Ah, the New Year is approaching and with it, so are many expectations, responsibilities and ‘resolutions’. People make a number of exaggerated New Year’s resolutions like reaching their goal weight, finally eating healthy, settling down, or even finishing a book they stopped reading. However, one resolution that we all secretly make to ourselves is that we’ll ‘be more productive’ in the New Year and that we’ll spend less time doing things like getting ready, and more time with the people who care about us.

Spending Time on Your Hair

As girls, we spend long periods of time thinking about what we should do about our hair. We’ve all spent a considerable amount of time pondering over questions like ‘should I wash it today or tomorrow?’, ‘do  I go for a trim or get a pixie cut?’, or ‘what hairstyle would look good with this?’

According to a survey, the average woman spends almost ten days a year trying to take care of her hair. If you’re someone who tells their friends that you ‘don’t have time to meet up’, you spend an awful lot of time styling your hair.

The Breakdown

Out of hair care, surveys show that women spend most time twisting and teasing their hair into intricate Instagram-worthy hairstyles. In addition, they spend almost two hours on blow-drying their hair every week if you wash it every day. A large number of women also admitted that they spent a considerable amount of time every month getting their hair colored.

Time-saving Hair Hacks

If you’re panicking about how much time you spent styling your hair this year, we can help. We scoured our wide base of Kerotin Hair Care product users to learn about their most effective time-saving hair hacks. After reading this post, you’ll be much wiser and you’ll know exactly how you should be balancing time between life and taking care of your hair.

Don’t Settle for any Hair Tie

One of the biggest problems that any woman faces is styling her hair with minimum styling supplies and accessories. Hair ties are a staple but they’re all not made equally; in fact, there are different types for different textures of hair. When you settle for ordinary rubber bands while styling, you damage your hair, spend minutes trying to get the desired look, and end up leaving it open because it just won't look right. The trick is to use the right type of hair tie that takes care of your hair.

For Sleek Hair

If you’ve spent an hour trying to straighten your hair but want to tie it for a while, using a regular hair tie can put dents in the length, which isn’t the best look. It’s a better option to choose wider hair ties that leave your hair straight even after you remove them. Something with a ribbon-like width and texture will do just fine.

For a Snatched Ponytail

Snatched ponytails are popular for making you look younger, mainly because they tie your hair so tight that it gives your face a somewhat instant facelift. Using high-quality no-slip hair ties with elastic on the inside is a good option because they offer strong hold that lasts all day long.

For Chemically Treated or Colored Hair

Getting a perm with chemical relaxants or having a habit of bleaching your hair can weaken the cuticle, which reduces moisture. In these cases, you’ll have very weak and brittle hair that can’t be pulled too tight. Using a soft velvet scrunchie works wonders for keeping your hair in place, without causing further damage or breakage. The velvet fabric doesn’t dent out your weakened hair and pulling it out won’t be a nightmare.

For Braids and Cornrows

Using colored elastics for cornrows can take the look out of them, especially if you’ll be wearing them for a while. Not to mention, braids look better with clips and accessories, so tying them up with too big of a hair tie can take the charm away from a classic braid. That’s why sticking to clear and transparent elastic bands will work the best. They can match any number of hair colors and you can pull them out without damaging your hair too much.

For Thinner Types of Hair 

Having naturally thinner hair can be discouraging, especially if the slightest tug can pull out tens of strands at once. Fortunately, silk is the solution you need; using elastic hair ties that are lined with silk will cause less breakage because of silk’s smooth surface. They also won’t pull on any loose strands, while making sure that your hair looks great.

For Managed Hair While Sleeping

Remember how you’ve heard that a silk pillowcase can prevent hair breakage and keep your locks looking smoother in the morning? Well, the same applies to hair ties. Although it’s best to leave your hair open while you’re sleeping, a lot of women prefer to keep it out of their face.

However, using a tight elastic can do more damage, and you’ll spend even more time trying to detangle it out of your hair in the morning, causing more damage in the process. Luckily, using a soft silk scrunchie means less breakage, smoother hair, and fewer split ends.

For Kinky and Curly Hair

Having curly hair can be a blessing but sometimes, everyone wishes that it was more manageable. Conventional hair ties always make it difficult for curly hair types, but it turns out you were just using the wrong tie all along. Pulling or tugging curly hair can be a struggle; wouldn’t it be amazing if you could magically tie it the way it is? Using a stretchable hair tie with hooks on both ends means that all you have to do is stretch it to the back and clip it on, no pulling required.

Very Thick Hair or Workouts

Thick-haired girls know the pain of breaking multiple hair ties because they just couldn’t handle it. It’s even worse when your hair tie just snaps in the middle, and your hairstyle falls apart. The solution is to not settle for elastic at all. Spring-shaped hair ties like the famous Invisibobble has a spiral shape that gives a stronger hold, and doesn’t wear out or break, and doesn’t leave any dents. It’s also the best way to keep your hair in place during a workout when you should be focused on burning calories instead of worrying about hair damage.

Use an Absorbent Headband While Working Out

For those of us who work out regularly, a common problem is getting greasy hair after an intense exercise routine. Washing your hair as often as every day can lead to more damage, and you’ll be spending more time to wash and then blow dry it. Using an absorbent headband around your hairline helps in keeping the sweat from moving into your hair. A lot of women forget about this piece of essential workout gear, but it has a beneficial impact on saving time and keeping your hair healthy.

Wash Your Hair in 5 Minutes

When you’re short on time, the best option is to skip the wash altogether. However, when you can’t do that, choose to minimize your wash by keeping it to the roots. Do this by tying up the length of your hair into a bun and putting on a shower cap so that it stays dry while exposing your scalp. Use a little water to moisten the scalp near the roots and a pea-sized amount of shampoo to lather up.

Be careful while massaging the shampoo into your scalp, and only spread it through your hairline or other parts that get exceptionally sweaty and dirty. Make sure that you rinse carefully to keep shampoo from flowing down the length of your hair (if available, use a shower head to wash your hair in the sink). Once you’re done, remove the cap and start blow-drying your roots for a refreshed look.

Dry Your Hair in 5 Minutes

If you have medium length hair, there’s a chance that you can dry your hair in five minutes, be out the door, and leave in time for work. After washing your hair, use a highly absorbent towel like a terry knit microfiber that can quickly absorb moisture from your hair; up to five times its own weight. Remember to use a scrunching method to absorb water out of your hair, since roughly drying will just damage the cuticle (that causes split ends, yikes!) and takes even longer. With this method, your hair will be half-dry in around two minutes.

Then, spend the next two minutes use a blow-dryer to reach 90 percent dryness; your hair will feel somewhat damp but not soaking wet. If you’re looking for some volume, flip your hair over once or twice before using a brush to style your hair as you’re blow-drying. This prevents you from over-drying your hair, saves time, and gives you the desired look that’s much more natural. For curly hair, we recommend that you don’t use a brush and attach a diffuser at the end so that it retains your curl pattern.

Use a Spray of Dry Shampoo

Remember, you’re the only one who can really tell how clean your hair is. So if you just got done from an intense workout and you know your hair is clean, don’t force yourself to go through a wash. If all you want to do is get rid of the sweat, and smell good again, use a blow-dryer to dry up the sweat. After that, you can get a refreshed look by adding a spray of dry shampoo to your roots. This absorbs any extra oil while making your hair look clean.

Bye-Bye Greasy Hair

If you have very greasy hair, it can be difficult to convince your friends that you washed your hair only yesterday. However, it can be damaging and painstakingly tiring to wash your hair every day, and dry shampoo doesn’t come cheap enough to use almost every day. Fortunately, you can say bye-bye to greasy hair by making your own version of dry shampoo at home.

All you need is half a cup of cornstarch, some cocoa powder, and a few drops of your favorite essential oil (we like lavender, lemon, tea tree, and peppermint in case you’re wondering.)  If your hair is light colored, just add a few drops of essential oil to the cornstarch but for darker hair types, mix in two tablespoons of cocoa powder to get a darker shade.

Apply the mixture by adding it to a talcum powder bottle, or a brush applicator. The cornstarch will soak up any oil or sweat in your roots while keeping your hair dry, and the essential oils will keep your hair smelling fresh all day.   

Feeling Slick

Whether your hair is damp and you don’t want the heat, or if it’s too greasy and you have no time to wash, your best bet is getting a slick look. You can tie a sleek hairstyle while using the moisture or sweat in your hair, and it’ll look totally chic. Go for a middle or side part, or just brush it all back and tie it into a sleek ponytail or a bun. You can keep your hair feeling soft and frizz free with the Kerotin Big Surf Spray, while the Shapeshifter Hairspray makes sure that your hair stays in place from the front.

Braid it the Night Before

Want some instant curls for tomorrow’s party but don’t want to use any heat? It’s as simple as braiding your hair the night before and spraying it with some water to get instant volume in the morning. It’ll give you natural curls without the need for an iron. To keep your curls in place, use a little Hairspray so that you don’t have to worry about it falling limp.

Conclusion

We’ve laid down all the best hacks as to how you can spend less time on your hair, and more time with friends and family, the next year. Let’s meet our goals for becoming more productive and active while becoming less obsessed about how we do our hair. So ladies, what will your New Year’s resolutions be this time?