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www.deltalivingmagazine.com
April – June 2014
By Emily Wesolek
emilyw1722@gmail.com
M
any times I am asked how to make
hair more voluptuous, shiny, silky,
smooth and so forth. So when I asked what
products they use at home, they simply say
“shampoo and conditioner.” Although sham-
poo and conditioner are good starting points,
how can you expect so much out of your hair
by just using shampoo and conditioner?
Think about it this way: you wouldn’t have
a house with just a cement floor and a roof,
right?You need walls, insulation, and protection
from outside elements, just to name a few.Your
hair needs those same things too.
Here is the basic foundation to amazing hair
that everyone should follow:
PRIMING:
Begin with a good shampoo and
conditioner that targets your specific hair. For
example, if you color your hair (or get high-
lights), use a shampoo and conditioner that is
specifically made for color-treated hair. Also
buy your products at professional salons. Buy-
ing fromWalmart, Safeway, CVS, etc. are usually
more expensive.
HYDRATING:
Use a good leave-in detan-
gler. After lightly towel-drying your hair, spray
in a leave-in detangler.These products are great
for your hair and have many purposes, such as
detangling the hair and adding shine. Many
help protect the hair from thermal styling too.
A product called IT’S A 10 is a leave-in detan-
gler that helps nourish and hydrate, and not to
mention, smells great too! Another great leave-
in detangler (and one I personally use on a daily
basis) is Matrix Biolage Keratin-Dose.Not only
does it smell amazing, but it’s great for all types
of hair, and leaves hair extra shiny and silky.
Both of these products can be found at JCPen-
ney salon in Antioch.
STYLING:
An oil or serum is also very im-
portant, because they both help further protect
the hair from thermal styling tools, as well as
add shine and hydration. These products help
tame frizz and flyaways, and leaves hair silky and
smooth. I personally use a serum by Aquage
called Silkening Oil Treatment. My hair is very
fine and I don’t have a lot of hair, so with oils
and serums, I have to be extra careful that it’s
not too heavy,which can leave hair looking oily
and weigh it down.When I finally found this
product, I was ecstatic! It not only adds loads
of shine, but it also leaves hair silky and soft.
Because it’s weightless, it doesn’t weigh my hair
down, nor does it make my hair feel heavy or
greasy.You can find this awesome product, and
other Aquage products, at Holy Hair Salon on
First Street in downtown Brentwood, CA.
THERMALIZING:
When using hot tools,
your hair needs extra protection. If you are
one to use blow dryers, flat-irons or curling
irons, make sure you use a heat protector spray
or thermal spray. This helps protect hair from
the heat and also adds shine. Be mindful of the
temperature of your blow dryer, flat-iron and
curling irons; you do not need to have it at the
highest temperature – doing so will make your
hair dry, brittle and will eventually break your
hair. A great heat-protector spray is called Iron
Guard by CHI.
TEXTURIZING:
Make your hair stand out.
Using waxes, pastes and pomades gives hair
more movement and makes the hair a little
more pieced out (or textured.) These products
are great for haircuts that have layers, pixie/
short cuts and are very versatile for many men’s
hairstyles. A great texturizing product for both
men and women is BedHead Manipulator – it
has a great (gender neutral) smell and is great
for adding a little bit of texture to the hair. For
men, it’s very versatile, whether you’re looking
for that short, spikey look or more of a slicked-
back look. This product can be found at both
JCPenney and Holy Hair.
FINISHING:
Everything needs to be fine-
tuned and polished. Last but not least, spray a
little shine spray to give hair that extra sheen
and shine as well as tame any stray flyaways.
Hairsprays are also great and come in many dif-
ferent forms; some are finishing sprays, which
may have a little firmer hold than others, as
well as working spray,which allows you to spray
where needed, but you’re still able to work the
hair where you want it to go.
Each step is a key component to having great
hair.Whenever possible, buy good, professional
products. Great places to buy these amazing
products are at professional salons. Make sure
to buy the necessary products for your hair, and
your hair will have a better foundation.
Basic Foundation to Amazing Hair
Photos of Maria Tavares