Hair Mess

Sheerilee — Fri, 15 May 2009 20:34:53 -0500

Shalilah

I trimmed my hair in a cute hairstyle although I'm supposedly letting it grow. It was so awful looking growing out I had to? They say trim it as it grows. I may let it stay this length though. I push the curls up in back and put gel so it's look like a cute hairdo.

Welcome to BlogHer! And BeautyHacks!

Susan Wagner — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 14:13:08 -0500

I envy your curly hair -- I permed mine for YEARS because I always wanted great curls. Sigh.

Friday Playdate

Short Hair

Sheerilee — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 15:56:53 -0500

Susan I know what you mean by tired of those hair tools like the curling wand. My hair is thick and curly. I recently got tired of using the curling iron and blow dryer comb and trimmed it in a shag and went back to wearing it curly.

I'm new on Blogher and I think I should stay with Beautyhacks.

Oh Fudge

kgseymour — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 08:21:51 -0500

My hair isn't as short as yours, but when I want a lot of shaping and control, I LOVE the shaping gunk (no, that's not the actual name) by Fudge. It smells awesome and has serious hold that's not stiff. Works for holding those tricky sideswept bangs, and it's not heavy (my hair is a lot like yours, Susan).

Kristen

www.jeez-o-petes.com

Short Hair Tips and Tricks

Susan Wagner — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 06:45:51 -0500

I've worn my hair short for most of the last twenty years. I have very fine hair, and while I have a lot of it, it's not the type of hair that does well when it's long. I'm also lazy and don't enjoy fussing with blowdryers or curling irons (and I wouldn't know what to do with a flat iron if it bit me). And honestly, I like the unexpectedness of my supershort hair in a part of the country where Miss America hair is still popular.

Short hair requires less daily upkeep but does need frequent trims. I have my hair cut and colored about every five weeks, which is more often than my long-haired friends. But on a daily basis, my maintenance time is a fraction of what theirs is. Short cuts are often designed to wash and go, and with the right products, short hair can look quirky or sleek or anything in between, without any effort at all.

Great short hair starts with a great cut; find a stylist who specializes in short hair, and be very clear about what you want. Take photos if you can, at least until you and your stylist get into a good groove. Your idea of short and your stylist's idea of short may be two very different things; make sure you're on the same page before the cutting starts.

Be clear about your hair routine, too, and about what you want the cut to do. I don't like to blowdry if I can at all avoid it, but I don't want my hair to be limp and flat. My stylist uses a razor to texturize my hair, so that I can let it air dry without losing any volume or lift.

Use hair product sparingly. I use Catwalk Root Boost by TIGI for volume and lift; it emphasizes the texture in my cut without weighing my hair down. I towel dry my hair, rough it up with my hands, and spray the foam right at the roots. Then I air dry and mush it around some more with my fingers. I rarely use a brush; in fact, I don't typically even pack one when I travel. So easy.

My hair is fine, so it will dry almost completely in the time that it takes me to put on my makeup and get dressed. For thicker short hair, air dry until damp and then finish with a quick blast from a hair dryer. Use your fingers to get a piecey, messy look, or a round brush for a smooth finish.

For a smoother look, I will air dry my hair and then use pomade or styling cream. I have three that I rotate, depending on my mood and the current length of my hair. d:struct molding creme by d:fi combines a creamy formula with serious hold and a matte finish. It smells like pina colada, too, which I'm not always up for, but which my husband loves. I rub it on my palms and then smooth over my whole head. Use sparingly, though, because a little goes a long long way.

For a more defined hold, I like American Crew's Fiber, which is technically a men's hair care product. It has a nice lemony scent and a waxy consistency that is perfect for creating piecy ends. Again, a little goes a long way; I put about a pea-size dot of this in my palm, rub it in to warm it up, and then use my fingers to grab little clumps of hair. Because this is a heavier product, keep it close to the ends rather than rubbing it on the roots.

My stylist recommended Purology's TextureTwist, and I'm totally hooked. TextureTwist is a lightweight wax specifically designed for color treated hair; it works both for smoothing and for texturizing. It has a clean, outdoorsy scent that doesn't linger, which is nice.

Other helpful hair how-tos:

Jen revives the lost art of rag curls.

Heather wonders if there's such a thing as recession hair.

And of course, for the best hair advice there is, check out Hair Thursday.

BlogHer - Short Hair Tips and Tricks - Comments

Hair Mess

Welcome to BlogHer! And BeautyHacks!

Short Hair

Oh Fudge

Short Hair Tips and Tricks