PUTTING CLICHÉS UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT
Big hair is so Eighties… or is it? Sonia Haria reports on modern techniques
This week, the haircare brand ghd, best known for its award-winning straighteners, launches its new Contour tool (£95, ghdhair.com). And… it’s a crimper. Yes, that kind of crimper – but not as you know it, or at least not in effect.
“I don’t use it for Eightiesstyle zigzags,” says hairdresser Adam Reed, who has had a crimper in his kit for years. “It’s actually the best way to get volume in your hair.”
This is great news for the estimated 56 per cent of British women who cite a lack of volume as their biggest hair concern. And it works: section off the top layer of the hair and then crimp the underneath sections, so the crimped texture is hidden when you release the top layer of hair. You only really need to clamp one width of the crimper to give a subtle volume, around the crown of the head.
“The crimped hair will remain hidden,” says Reed, “and you’re left with volumised hair that will last.”
We’re not talking about the massively inflated manes sported by the supermodels in the early Nineties but the more natural, subtle volume favoured by Amal Clooney, Julianne Moore and Cate Blanchett, who has soft, wispy hair but nonetheless achieves body.
It’s better for fine, straight hair, obviously, but if you have curly hair it can help to give a bit of lift too and it works on any length. There’s also no need to backcomb and hairspray the sections – as it’s created with a tool that heats to 365F (185C), the lift holds all day.
Crimpers aside, it’s estimated that sales of volumising hair products are worth over £80million in the UK. What we’re seeing is a move towards formulas that provide flexible volume and hold – rather than anything too stiff or unnatural.
Case in point: when the backstage fashion week hair maestro Sam Mcknight launched his long-awaited range this summer, one of the hero products was the Modern Hairspray (£22, libertylondon.com). When sprayed into the roots and gently “massaged” in, it helps to add volume – but with a gentle, light feel, not the “perfect” solidity of the past.
Mousse has also made a big comeback on our shelves, but this time without the artificial shine and crunchy feel.
Italian haircare brand Rossano Ferretti has launched a Natural Defining Mousse (£34, uk.spacenk.com), which is free from alcohol – which often leads to the harsh, unnatural texture.
Apply to wet hair before blow drying for a lightweight lift that still looks healthy. Before you think about products, though, it’s worth bearing in mind that you can always give your hair a voluminous helping hand while in the hairdresser’s chair.
A cut with a more blunt finish, with choppy layers, often gives the illusion of fuller hair, while feathering around the face can remove the look of volume. So if you are in the 56 per cent, take note for your next appointment.
‘A cut with a more blunt finish, with choppy layers, often gives the illusion of fuller hair’