A Cheat’s Guide to Maximising Relaxed Hair

As you flip through those glossy colourful hair magazines you find yourself wondering how all these woman manage to have such luscious abundant heads of hair especially when you catch a glimpse of your reflection and your hair is neither quite as long nor abundant.

To be frank, some women are blessed with amazing hair but the fact remains that some aren’t. And so you sit there hoping that your hair will achieve it’s estimated 1/2 inch growth for the month but at the same time desperately wishing to achieve some of the stylish hairdos in the magazines. Alternatively, you may have amazing hair but simply don’t want to be burdened with styling it each day before you head out the door; whatever your dilemma, there are solutions.

The good news is that there are ways to add length and volume to your relaxed hair without having to spend a bundle or hours in the salon.

The suggestions made here are mostly do-it-yourself and will not include professional styling services/techniques like installing weaves* etc.

The hair industry has evolved so much and there are so many hair pieces, in all colours, textures, lengths and forms that there is bound to be more than one that would not only meet your needs but suit you as well.

One of the easiest ways to get a sleek put-together look is with the clip on ponytail. The clip on ponytail may be straight, curly or wavy etc. They come in different colours and various lengths. In making your selection, be sure to choose one that best matches the texture and colour of your relaxed hair. You should also be mindful of the fact that they could be either synthetic or “human hair”. The human hair varieties tend to be more durable and more convincing to look at against your hair.

Before attaching the pony tail, slick your hair back and smooth the sides with a hairbrush, then attach the hairpiece at the desired height on your head. They usually clip into place with minimum fuss but be careful not to sink the the clips in too tightly so that it doesn’t put a strain on the surrounding hair that they are attached too.

A variant of the clip-on ponytail is the clip in* hair track. These ingenious hairpieces allow you to attach strips of hair directly onto your hair close to the scalp for length and volume. Naturally, these pieces should be placed strategically in order to disguise them properly. Again, they should match your hair colour and texture so that means that if the hairpiece is straight then you may need to flat iron* your hair or if the piece is wavy/curly then you may need to use the curling iron* to match your hair accordingly. Once you’ve attached them, brush your hair in place to blend the hairpiece and your hair; you may choose to let your hair down or hold it up and you are ready to go.

It is important to point out that caring for these hairpieces is as essential as caring for your hair, so make sure you wash and condition them regularly to get the most out of them and to keep them in good shape for longer.

If you opt for more the more professional way of attaching hair pieces like a sew in, please ensure that it is done by a qualified stylist and whenever possible it is advisable to avoid styles that require the use of glue to attach the hair piece.