Danny Puopolo is the Creative Director and Manager at Rakis on Collins. He’s an award-winning hairstylist, colourist, and make-up artist with more than 17 years of experience in the field. Danny is the 2016 winner of the Shu Uemura Muse Image Awards and a member of the L’oreal Professionnel National Artistic Team.
There will always be instances when we’d wish we have a different kind of hair than the one already crowning our heads, allowing us to style it in different ways. While there’s only so much we can do with the locks we’re gifted with, there are proven ways in which we can make the most of our hair regardless of its type. Here are some tips as recommended by expert hairstylist, Danny Puopolo.
Dry Hair
If you’re having problems with dry hair, then you know that this is most often caused by the inability of the hair to retain enough moisture or the hair not getting any moisture at all. The good news is that it’s a lot easier to manage than other hair types. First, if you’re already using a moisturiser, pick a much better one. Go for those with natural oils such as shea butter and olive oil.
Steer clear of petrolatum, however. Skip heated hair styling tools. Your hair is already dry enough that you don’t want to use a tool that will make it even drier. Treat your hair with coconut oil or jojoba oil, leaving it on for a few hours every day before washing it with a shampoo that has an all-natural conditioner. Avoid putting too many hair care products, too, especially those that contain harsh chemicals.
Oily Hair
Our scalp naturally produces sebum, which gives a natural lubrication for our skin as well as our hair. Sebum also gives our hair that natural shine. Sadly, some of us have overly active glands that produce excessive amounts of sebum. So, what do we do?
First, limit washing your hair to just 2 to 3 times per week. We’re always told to wash our hair every day. However, daily washing removes the sebum already present on our scalp and hair. This stimulates the glands to produce more and more of the oily substance, leading to oilier, greasier hair. Limiting the number of weekly hair washings should help tone down the production of sebum. Also, use shampoo that’s formulated for oily hair. Avoid touching your hair, too, since the skin on your fingertips also produce sebum.
Frizzy Hair
One of the most fundamental reasons why folks can have frizzy hair is that it lacks moisture, making it a bit drier than usual that some hairs no longer align with the rest whenever you head outdoors. To address this you will need to rehydrate your hair by using a weekly hair treatment mask. Coconut oil can do a lot of amazing things when breathing life back into your dry, frizzy hair.
It is also imperative that you avoid using hair products that can contain alcohol or sulphate as these can effectively dry out the individual strands of hair, making them want to seek out and pull moisture from the environment. Go for all-natural products as these do not contain alcohol or any other drying chemical. It is also a wise move to have a handy anti-frizz serum in your person wherever you may go. It’s always best to stay prepared.
Flat Hair
Don’t confuse flat hair with thin hair. A more appropriate term would be ‘limp’ or ‘fine’ hair which is often associated with lack of body or volume. What you can do is to use an appropriate hair brush, one with flexible nylon or natural boar bristles, to brush your hair every day. This may seem counterproductive, but the brushing alone can help improve oxygen and nutrient delivery to the scalp. These can provide the much-needed body for your fine hair.
Additionally, use less heat when grooming your flat hair. Too much heat can cause the hair to become very brittle and cause breakage. This is clearly no way to produce body. You can also use a shampoo that builds hair volume.
