Professional Hair Stylists Detangle New-fangled Hair Products

By Nancy K. Crevier

In the musical play Hairspray, main character Tracy Turnblad asks a beatnick chick, “How do you get your hair so, so flat?” To which the chick replies, “With an iron, man. I play my bongos, listen to Odetta, and then I iron my hair, dig?”

Hair ironing has become passé, fortunately for the nation’s tresses, but the longing for shiny, smooth hair that billows gently in the breezes continues to be an ongoing quest. And there is a lot more than hair spray and hot irons to select from in 2007.

Mousse, gel, conditioners, follicle stimulators, hair finishers, sculpting putty, molding paste, hair wax, shine sticks, wash-in color, hair taffy, and pomade all promise to deliver the elusive shine and silkiness sought by the masses. They can, said local hair stylists, but it is a matter of respecting hair type for a successful result.

There are three types of hair groups, Dan Riccio explained at a recent interview at his South Main Street salon, Ricci’s. Whether a person has fine, medium, or coarse or curly hair is based on hair diameter and that determines the type of hair product that should be used.

“Shine is the reflection of light off of the closed hair cuticle,” Mr Riccio explained. Unconditioned hair cuticles are similar in structure to an opened pinecone, he gave as an example. Until the openings are closed or coated, they cannot reflect the optimum amount of light. “Topical products don’t really work,” he said, “unless you can get them into the core of the hair.” This is not to say that hair shine sticks and similar products are a waste of money. When hair is deep-conditioned on a weekly basis, all hair types benefit, said Mr Riccio, and healthy hair will make the best use of shine agents. He stressed, however, the importance of using the proper product for each hair type.

“With fine hair, you want light products,” he said. “That means products with not a lot of conditioning agents in the shampoos, and conditioners that are protein based.” Look for soy or silk protein ingredients on the label, he said, as an example. “Styling products should also be light,” Mr Riccio went on to say. Mousse, gel, and wax can all be used to control fine hair, he said, but gels and waxes should only be of the spray-on variety, to avoid weighing down the hair. Flyaway hair can be controlled with a dry hair spray. “The old-fashioned, lacquer-based hairsprays are wet and not good for fine hair. Aerosol spray also is a wet, heavier hairspray,” Mr Riccio said, not a good choice for hair of thin diameter.

With midweight hair, Mr Riccio suggested alternating moisturizing conditioners with protein conditioner for best results. People with midweight hair want to use products such as gels, wax, and shine gels at the roots, trying not to apply the agent to the ends of hair where it will only drag down the style. “Heat the product a little in the hand before you apply it to the scalp,” suggested Mr Riccio. Midweight hair can also make use of an oil-based wax, or for a “piecier” effect, the new hair putties or taffies are appropriate.

“Curly, coarse hair needs to be conditioned and softened,” said Mr Riccio, and the best products for this hair type include heavier shampoos with wax or oil-based conditioners. “This kind of hair can take pomades, taffy, hair wax, and strong gels,” Mr Riccio said. Thermal product straighteners can be useful and are designed to protect the hair.

Playing with the dozens of new products available can be fun and is, for the most part, harmless, said Mr Riccio. “They sell because of marketing, really,” he said.

Price actually can be somewhat of an indicator as to the quality of a shampoo, though, Mr Riccio said. All shampoos are mostly water, he explained, but a higher-end shampoo uses a mix of quality ingredients, and most importantly, is probably a lower-sodium product. Cheaper ingredients and the high sodium content of less expensive shampoos can strip the hair cuticle over time, as the detergent is simply too strong. “Try to alternate a cheaper product with a better one, if you can,” suggested Mr Riccio.

Ask The Experts

Michele Schettino, owner of Salon Michele on Queen Street, and Jackie Stakel, hair stylist there, agree with Mr Riccio that products work most successfully when matched with the hair treatment or type of hair.

“First and foremost,” recommended Ms Schettino, “ask you hair stylist for suggestions as to which hair products to use.” A hair stylist is the best resource for determining hair type, as well, said the women, although most people can determine if hair is fine or not simply by feeling it. “It is just how thick each strand of hair is,” said Ms Stakel.

Over-the-counter products are not particularly harmful, Ms Schettino said, but she feels there is definitely a difference between salon products and mass-marketed products. “The quality of what goes into a salon product is better,” she said. “Most salon products are not that much more expensive than many of those on the store shelves, either, and salon products are more concentrated.” That means that less product is used for good results, so in the long run, the cost comes out to about the same as buying mass marketed items, Ms Stakel added.

“It’s gimmicky out there,” said Ms Stakel. “Even most salon brands [on supermarket shelves] are not the same. Lots of them are watered down and the makers would be horrified to know they are being sold under their name. It’s hard not to find the bright colored containers appealing and who wouldn’t want those sparkly, bright looking shampoos?”

Having shiny, manageable hair does not need to be a time-consuming effort, said these women. A number of the newer products applied correctly to the hair “really can make hair shinier,” said Ms Schettino. “Glaze is probably my favorite kind of color right now. It’s for everyone and because it fills the hair cuticle, it really makes hair smooth and shiny.”

Other favorite hair products at Salon Michele include spray wax as a finisher for fine hair and a flattening balm used to blow out medium-thick hair when wet. For curly hair, both Ms Schettino and Stakel are fans of a curl perfecter gel. For all hair types, Ms Schettino said shine serum sprays are great. “But ask your hair stylist how to use the product. It is a little different for each hair type.”

At Sandy Hook Hair Co. on Church Hill Road, owner Bonnie Fredericks was also in agreement that consumer education is key to avoiding disappointment in hair products, and that the best source of that education is a hair professional. The array of products currently available have their place, she said, when used appropriately. While there are many products to select from, consumers can rest assured that most of them really do what they say.

“If hair tends to be flat and has not been color treated, use a volumizing shampoo and conditioner. It actually swells the hair. Aerosol mousse is another product that will plump hair. Shines, for instance, contain a silicone and make hair shiny.” Where products and people come to a bitter parting, said Ms Fredericks, is through overuse of a product. “Less is usually more,” she said.

Ms Fredericks also stressed the importance of reading the ingredients in hair products. “Pay attention to the ingredients like you would to the ingredients in your food. Comparing the ingredients in a product is probably more important than the price.”

High sodium and a lot of fragrance additives are not good for hair, said Ms Fredericks. “And avoid items that say they are a shampoo and conditioner in one. It is impossible to both clean and condition hair in one product.” What consumers do want to look for on the label is a protein source, like soy, Ms Fredericks recommended. “Biotin is also a good ingredient. It promotes hair growth.”

Overall, the new hair products are a positive in the hair care department, Ms Fredericks said. “But you are wasting money when you are buying three or four products without knowing how to use them,” she warned.

The hair professionals were all in agreement about the one over-the-counter product that produces distress for consumers: hair color. “Color is the one thing you can get in trouble with,” said Mr Riccio. “Home techniques can damage the hair.”

“We fix home hair color jobs all of the time,” said Ms Schettino. “It’s better to use a bad shampoo than a bad hair color.”

Ms Schettino and Ms Stakel also stressed the importance of having good tools to go with good products. “The brush and blow drier can make a difference,” said Ms Stakel. “Spending more on a good blow drier, with a lifetime guarantee, one time can really be cheaper than replacing a cheap drier over and over again. And if you are using a drier that is not hot enough or powerful enough, you won’t get the best results.”

In a nutshell, said Ms Stakel, “With the right product and the right tools, you can have a salon look every day.”