How To Get Low Maintenance Hair

One of the biggest requests I get in the salon is making my clients hair low maintenance. Now that could mean a few different things: daily styling maintenance, color maintenance, and/or haircut maintenance. Maybe you are someone who wants all three, so here are some of my suggestions to achieving a great look without all of the time and effort.

Low Maintenance Styling

If you are a person (like myself) who needs to curl, straighten, or somehow alter their natural texture, then this section may not be for you. This is for people who want wash-and-wear hair. Something that will look like you spent 20 minutes slaving away under a hot blowdryer, when all you did was let it air dry. But how? Product, product, product! Invest in high quality products that are going to enhance what your momma gave you, starting with shampoo and conditioner. If one of the only things you will be doing to you hair is washing it, I suggest you make the most of it by using professional products.

Low Maintenance Color

Tired of touching up your roots every six weeks? Good thing there are a lot of great, trending options that look super natural and the upkeep is minimal. There is always the ombré. The ombré allows you to have your natural hair color with lighter ends and is virtually maintenance free. 

The ombré done with extensions.

My favorite option that I am absolutely LOVING right now is balayage! Balayage (Bah-lay-ahzge) is a method of highlighting hair without using foils, that with make your hair look gorgeous and naturally sun-kissed (and it's fun to say). This is how you get that Victoria's Secret Angel look.

A before and after picture of balayage with a little bit of a soft ombré at the ends.

Tip: When you are looking at pricing for ombrés and balayage, the cost might be a little higher. Stylists have to do this because they won't be seeing you as often. However, the price still usually works out in the clients favor.

Low Maintenance Haircuts

The only advice that I can give that will truly guarantee your haircut lasting longer is, get better quality haircuts. Going to a budget salon and paying $15 just won't cut it (forgive the pun.) Spend the extra money on an experienced stylist who will make your haircut last beyond 4 weeks.

Moral of the story, if you invest in your hair, you will be rewarded with luscious locks that every woman will envy and admire.

How To Find A Hairstylist

For most people, finding the right hairstylist can be more challenging than it ought to be. How are you going to find that stylist that not only has the skills and talent to make a masterpiece of your mane, but also a stylist that just seems to get you? You require someone who understands what you need and want, even if you don’t. It might be optimistic to find the perfect stylist complete with magic hair taming powers, but here are some tips and tools to finding a great stylist none the less.

How I Feel About Yelp

I hate to start off with a negative, but I want to get this first one out of the way. Yelp can definitely help in finding out some pros and cons about certain businesses, but there are some reasons why I would refrain from using Yelp. One reason is, it might help you find a great salon, but it might not help you find a stylist. Secondly, Yelp screens their reviews. They pick and choose which reviews they want to feature, and some can be years old and irrelevant to their current service. The biggest reason I don’t suggest using Yelp too much, is that most of the time people are reviewing a business is to report something negative, which doesn't necessarily give you an accurate depiction of the business. If you are going to use Yelp, I suggest sorting the "Recommended Reviews" by date and also checking out the reviews not recommended at the bottom of the page.

Ask Someone

The absolute best way to find a good stylist is by a referral. Whether it's from someone you know or just from asking a stranger in the grocery store, find someone whose hair you admire and just ask them who makes their hair so magical. A plus to this strategy is that you will probably make someone’s day and maybe even a new best friend.

But what if you're new to town or too shy to ask?

StyleSeat

There is a lovely little website called StyleSeat.com that some stylists use for a variety of reasons. One of them being, to find new clients. Granted, not every stylist is using this website, however, there are tons of great stylists on this site waiting to be discovered by you. My suggestion is to go on the site, search for your city or area and check out the stylists with great recommendations and call. They might not have a ton of availability, but that means they're probably good if they're busy.

6 Hair Washing Tips to Healthier Hair

Ever have the problem where you run out of conditioner, but still have half of a bottle of shampoo left? Or are the ends of your hair super dry, even though you're using the most hydrating (and probably expensive) conditioner out there? Well folks, the answer might be as simple as; you're not washing your hair the right way. 

Here are six things you can do in the shower to increase the longevity and power of your shampoo and conditioner. 

1. Water, Water, Water

When you are shampooing your lustrous locks, you need to have your hair completely saturated. If it isn't lathering well, dunk your head under the water real quick before you add more shampoo. This goes especially for professional shampoos because they are more concentrated compared to your drugstore brands. 

2. Shampoo Only Your Scalp

Your scalp is where most of your natural oils are built up and the only area of your hair that needs to be cleaned on a regular basis. Unless your ends are actually dirty or have product build up, for whatever reason, then don't actually shampoo them on a regular basis. You don't want to dry them out!

3. Wring Out Your Hair Before Applying Conditioner (Or Towel Dry It If You're Really Hardcore)

Unlike water-loving shampoo, you get better results from conditioner if you remove excess water before applying it. You can use way less conditioner this way (solving your shampoo to conditioner ratio issues) and your conditioner can actually penetrate into your hair instead of running down the drain.

4. Concentrate Your Conditioner On Your Ends

The hair closest to your scalp gets the pleasure of receiving its moisture from your natural oils and doesn't need conditioner on a regular basis (or at all). Meanwhile, the mid-shaft and ends of your hair are the oldest, and therefore, the driest and in desperate need of some TLC in the form of conditioner. Also, your hair will be less oily at the end of the day if you don’t put conditioner on your roots. 

5. Leave Your Conditioner In Longer

If you want your conditioner to work its magic, then you have to give it a little time.

Hint: If you start your shower routine with washing your hair, then it gives you plenty of time to do your other rituals (shaving, brushing your teeth, washing your body, etc.) while letting your conditioner sit.

6. Rinse Your Conditioner Out With Cool Water

Easier said than done, I know, but this closes down the cuticle (outer layer of hair) creating less frizz, more shine, and healthier hair.

I hope this has been informative, but most of all, I hope your hair looks amazing!

Leave a comment, let me know what you think and ask me some hair questions.