Haircare

CUT YOUR HAIR SHORT BUT FEEL RESTRICTED? TOP TIPS IF YOU’RE LOOKING TO INVEST IN HAIR EXTENSIONS

By Hair Extension Specialist Nicole Petty at Milk + Blush

This year short hair has dominated, with women showing no fear in cutting their locks. According to Google data, search for the ‘mixie’ cut (pixie and mullet) has risen by 1,500 percent in recent months, the ‘bixie’ cut (pixie and bob) by 156 percent and ‘French bob’ by 84 percent. However, while the bob is predicted to be huge in 2022, making the chop can be a big decision, especially for those who have long locks.

So, what do you do if you miss the versatility that comes with having long hair? Well, the secret is to invest in a set of hair extensions.

Here, Nicole Petty, Hair Extension Specialist at Milk + Blush shares her top tips for anyone who’s made the chop but isn’t quite ready to wave goodbye to long-haired life just yet and wants to invest in some extensions.

DO YOUR RESEARCH Before committing to a set, consider what type of extension you are going for. For example, clip-in hair extensions are the best option for a quick fix, as they are easy to maintain, clean and take-off, while tape extensions are a more permanent yet natural-looking low-maintenance option. Quality is crucial, too, if you want them to last a bit longer. Synthetic hair might be cheaper and look shinier, but will most-likely get tangled easily and not hold styles or textures. Remy – human hair with the cuticle still intact – which is slightly more expensive, will last a lot longer, blend better and be easier to style. And it’s important to opt for the right length and colour to suit you. Lengths generally range from 12” to 24” inches – with 12” or 16” the recommended for anyone with short-mid length hair. Meanwhile, most suppliers provide a shade matching service, where you send in a picture of your hair in natural light to allow the experts to provide the best match possible.

FIT THEM IN PROPERLY To avoid any mishaps, you’ll want to add a thicker set of extensions of 200-280g worth of hair, to transition from shorter to longer hair seamlessly. After fitting your extensions, the section of hair at the nape of the neck will be the most prominent, particularly for those with short,

blunt hairstyles. To avoid the choppy extension look, conceal this shorter, bottom layer of hair by plaiting the hair flat against the nape of your head and, if it’s too short, twist the hair and pin it or tie it into a small bun. You can then begin clipping your first weft to this pinned section and work around the head, section by section. To create a perfect blend and conceal any bluntness, double up on wefts by stacking and layering them on top of each other around your head, no more than two at a time and clipping them to enough hair to hold the weight comfortably. Finish by adding texture with waves or curls for a seamless blend after you’ve clipped the extensions into your hair.

TAKE CARE OF THEM To keep extensions in tip-top condition, brush them regularly using a soft brush, starting from the tips in a downwards motion - never from the top. When it comes to keeping them clean, we advise against washing our clip-in wefts. Instead, use a spray like RemySoft Daily Refresher – the spritz coats the hair in silicone which replenishes them similarly to how your natural hair oils soften your hair. If you do decide to wash them on the odd occasion, use a sulphate free shampoo and avoid scrubbing too hard. Rinse thoroughly before blow drying on low heat or air drying all of the wefts on a flat surface and gently pat away excess moisture from the hair using a microfibre towel. Always make sure you store your extensions in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight and that they are completely dry when you put them away - this will prevent any nasty mould or bacteria from growing.

OGX HAIRCARE LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN CALLING ON INDUSTRY TO BAN HARMFUL HAIR LANGUAGE

• OGX Haircare has launched a #LifeAffirmingHair campaign to abolish the use of negative hair adjectives which according to new research cause offence to a majority of UK women

• The brand is calling on the industry to ban the use of absurd hair words such as Lifeless, Mousy and Wiry, and is petitioning the Oxford English Dictionary to stop the terms being used to define hair • Beauty expert and commentator,

Ateh Jewel is supporting the campaign alongside OGX hair stylist, Michael

Douglas • The absurd use of these hair words has been brought to life in a thought provoking photo series, released today

AS PART OF ITS MISSION TO HELP WOMEN FEEL GOOD ABOUT THEIR HAIR OGX Haircare has launched a #LifeAffirmingHair campaign which aims to abolish the use of negative hair language commonly used in the industry – in fact, the UK’s five leading hair care brands use words that half of UK women find offensive*. 10

It comes after new research by OGX found almost 2 in 3 (65%) UK women have had others make undesirable comments about their hair, leaving them feeling selfconscious and offended. Culpable terms include ‘Lifeless’ (20%), ‘Mousy’ (16%), and ‘Wiry’ (11%). In an effort to help women embrace their hair’s natural state - no matter what their hair type, look or feel, OGX Haircare is calling on the industry to ban the use of such negative hair words, and for lasting change is petitioning the Oxford English Dictionary to stop the terms being used to define hair. The study of 2,000 British women examined the impact negative language surrounding hair has on self esteem. The results uncovered that some of the worst word offenders currently prevalent in the haircare industry and common vernacular include “drab” (21%), “dishevelled” (16%) and “limp” (15%) with one in ten women (10%) admitting to finding the terms more offensive or upsetting than common swear words. The OGX petition on Change.org calls on the Oxford English Dictionary to help by changing offensive hair definitions and remove derogatory usage examples such as “He always made her feel so plain, with her mousy brown hair and dull gray eyes, her light skin that was so frail it sunburned in little under ten minutes in the heat”. Other absurd and offensive definitions include:

Mousy: “hair of a dull light brown colour”

Wiry: ‘‘(of hair, plants, etc.) stiff and strong; like wire’’ Lifeless: “dull; lacking the qualities that make something or someone interesting and full of life e.g. Her hair was lifeless and uncombed’’ Beauty expert and commentator, Ateh Jewel said: “Huge changes and progress has been made in the beauty industry to celebrate diverse skin tones and body shapes, but it’s time to also turn to our attention to replacing negative words with hair affirming ones. Growing up I was told my hair was wild, bush, nappy and unkempt so I know the sting and negative effect it can have on your confidence and self esteem. We need to create more hair inclusivity by empowering people to embrace and celebrate their hair. “

The study also reinforces the link between self-esteem, the media and language. A third of women (36%) want a more positive relationship with their hair, but are impacted by media and brands using negative words. In fact,17% admit to changing their hair after being made to feel bad about themselves by language used by the hair care industry. Kay Glover, Communications Manager, OGX Haircare commented: “At OGX we’ve long been on a mission to help women untangle the relationship between perfection and their hair. The study demonstrates just how much of an impact negative hair words can have on women and how they perceive themselves. That’s why we’re encouraging the industry and those that influence our use of language, the Oxford English Dictionary, to take a stand and commit to positively embracing all hair types.” OGX hair stylist, Michael Douglas added: “Every hair type is beautiful and we should be encouraging women to embrace their hair’s natural state and make the most of it, rather than trying to overhaul their look due to negative hair words. Hair isn’t wiry, it’s electrifying; it’s not lifeless, it’s smooth and it’s certainly not mousy - it’s mighty.’’ To shine a light on the impact these words can have on how women see themselves, OGX has unveiled a series of striking visual manifestations, demonstrating the reality of what it would look like to have “mousy”, “lifeless” and “wiry” hair, modelled by a line-up of women embracing their unique hair types. The imagery has been released to encourage women to banish the use of these words and embrace the traits that make their natural hair so unique. Women are being called on to challenge the use of these negative hair words by signing the petition at Change.org link, and sharing hair positive images on social media using #LifeAffirmingHair.