Ask the Experts

The bob style you describe sounds like a good length for making fine hair look thicker but there are also lots of cutting techniques which can help. I would avoid having lots of layers, they might give body and movement in thicker hairstyles but they will take away the weight which your hair needs. Instead I would create movement through secret, internal layers. We have a technique called scaffolding which we use in the salon and it’s a fantastic way to support fine hair from within.

Colour is also a great way to add body to fine hair. Highlights, carefully placed throughout, will give the illusion of movement, and this doesn’t mean you have to go blonde work with your natural tones to find a highlight colour right for you. I would also try having a gloss colour to add shine and swell the hair, again giving it more life. A gloss colour close to your natural hair will avoid regrowth problems but will plump the hair shaft and make it easier to blowdry with body.

Finally find a light weight mousse to prep the hair before blowdrying. Tec ni art Volume Lift mousse, has a nozzle which allows you to apply it directly to the roots, and has great hold without being sticky or stiff. I would apply this throughout the hair before drying, blast the hair lightly upside down for a few seconds getting the roots all dry in an upwards direction, then tip your head back and dry with a large natural brissle, round brush. I would avoid over drying the hair as this will make it fly away, so I would dry it quickly in large sections and add a few rollers for smoothness and body. Finally I would use a light hairspray directly at the roots, Kerastase Laque Couture is fantastic for this.

If you have looked at the cut and colour, are using the right products and still feel that you need that extra bit of help then a perm might be a good option.

Hope this all helps and if you’d like more personal advice please call into the salon and I’d happily take a look at your hair with you.

Look forward to hearing from you soon.

Barbara x

The best advice i can give, is to go to the top salon in your area and have consultation with the best stylist. Consultations are usually free of charge and you can pick their brains as to what colour and style they think will suit your hair and skin tone.

Without seeing your hair i can offer some general advice that will work for most people with the hair problems you mentioned. Firstly, I would suggest having a gloss colour. A gloss colour is a quasi permanent colour which will give a translucent coverage to your grey hair, making them less obvious and adding to the rest of your hair body and shine. The benefit of this type of colour over a permanent tint is the up keep, permanent tint covers grey hair better but it sounds to me that you are a low maintenance kind of girl and getting a gloss done will densify the hair without giving a definite regrowth as it fades so you can have it done when you have special things coming up, such as weddings.

My second tip would be to have a fringe, this doesn’t mean having a school girl style there are many different types of fringe, one for almost every hairtype and face shape in fact. A long side fringe will add softness when you are wearing the hair up in a ponytail everyday and will slim the face when you wear your hair down on a night out.

My best tip for solving every day greasiness is to let the shampoo do the work, dont massage or vigourously scrub the scalp as you are encouraging more sebum. I recommend kerastase bain clarifant as an excellent detox shampoo to be used alongside your anti-dandruff products. You are right not to use conditioner on the roots as the natural sebum will be keeping that area healthy but then this doesnt tend to travel to the ends. Using a light conditioner like kerstase ciment anti usure will make sure the hair is detangled and easier to comb.

For styles on the wedding day i would look to the red carpet, jennifer anniston and sandra bullock are great examples of how fine shoulder length hair can be glamourous and full of life. i recommend getting a professional blowdry on the morning of the wedding as well, your stylist should have all the products and tools needed to give a photo finish look that lasts the whole day.

I hope this helps and if you are in the North West come in and see us and I can go through what shape and styles i think would work specifically for you.

Kind Regards

Barbara

I would also recommend drying your hair rather than it to dry naturally but avoid over working it, so blast dry the majority, if not all, and style as you like, drying it off rather than leaving it to dry tends dry out the hair a little bit so makes it less greasy looking.

The cut make also be weighing your hair down by the sounds of things, having a bit of scaffolding or shape to pull the hair away from the face might also give it more life and stop it feeling so dull and limp. Colour is also a great way to dry out oily roots whenever my hair needs colouring it tends to be more oily so again this could be something you might like to consider to give it a bit more hold and body.

Finally, whilst dry shampoos are great for absorbing grease i agree they can make your hair look dull and chalky, tec ni art do a fantastic hairspray in their new wild stylers range called next day hair which is a spray that contains a powder. Spray directly into the roots section by section to give body and hold without the chalky texture you’ve been experiencing. This product is great as little top up through the day if you’ve noticed your hair going a bit limp.

I hope this all helps and you start to see some results.

Barbara x