With summer just around the corner and, fingers crossed, bringing some hot weather with it, many of you will be thinking about embracing a shorter hairstyle. It makes sense, right? It will help keep you cooler and take far less maintenance. Well, yes and no. Certainly shorter hair will save you some styling time in the mornings, and fewer tresses will definitely help you feel less clammy if the sun does decide to come out. But just because hair is shorter, doesn’t mean you can forget about its needs. Short hair needs love too!
But, first things first, if you’re thinking of going from long to short for the first time, you need to know it will suit you. The expert on all things hair is your salon stylist, so get their opinion before making any dramatic changes. A good stylist will take into account your face shape, bone structure and your overall look and advise you whether a short haircut is for you. It may be that you’ll suit something more mid-length like the shoulder-skimming style recently sported by actress Mila Kunis, rather than a much shorter, more textured style currently being carried off by numerous celebrities, including the star of The Crown Claire Foy.
Your stylists will also be able to see how your hair is naturally inclined to grow. If it has a natural kink, for example, or grows back with a lot of volume or curls, certain short styles may be a nightmare to maintain – remember hair grows at around half an inch a month, so, while cutting it short may temporarily hide some of those quirks that drive you crazy, it won’t be long before they start to show again. Maintaining a very short look will almost certainly require more frequent visits to the hairdressers to keep its shape and style.
Ensuring your hair is in the best possible condition before and after you go for the chop will help make this maintenance easier once you make the jump. We’d recommend preceding any dramatic change in length with a KeraStraight Ultimate Treatment, something leading salon owner and stylist Melissa Timperley wholeheartedly supports.
‘It doesn’t matter whether your hair is short or long, a KeraStraight treatment makes any hairstyle more manageable. It improves the shape and condition of all hair types not to mention the shine,” says Melissa. “KeraStraight combined with a precision cut means clients can see and feel the results immediately and can manage their own hair at home much more easily.”
So, once you’ve made the change, how can you keep your short hair in peak condition and maintain that just left the salon look for longer? Here are some tips that will help.
Keep it Clean
The shorter your hair, the more prone it is to get greasy. Put simply, the scalp still produces as much oil, but there’s less hair to distribute these natural oils through, so the strands you have will feel more oily. You’ll need to wash your hair more frequently, to cleanse scalp and hair. Choose your shampoo carefully, making sure you avoid any ingredients that will coat your hair rather than clean it. The last thing you want, especially when its sorter, is having your hair weighed down by a coating of silicone or unnecessary sodium chloride, which are found in many of the supermarket brands. We recommend Volume Enhance and Moisture Enhance Shampoos. Both are free from silicone and sodium chloride and packed with healthy ingredients that will nourish and cleanse hair and scalp gently.
Fight those fly-aways
Shorter hair can also be more prone to fly-aways, which can really ruin your sleek new look. Try and avoid headwear that will create static – manmade fibres are generally the worst for this, and ensure hair is thoroughly hydrated to help keep it smooth and dispel those pesky fly-aways. A tiny amount of Ultimate oil is a great quick fix for banishing errant hairs, helping maintain a smooth and shiny finish without overloading the hair.
Minimise heat damage
With shorter hair, it’s much harder to hide any damage caused by overusing heated tools. Ideally, try and stay away from heated tools while your hair is shorter, but if you do reach for the straightening irons, make sure you use a high-quality heat protection product. Heat Protect is perfect for protecting hair when using any heated tools, it not only forms a protective barrier but also locks in moisture while providing a light hold.
Avoid too much brushing
One great attribute of shorter hair is that it’s less prone to tangling, so you won’t need to brush it as often. Use your fingers for styling where you can, they’re the perfect tool for creating a bit of texture. If you want to create some hassle-free volume, try spritzing a small amount of Root Lift Spray Gel to towel-dried hair, it’s a great light-weight styler that will give even short hair some bounce.
Get regular trims
If you want to maintain the shape of your shorter style, make sure you make regular trips to your stylist for a trim. For very short styles, we’d recommend visiting a salon every three to five weeks.