How to Create Salon Styled Hair at Home

The term "salon styled hair" denotes hair that looks healthy and shiny from root to tip, while holding its style well. This kind of hair has just enough volume and body, is well conditioned, and grows from a flake-free scalp. Professional stylists use different products, techniques and knowledge to achieve this effect. The good news is that what they do can be learned and replicated at home. The only things that you may need to have done by a pro is a good cut and any chemical processes, unless you have experience in creating a skilled result. Salon styling can be a DIY project if you know a few tricks of the trade.

Instructions

1. Create volume and lift by starting with damp hair. Use a volumizer like Thermasilk's Volume and Shine. Bend at the waist with your head upside down. Blow dry your hair, aiming at the roots until your hair is about 75 percent dry. Stand upright as you finish drying your hair. Fluff your hair lightly with your fingers. Finish with a bit of holding spray or molding gel applied to the roots of your hair wherever you want a little more lift.

2. Select a shampoo and conditioner specifically designed for your hair type. When you dry your hair with a towel, gently pat or squeeze your hair dry. Rubbing lifts up the hair's cuticle layer and promotes frizziness.

3. Take advantage of natural curls and waves by scrunching damp hair with a styling mousse, then lightly blowing it dry with a diffuser attachment. Finish with a flexible hold hairspray or silicone based shine booster to smooth your hair and provide controlled movement with lasting style.

4. Add high gloss shine to straight hairstyles. Divide your damp hair into sections about 1 and 3/4 of an inch wide. Apply an anti-frizz serum like Frizz-Ease by John Frieda and blow your hair dry from your scalp to the ends, a section at a time, holding each section taut with a comb. This will force even overworked hair to look silky, smooth, and shiny by causing the cuticle layers to lie flat against the hair shaft.

5. Start to shape your hairstyle during the blow dry, not after. For example, if you want to turn the ends of your hair up and out or down and under, use a round brush as you blow your hair dry and direct your hair using the brush with the warm air. Apply a light styling product before you begin that will help to hold your hair as it dries. Remember to work with smaller sections narrower than the surface of the brush to maintain control and to lessen tangling.

Tips & Warnings

• Hold your blow dryer four to six inches from your hair's surface, and remember to keep it moving. Directing heat at one area can lead to damage.

• If your hair is heat damaged already, don't use heat appliances or blow dryers with first applying a protecting product or a heat activated conditioning spray first. Use intensive deep conditioners once a week and give yourself a hot oil treatment every other week to help repair the damage.

Resources

• Learn salon tips and tricks at Virtual Haircare.