Blow dry and hair care 101

How to ensure your hair remains fabulous and healthy.

KARACHI:

Isn’t it awful when you spend Rs500 for getting a bouncy and beautiful blow dry, but your hair shows no signs of being tamed and volumised two hours later? To end your post-blow dry woes, we talked to leading stylists Mubashir Khan, Nina Lotia and Saeeda Mandviwalla of Toni&Guy Karachi who share tips on how to make the fun in your hair last longer and keep it healthy at the same time.

Too hot to handle

Too much heat from hair dryers can cause grave damage to your hair. “Using a heat protective product before getting a blow dry, helps minimise the damage,” says Mubashir, adding that the product forms a protective layer or coat around your hair.

Saeeda agrees, adding that products can be used to coat and moisturise the hair. “It’s vital to use protein sprays and conditioners without parabens sodium chloride and sulphate to protect hair from UVA and UVB rays; regular trimming is also important,” she says.

Nina feels that harmful effects can be minimised by using good quality brushes and hair dryers which “should be controlled on correct temperatures.”

What to apply before

Applying serum, spray or some anti-frizz product before getting a blow dry is a common practice. But is it the right way to go? Nina begs to differ, as she says, “For a long-lasting blow dry, less product should be applied as it ends up making the hair heavy.”

Mubashir feels it all depends on the look you are trying to achieve. “In any case, the use of a heat protective spray is always recommended,” he says, adding that it protects the hair from heat.

Saeeda sums it up by saying, “While there are numerous products to choose from, the key is to the pick the right product which is suitable for your specific hair type [dry, oily, colour-treated].”

No hot showers

Who doesn’t love to shower in hot water to beat the winter chills? But before you get too comfortable with the idea, keep in mind the consequences. “Very hot water is harmful for your scalp  — even more than it is for your hair,” says Nina. Saeeda feels water should be warm and not too hot. “It helps providing a healthy pH balance; hot water, on the other hand, makes your scalp oily,” she says.

Nullifying the protein effect

Without realising the after effects of our actions, we sometimes over-do it with our hair care regime. “Getting a blow dry right after a protein treatment defeats the whole purpose of the treatment which is to improve the texture and feel of your hair,” says Mubashir.

The oily scalp

One common issue that most of us have post-blow dry is the problem of an oily scalp. “Avoiding the use of a conditioner before getting a blow dry will help prevent an oily scalp,” says Mubashir. Nina, however, feels, “It only gets oily if you brush your hair too much — it aggravates the scalp.”

Saeeda offers a different solution. “Your scalp will not get oily after a blow dry if you use a label m shampoo — a spray that removes oil from your hair and gives a blow-dry effect,” she says.

Turn up the volume

Achieving the right amount of volume in your hair has to do with the brushes, products and techniques used. “If the technique is right, a good-quality round ceramic brush will help volumise both straight and curly hair,” says Mubashir. “Rolling a brush into the roots correctly with a good volumising product enhances the results.”

For Nina, it depends on the type of hair you have. “For straight hair, smaller sections of your hair should be treated with smaller brushers and to make curly hair straight, bigger brushes should be used,” she says. “For volume, lift the hair from the roots when you blow dry.”

“Brushes used should be of premium quality with good quality bristles — a volumising product should also be used,” says Saeeda. “For curly hair, a medium to large round brush should be used.”

Oil your hair — but for how long?

While Mubashir feels leaving oil in your hair for a couple of hours should suffice, Nina believes letting it stay for hours can be detrimental. “In fact, oiling too much makes your hair dry while leaving the scalp oily,” she says.

Saeeda says 30 to 45 minutes is sufficient to keep both your hair and scalp healthy.

Be good to yourself

Nina, Mubashir and Saeeda all agree that the use of a good shampoo, conditioner and regular treatments result in healthy hair. “A healthy diet is also very important when it comes to nourishing your hair — a good dose of protein along with vegetables and fruits are essentials,” Mubahir says.

“Hair fall occurs when you have dandruff, vitamin deficiencies and can also be traced down to hormonal issues,” says Nina. She insists that clients should use hair fall shampoos and avoid tying wet hair.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 30^th, 2013.              

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