You overslept. Again.
Fortunately, your laundry's clean and your makeup is nearby. Just one thing threatens to make you late for work: bed head.
Many of us have panicked upon realizing there's not enough time to wash an oily ponytail. We assume the only cure is a hat -- or a sick day.
It's not that bad, according to Lauren Seifrit, a master cosmetologist at kerry mac salon & spa (4015 Veterans Court, Columbus, GA).
Seifrit recently demonstrated a quick way to whip oily, unwashed hair into shape. If you're comfortable with a curling iron, this process should take no more than 10 minutes, she said. Shea Washington models the look.
STEP 1: Dry shampoo
Apply dry shampoo to hair sectioned off across the crown of your head. Holding the dry shampoo six to eight inches away from your head, spray at your scalp. Hair sections should be about one-and-a-half inches wide.
You don't need to worry about the hair underneath, since the oiliest part of your hair is usually at your crown. That's also the area where people want the most volume, according to Seifrit.
"Make sure to spray around the hairline, too," she added.
Keep the dry shampoo in your hair for a minute or two and then toss it around.
STEP 2: Blow dryer
Let one-and-a-half inch sections of your hair sit on a large, round brush. Blow dry directly above those sections. Blow dry starting at the scalp and moving back.
"Keep the blow dryer moving. You don't want to overheat the hair," Seifrit said.
This step is designed to provide extra volume, so you just need to focus on the hair at the crown. If you have medium to long hair, you should use a large brush that's about 2 inches in diameter.
STEP 3: Curling iron
Use a curling iron on hair within three sections of your head.
The first section includes pieces of hair from the middle of one ear across to the other ear. Pin the rest of your hair up and spray the featured area with setting spray. Concentrating on this section, create spiral curls directed away from the face. Focus most of the curl at the bottom of the hair.
The second section includes pieces of hair across your temples. Again, direct the curls away from your face. This time, let the curl go midway up the hair.
Your final section is the length around your face. Direct the curls away from your face, but let the curls go all the way to your scalp as opposed to the bottom or middle of the hair.
STEP 4: Tousle
Using a wide-tooth comb or your fingers, brush out the curls for a tousled look. "But don't break the curls completely," Seifrit said. Finish up with a touch of hairspray.
