Beautiful senior woman examining her hairstyle in the mirror in hair salon.
Lately I have been hearing from newcomers to our area. Welcome to all – and thank you for reading.
I’m going to share some tips for new readers and for reinforcement to my loyal readers and clients. Sometimes you need to have some repetition to remind you. I know I do.
A good haircut should draw attention to the person’s face, especially the eyes. We don’t want the focus to be on our chins, certainly if we’re of a certain age.
Pro tip: In order to bring attention to the eye and cheekbones, the upside-down triangle shape of your haircut is what needs to be achieved. Just about any length is OK at any age, as long as this shape is maintained.
The right-side-up triangle is a don’t. It draws the eye to the chin and jowls – which is not really flattering on anyone over 12.
The major complaint I hear daily is that you spend lots of time drying and styling your hair, only to have it go flat in 15 minutes. The problem seems to be that everyone is styling too soon and stopping too soon.
Pro tip: Hair will not hold any style if there is any moisture. Even when your hair feels dry, it really isn’t. Moisture hides between the strands of hair.
Don’t begin styling right away. Mousse is the only styling product that is critical for any lift on the roots where you want volume. Blow, blow, blow the hair. No brush. Just blow the hair in the opposite direction of the way it wants to go.
When the hair is dry, use your brush to style it. This will get all the hidden moisture out and keep your style in place.
Pro tip: A salon shampoo and conditioner are the most important things to keep your hair healthy and your color lasting longer. Inexpensive shampoo and conditioner are filled with wax and oils that take up room in the bottle, but only build up on the hair. They may have a few good ingredients, but will strip the hair of its nutrients and color. These products might be less expensive but they cost the integrity of the hair. Less of good is better than lots of something not so good.
Pro tip: I have no problem with tools like a flat iron or curling iron. They need to be used properly, but they are useful to achieve lots of the styles that are popular today.
Pro tip: If you have regular trims, avoid coloring your own hair, and if you use good products, you will continue to have shine and dimension. There is no positive in having long hair if it’s full of split ends and dull.
Pro tip: Give up a restaurant lunch and have a professional cut and color. It will last longer, and you’ll look and feel much better.
Joy Ross is owner of Style It Salon in Old Town Bluffton. styleitsalon.com
