Bad Curls

AllYou.com: Fix Common Hair Mistakes

The Mistake: You were longing for a head full of bouncy waves, so you began to experiment with hot rollers and ended up with either Shirley Temple ringlets or sad, limp strands.

The Solutions: If your curls are too tight... Restyle tendrils by blasting them with a blow-dryer, pulling a medium-size brush through hair to help relax it. If you still have corkscrew curls, mist them lightly with water and blow-dry again.
If your curls are too loose... Heat up hot rollers and reset your hair. When the curlers are in, apply a light spritz of hairspray. Wait until curlers are completely cool before removing them, then let your tresses cool for a minute or two before gently finger combing. Finally, lock the style in place with another mist of hairspray.

The Pro Advice: To make curls last, begin with day-old hair. If you've shampooed recently, use a texturizing spray (ideally one that also protects against thermal heat) before you set your hair in rollers.

Spin the rollers properly for the right crimp. To curl hair at the crown, reel rollers away from the face. For the sides, hold them vertically and roll away. For the back, roll under; pin them into place.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

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Bad Curls

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

Too Short Bangs

The Mistake: You couldn't wait for a salon trim, so you started snipping away, and now you have a seriously unfortunate fringe..

The Solutions: Weigh them down Using a pea-size amount of a styling cream to make the ends look longer. Keep in mind: Too much can easily lead to greasy strands.
Lengthen them by blow-drying the bangs flat against your forehead with a nozzle and your fingers—a brush will create lift.

The Pro Advice: Always cut bangs when they're dry; wet hair stretches and can shrink as much as three quarters of an inch while drying, depending on your hair texture.

Don't trim straight across. Instead, divide bangs into small sections; twist each one, then pull it out from your brow. Hold scissors vertically; make notches with little snips. Let bangs fall, then gauge results. Repeat until you reach the desired length.

Don't forget to check out the step-by-step tutorial on how to trim your bangs!

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

Botched At-Home ...

The Mistake: You wanted a fresh, new color without shelling out big bucks at the salon. But when you finished doing it yourself, you realized you had—oops!—used the wrong shade.

The Solutions: If you've gone too dark... Strip away the color by using a clarifying shampoo that's high in detergent for several days. Two weeks later, re-dye with a color two shades lighter than the first, starting at the ends and finishing with roots.
If You've Gone Too Light... Resist the urge to immediately start over with a deeper hue—freshly processed hair will absorb too much pigment, leaving strands darker than you intended. Instead, wait 24 hours, then color just the roots one shade darker. Once rinsed and dried, your whole head of hair will seem to be a more intense hue.

The Pro Advice: Ignore the image on the front of the box. The chart on the side gives a better idea of the actual shade.

Watch the clock. Keep color on for even a few minutes too long and you could end up with a big surprise.

If you're lightening your locks, apply the formula from your ends to your roots. Washed-out roots are a dead giveaway of a bad dye job. And because the heat from your scalp processes peroxide faster, give the rest of your hair a 15-minute head start before tackling the top.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

Styling Product ...

The Mistake: You got trigger-happy with hairspray or carried away with styling cream or serum. Now you have either stiff patches or greasy strands—and no time to de-gunk with shampoo.

The Solutions: For Too Much Hairspray.. Rake through oversaturated sections with a wide-tooth comb to break up stiffness. Work your way up from the ends to avoid breakage. Spritz on water, then blow-dry.
For Too Much Cream or Serum... Spray with dry shampoo and rub it in with fingertips to soak up the excess. Revive roots by using a cotton pad doused in astringent to dab your hairline. Or wrap your head in a towel and massage the scalp to absorb grease before gently finger combing. Finally, lock the style in place with another mist of hairspray.

The Pro Advice: Look for a hairspray labeled as "flexible hold"—it won't flake or leave hair crunchy. Apply it in layers: Spritz from 12 inches away to lightly cover your entire head, let dry, then repeat. You'll achieve a strong hold that is flexible enough for easy styling.

Go easy on oil-based products. One pump (a dime-size amount) is usually enough to smooth locks from midshaft down—which is all you need. Using product on the roots, where natural oils collect, can quickly cause product buildup.