Why does it take so much work to make our hair look beautiful and maintain it that way. Seriously, a naturally good crop of hair is fast becoming a rarity, and of course causing much stress. We spoke to two experts, Blossom Kochhar and Sumit Israni to get their take on hair care and styling tips. Read on to find-out, what might be missing in your hair care routine to get those great looking tresses.

For someone with a short crop, this obsession with hair might seem a bit much but ask a
gal with long hair, or even shoulder length; chances are that you won’t hear the end of her hair woes. Taking up this problem with experts, Blossom Kochhar (BK) and Sumit Israni (SI), one a beauty care expert and the other a whiz th styling; it emerged that hair-care is not all that complied. We need to read the labels carefully and understane what the ingredients are doing to the hair, know the hair care products in the market and their appropriate usage; and finally the adage that you are what you eat is very much applicable here too…eat well and exercise regularly, maintain our experts. Here is what they shared with us:

For someone with a short crop, this obsession with hair might seem a bit much but ask a
gal with long hair, or even shoulder length; chances are that you won’t hear the end of her hair woes. Taking up this problem with experts, Blossom Kochhar and Sumit Israni, one a beauty care expert and the other a whiz with styling; it emerged that hair-care is not all that complied. We need to read the labels carefully and understand what the ingredients are doing to the hair, know the hair care products in the market and their appropriate usage; and finally the adage that you are what you eat is very much applicable here too…eat well and exercise regularly, maintain our experts. Here is what they shared with us:

On Frizzy Hair

Frizz is a condition where very small bits of hair shift away from the cuticle and the hair shaft, resulting in a fuzzy effect. It happens when your hair is dry and lacks moisture.
Tips to control frizz:

• Keep your hair moisturised by conditioning it properly. After shampoo, add a good moisturising conditioner and leave it in for 3-5 minutes. If possible, wrap your hair in a towel, and let the conditioner soak in for 15 minutes. This extra conditioning will establish a good moisture level that will help prevent frizz.
• Don’t dry your hair by rubbing a towel through it. Rather, wrap it in a towel and gently pat it and allow the towel to soak up the excess water. Rubbing the hair will add to the frizz.
• Use a styling serum on your hair that will seal the moisture in the hair shaft and prevent loss of moisture that eventually causes frizz.
• Always blow-dry your hair in smaller sections rather than in a large bunch. This will avoid split-ends and will not open the cuticles that otherwise results in more frizz.
• Avoid products with a high alcohol content or drying
  ingredients.

On Silicon Hair Products

First of all, always condition with cold water, then apply silicone styling serums, which makes the hair soft and will help retain the style as well as the curls. Silicone is an inert compound, that is, it does not react readily with other compounds. It has a variety of uses and works well because of its heat-resistant and non-sticking properties. Silicone hair products make hair shiny and soft, de-tangles them, removes frizz and protects against extreme heat.

On Using Flat Iron

SI – Flat iron protection starts from the time when you purchase it. All hair types can’t stand the same amount of heat, and thus cause dryness as well as breakage, in the long run. Here are some tips:

• Ensure your ceramic flat iron has a temperature gauge setting on it.
• Before ironing, apply pure silicone spray to the hair. This will protect the hair shaft with a silk coating that will not allow the heat to penetrate and damage the hair.
• For maximum flat iron protection, section your hair in four parts, this way you have more control over it. Start with one section at a time and make smaller sections within each of these.
• Run the iron down each time smoothly, avoiding overlapping. Because overuse of an iron can make it very dry and brittle, leading to breakage.
• When you’re done flat ironing your hair, style as usual.

On Flyaway Hair

There is a relatively simple solution. Use a lightweight, pure silicone spray. Silicone coats the hair with a light layer that seals hair shafts and puts flyaways back in place. But avoid silicone serums that contain alcohol, water or mineral oil as these fillers don’t help
at all. Instead, look for pure silicone products which are light and in a spray form.

On Preventing Breakage And Shedding

• Deep condition your hair every two weeks. Begin by applying the deep conditioner at the hairline from the roots to the ends.
• Use a good leave-in conditioner each time you shampoo.
• Extra-moisturising conditioners will help replenish and nourish your hair.
• Comb through the hair for even distribution, applying a little extra to the ends especially on long tresses.
• Allow to set in till the recommended time.
• If you notice severe breakage or split ends, visit a salon for a trim. Split-ends will continue to split ahead, and trimming will stop them in their tracks.
• Avoid heat appliances like blow-dryers, flat-irons and the like and if you must, use them on low settings.
• Protect your hair with pure silicone styling aids which are very light weight.

On How To Use Hair Extensions Correctly

Hair extensions vary according to application, type and origin. For extensions, attach the hair to your head via tiny rows of braids. First braid your natural hair into these tiny rows and then clip the extension to these braids. This method of clipping hair extensions would last for a longer time. But in case, you are in a hurry and still want hair extensions without making much of an effort, then clip extensions onto the nape of your hair.

On Different Types Of Combs And Brushes?

There are many different types of combs and brushes available. We should make the right choice according to hair type and condition for better management and longevity.

Wide-toothed combs are designed specifically for de-tangling and smoothing freshly-shampooed hair.

• Vented brushes have air holes or openings to allow air to circulate easily.
• Round and curved brushes have rows of tines on a round or curved base. These brushes are designed for use in blow-dry styling, to add soft curves to a style.
• Paddle brushes have rows of tines on a flat base and are used in blow-dry straightened styles to keep the hair smooth and fat.
• Bristled brushes are used for finishing and smoothening a style or for distributing oil which occurs naturally and massaging to maintain hair and scalp health.

On Proper Nourishment For Hair

Take a high protein diet like wire rains, brewer’s yeast, liver and citrus fruits. Increase the intake of water. Exercise regularly; this will act as a good stress-buster and also pump-up your blood circulation helping in growth of hair.

On Products And Procedures To Make Hair Grow Faster.

• To increase your hair volume, first make sure you are using the right shampoo for your hair type.
• Look for a mild volumising shampoo that suits the hair type.
• Trim the ends regularly; trimming removes split-ends that will otherwise continue to split right to the hair shaft and break it.
• Trimming also adds volume to the hair.
• Indulge in hot oil therapy: massage your hair with warm oil and then wrap a hot towel around your head.
• This will help in making your hair longer, thicker and lustrous.