The best hair tips I ever learned as a beauty editor

by Melissa Williams-King

Before I started Bunbathers, I worked as a beauty editor for glossy magazines and style websites. Here are some of the best things I learned - tips that I still use to this day.

WASHING 101

  1. Brush or comb your hair *before* you get it wet. (Top pick: the Tangle Teezer, which comes in a version for thick and curly hair.) Starting with detangled hair before you shampoo and condition means hair doesn't get so knotty in the shower and it's much easier to distribute product through it. You'll wind up having to do less detangling afterwards on wet hair. The less you can brush or comb wet hair, the better - hair is much more prone to breakage when it's pulled whilst wet.
  1. Does cold hair really make your hair shiner? Thankfully this shiver-inducing practice is so not necessary! Chemists at TRI Princeton recently tested this long-established myth and found that washing and conditioning your hair with *warm* water actually delivers the best shine. 
  1. Most of us start the shampoo process by dumping it right on the crown, then spreading the suds. However focussing all the product at the front can be needlessly drying on this section of your hair. The best practise is to section hair into four, and work from the tips up to the roots. (Of course, gentle, sulphate-free shampoos are the best choice too).
  1. Are you cutting down on shampoo frequency in order to eke out that blow-dry for longer? A thorough cleanse is even more important when you don’t shampoo that often. Choose a detoxifying shampoo and consider adding a scalp scrub, to remove all traces of product, oil and residue. 

GOING DEEP WITH CONDITIONER

  1. To get the most from your conditioner, don’t inadvertently dilute it. Make sure you thoroughly squeeze all the water out of your hair before you apply it, for maximum potency.
  1. If you have long, thick hair, ignore the oft-recommended dose of a mere “quarter-size” dollop of conditioner. Instead give your hair the amount you feel it needs, and make sure to rinse thoroughly.
  1. Deep conditioners and regular conditioners have different functions and very dry, long coarse hair can benefit from using both. Deep conditioners have a thicker, custard-y texture and most aim to strengthen, nourish and repair damaged hair. Your more basic conditioner simply works to detangle and add slip to your hair to make it more manageable. Try using them one after the other for maximum nourishment and smoothing.
  1. Do you use hair vitamins to keep your hair in top condition? You could be throwing your money down the drain. While deficiencies in vitamins A, C, and E, or Coenzyme Q10 and biotin (a B-­complex vitamin) are associated with skin issues and hair loss, there is no scientific evidence that supplements based on these nutrients can improve your hair if you *don’t* have a vitamin deficiency. Deficiencies are rare, but if you think you may have one, get your doctor’s advice. 

SETTING UP YOUR STYLE

  1. Most of us know to avoid drying our hair with a regular towel - the texture can rough up the hair cuticle and cause frizz, especially if you rub it. The best technique is a squeeze dry, using smooth-textured material. Some women swear by an old T-Shirt, but I love a microfibre towel or turban. To get hair driest with minimal effort, it pays to stock up on supplies. Start with one microfibre hair towel and squeeze as much moisture out as possible. Then put your hair in a microfibre turban, and go about your business. Once that turban’s damp, you can also swap another one on, so that your hair is only slightly damp by the time you start the blow dry/tong process. 
  1. If your aim is to make your blowdry last as long as possible, lay off the styling products. The more you use, the quicker your hair will look dull and dirty, due to product residue. The only one you really need is a heat protectant - some of these also add hold. Top picks: ghd Curl Hold Spray or Garnier Fructis Miraculous Oil Brushing Express. 
  1. To mimic a bouncy salon blow out without the arm workout, use a large-barrel tong to curl hair, then set it in loose loops using styling clips. Leave it in for 30 minutes and you’re good to go.
  1. Bobby pins are great for securing loose strands or growing out bangs. To keep them in place with maximum grip, use them upside down (the wavy side closest to your head, the flat side up). You can also lightly tease hair just where you’re placing the pin.
  1. What’s better - a hair oil or a hair serum? Oils work to nourish and condition hair, improving texture. Serums, typically silicone-based, are more of a styling aid. They smooth the hair but don’t offer any lasting nourishment. Serums are also more likely to cause product build-up and dullness, as they sit on the surface of the hair rather than absorbing. If you have rough, dry ends, try swapping your usual serum for a hair oil to improve its condition. With either option, use it on the ends only to avoid oily roots.

  2.  Investing in a new hair appliance? Sometimes you get what you pay for, but other times cheaper brands have some great technology. Some new launches are fairly gimmicky, but others can be surprisingly useful - despite being shown on infomercials! To test out a new drier, iron or tong, research a salon that uses this brand and book in for a blowout or styling session. That way you can make an informed decision before wasting hundreds of dollars. (My personal faves - the Dyson hairdrier and the ghd Curve tong. But Remington tongs offer similar technology for much less money.)

KEEP THAT BLOWOUT GOING

  1. You may have heard the advice to sleep on a silk pillowcase to keep your blowout pristine while you sleep, but how about going one better? Silk hairwraps are the latest way to treat your hair to TLC overnight, ensuring less breakage, split ends and frizz. Check out the luxe Silke brand. 
  1. Want to stay active but put off hair washing for one more day? Rather then using dry shampoo afterwards, use it *before* you hit the gym. Blasting roots pre-workout means the product will absorb sweat immediately as it occurs, so that it doesn’t linger on your hair for so long. In this case, prevention is better than cure.
  1. Another gym hair tip is to keep your ponytail up as high as possible, keeping hair off the back of the neck. This way it won’t touch your sweaty skin! A great hair tie for max uplift is the PonyO, which pushes and lifts your ponytail so that it stands up higher. 
  1. When it comes to protecting your hair in the shower, steam is just as much the enemy as droplets of water. Invest in a specialist turban-style shower cap like Louvelle, (you can also wear a gym headband under it to give extra protection around the edges). But if you want to cut out any inkling of steam, you can’t do better than a silicone swim cap, like Bunbathers (designed to accommodate your bun on top). These make great travel shower caps as they are so flat and packable. On the topic of steam - wait till our shower fog has cleared before you start styling your hair, or move to another room.
  1. It can be tricky to prolong the wash cycle when your hair is used to almost daily washing. However you can wean your hair off daily washing by swapping in some days where you just rinse, using no shampoo. With this method, your hair can gradually become less oily, so you can eventually space out your wash days even further. 
  1. When you need to refresh your hairstyle, especially early in the wash cycle, try to avoid adding more product. (Product build-up will necessitate more frequent washing, which is what we’re trying to avoid). Instead, lightly spritz hair with water to reactivate the existing product, then touch up with your blowdrier or hot tools as needed. 

IN THE SWIM

  1. If you’re putting your head under the water, fancy “pre-swim” haircare products are great to protect your hair. But did you know you can achieve a similar result with plain old water? The key is that hair that’s wet can’t soak up as much salt or pool chemicals - it’s already “full”, so to speak. So wetting your hair has a similar effect to coating it in Kerastase Soleil, when it comes to preventing water damage (of course the luxe conditioner has advantages when it comes to nourishing your hair, but water is a good option if you’ve come to unprepared).
  1. If you’ve been up and down the pool lanes all summer, chances are your hair has some chlorine damage. A great treatment to counteract the effects is coconut oil. If you can coat your hair and sleep with it overnight (add a microfibre hair towel or turban), so much the better. 

COLOUR ME BEAUTIFUL

  1. Did you know that well-conditioned hair takes colour much better? Prime your hair to make the most from a salon appointment (or at-home colour) by treating your hair with an intense deep conditioner a few days before you colour it. 
  1. If you have fine hair, highlights might be a better choice than global colour since they swell the hair’s cuticle and add volume to each strand. It’s a great way to get two effects (colour and density) with one treatment. 

  1. If you’re a fan of clip-in extensions or bangs, you may find it hard to get the perfect colour to match your hair (and it needs to blend seamlessly to avoid looking fake and cheap). One clever way around this is to take it in to your hair salon and get your hair coloured to match the piece. It’s a roundabout method, but if you love the extra glamour your clip-ins give you,  it may be worth it.



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