These Hair Hacks = Better Hair In Less Time

When your hair's on point, you can take on the world - or at least it feels that way. But there’s a reason why the average appointment in a salon is an hour; good hair takes time.

Even the dishevelled part of a messy bun can take hours of fiddling, spraying and backcombing, which is why a ‘hair hack’ that cuts down on time, but doesn’t compromise on style, is what every girl needs.

So snooze that alarm because these hair hacks can buy you a weekday lie-in, and give you a scene-stealing style to boot...

1. Add some length

If you want your hair to look longer, don’t waste time pinning in extensions or waiting until it's at just the right length. You can have a longer pony tail right now. Yep, really.

Simply split your pony in half. Divide hair horizontally and tie the top half into a half-pony. A little lower down, secure the second half into another and voilà  - instant length in no extra time.

2. Wake up with smoother locks

If you get up at dawn to smooth your hair after a night of frizz enhancement, then consider changing your bed linen. Yes, you read that right. Swap your cotton pillowcase for a silk one.

The smoother, silkier fabric won’t rough-up your hair while you sleep, and instead you'll wake up (after enjoying some snooze time) to discover your hair feels silky soft.

3. Curl from the middle, not the end

So you know how hair that curls and bounces at the ends looks super luxe and lustrous? Well, if you’ve spent hour curling and singeing the ends of your hair to get that enviable supermodel style - stop.

Instead, move your tong up to the middle of the hair, curl, and then pull through a wide-toothed comb or fingers to ease the curls down the lengths.

4. Dry shampoo at night

We’ve all been there: you snooze your alarm a few too many times and though you should really wash your hair, it's going to have to be a dry shampoo day instead. It’s not entirely foolproof, however, and if you rush it your dry shampoo could leave your hair coated in a Halloween-like veil of grey. Not a good look.

So, rather than panic-apply your dry shampoo in the morning, go to bed knowing full-well you intend to sleep-in longer than you really should by spraying in dry shampoo at night night. Sleeping on dry shampoo gives it plenty of time to absorb excess oil, and therefore disappear into your roots. Fresher hair, and a lie-in.

5. The hair grip hack

Hair grips: they are amazing, no doubt about it, but there’s nothing cool about spending ages putting together a style, only for the grips to slide out and give the game away. So here's what you need to do.

First off, spray your hair pins with hairspray to supercharge their ‘grip’, and when you do put them in, slide them in ridged side down. That’s right, the smooth side should be the one facing out, and the grooved edge, is the side that should be against your head so you avoid slip.

6. Cool down

Winter might be chilly, but don’t be tempted to turn up the heat in your shower as the temperatures drop.

Hot water can open up the hair’s cuticle, which among other things, can leave it feeling roughed up, static and can even cause your hair dye to seep out faster. This why you’re offered a cool rinse in salons! Keep water tepid for hair that’s healthier, smoother and shinier.