OUR EXPERTS:
Monae Everett, hairstylist and makeup artist
Matt Swinney,L'ANZA Creative Team member
Kristan Serafino, hairstylist
Edwin Fontanez,Matrix artistic desigher
Gerard Scarpaci, Artistic Director, Aveda Advanced Academy New York
Ian Michael Black, Technical Artistic Director, Aveda Advanced Academy London
Kirsten Dunst's thin blonde hair is per-fect for a short cut and requiresa mix of lowlights and high-lights to appear thicker. Julianne Moore's thick hair benefits from the rich-ness of her aubu shade. Curly hair like Shakira's looks best ata darker shade with chunky high-lights.
TREATMENT
Support the look witha strong foundation. Usea volumizing shampoo.Follow that with condition-er only on the ends, espe-cially if you have color treated hair. Next applya golf ball amount of volu-mizing mousse. Follow that by blow-drying with a large natural bristle brush. Wrap dried sections of the hair in place with Velcro rollers. Also try hot rollers. When styling, try a side or zigzag parting, rather than a center part, this will help to disguise the thinness at the crown or hairline. Consider coloring your hair to add dimension.
CUT
In general, thinner hair should be cut shoulder length or short, as long, thin hair can look limp and lifeless. Avoid too many layers as well, because thin hair lies flat on the head - graduation at the ends gives fine hair more body and move-ment. Shorter styles such as a pixie and an above the shoulder bob are flat-tering, as well as cuts designed to be tucked behind the ear. The beau-ty of thin hair is that it lends itself to textured, edgy cuts without need-ing a stylist to add tex-ture with their shears. Thin, wispy, textured hair is totally rocker chic!
LESS APPEALING CUTS
Longer than shoulder length hair. Steer clear of cuts with a lot of layers.
COLOR
Hair color causes the hair strands to swell and cre-ates volume. Darker shades will make hair look much thicker than lighter shades. If the desired look is on the lighter side, work a darker color through undeeath to give the illu-sion of thickness. Pieces of color also work well, as they create more texture in the hair, making it look fuller. Never over-lighten thin hair as this will give it a more "transparent" appearance. Try highlights and lowlights with colors slightly lighter and darker than your natural haircolor. Hair extensions are also a great option. Long, thin hair tends toward dullness and may seem limp and lack-luster.
TREATMENT
To achieve a smooth look use a smoothing shampoo and conditioner. Remember to rinse thor-oughly. Thick hair hasa tendency to "hide" prod-uct and become weighed down. Blow-dry in a down-ward motion using a flat ceramic or flat vent brush. Sometimes this hair type is so "glassy" that it's hard to style. Apply a volumizing product like protective serum to give hair volume and "grip" to better holda style. For styling, choose products that will soften the hair and give it shine.
CUT
Layering removes bulk and well-executed texturizing creates separation. Avoid cutting thick hair too short, or the style will lose movement and appear very solid and dense. Good haircuts: Heavily razored cuts are great to remove bulk. This will work fora chin length bob or mid-back length cut. Layered cuts are awesome for thin hair. When it comes to the fringe, choose the style based on the shape of your face. Layered cuts help with shape and direction.
LESS APPEALING CUTS
Ear length cuts. Long, sin-gle length cuts. Avoid short layers as this will add volume at the root. When cutting this hair type, avoid super-blunt shapes - the hair will appear too dense and heavy. Use thin-ning shears and/or razors to soften the ends and the outer perimeters, as well as to create long layers for movement.
COLOR
Most colors work well on thick hair, especially rich, velvety brown shades. High shine gives thick hair a lustrous and healthy appearance. Try shine spray or fluid finishing products. Be wary when working blonde shades through thick hair. Over-lightened hair can look dry, and can make thick hair look especially coarse and brittle. Using lightening products can also "swell" the hair shaft, making hair look even more bulky. When coloring thick hair use thinner highlights, oth-erwise the color can be lost in the mass of hair. Colorwise, this hair type tends to soak up light and appear solid and dense. Try applying subtle highlights and lowlights undeeath layers - they will peek out from beneath a surface "veil" and give the appear-ance of dimension and movement.
TREATMENT
Less is more - the less you manipulate curly hair the bet-ter it looks. Too much handling can lead to too much frizz. Curly hair loves moisture so after shampooing and condi-tioning, resist the urge to rinse out the conditioner until hair squeaks. Leave some condi-tioner in the hair and blot dry. Before drying, apply a leave-in conditioner or moisturizing styler. Divide hair into one-inch sections and lightly twist each section in the direction of the curl to encourage curl defini-tion. For home maintenance, be sure to add moisture to the hair. You don't need to shampoo every day. You can also apply conditioner alone. To style, apply a smoothing cream for curls to damp hair. Pull through each curl from scalp to ends, ensuring even coverage. Dry half way witha diffuser on medium heat and airflow, making sure not to shake or brush through curls. Apply more smoothing cream, then continue using the diffuser until hair is only slightly damp, then allow to air dry.
CUT
No two heads of curly hair are the same. Stylists can-not do systematic cuts on curly hair. All curls are dif-ferent and cutting in basic layers will result in a cut that is asymmetrical when dry. Be careful not to over-layer the hair in the crown or it will lose movement and disturb the curl pat-te. Texturizing should also be done undeeath rather than at the end of curl strands to keep natu-ral curl patte intact. Finish with a special prod-uct for curly hair for the ultimate frizz defense and curl distinction. What's great about curly hair is every day brings out a new fun look. Curls have a mind and bounce of their own. Don't try to confine the energy in a curl but chan-nel it artfully through cut, style and product. Always cut curly hair in the same shape as the round of your head.
COLOR
Thick pieces of color worked through curly hair will accentuate the curl. Choose a shade no lighter than three shades above the base color, so the con-trast is not too great. High shine is very important as curly hair can look coarse and less brilliant than straighter styles. Red shades look particularly striking on curly hair. Super blonde shades accentuate the dry and coarse appearance of curly hair types. When coloring curly hair, avoid extremely light tones. The lighter the curly hair is, the frizzier it tends to appear. Rich, deep, darker tones help hair look shinier and make curls look well defined.
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