Hair And Hair Style Basics

Hair And Hair Style Basics

When it comes to hair and hair style basics there are a few key factors every man, woman, child of every age and race will usually take into consideration when dealing with their hair and hairstyles.

The very act of dealing with hair involves hair cutting, hair styling, hair maintenance, hair care and hair problem solving.

Hair And Hair Style Basics involves understanding of:

Hair type straight, wavy, curly, very curly, kinky, combination of textures),

Hair texture (thin/fine, medium, thick, very thick),

Hair length (shaved, very short, short, medium, long, very long),

Hair cuts, hair styles, hair color (white, blonde, brunette, black, red, gray, silver and a variety of other colors) and hair maintenance.

It also involves understanding hair tools and styling techniques.

Hair Styles

The very act of selecting the way you wish to wear your hair is ultimately defined as choosing a hair style. There is never a right or wrong way to select a hair style. It must always be a personal decision. What you like is what you should wear. Afterall, you will be the one wearing the hairstyle you select.

Keep in mind that what may look fabulous on someone else just might not look as great for you and vice versa. Every man, woman and child of every age and rage is a unique individual. Out ultimate selection of a hair style or hairstyles should also be unique.

Hair Style Types

Hair style types can cover an entire range of names and descriptions. Some of the most popular include, but are not limited to:

1. Bob hairstyles

2. Layered hairstyles

3. Crops, caps

4. Flips

Hair styles & Face Shapes

Some hairdressers place a lot of stock on identifying the ultimate face shape before addressing the hairstyle to wear with the face.

Ultimately the focus on face shapes has not been a totally positive methodology because the very nature of face shapes can be negative and limiting. Some celebrity hairdresser refuse to address a particular face shape and instead only focus on the ultimate hairstyle.

A fabulous hair style will enhance any face and any features.

Identify the features you love best about your face such as eyes, cheekbones, forehead, nose, chin and then pick the one you would love to highlight with your hairstyle. Don't look at your features in a negative way but instead look at them as all unique and beautiful as a result.

All hairstyles are designed to create a weight or cut line. This is something I learned from cosmetology training. Accent your favorite facial features so that other people's attention will be drawn to those special features on your face.

A hairstyle is the ultimate frame around your face. It can be designed to change and completely alter your ultimate appearance.

Definition of Face Shapes

While I do not personally subscribe to the theory of everyone fitting into a specific face shape, the common definitions include:

Oval - The face forms a perfect oval shape.

Round - The face tends to me more round than oval and often will have fuller cheeks.

Square - The face generally has more of a square shape which if often anchored by a square or strong jawline.

Rectangular - The face is long although it can often still be the classic oval shape.

Heart - The chin forms a delicate point and the cheeks and fore head areas are wider than the chin area.

Triangular - The jaw line is strong and wide and the forehead may come to a point of have a widow's peak.

Diamond - The jaw and foreheads come to a thinner point and the cheeks are wider than the rest of the face.

Pear - The jaw is rounded and wider than the cheek area and forehead in the shape of a pear.

Combo Face Shape - Many face shapes can be combined. You can have an oval face with a slightly prominent jaw so it would be an oval square. You can have a multitude of shapes built into one face, which is why face shapes should not be the end all of all hairstyle selections.

Remember that uniqueness is truly beautiful.  It's my opinion that most people have combination face shapes and that a hairstyle should be selected to highlight personal features.

Hair Styles And Hair Length:

The length of the hair plays a part in the hairstyle you select for obvious reasons. Some hairstyles are best suited to very short hair such as the crop or cap while other hairstyles are more suited to shoulder length or beyond.

The hairstyle you ultimately select can also send a message to other people about your personality type. It is common for businesspeople to be clean shaven to ensure an aura of trust and to avoid conceal their faces. Some people will use hair as a veil to create a barrier. it is important to avoid doing this since when hiding behind your hair you may be hiding some of your very best features.

The different hair lengths can be classified as follows:

shaved: clean shaven head - men, women and children may adopt this look

very short: a crop or chop is over very short and may only extend to the top of the earloves.

short hair: generally considered to fall to the bottom of the ear lobe.

medium: hair which falls to the chin or slightly below

long: hair which falls to the top or slightly below the shoulders

bra strap length - hair which extends to the top or middle of the back or to a woman's bra strap clasp area

waist length or classic long hair - hair which falls to the waist or slightly below is considered classic long length

below the waist - hair can extend below the waist and can be thigh lengh, knee length, calf length, ankle or floor length which falls into extremely long lengths

Keep in mind that everyone has their own definition of what is short, medium, long and extra long. If you are working with a hairdresser to create a style be sure to take photos or images to showcase your own personal definition of short, medium and long hairstyles.

Hair color and Hair style Color:

Hair color can have a major impact on your hair and overall appearance. Some well-placed lighter highlights or contrasting colors can create an unbelievable change.

Be sure select hair colors which work best with your own personal skin and eye tones and overall natural colouring.

Hair color experts will be able to provide you with hair color books composed of swatches of color to select from.

A truly skilled hair color expert will be able to custom create the very best color map for you. A color map may consist of a base color or colors, highlights of one or more complementary shades and lowlights.

Once a hair color expert has created a custom color map, they will keep a color file for you and your hair so that they can exactly match your custom colors at each maintenance visit.

For any type of hair color processing, whether with a professional colorist of at home, a special strand test should always be performed to provide an advance look at the ultimate color scheme you have chosen. A test should also be done to make sure there are no hidden allergies which could provoke a reaction.

Straight, Wavy, Curly, Kinky or combination textured hair styles?

Hair technology is always changing and evolving in very dramatic way. Hair treatments offer the option to temporarily modify your hair texture by adding curls and waves or removing them. Basically there are chemical perms which add texture such as curls and/or waves or remove it.

Chemical straightening and relaxing are often marketing under a wide range of marketing names such as Japanese straightening, Brazilian, Keratin or other. They might be referred to as smoothing treatments or other names.

Ultimately any time the text of the hair is changed it is through a chemical process to alter the hair's natural texture which is always only a permanent process which reverts after the hair grows out or over time.

Maintenance Issues: Hair Styles for you life

Hair maintenance is a key variable when selecting a hair cut, hair style or hair color.

Some hair cuts and styles will require a lot of work, both at home and in the salon, to maintain properly.

The shorter the hairstyle, the more frequently you must have it trimmed up to keep it looking salon perfect. Ditto for certain hair colors.

When you have a very busy lifestyle, it is best to select hair cuts, colors and styles which require less maintenance at home or in the salon. Keep all these maintenance factors in mind when you select a new hair style.

Steal Celebrity Hairstyles and Hair Looks

Although we are constantly bombarded with images of gorgeous male and female celebrities with stunning hairstyles, cuts and colors, keep in mind that those very celebrities have access to the very best hairdressers in the world. It is the job of a celebrity to always look picture perfect and that includes their hair.

If you see a hairstyle worn by a celebrity that you love, be sure to take photos of it, as many as you can find from all angles, to your hairdresser. Be willing to pass on the style if the hairdresser advises you that your hair type, texture, length or color will not work with the celebrity hairstyle you have selected. Not all people can wear the same hairstyles.

Also keep in mind that celebrities often "cheat" with clip-on hair extensions, bangs and other hair props to give them an altered look without the overhead of chemicals.

Hair style Products

Once you have selected your ideal hair cut, length, style and hair color, you will need to use certain hair styling tools and products to keep the style looking the way you love it. That might involve hot tools such as blow dryers, hood dryers, hot rollers, hot irons (flat and curled) as well as round or paddle brushes and clips.

Ask your hairdresser to show you how to recreate your haircut and hairstyle at home. Ask if any special color protection shampoo or conditioning products are suggested to stretch the maintenance time on your look.

Summary

Remember that your hair and your hair style is a lifelong journey. If you take the time and energy to make your hair look great, it will. If you don't, you may find it doesn't look the way you ultimately want it to.

The good news is that HairBoutique.com has literally thousands of articles and tips on how to achieve the hair cut, hair style and hair color you desire. It also provides information on the best products to use and even a hairstyle gallery with hairstyles you can try on or print off and take to your own hairdresser.