5 hair rules you should break

As any good rebel knows, rules are made to be broken. Here are five hair rules that really should be broken.

1. Older Women Shouldn’t Go Long

Break it: Long hair after 40 doesn’t automatically make you look older, but since hair thins as you age, pump up the volume with layers and movement around the face. ‘Poker-straight styles are too harsh,’ says stylist Byron Williams, who has worked with Demi Moore. Los Angeles stylist Chris McMillan advises parting hair on the side. ‘It will open up your entire face and give you a fresh, wide-awake look,’ he says.

2. Bangs Shouldn’t Be Wavy

Break it: Bangs don’t have to be stick straight, says New York hairstylist Garren. For a fresh look, he suggests applying a setting lotion. Sweep your wavy fringe to one side and allow it to air-dry. ‘Your bangs will form a pretty curve that softens up your entire face,’ he says.

3. Turn Down the Heat

Break it: Dialing down the heat on flatirons actually does more harm than good, says New York stylist Robert Vasquez. ‘Dragging the flatiron on that same piece over and over again is what weakens the hair’s outer protective layer,’ he says. Divide hair into 5cm sections and glide the iron slowly, gradually increasing pressure from roots to ends and making only one pass at the highest setting.

4. Trim Every Six Weeks

Break it: ’Hair simply doesn’t grow that fast,’ says stylist Jen Atkin of the Andy Lecompte Salon in West Hollywood. Most cuts take three months to lose their shape. (If you use styling tools frequently, cut every 10 weeks.) To keep locks looking healthy in between chops, Atkin recommends using a hydrating cream on ends.

5. Extra Shampooing Gets Hair Cleaner

Break it: Nothing strips hair faster than a frothy lather, says Fabian Lliguin of Cocoon Hair Studio in New York. When your scalp is dry, it produces more oil to compensate, resulting in greasy roots and brittle ends. ‘It’s a catch-22,’ says Lliguin. Instead, apply a conventional shampoo only to the scalp or switch to a gentler oil-based shampoo.

So with a little creative rule bending, you can step out in style, with hair that is sure to get you noticed!

This article originally appeared in InStyle
IMAGE: www.bestcelebrityhairstyles.com

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