hair can be in. Its structure has deteriorated to the point that it can't even hold itself together. Hair like this looks and feels like straw once dry, and it's the most visible and obvious damage.

Less severe damage may not be as obvious as that, but it still has repercussions that affect your hair's condition, so it's important to be able to spot the signs of damage to treat it before it becomes a bigger problem in the future. Some of the major signs of lightener damage include:

• Frizz
• Breakage
• Dryness
• A rough feeling to the surface of the hair
• More fragility to the hair when wet
• Loss of elasticity
• Loss of natural hair texture

Some amount of any of these problems can be entirely natural to your own individual hair. Frizz and dryness are particularly common issues a lot of people face, so these aren't necessarily cause for concern. However, any time you see an increase in these hair damage symptoms following the use of a lightening product like bleach, that's a sign that the structure of your hair may have been weakened.

A loss of your natural hair texture or decreases in elasticity is among the most specific signs of structural damage to your hair, however. If you have wavy or curly hair that seems to have lost a lot of its curl after bleaching, this is due to damaged protein and broken bonds in your hair. Likewise, hair damaged in this way will feel weaker while wet and will be more likely to snap if pulled on or exposed to other mechanical stresses like rough towel-drying.

If left alone in this condition, your hair will continue to degrade with any subsequent chemical treatments and may reach a point where the damage becomes severe rather suddenly and unexpectedly when rinsing out bleach or dye, and that's why it's important to treat the damage early where possible. However, even if you already have extreme damage, it's possible to repair bleached hair and avoid cutting it off.

How to Restore Bleach-Damaged Hair

The way you repair your bleached hair depends primarily on how much damage is present, as this will determine whether you can succeed with a more mild treatment regimen or will need something stronger. In all cases, though, treatment will target the root cause of the damage—broken bonds and deteriorated protein.

Mild Damage

Mild damage is any amount of damage where there isn't significant breakage occurring, and your hair still feels relatively smooth. Hair like this suffers from a lot more dryness and frizz but can be managed with a combination of protein and conditioning treatments.

Protein treatments work by patching damaged keratin with ingredients like ceramide and arginine, as well as helping to restore broken bonds. Both of these actions greatly improve the strength and structure of the hair because this is directly treating the kind of damage that bleach causes. Conditioning agents like leave-in conditioners, balms, or hair serums just make the hair feel and look a lot better by reducing dryness, frizz and making the hair overall smoother and shinier.

A combination of both of these kinds of products is necessary to properly address the condition of your hair, but the protein treatment is the most important product to prioritize, and it should be used up to three times a week for the first week, followed by once weekly to maintain your hair's strength well into the future.

If you experience dryness and frizz, this should be addressed by using a deep conditioning treatment immediately, followed by the use of a leave-in conditioner or hair serum as often as necessary to combat the problem. It is likely that a lot of the need for this type of product will decrease as your hair improves due to protein treatments, but you should use them as often as required to keep your hair protected from dryness as your hair will be at its strongest when properly hydrated.

Severely Bleach-Damaged Hair

Hair that is severely damaged from bleach will also respond to protein treatments, but this may not always be enough. Expeditious application of protein can usually save it from being cut off. Still, your natural texture and a lot of the softness, shine, and strength will simply remain impaired until it grows out, and this isn't ideal if you're going to be stuck without the option to recolor it or dramatically change the style.

In situations like this, you need to use stronger products like keratin treatments or a hair bond restorer. These products can be used for milder damage too, but the process of using them correctly is both more difficult and time-consuming than simple protein treatments, so that is the downside. However, proper use will repair bleached hair to close to its natural state in many cases, so this can be well worth it.

Like with more mild damage, you need to immediately start using a protein treatment several times a week, and this frequency should be continued for 2–3 weeks before decreasing to a once-a-week usage. A bond rebuilder like Olaplex Hair Perfector should also be started as soon as possible, or you should apply a keratin treatment instead.

Either of these products will handle the bulk of the repair, giving the protein treatments a running start to get to work.

Protein Treatments

The single most important tool for any hair repair task is the humble protein treatment. Not only are they relatively inexpensive, but they are also easy to use and only require a few minutes of time out of your schedule.

Products like Redken Extreme CAT can be used to repair your damaged hair by applying liberally after shampooing and leaving for 5 minutes followed up with a good conditioner or moisturizing treatment. This is literally all that is necessary to improve your hair and stop it from breaking or splitting if you have mild or moderate damage.

If you have more severe damage though you should still make the use of a protein treatment a swift priority, it's not going to be enough to dramatically restore your hair by itself. The addition of either a keratin treatment or bond restorer is necessary for this situation.

Keratin Treatments

Keratin treatments have two major uses: straightening hair and repairing hair. The reason this kind of product works for both of these purposes is that it creates artificial bonds that smooth and straighten out the hair whilst these new bonds will also replace the function of bonds that have previously been broken by damage.

Hair that is treated this way is strong, free of frizz, and looks healthy, making it one of the most effective products to repair bleached hair since it is addressing the physical cause behind the visible manifestations of this damage. That doesn't mean products like this are without their drawbacks though, as keratin treatments:

• Can be a little tricky to apply
• Smooth out hair texture, meaning loss of some of your natural curl
• Are time-consuming
• Last around a month

The treatment is long-lasting but not permanent as the bonds formed will gradually deteriorate over time as the hair is washed. It also reduces your natural curl a little even in products designed primarily to repair hair instead of straightening it as this is just a function of how it works. It's possible to limit the effect, but there will always be a slight smoothing, so if this is a significant downside for you, a bond restorer is a better choice. If you're tired of combating frizz or having to straighten your hair with a hot iron, though, this is the ideal treatment for you as it will smooth, straighten, and repair your hair all at once.

However, to use one is not as easy or quick as some treatments as it needs to be set into the hair. This is accomplished by applying it to damp, freshly shampooed hair, then blow drying your hair out straight, followed by meticulous straightening with a straightening iron at 230°C (446°F). After application, the product needs to be left in the hair for around two days, at which point it can be washed out, and the results will last at least a month in most cases, potentially up to two months.

Bond Rebuilders

Bond rebuilders like Olaplex work exactly as the name suggests by restoring broken bonds and even building new bonds. Unlike a keratin treatment, the product isn't relatively instant and will require time to work, but it eventually shows similar efficacy to repair bleached hair after a few uses and doesn't affect your natural texture—in fact, it helps to restore it.

Products like the No.3 Hair Perfector are used similarly to a protein treatment by applying to previously shampooed hair, but the treatment needs to be left for a much greater duration, up to 20 minutes. There are also similar products that are designed to be added in small amounts to bleach or dye before using these chemical treatments and this helps reduce the damage that occurs as it happens, but this won't be something that can help you if you already have damage.

Conditioning Agents and Aftercare

Conditioning agents moisturize the hair, and this provides symptomatic relief to a lot of the problems you can see in damaged hair like dryness and frizz. They don't actively repair bleached hair, though but instead support the natural bond restoration process as well as any repairing treatments you're already using.

Deep conditioning treatments are the strongest kind of product in this category and can be used to immediately reverse even the worst dryness making them especially useful right after bleaching. Using a product like this will also help to correct the pH of your hair to get it back to normal faster.

Other products like leave-in conditioners, sealing treatments, and hair serums all have their place in hair care and support your repair efforts by keeping your hair properly hydrated and smooth, protecting it from further stresses like humidity and sunlight. Hair that is properly moisturized is more receptive to repair treatments.

In all cases, you should use conditioning products whenever you are suffering from dryness while repairing your bleached hair and even after you scale back or stop the use of protein treatments and other agents. Doing so is part of the after-care to any good hair repair and helps to keep your hair feeling smooth and looking healthy.

Further Reading

How to Repair Damaged Hair Properly

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

© 2020 Maffew James

I offer professional advice and knowledge about all things hair dye. Discover the terminology, chemistry, and processes behind dyeing hair.

Hair dye allows you to change your look in so many ways, but if you don't want a lasting change or simply want to experiment a little with a new shade, a semi-permanent dye is one of the most versatile and useful products for the task.

What Is Semi-Permanent Dye?

Semi-permanent dyes are a form of temporary hair color that gradually washes out of the hair. Not only can these dyes be used to color the hair without having to commit to the result, but there is also no potential for damage with the use of products like this because they don't contain ingredients like peroxide or ammonia that harm the structure of the hair shaft.

Products that are semi-permanent come in many forms such as mousses or gels, and a huge variety of shades—both natural and also brighter colors like blue or purple. It is for this reason and the lack of damage that they are particularly useful. Some of the most common types of semi-permanent dyes include:

• Rinses
• Gels and creams
• Mousses
• Sprays

Rinses and sprays are typically very mild dyes that only apply a small amount of color to the hair, making them most effective for toning hair or creating minor changes to how your hair looks. They also wash out quicker than the other common products.

Mousses tend to have more pigment and last longer so they're useful for making more noticeable changes to hair but they are also often used as toners. Gel or cream products are the thickest and most pigmented variants. They are designed to cling to the hair and deposit more color. These dyes are used for anything from toning to achieving much darker color transitions, or intense unnatural shades like green or pink.

No matter what kind of dye you choose to use though, there is one thing you need to remember that applies to all these dyes: semi-permanent dye can't lighten hair. This means that you can only achieve tone-on-tone or darker results with their use. If you need to lighten your hair, this isn't the right product for it.

Uses

Whilst the most obvious use of semi-permanent hair color is to simply dye the hair temporarily, this isn't all they can do. Some considerations for the use of products like this include:

• Dyeing hair temporarily
• Toning hair
• Refreshing faded hair colors
• Brightening or retouching colors that have turned out too dull

How Long Does Semi-Permanent Hair Color Last?

In a perfect scenario, the color generally lasts for about 16–24 washes depending on the product used. However, this estimate of longevity is based on hair that is in good condition, has intact cuticles, and isn't styled with heated tools too frequently.

As with any type of hair color, there are factors within your control that can either extend or shorten the duration of the dye. There are also things that may be out of your control, like cuticle damage from previous chemical treatments. The most crucial conditions determining how long the color will last include:

• Hair condition
• Porosity
• How frequently you shampoo your hair
• Use of heated styling tools
• Use of hair care products

Hair Condition and Porosity

The condition of your hair has a direct effect on how long the dye remains vibrant. A little damage to the cuticles that line the outermost part of the hair shaft helps the dye stick because of the increased surface area as this kind of dye actually functions as a stain.

Conversely, too much damage has the opposite effect because the cuticle layer ends up largely destroyed and missing in badly damaged hair. Hair that is in good condition—or only very slightly damaged—will hold onto the dye longer.

Shampoo Frequency

As semi-permanent dye is a stain on the surface of the hair, shampoo will gradually emulsify it away each time you wash your hair, and this will be the main way that the color fades out over time. This also means that how often you shampoo your hair has the greatest effect on how long the color will last, and this is one of the factors that is also most in your control.

Shampoos vary in how strongly they clean hair with products like clarifying, chelating, or anti-dandruff shampoos being the harshest. These products strip all the natural oils out of the hair as well as anything else like debris, styling products, and hair dye. Shampoos designed for dry hair, most colored hair shampoos, and moisturizing shampoos are all much milder and will wash out less color.

Apart from the type of shampoo you use, the frequency that you wash your hair is also one of the most important factors in making your hair color last longer. It is ideal to only wash your hair as often as is necessary to keep it clean if you want to maintain the color for as long as possible.

Heated Styling Tools

Another factor affecting the duration of your color is any use of heated styling tools. This is of much less impact than shampoo use and the condition of your hair, but it's still relevant to know as using straighteners or curling irons will reduce how long your color lasts because the heat of these tools tends to break down the stain adhesion of the dye, amplifying the effect of shampooing.

Temperature protection products like serums and sprays can help to mitigate this (as well as reduce potential damage from styling too).

Use of Hair Care Products

The last major factor in how long your color will last is the type of hair care products that you use. Products like leave-in conditioners and hair serums tend to help any hair color last longer because they help keep the hair hydrated. Serums in particular will even help reduce the harmful effect of high humidity if that's a problem where you live.

Application

The application process for these types of dyes is one of the product's many strengths as it is much easier to apply these types of dyes than it is to apply a permanent or demi-permanent dye. However, as dye comes in a few different forms it can be a little confusing because there's no single application method that fits every product.

Practically every semi-permanent dye should be applied after shampooing your hair though, and this is one common step to almost every product. This means before applying your dye you will need to wash your hair and how you proceed from there then depends on the style of product being used.

Rinses

Rinses should be applied after washing your hair but you don't need to leave the shower because they only sit in the hair for a few minutes. Simply squirt the product through damp hair and massage through from roots out to the ends of your hair, then leave it a few minutes before rinsing. As the product is conditioning it replaces the need for a conditioner but you can use one if you have very dry hair and need the extra moisturization.

Mousses

Semi-permanent mousses are applied similarly to a rinse except the product is thicker and gets left to process in the hair for a longer period. For this reason, you might prefer to turn off the shower and sit down somewhere if possible while you wait, otherwise, the same directions apply: shampoo your hair, apply the mousse, process it for the time directed, and then rinse. Follow up with conditioner only if you need the extra conditioning.

Gels and Creams

Gels and creams are usually also applied to damp hair, but these will have a more traditional processing time where you will need to leave them in the hair for 20 minutes or more depending on the individual product so you'll need to have time available to use these dyes.

Start by giving your hair a good shampoo, then towel dry your hair so it isn't dripping wet. As these kinds of dyes are heavily pigmented, you want your hair to be a little damp but not so much that the product can drip everywhere and stain skin, clothes, or furniture.

How you actually apply the product is ultimately up to you. You can apply it meticulously and systematically with a tinting bowl and brush, or just mix it through your hair by hand (wearing gloves of course with either method to avoid staining your hands). As long as the product is applied evenly and you don't miss any spots it will turn out the same way no matter how it's applied as there is no developer in the dye that could lead to patchiness due to slow application or heat banding.

Ideally, leave the product in for the minimum time the manufacturer recommends, but it's not harmful to your hair to leave it in longer than this. In fact, the longer you leave a semi-permanent dye in your hair, the more likely it will be more resistant to fading quickly. As the product is essentially a pigmented conditioner, it is also unnecessary to use a conditioner after rinsing it out, and you shouldn't shampoo it out of your hair either, simply rinse with cool or warm water and then dry as usual.

Sprays

Spray-based semi-permanent dyes are uncommon, and the only specific thing to note is that you'll want to apply these in the same way as a rinse in the shower as the product can be messy. Otherwise, these are essentially the same as a rinse but instead of squirting it through the hair, you will spray it on the hair and then massage it through.

Shade Mixing

In the same way that permanent dyes are designed to be inter-mixable within the same brand and product line, this is also true of a lot of semi-permanent dyes. This is mostly the case for gel or cream products though as even if you can technically mix other kinds of products, it's generally not so feasible to try to mix a rinse or mousse.

As for why you would want to mix different shades of dye to begin with, this really just boils down to creating your perfect shade or taking a spartan approach to making a particular shade you don't currently have but need immediately. It's very common for people to mix outlandish colors like blue, red, or yellow to really individualize what is already likely a fun shade and achieve the exact look they envision.

When mixing these dyes, the major thing to note is that you should only do this within the same brand and product line where possible. Whilst it isn't harmful to mix different brands because there are no chemicals in the dye that could react, the product isn't tested to ensure it works properly if used like this so you do take a minor risk of it not lasting as long.

If you're mixing dyes that are natural colors, these will have a level which is how dark the shade is, and one or more tones that comprise the exact look of the shade. This is all the information you need to be able to mix these shades. Mixing unnatural shades is mostly just a visual affair, on the other hand, standard color rules apply but it's more of a guess how mixing a certain amount of a much darker dye into a lighter dye affects the mixed color result for example.

Color Depth

Professional dye brands are typically designed in a way that if you mix shades of different levels, you already have a good idea of what level the result will be. For example, if you mix a dark ash blonde and a light ash blonde, the result will be a medium ash blonde usually. If in doubt, check the manufacturer's recommendations and information.

Tone

Tone is the primary and/or secondary colors present in a dye that dominate the appearance of the shade. As with the level, mixing dyes of different tones can give you something in between both, like a neutral blonde and ash blonde being mixed to give something that is more ashy than the neutral, but less than the full ash.

Unlike depth, however, not every shade will respond like this to mixing. If you were to mix a red and golden shade, for example, you get something coppery as a result because red and yellow create orange. This is the same scenario you'll find yourself in if you mix unnatural shades of semi-permanent hair color like blue, red, and yellow incidentally and the easiest way to get to know what you're doing if you struggle with color theory is to use a color wheel like the one below.

Toning Hair With Semi-Permanent Dye

One of the best uses of semi-permanent hair color is toning hair. This could be anything from neutralizing red tones in brown hair or keeping pearl blonde hair from showing yellow tones and the versatility is close to the same as that of permanent dye but without the damage.

Toning, as a process, follows the same principles as mixing shades in that you can use the color wheel to get the right idea about what you need to do. For example, if you wanted to tone hair that is a brassy, yellowish-orange color you can already tell you need to add a violet-blue tone into the hair to counteract this. You also need to use a dye that's the right depth though and this is mostly a visual estimate made by looking at the hair so it's something that takes practice.

Knowing all that information, as long as you can roughly guess how dark your hair is, using a semi-permanent dye containing the required tone at one level lighter than your hair is a very easy and effective way to tone out any unwanted color. This can work on hair that is very pale or very dark and it will still function the same as long as you get the dye selection right by using color theory and your eyesight.

To tone hair, you'll generally want to use either a mousse or cream product. However, this will simply be rinsed out once your hair is adequately toned rather than left for a longer period. As before, there's no problem with leaving the product in longer but it can potentially over-process like any toner and this will result in too much toning.

The effect of this depends on what color you were toning with but overly ashy or purple tones in blonde hair are a common result, whereas brown hair could turn out mousey or even get a very slight muddy-green tinge to it. In any case, this will wash out with a shampoo or two if you do make a mistake so it's not necessarily a problem but it is an inconvenience.

Refreshing or Retouching Permanent Dye

An often overlooked use of semi-permanent hair color is refreshing and retouching other dye-jobs. Not only can a semi-permanent dye refresh a color that has faded and become dull, but it can also be used to alter the color you already have. As an example, if you had red hair you could make it mahogany or burgundy with a semi-permanent dye that would last several washes.

Uses like these can help save on potential damage to your hair too as refreshing the look of your hair color too often with permanent dye increases the risk of damage and subsequent problems like frizz and breakages. Semi-permanent dyes don't cause these issues so you can use them between permanent processes to maintain healthier hair.

Caring for Dyed Hair

If you've dyed your hair with semi-permanent hair color, it's important also to know how to care for it and this is something that will make it last a lot longer, saving you time and money. Some of the easiest ways to care for your new hair color include:

• Washing it less frequently where possible and with a milder shampoo and only slightly warm water.
• Avoiding heated styling tools like blow dryers and straighteners, or using them at the lowest temperature that works.
• Using protein treatments to maintain strength.
• Using leave-in conditioners and a hair serum to protect against dryness and environmental stressors.

However, this doesn't mean you have to give up your favorite style or put up with unclean hair. Following the above recommendations can add a few washes before your color fades out but with how easy and convenient it is to use these dyes, it doesn't have to be a major concern. What matters is that your hair both looks and feels great.

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

© 2020 Maffew James

I offer professional advice and knowledge about all things hair dye. Discover the terminology, chemistry, and processes behind dyeing hair.

Grey hair coverage is a problem that many people encounter as they age. Whether you're trying to keep your natural color looking its best or test out a brand new shade, having any amount of grey can change the way you need to approach the dyeing process.

It may be necessary to use specific shades or even mix more than one shade of dye to color grey hair properly.

Why Is Grey Different?

Hair looks one color to the eye, but the shade you see actually consists of a number of colors, and it's the way these tones interact that gives the final result. In the case of brown hair, for example, there are yellow, red, and blue tones contributing to the shade of brown you see in the mirror, and this becomes even more obvious if the hair is lightened because it visibly turns red, then orange, then progressively paler shades of gold and yellow as more pigment is stripped out.

Grey hair differs from regular hair in being nearly or completely colorless though, and this means that depending on just how dark your natural hair color is, not only is a lot of color missing and needs to be replaced when dyeing but the specific colors missing from the hair cause it to react differently to any dye used compared to the rest of your hair.

It is for this reason that the process of coloring grey hair requires a slightly different approach to how you would normally dye your hair. In the same way that dyeing lighter hair a much darker color can turn out very wrong, your grey tresses can also react to dye in unintended ways. Ash brown dye could cause your hair to turn a greenish shade, whilst an auburn brown could look a bright orange or red on those strands.

This may not be a problem if you only have a small percentage of grey hair because it will blend in to an extent, but past a certain point, it will begin to noticeably affect the way your overall color looks.

Grey Density

The amount of grey hair you have can be described as a rough percentage estimate, ranging from 0–100%. This is something you have to judge for yourself based on appearance to determine the density of your own hair but will allow you to dye it properly because the amount of grey is what will determine how you change your dye mixture to compensate.

If you have more than 30% grey hair, this will require shade-mixing in most cases if you want specific shades like auburn, ash, golden, or any other color that isn't a neutral base. Hair that is more than 50% grey will need a different mixture and may also be more resistant to accepting color, but there are a few tricks to get around this and color grey hair with a beautiful, lasting result.

How to Achieve Grey Coverage

Like any situation where you want to dye light hair a much darker color, grey needs to be filled for it to turn out the right shade. This simply means replacing the missing base tone for the color you want. As an example, dark brown hair has a lot of red and yellow pigment that forms the base tone, and it is a comparatively smaller amount of cool-toned blue pigment that softens and tones this into a real brown shade.

If you just dye your hair with any shade you want, the dye doesn't necessarily contain a balance of red, yellow, and blue pigment to fill your hair and this is where mistakes can occur. Luckily, color manufacturers have always provided the ideal shade for working with grey hair and this is called a natural shade, or sometimes neutral.

The exact name and color code vary with brand obviously, but it's often denoted by an N or 0. A medium brown could be called medium natural brown, medium neutral brown, 4N, or 4.0 for example and all of these names usually mean the same thing. Dyes like this are purposefully designed to color grey hair by filling in the missing base tone so that your color turns out the way it should.

You can actually use any natural shade for any amount of grey (up to 100% grey) with many dye brands and your hair will dye properly without any strange results. However, you may want a specific shade like ash and this is where mixing shades is really powerful because you can effectively modify how the natural shade will turn out but maintain the filling effect as intended.

Shade Mixing

A natural shade is necessary for grey coverage in anyone with more than 30% grey hair, but you can also mix shades to modify how it will turn out and get a more individual result without changing its effectiveness. This is easily done by mixing the exact shade you like with the natural shade at the same level and the table below will help you do this.

If you have less than 30% grey, you can often use any dye and it will mostly turn out as expected because there's not a lot of grey to interfere with the result. If you have resistant grey hair that just doesn't want to accept color, or you intend to dye it much darker rather than just a few levels, you should use the mixing rule for 30–50% grey, which entails mixing one-third natural shade into your desired shade.

To color grey hair that is more than 50% density, your mixture needs to be at least half natural shade and half desired shade to ensure it is filled properly.

Dye Application

Whether you're using a natural shade alone or a mixture, it's important to apply the dye correctly to ensure an even and lasting result.

Developer

Developer is crucial to the color deposition process that occurs in permanent dyes and it's the ingredient that actually allows the dye to be permanent by producing a chemical change in the dye molecules within your hair. If you're using a box dye, it is generally already included within an applicator bottle that you will squeeze the tube of color into directly, while for salon dye, the color and developer are completely separate products.

To color grey hair, you'll need to use at least a 10 vol developer with your dye, though 20 vol is much more effective, especially for resistant grey. This is because a higher developer volume helps to force more pigment to be deposited in your hair and will often give a much more lasting result, as well as helping to ensure your hair fills properly.

Mixing

Once you have your developer ready, you'll need to mix this with the color or mixture of colors in an equal ratio unless the specific brand uses a different mixing ratio. As an example, if you wanted a light ash brown result on 70% grey, you can mix 30ml of light ash brown with 30ml of light natural brown to 60ml of 20 vol developer in a tinting bowl by brush.

If using a box dye and mixing shades, you will need to buy both boxes and mix the amount of the natural shade you intend to use into one applicator bottle, then the other shade into the same applicator bottle. For example, you can use half a tube of each color and if you needed more product for very long hair you could mix the other half of each tube into the second applicator bottle if required. Alternatively, mix everything in a mixing bowl by brush and apply that way if preferred.

Application

Application is as easy as applying your dye the same way you normally would for any other dye. Whether this means using a box dye and applicator bottle or a salon dye and applying to sectioned hair by brush is up to you, but make sure that you work quickly and evenly. Sectioning hair can help to do this regardless of what product and application method you're using.

One of the easiest and best ways to section your hair for a dye is to just divide it up into four quadrants by parting it down the middle and then again along the top of your hair. You can then work in one quadrant at a time, applying in layers of hair.

Development Time

After applying your dye you need to give it adequate time to develop so that it absorbs the color correctly and doesn't fade rapidly. When dealing with hair that is grey, you should use the maximum development time recommended by the brand in most cases.

Rinsing

The last step of any dye application is to rinse it once it has developed and this is very simple, though like any other part of the process there's a trick to making it even easier for yourself.

Rather than attempting to wash it all out at once, use only a small amount of water at first and massage this through the hair. This helps to emulsify the color and start to get the product moving more fluidly, after which you can rinse it under running water cleanly.

• How to Dye Your Hair
  More about the general process and principles of dyeing your hair if you need a little extra help.

Resistant Hair

Resistance is the most common problem that can still occur despite doing everything else right when dyeing grey hair. This is when the hair doesn't take color very well and can often fade much more rapidly as a result too. If you have resistant hair, there are ways to deal with it though and you can still get lasting grey coverage despite your hair fighting you at every step.

One of the easiest ways to encourage greater color deposition is to use only a natural shade, or a greater amount of it in your shade mixture as this will help the hair to fill more effectively. If fading is more the issue, applying a clear protein filler prior to your dye can help it take better and last longer, as can treating your hair with repair and conditioning treatments to improve its condition.

For hair that is very resistant though, the ideal fix is something that is, unfortunately, brand and product-dependent. Products like Wella Koleston Perfect that feature double base tone shades are the best fix because these shades have a much greater amount of pigment deposition and are designed to deal with this exact issue.

Shades like this aren't meant to be mixed though as it dilutes down their strength and this is exactly what you don't want to do for resistant hair. Instead, if you want to alter the resulting color, you need to add a small amount of special mix (also known as intensifiers or pure additives in other brands) and this will allow you to change how the color turns out while still dyeing resistant grey hair effectively.

After-Care

Half the battle of coloring grey hair is maintaining it after the fact as this is where you can make a huge difference in how long your color lasts. If you've used a permanent dye, most of that dye is going to remain in the hair until you either strip it out artificially, or it grows out, but a certain amount does fade or wash out of the hair and this can lead to your color losing some depth and potentially looking dull.

Whilst you can't completely prevent fading of any dye, there are things you can do to reduce it. Some of the easiest ways include:

• Only shampoo your hair when needed
• Using milder shampoos—avoiding clarifying or anti-dandruff shampoos
• Using a conditioner designed for colored hair
• Using leave-in conditioners or hair serums
• Limiting the use of heated styling and always using a serum or heat-protectant spray beforehand
• Using hair treatments to repair and condition the hair

• How to Take Care of Dyed Hair
  If you need more information about how to take care of your new color you can find it here.

Being mindful of how you wash and style your hair will help to ensure that your color continues to look good up until you need to apply a retouch to the roots or refresh the overall shade, and this is an essential step required for achieving lasting dye coverage in hair that is grey.

If you're careful with how you treat your hair, your new color will look stunning for weeks.

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

© 2020 Maffew James

I love to share advice and tips gleaned from my own experiences.

Dry Shampoo Powder vs. Dry Shampoo Aerosol

This review is about two different brands of dry shampoo powder. Redken 02 dry shampoo powder is expensive but not as much as Bumble and Bumble Pret-a-Powder dry shampoo. Bumble and Bumble dry shampoo powder would be considered a high-end product.

Dry shampoo powders are designed as an alternative to using an aerosol dry shampoo. They work just the same as the aerosols, but dry powder shampoo powder will not suit everyone.

They can take some getting used to, but after a few times of using it, you should get used to the application process of pouring the powder onto your roots. It is a little bit similar to how you would apply the aerosol dry shampoo to your hair.

Some people might prefer a powder instead of an aerosol as aerosols contain toxic ingredients that can be considered bad for the environment.

There are a few different types of dry shampoo powders on the market and their prices vary a lot compared to the aerosol dry shampoos which are way more affordable.

Bumble and Bumble Pret-a-Powder

Bumble and Bumble Pret-a-Powder dry shampoo powder is suitable for all hair types and designed to treat oily hair. You can purchase this product in two sizes, 14 grams/0.5 oz. or 56 grams/2 oz. Unlike Redken dry shampoo this does contain a lot more ingredients. It is also quite easy to disperse this product throughout your roots using your fingertips once applied to your hair.

The product is not tested on animals and is PETA certified as a cruelty-free brand as well as being labeled vegan and vegetarian.

Ingredients

Zea Mays (Corn) Starch, Montmorillonite, Tapioca Starch, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Flour, Silica, Polysilicone-22, Fragrance (Parfum), Hexyl Cinnamal, Linalool, Citronellol, Limonene, Coumarin, Geraniol, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Potassium Sorbate.

Texture and Colour

This powder is a very pale peach color and it also has an extremely fine texture. The powder does not clump and it is easy to get out of the bottle

Finish

Once you have applied this powder to your hair, you should see instant results. Since it is a pale peach color it doesn’t seem to leave any residue on your roots. You do get a little bit of volume and it does help dry out the oily areas on your hair.

Bumble and Bumble Advantages

• This dry shampoo comes in two different sizes so you can try a trial size version before committing to a larger bottle.
• This product is PETA certified cruelty-free.
• This dry shampoo does not dry out your hair and it keeps your hair looking shiny and smooth.
• After using this dry shampoo powder, your hair will have some texture and a little bit of volume.
• It is easy to comb through your hair with a brush after you’ve applied this dry shampoo.
• After a few applications, you will get faster at tapping the bottle to get the powder onto your roots.
• After applying this powder, you will not have any residue left on your roots.
• The 14 gram/0.5 oz. bottle could last you up to three months if you were using it two to three times a week.
• There is a very faint scent on this powder that smells nice but the smell doesn’t linger in your hair throughout the day.

Bumble and Bumble Disadvantages

• Compared to other dry shampoos on the market it is quite expensive.
• You might have to shop around to find a retailer that stocks this product as it isn’t available on all online hair product websites.
• When you first use this product, it can be difficult to get the product out of the bottle, so this could put some people off using it. It takes a bit of practice to get used to using the bottle.
• This product has a faint fragrance but doesn’t have an overpowering smell.
• If you don’t apply it correctly it can leave your hair looking flat.

Redken O2 Dry Shampoo Powder

Redken 02 dry shampoo is marketed to those who have fine hair. It contains sodium bicarbonate to help relive the oiliness in the hair and charcoal powder to prevent any irritation and to help keep the scalp clean as well as allowing it to breathe. It’s also marketed as being suitable for all hair colors.

Redken which is now owned by L'Oreal states on its website that it does not test its products on animals or hire a third party to do any testing.

Ingredients

Zea Mays Starch / Corn Starch, Tapioca Starch, Sodium Bicarbonate, Charcoal Powder.

Texture and Color

This dry shampoo powder resembles the consistency of very find baby powder and is a very pale grey color. It does seem to clump while it is in the bottle and it can be difficult to get the powder out of the bottle opener.

Finish

As long as you apply the correct amount of powder onto your roots, then you should have no problem. However, if you accidentally did put too much powder onto your hair, it is very hard to distribute the excess powder throughout your hair with your fingertips or a brush.

It does actually help to alleviate the build-up of oil on your hair and it also does help you to get an extra day of not having to wash your hair.

Redken Advantages

• It is probably one of the more affordable brands of dry shampoo powder on the market.
• Redken which is owned by L’Oreal no longer test their products on animals.
• There is a lot more product in this bottle so it should last you a good few months.
• It is also available on most online stores that sell hair care products.
• You get 60 grams/2.1oz of product in the bottle which is quite a lot compared to what some other brands have in their product.
• There is no fragrance in this dry shampoo powder and you won’t get an itchy scalp after application.
• You don’t feel like there is any product build-up on your roots after you have applied this dry shampoo.
• If you apply the correct amount of produce, then it can be easy to distribute it throughout your hair with your fingertips.
• This powder is talc-free.

Redken Disadvantages

• This dry shampoo does not add volume to your hair it only helps to alleviate the oiliness in your hair.
• If you shake the bottle too much while you are applying the dry shampoo powder to your hair, you can actually end up with too much powder on your roots.
• If you accidentally applied too much of this dry shampoo powder to your hair, it will leave a residue behind and no matter how much you brush your hair it’s hard to distribute it throughout your hair.
• You have to shake this bottle a couple of times when you are applying the powder to your roots as it seems to get stuck at the spout and it won’t come out of the bottle opening.
• The texture of this powder looks very similar to baby powder and while the texture is supposed to be fine it does seem to clump together while it is in the bottle. This means that you need to shake the bottle up each time before applying any powder to your roots.
• This product is only marketed to consumers who have fine hair which means that it isn’t suitable for every hair type.
• If your hair gets wet, it does seem to make your hair look a bit flat.

Applying Dry Shampoo Powder

You can apply dry shampoo straight to your roots by dispensing a little bit of the powder at a time or you can apply it to your fingertips and then spread them on to your roots.

Applying Dry Shampoo Powder Directly Onto Your Hair

The best way to apply this shampoo to your hair is to apply it in sections from left to right.

• Make a two-inch-wide segment to your hair from above your left ear and dust some of the powder on to your roots.
• Lay that down and go to the next section and then dust some more powder onto this section. Repeat this process till you get to above your right ear.
• Apply some of the powder onto your crown and then rub the powder throughout your hair with your fingertips.
• Comb your hair with a brush if necessary.

Full Comparison

Price: Redken 02 dry shampoo is better value as it is cheaper than Bumble and Bumble and you get similar amounts of product in both bottles. 60 grams/2.1 oz in Redken and 56 grams/2 oz in Bumble and Bumble.

Ingredients: There are more ingredients in the Bumble and Bumble Pret-a-Powder dry shampoo compared to Redken 02 dry shampoo. Some people might prefer using a product that has fewer ingredients.

Fragrance: There is no fragrance in the Redken 02 dry shampoo powder but there is a faint fragrance in the Bumble and Bumble Pret-a-Powder dry shampoo powder.

Residue: Since Redken 02 dry shampoo is a very pale grey color, it can leave a residue on dark hair. For this reason, the Bumble and Bumble Pret-a-Powder might be a better choice as it is a pale peach color and doesn't leave a residue.

Application: The opening in the Redken 02 dry shampoo bottle can be troublesome when you are trying to get the powder out of the bottle onto your roots. It is a very thin slot where the powder comes out. Bumble and Bumble also have a thin slot on their bottle but it seems a lot easier to get the powder out and onto your roots.

Further Reading

Prêt-à-powder | Bumble and bumble.

https://www.bumbleandbumble.com/product/19049/27810/care/dry-shampoos/pret-a-powder#/sku/51461

Dry Shampoo Powder 02 | Redken

https://www.redken.com/products/styling/dry-texture/dry-shampoo-powder-02

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

© 2020 Sp Greaney

Comments

Sp Greaney (author) from Ireland on July 26, 2020:

@ Devika Primic, Thank you. Yes, I think everyone uses Batiste. I couldn't live without these products.

Devika Primić from Dubrovnik, Croatia on July 26, 2020:

I have not used such shampoos for my hair you enlightened me on a new shampoo and I learned lots from this hub..

Sp Greaney (author) from Ireland on July 18, 2020:

@ Pamela, thanks. Yes your better off staying away from them. But also in this case it's a bonus for you. Redken products are good and much more affordable compared to Bumble and bumble.

Pamela Oglesby from Sunny Florida on July 18, 2020:

I have never used a dry shampoo as my hair is dry and I thought it would not look good. I like your suggestion of getting a trial size dosage to try it out. I think it would be nice to use a dry shampoo when you are in a hurry, Sp. I like the various Redkin products I have previously used. Thanks fr this excellent information.

Just an enthusiastic girl who wants to help others by sharing her experiences with haircare, makeup, skincare, etc.

Goodness of Fenugreek seeds

Fenugreek is used as one of the most traditional remedies for skin and hair care. In India, fenugreek is one of the most common ingredients found in kitchens. Fenugreek is rich in vitamins and minerals that boost skin and hair repair.

Ingredients

These quantities are according to my hair length. Adjust the quantity according to your hair length.

• 3 tablespoons fenugreek seeds
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• Milk

How to Prepare the Hair Mask

1. Mix 3 tablespoons of methi or fenugreek seeds and water in a bowl, and allow them to soak overnight.
2. Strain the water from the seeds and pour into a spray bottle.
3. Start making the paste by putting the soaked fenugreek seeds in a bowl.
4. Add milk to the soaked fenugreek seeds a little at a time while mixing it in a mixer or grinder until it forms a thick paste.
5. Add two tablespoons of coconut oil and mix thoroughly.
6. If the paste is too thick, add a little more milk until it feels sticky enough for easy application.

How to Apply the Hair Mask

1. Comb your hair thoroughly before you apply the hair mask.
2. Start spraying the middle section of your hair with the fenugreek water stored in the spray bottle.
3. Partition your hair and apply fenugreek water to your entire scalp.
4. Massage for five minutes. This will increase blood flow and open the pores of your scalp.
5. Apply the paste to the roots of your hair.
6. Massage for five to ten minutes.
7. Separate small sections of hair and apply the paste from root to tip.
8. Gently use an up-down motion with your fingers while applying the paste to each section. Do this up-down motion three to four times for each section.
9. Repeat this until you've saturated all of your hair.
10. Cover your hair with a shower cap and let it sit for at least one hour, and at most three hours.
11. Wash your hair using the instructions below.

How to Wash Your Hair

The minute particles of methi or fenugreek will stick to your scalp, and it is difficult to wash it off.

How to Remove the Hair Mask

1. Remove the shower cap and massage your scalp for five minutes.
2. Wash your hair with normal water.
3. Use your fingertips to remove any residual particles of fenugreek from your hair.
4. Use a mild shampoo to wash your hair. Don't pour the shampoo directly onto your hair. Dilute the shampoo by mixing it in a cup with some water.
5. Pour the shampoo-water mixture on your scalp and gently massage.
6. Rinse your hair with cold water.

If there are still bits of fenugreek in your hair, you can fill a bucket with water and dip your hair in the water while removing any particles with your fingers.

Things to Keep in Mind

• The smell of the hair mask is quite pungent. You can neutralize some of the smell with the coconut oil.
• Even after following all the steps to wash your hair, you might still have trouble getting all the fenugreek out. Don't worry! Allow your hair dry completely and then comb your hair to remove all the remaining particles.

Benefits of the Hair Mask

• Works as a natural anti-dandruff solution.
• Provides natural gloss and shine.
• Keeps hair and scalp healthy.
• Gives soft, shiny, and smooth hair.
• Makes your hair soft.
• Smoothes the skin by removing dry and dead skin cells.

My Personal Experience

I started using the fenugreek hair mask to keep my hair healthy and save money. I used it once a week and saw visible changes after three weeks. My hair looked healthier and more nourished than before. My hair quality has improved and I will continue using this hair mask.

The smell of the mask does bother me a bit, but if you want to save money it's not horrible.

Try this hair mask and let me know your experience in the comments section.

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

© 2020 Shilpi Ghosal

Carson is a medical technologist turned natural hair therapist. Her hair affair started in 2016 after finding her passion for hairstyling.

Isn't it annoying when you dress up for a party with your hair tied back tightly but a puff of hair still dangles on your forehead? No matter how much you try, you can't shape them the way you want. These curls are called baby hairs, and in most cases, your genes are to blame for having them. As annoying as they are, you can get rid of them easily by following a few tricks. Here's what you need to do.

Three Ways to Get Rid of Baby Hairs

1. Apply Natural Oils
2. Use Hairspray
3. Change Your Hairstyle

Natural Oils That Tame Baby Hairs

Olive oil, mustard oil, coconut oil, and almond oil are very effective in getting rid of baby hair. Let's take a look at the properties of these oils and how to use them.

Coconut Oil

Unrefined, virgin, or extra-virgin coconut oil are not only good for your skin but they can also remove baby hair within a few weeks. Coconut oil stops free radicals from damaging your skin, prevents infection, lessens inflammation, and slowly reduces the amount of baby hair on your face.

How to Apply Coconut Oil

1. Liquefy a tablespoon of coconut oil.
2. Gently rub it on your palms and massage it on your baby hair. Try to reach the pores. If you don't have a lot of baby hair, then it shouldn't be challenging to massage the oil on the intended area. You can also dip cotton balls in the liquefied coconut oil and apply it on your baby hair.
3. Do this at least twice a day. You will notice that the baby hairs have disappeared in a few weeks.

Olive Oil

Olive oil is widely popular for its antibacterial and antioxidant properties, Vitamin content, and moisturizing effects. When mixed with alum and rosewater, olive oil can successfully remove baby hair in a few days.

How to Apply Olive Oil

1. Take a tablespoon of olive oil, a tablespoon of rosewater, and a pinch of alum and mix everything thoroughly.
2. Apply this mixture to your baby hair.
3. Allow it to dry before applying another coat.
4. Repeat the process until you have applied six coats of this mixture.
5. Wash your face with lukewarm water and apply a few drops of olive oil again. Repeat every day for optimal results.

Mustard Oil

Mustard oil keeps your skin soft, smooth, and supple. But it is also a champion in removing baby hair. Its antibacterial properties keep scalp infections away.

How to Apply Mustard Oil

1. Apply mustard seed paste or high-quality mustard oil on your baby hair before going to sleep at night. You should see noticeable results in a matter of days.
2. Keep applying mustard oil every night until there is no baby hair left at all.

Almond Oil

Almond oil can fix split ends, control scalp infection, treat dandruff, and make your hair shiny. In addition to all these benefits, it can also get rid of baby hair in a few weeks.

How to Apply Almond Oil

1. Mix a tablespoon of almond oil with a tablespoon of Indian gooseberry powder. Make sure there is no lump in the paste.
2. Dip your fingertips in this mixture and massage it on your baby hair. Do this before going to sleep to allow the almond oil and Indian gooseberry to work their way into the roots of your baby hair.
3. Repeat this technique every night to see a reduction in the amount of baby hair on your forehead within a few weeks.

Hair Products for Baby Hairs

Apart from different natural oils, you can also use a variety of hair products to get rid of baby hair. While many women advise shaving off baby hairs before going out, it is not a permanent solution. The best alternative to tame down your baby hair is by using a hairspray trick. In fact, you can use hairspray and finish things off with an anti-frizz cream.

How to Tame Baby Hairs With Hairspray

1. Take a new toothbrush and a bottle of high-quality hairspray.
2. Sprinkle a few drops of hairspray on the bristles of the toothbrush.
3. Rub the bristles gently on your baby hair.
4. Apply a bit of pressure while rubbing the bristles. Keep applying the pressure until you feel the bristles don't contain any hairspray anymore.
5. Repeat this process until the baby hair sets with the hairstyle you want.

How to Use Anti-Frizz Cream

Once you set the baby hair with your hairspray, you can put some anti-frizz cream on it to keep the hair in the position you want. It is almost like applying a hair pomade. The anti-frizz cream will not let the bay hair fall off from its intended position, giving you the confidence that they won't mess up your look once you step outside.

Shaving Baby Hairs

You should follow this technique religiously every day. Shaving baby hair off should only be considered a last resort as it can damage your entire hairstyle. You need to make the baby hair follow your hairstyle and not dangle on your forehead like a loose piece of chicken from a burger.

Hairstyles to Mask Baby Hairs

If you don't want to lose your baby hair, the best thing you can do is change your hairstyle so that you can at least mask those dangling hairs from your forehead. One of the best hairstyles to hide your baby hair is a pixie cut.

First of all, try not to overheat your hair. In fact, it is best not to use a heat styling tool if you want to mask your baby hair. The baby hair should look natural when you change your hairstyle. Ask your hairstylist to give you a fringe or pixie cut. It is one of the cutest hairstyles sported by tons of celebrities. While it may be a drastic makeover for you, it's worth giving a shot.

Ideally, it is better to straighten your hair if you want a pixie cut. The sides should be absolutely straight to complement the pixie style. This will give a nice shape to the pixie cut on your forehead. The length of hair covering your forehead due to the pixie cut will hide your baby hair. You will not have to chop it, shave it, or brush it.

Say Goodbye to Baby Hairs

Baby hair looks cute on some women. But for many, it is an extra lump of hair that doesn't add any value to their hairstyle. But instead of shaving it every time, you can follow the tricks mentioned above to either hide them or get rid of them for good. Using natural oils will remove baby hairs but it usually takes time to notice positive results. Using the hairspray trick and changing your hairstyle, on the other hand, helps you solve the problem in an instant. The decision is yours to make.

Sources

• Coconut Oil for Your Hair: Benefits, Uses and Tips
  This article explains everything you need to know about coconut oil and hair: why you might want to try it, how to use it and more.
• The Benefits of Olive Oil for Hair - How Olive Oil Can Help Your Hair
  Sometimes the best hair remedies can be found at home — usually right there in your kitchen. We'd like to introduce you the benefits of using olive oil for hair.
• What to Know About Using Mustard Oil for Hair
  If you're thinking about using mustard oil for your hair, or, already have been and want to learn more about it, here are a few things to know including benefits, ways to use it, and risks with this potent oil.
• Almond Oil for Hair: Benefits and Uses for Longer, Stronger Hair
  Learn about the benefits of almond oil for hair.

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

Comments

Liz Westwood from UK on April 10, 2020:

I especially appreciate the natural and easy to find products that you suggest in this article.

Despite detesting it for years, I eventually decided to love and care for my hair. I hope this will help you do the same.

I recently read a blog about a young girl who used to hate her natural curly hair and ended up having her hair straightened, which eventually destroyed her scalp and the natural moisture of her hair. Well, honestly, just like this girl, I also fell victim of the straight hair trend here in the Philippines.

You see, the beauty standard in our country is white skin and straight hair. Curly hair was never regarded as beautiful. In fact, you will likely be bullied if you have curly hair. I remember that when I was young, my hair was called a bird’s nest, because it was untidy and, well, it really looks like a bird’s nest on my head. Because of this, I started detesting my curls at a young age and vowed to have it straightened once I grow up.

True enough, when I went to college, I had my hair straightened. And because I was still a student, my allowance was limited. Hence, I ended up choosing unreliable salons that offer hair straightening at a discounted price, which eventually destroyed my scalp and my hair. I didn't learned my lesson and still continued having my hair straightened for years, until finally I had enough. I eventually decided to embrace my uniqueness and love whatever I am and cultivate whatever I have. So I started loving and caring for my hair.

In this article, I will break down how I changed my views toward my own hair and began properly caring for it, as well as share tips and tricks for helping others with curly hair learn how to best care for it.

Learning to Love and Care for My Curly Hair

The first thing I did is I had the remaining straight hair cut off to remove all the memories of my hair straightening days. I really do not want to remember those painful moments. You see, having your hair straightened is painful—the medicine, the hair ironing, and (if the attendant is not careful) you might end up with a burnt scalp. Gosh! I can’t believe I did that to my lovely curls!

Now, I just want to help other women to learn to love their curls, help them find products that are suitable for their hair type, and give tips to maintain their beautiful curls.

In the Philippines, there are very few product advertisements for curly hair, but there are bunch of advertisements for straight hair. You can really see the discrimination for the two categories. But don’t be sad, there are still products sold online or in big shopping malls for curly hair (although it’s really limited).

Before using any products on your hair, however, first you have to know your hair type, as hair care routine varies depending on your curl type. There are at least 10 hair types, and mine is classified under 2C-wavy and 3A-curly. To find out more about your hair type, check out the video below.

Essential Items for Maintaining Healthy Curly Hair

Here are some of the products I’ve used and where you can buy them. So far, these products have been very useful and helpful in maintaining my curls.

Disclaimer: I am not a product endorser and this article is not sponsored by any of these companies. I am just sharing the products I used in hopes of helping others.

1. Hair Lotions

Hair lotions are used to style and define curls. It is absolutely recommended for type 3A hair, as it definitely alleviates the frizz and help maintain consistency with your curls. It also leaves your hair soft and shiny without weighing it down.

Hair lotions also add volume to your hair. Plus, it's not at all sticky, despite it being called “lotion."

Which Hair Lotions Are Easily Available and Where to Find Them

So far, the only hair lotion I found available in all Watsons stores is the Monea Hair Defining Hair Lotion. It is also cheap for only PHP 99, and you get to use it for three to five weeks.

Another hair lotion that you can only buy online through Shoppe or Lazada is the Garnier Fructis Style Curl Calm Down Anti-Frizz Cream, which is around PHP 280.

So far, both products work well for me. I recommend the Garnier more, however, because it has less smell—unlike Monea, which has a medicine-like smell (though it's more accessible, since it's available in all Watsons stores). They are both hair lotions though and serve the same purpose, so why not try both and check which suits you best?

How to Use Hair Lotion

After shampooing your hair and putting in conditioner, towel dry your hair. Then put an ample amount of hair lotion into your palm and spread evenly through your hair before combing it.

2. Hair Moisturizing Oils

Hair oil is a must for anyone with curly hair. Proper oils can actually resolve almost all of your curl issues, like frizz, brittleness, dryness, and even split ends.

You see, one of the problems with curly hair is that it holds less hydration than straight hair. Hence, you need to moisturize it often, and the best moisturizers are oils. Unlike hair lotions, hair oils are more readily available—either in stores or online—so using it often will not be a problem.

The 3 Main Types of Moisturizing Oils: Coconut, Olive, and Avocado

There are two main types of oils: sealing oils and moisturizing oils. First, let’s discuss moisturizing oils. The three best moisturizing oils for both hair and skin are: coconut, olive, and avocado. They all help to strengthen hair by preventing damage and even help reduce hair loss.

The most easily available and cheapest forms in the Philippines are coconut oil and olive oil—you can buy them in any grocery stores. Avocado oil, on the other hand, is quite rare and can usually only be bought online.

How to Use Hair Moisturizing Oils

For both coconut and olive oil, the best way to use it is to leave it overnight. Here’s the step-by-step process to do at night before you go to bed:

1. Comb your hair to untangle your curls.
2. Put the oil on your palm and apply it evenly to a handful of your hair.
3. Do this process until all hair strands have been applied with oil.
4. After applying it to your hair, comb again to spread the oil throughout your hair, then tie it before going to bed.
5. The next morning, shampoo your hair and put some conditioner in it. Leave it in for five minutes.
6. Comb and style your hair with sealing oils.

You can mix the olive and coconut oil if you want, or you can use one product at a time. I do this at least once a week and it’s like I went to the salon and had my hair steam oiled.

Doing this often will soften your hair and help remove your dandruff if you have some. Just make sure to shampoo your hair once you put coconut or olive oil in it, because the oils are very greasy and will weigh your hair down.

3. Hair Sealing Oils

The second type of hair oils are sealing oils, which seal in moisture. This means that you have to wash your hair first with water, then put conditioner in, before applying these sealing oils in order for them to work. In short, these oils are applied after showering.

Sealing oils improve the elasticity of hair and keeps it soft and supple. It helps repair damaged hair and replenishes moisture. There are different sealing oils sold in the market, but be careful in choosing one—there are some that contain parabens and sulfates, which can make hair brittle and dry.

My Two Recommendations for Sealing Oils

I’ve used several hair oils, but I can only recommend two that really worked well for me. First is the Naturals Argan Oil by Watsons, which is only PHP 199 each. It’s cheap and available in all Watsons stores. It is not also greasy and does not weigh your hair down. The only downside with Naturals Argan Oil is it can’t define your curls well like hair lotions can—it only gives moisture and shine, but it can’t hold the tangles so much.

The other sealing oil that I recommend is the Renewing+ Argan Oil of Morocco Penetrating Oil for all hair types. This one is by far the best sealing oil I’ve ever used. It's also available in all SM stores for around PHP 580. It's not greasy and sticky, doesn't weigh your hair down, keeps your hair hydrated for at least two days. It can also tame your tangles and somehow defines your curls.

4. Hair Conditioners

For curly hair, you should always choose hair conditioners that are sulfate and paraben free, because these chemicals can make your hair dry and cause split ends.

There are several hair conditioners available in the market, but I would recommend hair conditioners that have avocado, coconut, or argan oil as the main ingredient (or at least as one of them). For obvious reasons, these are the best oils to moisturize curly hair.

My Two Recommendations for Hair Conditioners

I have tried several products, but I only recommend the two ones that worked best for me. First, is the Silk Secrets 1 Minute Hot Oil Treatment, in either the argan or coconut oil variety, whichever suits you best. This is around PHP 199 per tube.

My second recommendation is the Luxe Organix Premium Keratin Treatment 3 Minute Hair Repair, in either the argan or coconut oil variety. This one is only PHP 199 as well, but sometimes comes with a "buy one, get one free" promotion. Both products are available at any Watsons store.

How to Use Hair Conditioners

Shampoo your hair, then remove the excess water before applying an ample amount of the conditioner to your hair. For best results, leave it in your hair for three to five minutes before rinsing it with water.

Additional Tips for Curly Hair

• Do not shampoo your hair every day, because it will destroy the natural oils of your hair. The oils produced on your scalp—sebum—are what hydrate hair, adding shine, decreasing frizz, and giving it strength. But do not go for too many days without shampooing your hair either, as it will build fungi and dandruff on your scalp. Consider shampooing your hair every other day.
• Depending on your hair type, invest in a brush that will not destroy your hair. For my hair type, combs that are at least 1 centimeter apart are highly recommended. Check your hair type and find the brush that’s best suited for you.
• Do not overdo hair products. Just put an ample amount into your hair and do not combine them. That is, don't put hair oil and lotion in at the same time. That will destroy your hair and will even create fungi on your scalp. For others, they recommend hair mousse and gel. But for my hair type, I don’t recommend such products, since they dry out my hair. Learn what’s best for your hair and stick to it. Try one product at a time and change it immediately if it doesn't work for you.
• Hair blowers are a no-no for curly hair. It will make your hair dry and tangled. After showering, just towel dry your hair as much as you can and let it finish drying naturally.
• Lastly, do not brush your hair too often. Brush it only after showering, because it will make your hair fly in different corners.

Love Your Hair, Don't Fight It!

Learn to love your curls instead of fighting them. Curly hair is very manageable as long as you find the right products that are best suited for you.

LIza loves finding natural health and beauty products and sharing her discoveries.

How I Rescued My Dry and Damaged Hair

Following my move to the United States, I noticed my scalp started getting very dry, and my hair would fall out during the wintertime. Obviously, moving to a seasonal country was not great for my hair.

I grew up in a tropical climate but ended up moving to Utah as an adult. After spending a few years in the dry and deserty climate, I was facing some hair issues. I was losing hair, and my hair was getting visibly thinner. In my head, I was screaming, "This can't be happening to me!" Ever since I was a little girl, I've had thick and dark hair just like my mother.

I tried numerous products to treat my scalp and hair, but none of them were working. Therefore, I determined to try an inexpensive home remedy, and it worked!

Hair Products Testing

Last year was the pinnacle when I felt I must do something immediately. So, I went to multiple stores to find a solution to my dry scalp and hair. I purchased several types of hair products, including shampoo, conditioner, and hair oil to treat my hair, and I tossed the previous shampoo and conditioner I had been using. Quickly, I switched to the new products and waited patiently for the results. Zilch. Nothing worked for me.

Avocado Is a Hair Superfood

I decided to do some research on the internet. I gathered as much as I could about at-home hair remedies. I determined to ditch the hair products from the store and turn to a natural remedy instead. I saw many people sharing how wonderful avocado was for their hair. Avocado has become increasingly popular among health-conscious individuals, and it is often referred to as a superfood, so I wanted to try and see if it would be a superfood for my hair.

Here are some of the nutrients in a single 3.5-ounce (100-gram) avocado.

• Folate
• Potassium
• Vitamin B5
• Vitamin B6
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin E
• Vitamin K
• It also contains small amounts of magnesium, manganese, copper, iron, zinc, phosphorous, and vitamins A, B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), and B3 (niacin).

My Results

For the past 3–4 months, I have been using the avocado hair mask, and the result was astonishing. My scalp feels soothed, less itchy, and my hair slowly stopped falling out. Honestly, I couldn't be more pleased with the ingredients used in the process of making the hair mask. It's inexpensive, natural, and most importantly, it works! I wish the best of luck to everyone out there who wants to try this recipe; the result may vary for certain people.

Ingredients

• 1 ripe avocado
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon raw honey
• 3–4 tablespoons coconut milk
• 1–2 drops lemon essential oil (You can leave out the lemon essential oil if you don't have it at home or if it irritates your skin).

Instructions

1. Cut the avocado in half. Using a knife, slice through the avocado lengthwise until you feel the knife hit the pit.
2. Remove the pit.
3. Use a spoon or spatula to scoop the flesh out and transfer it to a blender.
4. Add the honey, olive oil, coconut milk, and lemon essential oil.
5. Blend the mixture until it reaches a smooth texture and has the consistency of a thick paste.
6. Scrape the mixture into a clean jar.
7. Apply it right away to your hair. (Make sure to massage the mask thoroughly into your hair and scalp).
8. Cover your hair with a shower cap or clean cloth for 20–25 minutes.
9. Rinse well with lukewarm water.
10. Wash your hair with shampoo and conditioner as per your usual routine.
11. If you have leftovers, cover the jar with a cling wrap, close with a lid, and keep it in the fridge. (I recommended using all of the mask the day you make it since the avocado tends to darken.)

© 2020 Liza

Comments

Liza (author) from USA on September 04, 2020:

I was looking for nonchemical products for my hair treatment after trying various store products. I found that avocado is good for hair, and quickly give it a try. The result was amazing. The smell of coconut and avocado was so wonderful. Aah yea, Utah has many amazing outdoor places/parks to visit. I still have a lot to visit :) Thank you for stopping and commenting, Peggy.

Peggy Woods from Houston, Texas on September 04, 2020:

We love eating avocados but never thought to use them for a hair mask. I am glad that it worked for you and that you saw results. By-the-way, I loved our vacation trip to Utah many years ago. We visited all of the national parks plus some of the state parks. That state is amazing!

Liza (author) from USA on May 27, 2020:

Hi Zulekha, the smell of this avocado mask was amazing! Give it a few times and see if you've got an improvement from the first try. Best of luck!

Zulekha Huseni from Dubai on May 26, 2020:

The ingredients in the mask make me want to eat it! haha But it's interesting because I've never come across a hair mask using avocados. I'm definitely giving that a try after reading your success story. Thanks for sharing.

Liza (author) from USA on February 06, 2020:

I never used a hair mask before this too, Linda. As I'm getting older and the environment where I'm living right now it's quite a challenge. I'm still learning about how I can improve the way of life in this type of climate. So, with the problem that occurred to my hair, it's essential to use non-chemical or non-toxic products. Right now, I'm so happy with the result.

Liza (author) from USA on February 06, 2020:

Thanks Liz. I think it's good to change to non-chemical products. I have had quite improvements since using this homemade avocado mask. So, I'm very happy.

Liz Westwood from UK on February 06, 2020:

You have goven a very detailed and helpful guide on how to make this. The natural ingredients appeal to me.

Linda Crampton from British Columbia, Canada on February 05, 2020:

This sounds interesting. I've never used a hair mask before. If I try one, I'd like it to contain natural ingredients, as in your recipe. The creamy texture in your photos makes the product look very enticing. I'm glad it helped your hair.

Gray hair.... There are many ways to achieve it. You could use a silver toner, find a gray dye, become the president. But one of my favorite methods is to use Color Solutions by Ion in the shade Titanium.

Right off the bat, I'd like to apologize because I have no idea what to call this product. I mean, look at the label. What would you call it? Ion Pigments? Ion Color Solutions Color Depositing Masque? Ion Pigments Titanium Color Solutions? I'm not sure. I even looked it up online, and that didn't help. Either way, the product this review is focusing on is pictured below.

What Is It?

This product isn't a typical dye, nor is it a toner. It's basically a pigmented conditioner, which you can use to apply or maintain color. It's made with natural oils and antioxidants that allow you to color your hair without damage - hence the "hair masque" title.

This product is best when applied on pre-lightened hair.

Titanium Pigment

Before you go any further, know that this review is only for the Titanium pigment. While I have had much success with other Ion products, Titanium is the only color I have tried from this specific line.

For a little backstory, I started out with a platinum blonde hair. I wanted to go silver, so I used Arctic Fox Sterling (shown in the "before" picture below). It didn't work out as I had expected, but that's a review for another time. Being unsatisfied with the longevity of the Arctic Fox, I was looking for something a bit darker to use. That's when I discovered the Ion Titanium masque.

Photos and reviews will show you that it goes on pretty dark gray - which was perfect for the dark-root ombre I was aiming for. My hair is naturally dark brown, so applying an equally dark color at the roots helps to hide my growth. The goal here was to apply Titanium at the roots, and blend it down the hair shaft to fade into a lighter silver.

How to Use

When using this product, I absolutely recommend that you put it on before you shower, on dry hair. I read plenty of reviews before purchasing, and it seems a lot of people used it for the first time IN the shower on wet hair, only leaving it on for a few seconds before rinsing off. That's a great way to get splotchy, uneven hair color!

The key is control - I applied this product exactly as I would any other hair dye - carefully with the proper tools.

Supplies:

• 1-2 tubes of Ion Color Solutions Titanium (I used half of one tube to cover my roots)
• Dye bowl
• Dye brush
• Butterfly clip
• Gloves

Squeeze the product into a dye bowl. Use your dye brush to apply the color to your hair in small sections. You can certainly apply this on your entire head, but you'll see from my photos that I only used it on my roots. I usually work the layers from top to bottom, which is where the butterfly clip comes in handy.

Once you've saturated your hair evenly with the masque, you can really leave it in as long as you'd like. Typically, I like to let a dye sit in for two hours before rinsing it out.

Rinse the dye out using lukewarm water, and once you start to see the water running clear, you're ready to dry! Do NOT shampoo - you just put color in your hair, you don't want to pull it all out.

Upkeep

This product typically appears as a dark gray after it is initially washed out. As it begins to fade, it pulls to a light blue color (pictured below). I liked the light blue, so I let it fade out rather than upkeeping.

If you'd prefer the gray dark, spot touchups are the way to go. Just apply a little bit of the masque to fading spots a few minutes before you step into the shower. Or, since you've already done the full initial application, just use the product in the shower each time in place of a conditioner. This will help ensure your color is saturated and even.

When it comes time to remove the color, either a color stripper or bleach with 10 volume developer will easily do the trick.

Ion Color Solutions Titanium: 5 out of 5

I loved this product, and I've used it to do a shadow root several times since. It's super easy to use, it definitely made my hair feel silkier, and I love the color. Not to mention that one tube is right around $7 - it's a pretty cost effective fix! I definitely recommend this product to anyone looking for a dark gray dye.

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

Hello, I write about real life issues that can be informative to people who want to know more.

Who Is Ayanna Pressley?

Ayanna Pressley is a congresswoman in Massachusetts; she is the first black congresswoman to be elected to represent Massachusetts. She talks about issues that people face in their community, and she began working in the office on January 3, 2019. However, she's dealing with a personal issue that can be uncomfortable for anyone to admit. She has alopecia, but everyone is used to seeing her with twisted braided hair, and many loved her hairstyles.

Pressley is a courageous woman who wanted to be truthful about what has happened to her hair. She accepted what has happened, and now she is going to continue to be the strong woman she has always been. She's there for the people who know and love her for the job in which she has succeeded. She will continue to be a great politician, and what she's going through now isn't going to be a deterrent. She cares very much about doing what's right for the people of Massachusetts.

Ayanna Pressley's Hair Story

People were shocked to see Ayanna Pressley bald as she confessed to the world that she has alopecia. She wanted to reveal the truth about what her hair meant to her as a politician. Her hairstyles played a huge part in her journey as a black congresswoman with twisted braided hair.

Ayanna Pressley is a woman who meets people every day and to admit what has happened to her hair was courageous. She seems extremely transparent in showing people what she was hiding, and she embraced her baldness. Having the type of braids she had was stressful to her scalp, and having that amount of extensions was going to make her alopecia worsen eventually.

10 Tips for a Healthy Scalp

1. Take a break from wearing braids if it's too stressful for your scalp.
2. Avoid roughly scratching your scalp.
3. Take the braids or extensions out immediately if they're too heavy or they've been in for a while.
4. Don't accept seeing hair falling out and do not add braids until your scalp has healed.
5. If there is a lot of hair coming out in the comb or bathtub, do not put the braids or extensions back in.
6. If you're getting headaches due to the hair being too heavy, it's time to take the braids out.
7. If there is a family history of alopecia, do not wear long, heavy extensions or braids.
8. Let the hairstylist know that you don't want too much hair added to your natural hair.
9. Wear your hair natural, and don't be afraid to let go of the braids permanently.
10. Always stay calm and patient in stressful situations because hair loss can also occur when you're stressed.

How Do Extensions Cause Hair Loss?

When someone's natural hair has extensions added to make up more than the amount of natural hair, often what happens, after a while, is that the lengthy extensions braided in will weigh the hair down. The hair will slowly come out, but a woman might not realize it before getting the extensions taken out a month later. She will then get her hair done immediately after seeing that a lot of her hair came out already.

She wouldn't take the extensions out because she loves the hairstyle, even though it is causing stress to her scalp but wouldn't talk about it. She doesn't have the same fullness as she does, with the extensions braided in her natural hair. Over time, the hair will be thinner and less easy to style because it will be uneven all over the head, and it's hard to grasp the hair.

So keeping up with a braided hairstyle that is causing stress to a delicate scalp is excepted to women who feel they have no time to do their hair but will sit for hours to get it done. Besides, if a woman has alopecia and notices patches of balding, then she needs to talk to a medical professional. If a woman is going through this, it can be devastating.

Scalp Damage From Braids

When the hair is washed with that amount of hair, it will be worse for the scalp, and the hair can break more easily when it's wet. With a lot of hair extensions braided into the natural hair, it can take a while to dry. Also, doing a hairstyle like Ayanna Pressley's hair will eventually cause hair loss if this hairstyle is maintained without a break.

Hair needs to be free from extensions, weaves, wigs, braids, and overuse of products to grow, and hair needs air, too. It's easy to damage hair follicles if they are being pulled all the time. Permanent hair loss can happen if you don't take care of the scalp.

Heavy Extensions Have Consequences

There was a time where a lot of women were walking around with bald edges and short hair. It was the nineties, and at that time, a lot of women wanted to wear long extension braids with a lot of extra hair that looked amazingly stylish.

The braids are still being worn today, but not as much as in the nighties. However, after a lot of women weren't being seen without the amazing-looking braids anymore. There was tremendous hair loss that a lot of women exposed, but they wouldn't talk about what happened to their scalp. It was difficult to know if it was the braids or alopecia.

Although the trending hairstyle is a favorite for women who want to look different as time changes, the stress on the scalp can be hard to accept after seeing the hair come out more and more after removing the thick long braids that are too heavy for the scalp.

Hair Needs a Break Sometimes

Adding too much hair that isn't good for the scalp can cause permanent hair loss if certain hairstyles are done all the time without giving the scalp a break. In addition, if the lengthy braids are washed, and then the extensions becomes heavier, it will be unbearable to deal with.

In conclusion, many lengthy hairstyles can cause hair loss if the hair is left in for a long time. Also, if you see bald patches, then that's the time to decide to end the stress on a delicate scalp, and seeing a doctor is necessary.

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

© 2020 Jacqueline L Smith

Tori loves dying her hair all colors of the rainbow and shares her tutorials with others.

I dye my hair just about every three months and love choosing bright and interesting colors. Luckily for me, over the past decade, there has been an explosion of semi-permanent hair color brands that provide an impressive variety of colors. Recently I've been working my way through Arctic Fox's line of colors. I've also been on a cool-tone color streak, so the Arctic Fox Semi-Permanent Hair Dye in Violet Dream fit into my lineup perfectly.

Notes Before Starting

• My hair is naturally a medium-dark blonde, and very thick. I have found that most semi-permanent dyes don't stick to my hair if I don't lighten it first. I dye my hair frequently which means it gets lightened often, so I only lighten my roots now.
• You may need multiple bottles of dye depending on how long your hair is. My hair is just below my shoulders, so I typically purchase two bottles: one 8-ounce and one 4-ounce. That is enough to generously cover my entire head.
• Arctic Fox is a vegan, cruelty-free brand, which earns them major points. Because of their ingredients and formulation, you can think of this dye like a leave-in conditioner with coloring properties. You shouldn't have to worry about allergic reactions or damaged hair.

Supplies List

Step 1: Lighten Your Hair

The first step to dying hair any semi-permanent color is to lighten it. If your hair is naturally light blonde already, you can most likely skip this step. But if it's dark blonde, brown, or black, you'll need to lighten it. But be careful—lightening your hair too much or with the wrong products is what causes the most damage.

For lightening products, I am loyal to Ion Color Brilliance Bright White Creme Lightener mixed with 20 volume Sensitive Scalp developer. The creme lightener is much easier to work with than a messy powder lightener. This one also doesn't smell nearly as bad as others on the market. I have also experienced more even lightening and much less damage to my hair versus others on the market.

I lighten my roots only, right before I dye the ends. I mix a 1:1 ratio of developer to lightener, brush it on my roots using a tint brush, and process no longer than 10–15 minutes. If this is your first time lightening your hair, I recommend taking a look through this tutorial on how to use the product.

Once your hair has been lightened, let it air dry and wait a day to apply the dye. This gives your hair a chance to rest and dry naturally, since applying heat can cause damage.

If your hair was previously a bright color, try to fade it as much as possible using clarifying shampoo or jumping in a pool (I work at a pool, that's why I suggest this as an effective option), but you don't have to worry if there is still a little bit of color remaining. My hair was previously blue and there was a tiny bit of blue left once I faded it. I didn't mind having that underneath the purple because it helped provide a dimension as the purple faded.

Step 2: Applying the Dye

I always start by applying dye to my roots, following the below steps:

1. Section hair into four parts and tie them off, working with one section at a time.
2. Using the tint brush, paint the dye onto the root, making strokes about two inches in length.
3. Using the end of the tint brush, draw a thin line underneath the hair you just painted (like you would if you were parting your hair). Paint the back-side of that line of hair, and then paint the new section.
4. Keep drawing parts and painting the dye on until the whole section of roots has been covered.
5. Once the section of roots has been covered, use your gloved fingers to rub dye into the rest of the section of hair.
6. Once the whole section is saturated, pin it up onto itself and begin the next section.
7. Repeat steps 1–6 until all hair is saturated.

If you need to see how this is done, the video below from ElleBangs is a great visual example!

Step 3: Allow the Dye to Absorb

Because Arctic Fox hair dye contains only natural ingredients and no chemicals, it ends up being like a conditioning treatment. I prefer to let the dye stay in for 1–2 hours before washing it out. The conditioning portion of the dye really helps my hair feel hydrated and smooth. As far as the dye itself, two hours may be overkill, but it makes me feel like it will stay longer—especially since I work at a pool!

Step 4: Rinse and Dry

When it's time to rinse, DO NOT USE SHAMPOO THE FIRST TIME. Shampoo will pull out some of the color and ruin the evenness of the color deposit. You only want to rinse until the water runs clear.

After rinsing, I typically will dry with a hairdryer set to medium heat so as not to burn my hair.

Step 5: Maintain Your Color

• Due to my work schedule at the pool, I typically only wash my hair twice a week: Tuesday evenings and Saturday mornings. If you don't work at a pool and can make it to where you only wash your hair once a week, then the color will last longer.
• Use dry shampoo in between washes to keep the greasiness at bay. My favorite is Batiste Dry Shampoo.
• When you do wash your hair, make sure you are using a sulfate-free shampoo. Follow immediately with conditioner and lukewarm water, which I have found keeps the color runoff to a minimum. Rinse until there is no color runoff left.

Review and Conclusion

I already have a very positive view of Arctic Fox due to using their dyes in the past, but this color is really gorgeous and lasts a pretty long time. I loved this color so much I ended up dying my hair twice with it. I kept the color for two months, re-dyed at the two-month mark, and kept it for another two months before switching colors. Here are my takeaways:

• This dye makes your hair feel amazing.
• It is long-lasting and fades to a color that is just as pretty.
• The packaging isn't great. You lose about a half-ounce of dye because it's not a squeeze bottle and the dye isn't liquid (the bottle is hard plastic and the dye is conditioner consistency, so you can't squeeze the last bit out).
• I love that the company is vegan and cruelty-free. I would love it if they could add to that mission by eliminating plastic from their packaging and using something biodegradable, such as sugar cane resins, or simply using recycled plastics to manufacture their bottles would be awesome too.

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

Verity likes to try out affordable beauty products and share her findings with others.

Background and Important Info

I purchased this product for £3.99 from Bodycare; I was not sent this product in return for a review. This review is unbiased and features my honest opinions and experiences with this product.

A year ago I carried out two bleaching treatments, at home, on my hair to take it from medium-dark brown to white (details of the process can be found here). I then dyed my hair a very vivid purple. After these treatments, my hair was left dry and in need of some TLC. I would deep condition my hair in the shower, however, I still struggled to get a brush or a comb through it after washing it. As such, I decided that my best option would be to get a leave-in conditioner to use in conjunction with my deep conditioning treatments in the shower.

This review is being written after using this product for a year, multiple times per week. The length of my hair had grown from shoulder length to medium-long. As a result, I use this product liberally.

How I Used This Product

The instructions as written on the bottle state:

"Spray product throughout towel dried or damp hair. Comb through ends to coat hair with conditioning proteins. Do not rinse. Style as desired. Can be used throughout the day as needed."

I used this product as directed by the instructions. After washing and conditioning my hair in the shower, as usual, I use a towel to remove the excess water from my hair and then leave it to air dry for five or so minutes. I then spray the product liberally all over the roots and the lengths of my hair, using my hands to help work it in. I then use a comb to separate my hair and create my parting. I switch to a vented radial brush to slowly brush out my hair and distribute the product throughout the hair. I then leave it to air dry and style as I wish.

Results

The first thing you notice upon spraying this product is the lovely smell. I am not usually a fan of coconut smells as I find them to be overpowering, however, the coconut when paired with the monoi oil in the formula creates a subtle but luxurious smell.

I use this product liberally. Without the product, I cannot get my brush or comb through my hair, and it tangles worse trying to fix it. With this product, I can get my brush from the roots to the end of my long hair on the second or third stroke, and the tangles come out almost instantly.

Once my hair dries, it feels so silky soft and smooth, and it looks so shiny and healthy. I've even noticed a dramatic reduction in split ends since I started using this product! There is no residue and Palmer's Leave-In Conditioner makes my hair so manageable that I do not need to use it on days when I am not washing it.

It is safe to say that I absolutely adore this conditioner, and I would never ever be without it again! It has revolutionised my haircare routine, and it gives me such a peace of mind knowing that my hair is not damaged and dry. I will most likely continue to use this product indefinitely as it feels so good for my hair!

Important Points to Note

I use this product very liberally as my hair is getting quite long. Despite this constant use, my first bottle lasted me 11 months and I only recently had to buy a replacement. I feel as though this is outstanding value for money and makes it a must-have!

This product is also ethically and sustainably sourced and is cruelty-free, which is a big plus for me morally. The product also contains no sulfates, no parabens, no phthalates, no mineral oil, no gluten and no dyes; making it as natural as possible

Conclusion

It's safe to say that I absolutely adore Palmer's Coconut Oil Leave-In Conditioner. It has become an absolute staple in my hair-care routine, and I honestly could never go without it again.

The results speak for themselves, my hair has never felt or looked so good. Considering how great value for money this product is, how ethical the product is, and how much it improves the condition of my hair; recommending this conditioner is an absolute no-brainer for me!

My Rating

© 2019 VerityPrice

Comments

Sp Greaney from Ireland on July 22, 2020:

I didn't know that Palmer's did this type of product. Thanks for sharing your experience with it. Must look for it the next time I'm in the pharmacy.

I'm a freelance hairstylist in Oregon. I'm an entrepreneur at heart and I want to help you be a successful cosmetologist!

More Than a Trend

While you shouldn’t completely forgo a good wet shampooing, waiting longer between traditional washes can actually help your hair grow out long and strong. It’s recently become increasingly popular to wash hair less frequently. From The Curly Girl Method to Jasmine Rae’s Instagram craze to the “No-Poo Movement” for only the most hard core granola types, pop culture seems to have circled back to the less frequent hair washings that were commonplace 50 years ago.

I’ve tried many brands of dry shampoo over the years and these are my three favorites for thin, fine hair types.

1. Hask Dry Shampoo

Hask is my absolute favorite, ride or die, dry shampoo brand. It is extremely effective at absorbing oils from event he sweatiest or oiliest scalp types, making it the perfect choice for those first trying out dry shampoo. It comes in a variety of scents as well! (My favorite is the Monoi Coconut Oil scent.) One of my favorite features of Hask Dry Shampoo is that, unlike many dry shampoo brands which leave hair with a matte appearance, Hask leaves hair clean, soft and shiny. It’s also extremely affordable so it fits into almost any budget!

2. My Amazing Blow Dry Secret

I discovered this one while skimming a product catalog during my downtime at the salon one day. When I tried it at home, I absolutely fell in love. While you can purchase dry shampoo at almost any drugstore there is a distinct difference in quality. Many drugstore dry shampoos have a grainy texture, My Amazing Blow Dry Secret is undetectable from the moment you spray it on. It also has patented two phase odor eliminating technology, making it the perfect dry shampoo to keep in your gym back for those lunch hour workouts when you need a quick touch up.

3. Batiste Dry Shampoo

Batiste Dry Shampoo not only comes in a variety of different scents, it also comes in four different shades ranging from light blonde to dark brown. While there are many dry shampoos out there, it can be difficult to find one that won’t show up on the darkest hair shades. This one disappears completely so it’s an excellent choice especially if you have dark hair! Also, unlike many dry shampoo brands, Batiste also comes in convenient, TSA approved travel sizes. You can always find a bottle in my suitcase when I travel.

What Are the Benefits to Wet Shampooing Less Frequently?

It Conditions the Hair Naturally

The hair’s natural oils are one of the best conditioners for it. It’s like a personalized conditioning serum just for your hair. Working these oils down the hair strand through consistent, firm brushing can drastically improve hair health and overall appearance.

It Saves Time and Money

Shampooing less frequently saves you a lot of time and a lot of hair product. When I started wet shampooing my hair only bi-monthly I began saving approximately three hours of time per week that would have normally been spent shampooing and styling my hair. (Don’t worry, I still shower much more often than that!) I also go through way less shampoo and styling products!

It Reduces Heat Damage

While working as a hair stylist I’ve found that most of my clients not only have their hot tools turned up way too high, they are also using them every day. The typical blow dryer reaches approximately 140 degrees Fahrenheit and almost all flat irons and curling irons can be turned up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit! If you’re using hot tools every day or even every other day, you could be doing significant damage to your hair over time.

Why Is It Important to Dry Shampoo Correctly?

Those with thicker hair may find it easier to transition to fewer washes per week because their hair’s cuticle has a greater capacity for absorbing oils, but even if you have fine or thin hair there’s still hope! The right dry shampoo can make the transition from daily washes to less frequent washes much easier. However, fine hair can feel sandy or cakey with the wrong dry shampoo, or even with the right dry shampoo used in the wrong way.

How to Dry Shampoo

Most people dry shampoo their hair before styling it it the morning. This can leave your hair looking chalky and stiff. The best time to dry shampoo is before bed. Part hair into one inch sections and spray section, holding the bottle about six inches away from your head. Pull your hair up in a ponytail. (I recommend the Invisibobble because it won’t leave crease marks in your hair.) In the morning, simply brush your hair firmly. The dry shampoo will absorb the oils during the night and will disappear without a trace, leaving your hair looking clean and volumized!

I'm a freelance hairstylist in Oregon. I'm an entrepreneur at heart and I want to help you be a successful cosmetologist!

Effortless Curls Are Easier Than You Think!

Imagine waking up in the morning and your hair is already done. How much time would you save? What could you accomplish instead of standing in front of the bathroom mirror curling your hair . . . again? What If I told you that you could curl your hair once and it would last for up to five days? Well you can! Read on for the magic method.

What You'll Need

In order to achieve curls that last for days, I recommend gathering these supplies:

• A curling wand (I use a Paul Mitchell Ion Unclipped wand)
• Paul Mitchell Freeze and Shine Superspray
• Clips

This method obviously requires you to forgo washing your hair for the days you want it to remain curled, so you'll also need:

• Your favorite dry shampoo (my all-time fave brand is Hask)
• A shower cap
• An Invisibobble or "telephone cord" hair tie

Help With Going Longer Between Washes

If you're used to washing your hair every day, it can take some time to get the hang of going longer between washes. Jasmine Rae Hair Co. on Instagram (@Jasmineraehairco) is a great resource for this!

Step 1

Start with freshly washed or second-day hair. If possible, use slightly less conditioner when you wash, as excess conditioner will weigh down your hair and keep the curls from holding as long. Flip your head upside-down and brush in a working spray that is non-aerosol. This is essential to protect your hair from the heat of the iron, help hold the curls in, and guard against humidity.

My favorite working spray is Paul Mitchell Freeze and Shine. I used it behind the chair for years for everything from older women's weekly roller sets to wedding updos.

Step 2

Section your hair into two or three "levels" with the clips depending on how thick your hair is and separate the first section from the lowest level. Use your curling wand to curl the first section. If you curl the hair away from your face you will achieve more of a beach wave look. If you curl the hair in towards your face, you will get a more traditional look, similar to what you'd see on a Victoria's Secret model. Continue curling in the desired direction until you have done your entire head.

Wands vs. Curling Irons

The reason I recommend using a curling wand instead of a curling iron is that a wand exposes less hair to its surface and keeps more of it away from the direct heat. Because a curling iron sandwiches the hair between the barrel and the clip, more than twice as much hair is being exposed, so hair damage is more likely.

My favorite wand is the Paul Mitchell Ion wand pictured below. I purchased one at a hair show years ago and used it behind the chair for years. Because it is made of ceramic, it distributes the heat more evenly and keeps hair shinier.

Step 3

Wait. This is the most important and most overlooked step in achieving long-lasting curls. I found that many of my clients were unaware that letting the hair cool completely allows the cuticle to close back up which helps the curls last. This is a great opportunity to do your makeup.

Step 4

Once your hair has cooled completely, you can brush through it with either a paddle brush or your fingers. If you use your fingers you'll get more of a beauty effect. If you use a brush, you'll get a looser, softer curl that will still last days.

At this point, I do not recommend using more hairspray, as it can cause the curl to crease if you put any pressure on it through sleeping or leaning against the headrest in the car.

When You're Ready to Sleep

When you're ready for bed, use an Invisibobble or "Telephone Cord" hair tie to put your hair up in a high pony tail. This particular type of hair tie is essential as it won't leave horizontal creases in your hair while you sleep the way a regular hair tie or scrunchy would.

When You Get Greasy

I recommend waiting a few days before you dry shampoo as natural oils are actually super healthy for your hair. When it is time to do something about your natural oils, I recommend using Hask dry shampoo. It is extremely lightweight and doesn't stand out, even against dark hair. Be sure to dry shampoo at night rather than in the morning, as this will give the dry shampoo more time to absorb the oil and disappear into your hair so that you don't wind up looking "chalky."

Happy Curling!

Have fun! You'll get better at this method with practice. Let me know how it goes in the comments. Happy curling!

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

Questions & Answers

Question: I’ve tried using the phone cord hair ties but I still wake up and my curls are frizzy and it looks like a mess. Do you suggest maybe wearing a shower cap to bed? Or is something else I can put on my head to help my curls stay in place while I’m sleeping? I move around a lot while sleeping so I’m sure that’s why I wake up and my curls don’t last? Any helpful tricks?

Answer: Oh, no! Well, my other go to is the good old scrunchy. I thrash around a lot in my sleep too. If a shower cap works for you, more power to you!

Tori is a 28-year-old, three-time animal mom and DIYer living in Northern Atlanta with her boyfriend.

How I Got Started

Shortly before Thanksgiving last year, I was enthralled with gray hair and wanted to try it myself. However, I was torn because I wanted to do a bright color again too. I decided not to choose and ended up doing both.

I chose gray and red because I thought they would look pretty together, and that's pretty much it. There's not a whole lot of reference material on the internet for these two colors together, so I knew I was going in blind, but I had trust that it would work out just fine.

For my gray, I chose to use Ion Color Brilliance Semi-Permanent Hair Color in Titanium mixed with just a touch of Ion Color Brilliance Semi-Permanent Hair Color in Black. The photos of the titanium were just a hair lighter than I wanted mine to be, so adding just a tiny bit of black adjusted the shade to the darkness I wanted.

For my red, I chose Manic Panic Semi-Permanent Cream Color in Wildfire. This red online looked to be the vibrant red with a touch of orange tone that I wanted. If I do this hair again, I also think that Manic Panic's Rock 'N' Roll red would look absolutely stunning with the Titanium. Rock 'N' Roll red is more on the pinker toned side of red.

I found all of these colors and supplies at Sally Beauty Supply, but you can order everything you need from Amazon as well.

Supplies You'll Need

Step 1: Lighten Your Hair

The above picture is what I had right before I lightened my roots and began applying my dye. To give you a better idea, my hair was bright red with violet roots prior to this picture, so I'd say it faded pretty well.

Here's What I Do To Remove Color:

1. I work at a pool and teach swim lessons three days of the week. Normally I wear a cap, but when I'm ready to re-color my hair, I take it off and let the chlorine do the heavy lifting. It works pretty well most of the time.
2. I use a clarifying shampoo to remove a large portion of color deposits. Normally, I only wash my hair twice a week, but for two weeks before I dye my hair, I wash it three to four times a week (especially since I'm letting my hair get all chlorine-filled at the pool).
3. If I think there will be additional detrimental show-through color, I will use volume 10 developer and the lightener I mentioned in the supplies list above to remove some of it. I try not to do this on a regular basis since my hair has already been lightened a lot.

The remaining color deposits did not affect the final color at all, so if your hair is as faded as mine was in the picture above, don't worry. Generally speaking, if you're going darker than your faded color, you will not see any color show through, and that was the case here. If you are trying to go lighter, however, you may notice some issues. If you're concerned, you can use a toner such as Wella T-18 to even out your hair a bit.

Here's What I Do To Lighten My Roots:

Nowadays, when I lighten my hair, I only lighten my roots, because the rest of my hair has been hit with lightener enough that I don't want to damage it further. If you need more direction on lightening your entire head, take a look at the review and tutorial I wrote about Ion Color Brilliance Bright White Creme Lightener. These are the steps I follow to lighten my roots using this product.

1. Mix lightener and developer at 1:1 ratio in a tint bowl. Wear gloves while applying.
2. Section hair out into sections about 2x2 inch squares.
3. Starting on one side of the square, apply lightener with a tint brush. Be careful not to overlap the new lightener with any previously lightened hair by more than a quarter-inch to prevent breakage.
4. Using the pointy end of the tint brush, thinly part and flip the sectioned hair that you just painted to one side. Apply to the other side of the hair.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 moving your way through the square as quickly as possible until the whole square has been saturated with lightener.
6. Repeat steps 3-5 for each square of hair.
7. Let sit until your hair has lightened the desired amount, or for 20 minutes—whichever comes first.
8. Rinse lightener out in the shower and apply conditioner.
9. If your hair is not the desired lightness, wait a day or two to give your hair time to rest, then repeat the process.

The video below from Ellebangs on Youtube is a great resource if you need help figuring out how to section and apply lightener or hair dye to your roots without missing any spots!

Step 2: Apply Color

The next step in the process after lightening your hair is to apply the color. To prepare for the color, I followed the following steps:

1. Part your hair across the back of your head in a straight line. I started my line at the top of one ear and drew straight across the back of my head to the top of my other ear. You may need a buddy to help you make sure the line is straight.
2. Pull back the bottom section so it's not in the way. You will first apply dye to the top section of hair.
3. Mix just a tiny bit of black dye, I would say no more than a teaspoon, with the Titanium color to make it just a bit darker.
4. Using the hair sectioning method shown above, apply the dye to your roots. If you are not confident in your ability to not get dye on the bottom section of hair, lay a piece of foil or saran wrap flat on the section that is not getting dyed to catch any dye that might drip on it.
5. Once your roots are finished, go back and apply dye down to the tips of your hair until it is fully saturated.
6. Pin the hair into a bun on top of your head within the gray section.
7. Take down the bottom part of your hair and prepare to add dye to it. A buddy may need to help you. My boyfriend helped me with this step.
8. Repeat steps 4 and 5 until your hair is saturated. Pin hair into a bun on the back of your head within the red section.
9. Allow the dye to process for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Step 3: Rinsing and Washing Your Hair

Because these colors are so different, I had to be very careful not to allow the red to bleed into the gray. Because of this, I was cautious while washing the dye out. In subsequent washes, I washed and rinsed the sections separately to ensure that minimal color bled.

1. Section your hair out into the respective color zones and tie back the gray section. You're going to rinse/wash the red section first.
2. Rinse or Shampoo and condition the red section. Once finished, tie back out of the way.
3. Tip your head over and rinse or shampoo and condition the gray section.
4. Once you're finished, you can towel dry the sections together. There is less likelihood of color bleed once the conditioner has been applied and rinsed out in the shower.

I washed my hair following these steps for the six weeks that my hair was this color. Thanks to this washing procedure, I was able to extend the life of both the gray and the red for the entire six weeks, and they faded beautifully.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I very much enjoyed using these two colors together. They worked well together and ended up looking incredibly vivid. I've always had good experiences with both Manic Panic and Ion Color Brilliance, and using these two colors together just showed how well these brands can work together despite being competitors.

I appreciate both brands' approach to package design. The Manic Panic tubs can be reused to store things or to plant tiny plants in, which I've done in the past. Both the Manic Panic tubs and the Ion Color Brilliance tubes allow me to get every last bit of color out of them, which helps me get the bang for my buck that I look for out of hair color.

Both colors lasted reasonably well (about six weeks), and I did not have any issues with colors bleeding onto my skin and clothes, although they did bleed into each other ever so slightly.

Overall, I would recommend both of these brands and these specific colors, especially together. I think they deliver an interesting, not-normally-seen visual, and it's definitely worth trying if you like to experiment!

Tori is a 28-year-old, three-time animal mom and DIYer living in Northern Atlanta with her boyfriend.

How I Got Started

I'd been wanting to go back to blue for a while, but I wanted to try a new product. I'd never done split-tone hair, and I'd never used Arctic Fox before. My sister, who dyes her hair as frequently as I do, pretty much exclusively uses Arctic Fox nowadays, so I trusted it would be a good brand. I chose to use Aquamarine (Teal), Poseidon (Cobalt Blue), and Transylvania (Black) as the colors this time.

I got all my supplies from Sally Beauty, but Arctic Fox can be found online and at other retailers. I'll be sharing my opinions on the product as well as a tutorial for how I dyed my hair diagonally split toned in two colors.

I am not a licensed professional! Just an at-home hair dye DIYer. I love dying my own hair and think it's fun, and I've been doing it for years. Different methods work for different people with different hair types and colors, so make sure you are checking two to three reviews to ensure you are getting uniform information before lightening or dying your hair.

Supplies I Used

The Packaging

While I have found that I love Arctic Fox's hair dye itself, I have to say I dislike the packaging. Due to the hard plastic bottle, it doesn't squeeze out very easily. While I got most of the product out, there was probably still an ounce of product left in the bottle. I tried scraping the sides down with the end of my tint brush, but ultimately there was still at least a half an ounce of dye that I wasn't going to be able to get my hands on.

There is better packaging out there. Personally, I love Manic Panic's jar-style or Ion Color Brilliance's aluminum squeeze tubes, both of which allow you to get out all of the product that you bought with out a bunch of extra effort.

Step 1: Prep Hair for Color

The first step to putting bright colors into your hair is to lighten it.

When I lighten my hair I pretty much exclusively use Ion Color Brilliance Bright White Creme Lightener mixed with Ion Color Brilliance Sensitive Scalp Volume 20 Developer at a 1:1 ratio. These two products are hands down my favorite lightening products I've ever used, and I've tried several. They are so gentle on my hair while lightening it quickly, and the lightener doesn't dry out while it's on my hair which makes rinsing out a breeze. It also lightens incredibly quickly. For more detailed instructions on lightening your hair with these products, check out this tutorial on using them.

Since I've been lightening and dying my hair for a while, I never lighten my entire head anymore. I only do my roots. To begin the process, I used clarifying shampoo to remove as much of my old color (gray and red) as I could. I also work at a pool, so the chlorine helped remove a lot of the color as well.

When the old color in my hair had faded to my liking, I began the process of lightening my roots. In general, you will need to follow the below steps if you are doing only your roots.

Root Lightening Directions

1. Mix lightener and developer at 1:1 ratio in a tint bowl. Wear gloves while applying.
2. Section hair out into sections about 2x2 inch squares.
3. Starting on one side of the square, apply lightener with a tint brush. Be careful not to overlap the new lightener with any previously lightened hair by no more than a quarter inch to prevent breakage.
4. Using the pointy end of the tint brush, thinly part & flip the sectioned hair that you just painted to one side. Apply to the other side of the hair.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 moving your way through the square as quickly as possible until the whole square has been saturated with lightener.
6. Repeat steps 3-5 until all sectioned squares are saturated.
7. Let sit until your hair has lightened the desired amount, or no more than 20 minutes - whichever comes first.
8. Rinse lightener out in the shower and apply conditioner.
9. If the hair is not the desired lightness, wait a day or two to give your hair time to rest and repeat the process.

Step 2: Apply Hair Color

So when I first did this, I used the colors as they come in the bottle on my hair. I thought the Aquamarine turned out gorgeous, but the Poseidon turned out very bright cobalt blue. It was pretty, but it didn't go as well with the Aquamarine as I had hoped. Both colors looked great individually, just not together (to me). When you are taking a look through the tutorial and its photos, keep in mind that the photos of how I sectioned my hair are on the second try, where I mixed Transylvania (black) in with Poseidon to make it a little darker. By itself, Poseidon goes on very bright. Here are the steps I followed to dye my hair after it was lightened.

Color Application Instructions

1. Brush out hair. Using a skinny comb or the skinny end of the tint brush, draw a diagonal part that starts just above your eyebrow, goes behind your head, and ends just behind the ear opposite of the eyebrow you chose. I did from my right eyebrow to my left ear.
2. I wanted my part to be completely straight, so I had my boyfriend check it and make sure it was straight. You could make yours zigzag if you want to make the colors blend together a bit. That is up to you.
3. Starting with the hair above the part, apply Aquamarine throughout the roots with a tint brush. Be careful not to get dye on the south side of the part. If you aren't good at coloring in the lines, take a piece of foil or saran wrap and lay it flat over the top of the hair you don't want to dye, so that you can minimize contact.
4. After roots are completely covered, apply dye all the way to the ends. Wrap and pin into a bun.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 with the bottom side of your hair, using Poseidon mixed with your desired amount of Transylvania. I did about half a tablespoon of Transylvania mixed with 10 oz of Poseidon.
6. Allow it to set for 45 minutes to an hour. Rinse with a sulfate free, color safe shampoo until the water runs mostly clear. I do not use conditioner after this step because the Arctic Fox has conditioner in it.
7. Towel dry. Apply a spritz or two of leave in conditioner if you like.

You May Need Someone to Help

I was not able to do this hair coloring style entirely with my own two hands, mostly because my bathroom is not made of mirrors and I can't see the back of my head, so I enlisted my boyfriend to help me part my hair correctly and apply the dye in the back. My boyfriend didn't have the steadiest hand when applying the dye to the hair closest to my part, but I still appreciate him for helping me put it on!

Final Thoughts

In the picture above, you can see how the blues turned out. The Poseidon mixed with Transylvania was much closer to what I was thinking in my head - and in person, the colors really stood out against each other. I loved the variance I would get in braids and other types of hairstyles to show off the color.

Overall, I'm very pleased with these two blues from the Arctic Fox line and how I was able to use them. I love how vibrant they are, and the color lasted just about eleven weeks with two washes per week before I removed the color to move on to my next one. Here's a photo I took in a dressing room about ten weeks after the original dye job. It's not the best photo, but it shows how beautifully the colors faded.

Be Careful, This Color Will Bleed

My two main complaints are the packaging and the color bleed.

With the packaging, it is hard to get the entirety of the product out of the bottle, which makes me feel like I'm leaving money in the bottle, literally. A packaging redesign would solve that issue.

With the color bleed, for the first six weeks or so, every time my hair got wet either from the pool or the shower, I had to put it up away from clothing and skin until it was mostly dry, or else the colors bled. They did not bleed onto each other, which is a great thing, but worrying about my skin or clothes turning blue was a minor nuisance. There were a couple of times that I didn't put my hair up before I left the pool, and hours later I'd see myself in a mirror looking like I had killed a smurf and carried it on my shoulders.

If color bleed is an issue for you, just make sure that your hair is dry before you leave it down or go to bed so that it doesn't dye your stuff. If you do go to bed with wet hair, make sure you cover your pillows with a towel. The good thing is that the dye did wash out of all of my things that it got onto, but it's just a pain to have to worry about that.

I mentioned earlier that on the first try with these colors I did use Poseidon as-is with no Transylvania mixed in, but that I didn't like how it mashed with Aquamarine for myself personally. If you feel like you would like how they look together, here is the only photo I took of my hair from the first round, for your reference. It will give an accurate reference for what Poseidon looks like straight out of the bottle.

Overall, I give these colors an 8.5 out of 10. I love how vibrant they are and how long they lasted, but I just really want the packaging and color bleed to not be issues. I would absolutely use these colors from Arctic Fox again and I would recommend them to my friends despite these two issues.

I'm a freelance hairstylist in Oregon. I'm an entrepreneur at heart and I want to help you be a successful cosmetologist!

Why Your Hair Isn't Growing

When it comes to longer, stronger hair, at least half the battle is keeping it healthy. As a hairstylist, I've heard many clients say things like, "my hair isn't growing," or "once my hair got this long, it just stopped." As a professional, I can tell you that your hair didn't actually stop growing, it simply stopped getting longer.

While hair does go through cycles of growth, it never stops growing completely until several days after you're dead. (Yes, your hair will continue growing for a few days after you've died. Crazy huh?) Several things contribute to stunted hair growth, or "length accumulation:"

Too Much Hair Color

If you're in the salon every four to eight weeks getting your hair colored a different shade, (or, even worse, doing it at home) you will likely never achieve your desired length. Hair simply wasn't made to go from black to blond to brown to red. Commit to one hair color that you love and play with different shades of that same color. Also, allow your hair to go as long as possible between appointments. Balagaye and babylights are great options for allowing your hair a much longer recovery time between appointments and they can save you money.

Too Many Trims

A healthy adult's hair grows between 1/2 inch and 1 inch per month. This means that if you go in for a trim every four weeks, your stylist is likely trimming off all the new growth you achieved in the last month. If you take care of your hair with the tips below, there's no reason that you should need a trim every four weeks. Try waiting 8–12 weeks so your hair has the opportunity to grow more between appointments.

How To Grow Help Your Hair Grow

Now that we've established why your hair might not be growing, let's look at what you can do to achieve those Rapunzel-esque locks!

4 Tips for Longer Hair

1. Brush your hair every day.
2. Hydrate.
3. Wash your hair less frequently.
4. Rinse with cold water.

1. Brush Your Hair Every Day

Have you ever heard your grandmother say that she used to brush her hair with one hundred strokes every night? There may be something to her evening ritual after all. While you certainly don’t need to brush it quite that thoroughly, a good brushing in the morning and evening has several important benefits for those trying to grow their hair out:

It Conditions Your Hair

Did you know that your hair’s natural oils are one of the best things for it? Unlike conditioners from a bottle, this natural conditioner is perfectly suited to your hair. Brushing with firm strokes helps move the oils from the scalp toward the ends of your hair where the strands are naturally dryer and more worn out. A boar bristle brush is excellent for this.

It Detangles and Volumizes

If you’re like most people, you probably part your hair in the same place every day. Over time, this can cause the hair follicle to lay at a certain angle. When the follicle lays close to your scalp, it can cause you to lose volume. By tipping your head over and brushing with long strokes in a different direction than you usually part it, you force the follicle into a different position and keep it from laying flat against your head.

It Stimulates Your Scalp

Firm brushing stimulates blood flow to your scalp and helps circulate the oxygen (so it’s great if you have a headache). It also helps cleanse and stimulate the sebaceous glands which secrete an oily or waxy substance called “sebum” onto the surface of the skin. Sebum protects the skin and hair from harmful microorganisms and spreads vitamin E over the surface of your largest organ, the skin! Stimulating these tiny glands through firm brushing helps to keep them clean, unclogged, and doing their job.

An Important Note

It doesn't matter how vigorously or regularly you brush your hair if you're using a dirty hairbrush. If your brush isn't clean you are simply dragging environmental pollutants through your hair and making it appear greasy.

It's a good idea to give your hairbrush a good cleaning every few weeks. For a brush with natural fibers, carefully remove the hair with a regular toothed comb, rinse thoroughly with warm water, give it a good shake and let it air-dry. For a brush with synthetic bristles, you can be slightly more aggressive during cleaning. First, remove all the hair, then combine warm water with about a teaspoon of shampoo in a dish. Soak your brush for a few hours or overnight, then rinse and air-dry.

2. Hydrate

Most people don't drink enough water, and this can actually slow hair growth and make the ends of your hair brittle which contributes to breakage. Water contributes up to 70% of your total body mass. If your water intake becomes insufficient, your vital organs are going to take precedence over keeping your hair healthy and they'll use the available water first, leaving your hair dry and straw-like.

Because hair is made up of hydrogen bonds and water accounts for nearly 25% of each hair strand's total weight, consuming two to three liters of water every day will contribute to the overall health of your hair, which will, in turn, make it grow longer and stronger.

3. Wash Your Hair Less Frequently

Only during the last few generations have we become daily shampooers. People used to shampoo only once a week. While showering more often than once a week is definitely a good idea, consider investing in a good shower cap—your hair will thank you. There are two big reasons to shampoo less frequently:

Your Scalp Will Produce Oil as Fast as You Remove It

If you want to keep your hair strong and growing, don’t lather up every day. Let those sebaceous glands do their job uninterrupted for a couple of days. You will find that as you stretch the days between washes, your hair will become less greasy and more shiny and manageable.

The Less You Wash, The Less You Have To Style

In an ideal world, we’d all be letting our hair air-dry and never using a curling iron, but that's just not realistic. If you can’t avoid hot tools altogether, minimizing their use will maximize the health of your hair. This is because when you use a blow dryer, you fluff up the cuticle of your hair. This can cause it to look frizzy, and it also opens up the cuticle to all sorts of environmental contaminants. (Yes, smog, exhaust, and smoke are bad for your hair.) By limiting yourself to one or two blow-drying sessions per week, you keep the cuticle of your hair in its strongest position, closed, and much more impervious to breakage.

If you can let your hair air-dry partially before you blow-dry, this will result in less damage over time. If you need to blow-dry your whole head completely, dry the hair in the direction of the cuticle, i.e. from scalp to ends. If you tip your head forward and blow-dry scalp to ends upside down, you will give your hair much more volume and keep the follicle from laying flat to your head (which can cause your hair to look oily faster).

4. Rinse With Cold Water

While we’re talking about protecting the hair cuticle, one of the easiest ways to smooth it down is by simply rinsing with the coldest water you can stand after you wash. I prefer to turn off the water and then give my hair one final, frigid rinse in the tub faucet rather than the showerhead to avoid freezing myself.

It Is Soothing to the Skin

While shampooing with warm water opens up pores and helps to cleanse the scalp, rinsing with cool to cold water soothes the skin and can even help prevent issues like dandruff and itching.

It Improves Circulation

Much like firm brushing, rinsing with cold water helps circulate the blood and oxygen through your scalp, resulting in the dispersion of nutrients that your hair needs to continue to grow.

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

Alyssa loves sharing her favorite beauty tips and tricks with the world. She is a wife and mom who drinks a lot of coffee.

Everyone wants to look and feel their best. Having beautiful hair is a real confidence boost, but lifestyle and weather changes can wreak havoc, leaving hair dry and dull. The following tips will provide relief so you can revive and restore your locks. Step out into the world feeling refreshed, vibrant, and gorgeous!

Invest in your hair. It's the crown you never take off.

— Vidal Sassoon

1. Freshen Up Your Look

Get your ends trimmed for an instant boost. If you are feeling more daring, try a new cut. If you have long hair, you might go for a long bob, or be bold and chop it off in a cute, asymmetrical style. If you aren't ready to part with your long locks, consider getting some layers cut in to add volume and shape to your look.

Nothing is more uplifting than trying out a fun new color. Red is bold and vibrant. Golden-blonde and honey look great. Alternatively, you could opt for a rich caramel. You can easily do it yourself if you don't want to go to the salon. If you want a more subtle change, try adding highlights. This will brighten up your look and give your hair more dimension. A word of caution: if you have dark hair and want to go blonde, head to the salon. Blonde is a tricky color, and if you aren't careful, you might end up with orange hair.

2. Don't Wash Your Hair Everyday

Washing your hair every day strips it of much-needed natural oils and can dry it out. If you dye your hair, washing it daily will fade your color quickly. The secret to having gorgeous hair between washes is dry shampoo.

There are a variety of products for every hair type. My favorite is Not Your Mother's brand Beach Babe Texturizing Dry Shampoo. It has a coconut scent that instantly boosts my mood. I like to pull my hair up in a top knot and spray my roots before bed. It soaks in overnight, so I wake up with refreshed hair and plenty of volume.

3. Moisturize and Use Masks

I have a lot of hair. It's long, thick, and prone to dryness. One trick I've learned is to use a deep conditioner every time I wash my hair. Replacing my normal, everyday conditioner has made all the difference! Not only does it help keep my hair soft and silky, but it also protects my color. My favorite deep conditioner is L'ORÉAL Elvive Color Vibrancy Repair and Protect Balm. It's formulated for color-treated hair and helps repair all the chemical damage caused by the dye.

To help strengthen dry, damaged locks, try a protein or Keratin-treatment mask. You can find a variety of good ones that are budget-friendly at your local drug-store.

I also love using Moroccan Argan Oil. It soaks into your hair, softening locks and repairing damage. A little goes a long way. I apply a nickle-sized amount to my hair after getting out of the shower. It helps detangle my strands and keeps my hair silky and vibrant. I love the OGX brand in extra strength.

4. Ease Your Dry Scalp

Nothing is worse than an itchy scalp and tiny white flakes on your dark-colored clothes. To treat this quickly and efficiently, I love massaging extra virgin olive oil on my scalp. I just pour it right on my hair and knead it in, making sure to get all the itchy spots. It soothes and moisturizes the scalp immediately. Let it sit for at least 15 minutes and then wash it out thoroughly. This does make quite a mess and can leave your roots looking oily. If you'd rather skip the mess, try Selsun Blue medicated with menthol. This is the best anti-dandruff shampoo. I always have a bottle in my shower.

5. Experiment with New Styles

Step away from the heat. Constantly using your blow dryer, straightener, or curling rod is the best way to dry out and damage your hair. Consider washing your hair at night and letting it air dry. Experiment with new styles that don't require you to use heating tools. Try a cute side braid, a french twist, or a top knot. You could do a chic low bun or just let your hair go wild and free.

If you are constantly pulling your hair back in a pony-tail to go to the gym, try a french braid. At the very least, consider using a different type of pony-tail holder to minimize breakage. I love using my La Vita Glam hair slinky. It holds all my hair without damaging it, and when I take it out, it doesn't tangle or leave a dent.

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

© 2019 Alyssa

Comments

Alyssa (author) from Ohio on April 02, 2019:

Yes, deep conditioner is a must! Let me know if you try the olive oil and if you like it. Thanks for stopping by, Brianna!

Brianna W from East Coast on April 01, 2019:

Awesome tips! I often have to remind myself to do a deep conditioner every once in a while for my dry hair and scalp, maybe I will try the olive oil next time. Thanks!

Alyssa (author) from Ohio on March 31, 2019:

Hahaha! Thank you, Bill! I hope you are enjoying your Sunday!

Alyssa (author) from Ohio on March 31, 2019:

What an awesome coincidence, Pamela! I'm glad you like the conditioner. It is my favorite! I do have trouble finding it near me sometimes, but I recently grabbed two at Meijer and I was so excited! :)

Bill Holland from Olympia, WA on March 31, 2019:

Lost my comment....well, okay, at the risk of sounding like a dirty old man, you have stunning hair...simply beautiful...so I will assume you know what you are talking about in this article.

Pamela Oglesby from Sunny Florida on March 31, 2019:

So interesting! I just started using the same conditioner as you use and it has really made a difference in the softness of my dry hair. I think some of the medicine I am on is drying out my hair more than usual, which is why I tried the new conditioner. I think all of your suggestions are excellent. Thanks.

Catie has been trimming her own hair for years and years. Nobody else's though!

Some women categorize their hair as sacred or holy. No one gets to come at their heads with sharp objects unless they’re being paid at least $100 to do so. I totally appreciate hairdressers and artists for the work that they do. The amount of skill that it takes to fade a man’s hair . . . get out outta here! But I have found that I have been able to save money on trims by not waiting in line at the local discount cut.

I cut my hair at home myself. There, I said it! Stifle your gasps and shocked reactions. It’s actually really easy! I learned online through multiple YouTube videos years and years ago. I do need to disclaim that if you try this technique and it goes horribly wrong and you have to go to the hairdresser after all, I am not responsible for that. No sir. Shear at your own risk!

Long Hair Only

This method is for long hair only—your hair should be at least shoulder length if you want to try this. You must be able to put your hair into a ponytail that is reasonably long. You’ll also need a pair of hair cutting shears. Regular scissors will absolutely wreck your ends, causing split ends immediately. It will also take a lot longer; sharp shears are a must. This process will be long and frustrating if you don’t have the correct equipment.

Channel Your Inner Unicorn

Every time that I have cut my hair myself, I have done it on a really dirty hair day and while my hair is dry. The first step is to brush all your hair forward to make a ponytail on your forehead. We’re talking full-on unicorn style. It’s easiest to do this if you bend over like if you were drying your hair. Make sure that there are no tangles.

Make It Straight

If your hair is long enough that you can see the ends in front of you, that makes things extra easy. If not, using a mirror is helpful. I have hair that has grown past my shoulder blades, and I use a mirror in addition to being able to see my hair right in front of my face.

If you don’t have naturally straight hair, make sure that your hair is as straight as it can be. If I have some waves, I use a straightener. If the hair isn’t super straight, you’ll end up with an uneven cut, and then you’ll be mad.

Dos and Don'ts

When you are ready, cut the ends of the hair off in a perfectly straight line. This technique will leave you with very nice and simple layers that aren’t too long or choppy. Less is more. You can always remove more hair if you choose, but if you cut too short, all you can do is wait for it to grow back! I usually remove one to two inches of hair every two months or so.

The biggest piece of advice that I can offer you is this: do not tip your head down while cutting. Essentially, this makes you think you can take off a lot more hair than you should. I did this once with my bangs while I was in high school—they ended up being about one centimeter long! All I can say is thank god for bobby pins. Just don’t make the same mistake that I did.

Blend It Up

After you have removed all those split ends, it’s a good idea to do a little bit of blending. There are shears out there for sale that look like they have a comb for one half of the scissor. Have I ever purchased shears like this? Nah . . . a similar effect can be achieved by cutting at a forty-five-degree angle and taking off a very small amount of the ends. This tapers the ends for a more natural look.

I do frame my face after I take my hair down at my chosen part. I overdid this a few months ago, and I’m still paying for it. Like I said, thank god for bobby pins.

Ta Da!

It's probably a good idea to take a shower at this point just so that you're not itchy! I hope that these pictures and descriptions are helpful to others trying to trim their own hair at home. Not only is it possible, but it can turn out very nice looking!

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

Comments

Catherine Berry (author) from Belgrade on March 18, 2019:

That's great! How long is your hair? Shoulder length?

RTalloni on March 18, 2019:

Nicely done tutorial. When I let my hair get long I use a similar method, but because it isn't as long as yours I have to CAREFULLY divide the bottom of the back into two sections, bringing them forward EXACTLY the same. :) It is much better than some of the bad cuts I've had at all sorts of prices!

Rachel M. Johnson is a lover of all things pop culture. She's been writing about music and entertainment online for years.

The (Hair)volution of Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift made her music debut with the release of her self-titled album in 2006. Since then, she's had record-breaking albums and has received 11 Grammy Awards, among many more accolades.

Her musical sound is constantly changing, as is her overall style. With a career spanning 13 years, Swift has grown up in the public eye. The songstress has served up unique looks and fashion trends, and her hair is constantly transforming. Let's take a look at Taylor Swift's (hair)volution.

Country Girl Curls

Back in 2007, when she first began making waves, Taylor was the wholesome country girl who captured every heart in America. Her voluminous ringlets paired perfectly with her cute, southern style.

She often wore her long hair down, and her blonde curls were always full of body.

The signature ringlets became a staple for Taylor, and the style added an overall softness and sweetness to the cute country crooner.

Did You Know?

Taylor's self-titled debut album was released in 2006 when the singer was just 16. She wrote the songs during her freshman year of high school. The album earned her the award for Album of the Year at the 2008 Academy of Country Music Awards.

Straight With Blunt Bangs

In 2010, Taylor shocked the country world when she said goodbye to her big country curls. She traded her cute ringlets for sleek bangs and pin-straight hair that only accentuated her facial features.

The look was something daring and different for the songstress and served as a more mature style transformation. Taylor was known for her country sound and look, so straight hair was quite the change-up.

There's no denying how stunning the style was and was indeed a pleasant change.

Did You Know?

Swift was the sole writer for her third album, Speak Now (2010). It garnered first-week sales of 1,047,000 copies and has since been certified 6x platinum.

Soft Bangs With Loose Waves

In 2012, Taylor was still rocking the bang look, but this time opted for a softer and more ethereal style. She wore a shorter and less severe bang, paired with artful layering, and often styled her locks in loose waves.
The effortless look was stunning on the singer, and she appeared both chic and sophisticated. Around this time, Taylor adopted her signature red lipstick, which she flaunted at awards shows and red carpets. The bright choice of lip color soon became another staple for the hit-maker.

Did You Know?

Swift's tour for her 2014 album Red became the highest-grossing tour of all time by a country artist, grossing over $150 million.

Chopped & Curly Lob

By 2014, Taylor decided to make her most dramatic hair transformation: she chopped off her tresses in favor of a curly lob. Not only did she say farewell to her lengthy hair, but she also adopted a complete pop sound for her new album, 1989.

The lob was one of the best hairstyles for the songstress, as it added a striking sharpness to her face and truly brought out her lovely features. Taylor also was experimenting more with her style, embracing an edgier, more mature fashion look.

Did You Know?

1989 won Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards, making Swift the first female solo artist to win the category twice.

Sleek & Sexy Fringed Bob

Taylor unveiled a brand-new hairstyle when she showed up to the Grammy Awards in 2016, debuting a sexy and fringed bob. The gorgeous, chin-length cut is arguably one of her chicest looks to date, and the dark and deep blonde shade paired perfectly. Her bright blue eyes seemed to sparkle with the look, and her bright red lip never looked better.

Not only was the cut a home run for the singer, but her fashion choices were also exceptional. She definitely embraced the edgier style, as she opted for more revealing and sexy ensembles.

Did You Know?

Swift is one of the best-selling artists of all time, having sold more than 50 million albums worldwide and 150 million single downloads. She has also earned an impressive 11 Grammy Awards.

Bleach Blonde Bob

For the cover of Vogue magazine in 2016, the pop star shocked the world by bleaching her locks and becoming a platinum blonde. The ice blonde color was a startling departure from her classic, all-American beauty look and had the media buzzing.
The bold hairstyle was the polar opposite of anything she had sported prior, and the shaggy cut definitely gave her a rock n' roll vibe. It was indeed her edgiest look to date, even though the platinum shade wasn't around for long.

Did You Know?

Swift became the first artist to have three million-selling albums within the first week of release: 2010's Speak Now at 1.047 million, 2012's Red at 1.208 million, and 2014's 1989, at 1.287 million.

Back to Basics With Curls

After taking a break from the public eye following heavy media coverage, Taylor returned with a vengeance in 2017 and brought it back to basics. She's been sporting her deep blonde shade, which she's worn with a bang and loose curls.

The singer also released her highly anticipated sixth studio album, Reputation. The sound of the album was bold and mature, which seemed to match Taylor's fashion choices. With her blonde curls and red lip firmly back in place, it seems that the songstress has found a perfect balance of the old-and-new Taylor.

Did You Know?

Swift's Reputation Stadium Tour broke her own previous record for the highest-grossing domestic tour by a woman and surpassed The Rolling Stones' $245 million record by earning $266.1 million.

© 2019 Rachel M Johnson

I love to dye my hair all colors of the rainbow. I love all things vintage, and I enjoy creating art, taking photos, and doing it myself.

Deciding to Go Orange

I'm a hair-dye-aholic. Can't stop. Orange is fun, and who doesn't like being compared to Haley Williams? It's like Vitamin C never sang Graduation. I had planned to go orange for a while, and I intended to use Manic Panic Psychadelic Sunset mixed with Manic Panic Sunshine. Before you do that, there are a few steps you need to take!

Because bleaching your hair sucks, I try to avoid it. I will bleach my roots after about an inch of growth, but try to avoid bleaching the length. This helps manage the damage on already processed hair. My game plan each time I dye is to wash out the previous color as much as possible, bleach roots, and then hit it with the next color on the rainbow. When I decided I was ready to do orange, my hair was a pink, much-faded red color.

So I did my usual process, and applied a mixture of MP's Psychedelic Sunset and Sunshine. I've used both of these dyes before, and mixing them together did not work as well as I had hoped.

Below is a photo from a few years ago, when I used Psychadelic Sunset on its own. After that, my most recent attempt where I mixed Psychadelic Sunset with Sunshine.

Choosing Arctic Fox Sunset Orange

So, when I used Manic Panic's Psychedelic Sunset a few years back, it worked out just fine. When I used their Sunshine, also a few years ago, it did not. I think choosing to mix the two this time around was a bad idea, and it's probably Sunshine's fault. It's just doesn't hold well (at least on my hair) and I find it fading significantly after just one wash.

I liked the result for about a week, but had to try something else. I was at Hot Topic, which carries Arctic Fox, and decided to give it a whirl. They had two oranges in stock, Porange and Sunset Orange, which I mixed together to create this wonderful look!

How To Apply

Supplies:

• Glass bowl
• Dye brush
• Gloves
• Butterfly clip
• Arctic Fox Sunset Orange (duh - I used one bottle of this mixed with Porange)

The next steps are pretty standard - after bleaching to the appropriate level, brush your hair and section it off. Using the dye brush, paint the color onto your hair in thin strips, making sure to cover root to tip. You've got to be thorough or else you'll look like a hot patchy mess.

You can let it sit as long as you want. Hell, sleep in it! There's no ammonia or anything of the sort in Arctic Fox. I like to think of it as a highly pigmented conditioner.

I left the dye in for 2-3 hours before rinsing it out with lukewarm water. It worked like a dream!

Arctic Fox Sunset Orange: 5/5 Stars

Loved this dye. It was easy to find, inexpensive, bright and pigmented, and lasted for a pretty long time.

You can pick it up at Sally's or at Hot Topic. What I've learned is that Sally's (at least the one near me) doesn't keep their colorful dye stocked very well. Hot Topic, on the other hand, always has this stuff. I mean, where would the scene kids be without their hair dye?

Just to let you in on my routine, I wash my hair about once every 4-5 days with shampoo and conditioner. I don't use styling products or heat because they make your color fade faster. After using this dye, I had a pretty decent color for 9 weeks.

I had always wanted a nice peachy orange, so even though the color had faded significantly, my hair still looked pretty nice.

More Hair Dye Reviews

Hopefully this hair dye gave you the information you need to decide on whether Arctic Fox Sunset Orange is the right dye for you.

If not, and you're still searching for the right color, you're in luck! I have a ton of hair color reviews, complete with photos of my own experience. Check out my profile to see other colors, how to bleach and dye your hair at home, and what dyes you need to use to achieve the look of your dreams!

After using Arctic Fox Sunset Orange, I ended up going yellow. No, not using Manic Panic's Sunshine - we already talked about how that dye is pretty lackluster. This time, I used Arctic Fox Cosmic Sunshine. I think I'm converted.

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

I love to dye my hair all colors of the rainbow. I love all things vintage, and I enjoy creating art, taking photos, and doing it myself.

Yellow Hair Experiences

I've wanted yellow hair for a long time. I don't even like the color yellow, but for some reason, seeing Lady Gaga with it drove me nuts and I had to try it.

So I did, about two years ago, and I'd call it unsuccessful. My hair was a faded lime green, so I did a light bleaching and applied Manic Panic Sunshine Yellow over top. The result? Highlighter yellow hair. It was gross.

I mean, it didn't look terrible right after dying, but as soon as I shampooed my hair, the color faded noticeably. After one wash! So I gave up on that and went to a lovely shade of orange.

Preparing to Use Cosmic Sunshine

This time around, I decided to come to yellow from the other side of the rainbow. My hair was red, then orange, and once my orange faded, I purchased a new brand. Arctic Fox Cosmic Sunshine, my savior!

At this point in my hair dye journey, I've decided not to bleach my whole head anymore—I just bleach my dark roots and wait until the overall color of my rainbow hair has faded enough to take a new color. This way, I protect my ends from suffering further bleach damage.

My hair had come down to a nice peachy orange, which I didn't think would look as terrible with yellow dye layered over it. I had used Arctic Fox dyes for the orange, so I figured I'd give their yellow dye a try.

How to Dye Your Hair Yellow

Supplies

• Glass Bowl
• Dye Brush
• Gloves
• Butterfly Clip
• Arctic Fox Cosmic Sunshine

Instructions

1. Dump the dye in the bowl, section your hair off (I like to start at the top around my part and face).
2. Use your dye brush to apply the color to your hair in small sections. Make sure to saturate all of your hair thoroughly, so it's not a splotchy dye job.
3. Leave the dye in for as long as you deem necessary (there aren't any harsh chemicals like bleach or ammonia, so you're not doing damage).
4. Rinse with water as cold as you can stand it to prevent the color from bleeding out!

Ho-ly mo-ly Cosmic Sunshine is an AMAZING dye. I applied it to my whole head, let it sit for about three hours, and then rinsed it in lukewarm water without shampooing. It was beautiful. I was in awe. Lookit, my hair!

Cosmic Sunshine: 5/5 Stars

I'm giving this dye 5 stars for the following reasons:

• Bright, vibrant color
• Fade-resistant
• Inexpensive and easy to find
• Added conditioners

So let's go into this. You can see from the above photos that it was vibrant. I start to get really self-conscious when my hair is fading if I know it looks bad. Roots showing, faded color—I just feel like a bum. Cosmic Sunshine left me feeling confident in my hair color for six whole weeks. Seriously—the most recent photo is bellow.

More Articles to Come!

Obviously, I'm about ready to dye my hair again. This time I'll be using Arctic Fox's Phantom Green, which appears to be a dark foresty shade. Keep checking back for more hair dye reviews, and check out my profile for my previous reviews!

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

Comments

Alex Rose (author) from Virginia on February 27, 2019:

This particular dye is semi-permanent, so it will last for a while. There are always color strippers or bleach that can be used to remove the dye, but I don't think many people would use this dye unless they were certain they wanted yellow hair!

Umesh Chandra Bhatt from Kharghar, Navi Mumbai, India on February 26, 2019:

Do these dyes remain for a long time?

Suppose, as an after thought one does not require this yellow colour then can it be removed back easily to get the original hair colour or we have to wait for some time.

I enjoy learning new things and sharing them through my writing. One of my favorite topics is natural health and beauty.

Damaged Hair Disaster

I recently found myself in a situation that left me with super damaged hair—we're talking about a double-processed brassy blonde with major fall out kind of situation. I, like many before me, went through some major life changes and thought it would be a great idea to try something spontaneous and new. I picked up an inexpensive box of hair dye at the nearest grocery store and quickly found someone to help me. I went from well-maintained platinum blonde to deep burgundy in about two hours.

It was actually pretty great until it wasn't. About three days after dying my hair, the color had already faded from a sultry deep burgundy shade to a rusty red with some blonde starting to come through. I actually preferred the lighter red color, but I discovered the upkeep was going to be both time-consuming and expensive.

I just wanted to go back to my former blonde self. Little did I know that removing the red from my hair was going to be a four-hour process that would leave my hair significantly damaged. The good news was that my hair was blonde again and I knew with some time and the right products, I could have healthy hair again.

The Good Stuff

I knew I needed to start deep conditioning regularly to improve the health of my hair. I had already spent quite a bit of money removing the box dye, so I decided to try out the least expensive option which happened to be the Aussie 3 Minute Miracle deep conditioner. This is what I liked about it.

• It was so inexpensive compared to other brands. It was the only deep conditioner under $5 that wasn't a single-use conditioning treatment.
• It smells great. I happen to love the smell of pretty much all the Aussie products I have used in the past, and this one was no different. The smell actually lasts throughout the day.
• I could see a difference in the health of my hair after one use.
• It only takes three minutes which makes it the fastest deep conditioner I have ever used.
• After the first use, my hair was softer and easier to brush, and my split ends were less noticeable.

The Bad Stuff

The low cost and quick results quickly impressed me at first. Over time, however, I discovered there were some things I didn't like so much.

• The results didn't last long and my hair returned to its hay-like texture over the next day or two.
• I continued to have breakage after using this product.
• After about 10–15 days of using it every 3 days, it didn't do much more than my daily conditioner.

The results were great initially, but they were not that significant and eventually stopped working altogether. I don't think this product is meant for long term use.

Some Things to Consider

Hair products work differently on different kinds of hair. My hair is naturally fine and wispy. It gets oily pretty quickly. At the time when I tried this deep conditioner, my hair had been bleached and toned 2 times. I had no significant hair loss, but I did have a lot of breakage and without heat styling, it looked fuzzy when dry. Someone with less damage or a different hair type may get better results than I did while using this product.

Conclusion

The Aussie 3 Minute Miracle wasn't so miraculous after all. The deep conditioner is affordable, smells great, and gets results quickly. It is by far the fastest and least expensive product I have used. However, the results do not last and I only saw a small amount of improvement in the health of my hair. After two weeks, I decided to try something else altogether. I would compare the results of the 3 Minute Miracle to the results of a single-use hair mask. It's a good short term solution, but if you are in serious need of hair repair this product is probably not what you are looking for.

Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Not so Miraculous

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

Javayria is a hair styling enthusiast who loves to experiment with ways to do hair for everyday wear and formal occasions.

Why Heatless Curls?

Curls have withstood the test of time. Hairstyle trends come and go, but curls continue to be used to transform hairstyles from normal to sophisticated, whimsical, and fun. They can be used to create a softer look and are a great way to wear your hair both pinned up or down.

If you are like me, you know how frustrating it is to curl your hair with a straightener or curler in the morning. It takes up so much time, leads to damaged hair, and can cause painful burns. It is a struggle to get gorgeous curls in the morning, or before a party, and then to have to use a ton of hairspray to make them hold.

The perfect solution is clear and easy—overnight heatless curls!

Benefits of Heatless Curls

Many people think that heatless curls aren't worth the hassle and don't give nearly the same look as curling irons or hot curlers. That is partially true, they do take much longer, but they are safer and ready when you get out of bed in the morning. They are ideal for everyday use, not necessarily for an upcoming wedding or formal party. If you want to go to work or school with lovely curls, these are the way to go!

• They can be done at night and are ready for you in the morning. Seriously, who doesn't want hair ready right from bed? Forget the morning rush and have one thing less on your mind.
• They only require water and are completely safe and healthy for your hair. They do not burn or damage hair, yet give amazing results.
• There is so much variety! You can change the thickness of whatever method you are using, and can give yourself ringlets, tight curls, large bouncy curls, or beachy waves. It is completely up to you!

1. Paper Towel Curls

These are one of my absolute favourites! They are super easy, and they work equally well on thick or thin hair. If you have thick hair, then these are the curls for you. Paper towel curls generally come out as tighter ringlets and look stunning half-pinned up or swept into a bun.

1. Cut paper towel sheets into two pieces, and cut as many as you need.
2. Dampen, not soak, your hair and separate a 2–3" section of hair.
3. Roll up the damp hair on the paper towel, starting at the end of the hairpiece, until you reach the scalp.
4. Tie the ends of the paper towel together, and if necessary, pin the ring of hair to the scalp.
5. Repeat this all the way around your head.
6. Tie a scarf around your head before going to sleep to reduce frizz.
7. Sleep overnight.
8. Wake up in the morning and carefully open and release your curls.
9. Run your fingers gently through to pull them apart, and style as you wish.

Voila, there you have a head full of gorgeous curls! In my personal experience, these curls and sock curls turn out the best. They are absolutely worth it and are my go-to method for heatless curls. These will not disappoint!

How to Create "No-Heat" Paper Towel Curls

2. Sock Curls

Sock curls are probably the most comfortable to sleep on, and are extremely easy and quick! They are basically paper towel curls but with socks. These, or the paper towel curls, should be the first method you try because they have the most promising results.

1. Dampen hair very slightly.
2. Take a sock (not an ankle cut), and wrap a 2–3" piece of hair around it. It depends on how you wrap the hair for the shape of the curl. For more spiral curls, wrap in a spiral effect downwards (like in the video). For more bouncy and natural-looking curls, roll upwards like the paper towel curls.
3. Tie the ends of the sock tightly.
4. Wrap a scarf around your head to reduce frizz, and sleep overnight.
5. Untie the socks, and gently undo the curls.
6. Separate the curls with your fingers.

You can leave your hair down, do a high ponytail, or twist the front pieces from both sides and pin back. Spirals come out nicer with sock curls and are easily achieved. No matter what, it will look stunning

Tip: The trick with these is that you cannot put too much hair on the sock. You have to put a small piece of hair on the sock to make the curl more defined, and wrap it very tightly. Also, make sure that they are nearly the same sized socks to make the curls look uniform and not messy.

Heatless Sock Curls

3. Headband Curls

Headband curls give a softer look and are more like the type of curls that you expect from curlers and straighteners. They are loose, spirally curls that are perfect for a picnic or a special day at work or school. I have found that these work much better on thin and fine hair, and they do not work as well on thick hair. I also think they come out more wavy than curly, but they will still look amazing.

1. Take a headband, or bandana that is folded in half, and place it around your head. My personal tip is to tie a scarf around, so it is much easier to take them out by untying in the morning.
2. Dampen, not soak, your hair.
3. Starting at the front on one side, loop a 2–3" piece of hair over and then under the headband and let go.
4. Add the previous piece of hair with the next section, and continue looping until you get to the back.
5. Repeat on the other side, and pin the two pieces of hair at the back under the headband.
6. Sleep overnight.
7. Unpin and untie the scarf, or take out the headband.
8. Run your fingers through the curls and pin half-up, or just keep them down.

These make lovely, loose curls perfect for any occasion! I think that you could wear it during the day as an updo with a cute headband, and then have gorgeous curls the next day. A perfect 2-in-1!

These are much quicker than the previous methods and are much easier than I explained. Watch the video to get a full tutorial on how to get these curls.

Headband Curls Tutorial

4. Straw Curls

If you are looking for tight, springy curls with tons of gorgeous volume, these are the ones for you! They work well on any length of hair and create a style that makes hair look thick. They look the most uniform and come out the prettiest of the methods I've outlined, but they do require more work. They are totally worth it though!

1. Dampen hair slightly (these do not need as much moisture as the other methods).
2. Start from as close to the scalp as you can or they will end up looking awkward and misplaced.
3. Take a 1–2" piece of hair, and wrap it around the drinking straw (the thicker, the better). If you want thicker curls, wrap more hair around the straw.
4. Pin the end of the hair to the straw with a bobby pin.
5. Bend the ends together, and tie with a rubber band to secure.
6. Repeat around the head.
7. Sleep overnight.
8. Take out curls in the morning. Because these are tighter, separate curls with your fingers to give a soft, voluminous look. Keep out or clip one side back, and enjoy the day!

These are great if you want more prominent, fun curls. They come out much neater looking than any of the above methods. Remember, these do require tight wrapping of the hair so that they don't slide off the straw, and the thicker the straws, the better!

Heatless Straw Curls

5. French Braid Beach Waves

Some days you want an easy, more loosely-done look. Beach waves are perfect! They are loose, curly waves that look effortlessly fresh. However, if they are done wrong, they won't look very beach wave-like.

This method produces waves that have a bit of a curl to them, so they won't fall out as you go through the day.

1. Dampen hair slightly.
2. Split hair into two parts.
3. Starting from the top of one side, french braid tightly on one side and braid until the end.
4. Loop the ends of the braid through the hair tie so that the ends have a bit of a curl to them.
5. Repeat on the other side.
6. Sleep overnight.
7. Open the braids the next day to get lovely waves.

Style as you wish, but beach waves generally look better when the waves are left down. Add some hairspray and there you have beautiful, breezy beach waves!

This is another one of those 2-in-1 hairstyles. Wear two french braids one day, and have beach waves the next day!

How to French Braid Hair Like a Pro

Try Them Out!

Remember, it's all up to you. Choose which one you think will give you the best results on your hair, and keep in mind that no matter the method, they all have to be wrapped tightly. Experiment on your hair, and see how your curls turn out!

Questions & Answers

Question: On the 4th method listed in this article, what do you mean when you say in the parenthesis "the thicker the better," thicker the straw or thicker the piece of hair?

Answer: In this case, the thicker the straw because it will make softer and less frizzy curls. If too much hair is wrapped, then the curls will slip out. So bigger straws, less hair.

Comments

Shadow Ranger on July 16, 2020:

Wow, this article is really well written! I will definitely try them out!

Joe on January 05, 2019:

Amazingly written, will try it out!

Alexis is a successful business owner, entrepreneur, actress, and model. She attributes her success to her positive and courageous outlook.

Bleach Baby

"Mom, please let me bleach my hair!" These last words were spoken by my 13-year-old self before embarking on my pursuit of superficial confidence. My mom explained to me at the time that the upkeep was going to be a never-ending task. But I was convinced that this was the makeover I needed to transition to my new and exciting life as a high school student.

Whether you bleach your hair at age 10 or age 20, nothing can prepare you for the repercussions of stripping your hair's virginity. No more brush-and-go wake-ups, no more root-free privileges—and prepare yourself for weekly questions revolving around, "What is your natural hair color?"

Bleaching your hair becomes as natural as grooming your eyebrows. Soon enough, you forget all about your natural hair color and develop a fear of ever going back to it. The transition of going back au naturel is as terrifying as the reality of not remembering the hair that you would be going back to.

You become accustomed to life as a "blonde" with the occasional lowlights, fun colors, and breakdown brunette dye jobs. The wrong toner leads to nightmares and has you running to the salon in a shower cap. You try to save money with DIY methods, all the while knowing that you will have to make that dreaded trip to the salon and explain yourself to the hairdresser. From red to orange, purple to pink, blue to green, and even grey, I have personally experienced all of the colors on the color wheel.

The Blonde Lifestyle

The "blonde lifestyle" ruled my life from age 10 to age 25. 12 dye jobs a year for 15 years—that's a minimum of 180 stressful bleaching sessions. That's time spent worrying about my hair's appearance and my hair's health while spending countless dollars on fancy shampoos, toners, gloves, protein fillers, color additives, and more.

At age 25, I decided to move to Hawaii and take care of my happiness and my health. I finally felt ready to take the plunge into getting back to my roots. My last bleach job was on September 24, 2015. I spent the next year focusing on meditating through my ugly hair anxiety and dying the bleached ends a light brown to match my roots.

The Transition Haircut

Finally, on January 11, 2017, one year and roughly four months from my last dye job, I had entered the length of chop. The length of chop is the length in which the virgin hair from the top of your head is finally long enough to be able to be cut into an acceptable length by your standards. For me, this was collarbone length. On the night of January 11th, I placed my long blonde hair into a low pony and made the big chop. The initial shock of losing nine inches of hair was quickly dissipated by the beautiful touch and feel of my now 100% virgin hair.

I fell in love at first touch. My hair was bouncy, shiny, and my follicles were strong. I could allow my hair to air dry and it looked spectacular. This factor alone made me make the executive decision to never apply heat to my glorious newfound hair. I did away with my hair anxiety and found the additional time and money to spend elsewhere. If I could get over my irrational fear of going back to my natural hair color, what other amazing things could I accomplish?

Find Confidence in a Healthy Hair Lifestyle

It has been one year now since my chop. Today, I receive compliments on my hair on a regular basis. I now consider my hair to be an extension of my soul and of my strength. Your hair does not define you. But your hair subconsciously defines how you define yourself.

You don't need to wear wigs, extensions, or dye your hair. You are beautifully you. You without chemicals, you without add-ons. The you that you were when sleepovers and playing Barbies were the only life you knew. The you that you were before you looked in the mirror and told yourself you needed to alter your appearance to feel confident or accepted. Get back to your "you" and gain strength, confidence, and accomplishment.

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

Comments

sophiewilde67@yahoo.co.uk on May 22, 2020:

I am absolutely amazed that she was allowed to permanently bleach/ lighten her hair aged 10 !!! I thought I was bad I was about 13 the first time I lightened my dark blonde hair blonder !! I' m 53 now and after 20 yes of gruelling medication including chemo I now have waist length mid/ light brown hair...Took me best part of 40 years to even know what my natural hair colour actually is ,BUT I now fantasise about the ' lure' of the blonde again but the upkeep definitely NOT !

Lauren is a busy mother of two magnificent children and loves music, food, and experimenting with her hairstyle.

My hair is on the shorter side, and I’m often at a loss with how to style it. When I had longer hair, I could just pull it up in a ponytail or a bun, and I’d be ready to go, but it’s not so easy with short hair. There are a wealth of hairstyle videos and tips and hacks out in the universe, but they all seem to be geared toward longer hair. So here are some quick and easy styles for those of us with shorter locks.

Hairstyles Across the Board

This first video is a compilation of all sorts of hairstyles, from a simple high ponytail and straightened teased hair to more elaborate styles integrating curls and braids. Some take a few seconds, and others require preparation the day before. If you're looking for basic, go-to styles, with a flair every here and there, then these are perfect for you.

Materials needed:

• Brush
• Clips
• Straightening iron
• Comb
• Dry shampoo
• Hair ties
• Bobby pins
• Curling iron

Using Bobby Pins

These are some fun and unique hairdos that showcase using bobby pins in dual functions: to secure the hair and also to add to the artistry of the hairstyle. They're great for anyone wanting to experiment or have a bit of fun with their hair, as a few of them go off the beaten path of hairstyle ideas. I especially appreciate that a few of these styles pin the hair all the way up since so many hairdos for shorter hair only pull the hair halfway up.

Materials needed:

• Bobby pins in varying sizes and styles
• Comb or brush
• Hairspray

Braids

This video starts with a very clear tutorial on how to French braid, which is very helpful since it is a staple for hundreds of different hairstyles. These braided styles are more intricate and elaborate, but the instructions are very easy to follow, and they yield great results. With some practice, you’ll be able to do these hairstyles in just a few minutes.

Materials needed:

• Texture spray
• Hair ties
• Bobby pins
• Hair clips
• Comb

Heatless Hairstyles

If you’re averse to heat on your hair or don’t want to take the time to use blow dryers or irons, this compilation of 15 styles will give you plenty of ideas without using heat, which is always optimal when you're trying to keep your hair healthy. Some of these hairdos are geared toward younger girls, but they would also work for women with a playful or free-spirited personality. This is also a great video if you’re already proficient at various braiding styles.

Materials needed:

• Brush
• Hair ties
• Bobby pins
• Texturizing spray
• Headband or scarf

Scarves

Styling your hair with a scarf is always a fantastic idea when you have shorter hair. On those days when you only have a few seconds to get ready, a scarf can be a real lifesaver. They are extremely quick and easy since most of the time all you need is the scarf, and they usually add volume and variety. Plus, depending on the type of scarf, they can be congruent with casual and formal styles.

Materials needed:

• Scarf
• Hair tie

Using a Men's Tie

Alternately, you can use a men’s tie instead of a scarf. I've found that these are generally inexpensive at second-hand stores (often less expensive than a scarf), or you could always borrow one from your favorite male friend. I usually just wrap the tie around my hair and secure it with a simple knot, but if you’re feeling ambitious, you could tie it in the traditional way to give it a classier look. Since ties are generally slick, you might want to secure them with a few bobby pins.

Clearly, I am not the best hair model, but you get the general idea. Also, it'd probably be optimal to choose a shirt that matches your tie, and also be prepared to have the tie ends hanging down. It can be fun, but it also might be a bit cumbersome.

Hopefully, you now have a full arsenal of ideas when it comes to styling your short hair. Whether you do a twist on a classic or go for something completely new, these tips and styles will help save you time or help you stand out. What are your favorite hairdos for short locks? Comment below!

© 2018 Lauren Flauding

Comments

Lauren Flauding (author) from Sahuarita, AZ on December 19, 2018:

Thanks Nira! (I actually got a lot of good ideas while writing it!)

Nira Perkins on December 19, 2018:

This is such a great article. I love it and needed it!

Carrie is a an actress, landscape architect and teacher. She enjoys writing, crocheting, painting and exploring new hobbies.

Transitioning to Gray

I started going gray at 23, and have been dyeing my hair various shades of brown for 30 years. I wanted to make the transition to gray (or grey), but did not want to go through the painful process of having a distinct line between my colored hair and my gray roots as they grew out.

Having a professional lift for existing color, bleach, and adding gray coloring can be extremely expensive. After watching many DIY videos and reading oodles of articles on dyeing hair gray at home, I decided to take the risk and give it a try on my own. I have been very pleased with the results and have found the transition to be surprisingly easy and fun.

I have outlined my process below and the products I used. I recommend you do your own research on the entire process to be sure you are comfortable taking the risks involved before committing to trying it on your own.

Before You Start!

1. Review this entire article and research the process on your own.
2. Purchase required products.
3. If you feel comfortable taking the risk, dive in and give it a try!

Products to Purchase

I purchased all of the products below at Sally Beauty Supply

• Ion: Bright White Creme Lightener(8 levels of lift)
• Blond Brilliance: Creme Oil Infusion 35 Volume Developer
• Ion Color Brilliance: Absolute Perfection Booster Step 1
• Ion Color Brilliance: Absolute Perfection Color Sealer Step 2
• Wella Color Charm: T14 Toner(T18 if you want lighter silver/gray)
• Wella Color Charm: 050 Cooling Violet Additive
• 20 Volume Developer (small bottle is fine)
• Applicator bottle
• Gloves

If your hair is medium to dark brown or black in color, you need to remove color before bleaching. You might try Color Fix by One 'n Only. It comes with three bottles of solution (color reducer, conditioning catalyst, processing lotion). Follow directions on the box.

Coloring Process Steps

1. Research and consult professionals, as desired.
2. Purchase products.
3. If you have medium or dark brown/black colored hair and need to lift existing color, do so a day (or two) before initiating the bleaching process. Be sure to condition hair between processes!
4. Bleaching - Mix together the Blond Brilliance 35 Volume Developer and the Ion Bright White Creme Lightener (follow mixing ratio instructions on bottle). Add 1 packet of Ion Color Brilliance Absolute Perfection Color Sealer Step 2 and 1/2 bottle of Ion Color Brilliance Absolute Perfection Booster Step 1. Mix well and apply thoroughly to portions of hair you wish to bleach (and later color gray). Avoid getting bleach on scalp as much as possible. NEVER APPLY BLEACH TO WET HAIR! Carefully observe your hair, checking every few minutes to see that you reach the desired color lift without over processing. Do not process more than 45-50 minutes.
5. Rinse bleach out of hair and apply mild shampoo to ensure all bleach has been removed from hair. Apply good conditioner and rinse. I bleached and colored my hair the same day, but use your own judgment with this.
6. Mix entire tube of Wella Color Charm T14 Toner : 20 Volume Developer, (1:2), entire bottle of Wella Color Charm 050 Cooling Violet Additive (no extra developer for this), and other half of Ion Color Brilliance Absolute Perfection Booster Step 1. Mix well and apply thoroughly to hair. Leave for 15-30 minutes (follow product instructions), to reach desired level of gray (purple color will wash out).
7. Rinse color out of hair and apply desired shampoo and conditioners.
8. Enjoy your new look! The toner is a demi-color and will fade in time. You may wish to apply toner every few weeks until your natural gray has grown in. I like to use shampoo and conditioner for platinum blond or gray hair to keep the yellow/orange tones from creeping in.

Before & After

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

Layne likes to share her favorite health and beauty tips for people on-the-go.

The Best Way to Untangle Matted Hair

Fine hair, as with all hair types, comes with its pros and cons. It offers a care-free, windswept look, is easy to straighten and curl, can be easy to dye, but it's also easy to damage.

Sometimes straight hair gets celebrated for its uniformity, but people with fine hair have their work cut out for them every day! People with fine or thin hair know that tangles happen easily, especially when wet, during sleep, swimming, or excerise. It's no fun and can be pretty painful—ever had to use scissors to get those knots out? If you know, you know.

The Cons of Having Fine Hair

• Flat: It falls flat (no amount of hairspray, gel, or teasing in the world will get it to stay put beyond an hour or two).
• Tangles: It tangles easily (within a half hour of brushing).
• Mats: If it's long, it's prone to matting.
• Shows Oil: It's more apparent when you need to shower—you cannot hide those roots.
• Detangling Takes a While: If you get your hair wet or are out in the elements, detangling will take work.

The Truth About Fine Hair

I can't tell you how many times my hair has matted and literally HURT from the weight of the tangles. Sometimes I had such bad knots I had to literally cut them out. If you're active and have fine hair, you may have experienced the same issues.

• My hair type: Fine, color-treated bi-annually, sun exposure, salt water exposure, no blow-drying or straightening.
• Length: 4 inches past my shoulders.

So here are some tips I put together to help you out. I've used these detangling techniques on children with fine hair, too, as they are gentle. Use a child-friendly detangler, however, instead of the one I recommend for teens and adults.

The Best Products for Detangling Wet, Fine Hair

When I was younger, I remember my mom literally yanking on my hair to get it to detangle—it was miserable!. Throughout my life I tried so many products and brushes. I've used all sorts of conditioners, leave-in conditioners, serums, detanglers, and brushes. I had a Mason Pearson brush at some point—those are nice and super expensive—and I had a Wet Brush. None of these items worked.

So, after many years of trial and error, here is my go-to formula:

Supplies

• Conair Detangling Cushion Brush (forget the Wet Brush!)
• Jane Carter Revitalizing Leave-In Conditioner (I use this conditioner on my wet hair every day. Do not use this product if you are gluten sensitive.)
• Giovanni Shampoo
• Giovanni Conditioner for Damaged Hair (I swear by this conditioner; it's vegan and cruelty-free!)

Forget the Wet Brush

Why These Products Work for Me

I think the magic in this whole formula is the Conair brush that I found. It generally works well regardless of the type of detangler you chose to use, but I do like the Jane Carter Revitalizing Leave-in Conditioner (I bought 10 for Black Friday) because it does not weigh down fine hair and you can use it right after a shower. It also keeps hair from being frizzy.

Sometimes, if my hair is dry, I spray a couple sprays into my palm and just run it over my hair to tame flyaways. The Jane Carter product contains many natural ingredients.

How to Detangle Fine Hair

1. Start by brushing out your hair before washing it. As you are washing it, only use shampoo on the roots.
2. Apply adequate conditioner to the bottom 2/3rds of the hair and let soak for 1 minute. Rinse.
3. Towel dry by patting the hair—do not rub.
4. Immediately apply the Jane Carter product to the bottom 2/3rds of the hair and any face-framing pieces.
5. Split your hair onto either side of your shoulders. Start with one side—work with the face-framing hair first and start at the ends, brushing them out.
6. Use short brush flicks (work on 1-inch pieces at a time and gradually work your way up). Stop brushing about 2 inches from your roots.
7. Begin working on the back half of hair. Brush the two portions of hair on the side you started on together.
8. Repeat the same technique on the opposite side.
9. When all sections have been brushed out, flip your head backwards and swipe the brush from the top of the forehead through the hair to the back of the head. The hair should brush through cleanly.
10. Flip your hair to one side and work on the "underneath" portion of the hair against your neck.
11. Finally, flip your hair around and brush through the top to bottom several times. Find your part if you have one.
12. Keep your hair tied back in a low bun until you want to let it down.

How to Get Mats Out of Hair

Mats are a little bit trickier, but they do happen and I have had my fair share! Instead of giving up and cutting them out (the worst), here's what I do. Be sure to dedicate a half an hour to the process if your hair is severely matted.

How to Remove Mats

1. Start on one side of your head and start with the hair that is at the bottom/your ends. Do not start at the top of your head.
2. Sit somewhere comfortable where you can just zone out for a bit.
3. Pull the mat forward and begin at your root.
4. Start pulling the hair with both hands between your finger and thumb—hold the mat in your less dominant hand and pull the hair apart in opposite direction with your dominant hand. This should not be painful.
5. Work your way down to the end. Sometimes it helps to use the Conair brush once you've worked the mat out to untangle the rest down to the root.
6. Keep working until one side is completely untangled. This can take up to 15 minutes.
7. Take your Conair brush and brush the mat-free side. Put it in a tie and tie it back or tuck it away from the matted side.
8. Perform the same task on the matted side.
9. When you are done, brush your hair from underneath first. Then brush the face-framing pieces. Finally, brush through it all.

Consider tying your hair back, braiding it, or putting it in a top bun to keep it from tangling if you are going to be active.

Tips to Prevent Long Hair From Getting Tangled in the Water

If you like to play in the ocean or enjoy water sports, braiding your hair helps immensely! Here are a few options:

1. Put your hair up in a ponytail and secure it with a hair tie. Braid the "tail" and secure with a second hair tie.
2. Tie a low ponytail. Braid the "tail" and secure with a hair tie.
3. Side braids may work too.

Tips for Swimmers

Not the best practice for the pool, but if you're like me, consider applying conditioner to your hair or your troublesome areas before swimming. I get knotted flyaways behind my ears even with a swim cap. They are so bad I've had to cut them out. A little bit of conditioner on dry hair here and tucking hair into a swim cap can really help.

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

© 2018 Laynie H

Tori is a 28-year-old, three-time animal mom and DIYer living in Northern Atlanta with her boyfriend.

I like to dye my hair just about every two months. What can I say? I get restless, and I'm constantly itching for a change. My hair is one of those things I can change fairly regularly that is relatively inexpensive compared to other things I like to do, such as traveling to new places or redecorating my apartment. I haven't been red since high school so after doing blues and greens, I was drawn to the warmth of the Little Mermaid-esque red produced by Manic Panic Rock N Roll.

Originally, I planned to apply it with Wella Color Charm Orange as the root. Unfortunately, I didn't think that was going to work mainly because of the blue that I had in my hair previously not wanting to come out all the way, so I was afraid orange would show up muddy and gross. Instead, I chose a Radiant Orchid by Ion Color Brilliance.

Step 1: Lighten Your Hair

Any time you want to dye your hair a bright jewel tone color, especially when that color is semi-permanent, you want to lighten your hair to blonde. Semi-permanent dye does not typically take very well on dark hair, so lightening is pretty much a must.

My go-to lightener combination is Ion Color Brilliance Bright White Creme Lightener mixed with volume 20 developer from the same brand. I recommend reading my tutorial and review I did on this product combo. It's the best!

In my case, before dying my hair red, I had been trying to strip out an extremely heavy-duty royal blue out of my hair that was listed as semi-permanent but really felt permanent.

I got my hair to a light sky blue, with my roots and ends being back to white-blonde before I did my color. I was confident that the brightness of the red would cover the blue pretty well.

After your hair has been lightened, rinse the lightener out using purple shampoo such as Ion Cool Blonde Toning Shampoo, which is my current favorite. It smells amazing and feels really nice on my hair! Don't forget to use a conditioner as well. After a lightening process, your hair will feel pretty gross without it.

After you get out of the shower, I highly recommend a spritz or two of It's a 10 Miracle Leave-In. This stuff is amazing and really helps keep my hair's integrity after a fresh lightening. Make sure to let your hair fully air-dry before going on to the next step.

Step 2: Apply Root Color

I always start any dye job by fully applying whatever I want my root color to be before doing anything else. Here's how I did it:

1. Place the Orchid dye in a bowl and put on your gloves.
2. Section out your hair and work in one section at a time.
3. Using your tint brush, paint out as far as you prefer to with the Orchid color. Make sure to paint down far enough that you can create a gradient with the orchid to fade into the red. I did about three inches total, with two inches for orchid and one inch for blending with red.
4. As you finish layers, use the tail of the tint brush to separate new layers to paint. You may need to get a buddy to do the back of your head.
5. Repeat this step until all roots are covered.

Step 3: Apply Red

The next step is applying the Manic Panic Rock 'n Roll Red. I didn't take a specific approach applying this since it was going over my entire head, so here are my directions:

1. Use your fingertips to massage the red into each part of your hair, working in small ponytail-sized sections all over your head.
2. Blend the red with the edge of the purple by sliding the hair in between fingers a few times until the colors have somewhat mixed together.
3. Leave dye to process for 30+ minutes (I usually do an hour or more).

The whole process of applying both dyes took me about 30 minutes, and the nice thing about using semi-permanent dye is that there are no harsh chemicals that can fry your hair if it is in for too long, which is why I leave it in for about an hour after application. The lighter the color you use, the longer you'll want to leave it in.

Step 4: Caring for the Color

Generally, my steps in caring for any color are pretty much the same:

1. Wash no more than twice a week with a sulfate free shampoo (my current favorite is Redken Micellar Clean).
2. Use a moisturizing conditioner to help lock the color in. I absolutely adore the OGX Coconut conditioners—they smell amazing and make my hair feel so good.
3. Apply a leave-in conditioner such as It's a 10 Miracle Leave-In that I mentioned earlier.
4. Air dry as much as possible, and in between washes use dry shampoo to keep away oils.
5. Wear a swim cap when you will be near any kind of chlorinated or salt water. It won't keep all the water out, but it will keep a lot of it out and prevent your hair from losing color as quickly.

My Opinions

I work at a scuba center and part of my job is teaching swim lessons, in addition to doing the marketing for them. Because of that, I am in chlorinated, salty water three days a week, which is a real test for semi-permanent dyes. I do wear a swim cap when I'm in the water, which preserves any colors that stay inside my cap.

As with any other semi-permanent dye I've used, the baby hairs at the nape of my neck were white-blonde again within three days, but the rest of my hair stayed a vibrant beautiful red for a couple of weeks before eventually fading to various shades of bright pink. I'm in love with how it faded, because with the blue that was still left in my hair it made these gorgeous little pink and blue highlights that you can see below in this picture I took at the 35-day mark.

In general, I am happy with how Manic Panic Rock 'N' Roll Red held up considering how often I'm in a pool compared to most people. At six weeks in, I'm very happy with what it's faded to as well.

My only problem is that I can't go to bed with wet hair because when I do, I wake up with red all over my pillow. At the very beginning, if my hair was wet and down instead of up, there would be some minor color transfer to my shirts. I tried to make sure to keep my hair up when it was drying so as not to ruin my clothes. Now that the color has faded quite a bit that's not so much of an issue.

That being said, I also want to note that I am incredibly impressed with the Radiant Orchid by Ion Color Brilliance. It wasn't on my ends so obviously, it stayed in just a tad longer than the red, but the fade is also gorgeous. Six weeks in I feel like the color payoff is still incredibly worth it. This is the most beautiful, vibrant shade of purple I've ever used in my hair.

Overall, I would recommend both hair colors for use, especially together!

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

Rachel M. Johnson is a lover of all things pop culture. She's been writing about music and entertainment online for years.

Sex and the City is a beloved television show that has garnered a massive following since its debut in 1998. The character of Carrie Bradshaw, portrayed by Sarah Jessica Parker, has become a fashion icon and inspiration to women across the world. There's no question that Carrie was a fashionista; her various styles and looks are heavily showcased in the series. Throughout the show's six seasons, Carrie flourished with her fashion and style, and her hair was no exception.

Let's take a look at Carrie's (hair)volution over the series' run.

Short and Voluminous Ombre

Carrie started out the series with a darker, shorter hairdo that ultimately became ombre and voluminous in the first season. She is known for rocking her signature curls, and would often pin it back during the early seasons. Despite how effortless and natural the style looked, it took Sarah Jessica Parker two hours to get the famous Carrie 'do.

Did You Know? Sarah Jessica Parker almost portrayed a different Carrie before her iconic role as Carrie Bradshaw. Actress Andie McDowell beat Parker for the role of "Carrie" in Four Weddings and a Funeral.

"I will never be the woman with the perfect hair, who can wear white and not spill on it."

— Carrie Bradshaw

Long, Curly, & Golden

As the series progressed into the second season, Carrie grew out her initially shorter hairdo and developed a longer, bohemian hairstyle. Her curly golden locks were on full display and the look would become a staple for the character. The ombre coloring remained, as Carrie rocked darker roots and honey-golden curls.

Did You Know? Sarah Jessica had a no-nudity clause in her contract, and was the only lead character in the series to wear a bra in bed. The actress once explained why, saying, "I was not comfortable with nude scenes, scenes with sex toys, or vulgar language--so I didn't do any. My character Carrie, kissed a lot of men--but that's as far as it went."

Shiny, Sleek, & Straight

Around the third season, Carrie really began to experiment with styling her hair, and often straightened her famously curly-locks. She would keep it down and straight, or pull it back into a sleek ponytail. It was definitely a different look for the character, since she was notorious for her voluminous curls.

Did You Know? Sarah Jessica Parker wore heels for 18 hours a day during the filming of the show. Manolo Blahnik even named a shoe in her honor, the SJP.

Smooth and Refined Golden Ringlets

Curls are nothing new for Carrie, but when she first met Aiden she wore her medium length hair in smooth and refined ringlets. The style looked effortless and lovely, and of course Carrie managed to wear one of her famous flowers during the meet-cute. The golden hue and natural make-up only amplified the look.

Did You Know? In 2001, Sarah Jessica became an executive producer of the show, and her subsequent pay raise meant she earned a whopping $3 million per episode.

Sophisticated & Elegant Updo

Carrie didn't often style her hair in elaborate updos, but this classy bun definitely made the character look chic and sophisticated. Seeing Carrie embrace a different hairstyle and opt out of wearing it down was a pleasant change.

Did You Know? Carrie asks 92 questions throughout the show. In the episode before she moves to Paris, Carrie writes, "Is it time to stop questioning?" This is her final question of the series, as she doesn't ask anything in the last two episodes.

Short & Curly Bob

At the end of the fourth season, Carrie debuts a completely different hairstyle. She adopts a short and curly bob, cutting off her long locks. The style is perhaps the biggest hair change Carrie had up until this point. Her blonde color remained the same, but her curly tresses just reached her chin. It was definitely a bold shake-up for the character.

Did You Know? Sarah Jessica's pregnancy caused season five of the show to be shortened. The season only had 8 episodes and if you look closely when Carrie attends Bitsy and Bobby's wedding, you can see her little bump!

Short & Sleek

After rocking the curly bob, Carrie begins growing her tresses back out. She once against straightens her hair, keeping it shorter and sleek. The softer, buttery blonde tone highlighted the cute, shoulder-length cut.

Did You Know? In 2012, the apartment Carrie lived in sold for $9.65 million.

Curly, Dark, & Highlighted

By the end of the series, Carrie is back to sporting her bold, luscious locks. The thick, curly ringlets look chic and elegant, and she also went for a darker, highlighted hue. The brownish-blonde tone really made Carrie's eyes pop and gave her an effortlessly beautiful look.

Did You Know? For her role as Carrie Bradshaw, Sarah Jessica Parker won two Emmy Awards, four Golden Globes and three Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Questions & Answers

Question: Did Sarah Jessica Parker wear hair extensions in season 2 of Sex and the City?

Answer: From what I’ve researched that was her natural hair. When she chopped off her hair in the later seasons it was because she had damaged her hair from styling and curling and wanted a fresh start.

© 2018 Rachel M Johnson

Javayria is a hair styling enthusiast who loves to experiment with ways to do hair for everyday wear and formal occasions.

Managing Thick and Dark Hair

With all the fashion going around nowadays, all of us want lovely, luscious manes that are healthy and look beautiful. But with thick and dark hair that never manages to stay tame, always poofs up when brushed, or just tangles way too easily, getting a shiny head full of healthy hair sounds like it involves a very expensive trip to the salon. Instead of damaging your hair further with chemicals, there are plenty of fail-proof ways to get gorgeous hair naturally. These handy tips are a must and will save you money as well.

1. Keep It Moisturized

If you have thick yet dry hair, you know the struggles that you face due to frizz and the poof. To cut down that frizz, you need to keep your scalp moisturized to lock in all those oils that are essential to its health. A hair mask made from Coconut oil and honey applied every week is perfect to soothe the scalp and get shiny hair. Mix 1 tbsp of coconut oil with 1 tbsp of honey. Apply on wet hair, and leave on overnight. Rinse with lukewarm water.

I would highly recommend using 100% virgin coconut oil. I have bought it and used it for cooking, body moisturizing, and hair conditioner. It is very good quality and comes in a club value pack. Coconut oil is not cheap, and this product comes at a very good value that lasts a long time.

2. Oil It

Coconut oil is not the only way to go. Many woman with silky and thick hair oil their hair with olive oil and argan oil as well. Apply about a handful to the roots when wet and use as a conditioner. Otherwise, you can apply on dry hair in the scalp, and rub it along the ends. After leaving it on overnight, rinse your hair with warm water and use a conditioner to soften it. Oil should be applied every week to get optimum and silky results.

3. Braid Your Hair When Sleeping

Want to know why your morning hair ends up looking as if you got hit by a tornado? When you sleep with your hair open, it rubs against the pillow making the ends get tangled and creating a lot of static. Trying to calm down that hair in the morning is really tough, and let's be honest, who has the time? Instead, try braiding your hair in a French or a normal braid during the night to keep down frizz. Plus, you will also get bonus waves when you open it in the morning!

4. Find the Right Hairstyles

No matter how much you want to, don't wear your hair down normally. It will add frizz, make your neck hot, and just not look like that pretty look you were going for. Accept the fact that you have thick hair, and try finding some hairstyles to suit it. Thick hair looks very sleek in braids (such as French and Dutch braids), buns, and half-ups.

4. Get Layers

Do not, and I repeat, do not cut your hair to your shoulders. It may be tempting, as you think it will be easier to handle and wash, but trust me when I say that if you have thick, poofy hair, it will turn out majorly "blockish". Short hair allows the hair to spread out, looking more like a crazed up mess than a cute bob.

Instead, grow your hair longer so that the strands stretch to appear silkier and straighter. Go to the stylist, and cut your hair in layers. That way, you can keep the length and the look of thick hair, and it will be much easier to take care of.

5. Get the Right Brush

Ever heard of brushing your hair 100 times per day? You have probably noticed that when you brush your hair, it gets tangled, it poofs up, and a lot of hair just breaks off. Believe me, buying your brush from Dollarama or Walmart is not the right way to go. Those metal bristles damage your hair and make it get tangled. Instead, get a paddle brush that is made of bamboo or a boar bristle brush, as the bristles are widely spaced out.

I use the large paddle bamboo brush from the Body Shop. I honestly wish I had found out about this brush earlier. My head would hurt because of the hard bristles of many brushes, and this one glides through my hair with ease. It is perfect for any medium to long hair that is thick. The handle is sturdy, and the quality of the brush is excellent. Removing hair with a comb and washing it after each use will make it last a long time, as these are very stable brushes.

6. Brush It the Right Way

Now that you have a good quality brush that doesn't do damage to your hair, remember these tips when brushing.

• Do not brush hair when it is wet. It will damage it further as the hair is softer when it is wet.
• If oil is applied before taking a shower, it will be easier to brush your hair. Take a wide-toothed comb and start detangling the ends first. Then split the hair into sections and brush from the bottom to the top. Do a few long strokes to straighten the hair out and voila!

Remember, It's Your Hair!

These tips are a great way to manage thick hair and make it silky and soft. However, keep in mind that it is your hair, and you should do what you know is best for it. So next time you are attacking your head with a brush, stop and try some of these tips out. Keep reading, and stay tuned for more hair care and style tips!

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

Questions & Answers

Question: How can I stop my hair from breaking?

Answer: Hair usually breaks because it is too thin, dry, and damaged. To stop your hair from breaking, oil it with olive oil, coconut oil, and castor oil every week around two days before taking a bath. it will really strengthen it over time. Also, consider changing your hairbrush to one like a bamboo brush. The plastic ones really damage hair because they are too rough. Also, don't brush your hair right after showering. I hope that helps.

Question: Is it okay if my hair is just past my shoulders if I have thick, frizzy, poofy hair?

Answer: Yes, it is absolutely fine if your hair is just past your shoulder! In fact, these tips will help your hair grow longer and healthier if you continuously do them every week. Good luck, and thank you for reading!

© 2018 Javayria M

Comments

Comfort on July 14, 2019:

I need full and thick hair what will l do

Javayria M (author) on October 30, 2018:

Emily,

I am so glad that these tips helped you! And honestly, that brush is a lifesaver,(or should I say hairsaver?)

Emily on October 29, 2018:

Love your article . Thanks for giving us good tips to use for are hair . I have dark , puffy , frizzy hair and these tips help me in so many ways unimaginable . Thanks for the tip about the hair brush . It came in this week and I love it !

Aleena on October 10, 2018:

Great article for thick hair. I have really thick and dark hair, and my hair has become so soft from using these tips! Can't wait to read more!