Got a hair related question or problem? Read about common Hair Styling Questions that are answered by TheHairStyler.
I just bought a blow-dryer that has both a nozzle and diffuser attachment. What are they for? Barry
Hi Barry, the nozzle attachment is designed to help smooth the hair out while using your blow-dryer and a brush, and the diffuser is designed to help scrunch your hair into waves or curls and can also help to enhance your curls. Kind regards, Sarah Koessler - THS Hair Consultant.
Hi, recently my hair has been very oily right after I wash and blow it dry. It doesn't happen all the time and varies on frequency; however I have tried a million different things to try and pinpoint what variable may be causing this. I have switched shampoos and conditioners, only conditioning the ends, not conditioning at all, changing brushes and combs, showered in different showers with different water (literally from one side of the country to the other!), yet there doesn't seem to be any kind of discernible factor that leads to the oily roots. My hair is very long, and I haven't treated/colored it in over a year. I'm not sure if this has anything to do with it, but I'm out of ideas. Help! Christie.
Hi Christie, there are a few things that can cause oily hair, and believe it or not, washing your hair can be one of them so I'd like to ask how often do you shampoo your hair? Every second day should be normal; however, some people need to shampoo their hair every day. If you find that your hair is getting oily after one day, then you should be shampooing it every day. Another question I have is whether you are shampooing once or twice. I recommend that you do shampoo twice as doing it once will not always give you a total clean and can still leave oil on your scalp. Make sure when you are washing your hair that you scrub your scalp and focus mainly on this. When you rinse your hair out, the shampoo will then run through your ends and pick up all the impurities and wash them away when you rinse. Give this a go and see if your hair improves. Kind regards, Sarah Koessler - THS Hair Consultant.
Generally, is it good to leave your hair with a little grease or should I wash my hair frequently in order to have better shape?
Hi, if you are talking about sebum (which is the hair's natural oil) then it is fine to have a little in your hair because it will help to stop the hair from drying out. Hair can become weighed down from too much oil, however, so it is a good idea to wash when you feel it is necessary. Kind regards, Sarah Koessler - THS Hair Consultant.
I have thick hair and my hairdresser always thins it out when styling it, but that only lasts a few days - weeks at tops - and I cannot afford to go every week. I always see products for thickening hair but never any for thinning. What can I do? I need to look smart for work but cannot spend hours blow-drying and styling my hair as I have two small children to sort out in the mornings.
Hi, it is impossible for your hair to grow out only a few days after being thinned so it sounds to me that when your hairstylist styles your hair, it is smoother than when you do it and makes your hair seem thinner. Unfortunately there is no shampoo that will make your hair thinner. Do you have a straightening iron? If you do, running it through your locks every few days will help to smooth your hair out and shouldn't take too long when your hair is dry and can even be done at night as it will stay straight while you sleep and leave you with more time to get ready in the morning! Kind regards, Sarah Koessler - THS Hair Consultant.
I had blonde hair and my roots grew out so I went to my stylist for a touch up and she used a color to try to lighten my roots, and although it went light, it also went real brassy/orange looking. She tried a beige toner and a violet toner, but it didn't work, so a few days later I came back in and she foiled in some bleach to break up the brassiness, which did work, however it was still too orange for me so a friend suggested using Shimmer Lights shampoo. I did and it left some purple/gray in the lighter parts of my hair. How do I get rid of this? Norma
Hi Norma, when you use color shampoo to tone your hair there is always a chance things may not go your way and it sounds to me like the purple tones in your hair may have been caused by too much toning from the Shimmer Lights shampoo. This can sometimes happen and can easily be fixed with a few washes from a different shampoo. If this doesn't fix your color, I would suggest going back to your hairstylist so that she can take a look at the current tone, texture and elasticity of your hair in person and advise you on the right products to get the best results. I hope I have helped. Kind regards, Paola Fioramonte - THS Hair Consultant.
I have very thin hair and never can get it to do what I want. No matter what I try to do, it always parts in the middle. I can never seem to get the side bang thing going on. Is there any advice that you can give me? Emily
Hi Emily, I would suggest trying shorter layers through the top to take weight off. That way you'll be able to sweep off that middle part. You can also try blow-drying your hair into place and spraying with hairspray to hold. Another option is to attempt a very soft perm which will not create any curl but more volume. You can do this by having the perm rollers placed on the side where you want your hair to part. Side bangs will only sit well depending on the how the hairline naturally grows, for example, if you have a widows peak or cowlicks through that front hairline area then it will be very difficult to achieve side bangs. Kind regards, Serah Schuster - THS Hair Consultant.
Hi there,
just wondering what style would suit long hair with a round face shape?
Thanks!
Hi Gabriella, that's a good question and a very important one for anybody considering any hairstyle change. Face shape consideration is so important when changing or selecting a new hairstyle. I wrote an article about all 7 (face shapes and what hairstyles suits them in various lengths). Give this article a read, and you will see that there are some things you need to do to get the right hairstyles for your round face shape.
Kind regards,
THS Hair Consultant.
Most of my hair length is long, but I have a few short layers around my shoulders and my face that are taking forever to grow out. Do you have any styling advice for what I can do with my hair while I wait for it to reach all one length? Ryoko
Hi Ryoko, unfortunately there is not a lot you can do to make your hair grow faster and there are no miracle growth formulas either. Instead of getting frustrated when trying to grow your hair, the best thing to do is to try styles that will work with your hair while it's growing. Try blending the layers into your hair or try different ways to pin back or blow-dry your hair. This way you can use the layers to your advantage while growing them out, and who knows, you might even begin to like the layers. To try different looks to cater for your style while it is growing out, take a look at the range of styles available at TheHairStyler.com today. Kind regards, Paola Fioramonte - THS Hair Consultant.
What is the difference between the razor and thinning scissors (with the jagged teeth)? My hair is thin, however the density is medium. Should a hairdresser ever use thinning scissors on my hair? Would it be recommended to get a razor cut to add texture to a cut, rather than the thinning scissors on my hair type? Kyoko
Hi Kyoko, for your hair type I definitely wouldn't use the thinning scissors as they will purely thin your hair out (as the name suggests). Instead, I would recommend asking your hairdresser to use a razor as it will definitely add texture to your hair type. I hope I have helped. Kind regards, Sarah Koessler - THS Hair Consultant.
Hello, I don't know what is wrong with my hair but for some reason curls will not stay in my hair at all! I have tried mousse and every variation of hair spray both before and after curling and still within an hour my hair is completely straight. I would love to be able to have sexy curls in my hair for work or going out somewhere, but I need to know how to keep them please! - Curl Curious
Hi Curl Curious, have you tried setting your hair in rollers? Before setting, spray your hair with setting lotion (not hairspray) and then roll in your rollers, leave for approximately 15-20mins or until your hair is completely dry, and then unwind. Spray with hairspray to finish and you should have curls that will last more than an hour. I hope I have helped. Kind regards, Serah Schuster - THS Hair Consultant.
I've been dying my hair black for over two years now and I want a change, like a very vibrant red color. My hair has now faded to dark brown (almost my natural color) so I want to know if bleaching will be necessary in order to get such a dramatic color. Also, I can't really afford a salon treatment, would it be acceptable to attempt at home? Sui-Zhen
Hi, bleaching may be necessary because your hair needs to be light enough for a vibrant red to show through. Putting a red color over the top of your faded black will not result in the desired red as it may still be too dark. I would not recommend this be done at home as it is a complicated process. I suggest that you make an appointment to see a professional hairstylist and ask them for a personal consultation, that way they can see exactly what condition your hair is in and you can show them exactly what color you desire and they'll be able to offer you advice on how to achieve it. They can also do a strand test that involves coloring a small section of hair (usually behind the ears) to test your condition and to see what coloring techniques would be the best option. Kind regards, Serah Schuster - THS Hair Consultant.
My hair stylist told me to comb my curly hair once a week only. He said to comb sections at a time and to start from the bottom and work my way up. However, I'm still not sure if I should do this when my hair is very wet, damp or dry. Can you tell me which is best? Thank you! Chris.
Hi Chris, it's best to comb curly hair when your hair is wet or damp, definitely not dry. Always use a wide tooth comb as the hair is in a fragile state when wet and a wide tooth comb will not rip at the hair cuticle. Do not use a brush when your hair is wet as that will rip at the hair and cause breakage. I hope I have helped. Kind regards, Serah Schuster - THS Hair Consultant.
I get my hair colored and sometimes I get highlights, but it seems to get dry. I've tried using hair products for colored hair, and I even use conditioner every time I shampoo. Also, my hair is fine. So I think my hairstylist is using bleach. Is there a way to get the same color results without using bleach? Can you recommend anything please, like some special products etc? Thanks, Jose
Hi Jose, any chemicals in the hair (bleach or color) will dry the hair out. If your stylist is using bleach, it's because she's trying to lift your present color and lighten it to a certain degree. Sometimes, depending on how much your hair needs to be lifted, it's hard to lighten it without using bleach. Using shampoos and conditioners for chemically treated hair is a great idea, and we also recommend you apply a deep treatment at least once a week. This will strengthen the hair bonds and keep the cuticles smooth, easing dryness and frizziness. Daily moisturizers and serums are other good ideas because applying them daily also helps tackle the dryness problem. And remember: try not to straighten or blow-dry the hair too often because the heat used can dry your hair out more. There are many products available for chemically treated hair. I would recommend visiting a hair salon and asking for products and treatments specifically for your hair type. That way, the stylists can assess your hair personally and make sure you get the correct products. Kind regards, Serah Schuster - THS Hair Consultant.
I have naturally black hair and I used to have ash brown highlights. About a year ago I decided to dye my hair back to its original black color. But recently I thought I'd like to lighten it again. First of all I tried to lighten it to a light ash brown using a 30 volume developer. The problem was my roots only lightened to a reddish brown and the rest of my hair remained dark. After that I tried lightening it with a stronger developer (a 40 volume developer), but it still didn't work. Why? I don't understand what I need to do to lighten my hair to a light brown or chestnut brown. Can you please let me know some tips?
Hi, there's a simple reason you're having some trouble lightening your black hair. A rule of thumb to remember is this: artificial color cannot lighten another artificial color. In other words, if you already have artificial color in your hair, trying to lighten it with another artificial color will be useless. In your case, you dyed your hair back to black using an artificial color. That means that by the time you decided to lighten it again, you only had a couple of inches of untreated hair at your roots (virgin color). Artificial color will only work on untreated hair, and that's the reason your roots were the only areas of you hair that lightened to a reddish brown. So no matter what strength developer you use (30 or 40 volume) it will only work on those areas of your hair that haven't been colored (your roots). I strongly suggest you make an appointment with a hairstylist for a personal consultation. That way they will be able to closely assess your hair color and advise you about the best way to lighten your hair in its current state. Kind regards, Serah Schuster - THS Hair Consultant.