Melbourne Hairdresser Explains: 9 Essential Hairstyling Supplies you’ll need at Home

If you want your hair to look salon fresh long after treatment, then you’ve got to put in the work at home! With good hair care comes a range of products that you’ll need to maintain your look. The right hairstyling tools and products can be transformative – taking your tresses from unkempt to exceptional and your day from dull to amazing. You won’t be able to go to the salon every time your hair needs a touch-up, but with the right products in your styling cabinet, you’ll be able to achieve a salon finish every time you’re out and about.

So, what tools and products are essential for every good at-home hair care cabinet? Let the team at Heading Out Hair & Beauty run you through the supplies you need to make at home hair styling easy.

Dry shampoo

Dry shampoo is your hair’s best friend – so don’t deprive your hair of it! It’s a great fix when you’ve got no time to wash your hair, or for the day after washing when your hair’s lost its volume and shine. This is because you don’t need to (and shouldn’t!) wash your hair every day to help keep the scalp healthy, and the hair softer. But less washing can also result in greasy roots (no one wants that!). Dry shampoo helps remove excess oil from your hair while also adding volume to make your hair look and smell beautiful in between washes or as you wait for your next professional hair care appointment at the best hairdresser in Melbourne (with the team at Heading Out, duh!). We recommend the Alterna Caviar Professional Styling Sheer Dry Shampoo (as shown below)!

Hot tip: Don’t use dry shampoo too much as it will make your hair break easily!

Hair treatments

At home hair treatments are essential to nourish and strengthen the strands, and to stop dryness and breakage. You should be using these at least once a week, to rehydrate your hair and add shine. After all, healthy hair = happy life! Some of the products you’ll need include:

Serums

A good hair serum will protect your hair from heat damage, dryness, humidity, dust particles, and pollution. Choose one that offers a light amount of moisture if your hair is thin and straight – you don’t want it to look wet! If your hair is frizzy and dry, get a serum that provides intense hydration to smooth it all out and keep it stylish.

Hot tip: Try adding it to your conditioner so it’s not too heavy and oily.

Masks

Hair masks are super moisturising without being too heavy, making them an essential product for every beauty lover. Masks made with natural ingredients are the best for healthy, nourished, and lustrous hair.

Masks are also ideal for people with thick, unruly hair and can be used as a conditioner. However, these are usually not suitable for fine hair. We don’t recommend sleeping with your mask in, as this will make your hair very hard to style.

Creams

Hair creams are perfect for addressing frizziness and hair falls, as well as adding a natural-looking shine to your hair. Use them sparingly and wash off thoroughly to prevent product build-up on your scalp. The best creams generally have a heat protective base, and are great to help tame that combative hair that we all have in the morning!

Oils

Everyone needs hair oil – even those with fine baby hair. A good oil keeps the ends polished and frizz-free as well as adding shine to your hair.

Hair oils are nourishing, and great at preventing split ends and smoothing unruly hair. But overusing oils will make your hair too oily, resulting in lifeless looking hair that looks like you just stepped out of the pool! Remember – it’s about the quality not the quantity.

Hot tip: Use only high quality oils to ensure you’re giving your hair the same treatment you give yourself! We recommend Kerastase’s Elixir Ultime Huile Original Oil (as shown below)!

Styling products

You’ll also need to use specific products to set your hair without damaging it. After all, there’s always a day where we’ve got a lil bit of hair that refuses to cooperate! These include:

Waxes

Hair wax is one of the most trusted products for styling hair. It’s useful for maintaining short and medium-length hair without making it lumpy. Apply only a small amount to your hair to avoid greasiness and don’t apply it to the hair roots, as this can lead to damaged hair follicles. This product is best used by men with shorter hair.

Clays

Clay has similar characteristics to hair wax, and you can choose either of the two depending on your preference. Clay makes hair soft and disentangles it leaving very little shine, meaning your hair will have a natural look. We recommend using clay over wax as waxes tend to be heavier, can make your hair greasy and unhealthy, and are usually waterproof and therefore harder to remove.

Hair gel

Hair gel is a styling essential that’s a must-have for those who love experimenting with looks. Gel is one of the oldest hairstyling products, and is great for short hair styling and for preparing a ponytail. It’s most effective when hair is damp, and it can be used to perform various tasks such as defining curls, adding volume, and giving hair a lovely sheen. Children love gel, so this is the perfect product for styling their hair!

Hairspray

You need a good hairspray to hold your hair in place after styling it. It’s the finishing touch for any style, adding volume and giving your hair a great hold where necessary. You should choose a light-hold formula that’s easy to brush out, thus allowing you to manipulate your hair in different styles. Alternatively, you can get a stronger-hold hairspray that will keep your hairstyle intact until you wash it out.

Volumising spray

Hair volumisers attract moisture to the hair strands, which swells the hair and makes it look thick. They add lift and texture to your hair, leaving it feeling soft and healthy. Pump up the volume and get a full, luminous mane with a volumising texture spray. This product is perfect when your hair is fine or thinning, as it will give you a ton of volume and hold everything in place. It will also improve your hair’s texture and leave it feeling soft.

Hot tip: Get a volumiser that makes your hair big and more! One that nourishes your hair at the same time as holding it is always recommended. Try Alterna’s Multiplying Volume Styling Mist (as shown below) for the best of all worlds!

A good brush

A good brush will give you a nice final look. Your brush should have soft bristles to make sure it can detangle your hair without damaging it. Invest in the following types of brushes for styling your hair:

Flat brush

A flat hairbrush is used to detangle hair. Its flat surface gives you better control when brushing your hair, achieving smooth results without breaking your hair’s natural fibres. These are great for smoothing out long hair and big hair, as well as quick drying.

Hot tip: Remember to always start from the ends! Brushing from the roots will only leads to breakage – of your hair and your heart!!

Round brush

With a proper round brush, you can achieve a salon-worthy blowout at home (well, almost… 😉). The placement of bristles on a round brush helps reduce frizz and gives your hair the right amount of bounce. These are ideal for straightening curly hair and blow-drying straight hair.

Heated brush

Heated brushes are made with materials that are good conductors of heat to allow you to blow dry more effectively. The bristles provide superior grip, thus making it easy to create a voluminous, smooth finish. We recommend the GHD heated brush, which is fantastic for smoothing out your hair quick and easy!

Hair dryer

Another important hairstyling product that you’ll need in your cabinet is a hair dryer. A good quality hair dryer will give you a professional blowout and significantly reduce your hair’s drying time. It will help you get ready for your appointments on time and give you a few extra minutes to enjoy your coffee before heading to work. A GHD hair dryer is the one we recommend here at Heading Out. It has the best heat control and cool shot button for quick bursts of cool air!

Hot tip: Let your hair naturally dry most, if not all of the way if possible. Keeping your hair away from heat as much as possible is great! Try using a heat protecting product if you cannot avoid this.

Flat iron

Having a styling tool to flatten your hair can do wonders for your look. A blow dryer can help you do this, but a flat iron is the perfect straightening tool to straighten curly hair and smooth out your strands.

Flat irons built using copper ceramic technology are the best since they can straighten hair without breaking and leave a luminous shine. If you have naturally curly hair, you should get a flat iron with a high heat setting for straightening those stubborn curls. Take a look at the GHD range we provide in store here for all your straight hair needs!

A curling iron is the perfect salon hairstyling product for anyone who wants to get gorgeous beach waves. Section your hair and place it on the clamp to start the curling process. Press the rotating button and watch the curling iron add beautifully structured curls to your hair. Use smaller sections of hair if you want tighter curls or wrap them large for natural-looking waves. For both curling irons and straighteners, we recommend any of the GHD selection of tools. They come in all shapes and sizes, and have a  range of settings that take the best care of your hair.

Conclusion

Big hair, don’t care? Well, you’ll need to care if you want to keep it healthy! Failing to do this will leave you with dry and damaged hair that shouldn’t be seen out of the house! Say goodbye to bad hair days by investing in the best hair products and styling tools. For your hair care Australia needs, invest in the products recommended here. The team at Heading Out Hair & Beauty are experts in hair care and have many of these products available in store and on our online shop. Visit us today and let one of our hair experts guide you on the best products for your hair.