Hair artists Javier and Anthony answer your questions and give you some hair product tips too!

You’ve got the hair questions. Two of New York’s most sought-after hair artists have the answers. We asked you to submit any hair question, via Twitter, and our hair gurus, JAVIER ORTEGA and ANTHONY LEE CARBAJAL, would answer. From dirty hair to 1980’s ge

You Ask. Javier Answers:

aleXanDRa asKs: What are must-have tools/products? Javier: A blow dryer, a straightener, a curling iron, and a hair brush.

sofia asKs: How do you straighten naturally curly hair? Javier: Always blow dry your hair as smooth as possible with a foundation heat protector, and then smooth out the hair with a dry heat protector. This is gonna be the best way to keep your natural curls nice and healthy without the ends getting dry and smooth.

Joe asKs: “Where can I buy more L.A. Looks styling gel?” (He’s joking, but wants to know if “gel” is still a thing.) Javier: Gel is definitely a thing! With today’s trends, I personally like to use gel as a foundation product – meaning you put in your hair when it’s wet and then let it air dry or blow dry it. Your hair will dry matte with some shine. I recommend using a medium to light hold. This will ensure movement in your hair. The stiff look is a bit dated, we are in a time of movement!

aBe asKs: Why did the curling iron make a comeback? Javier: She never left, she keeps evolving!

MicHelle asKs: What’s the best natural mixture to condition and strengthen our hair?

Javier: Coconut oil, Jojoba Oil and avocado oil is my personal fav!!!! For hair and skin. If you have fine/oily hair naturally then I would do it once every few months. If you have full density/dry hair then you could do a treatment twice a month.

cRistina asKs: How often do I really have to wash my hair? Javier: The less you wash your hair the better. BUT not everyone has hair that can last 2 to 5 days. Depending on the texture, you could even go longer. Fine/oily hair should probably do every day.

Carmen asks: Is it true that roots are in now?

Javier: I love a rooted look! Takes us back to when we were kids out in sun a lot and our ends were lighter because of the sun. “Lived in hair” is a trendy thing right now... and if I were you I would take advantage of it! One of the biggest benefits of a lived in root look is that it saves money! Highlights/color all the way to the roots has to be touched up every 4 to 6 weeks, as oppose to a rooted look you could go 3 to 8 months without having to retouch if done correctly. That saves you many long hour visits to the salon! ■