Hair care at home
A cut holds its shape when it's treated correctly at home. We'll show you how to wash, dry and style between appointments, so your form and colour keep looking as good as they did on the day of your visit.
The essentials in brief
Most of the questions that reach us at the basin revolve around the same four things: washing, drying, brushing, heat.
Care between two appointments
- Wash lukewarm, not hot: around 35 degrees is enough, and the final rinse can be cooler.
- Shampoo belongs on the scalp, conditioner and mask only on the mid-lengths and ends.
- Press wet hair with a towel rather than rubbing it – it's at its most sensitive when wet.
- Hold the hairdryer about 15 centimetres away and work on the medium setting.
- Apply heat protection before every straightener and curling iron, even for just one pass.
- Detangle from the ends upwards, not from the roots downwards.
Three fundamentals that make the difference
We can see from the hair how it has been treated: water that's too hot, too much hairdryer on level three, too much rough towel-drying. Three habits usually make more difference than one new product.
Washing
Not every hair type needs washing every day. Fine hair tolerates more frequent washing, thick and dry hair less often. Lather shampoo twice in your hands and apply only to the scalp – the lengths get cleaned sufficiently during rinsing.
Drying
Press first, then blow-dry. Once the hair is around 70 percent dry, the actual styling with brush and airflow begins. The nozzle on the dryer directs the airflow, so the cuticle lies smooth and the result visibly lasts longer.
Styling
Straighteners and curling irons work with high temperatures, so heat protection should go into dry or damp hair beforehand. One pass per strand is usually enough; going over the same spot repeatedly doesn't improve the shape.
Between two appointments
Several weeks usually pass between a cut and the next trim. What happens daily during this time determines how well the shape still holds in the end.
Everyday care
- Apply conditioner to the lengths after every wash, leave it on for a minute, then rinse thoroughly.
- Use a rich mask once a week instead of daily – more often tends to burden the hair rather than help it.
- Apply heat protection before any heated tool: hairdryer, straightener, curling iron, hot air brush.
- Don't tie up wet hair or leave it in a towel turban – this pulls at the roots.
- Use a wide-tooth comb or a wet brush to detangle, working from the bottom upwards.
- During sport and sleep, use a soft hair tie without a metal part, tied loosely.
- Rinse your hair after salt water and chlorinated water before it dries in the sun.
- Don't put off trimming your ends: a trim preserves the shape before it has to grow out.
Products depend on your hair
We'll work out which product suits you during your appointment
The blow-drying routine in five steps
This is how we dry hair in the chair, and it can be recreated at home just the same – a hairdryer, a nozzle and a brush is all the equipment you need.
- 1
Squeeze out the water
Wrap the hair in a towel and press from top to bottom, never rub. Two minutes saved here means five minutes less blow-drying later, and it protects the cuticle.
- 2
Work in heat protection and styling product
Apply heat protection to towel-damp hair, followed if needed by a volumising or styling product – from the roots for volume, through the lengths for shine.
- 3
Pre-dry without a brush
Run your fingers through the hair and rough-dry on a medium setting until the hair is around 70 percent dry. Keep the dryer about 15 centimetres away.
- 4
Blow-dry in sections
Divide the hair into four to five sections and guide the brush strand by strand. Always point the nozzle towards the ends, never against them.
- 5
Set with cool air
Finally, go over each section again with the cool setting. This closes the cuticle, tames flyaways and makes the style hold noticeably longer.
Equipment
Tools and products for at home
You don't need a drawer full of products – a few, carefully chosen tools are enough, as long as they suit your hair structure and your cut.
The basic kit
- Wide-tooth comb for detangling damp hair
- Round brush with a diameter that suits your length
- Hair dryer with styling nozzle and multiple heat settings
- Shampoo suited to your scalp, not just your hair length
- Care spray or mask for lengths and ends
- Soft towel made of cotton or microfibre
What we'd rather see less often
- Hair dryer permanently on the highest setting
- Flat iron or curling iron without heat protection
- Strongly degreasing shampoos daily on coloured hair
- Rubbing wet hair vigorously with a towel
- Tight hair ties always in the same spot
- Trimming your ends yourself in between visits
Ready for fresh styling between appointments?
In the salon, we'll show you the right care and technique for your hair.