I’m not sure about the rest of the world, but here in Texas, it’s widely understood that weather and hair have a direct connection. You can tell the weather by how someone describes their hair that day.
- How was your day?
- I had a great hair day! Translation: cloudless, cool, sunny day.
For all the other days, it takes WORK. And fall is no exception, we go from hot, sticky, and humid, to cool, dry, and windy as you-know-what. #FriscoWindTunnel
I don’t have a hair PhD, but I’ll say this. I have good hair. Nah, I have FABULOUS hair. #Humility
While some of it is simply luck and genetics, MOST of it is how I treat it. Here are a few tips to keep your coif from failing you this fall (or winter, or spring, or summer).
Drink Up.
Good hair starts below the root. I’ve got lots of tricks to improve damaged hair, but honestly, it’s all just lipstick on a pig if you don’t start where it all begins.
Hydration is key. DRINK WATER. Like, as much as you can, as often as you can. Candidly, this isn’t an easy practice.
Truth: For me, it took about a year before I stopped having to force myself to choose water over soda, or to just drink more water in general. I had been ignoring the symptoms of my hydration (headaches, dry skin, dull hair) mostly because I was being cynical about the whole idea — and because I really loved Diet Coke.
Also, I’m a firm believer in vitamins. Again, IT STARTS BELOW THE ROOT. Whether it’s a supplement or prenatal vitamins, your body — and your hair — will thank you.
Lather, Rinse, Repeat.
Ingredients matter. And while not it’s not true that shampoo has to cost more to be better, you do get what you pay for.
Imma just leave this here: It’s ok to make an investment in your hair routine. Your hair is with you 24/7 and seen by everyone all the time, so there’s no reason why you shouldn’t treat it the best you can manage.
I won’t lie, it can be hard to justify spending a smidge more money on salon products, but consider this: what are you spending if you don’t? How often do you have to get a trim because your split ends are so bad? Are you having to get color done more often because you opted out of the color stay/hydration products?
I was lucky. In my earlier years, I could use whatever junk I wanted to on my hair, and it would still be fine. But that’s just lucky DNA. Once I got pregnant with my first, my hormones went on hair strike and since then it’s been all up to me.
Meet your newest hair obsession.
I have a few items in my rotation, but I love trying to keep things local, so let me tell you about my newest hair obsession — Frisco beauty, Lynne McNelis, and her amazing brand, fave4.
Their commitment to providing the “cleanest, highest performing products as possible,” truly blows me away. #HairPuns
Fave4 products are ALL free of gluten, sulfates, parabens, phthalates, and MEA and DEA, just to name a few. They also have products free of silicones, aluminum, and alcohol. Most importantly, no testing on animals.
I’ve been in the haircare industry my entire career. Growing up in hot and humid Louisiana, I learned from a young age that the right hair product can be pure magic. After graduating from LSU, I went to work for TIGI and focused on the Bed Head brand where I developed a passion for product formulas, packaging and everything in between. I worked my way up to leading Global Innovation in the London headquarters, but I always knew my passion for hair would lead me to start my own business. Flash forward a few years, and voila! Fave4 was born.
— Lynne McNelis, Chief Excitement Officer, fave4
You’ll find a bajillion testimonials on fave4.com — check it out for yourself, your personal obsession will begin there. The entire fave4 line is about being your most authentic self, and it’s evident from their formulas to their marketing.
Flirty, functional, frugal, family-friendly, free of yucky stuff, fast-working, and FUN. #OfficiallyObsessed
Blow Me Away.
Pop quiz, hotshot: how often do you condition, apply product to damp hair, and then DON’T blow-dry it?
Make no mistake, too much heat can damage your hair, if not properly conditioned (we’ll get to that in a moment) but OVER-conditioning your hair can be equally as problematic. This can lead to your hair looking greasy, weighed down, or clumped together.
Fave4 has a great product for when you chose to air dry called Dearly Detangled. You’ll love it.
Ideally, you should give your strands the occasional break from the stress of a blow out, but if you go longer than a few washes, you need to scale back the amount of dimethicone (a popular silicone used in most conditioners and hair products) and give your hair a moment to breathe.
Blow outs are NOT BAD. In the 90’s (#whatsupGenX) I remember this incredible ad campaign that promised us supermodel hair; shiny, long, voluminous. It was called Pantene Pro-V and it was touted as being…well, I can’t remember everything, but my 13 year old self definitely thought it was everything.
My mother only bought my sister and I shampoo when it was Suave 2 for $3 at Walgreens. It was a savage time. #PutSomeWaterInItAndShakeItUp
Nothing against Suave — listen: they gave us a cheap solution for a vain problem, and it was a sacrifice we all happily made, but it taught each of us that when given the opportunity, and money, later in life, splurging for the better product, made with better, safer ingredients, goes a long way. Lynne certainly gets it:
Some of my best product launches have come from solving my own hair dilemmas. Right now, my team and I are working on a new line extension for fave4 that will address issues that active people face daily. I’m super excited to help women get their hair back in shape with these new products. I’ve recruited quite a few women in the area to be in my testing group and in my focus groups as I plan this line and launch. It’s been fun!
Fave4 has Big Hair Faves, Hair Repair Faves, Textured Hair Faves, Air Dry Faes, Kid Faves…and a lot of other top-selling faves. (Are you starting to “get” the name fave4?)
One of my fave fave4 products (yes, I did that) is their Customized Combo for Second Day Hair that includes Dirty to Flirty dry shampoo. Second-day hair is very often better than first-day hair, am I right? IF you have the right products, that is…
From shampoo to hair perfume (did you know that’s a thing?), whether you blow it out or you air dry, fave4 has you covered.
Layers of Opinions
Okay, here’s another tip for you that’s kind of a hot topic: blow drying your hair in layers should ONLY be practiced when you are styling simultaneously. Yeah, I said it. For those that are confused here: I mean you are drying and styling, typically with a round brush, and once you unplug that dryer, you’re out the door.
And now we begin the battle of varying opinions about this…
Lol, but seriously though; yes, if you have incredibly thick hair, and you want to get it as dry as possible, then drying it in layers, is a great solution to get it done the quickest. But you aren’t doing the condition of your hair any favors. So, if you are drying to style, and by that I mean, you’ll be using a hot iron of some kind, then PLEASE DON’T DRY IN LAYERS. Your applying too much heat to smaller sections of hair, when it just doesn’t require it.
“But Morgan! I’m getting ready for work and have to have my hair completely dry in the fastest time possible to then use my iron!”
Girl, wake up earlier or change the routine. What can I say?
Wash and dry first (and I recommend only drying to about 80% and letting your hair air dry the next 15 minutes; hit it with the dryer again if it’s still damp) and then do what you gotta do. Give your hair a reprieve from the high heat, and I promise you’ll see not only less damage but better results.
I have girlfriends that will take to their grave that I am wrong. They also have dry ends, so… #ProveMeWrong
And for goodness sake, don’t forget to use a fave4 styling cream or a light serum before drying. Your conditioner is good, it isn’t magic.
Tease It To Jesus
This isn’t a hair tip so much as it’s an admission: I love hair spray. Even knowing in my heart that it causes stiffness that can lead to breakage, my soul mate is Dolly Parton and I’ll be buried six feet under surrounded by the scent of that glorious mist. #IRegretNothing
In short, your hair is your crown, wear it gloriously, and remember: when it comes to fall gatherings and holiday parties, things might look a little different this year, but remember — if you’re headed out with a mask on, your lipstick color might not be a big deal, but your hairstyle will certainly be important! No matter what mask you wear, everyone sees your hair.
