Salon visits are not always a priority for busy mums, so here’s how to get the same results in your home
1. TRIM YOUR OWN FRINGE: Stretch the time between haircuts by trimming your own fringe. Marc Trinder, art team director at Charles Worthington, explains how to keep it in shape.
2. BUY DECENT SCISSORS: Invest in a pair of hairdressing scissors and a pair of thinning scissors.
3. NEVER TRIM WET HAIR: Hair shrinks as it dries and it will end up short.
4. SECTION YOUR HAIR: Split your fringe into two horizontal sections. Cut the underneath section first, followed by the top section.
5. BE CAUTIOUS: Always keep more length than you think.
6. SOFTEN THE FRINGE: Use a pair of thinning scissors to soften your fringe. Then, starting in the centre of your fringe and working outwards, chip into the hair with the hairdressing scissors.
7. KEEP THE SIDES LONGER: This frames your face.
8. OWN UP IF YOU MAKE A MISTAKE: Try softening the mistake with thinning scissors but, if in doubt, go to the salon for expert help.
9. ONLY TRIM ONCE: Trimming your own fringe more than once between appointments will start to change the shape of your cut.
10. DON’T TRIM TRICKY HAIR: Leave unruly or very straight Asian hair to the stylist, as these types of hair show up every little mistake.
11. SHAPE YOUR EYEBROWS: As a mum, a well-groomed pair of eyebrows that open up tired eyes make all the difference to your look. Founder of Mayfair’s Nails And Brows, Sherrille Riley explains how to get the best results.
12. SEE A PROFESSIONAL FIRST: Find the time to visit a salon for an expert to establish a well-shaped brow. With a clear guide in place, it will be obvious which re-growing hair need to be removed every two weeks.
13. BUY A BROW BRUSH: Use it to brush your brows upwards first. An old toothbrush will do the job too.
14. SKETCH THE SHAPE FIRST: It’s easy to over-tweeze and difficult to know when to stop. Use a brow pencil to draw on the shape you want before you even think about picking up your tweezers.
15. DULL THE PAIN Before you begin, press a warm face flannel onto your skin. This softens and opens hair follicles, making it easier to tweeze the hair out.
16. TWEEZE RESPONSIBLY: Tweeze away the excess hair outside of the shape you’ve drawn in. Only remove minimal hair from the top of your brows. If any are too long and unruly, it’s better to trim them with a pair of scissors.
17. GET RID OF THE GREY: If you have greying brows, apply your regular hair dye to them whenever you colour your hair. Leave on for no longer than seven to 10 minutes and be careful to only cover the hair and not the skin.
18. COLOUR YOUR OWN HAIR: Is skipping off to the salon for a whole morning to have your roots done a major luxury—or impossibility— these days? Estelle Baumhauer, colour director for online colour service esalon. com, gives her top tips for professional at-home results.
19. DON’T BE TOO BRAVE: Select a colour that complements your natural complexion. As a general rule, don’t choose a colour that is more than two shades lighter than your current tone. If your hair is already coloured, only go one shade lighter.
20. READ THE INSTRUCTIONS: Regardless of what brand or type of colour you are applying, it’s important to read the instructions carefully to avoid over-processing your hair.
21. PREPARE YOUR HAIR: Two days before you colour, shampoo your hair and use a deep conditioning treatment. Don’t shampoo immediately before you colour as this strips some of the scalp’s naturally protective oils, which can leave it more sensitive and prone to irritation.
22. FOCUS ON ROOTS: If you are simply touching up your roots, focus on the new growth area. Be careful not to overlap colour on hair that has been previously coloured, as this can lead to a dull, dark finish. Then follow with a professional technique called an emulsion to ensure even, harmonious colour from root to tip. To do this, once the colour has processed on your roots, quickly work any leftover colour through the entire length of your hair, then rinse thoroughly.
23. WATCH THE CLOCK: Don’t leave your colour on for longer than is specifi ed in the instructions in the hope that it will increase coverage—it won’t. Instead, it will give a darker-than-desired result.
24. DO YOUR OWN WAXING: At-home waxing will save you serious cash and precious minutes not having to shave in the shower. Parissa waxing expert Alley Laundry advises how to get a smooth, pain-free finish.
25. USE THE RIGHT WAX: If you have coarse hair or are waxing small, delicate areas, choose hot wax. It can take a little practice to get the consistency, application and removal of hot wax right, so be patient. Aim for a paper-thin layer. If you have sensitive skin, or you’ve never tried waxing before, use cold wax. It’s gentle and washes off if you make a mistake.
26. FOLLOW THE TWO-WEEK RULE: Hair should be a minimum of ½ cm long before waxing. Generally, this means letting your hair grow for two weeks before waxing.
27. TAKE PAINKILLERS: Taken 30 to 60 minutes before waxing, Ibuprofen can help relieve pain and swelling.
28. PRACTISE ON YOUR LEGS: Hone your technique before you tackle more sensitive areas.
29. KEEP SKIN TAUT: Stretch your skin in the opposite direction to the direction you pull the fabric strip off. For best results, you need to be brave—pull the strip off quickly.
30. APPLY PRESSURE: Immediately press the just-waxed area with your hand or a cool cloth to soothe it. ■
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