It’s summer time again, and you know what that means—humidity, good hair’s mortal enemy.
In service of our female readers engaged in the valiant age-old struggle against bad summer hair, we enlisted the aid of hair expert Alain Larivée, Canadian creative consultant for John Frieda. Here is some sage advice of a battle-seasoned coiffurist.
Happy hair starts in the shower
You need to start with the right shampoo and conditioner so you can “set the foundation,” says Larivée.
If you have fine, limp hair, Larivée suggests shampoo and conditioner from the Luxurious Volume line. Is your hair coarse? Try some hair serum from the Frizz Ease line. Apply the serum in the shower after you condition. Add a few drops through wet hair and leave it in. It will transform your coarse hair into shiny, polished and soft tresses. The best part is it repels summer humidity.
Humidity is not your friend!
Angry hair happens when naughty cuticles are allowed to open up and take in moisture from the air, which instantly creates frizz. Hair cuticles must be sternly encouraged to remain closed, making the hair, regardless of style, look healthy, shiny, and smooth.
Keep it together girls
Serum in the shower is great for extra cuticle control, but what about holding your style?
“If you want your style to last, go from wet to dry … that’s classic hair styling,” says Larivée.
In that case you have two options; air dry or use heat. Either way, keeping the hold means picking the right product and the right method to make the wet-to-dry transformation a success.
Summer heat
If you are blow-drying your hair straight, or curling it, start with Heat Activated Styling Spray from John Frieda’s Full Repair line.
Products like this use natural oils and polymers that hold your style in place once the hair cools. This spray does double duty, because if you reheat the hair—between work and play on a Friday night for instance—you can change the style without rewashing your hair and still get great hold.
If you have fine hair, try Fine to Full Blow-out Spray in the Luxurious Volume line, suggests Laviree. Adding volume will make your hair look great, but don’t forget a dab of hairspray.
Whether your hair is curly or straight, coarse or fine, after it is dry you can get today’s long wavy look using something old-fashioned. Hot rollers. Yes, they are old-school, and they’ll work as well on your hair as they did on your grandma’s. Be sure to use hairspray after the rollers come out to set the curls.
Keep it cool
Your second styling option is to air-dry your hair, which is one of the great freedoms of summer.
You can add a styling crème and then set your hair in magnetic rollers if you have enough time to let the hair dry completely. Alternately you can braid your hair and leave the house.
“Braids are huge this summer,” says Larivée. Today’s braids are “aerated” and loose, “not super-tight from the roots.” Think imperfect, a little messy, with a touch of “grown-up grunge.”
When you take out the braids, you’ll keep the waves.
If you hair is naturally curly, try working through some spray gel, sculpting the curls and letting them air dry.
After you style, try a styling crème like Frizz Ease “Secret Weapon” finishing crème, which you can use to refresh your style during the day for extra hold. It helps flatten the cuticle and keep out humidity so you can be wavy or curly, but never frizzy.
