Women know that one of the nicest luxuries in life is going to the salon and getting our hair did. That feeling you get when you walk in and they treat you like a million dollars is irreplaceable. You start with a warm shampoo and scalp massage, move on to an ultra moisturizing conditioning treatment, and before you know it you’re walking out looking like you’re hot off the runway.
Hair salons are booming business and they know how to lock us in. The problem is, we want this $200 salon look every single day and that’s just sadly never going to happen. So what do you do when you can’t have professional mane tamers attending to your tresses on a daily basis?
Maintain Your Healthy Locks
Step one is keeping your hair healthy from the start:
- Eating a balanced diet does wonders for your hair (and skin too)
- Many shampoos can be full of harsh chemicals, so minimize washing to every two or three days (ponytails and fish braids are right on trend thank god)
- Try a DIY wash every other week with apple cider vinegar and baking soda instead
- Rinse with cool water since hot water can dry out your locks
- Try drying your hair with a t-shirt instead of a towel, which can be harsh and damaging for your hair
- Stick with natural bristle brushes that won’t tug and destroy your hair
- When it comes time for the products, less is more. Always use a heat protectant and make sure your blow dryer has an attachment so you’re not adding too much heat
Pay for The Necessities
When it comes to hair care, there are certain procedures that must be left to the professionals. For the love of all that is beautiful, please do not try to take a pair of shears to your own head – ever. The results will inevitably be disastrous and there are some catastrophes that just require time to fix. With that said, you should leave the cut and the coloring to a trained professional.
Hair color is not something to be taken lightly. Cosmetology schools have entire courses on hair color and even host special seminars to update stylists on the newest techniques and styles. As much as I’d love to say you could open a box and call it a day, there is a science to this procedure and I don’t recommend taking it on yourself, no matter how simple it seems.
The reality of hair salons is you’re often paying for someone’s name on the front of the building. Ditch the high end joints and go for the family friendly locations. Many haircut places even offer budget friendly pricing that won’t break the bank. They all trained at the same schools so there’s no reason to pay more.
Take Care of The Rest At Home
Anything else that they do at a salon is all fluff. We all love that $40 blowout or keratin hair mask, but it’s not money well spent. Save your hard earned dollars because you can easily repeat the process at home. A little volumizing spray, moose, and a round brush can help you dry your hair like a pro. It takes a little patience and practice, but it’s well worth it to feel that gorgeous. As if charging a fortune to dry your hair isn’t crazy enough, many of the treatment masks are just a few basic ingredients. In fact, many of the conditioning treatments can be repeated for little cost with basic food items. You can literally save that money for groceries. Ever hear of the mayonnaise mask? It’s a real thing and it works.
We’d all love to have a personal stylists at our beck and call at a moment’s notice. But that’s not realistic. That doesn’t mean we have to sacrifice the runway look any day of the week. Just spend wisely and you can still look great.
I would encourage all TFM readers to check out Chinatown. Maybe it’s because I have long, easy Asian hair so I’m not picky when it comes to hair stylists. I used to go to Groupon for haircuts, but now I spend $25 (including tip) at Chinatown compared to when it costs $70-$80 in a nice part of town. I also go all the way to the suburbs (the non-fancy parts) to get my waxing/threading done at ethnic salons.