Managing Your Bangs

Lets face it bangs are hot right now.
Everywhere you turn, you’re seeing another hairstyle with some sort of bang. Either straight-layered, side-angled, short or long, everyone is rockin’ the bangs.
For those of us that are new to the bang world, managing your freshly cut bangs are another story all in it’s own.
Our hairstylists know exactly how to cut and style bangs. However, when we try and recreate their creations at home, we sometimes have, what I like to call, issues.

Here are a few tips that may help you get your bangs looking their best...

• Always blow-dry your bangs down towards your face.
• With a round brush, start at the root of your hair and work your way down to the tips of the bangs.
• To eliminate the bump that you may have created from the round brush, try using a flatiron to get those bangs pin straight.
• Perhaps you want a bit of roundness to your bangs. After blow-drying, set two Velcro rollers in your bangs, one behind the other.
• Spray your bangs with a light hold hairspray and let the rollers set for a few minutes.
• Remove the rollers, brush and style your bangs to your desired look.

Get creative with your new look. Feel free to apply a light wax to give your hair a bit of texture. If you do end up using a flatiron, remember to use a deep conditioning treatment, as the heat applied to your hair may damage it. When you have your new bangs hairstyle just the way you want it, give your hair a light spritz of hairspray to keep your beautiful new tresses in place.

Personalized Haircut

All haircuts are definitely not created equal. Think of a haircut as a picture frame to your face. However, you must keep in mind that not all haircuts are designed to fit your face. You want a haircut to accentuate your features, not over power them.

There are some basic rules one can follow when leaning towards a desired haircut and style that will flatter ones face.
Those of us with more of a round face may find a haircut and style that has a bit less width around her face to be beneficial. Hairstyles that add length will balance out a round face as well.
On the flipside, those that have a longer face may be more suitable with haircuts and styles that are a bit shorter, as to not accentuate the long face. Also, going with hairstyles that add a bit of width around the face, usually counteracts the length of the face.

Regardless of whether you have a round face or a long face, there are some universal hairstyles and haircuts that will flatter any shape of the face.
Below you’ll find a few tips and tricks that will work for any occasion.

Layers...
• Layering will add a unique style to just about any haircut.
• Keep the layers toward the front of your hair
• You always want the direction of the layers to accentuate and direct attention to your best features of your face.
• Avoid layers that are short, that fall above the eyes and ears.

Length...
• Length with layers down the back and around the face will give any women that sexy look she desires.
• Shaping up the ends, will give your hair a sophisticated bounce.

We are all individuals looking to personalize our looks. It doesn’t matter what God’s blessed you with, there is always an answer when it comes to what will look good on you. Get creative, have fun and let yourself shine through.

Haircut Nightmares

Believe it or not, there’re hairstylists out there that probably shouldn’t come close to any ones head with a pair of shears. You know the ones; we’ve all experienced them one time in our life. I have nothing against hairstylists that are trying to perfect their craft; however I just don’t want them practicing on me. I’ve experienced my share of haircut nightmares, one to many times.
It doesn’t matter if you’ve explained your haircut vision to your hairstylists with the utmost detail; it’s quite possible you will end up with something that’s quite honestly, an unmanageable mop on top of your head. You might not mind it as much if you were just going in for a regular appointment; imagine if it was for an unforgettable evening, what a haircut nightmare that’d be.
It’s not the end of the world. The sun is still going to rise in the east and set in the west, if you know what I mean. After all, your hair will grow out again, just not as quick as you’d like it to though. There’re some steps you could take to get you through your haircut nightmare.

• Most hair salons are in the business in keeping their customers happy, at all costs. If you find yourself a victim of a haircut nightmare, then go back to the hair salon and speak your mind. Nine times out of ten, they’ll do whatever it takes to make it right. However, I’d suggest having a different hairstylist fix your hair though. If the last stylist couldn’t get it right the first time, chances are they might not be able to fix it.
• A ponytail could be a haircut nightmares best friend, if it’s long enough, that is. Since your fresh, new bad haircut won’t grow out for a while, a ponytail is a perfect way to disguise your embarrassing hair-do. Get creative with it; you could still wear it in a sexy fashion even though the haircut isn’t.
• Just because your dream haircut turned out to be a haircut nightmare, doesn’t mean you should neglect your daily hair regimen. Work with what you have, continue with your conditioning treatments so your hair will grow out healthier and sexier than before.
• I know your tempted, but whatever you do, don’t do anything drastic; like chopping off what’s left of your hair. You just might end up with a haircut that can’t be fixed no matter what you do. Unless you like wearing hats, then by all means, chop away.

Visuals are a great way to clearly communicate how you’d like your hair to look. So when you sit in your hairstylists’ chair, don’t be afraid to pull out the pictures of your favorite hairstyle.
Don’t worry; the sun will shine on you again. Your beautiful hair, which has been on top of your head for all those years, will be back before you know it. In the meantime, get creative with your hair, chance are you’ll be able to find a hairstyle that just might work in the time being. Hey, you never know, you might find a new you and forget all about your haircut nightmare.

Shine It Up

Getting ones hair to shine is a matter of putting the finishing touches on it. A shiny head of hair represents a healthy vibrant individual. We all know when our hair looks great, we feel great.
Below you’ll find a few tips on achieving that shiny hair we all desire.

Normal Hair:
• Focus on shampoos that contain silk amino acids and lecithin. These to ingredients will provide softness, repair hair structure and restore its texture.
• It’s important not to use product that may weigh your hair down. Applying small amounts of gels and creams will add shine without the unnecessary burden of heaviness throughout your hair. Remember to first rub the instructed amount in your hands, and then gently run your fingers through your hair. Spreading the product evenly throughout your hair.

Fine Hair:
• Ingredients such as wheat proteins and polymers can be found in certain shampoos, which is beneficial for fine hair types. The benefits of these ingredients are that they coat the hair shaft, which in turn makes the hair to appear thicker.
• Spray volumizers can play an important role in the shininess of your hair. They’re usually not heavy products, which won’t weigh the hair down. They deliver a light mist of shine on the hair.

Thick Coarse Hair:
Pomades and thick coarse hair go hand in hand. Pomades serve a number of purposes for thick coarse hair.
• Keeps the hair moist
• Delivers the shine we all are looking for.

More Shine Tips:
• A heat-activated shampoo will bring out the shine you desire.
• Use a deep conditioner at least once a week.
• Over excessive use of hair products may dull the hair by coating it with harmful ingredients.

It’s very important to identify your hair type and look for hair products that are specifically designed for you. Follow the suggested usage on the product and you’ll be on your way to having healthy shiny hair.

Active Hairstyles

Just because you’re an active, athletic women doesn’t mean you still can’t rock a convenient, no non-sense hairstyle. Whether your running marathons, playing softball, kicking a soccer ball or any other sport, the last thing you want to worry about is your hair. Those that don’t have short haircuts know what it’s like to keep your hair off your back, neck and face. So finding an active hairstyle will keep you focused on what’s really important, you.

Braids...
For medium to long hair, a double braid works perfectly as an active hairstyle.
Just like when you were a little girl and your mom used to braid your hair.
You’ll need a comb and a few elastic bands to secure the braids.
• With your comb, create a straight part down the middle of your head from the front to the back.
• Take one of the sections and secure it with an elastic band.
• Separate the other section into three equal parts. Take the section and start braiding the hair by interweaving each part toward the center, over the middle section.
• Continue interweaving the hair until you have about one inch left at the bottom.
• Secure the end with an elastic hair band.
• Repeat, by separating the other side into three equal parts and continue interweaving the hair until about one inch from the end and securing with an elastic band.

Mini-Braids...
You have the option of braiding your hair into many skinnier braids. This will add a personal touch and a bit of sassiness to your look.
• Following the same steps as above, but this time instead of just two sections, divide your hair into multiple sections. The amount is completely up to you.
• Secure each braid with tiny hair bands specifically designed for this use.
• After braiding all the sections, you have the option to secure all the loose braids at the back of the head, with one elastic band. This will keep all the loose braids in one place and out of the way.
• You may consider using a hairspray to strengthen the hold.

Tip...
The ideal braiding conditions would be to start with the hair a bit damp. The hair will be easier to handle. Of course, if your activity is during the winter months, dry your hair first, otherwise you might run the risk of catching a head cold.

Headbands...
Elastic headbands are a quick and easy fix for keeping your hair out of the way.
• Simply create a high ponytail to keep the hair off the neck.
• Position the headband around your forehead, wherever it feels comfortable.
If your not braiding your hair, the use of a headband will keep the hair from falling in your face. Even if you still use a ponytail to secure your hair, strands may eventually fall into your face, which is where the headband comes into save the day.

Don’t be afraid of improvising. Get creative. Whatever you can get your hands on to keep your hair from bothering you during your activity, by all means go for it.
Originality is the backbone of any fashion statement.
So for all you active women that need those active hairstyles don’t hold back!
Stay active, stay healthy and keep rockin’ the hair.