Today's Secret's - 05/03/14 - Hair - Save money and how to get the best out of your style.

Shop around for a cheap place to get your hair cut or find a home hairdresser as they are often cheaper. Be careful of places that offer one price for everything as you can often find they have hidden add ons.
Dress how you usually dress when going to the hairdressers and be honest about how long you normally take to style it as this will help the hairdresser to assess you and make the style really fit you and your life. If you don't usually blow dry your hair then ask the hairdresser not to blow dry it either as then you will see how it really looks straight away and can call the hairdresser if once it is dry you hate it. A good hairdresser will have you back for free to sort out any mistakes they have made and to keep you happy.

Pick a style you like and that will suit you, ask your hairdresser and listen to their advice. If your hair is thinning have a short layered style to give it body. Thicker hair can be thinned out for the summer so you won't get so hot.

Always think of maintenance when choosing a style or colour. Blonde needs lots of care and watch out for green tinges when you go swimming (tomato ketchup will remove this), any colour will need retouches and the roots doing regularly.  

Practise dyeing your own hair but never do it just before going out or just before a big event like a holiday. Give it a week to settle or a bit of time to actually re-dye it if it needs it. Get dye stains off your skin with a little milk.
If you use a henna dye then enhance it with coffee, red wine or tea depending on the colour intensity you want.
If you home dye then don't fall into some of the home dye traps. Going Blonde? use a good quality bleach and don't panic when you see the many colours your hair will go on the way to white. If you want it really white with no yellow then wait a while and redo the bleach. Make sure you condition well afterwards. Brown? to stop the green tinge add some red to your hair first with some wash out colour or mousse.

Buy a cheap two in one shampoo and a small bottle of branded shampoo. Then when washing your hair in the shower use a good amount of the two in one with a tiny dollop of the expensive stuff. Rub it in well and use any suds to clean the rest of you. Wash out and you will have lovely clean conditioned hair and a clean body without the need to buy conditioner or body wash.
Don't buy expensive dandruff shampoo just add some olive oil to your conditioner. If you need a more intensive dandruff solution then dry thyme and sage in warm water as a final rinse or nettle heads soaked in boiling water (sieve both solutions before use) then use as a above.

When washing your hair don't pile it up on your head as it will tangle, wash it loose and leave it to dry long.

Hair is more fragile when wet so use a wide tooth comb to brush it.

A good repair for your hair and to stop it being brittle use two eggs mixed with an egg cup full of olive oil. Rub it into dry hair and then wash off thoroughly or try the same with a large amount of mayonnaise.
Use corn oil rubbed into the end of your hair to help with split ends. Rub it in gently, leave for a few minutes and then wash out. Pure bristle brushes can reduce split ends.

Add vinegar to your conditioner (only a teaspoon) to make your hair shine.

If you run out of hair conditioner you can use fabric conditioner instead but only use a little bit.

Petroleum jelly makes a good styling product. Pale ale makes a great setting lotion. Use egg white or sugar water to get a really firm hold but watch out for bees. lol

When cutting children's hair at home give them a blank drawing of a face and let them put the cutting around the face as you cut so they are distracted. You could always try cutting the stray bits while they sleep or are watching TV, a fish tank, etc to keep them from getting upset.