Bad Hair Help!

Products

Hair spray — use in a light mist to hold hair in place. Should be used sparingly to avoid hair becoming crusty and washed out regularly to prevent build-up causing white flakes to develop.

Mousse — the best friend of curly or wavy hair. Should usually be applied to damp (though not wet) hair. Either loosely comb hair with a wide-toothed comb or separate curls with fingers, then apply mousse by scrunching it into hair with an upward motion adding bounce to your curls. Look for mousse that is alcohol-free and for curly hair.

Gel — a multi-purpose product usually applied to damp or wet hair. It causes hair to hold a shape and often becomes crisp as it dries, though once it is dry it can be combed through and will become softer. Can build up and appear greasy if not washed out regularly. Use as a substitute or addition to mousse for curly hair, or apply to hair before styling in a pony-tail or braid to help reduce fly-aways. Look for alcohol-free products.

Straightening gel/heat buffer — there are many types of products to help straighten hair. The best are alcohol-free and offer some protection against heat styling, which is important if you are going to blow-dry your hair. Read package directions, because some of these are applied to wet hair and some to drier hair.

Shine serum — Often this can be just an extra cost, but some people find that a very light application (spray serum in your hands and just run over hair) adds smoothness and improves the health of hair.

Moisture crème — This is a crème that is applied to wet or dry to restore moisture. Heat styling often leaves the ends of hair frizzy, and this product can help tame the frizz.

Tools

Wide toothed comb — The best tool for wavy or curly hair, or for detangling.

Round, vented bristle brush — The important things here are the vents (holes in the base of the brush) that allow air to pass through while blow-drying. The bristles can be scratchy, so it may not be your first choice for pony-tails or styling, but this is a must for blow-drying!

Paddle or multi-purpose brush — These are sometimes better for touch-ups and styling. Find one that you like, because there aren’t many rules here.

Blow-dryer — Used to speed up drying time or to straighten hair while drying. To straighten, use a bristle brush (above), wrap section of hair around the brush and brush through while concentrating the blow dryer on that section. Or use with a diffuser to help boost curls.

Flat-iron/Straightening iron — Use with heat protection product to straighten dry hair by clamping a small section in the iron and running the iron down the length of the hair.

Curling iron or heat rollers — Multiple sizes create defined or loose curls that can be held in place with hair spray. Great for creating an up-do.