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How you treat your hair after washing is crucial for maintaining a style and keeping your hair health. Your hair is the most fragile when it is wet and needs to be treated with care to avoid breakage. That means not going to bed with wet hair and not putting your hair up wet. Read on to learn how to treat your hair with care with my 5 essential tips for keeping your hair healthy and gorgeous after washing.
Tip # 1 - Use A Leave-In Conditioner Before Detangling
Apply a leave-in conditioner on wet hair after washing and before detangling. Apply to mids and ends. Avoid applying leave-in conditioner to roots because it will cause your hair to get oily quicker. It is important to use a leave-in conditioner because it helps detangle and keeps hair moisturized.
Here are my 4 favorite Amika Leave-In Conditioners:
Supernova Moisture And Shine Cream: A light weight leave-in cream that conditions, tames frizz, and heat protects. Leaving your hair soft and smooth with brilliant shine. Use on damp hair and on dry hair as needed to tame flyways. For all hair types. Click here to buy.
Supernova Violet Moisture And Shine Cream: Blondes this product is for you! Keep your blonde light and bright with this violet leave-in cream that is weightless, tames frizz, and heat protects. Leaving your hair soft, smooth, shiny and brass free. It is also used on damp hair and on dry hair as needed to tame flyways. All the great benefits of the original supernova but with added violet hues to keep brassiness away. Click here to buy.
The Wizard Silicone-Free Detangling Primer: My favorite leave-in to use behind the chair because it cuts down on blow drying time. This leave-in is light weight and hard to over use. It detangles, tames frizz and protects against heat. The Wizard is for all hair types however I love using it to set wavy fine hair that can get weigh down by curl cream. Click here to buy.
Hydro Rush Intense Moisture Leave-In Conditioner: For any hair type struggling with dryness. If you worry about products weighing your hair down I recommend starting with one of the Supernovas or The Wizard. Hydro Rush isn't as light as the other 3. This ultra hydrating leave in will give you long lasting moisture, tame frizz and detangle. Hair is 3x more hydrating after one use. Click here to buy.
Tip # 2 - Use A Heat Protectant Before Using Hot Tools
Supernova, Supernova Violet and The Wizard are also heat protects. If you get enough moisture from those products a second product isn't needed. However if you struggle with dryness and need Hydro Rush Intense Moisture Leave-In Conditioner just keep in mind that isn't a heat protectant and will need to be paired with one of Amika's Supernovas, Blockade, The Wizard or The Shield.
Let's Talk About These 3 Amika Heat Protectants:
Blockade Heat Defense Serum: It is for all hair types however I recommend it to medium to coarse hair. It can easily be over used by fine hair but is the lightest out of all the Amika serums. This glossy, lightweight serum banishes frizz and shields against heat. Click here to buy.
The Wizard Detangling Primer: Was talked about already earlier but is one of Amika's most popular products. This detangling spray cuts down on blow drying time, detangles, protects against heat and is for all hair types. Click here to buy.
The Shield Anti-Humidity Spray: Is my favorite finishing product behind the chair. It smells like candy Skittles. Use on damp and dry hair to extend the longevity of a style by taming frizz, and creating an anti-humidity shield that lasts up to 72 hours. It also protects the hair from heat. This product is a must for anyone who blow dries their hair to keep hair from frizzing out of the created style. It is also great for curly hair, especially in humid weather. Click here to buy.
Tip # 3 - Use Styling Products To Support Desired Style
If you want volume, smoothness or definition you need a styling product to help create and hold the style. These are the Amika styling products I recommend for each style. All these styling products are applied to damp hair after your leave-in conditioner and heat protectant.
Desire A Voluminous Blowout?: Your go to styling products are Amika's Brooklyn Bombshell Blowout Spray and Plus Size Perfect Body Hair Mousse. Both are applied to damp hair and are heat activated, meaning you need to blow dry to create volume. They also are heat protectants. For blowouts use the blowout spray or the blowout spray and the mousse together for maximum volume. For curly hair I recommend the mousse. Apply after your creams and before gel. Click here to buy volume products.
Desire A Smooth Blowout?: I love Amika's Velveteen Dream Smoothing Balm for blowouts and it pairs well with The Shield Anti-Humidity Spray. Apply smoothing balm and anti-humidity spray to damp hair, blowdry is needed to create smoothness (balm is heat activated) and then finish with anti-humidity spray. Use a flat iron after if a straighter style is desired. Also use a flat iron for touch ups the next day. Click here to buy smoothing products.
Desire Defined Frizz Free Waves?: If you have fine wavy hair curl cream will weigh your hair down. That's way I recommend scrunching in The Wizard Detangling Primer instead. This leave-in is light weight, cuts down on blow dry time, detangles, tames frizz and protects against heat. Click here to buy.
Desire Defined Frizz Free Curls?: I recommend using Amika's Curl Corps Defining Cream and for more hold pair with Curl Corps Enhancing Gel. Fine or medium curl density start with just the curl cream. It might be all you need. Add the curl gel to your routine if the cream doesn't give you the desired amount of hold. Click here to buy.
Tip # 4 - Air Dry Vs Blow Dry Vs Curling And Flat Irons
Depending on your desired look certain hot tools are needed to create it. Also keep in mind certain hair products are heat activated which means they won't do anything if you choose to air dry.
Air Dry: A great go to in the warmer weather. Use a leave-in conditioner and texture product to create body or define curls. These styles are harder to do in the colder seasons but can still be created with the help of a diffuser. I recommend setting air dry styles early on the day. Setting the style can look like scrunching, loosely twisting hair into a clip or even just brushing in a leave-in conditioner. However this isn't something you want to do before bed because it will dry funny and it is not healthy to go to bed with wet hair.
Blow Dry: A must if you desire volume or a smooth blowout. Also great in the cooler seasons when it is too cool to walk around with wet hair. If you are someone who washes their hair at night blow drying is also a must because you do not want to go to bed with wet hair. It's ok if you don't want to do a full blowout. Just at least blow dry your roots. If you want to do a full blowout always start with the roots first because they take the longest to dry. Brush and blow dry upwards at the roots if you desire volume. Brush upward and along the round of your head if you want to stretch curl and smooth. Finish with a round brush or round brush blow dryer once the roots are completely dry and your ends are only a little damp. You don't want to round brush when the hair is too wet because it will take longer to dry and add unnecessary tension to wet hair causing breakage. Which is why you want to rough dry the roots first with a blow dryer and brush. I recommend using a round brush blow dryer to finish because it us much easier to get a hang of instead of holding a blow dryer and a round brush at the same time. I love Amika's Blow Dry Brush 2-In-1 Styling Tool. Click here to buy.
Curling Irons & Flat Irons: Are great for finishing and touching up a style the next day. There are several different ways to curl your hair. I recommend trying a few different ways and picking what works best for you. Tools include wands, curling irons with claps, flat irons, and heatless curl sets which have been trending on social media because of their time saving results. If you have hair that is shoulder length or longer I recommend trying a heatless curl set. You set your hair at night, sleep with it in and take it out the next day for long lasting curls. Click here to buy a heatless curl set. If you live near Portsmouth NH I offer styling lessons at my salon and would love to help you with any styling struggles. Click here to book an appointment.
Tip # 5 - Finish With A Product With Hold
Some hair types style better then others and a finishing product could be needed to complete a look. Read on to learn which finisher to use to complete which look.
Hold And Lift For Short Hair: I like wax over gel because it gives you hold while also being touchable and natural looking, its not stiff. My favorite is Amika's On Lock High Hold Wax. This wax has a matte finish which I like because it will keep your hair from looking greasy. Click here to buy.
Hold For After Curling You Hair With A Hot Tool: If your hair has trouble holding a curl after curling with a hot tool your hair is in most cases too silky and grit is need to be added to the hair to create hold. I recommend using Amika Fluxus Touchable Hair Spray before and after curling. Spray on before you curl to add grit to the hair to help prevent curls from falling and finish will spray once style is complete to help prolong style. Click here to buy. For more tips on how to get your hair to hold a curl read my blog post: "How Do I Get My Hair To hold A Curl?"
Hold For After A Blowout: I recommend first using Amika The Shield Anti-Humidity Spray to extend the longevity of a style by taming frizz, and creating an anti-humidity shield that lasts up to 72 hours. Then overlay with Amika Fluxus Touchable Hair Spray for stronger hold. When it comes to hairsprays I only use light to medium hold because they are buildable and I can add more where needed. I don't like strong hold hairsprays because they are over powering, leaving hair stiff with a residue film.
Every hair type needs a leave-in conditioner. A heat protectant is needed for using hot tools and hot tools are need to create certain styles. Styling products, and finishing products are needed to help create and hold a desired style. How many different hair products you use in your hair routine all depends on the look you desire and the amount of time you want to spend on your hair. Someone that uses hot tools is going to need more product then someone that air dries in most cases. If you are someone that doesn't use product at least invest in a leave-in conditioner to keep your hair, moisturized, protected, and more manageable when it comes to detangling. I hope you found these tips helpful. Until next month.
Creatively, Jessalyn
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Portsmouth NH Hairstylist/Owner Of Bold Hearts Studio.
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