Flipping out

 

 

Autumn is here and I have my much-needed appointment with my amazing hairdresser, Michael Charalambous.

Although my hair needs a good cut, the condition is remarkably good. No dry, brittle ends that I used to get when I coloured my hair. Michael’s tip of washing my grey hair in warm water rather than hot has definitely helped.

Blow-drying using heat protectants containing silicones left my hair feeling crunchy. I decided to experiment and use products that do not contain them. I also tried sulphate-free shampoos. My hair is much better for it.

Switching may not work for everyone. If your hair is like mine, fine, grey and dry, it may suit you. If you want to see if your tresses could benefit, without breaking the bank, start with baby shampoos which tend to be sulphate-free. You could also ask your hairdresser to wash your hair with a similar product on your next appointment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

If your hair is delicate, check out conditioners formulated for children. They can be gentler on the hair. Johnson's Shiny Drops Kids Conditioner (£3, Boots) was impressive. It left my hair soft and silky. It does not contain silicones. Before buying any product, I recommend checking the ingredients as they can change.

Michael advised me not to rinse out all of the conditioner. Leaving a little bit in the hair will help to protect it and prevent frizz.

Although a lot of people learned to embrace their natural texture during lockdown, I was not one of them. But given that my fluffy, fine hair has some curl in it, I am happy to wear the “hair flip”. My locks like to kick out naturally, especially when there is lots of humidity in the air.

Flicked-out ends were popular in the 60s and were given an edgy vibe back in the 90s. It seems now the flip has been once again been updated and is back on-trend.

Cut to sit on top of my shoulders, Michael parted my hair to the side. Yes, side-partings are back again. Blow-dried with lots of volume, the “midi-flick” with face-framing layers, which I seem to have naturally, is soft and flattering to the face. Best of all, it is low-maintenance.

I left the salon extremely happy with my new look.

 

By Daralyn Danns

 

For inspiration visit nyumbasalon.com or follow on instagram.com/nyumbasalon 

 

 

 

 

The chic bob

 

My trusted hair guru, Michael Charalambous, had his scissors ready to take the last layer out of my hair.

After two and a quarter years, I have finally got my hair to one length. “The perfect length for your hair is just touching the shoulders,” he said. “Obviously, if you wear it curly, it will look shorter.”

What I adore about Michael is that he is always tweaking my style, so I never go back to what I had before.

For as long as I can remember, I have had a side parting, but no longer. Michael created a centre parting (actually, just off centre) to make my bob look more modern. It also shows of my colour to perfection.

 

 

 

 

While Michael says, at the moment, he is not seeing any major trends coming through, he has seen a resurgence in the popularity of hair extensions. A good trick, if you suffer from frizz, is to go for clip-in hair ones and wear your locks in a high ponytail.

Another tip from the mane man. If you want to wear your hair sleek and want it to last, after blow-drying, run straighteners quickly through large sections of your hair. You want to keep the use of them to a minimum to avoid heat damage.

I left the salon looking and feeling glamourous. I learnt something as well.

By Daralyn Danns

 

For inspiration visit nyumbasalon.com or follow on instagram.com/nyumbasalon 

 

How to choose a round hair brush

 

(This is not a paid for post.)

When choosing a hair brush it is important to get the right one for your hair type as it can have an impact on its look and feel as well as its general health.

In need of a good round brush to smooth out my fine, yet plentiful locks when blow-drying, I started my search. I looked at several.

So many had bristles that were so hard that they scratched my hand. What would they do to my hair and scalp?

Kent (kentbrushes.com), which holds a Royal Warrant, has one of the best ranges so I called customer services and spoke to an extremely helpful and knowledgeable lady. 

 

 

 

Kent ladies finest beechwood pure black bristle round brush

 

 

 

“Pure boar bristles are best for fine hair”, she said. “They will never damage human hair, as they are made of the same protein.”

She explained that good quality boar bristles have a natural stiffness to brush through hair and yet “give” as they “draw” through it.”

They are renowned for strength and resilience. They help to distribute natural oils which make hair look shiny. They do not tend to make your locks frizzy. The one recommended for my hair type was the Kent ladies finest beechwood 65mm pure black bristle round brush LBR2 (£28).

Boar bristles are softer than nylon bristles. Opt for the latter if you have long, thick hair. Avoid spiky, pointy ones as they can damage hair. 

 

 

 

Kent Bristle Nylon Mix Round Brush

 

 

A combination of nylon and bristle such as Kent 60mm Bristle Nylon Mix Round Brush (£12) is good for medium to thick textures.

I tried this on my fine hair and found it great for smoothing out the frizzier bits. It has slightly more tension than the bristle brush. The Kent 45mm bristle nylon mix round brush PF04 (£11) is ideal for fringes.

Ceramic brushes such as Kent PF12 Ceramic Round Brush (£13, kentbrushes.com).  (GHD ceramic vented radial brush size 3, £20.95, ghdhair.com is another good one.) speed up your blow-dry. However, you have to be careful with them as they heat up quickly and, if not used correctly, can burn the hair. 

 

 

 

Kent Ceramic Round Brush

 

 

They glide through easily helping to smooth your hair. They provide less tension than bristle brushes. If your hair is coarse or/and frizzy a natural bristle one maybe a better option. Or, like me, use both.

When blow-drying, start with hair that is almost dry before using the brush. Work in sections. Place the brush in under the root and point the nozzle downwards as you move the brush downwards through the hair.

Do not hold the dryer too close to your locks. You should not place the nozzle of the hairdryer on top of the brush as some hairdressers do. Keep it at least 2.5 cm away.

I find with a ceramic brush turning my wrist slightly creates more tension to give me that smoother finish. I do not wrap my hair round the brush as I do not want volume or to get my locks tangled in the brush.

What type and size of brush you use will be down to personal preference. The general rule is the bigger the brush, the straighter your hair will be.

By Daralyn Danns