Everyone has those days when their hair gets a little hard to manage but it’s not time for hair wash day. Influencers always preach that you should not wash your hair daily because it strips your hair of its natural oils. But how, I wondered, did their hair look so perfect on day two of not being washed? Well, as someone who had to learn through trial and error, I’m here to give you insider info.
- The slick back
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You’ve probably seen people like Kim Kardashian use this tactic in the past. The sleek ponytail makes you look put together even if you feel the opposite. All you have to do is brush your hair aggressively up into a ponytail or low bun. Once your hair is as stuck down to your head as possible, you can use these methods to make it even more slick. Something I like to do when it’s in a ponytail is put a heat protectant on the actual tail part and straighten it just a tiny bit. There are two tricks for the third step: you can either put some coconut oil on a smoothing brush and slick the hair directly on your head back, or you can use a wax stick or balm to smooth it down. If there are any flyaways after that I suggest pulling them back and putting another hair-tie over the original one to capture them.
- space buns
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This is a super easy fix especially if you have curly hair. Press the hair near your roots down to your head using a hairbrush and part it down the middle in the back. After that take one side of your part and twist it. After that put the twisted hair into a low bun. Repeat this with the other side of the part. To create a more voluminous effect you can then take strands of your hair from the top of your roots and undo them from the bun. You can also take hair from whatever other parts of the buns you please and do this same trick.
- pigtails
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Putting your hair in pigtails is very similar to doing space buns. You part your hair and brush it the same way. Then instead of putting the hair in buns you just have to put two hair ties in and let your hair lie where it may. Personally, I like to make it so that they are a bit higher on the sides of my head compared to the low buns. That’s all there is to this method!
- braids
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Braids are a perfect way to tame frizz and oil. If you’re coordinated and are an easy learner a quick youtube tutorial can teach you how to achieve more fancy looks like french and boxer braids. For me, however, I opt for regular braids. Just part your hair and take one side and separate it into three sections. Cross the side sections over the middle section and continue this motion until you reach the end of your hair. You can make it so that the braid falls in front of or behind your ear. Repeat this on the other side and voila, another simple method to add to your back pocket.
- claw clip
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This is arguably the easiest method to throw together in a time crunch. Make an investment in your next Amazon order and buy a package of “claw clips.” These clips are just big enough to hold up all of your hair. The clips also come in different shapes and colors based on whatever tickles your fancy. Once you have the clips, start brushing your hair together like you would for a low ponytail. Everyone has a different technique for how they like their hair to be held in a claw clip. Some people take their hair and wrap it around itself, proceeding to cover the wrapped hair with the clip. For me personally, I just twist the hair and aim it upwards, then put the clip over the bottom half of the hair and let the rest of the hair free fall. This allows the top of the hair to billow over the clip, creating a nice poofy voluminous effect with what otherwise may be flat matted down hair.
- half-up half-down
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Finally, we have the half up half down method. If you have thicker hair, the aforementioned claw clips could come in handy for this. For this, you are going to want to split your hair into two sections, top and bottom layers. The bottom portion you won’t need to touch, aside from brushing it if you want to. With the top, you will wrap the hair around itself and throw it up into a clip that will hold up just that amount of hair and really attach to your scalp. With these two steps, you’ve officially achieved the basic half-up half-down hairstyle!
I hope these tips and tricks help you in the future when you’re in a pinch. They can be especially handy if you’re grease-training your hair. Don’t stress the styling too much, every person’s hair behaves differently. Now go ahead and rock these looks!
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