12 tips for bad hair days
With the help of some expert tips and the right products, it is possible to get unruly hair to behave itself on a regular basis. And, mad though it sounds, when your hair looks okay, the whole world seems like a better place!
1. If you have curly hair that tends to frizz, carry a small tube of hair cream or moisturiser in your handbag and apply a quick blob when necessary to separate curls and reduce frizz. Leave-in conditioner works a treat.
2. For good next-day hair, sleep on a satin pillowcase rather than a cotton one. Hair flows easily against satin, whereas cotton promotes friction.
3. Make sure your hair is completely dry when you finish styling. If it’s even the tiniest bit damp, kinks and frizz will creep in on warm, humid days.
4. Choose a kind of shampoo and conditioner that is formulated for your hair type. This is especially important if you have coloured or chemically treated hair.
5. Get the very best haircut you can afford and don’t go too long between trims – six to eight weeks is the rule. Also, don’t try to work against your hair type or your lifestyle when you’re choosing a new look.
6. Static flyaway hair a problem? Try swapping your nylon bristle brush for one that has all-natural bristles.
7. If your hair is dry or damaged, avoid products with a high alcohol content and never spray perfume on your hair.
8. If you don’t have time to shampoo your hair, just mist it with a little water and do a “dry” blow-dry on a low-to-medium setting. This works particularly well to fix an unruly fringe.
9. Don’t use too much product. It can weigh down your hair and leave it looking dirty and dull. A pea-sized amount of cream and gel or a fine mist of gloss spray is usually all you need.
10. Have a supply of hair accessories at the ready.
11. If your hair has a tendency to look limp, make sure you rinse out all the conditioner properly when washing your hair, as any residue will make the problem worse. You may not need to condition hair every wash, especially if it tends to be quite oily and you don’t use a lot of heated styling tools.
12. Master a quick emergency up-do. This one works best with next-day hair.
- Prep hair with a light mist of hairspray, then backcomb at the crown to create lift and volume at the roots.
- Spray the bristles of a paddle brush with hairspray and then, using a snag-free elastic hair-tie, sweep hair into a ponytail that sits on the crown of your head.
- Twist hair so it sits on the base of the ponytail in a bun shape.
- Pin into place and finish with shine spray.
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