Styling Tricks and Tips

Just about everyday one of my clients will watch with a fixed gaze as I finish off a hairstyle. I catch her stare and wonder, "Do I have something stuck in my teeth?", or "Is she going to kill me for what I did to her hair?" Worries begin to set in. I suppose it's part of my pessimistic nature. But the worries soon fade away, because she says, "I was just noticing that neat thing you did to my hair." "Huh? What neat trick?" I ask. "You know, that thingy you did just now with your fingers". Or something like that. Being in the business for as long as I have been, I often forget that what seems so ordinary and commonplace to a hairstylist might be viewed as a magic trick to a client. By honing our skills on hundreds, if not thousands, of clients each year, we stylists come up with lots of time-saving tricks and techniques. Here are a few that might save you some time and trouble as well.

Having trouble making a style last? Most people's first plan of action is to reach for the maximum-strength can of hairspray. Sure it might get you a few extra hours of wear from a style, but sooner or later you're going to have to scrub all that gunk out. Try some of these suggestions that will help keep your hair in place longer.

1. Set your hair in rollers. But aren't those things for gray-haired bingo ladies, you ask? Well, those gray-haired bingo ladies get their hair set once a week, usually on a Saturday morning for some reason, and all those years of accumulated wisdom have taught us this: roller sets last longer than curling iron sets, and last much longer than hair styled with a blowdryer and a brush. Roller sets can be used for any style on any length hair, in any case where body and volume is desired. And besides, its fun to scare the crap out of your kids in the middle of the night with a head full of flourescent pink plastic.

2. Allow hair to cool before the comb-out. If you set your hair in rollers and sit under a hooded dryer, allow the hair to cool down to room-temperature before removing the rollers. This helps the set, well, set.

3. Tease. But isn't teasing for people stuck with 80's mall hair, you ask? Well, let's look at the 80's. Alot of big-haired Spandex-clad rock stars teased their hair into submission. And if Jon Bon Jovi's hair didn't move after a 4-hour concert under 100 degree lights and stage smoke, you're hair ain't gonna move either. A little teasing can go a long way. No need for special teasing combs that beauty salons sell; you can use any comb, brush, or cooking utensil.