Ultimate Styling Routine Guide - Long vs Short
This is the ultimate styling routine guide to get you ready in the morning, whether you have plenty of time or just a few minutes. We’ll cover both the long and the fast way to style your hair, so you can conquer your day looking your best.
The choice is simple: If you have 10-20 minutes, go for the long method. If you’re short on time with only 1-5 minutes, the fast way is your go-to.
Understanding Hair Products and How They Work
Before diving into the routines, it’s important to understand how hair products interact with your hair for the best results.
-
Application is Key: Hair products should be applied primarily to the roots to maximize their effect, much like watering the roots of a plant rather than the leaves. While you can still apply products to just the surface, the results won’t be as effective.
-
The Power of Heat: Using a hairdryer can transform your styling game. Heat opens the hair cuticles, making your hair more pliable for styling. Using the cold setting will close the cuticles and lock your style in place. Think of your hair like metal: heat it to shape it, cool it to set it.
-
Choosing the Right Product: There are three stages of styling with hair products:
- Pre-Styling Products: Sea salt spray, pomade, cream. They prepare your hair for styling.
- Styling Products: Products used to shape and define the hair during styling, like clay wax or texture powder.
- Post-Styling Products: Texture powder, hairspray. These help lock in and refine your finished look.
Knowing when to use each product is crucial for achieving your desired style. For example, if you have thin, oily, and flat hair and want a textured fringe, you might use:
- Pre-Styler: Sea salt spray for volume.
- Styler: Texture Powder or Clay wax for hold and shape
- Post-Styler: Texture powder or Hair Spray to finish
- Mix and Match: It’s perfectly fine to mix products to achieve your desired look. For instance, using sea salt spray and cream together can be beneficial for certain hair types like thin, dry hair. However, avoid combinations that counteract each other, like texture powder (which can be drying) with cream (which adds moisture) if you’re trying to combat dryness.
Styling Methods
The Long Way (10-20 Minutes)
- Wet Hair & Detangle: Start with wet hair and comb out any knots or tangles.
- Towel Dry: Lightly pat your hair until it’s damp but not soaking wet.
- Apply a Pre-Styler: Use a product like sea salt spray, clay wax, pomade, or cream to prep your hair.
- Blow Dry: Use a hairdryer on medium-high heat to dry your hair to about 90%, shaping it as you go.
- Style: Apply a styling product like clay wax or texture powder to shape and define your hair.
- Lock in the Style: Add a diffuser attachment to your hairdryer, set it to cold, and lock in your style by drying the remaining 10%.
- Optional Finish: Spray hairspray lightly to keep your hair in place throughout the day.
The Fast Way (1-5 Minutes)
- Quick Dry: Wet your hair, then use a towel to scrunch it until it's about 20-40% dry.
- Apply Pre-Styler: Apply a pre-styling product like sea salt spray, clay wax, or cream and rough style it with your hands.
- Set and Go: Add a light coat of hairspray to hold the style. Leave it to air-dry naturally on your way to work.
While the fast method won't give you a perfectly styled look, it's a lifesaver for busy mornings when you’re pressed for time.
Wrap-Up
Whether you have time to spare or just a couple of minutes, the key is knowing your hair type and using the right products at the right time. Practice makes perfect, and experimenting with different products will help you discover what works best for you.
Explore our range of products, including our new Texture Powder and Sea Salt Spray, designed to make hairstyling quick and easy for any hair type.
https://effecthairstyling.com/