Salon Hair Care Tips for The Latest Hairstyles and Haircuts

GET A GREAT
HAIR CUT IN
ANY SCENARIO

CUT

CUT | COLOR | STYLE | CONDITION | ARCHIVES

Q:		What’s the best way to trim my own hair?

ROY:		Sorry to say this but there just isn’t one. Trying to cut your own hair is always a recipe for total disaster. Trimming your own bangs? Definitely something you can make happen for yourself. I give you the 411 on the best ways of doing that on “I’d like to start trimming my own bangs. But attempting to give your self a hair cut? A definite don’t.

Q:		All of a sudden my hair has become totally straight on top even though it’s still wavy on the ends. What’s up with that?

ROY:		It sounds to me like someone is long overdue for a haircut. When your hair falls flat on top it’s usually because the weight of the rest of your hair is pulling it down. Getting some layers cut in will help your hair spring up so the roots won’t be so flat. Until you can get to the salon, try blowing out your hair straight with a round brush so your hair will be smooth and straight all over. To go wavy, spray on CURL ENERGEE curl enhancing styler concentrating on your roots and either air dry or blow dry with a diffuser.

		ROY's QUICK TIPS
				Quick fix for split ends For split ends that need a quick fix, try smoothing a tiny dab of lip balm on them when they are dry to temporarily seal them together. Then the next chance you get, give yourself our EMERGENCEE strengthening polymetric reconstructor treatment and head to your stylist and his scissors stat.

MAKE COLOR GO
THE DISTANCE

COLOR

CUT | COLOR | STYLE | CONDITION | ARCHIVES

Q:		Sometimes when I touch up my roots they end up being a different color from my ends. What am I doing wrong?

ROY:		Mismatched roots are usually the result of the dye dripping down from the top of your head and over saturating already-colored ends. Next time, ask a friend to help you limit the dye to your areas of re-growth. And if you need to rejuvenate the rest of your hair, as well, wait until the last few minutes of the process before you run the color down the entire shaft.

Q:		What’s the best way to cover my grays myself?

ROY:		Choose an all over shade that falls between your new silver strands and your own natural hair color. This will help soften your look and disguise grays.

		ROY's QUICK TIPS
				Selecting your best shade Use your current color (even if it's dyed) as a gauge when selecting a new formula and never lighten or darken your hair more than one to two shades at a time.

REVIVE or TAME YOUR STYLE

STYLE

CUT | COLOR | STYLE | CONDITION | ARCHIVES

Q:		I know you always say that a little styling product goes a long way but sometimes I don’t know what gets into me and I end up with this big gob of goop in my hair. Is there anyway I can get it out without starting over?

ROY:		I wish I had better news for you but the hard fact of the matter is that depending on how far off the deep end you’ve jumped, you may have to swim all the way back to shore, re-shampoo and begin at the beginning. If there is just a little extra product or the excess is limited to just a place or two you can try a couple of things. If your hair isn’t completely dry and styled, you can try blasting the product-heavy areas with your blow dryer. The heat should help to liquefy it and then you can use your fingers to work out the excess. You can also try lightly misting those spots with water and then blotting out the product with a towel. But honestly, I am not all that certain you will be thrilled with the results. Then again, that’s when pony tails and chignons come in really handy.

Q:		You’ve often told us never to brush wet hair because it can cause split ends and breakage but what about when I blow dry my hair smooth using a round brush?

ROY:		That’s a very good question. You can use a brush on just-shampooed hair, but the key is to make sure that it is not soaking wet. Before you start styling, use a towel to blot out as much moisture as you can. Then, use your fingers to “pre-style” your hair until it is 80 percent dry before you even pick up your brush. Check out Smooth Moves in the Fresh Hair archives for specifics. (Bob can we have the link here?) This way you’ll almost entirely avoid the damage that brushing wet hair can cause.

		ROY's QUICK TIPS
				Fixing a round brush mishap If your hair gets tangled up in your round brush, don’t panic; it’s happened to the best of us. Squirt your hair with a leave-in conditioner and aim your dryer directly at the snarl. You should then be able to *gently* slide it out. Just be careful not to tug or yank or you could exacerbate the problem and even cause breakage.

ADD LIFE TO
YOUR HAIR

CONDITION

CUT | COLOR | STYLE | CONDITION | ARCHIVES

Q:		I have chin length extensions around my face to create an 'A' line hairstyle. Which products should I use to keep them from tangling and looking so dry?

ROY:		Maintaining beautiful looking hair extensions can be a bit tricky because the hair itself requires moisturizing products to help prevent it from looking dried. I would respect your hair’s delicate moisture balance by shampooing with our ALOE RID gentle clarifying shampoo. Regular conditioning is a must but be sure to keep your treatment away from your extension attachments. HUMECTRESS ultimate moisturizing conditioner is the perfect conditioner to keep your hair and your extensions well-moisturized and tangle-free. Try to take regular breaks from heat styling and when styling your hair, make sure to be extra gentle. Tugging at extensions or trying to yank a comb through them is a sure-fire way to cause their pre-mature demise.

Q:		I have extensions and my hair is starting to break. What should I do?

ROY:		I hate to break it to you (sorry, poor choice of words) but it's time you head to an extensions expert stat, who will most likely rule in favor of removing them—a crushing blow, I know, given that you probably shelled out about a grand for them. But clearly, the tension they are creating on your scalp and natural hair is way too stressful for you.

		ROY's QUICK TIPS
				Looking fresh all day If your hair looks great after you style it but tends to get greasy by the afternoon, make sure you’re using a shampoo designed to thoroughly cleanse the scalp, such as our ALOE RID gentle clarifying shampoo while avoiding your roots when you’re conditioning. Still oilier than you’d like? Try running a cotton pad soaked in astringent over your hair line and part mid-day.