Our 32 All-Time Favorite Hair Care Tips From The Pros

By Jelani Addams Rosa & Powered By L’Oreal Professional Products Division

As beauty editors, we have access to some of the best and most well-known hair care pros in the business. From Tracey Cunningham to Jason Backe, pros share their best hair care tips about everything from cuts and color to styling and hair care.

Asking us to choose our favorite hair care tip is like asking a mother to choose her favorite child—impossible! Instead, we’ve decided to share our 32 favorite hair care tips of all time.

Whether you’re trying to find the perfect haircut or are deciding which color service is right for you, these tips have got you covered.

Cut

Cut Hair Wet And Dry

“I highly recommend cutting hair both wet and dry every time. I love trimming hair and shaping when they just sit in the chair and the hair is styled or air dried as they wear it every day. After I shampoo and treat it, I cut the hair again wet, then I check everything for balance and further details after their blowout. Clients appreciate it and you truly can customize an ideal haircut.” - Pepper Pastor, Kérastase brand ambassador and stylist.

Layers Are Universally Flattering

“Layers hide flaws and give options to every hairstyle.” - Danielle Keasling, Matrix artistic director and owner of Salon Karma in South Carolina.

How To Tell If Your Face Is Round

"A face is considered round if the width all the way around is fairly even and full." - Lauren Sill, Shu Art of Hair artistic principal and creative director of Luxelab LA.

When In Doubt, Grow Your Hair Long

“Long hair can work for all textures, styles and personalities which makes it an indisputable staple in women’s haircuts...They’re always being redone and modernized, so there’s always something new to try.” - Kristjún Holt, L’Oréal Professionnel brand ambassador.

The Lob Is The Ultimate Haircut

"The lob enables women to cut off their length without losing their femininity." - Matt Fugate, Kérastase consulting hairstylist.

Color

How To Achieve Flawless Balayage

“A soft touch, visual placement, and a customized approach all come together for the perfect balayage execution.” - Min Kim, L'Oréal Professionnel brand ambassador and colorist.

When To Get Lowlights

“Ask the stylist what colors go well with your skin tone and eye color... Lowlights are perfect for anyone whose color is starting to look flat and monotone.” - Laura Gibson, L'Oréal Professionnel brand ambassador.

Coloring Your Hair Is An Investment

“I have clients that I see every month to maintain their blonde just as they like...Think of your hair color as a long-term investment and not something you’ll do once and forget about.” - Tracey Cunningham, Redken brand ambassador and celebrity colorist.

Use Color To Contour Your Face

“Stylists experiment with different colors for different face shapes to see what tones might elongate, minimize, and ultimately create an idealized oval shape.” - George Papanikolas, Matrix celebrity stylist and brand ambassador.

Who Should Opt For Highlights

“Highlights are best for those who want a more blended overall result with less dimension. It’s also suitable for everyone but especially best for clients with finer textures as it gives body to limp strands.” - Min Kim, L’Oréal Professionnel brand ambassador and stylist.

Care

Don’t Cheap Out On Hair Tools

“Price is what you pay, value is what you get—so I would suggest customers look for more value. What’s the value of the iron?” - Sam Villa, Redken brand ambassador.

How To Determine Your Hair Texture

“To determine your hair texture, take a single piece of hair and slide it up and down between your thumb and another finger.” - Michelle Lindsay, L'Oréal Professionnel brand ambassador and artist.

Be Realistic About What Hair Products Can Do

“Products aren’t going to permanently change the characteristics of the hair you were born with. If you’ve always had fine, thin hair, products aren’t going to give you mass amounts of hair, but products can make the hair look and feel fuller.” - Michelle Lindsay, L'Oréal Professionnel brand ambassador and artist.

What To Do With Split Ends

“Once the hair strand has begun to split, it can sometimes be temporarily mended. But ultimately, it just needs to be cut off.” - Ashley Brown, Mizani artist, educator, and brand ambassador.

Style

The Key To Achieving A Long Lasting Blow Out

“When it comes to the blow-drying technique, is it critical that you actually let the hair cool down on the brush.” - Rodney Cutler, Redken brand ambassador and celebrity stylist.

How To Properly Apply Hair Products

“To ensure that every strand is covered and protected, section your hair and apply product section by section.” - Rachelle Hawkins, Mizani artist and educator.