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6 steps to glossy, gorgeous hair
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Maximize your mane's sheen in six easy steps and learn a stylist's tips and tricks for high-shine styling.
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By Denise Wild
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Shiny hair is a must-have on many women's beauty wish lists. And not only do shiny locks look good, they're healthy -- it's partly damage and dehydration that roughen your hair cuticle, leaving it dull and lacklustre. Other culprits include product buildup, heat and styling damage and UV rays. To give your hair mega shine, get your locks in top shape with the right products and the right care.
1. Take it easy on your hair
To get maximum shine, you need to ensure your hair cuticle is smooth and lying flat. That means keeping blow-drying and backcombing (teasing) to a minimum. If you must blow-dry, point your blow dryer down your hair shaft, from roots to tips. And get regular trims to eliminate dead ends, which tend to split and result in an ultradull appearance.
2. Use the right products
Choose shampoos and conditioners that are labelled nourishing, hydrating or moisturizing. Their formulas will have added proteins and conditioners to rebuild and strengthen your hair. Try Pantene Pro-V's Ice Shine collection, which includes shampoo, conditioner, mousse and hairspray. Its added proteins and silicones boost reflection by smoothing and conditioning each strand of hair.
3. Choose a natural-bristle brush
Look for a brush with soft, natural bristles, such as Raincry's Nature Series. The boar bristles distribute your scalp's natural oils through the entire hair shaft, leaving a touchable high-shine finish.
4. Colour your hair wisely
When selecting at-home colour, look for products that have added vitamins and shine-enhancing ingredients, such as Nice ‘n Easy Color Boosting Glaze, a semipermanent formula. And after colouring your hair, reap the benefits of that silky in-box conditioning treatment cream with Nice ‘n Easy ColorSeal Conditioning Gloss. It's the same mega-conditioning formula found in your at-home colour, but it's sold on its own so you can have that high-shine post-colour finish at any time.
Afraid of the bottle but looking for a subtle colour change? John Frieda Luminous Colour Glaze is a shampoo treatment that gives a lot of shine and a hint of gradual colour (choose from shades of blonde, red, and brunette).
5. Protect your locks
Whether you're flat-ironing your hair once a week, using your blow dryer daily or spending your lunch hours out in the sun, you're potentially depriving your hair of shine and lustre by exposing it to the enemy: heat and UV rays. Look for products on the market with UV protectants and antioxidants, or heat-activated silk proteins and conditioners, such as Sunsilk Thermashine "Hairapy" 3-some. And keep your mane under cover with a hat or scarf when you're out in the sun.
6. Add long-term shine
Make a stop at your salon for a gloss treatment (no colour, just shine), or try an at-home version such as Clairol Natural Instincts Shine Happy. Its aloe and conditioning formula, complete with dullness-fighting antioxidants, works on natural or colour-treated hair and lasts up to six weeks.
Tips from the pro corner
Pantene spokesperson Justin German, co-owner of Toronto's Shagg Salon, shares his everyday styling tips for sunglasses-worthy shiny hair.
• If your hair is naturally straight, start by applying a volumizer or root lift to your roots. Try a spray formula -- its texture won't weigh your hair down.
Blow-dry your hair with a round brush, keeping the blow dryer pointed downward to ensure the hair cuticle lies flat for a smooth, shiny finish. Put one or two drops of a silicone-based product (avoid heavy pomades) through the ends of your hair. Tap down flyaways with the styling product that's left on your hands.
• If your hair is fine, blow-dry your hair as above and finish the style with a light shine spray.
• If your hair is curly, comb a leave-in conditioner through your locks from roots to ends. Emulsify a shine-enhancing pomade in your hands and scrunch it through your hair. Allow your hair to air-dry or twirl a few pieces around your fingers for curl definition around your crown.
• For all hair types, leave a conditioning mask on your hair once a week for 20 minutes. Post treatment, rinse your hair with cool water to seal the cuticle and give maximum shine.
Got a question about beauty? Ask ELLE Canada's expert, Miss Blush.
Image courtesy Pantene
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