7 Things I’ve Learned From a Year in the Hair Industry

Now this might shock you considering I put out about, ooh, one whole post a month these days, but blogging is not my full-time job (or anything remotely close). Instead, I earn my wine tokens money by working in the marketing team of a large hairdressing company, which means that although I usually look like a hot mess, I’ve learned a thing or two about hair. And as sharing is caring, I thought I’d share some of these handy tips with you.

1. Dry shampoo really is king of everything

I’ve always loved dry shampoo, but since working in the hair industry I have a new level of respect for the powdery powerhouse. As well as absorbing oil and refreshing hair, I’ve also seen dry shampoo used on photoshoots to add texture, grittiness and volume to lifeless hair. Who knew?

Oh, and if you want to get the best oil-fighting results from dry shampoo, don’t use it in the morning before you leave the house. Instead, spritz it on your roots before bed, and in the morning it will have completely absorbed and you’ll look fresher than a sick pair of creps (lol I am not young).

2. Washing your hair in cold water = fake news

I spent years finishing my shower with a blast of cold water because I read once that it helps to seal your hair cuticle. Well that was a waste of my entire life, as it’s in fact a myth. Apparently we should all actually be washing our hair in lukewarm water to keep it in the best condition, but I’m too fond of scalding hot showers to make that transition yet.

However, as much as the cold water thing is a myth, a blast of cold hair from your hairdryer after you’ve finished drying will help to set your style.

3. You can’t actually repair split ends

Nope, once you’ve split those ends, they’re split for good. Products that claim to repair split ends actually just work by slightly gluing them back together, improving the appearance of split ends but only temporarily. The only real fix for split ends? Snipping them off (I know, I’m sorry).

4. Everything you think you know about going bald is a myth

There are so many apparent causes for men going bald, from too much sun exposure and stress to wearing hats. The one I always believed to be true was that balding was genetic, but it came exclusively from the maternal side – so if you wanted to know if a man was going to go bald, you had to look at the uncles and granddad on the mum’s side of the family (meaning it was a big SORRY LAD for any future son of mine).

However, all of these are myths – balding is genetic, but it apparently comes from a combination of genes and scientists haven’t really been able to pin a formula for it down yet. Too busy working on global warming or something, who knows. So the conclusion at the moment is, you might go bald and you might not, but there’s really not much you can do to stop it.

5. Your fringe should never be further than your eyebrows

I wish my mum had known this before she cut me in that absolute HORROR of a fringe back when I was eight years old, but the end of your eyebrows is the magic point where your fringe should also stop. I swear mine went almost as far back as my ears. So edgy.

6. Serum and oil aren’t the same thing

I definitely used to use these two products interchangeably because I thought they were essentially the same thing, but NOPE. Oil is a treatment, whereas serum is exclusively for styling. Oil penetrates the hair, whereas serum simply sits on the surface. Oil can be used on wet or dry hair, whereas serum only needs to be used on damp hair. I hope my frequent use of ‘whereas’ here has convinced you: they’re very very very different, and yes you may as well use both.

7. ALL hair is in fashion ALL of the time

As part of my job, I spend quite a lot of time reading trend reports, analysing the Fashion Week catwalks and compiling ‘hair trends of 2017’-style blog posts. And this is what I’ve learned: everything is fashionable all of the time. Sure, there’ll be certain ‘it’ styles each season (did anyone not toy with the idea of getting a lob last year?), but essentially whatever you’re doing with your do, you’ll be able to convince people it’s bang on trend.

In my last hair trend post I had to write about how wet-look hair was really really in, but also in fashion was really dry, crispy hair. And short hair is totally having a moment right now, but then it’s also really about long hair and – y’know what? – mid-length styles are 100% hot too. Natural, earthy colours are a must-have, but then it’s also important to go really ethereal with unnatural blues and greens. And your hair should be super sleek and groomed at the same time as being completely wild and undone.

You see? It’s all nonsense really. But I love it, and I love my job too.

What tips have you learned from your job? Let me know in the comments below!