5 Lies Your Hair Stylist Tells You

God bless hair stylists across the globe for transforming our dull mousy manes into glossy masterpieces, but even if you trust yours with your precious locks, you shouldn’t believe everything you hear.

The lie: Hair care products that aren’t bought at a salon, aren’t any good.
The truth: Your hairdresser is not only an artist, but a salesperson too. Of course she will try shame you into throwing out your perfectly awesome and uber-reasonable TRESemme for some brand you’ve never heard of that’ll cost you R350 or more – she’s earning commission from it after all. If you’re happy with your hair care products, don’t be bullied into blowing cash on something you don’t need.

The lie: You must trim every six weeks.
The truth: If you follow this advice you’re probably putting your stylists’ kids through varsity – and are unable to hold down a full-time job of your own with all the time you spend at the salon. Sure this is kind of true for those of us who are very prone to split ends, but women who rarely colour or heat style their hair can go up to three months without a cut.

The lie: Trimming will make your hair grow faster.
The truth: Another unfortunate ploy by those sly stylists looking for more business. Although regular trimming will definitely keep your ends looking healthier, it won’t make your hair grow any faster – sorry. Trimming prevents split ends from travelling up your hair shaft, and in that way does help us save as much length as possible. Want Rapunzel-length hair? Try growth-boosting Nisim F.A.S.T Shampoo and Conditioner.

The lie: Brushing is good for your hair.
The truth: The theory is that brushing your hair distributes the healthy oils from your scalp into the lengths of your hair, making it shinier and strong. However, if you have fine, brittle or curly hair the damage caused by continuous brushing simply isn’t worth it. Rather invest in a hair treatment or oil and apply specifically to your ends.

The lie: Home colouring is a hell no.
The truth: If you’re going for dramatic colour change, such as from brunette to blonde, your hairdresser is definitely the recommended option. However, if you’re just going a shade or two lighter or darker, dyeing at home will be a heck of a lot cheaper with equally good results. Our tips? Don’t go for the cheapest dye on the shelf, and avoid ones with ammonia and P-Phenylenediamine (PPD), read the instructions carefully and always use a conditioning treatment afterwards.