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Short Hair Styling Product Faqs

Introduction

Jennifer Aspen

Consumers are constantly bombarded with choices ranging from what car to buy to what styling products to use.

Although some hair styling products work for all hair lengths, as a rule products are developed to work with certain hair types, textures and lengths.

Short hair styling products come in a wide range of options and are designed to do very specific things for styling short hair.

Although new styling products are being introduced on a daily basis, I have tried to list the key product categories with some general recommendations.

When in doubt about what products do what, ask your hairdresser to help you make the proper styling product selection based on your own hair style, type, texture and current condition.

Listed below are some of the most popular styling products for short hair styles:

1. Volume Enhancers

Illeana Douglas

These styling products are designed to add fullness to either the roots or the entire head of hair and are often marketed as hair volumizers, thickeners, fat hair developers or similar.

Although everyone can use volumizing products on their hair (short, medium or long), they do provide the greatest benefits to hair that is thin and fine and benefits from instant fattening options.

Volume enhancers are often packaged as sprays and mousses which are light and do not counterbalance the volumizing effect they provide. You might also find them as volume enhancing lotions.

Mousse products are very light, adding fullness and volume. Mousse may often be combined with gel and marketed as mousse/gels which are heavier but combine volume, shaping and hold.

Since volume is most beneficial at the root of the hair, some volume enhancing styling products are designed to be sprayed at the roots and may be packaged as root lifters.

Some root lifters utilize a lighter formulation like got2b's - 2sexy Voluptuous Root-Lift Souffle.

It is important to mention volume enhancers may also make thick hair thicker which in not necessarily a good thing. In fact, too much volume can cause the hair to become out of control.

Volume Enhancing Styling Products to try: PhytoVolume Actif, Robert Hallowell SuperVolumizing Tonic, JF Lazartigue - Hair Volume Tonic, JF Lazartigue - Root Volumizer For Hair, got2b - 2sexy Voluptuous Hair Spray, Voluptuous Power Boost Gel, got2b - 2sexy Voluptuous Volume Mousse.

2. Anti-frizz Products

Illeana Douglas 2007 Film Independent's Spirit Awards 02-24-07

Anti-frizz hair products are designed to seal and smooth the hair's cuticle to prevent moisture from penetrating the shaft. Anti-frizz serums utilize a variety of ingredients to achieve moisture free strands.

One of the most prominent ingredients utilized in anti-frizz serums is either a chemically or naturally derived silicone.

Anti-frizz products are sold in a varieties of compositions ranging from defrisant creams like Phytodefrisant which are applied to towel-blotted strands to frizz blocking serums applied after hair has been styled.

Anti-frizz Products to try: PhytoDefrisant, PhytoLisse, Citre Shine - Shine Miracle Xtra Strength Anti-Frizz Serum

3. Detangling/Leave-in Conditioning Products

Designed to remove knots and snags as well as soften rough cuticles, detanglers and leave-in conditioners often have combined properties.

Many detangling or leave-in conditioning products include quaternary ammonium compounds. These ingredients are widely used because of their ability to help detangle.

If hair is fine or thin, use detanglers and leave-in conditioners very sparingly to prevent weighing hair down or generating product build-up.

Detangling/Leave-in Conditioning Products to try: Fioravanti No Rinse Detangling Spray, Fioravanti Light Weight Detangling Cream.

4. Texture Reformulators

Zoe McLellan Screening Party for "Dirty Sexy Money" 09-23-07

Whether you wish to transform curls and waves into sleek straight strands or you wish to encourage natural texture, reformulators help create the finished result.

Products used to create stick straight strands can be temporary or more permanent. Straightening gels, creams and sprays combined with the appropriate brush and blow dryer can help tame curls and waves.

For a more semi-permanent solution, relaxers can be utilized which can last several weeks.

Gels, pomades, styling creams, muds and wax related products can be utilized for enhancing curls or waves with or without the use of a long finger diffuser.

Gels are designed to address a wide range of texture needs and are available in a wide range of options from strong hold gel for scrunching to very light gel for enhancing natural waves.

Texture Reformulators to try: Phytorelaxer Index 2, got2b - Perfecting Gloss n' Curl, got2b - Magnetik - Texturizing Pomade

5. Style Holding/Finishing Products

Zoe McLellan Screening Party for "Dirty Sexy Money" 09-23-07

Holding and finishing products come in a vast array of options ranging from hairspray to spray-on gels.

Hairspray is designed to coat tresses with resins which will help hold hair in place. Hairsprays will also help to seal out moisture and humidity. Hairsprays will hold a finished style in place and come in a range of hold options from very light hold to extreme hold. A spray product should be selected based on strength of the hold and hair design.

Fine or thin hair should avoid utilization of heavy sprays which will weigh now hair.

Gels are also designed to provide hold and to help finish hairstyles. The thicker the consistency of the gel product, the stronger the hold and control. The lighter the gel, the softer the hold and control. An example of a very strong holding gel that can create spikes is got2b - Glued - Styling Spiking Glue.

Styling Holding Products to try: Rene Furterer Instant Hold Finishing Spray, Rene Furterer - Gentle Solution - Soft Hold, Rene Furterer - Styling Solution - Strong Hold

6. Shine Enhancing Products

Olesya Rulin Declare Yourself's "Hollywood Celebrates 18" Party 09-27-07

Shine enhancing products come in a dizzying array of options from leave-in conditioners which promise to amp up the shine to sprays, pomades and shine serums.

All of these various products work great on short hair with a few exceptions. Shine serums and related products should always be used sparingly to avoid oil slicks. Hair that is fine or thin should be especially careful about utilizing any type of shine enhancers that might weigh down

Shine Enhancing Products: Rene Furterer Instant Hold Finishing Spray, Rene Furterer - Gentle Solution - Soft Hold, Rene Furterer - Styling Solution - Strong Hold

Summary

Short hair styling products come in a wide range of options and are designed to do very specific things for styling short hair.

When selecting the ideal short hair styling products take into consideration the type and texture of your natural hair. It is also important you select products which address your short hair styling goals.

If you want to talk more about this or other hair care articles on HairBoutique.com or anywhere else, please post a message on HairBoutique.com's Hair Talk Forums.

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