Low-maintenance hair style tips in tough times

During challenging economic times its important to minimize hair style costs and maximize the results you get.

(Image of Clip-in Pony from HairDo - All Rights Reserved)

Listed below are some of my favorite hair style extending tips to save you money but keep you looking great:

1.  Invest in clip-on bangs.  What most people don't realize is that the latest clip-in fringes can be used a variety of ways and can save you from paying a hairdresser to cut, trim or clean up your overgrown fringes.

A clip-in fringe will allow you to change up your look without adding to your initial investment.  It also allows you to have temporary fringes that don't take months to grow out.

2.  Select hairstyles which requires minimum maintenance.  Some hairstyles like precision chops, crops and chin length bobs require ongoing trips to the hairdresser to keep the look neatly trimmed and maintained.  So do precision cut forehead fringes which is why tip #1 will ultimately save you money.

3.  Let your hair length grow out.  Visit your hairdresser first for a good overall trim to remove split ends before you begin, but then let your hair grow into a longer look which requires less frequent trims or upkeep.

4.  Pony up.  The latest clip-in ponytails from HairDo are brilliant hair accessories.  If you do happen to have a shorter bob that's growing out and you want to cut back on the 4-6 week trims you can pop on one of the new ponytails and look instantly chic.  The clip-in ponytails from HairUWear can be heat styled so that you can also change your texture with minimal effort.

(Image of Jessica Simpson wearing clip-in ponytail styled to one side of the head - All Rights Reserved - All Clip-on Ponytails available at HairBoutique.com in the Marketplace).

5.  Invest in budget friendly hair accessories which double up as functional hair tools while helping your hair look great through any type of growing out stage.  Elastic headbands which can double up as ponytail holders or bubble pony tail dividers are a great buy.   Multi-hued hair combs, jaws, claws and hair clips will hold back growing out strands while also giving your hair a brightly colored design.

6.  Let roots grow out.  Touch up hair roots with special hair mascaras and root touch up wands to extend the life of your highlights and low lights.    Regular colored eye mascaras and eye shadows will also do the trick if you prefer to dip into your cosmetics case for double duty beauty solutions.

7.  Extend the days in between shampoo sessions.  Even better, if you don't feel comfortable stretching cleansing cycles consider diluting your shampoo to help extend your supplies.

(Image of Jessica Simpson wearing HairDo Clip-on Fringe - All Rights Reserved).

In fact, it's best to skip potentially hair damaging inexpensive products which require expensive repairs treatments down the road.

Instead consider investing in high quality shampoo products you can dilute (1/8 teaspoon to 1 quart of warm water combined in a clean bottle and shaken to form a sudsy mix).

8.  Go darker with your hair color base and high lights.  This means you can stretch the time between hair color touchups.

9.  Avoid using box colors if you've never used them before or have concerns.  If your box color is botched you may have to pay hundreds of dollars for a color correction expert.  Instead of giving up hair color, extend the time in between hair color visit.

10.  Trim your own fringe and split ends at home.  Invest in a professional quality scissors and nibble off the latest fringe growth in between visits to your hairdresser.  Some hairdressers provide free fringe trims as a courtesy.  Ask if that service is available for you.

11.  Ditch expensive fusion hair extensions which require regular maintenance.  Instead, opt for either clip-in extensions, some of the cute new wigs or tape-in extensions which are less expensive.

12.  Save wear and tear on your hair whenever possible by investing in cute caps and hats you can tuck your hair under allowing you to extend time between shampoo sessions.  Other options include inexpensive headbands or bandeaus which allow you to tuck aged tresses up into a cute hairstyle.

13.  Visit a local cosmetology college for budget hair services such as highlights, lowlights or other chemical services.  All cosmetology colleges require supervision of the work performed by teachers and experienced cosmetologists.

(Image of HairDo Clip-In Bangs from HairUWear - All Rights Reserved).

14.  Go more natural with your hair.  Embrace your natural texture.  If you want to ditch your curls consider relaxing them instead of chemical straightening.  Experiment with air-drying, long finger diffusers and soft wet sets to achieve new styles with minimal investment of time and products.

15.  Share with your friends and family.  Consider a swap meet where you trade out your unwanted hair accessories, products or other tools so that you can recycle your products for different ones.

16.  Remember to drink lots of fluids, eat healthy and get plenty of rest.  Healthy hair requires ongoing attention, even during challenging times.  Love your hair and it will bless you with lots of great hair days.

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