Hair care…is it worth it?

Part 3 : Styling Aids

It is now June. It seems to me that around this time of year almost every other consultation we do seems to begin with the same statement, “My hair doesn’t look as good as it usually does”. There could be two reasons for this:  either every hairstylist’s becomes completely talentless during the summer months or we are still very talented but find it difficult to compete with the excessive humidity levels that are a part of living in the south. My guess would be that it is the latter of these two statements since we seem to be quite competent during the other nine months of the year. Now I am proud to live in the south despite the soupy air and the triple digit temperatures so I choose to take comfort in the fact that EVERYONES hair suffers in June, July and August and they probably are not noticing my own personal frizzie-ness! I am not meaning to make light of the situation. There is nothing more frustrating than taking the time to blow dry, smooth, flat iron and curl only to have your hard work completely disassembled by the time you get to where you are going. Now is the time to reevaluate the products that you are using to style and to hold your hair in place. Styling aids are more important this time of year than any other time.

Since hair types vary and the products available are numerous, it would be impossible for me to recommend what everyone who reads this post should use. Your stylist should be making those recommendations to you throughout the seasons. What you use may need to change periodically to accommodate the conditions of your hair, as well as the weather. I can, however, tell you about some of the top selling items that we carry here at OH SALON.

Gels and mousses will help hold the hair into place when coupled with a good holding spray. I love Defining Gel for thick hair and Uplifting Foam for fine hair. Both made by Aquage and sold ONLY in professional salons. Finishing Spray, also by Aquage, remains our best selling holding spray. Nothing will smooth your hair better in this heat and humidity than Flowing Form by Wella. It also has silicones, sweet almond oil, and jojoba extracts which will help to prevent hair from kinking back up after it has been styled. Curl Defining Crème with keep natural curls luxurious while Ocean Spritz will create that slightly mussed “beachy” look that is so trendy right now.

Items to avoid this time of year would be heavy waxes and pomades that tend to weight hair down in the heat. The only exception to this rule is male clients that tend to have shorter heavily texturized cuts and ladies with stylish pixies.  I also find that “extreme” hold hairsprays tend to break down in this humidity and can leave the hair flattened and dull.

Next week we will discuss home colors, perms and highlighting and the risk involved. Stay tuned