Hair Tricks Everyone Should Know

I don’t know about you, but when I was younger, I spent way too much time wishing I had different hair and not enough time learning to actually handle my own. I have very thick, curly hair, which I spent about 15 years straightening. Every day. But eventually, I started to wear my hair natural, and when I did that, I learned a lot of useful hair tricks. So now I want to share with you some hair tricks that everyone should know. Whether your hair is thin or thick, straight, wavy or curly, you’ll find these tricks as valuable as I have.

Change up your shampoo strategy.

You’ve probably heard hair tricks about not using shampoo every day, because it can strip your hair of its natural oils and dry it out. If you have curly hair, you might even want to ditch shampoo completely—you can try a natural alternative, like apple cider vinegar, or you can simply use conditioner in the shower.

If the idea of not washing your hair daily grosses you out, try a dry shampoo. Everyone should have a good dry shampoo in their hair arsenal—it’ll buy you extra time between washes. Try out a few different ones, and see which works the best for your hair. Or if you want to save money, you could try making your own.

And change your conditioner habits.

Another hair-washing tip you may not have heard? You could be using conditioner wrong, too. If you don’t have a dry scalp, you’re likely using too much. A useful hair trick is to only apply conditioner to the bottom three-quarters of your hair. Make sure you’re especially working conditioner into your ends, because that’s the part of your hair that needs the most moisturizing. If you do have issues with a dry scalp or roots, it’s fine to apply conditioner to them—but try to use a thinner layer than you do on the rest of your hair. Otherwise, you could weigh your hair down, which is one of the ways you're washing your hair wrong!

Want to prevent frizz? Pick up the right brush (or comb).

I spent years overusing anti-frizz oils and then being frustrated when they didn’t work well enough. But while anti-frizz products can be useful, there are hair tricks you can use to prevent more frizz in the first place. One of those tricks is making sure you’re detangling wet hair with the right tool.

I didn’t invest in a wide-tooth comb for years. In fact, I used the same brush for literally everything, including detangling my wet hair. But then I finally bought a wide-tooth comb, and now that’s all I use to get out tangles and to comb through wet hair. When you make the switch, you’ll notice way less breaking and frizz, and fewer split ends.

Your bath towel shouldn't be your hair towel.

Speaking of wet hair tricks, stop drying yours with a regular bath towel. The fibers can create friction that causes your hair to be frizzier. Instead, invest in a microfiber towel, or simply wrap your hair in a t-shirt. You will find those to be much gentler on your hair. And don’t rub your hair dry, either—patting it dry will also keep unnecessary frizz and breakage at bay.

Oh, and if you need a bonus reason not to use your bath towel on your hair, just remember that there’s probably bacteria on your bath towel that you wouldn’t necessarily want in your hair.

Another hair tip that can help you eliminate frizz is sleeping on silk. Just like with regular bath towels, cotton pillowcases can create friction within your hair and, therefore, more frizz. They can also draw in more moisture from your hair, leaving you feeling like you need to use more conditioner. Using a silk pillowcase will prevent friction and keep in moisture. And by the way, that goes for your face, too— you’ll notice smoother, softer hair and skin after changing to silk pillowcases. And if you needed any more reasons to make the switch, silk can also keep you cooler at night. Alternatively, if you don’t want to purchase new pillowcases, you can buy a silk sleeping cap and wear that to bed every night.

Bobby pins are your best friend.

They can help you create some killer updos, but only if you know how to use them properly. You might be frustrated when bobby pins slide out of your hair (especially if you have thick hair, like I do). But there are a few hair tricks that can help you deal with that problem.

First, make sure you’re putting them in correctly. The wavy side of the bobby pin should always be down, against your scalp. And second, spray them with hairspray or dry shampoo before you put them in. This will help them stay in your hair all night, so you don’t constantly need to go looking for a mirror. It's a beauty trick every girl should know!

You may want to use your diffuser.

Diffusers are sometimes sold with hair dryers, but a lot of us avoid using them because we have no idea how to. A diffuser is an awesome tool to have, though! They can prevent frizz and create volume. You should especially try out a diffuser if you have curly hair—it’ll give you good curl definition, instead of wrecking your curls the way a normal hair dryer nozzle would.

When you use a diffuser, you want to take sections of your hair and place them against the diffuser. Then push the diffuser up against your scalp. Make sure your hair dryer is on a low speed and low heat setting when you do this. Use the diffuser until your hair is almost dry, and then let it air dry the rest of the way. Hello, bouncy curls or beachy waves!

To preface this, let me just say I’m an advocate for not blow drying every day, because the heat can obviously damage your hair—especially if you have color-treated hair. But sometimes, like days you want to rock a blowout, it’s unavoidable. So make sure you know these blow drying tricks.

If you have curly hair, apply your favorite curl enhancer and heat protectant, and use the diffuser until your hair is about 80% dry. If you have straight hair, a round brush will help big time when you blow dry it. After you apply heat protectant, section off your hair, and pull the brush from your roots to tips while you blow dry it.

If you’ve got thin hair, there are a couple hair tricks you can use to create more volume. Taking the nozzle off your blow dryer and drying upside down will add more volume and texture. You should also apply a volumizing spray or mousse when your hair is about 80% dry, and then finish drying with a diffuser and round brush.

And for thick-haired ladies, you likely want to avoid frizz and more volume than you already have. The hair tricks that will work the best for you are to dry your hair in a downward motion with a boar bristle brush, so you don’t lift your roots any more than necessary. Doing this in sections will be most efficient. After you’re done, apply your favorite anti-frizz agent. You might also want to invest in a quick-drying spray, so you’re not spending forever with the blow dryer.

There are even specific tips for blow drying your hair according to your hair type.

Use your hot tools correctly.

When you’re curling your hair, the curls will be tighter the closer together your hair is on the barrel.

Do you have trouble curling your hair without it going flat a few hours later? Follow these hair tips. Start curling as close to the root as possible to make them last longer. And when you’re finished with a curl, hold it in your hand (or pin it to your scalp) until it cools. Don’t let it fall while it’s still hot.

If you’re straightening your hair, however, you don’t want to start right at your roots, because that can make your hair look flat. Instead, start about two inches away.

And, of course, if you’re using either of these tools, apply a heat protectant to your hair first!

One last trick: master one awesome hairstyle.

Even if you think you’re terrible at doing your hair (trust me, I relate), everyone should know how to create one great hairstyle. Pick something—a braid, a twist, a bun—and practice, practice, practice. (Thank goodness for the abundance of hair video tutorials, right?) It’ll help whenever you’re going out or have a wedding, work event, or birthday coming up. Here's one to start off with: if you want a long, full ponytail, but you don't have long hair, create a fake one by hiding a low ponytail under a high one!

So there you have it. Once you start using these hair tricks, you’ll find your hair so much easier to manage—and then, hopefully, you’ll appreciate your hair more!