My Top Ten Hairdressing Tips

hairdressing tips - Model: Anik, Photographer: Chris Roberts 1981, Hair: Ian Robson. London - Willie Christie's Studio

Hairdressing Tips – Don’t Try This At Home!

I often get asked online for hairdressing tips, I usually try to come up with something that matches the occasion! However, a client asked me, what is my top hairdressing tip! I wish I’d said, “it’s not that important.” Here are my ten, fairly random, top hairdressing tips – enjoy!

1. You’re Beautiful, I’m beautiful

Everyone has the potential to be beautiful because true beauty comes from within – it’s not about hair, make-up or fashion. It’s about how you feel about yourself and others. Confidence, Empathy and Love are the key words here. Be yourself and release yourself from the constrains of conformity – You’re Already Beautiful, that’s what makes my work so easy.

2. Obviously A Professional Haircut

The key to good looking hair is the haircut! But I would say that wouldn’t I. Get your hair cut every four to six weeks to preserve the style, and every three months to keep it healthy.

3. Gungy Hair

If your hair’s mingin and looking dull, you’ve probably got some form of product build-up or overload; wash it with a deep cleansing ‘clarifying shampoo’. I recommend you use a clarifying shampoo once every two to four weeks to wash away residue – Wella Pure Shampoo and Kevin Murphy Maxi Wash are good. Always use a compatible conditioner after deep cleansing because it turns your hair to straw!

4. Feed You Hair, Eat A Rainbow

Diet doesn’t only effect your health, but also your hair. If your hair is fucked up, feed it! Eat: peppers, sweet potatoes, carrots, spinach, mango, papaya, apricots, blueberries, sardines, salmon, pumpkin & ground flax seeds, walnuts and wheat germ – I’m talking, lots of multi-coloured fruit and vegetables, oily fish, nuts, seeds and grains.

If you are losing your hair, start off by taking a multi-vitamin supplement, then check your diet and lifestyle.

5. There Are Three Products Everyone Should Have: Dry Shampoo, Argon Oil and L’Oreal Elnet Satin Hairspray

Dry shampoo is great for oil build up, it gives more time between washes and gives volume to fine hair – if left in! I like L’Oréal Professional Techni Art Fresh Dust and Batiste Original Dry Shampoo (Matt finish, slightly dusty, better on blondes than on brunettes).

Love hair oil – Argon to baby oil it doesn’t really matter what oil. Apply a microscopically small amount of oil to the scalp (1-3 drops for fine hair to 1.5ml on thick wavy hair). Put two drops of oil, say, on to your fingertips and massage gently into the scalp – Not the hair (in reality the oil will mainly be on the hair roots)! The oil will move down the hair shaft quickly and naturally to control the fluff and frizz.

(2 drops of oil plus dry shampoo is totally brilliant for chignons!)

Hairspray is the condiment of the fashionista. A tiny dash of hair sauce and you’re done! Elnet Hairspray is outstanding. Spray lightly on fingers and gently smooth down the fluffy ends.

6. For The Best Hair Day You’ve Had In Months

After shampooing and before conditioning, use a citric acid rinse. Prepare the rinse in a plastic measuring jug by completely dissolving approximately 1/2 (half) teaspoonful of citric acid crystals into 200ml of boiling water. Add 300ml of cold water (you’ve now got 500ml of warm citric acid solution) – give it a stir. (You could use an organic cider vinegar rinse instead if you want: 18ml vinegar + 500ml warm water). Carefully pour the citric acid rinse over your hair, avoid getting it in the eyes, leave it on for one minute, rinse off well with cool-cold water… then condition your hair as normal – voilà.

7. Chuck Away That Bloody Hair Dryer Nozzle

Give yourself a break from the dryer and let your hair dry naturally when ever possible; every haircut I’ve ever done will air dry perfectly well. And by-the-way, that fuckin’ nozzle on your professional hair dryer, concentrates the heat to damage your hair – chuck it away now, as it’s almost impossible for you to dry your hair yourself like a professional.

There’s a trend for blow dry bars – you’re not necessarily cheating on your hairdresser, but your hairdresser should do a better job, simply because they know you. I charge about £40 and I’ll give you a free lesson at the same time – if you ask.

8. Use A Toothbrush As A Back-Combing Brush On Thin Hair

Let’s face it, fine, thin hair may need a little extra help to look fuller. Regular back-combing tends to damage the hair, especially when one uses a comb (never under any circumstances use a metal comb for back-combing), however, a soft toothbrush is gentle and easy to use – BTW, just back-comb the roots!

9. Hair Bands Damage Hair – Repetitive Strain Injury

If you continually use one of those cheap ponytail hair bands with a metal joint, day after day, it will always damage your hair at the point of use/contact! I recommend using non-metal hair elastics like 4mm Blax Snag Free Hair Elastics or a ribbon! Nuff said!

10. Split Ends Can Not Be Mended

Split ends can’t be mended, they need to be cut off – not singed off with a lit taper.

However, a quick temporary superficial fix is a freezing cold acid hair bath (like in #6, but freezing-fucking-cold), plus a good deep-conditioner (like Macadamia Deep Repair Hair Masque), plus a leave-in treatment (like Redken Extreme Anti-Snap). And the stylist’s secret is all in the blow-dry – point the hair dryer downwards (from roots to ends) and dry without over heating!

11. Prevention Is Usually Better Than The Cure

That’s it! Need help? Get in Touch.

The secret of perfect hair: shampoo it CORRECTLY!

Model: Anik, Photographer: Chris Roberts 1981, Hair: Ian Robson. London - Willie Christie's Studio

The other day a client told me about an article she had recently read: The secret of perfect hair: Use conditioner BEFORE you shampoo – Of course I had already read it!

The article basically explains the method of conditioning the hair before shampooing (I was going to summarise it, but please read it yourself) – By-the-way, it’s not a new idea, remember those hot (warm) oil conditioning treatments of the 1960s and 1970s?

You should also read Siobhan O’Connor’s article: How to Wash Your Hair Backwards. Have You Ever Tried It? – She gives an excellent quote by the late Horst Rechelbacher:

When you wash your hair, try using your conditioner first. If you want to go all the way, put oils on your scalp, give yourself a nice massage, and then comb it through. Next, wet it down, put conditioner all over your hair and then also all over your body. Wash yourself with the conditioner, then rinse it all off. Then, you use shampoo. Rinse it off as well, and you won’t need conditioner again. If your hair is tangly, put a little oil on your hands and then comb it through – that’s it. You will feel very pure. – True.

I have been in hairdressing all my life, I’ve heard and read a lot of bollocks about shampoos, shampooing, conditioners and conditioning, so here are my thoughts on this complex subject!

Firstly, there are a lot of variables, here are a few of the obvious:

  • The Water [hard-soft/temperature/pressure/pollutants].
  • The Shampoo and Conditioner [the multitude of formulations, PH etc., application/quantity and distribution, development time].
  • The Hair Type [Length (short-long), Density (number of), Diameter (thickness), Texture can mean: Afro-textured hair/tightly coiled/kinky, curly, wavy or straight (natural or chemically processed) and the degrees thereof; and within those groups there are three types of texture, coarse, medium and fine. Colour (natural or chemically processed). Condition (greasy-dry/healthy-badly damaged). So, for example you could have: long, thin, naturally straight, fine, tinted blonde, greasy and badly damaged hair].
  • The Dirt [natural body oil (sebum), styling products, environmental pollutants]
  • Your Modus Operandi [technique/frequency/etc.].

How to wash and condition your hair

You’ve got to pick the correct shampoo for your hair type! Put a small amount (about the size of a ten pence piece, more is not better) of shampoo on the palm of your hand, rub hands together and apply evenly to the dry (not wet) hair. Massage the hair and scalp gently and thoroughly. Rinse very well with fresh clean warm water (hot is not good and definitely not bath water). Repeat using slightly less shampoo. Rinse very well with fresh clean warm water. If the shampoo didn’t lather on the second application, repeat a third time using even less shampoo, it should lather this time, if not, do it again because your hair is obviously dirty. Rinse very well with fresh clean warm water. Never leave shampoo on the hair to process unless there is a specific requirement.

For the best hair day you’ve had in months: After shampooing and before conditioning, use a citric acid rinse. Prepare the rinse in a plastic measuring jug by completely dissolving approximately 1/2 (half) teaspoonful of citric acid crystals into 200ml of boiling water. Add 300ml of cold water (you’ve now got 500ml of warm citric acid solution) – give it a stir. You could use an organic cider vinegar rinse instead if you want. Carefully pour the citric acid rinse over your hair, avoid getting it in the eyes, leave it on for one minute, rinse off well with cool-cold water.

If your hair is not squeaky clean do not condition it, re-wash it! You’ve got to pick an hydrating conditioner that is harmonious / compatible with your shampoo type and brand. Put a minuscule amount of conditioner on the palm of your hand, rub hands together and apply evenly to the to the hair – where required, often to the ends only. The quantity of conditioner used is actually determined by the hair type (the size of a ten pence piece is far, far too much). Comb the conditioner gently through the hair. Leave on for the required time – 1-3 minutes. Rinse off very well with warm/cool water.

After washing, rinsing and conditioning pat the hair dry. Apply a microscopically small amount of oil to the scalp (1-3 drops fine hair to 1.5ml on thick wavy hair). Put two drops of oil, say, into the palm of your hand; dip in fingertips from your other hand. Touch both sets of fingertips together for an even distribution and massage gently into the scalp – Not the hair! The oil will move down the hair shaft quickly and naturally.

Washing the hair three times a week is normal, however your lifestyle may change this?

Obviously that is not the end of the subject, there are a number of individual problems. Washing your hair in reverse, reverse shampooing, may seem to solve the fine, greasy, lank hair problem in the short-term (because, it is common for people with fine, lank hair to over condition and have problems with product buildup), but I think you will find that in the long-term, reverse shampooing may damage chemically processed hair to the point of no return.

If you think you have a problem with your hair, the only way to determine its true condition and identify the proper course of treatment that is right for you and your hair, is to talk with your hairdresser. I can help you to achieve and maintain, healthy, beautiful and shiny hair that will grow stronger and live longer. I can also teach you how to safely use the different styling tools, like straighteners – that can potentially wreck your hair, so you can recreate a professional looking finish without buggering it up.

What do I do when my hair colour came out too dark?

© Model: Persephone, Photographer: Chris Roberts 1981, Hair: Ian Robson

I’ve been contacted by someone from Westminster, California, who’s had a problem with her hair colour after going to a cheap hairdresser in Little Saigon! “How do I lighten hair that has been died too dark?”

Firstly, I’ve got to say, I don’t even talk to my own clients over the phone about hair colour because, colour is almost impossible to talk about behind its back, it needs to be there in the room with you, face to face. Colour changes its personality according to the person who’s looking at it, so when colour’s involved it’s ménage à trois and loads of conversation!

I’ll start off with the quick and slightly unrealistic fix:

Wash your hair and scalp thoroughly with a clarifying shampoo (like: Pantene. maybe: Head and Shoulders) twice, don’t apply conditioner. Comb it through very carefully because it will probably be knotty – take your time, no tugging. Blow-dry your hair really, really smooth and straight (don’t use too much heat. don’t use straighteners). O.K. now you’re going to repeat that, wash your hair and scalp thoroughly with a clarifying shampoo twice but, this time use a good quality moisturising conditioner (comb the conditioner through, leave it on for a couple of minutes). Apply a minuscule amount (1 ml) of oil to the scalp (via fingertips). Blow-dry as normal!

What you will then have done is remove any excess tint stain that’s sticking to the scalp and hair shaft. It will make it slightly lighter, but it will not change the hue – you wanted a light cinnamon/ auburn and got a dark brown/ purple, they are two different types of red, one’s a yellow red, the other is a blue red!

Don’t be tempted to go down the Sun-In or bleach road, and lemon juice will only lighten it fractionally and uncontrollably.

All permanent hair colours lighten with time and sun; a tint normally lifts up a shade after about two weeks (BTW Semi-permanent hair colours are almost gone after about two weeks). You can repeat the hair-washing regime for a week – max.

Just thought I’d better mention a product, One ‘N Only’s Color Fix. It’s a gentle way to remove permanent hair colour! However, I’ve no idea what it’d do to your hair colour?

I would recommend that you go back to the hairdresser in Little Saigon and complain A.S.A.P. Then wait for two weeks for your hair colour to lighten and for your hair and scalp to return to its normal state. Then go to a reputable hairdresser – it’s the proper way to get your problem sorted out – don’t try to do it yourself!

I hope that helps a little Eddie, please feel free to ask if you need more help :) xxx