Don’t assume you can use any old shampoo. Choosing one suited to your hair type is the first step in good styling.
If you have ultra-fine hair, only apply conditioner from the mid-lengths to the ends and be extra careful to rinse it all out as any residue will make your hair look limp.
For styling, choose a brush with natural boar bristles which really smooth hair as you blow-dry.
Always direct hot air from a blowdryer away from the scalp and down the hair to smooth the cuticle and increase shine.
If you have coarse, frizzy hair, don’t tip your head upside down when blow-drying as you’ll end up with a bouff. Head-tipping is a great way to add volume to fine hair but stop when it’s 80% dry, then style in sections.
Instead of using sectioning clips when blow-drying, try putting each section of hair in extra large Velcro rollers until you’re ready to style it – these won’t leave kinks like clips will.
Finish your blow-dry with a blast of cold air. This will prevent the scalp from sweating and help stop volume from drooping.
Make sure your hair is over 80% dry before straightening irons are used. Iron each section of hair quite slowly just once, rather than quickly and repeatedly.
The transition from hot to cold is the crucial element in setting hair. This could mean that you blow-dry using two brushes and allow one to cool in the hair while you’re using the other. With heated rollers, allow the hair to cool fully before removing them.
Don’t use too much product. It can weigh down hair and leave it looking dirty and dull. Usually a pea-sized amount is all you need, or a fine mist of gloss spray. And never layer on more than three products at a time.
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 then sweep hair into a ponytail that sits on the crown of your head, using a snag free elastic hair-tie.
Twist hair so that it sits on the base of the ponytail in a bun shape.
Pin into place and finish with some shine spray.