10 Ways to Avoid a Bad Hair Day

10 Ways to Avoid a Bad Hair Day

• A Dash of Soda

  In the shower, sprinkle a small amount (quarter-size drop) of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda into your palm along with your favorite shampoo, and then lather as usual. The baking soda helps to remove the residue that styling products leave behind, so your hair is cleaner and more manageable. It really does make your hair feel super-soft.

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• Style the Surface

  One hair trick is to work with your bangs. “I often sleep past my alarm and wake without time to wash my hair, so I’ll just wash my bangs,” says Aarti Mehta, a publicist. “This way, no matter how messy or blah my hair looks, perfectly washed bangs make it seem like I meant to do that. Also, washed bangs and messy hair in a ponytail is always adorable.”

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• Bun and Band

  "When I'm in a rush and don't have time to style my hair, I throw it in a bun and add a sleek black headband,” says Amy Reed, president and founder of ChickDowntown.com. Other times, Amy opts for “a hippie-style braided headband in loose, messy hair.”

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• Turn Up the Volume

  “Here’s a quick and simple trick that always seems to do the trick: Bend your head forward, shuffle with fingers, spray or apply a fixative," says Rick Fogarty, owner of Plan B Salon in Boston. "After that, your hair will appear really big. Relax it with a scrunching motion. If all else fails, get back in the shower.”

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• Soft as a Baby's...

  Baby powder works great for making the oil in your hair disappear and pumping up the volume of limp locks. Simply sprinkle it onto your palms and run your hands through your hair to absorb the oils and give your style a lift.

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• Some Like It Hot

  Most blah hair days start on the second day, meaning you shampooed your hair the day before and it behaved well. Want to be back to day-one gorgeous? “Tuck your hair into a shower cap and take your shower,” advises Sandy Taylor of Style Like a Pro, a company that sells hairstyling videos. The moisture inside the cap and the heat from the shower help to reconfigure your hair and make it more malleable for styling. Follow by aiming a blow-dryer at your roots to perk those locks back up.

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• The Grace of Ballerina

  “For a blah day, I love a messy ballerina bun with fringe, pretty dangling earrings and lip gloss,” says Arlene Castro, celebrity hairstylist of Say It With Style. If you sleep in the bun, let it loose the next morning to create excellent “just out of bed” hair.

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• Try a Little Cellophane

  This treatment will instantly add shine and sparkle to even the dullest, drabbest days. Just coat hair with a shine treatment, cover in plastic, leave it on for a half hour and rinse out. Our favorite pick at the moment is Global Goddess Coconut Amla Revitalizing Hair Treatment ($45 at GlobalGoddessBeauty.com).

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