If you think you need to go to the most expensive salons in town to get a hairstyle you love, then think again. It turns out that you can pretty easily transform your hair on a budget without handing over wads of cash to a professional stylist.
That’s not to say you can do everything yourself. But you should find that you’re able to reduce the cost significantly if you know the right hacks, even if you go to the salon.
Time Your Hair Dying
The first thing to consider is timing your dying. Don’t just do it the moment you notice the color fading out or roots growing through.
The gold standard is to time your dying around your shampoo. Regular shampoos leave a kind of buildup or residue on the hair that can prevent color from taking hold. As such, it’s a good idea to spend a week or so using a clarifying shampoo to remove this buildup so that any color you add can penetrate the hair directly.
Yes, homemade shampoos can make your hair look lustrous. But if you combine them with conventional colors, the results can be a little disappointing.
Use Baby Shampoo On Heat-Treated Hair
Another tip for caring for your hair while keeping your spending to a minimum is to use baby shampoo from a popular brand on heat-treated curls and locks. Instead of buying the most expensive specialist shampoo you can find, this option will bring down the price significantly and help to keep your hair soft.
Baby shampoo is just as effective as the more expensive versions because of its formulation. Manufacturers take out all but the essential ingredients that hair needs, which is precisely what some top-end brands do with their products. The result of adopting this strategy? Any perm, color, or curl treatment will last much longer.
Make Your Hair Shine Inexpensively
You can also transform your hair on a budget by making it shine inexpensively. The cheapest and easiest way to do this is to comb it through a few times, separating out all the strands. You’ll notice your hair looks shinier and more lustrous when they all travel in the same direction.
If that doesn’t give you the effect you want, you can also try some lemon juice and vinegar mixed with warm water. Stylists often use this home remedy when they want to bring out the highlights in the hair and make it stand out more.
Sleep On A Silk Pillowcase
Sleeping on a silk pillowcase is another way to keep your hair in good condition on a budget. While the pillowcases themselves aren’t exactly cheap, they can reduce your long-term haircare costs significantly. The cost of the average pillowcase is about what you’d pay for a single wash and cut at the salon.
If silk is out of your budget range, you could also try satin. Again, these sheets tend to be significantly softer on the hair and prevent it from fraying.
But why is soft material on your pillow important? It’s all to do with friction. As your head moves across your pillow at night, it scrapes over the material, sometimes causing damage. Silk allows this movement to be more of a glide, reducing the risk of damage or frizziness in the morning.
After a few months of using a silk or satin pillow, you should notice the way your hair looks in the morning starts to change. Whereas before you had bed hair, now you have something that looks similar to what you imagine you look like when you wake up.
Reduce Your Use Of Shampoo And Other Hair Care Products
You can also transform your hair on a budget by using less of your favorite hair care products. While more often seems better, that’s not the case when it comes to hair.
There are a couple of reasons for this. The biggest problem is product buildup. Over time, it can be incorporated into the hair, making it less manageable and harder to apply color, as discussed above. However, it is also less economical. The more you use, the more often you need to buy replacements.
Don’t Wash Your Hair Twice In A Session
Another way to stick to a budget is to avoid washing your hair more than once in a session. Doing it twice, back to back, strips it of its natural oils and leaves it dry and prone to breakage.
If your hair feels “squeaky clean,” that usually means it is too dry. If you notice this happening, switch to washing your hair with shampoo every second time you get in the shower. Also, use less product. This combination will help you retain more natural moisture in your hair which will enable it to keep its strength for longer and be less prone to breakage.
Don’t Avoid The Salon
Even if you are on a budget, don’t avoid the salon entirely. Failing to go for certain treatments, like bleach washes, could put you at risk of damaging your hair.
Generally speaking, you should only do the simple things at home. Even if you read instructions and information online about how to replicate salon procedures, keep going to see your stylist for them. If you don’t, you could wind up making an expensive mistake that’s impossible to put right.
Finally, you can bring down the cost of hair care by creating various home remedies. For example, many people now use coconut oil on their hair to give it a shine because it is cheap, accessible, and 100 percent natural. Adding baking soda to the mix gives your hair an almost bronze-like appearance, making it shinier and bouncier.
If you mix these ingredients, do so in a ratio of two to one. Ensure you melt the coconut oil first, but don’t let it get too hot as this could change its chemical structure and the way it interacts with your hair.
So, there you have it: some of the ways you can transform your hair on a budget. Which of these will you try?
Tammy Litke is a Dallas blogger, blogging since 2008. She loves to watch movies, play video games, spend time in the kitchen, and travel. Between recipes and reviews you’ll find many helpful and some just plain funny posts on her blog. Welcome, pull up a chair and stay for a while!