∘ The Girls Guide 🌸 | Lifestyle Advice ∘

∘ Hair Hacks - Danielle ∘

Have you ever blurted out in frustration, "I hate my hair!" ?

Sike. Everybody has. I have my days, too. But hopefully, in this chapter of the Girl's Guide, I can help you out with some hair tips, tricks, and styles. Read on!

~~~~~

Hair Care

• Wash it regularly. Figure out how often you need to wash it to keep it relatively clean. The time frame varies for everybody; some of my friends wash almost daily, and some wash it once a week and still look great. I personally find that I need to wash my long hair around 3-4 times a week to keep in it clean. But again, everyone's hair is different; if your hair is less oily, you may not need to wash it as often. Find what works for you.

• Be careful about heat. Overusing heat on your hair is a great way to make it brittle and broken. Be selective about when you use heat for curling, straightening, etc.

• Don't overshare. Constantly using other people's brushes, accessories, or even pillows is an easy way to acquire lice or other unwanted intruders. Be wary about whom you share hair stuff with.

• Limit tight updos. I like ponytails for keeping my hair out of my face as much as anybody, but it can actually limit hair growth. Also, if you have long or thick hair like mine, the weight of all that hair can very easily give you a headache.

• Brush it! Make sure you are untangling those locks at least once a day. The more often you do it, the easier it will be next time. If you have curly or frizzy hair, use a comb that won't cause it to puff out as much.

• Use conditioner. Without conditioner, my hair gets extremely frizzy and sometimes hard to untangle. Conditioner makes it smooth and helps it lie flat, and I highly recommend using it. Be sure to change your brand every so often, though, to prevent buildup and the like.

Tips and Tricks

• Use coil hair ties. I know that many girls have hair too hot and thick to wear down, and too heavy to wear up. A good solution to the ponytail problem is coil ties. They don't leave kinks in your hair like regular ones do, and they don't tangle easily. What's more, they help soften the ponytail so that it doesn't hurt your head as much. They're fairly cheap, too!

• Straighten hair naturally. This trick doesn't really work on people with tight curls, but it definitely helps smooth out soft curls and frizzy waves. When your hair is wet after a shower, use a bristle brush to straighten your hair as much as possible, getting at the layers as best you can, and let it dry that way. It doesn't work for everyone, but it definitely works for me.

• Braid your hair for waves. This one is simple. If you've got perfectly straight hair or hair with a natural wave that isn't always controllable, like mine, this puts in some waves without heat. Braid your hair just before you go to bed, and take it out in the morning for easy waves. If you want beachy waves, braid very loosely. If you want tight waves, braid multiple braids tightly. If you want them all through your hair, French braid it for a full head of waves.

• Get a few jawclips. These are great for casually throwing your hair up in a bun, or pulling it back from your face. They don't tangle and they hold a bun much better than a hair tie does. Simply twist your hair up and coil it at the back of your head, and clip it down.