Think the Olsens have good hair? How about Hailee Steinfeld or Dakota Johnson? The answer is yes, they all have amazing hair, and (killer genes aside) Mark Townsend is the one who gave it to them. “Healthy hair is not a trend that’s going away anytime soon. This isn’t the ’80s and ’90s,” says the Dove hair expert—although, he is a big fan of perms. Herewith, nine tips from the pro to keep your hair its healthiest and happiest right through to 2018.
Stop wrapping your hair in a towel
“You’ve never seen a hairdresser cringe like I do when I see hair wrapped in a towel. It can be the most expensive cotton, it doesn’t matter. Cotton is meant to absorb moisture, which it does, but when you twist it tightly around your hair, it pulls on the most fragile hairs you have along your hairline, and you’ll snap so many of them.”
Sleep on a sateen pillow case
“It could be a $5,000 cotton pillow case, but it’s still going to absorb all your hair’s moisture and cause so many tangles and knots and bed-head. Sateen is cotton that’s treated with polyester, so it’s a much smoother surface, and it won’t steal all your moisture throughout the night. It’s better than silk because silk doesn’t breathe. For extra moisture and tangle-fighting, take a deep conditioner and dilute it by half. Put it in a spray bottle and spray the last 5 to 6 inches of your hair. That hair has been with you for a long time and it’ll really appreciate the overnight soak in good conditioner.”
Take your vitamins
“I am obsessed with Viviscal. I had two clients who had to shave their heads for films, and I told them about it. One took it and the other didn’t, and the one who did take it—her hair really grew out faster, thicker and healthier across the board. For me, I’m trying to hold on to every hair on my head because I have a thinning hairline, so I take Viviscal every day. I also take biotin and folic acid, all of which are great for hair, skin and nails.”
Brush your wet hair from the bottom, up
“When you’re brushing out wet hair, use a detangling brush, and start from the bottom, working your way up. Start with just the bottom four to five inches, because if you go from the root and try to brush down, you’re pushing all of your tangles into one area. Ninety percent of women don’t have the patience to meticulously brush out all of those tangles, so hair breaks, and when that happens it’s hard to get it to lay smooth and flat. It’ll take you the same amount of time, and you’ll lose a lot less hair.”
Don’t wash your hair every day, but do condition it every day
“Shampoos can be harsh and strip all the natural oils from your scalp. That causes to your scalp to overproduce oils to replace the ones you’ve just stripped away. I’m not saying don’t shower after going to the gym, I’m just saying skip the shampoo once every few days. But never skip conditioner. If your hair gets wet, you’ve got to fill that cuticle back up with conditioner. Work conditioner through from mid-length to end, and let your natural scalp oil work its way down. It’s shocking to me how many women skip conditioner. Look for ingredients like coconut oil or natural nut oil, both of which are full of the fatty acids and lipids hair desperately needs. I even tell my clients to add in a scoop of coconut oil to their conditioner. Once a month, use a rich leave-in and let it sit for ten to thirty minutes.”
Use dry shampoo, even if your hair is clean
“Effortless hair is such a big trend right now, but it does take effort to get it. Dry shampoo, like the Dove Invigorating Dry Shampoo, has been such a saviour for hair dressers and busy women everywhere to create that look. Spray it on your roots liberally, and then brush it through your hair. It will absorb the oils and the environmental smells, and you’ll have a clean start to give yourself a cute little top knot. Dry shampoos are great for styling, too, because they give amazing texture. When you’ve got just a few minutes, throw your head upside down, hold the can far from your hair so you don’t get the white residue, and spray hair liberally. Work it through with your fingers and you’ll get a ton of natural-looking texture.”
Master the blowout
“You’ll see hairdressers clip hair in sections, and then start from the bottom and work their way up. Which, if you’re doing it yourself, is kind of impossible because by the time you get to the top layers, you’ve probably lost feeling in your arms. So do the opposite. Starting at the top and working your way down means that you’ll get the most important parts. And you can let those layers on top cover up the hair underneath that isn’t as finished.”
Never get a bad haircut
“Bring tons of photos, and have an open ear. It’s the hairdresser’s responsibility to tell a client what’s realistic. I can explain to a client that there’s a wind machine, there’s retouching, there’s extensions, so we do have to have a sense of reality, but photos are a great way to start that conversation. Whether you’re talking about dusting off the ends or going for a big cut, a photo shows you exactly where the hair falls when it’s dry. The second rule is to know your face shape. The ideal shape is an oval, so a hairdresser should try to transform your face into an oval. For example, if you have a square face, an off-center part or light center bang to cover the corners and some really good face-framing layers that start right around the lip area will help your face look longer and more oval-shaped.”
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