I’m by no means a hair expert, but sadly I have battled thin lifeless hair on one too many occasions. I spend a great deal of time religiously researching products and ways to inject life into my limp locks. While my hair isn’t exactly Kate Beckinsale worthy (yet), I thought I’d share some tips on what I’ve learnt so far. Flat haired ladies of the world, this one’s for you.
Boost Your Roots
Besides a good volumizing shampoo and conditioner (I’m a fan of Paul Mitchell’s Thickening Shampoo) the one hair product that actually works for me is root lifting spray. I’ve tried quite a few brands and my favourite is the Redken Body Full Volume Amplifier Thickening Lift Spray (such a long confusing name, but a really good product trust me). Spritz it on your roots after a shower, but use it sparingly or the product might weigh your hair down.
The Redken Body Full Volume Amplifier Thickening Lift Spray is available at selected hair salons in Singapore. (Source: Allure)
Use a Hair Primer
Whenever I’m having a bad hair day, I’m extra glad that technology has greatly advanced the beauty industry. I mean, what did ladies with flat hair do back in the day? Sprinkle some powder on their roots and call it a day?
Just like eyeshadow or mascara primer, I recently discovered that there is primer for your hair as well. The good people at Living Proof developed the Prime Style Extender, which smooths cuticles, corrects hair texture and repels dirt and oil. While the product isn’t actually a volumizing one, it does keep my flat hair from getting even flatter in humid weather.
The Living Proof Prime Style Extender will be available at Sephora stores in November. (Source: Sephora)
Add Texture
Dry shampoo (try the Oscar Blandi Invisible Dry Shampoo, which doesn’t leave a white residue) and sea salt sprays are great for adding more body and texture to limp hair. I’ve found the OSIS+ Dust It Mattifying Powder to be effective in giving my hair a quick boost when I’m in a pinch (aka have no time to wash my hair but can’t deal with flat hair). Be careful not to apply too much though, as the product might clog your pores.
The OSIS+ Dust It Mattifying Powder is great for giving hair more body, and is available at Beautybay.com(Source: Schwarzkopf Professional)
Get Untangled
When you have thin hair, the last thing you want is tangles. Tangles = hair falling out, which ultimately means you’ll never get long, luscious locks like Kristin Kreuk. Besides using a good conditioner, you might also want to invest in a good hair brush. Or the Tangle Teezer. I also find that brushing my hair before showering helps to reduce tangles, and helps my conditioner absorb better.
(Source: Tangle Teezer)
Stuff That Didn’t Work for Me
Back Combing
My mom is a huge fan of back combing. She has this tiny rat tail comb that she brings with her whenever she travels, so she can make her hair go from flat to fab in a few minutes. Sadly, this does not work for me because my hair is too thin to hold a style for longer than an hour. Also, I hear it damages your hair cuticles and causes split ends. Sorry Mom, this just didn’t cut it for me.
Hair Mousse and Hair Spray
I’m not a fan of styling products. In fact, I hate hair spray with fiery passion. You know those YouTube videos where hair experts rave about some new hair spray keeping your hair style in place all day? Yeah, that does not happen to me. It’s bad enough with the humidity here in Singapore, but with hairspray on? It just can’t handle all that product weighing it down and I pretty much end up looking like Bruce Bogtrotter. Do you know how detrimental that is to my self-esteem? Without nice and poofy hair, my already square face will look even bigger and some (evil/tactless) auntie will inevitably comment about me looking like a char siew bao. So yes…no to hair spray.