12 Hair Hacks I’m Thankful for This Year
Whether you celebrate in full force with turkey and all the trimmings, or you just appreciate a few quiet moments at some point throughout the day, one thing’s for certain… This is the best time of year to reflect on all of our incredible blessings and everything we have to be grateful for in our lives, including hair hacks!
I’ve rounded up my favorite hair hacks to help you celebrate the season of blessings in a big way.
1. Use Dry Shampoo to Beat Fine Hair Woes
Struggling with fine, oily hair? If you’re washing twice a day right now, you may be making the problem worse. Too much washing can inspire your scalp to produce more oil rather than less. You should try to limit washing to daily at most.
Instead, try spritzing with a good dry shampoo (something that contains refined clay is best) in the morning or even partway through the day. Spray it only onto your roots; then, brush it through with your favorite brush. Voila!
2. Try a Boar Bristle Brush
Oh, if you only knew how many women are out there right now brushing their hair with the wrong brush!
The problem is that cheap brushes can be too stiff or too loose. The first can cause hair to break, while the second may not even make it through a particularly thick head of hair.
A boar-bristle brush achieves perfect balance and distributes natural oils from your scalp at the same time. It’s a great and simple way to achieve healthier hair!
3. Stock Up on Bobby Pins
Remember McGuyver in the 1980s? He was right about one thing –– you can use bobby pins to achieve almost anything.
Sure, you might not need to break into a safe or diffuse a bomb like he did, but they’re one of the most useful tools you can pack in your purse. Use them to secure a ponytail, toss your hair up into a bun, or even to hide a thinning spot at the crown. The sky’s the limit!
4. Try Eyeshadow to Hide a Thinning Part
Speaking of thinning hair, if your part is feeling a little bare and vulnerable lately, there’s an easy way to hide it.
Grab a matte eyeshadow that’s approximately the same color as your hair or one to two shades lighter. Use a soft makeup brush to gently tap it onto your scalp along the part. No one will be the wiser afterward!
5. Get Beachy Waves with Zero Heat
California is literally the beachy wave capital of the United States, but all that heat can do a number on your hair.
Compensate by tightly braiding wet hair into 1-2 braids (depending on how small you want your waves). Wrap the whole thing in a soft microfiber towel or a satin sleeping cap and sleep on it. When you take out the braid the next morning, you’ll already have fabulous waves.
6. Use Purple Shampoo to Beat Brassiness
Love your platinum-blonde or grey locks, but find brassiness sneaking in every so often? What you need is a good purple shampoo. You can even make your own at home following this fun recipe if you’re feeling inclined.
P.S. This also works for taming down overly-brassy red or copper hair, too. So if your last at-home color came out a little more fire engine red than “Cheryl Blossom,” give it a shot and see what you think!
7. Tame Static with Dryer Sheets
Cowlicks, static, and fly-aways, oh my! If you have fine or very soft hair, you may find that even a hint of static instantly makes you look like you rubbed a balloon on your head. Take heart: there’s a quick fix.
Run a dryer sheet over your hair from root to tip, taking care to press only lightly. Your hair will instantly fall in line again.
8. Ease Up on the Hot Showers
There’s nothing better than a hot shower after a long day… to you, anyway. Your hair, on the other hand, would shriek if it could the moment it felt all that heat.
Hot water strips hair of important natural oils, which can leave you dry, dull, and lifeless. Use lukewarm to warm water instead, and do a final rinse in cold if you can stand it.
9. Wick Away Greys with Root Cover-Up
Have any grey hairs sneaking in at the roots or along your temples? You can wear them like a badge of honor, or you can ditch them in seconds – no salon time involved.
Just spritz with a good root cover-up spray like L’Oréal Paris Magic. It’ll wash out the next time you’re in the shower, too, so there’s no need to worry about permanent effects or damage related to color processing.
10. Tackle Baby Hairs with a Toothbrush
(Okay – not the toothbrush you use normally!)
A toothbrush, however, is the perfect size for micro-adjusting baby hairs along the hairline and/or nape of your neck. Just give it a quick spritz with hairspray or dab a little gel on and go to work.
Pull hair in the direction of the rest of your hair or sculpt it however you want. This is also a great way to tame flyaways if you have a ponytail in!
11. Don’t Be Afraid of Wigs and Extensions
Want a big change? Not ready to cut your hair off?
Even girls with very thick hair can squeeze into a good weave or wig. And extensions give you the power to go long in a heartbeat. Go red and long one day, blonde and curly the next. You can be whoever you feel like whenever you want with a little assistance!
12. Beat Dullness with Argan Oil
Feeling a little dry and dull? Maybe your ends are a little dry and your normal routine just isn’t cutting it, or maybe you’ve lost your shine. A couple of drops of pure argan oil massaged into the ends and lengths of your hair (NOT the roots) will instantly restore shine.
Just remember that less is really more, here – start with a couple of drops and add more if you find you need it. And try to use 100% pure organic argan oil when you can; some of the formulas with other chemicals contain parabens and sulfates, which can actually exacerbate the problem.
Bonus Hair Hack!
Last but not least… here’s the most important hair hack of all hair hacks: see your stylist often. Even if it’s just for a deep-conditioning treatment or a quick trim. Well-kept, healthy hair grows faster, looks better, and becomes easier to care for, too!
