Have a hair or beauty questions? Let us help you find the answer. Ask here for your pro advice!
BELINDA & FRANK GAMBUZZAThis styling duo own and operate Salon Studio Visage in Knoxville, TN. Belinda is know for her color expertise, and Frank excels in cuts and styles.
CARMINE MINARDI
Co-owner of Minardi Salon in New York, Carmine has worked on hundreds of celebrities, housewives and professional women.
DANIEL KEANE
A veteran educator, designer, editorial and platform artist, Daniel also currently serves as Academy Director for Italy Hairfashion.
SUZIE BONDA well-known pro in the color world for over 19 years, Suzie is also the owner of salon Perfect 5th in Mooresville, NC.
BETH MINARDI
In addition to being the co-owner of Minardi Salon in New York, she is a Joico color spokesperson for Vero K-Pak Color.
SOPHISTICATE’S HAIRSTYLE GUIDE
In our 33rd year of publishing, we’ve featured thousands and thousands of fabulous tress looks, talked to celebrity hairstylists, worked with top experts in all things hair and have learned a thing or two about what makes a woman look beautiful. We can help!
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Hi, I’m really bored with with hair. I wanna try something different but not to out there. I’m fourteen with an oval face, I think. I have a really round chin also. Please help! Any hairstyle that’s not to drastic, maybe even edgy or girly, whatever! My hair length is long and dirty blonde.
Thanks!
Also my hair is kinda straight with a little wave!
Hi, Kate!
Keep the length near the collar bone and add face-framing layers and sideswept bangs. This will give your hair a lot of movement and provide you with a really edgy look.
i have a question. what is a hot oil treatment? what does it do to your hair? and what kind of oil do you use?
Hi, Taylor!
Hot oil treatments add moisture to the hair and give you a conditioned look without having to condition every day. Stylists recommend getting hot oil treatments one or two times a month. Visit the salon and consult your personal stylist, as there are many types of treatments for various textures of hair.
there is a picture in your clip and snip it is the douglas carroll salon raleigh,sc photo by global hair and fashion group. i love the cut and style but i have a round face, paseed my shoulders blonde hair, fair/tan skin and green eyes. would this hairstyle/cut look good on me??? if not what cut and style do you recommend for me !???
i also happen to be a 14 year old if that changes anything
Hi, Taylor!
You can wear a variety of styles. As for length, it sounds like your hair is at a good place. To add to the style, ask your hairstylist for graduated layers around the face to balance out your face shape.
hi, i have long bonde hair that is darker underneath and its really think there is a hairstyle in your magazine that i like but it has red hair. would it look good on me i have fair/tan skin and green eyes ???
I have medium textured hair that falls right under my collar bone it has also had coppery brown very pretty low lights added to it and its usually very wavy close to curls and I can do almost anything with it from pretty curls to pin straight but with the humidity and in the summer especially it starts to get frizzy unless I put mousse or gel and I cannot put shine droplets on because they make my hair greasy even if I use very little I fixed this problem by using lemon shampoo(it was very effective!) I also keep my hair healthy by using a leaf of Aloe plant I peel it and put it in the blender with whatever shampoo orusually my conditioner that I use that month (not cheap ones usually pantene, frutics, aussie, head and shoulders or tre semme. But I cannot fix the frizz! Help Me!
Hi, Alexandra!
We are checking with our experts and will get back to you soon!
Hi, Alexandra!
It sounds as though you have tried an interesting array of products and approaches to your hair. Hydration is the most important key to taming frizz (not humidity from the outside but hydration from the inside). Italy Hairfashions Purity Design line of styling products. These are based on hydration from essential oils derived from three desert cactus plants (Cholla, Joshua Tree and Agave) and really help tame the frizz. Try blending Pure Fluid Experience with Gel in a cocktail for the hair and use Pure Water Drops as a finishing touch to the hair. These water drops are different from other shine products in the way that they hydrate rather than coat the hair with oils.
i am in my late 50s my hair originally was a mousy brown i have dyed it blond for ever but it looks bad. i want a color that pops and looks good my skin is fair and my eyes hazel
Hi, Ruth W.!
Most likely you are matching your hair color to your skin level and you can’t tell the difference between the two. Try a medium, warm brown to bring out those hazel eyes. As skin ages, it typically needs some warmth surrounding it. Then add just a few highlights to make it really pop!
i have kind hair… the kind grown on a horses a$$ its a thick variety that curls/waves easily and with help from an iron can get reasonable straight. but with the presence of humidity it frizzes and theres no fixin it. it goes from too dry to too oily in 2.2 seconds… i have colored making the frizz a real possibility. i currently sport hair to my bra strap because im lazy and enjoy a ponytail. want to go to a graduated bob with longer section at my chin moving to the stacked spot at the back. does this sound like a good idea? scared to commit but tired of the hassle.this is the longest my hairs ever been.. and the blow drying and straightening and curling takes 1.5 hrs to do.
Hi, Suzie!
With your hair texture, a graduated bob would only cause your hair to expand and possibly look even more frizzy. Try a length in between the shoulders and just below the collar bone with layers to frame the face.
My hair is between a thick and fine texture and gets oily very quickly. I have tried just about every hair style and have been trying to find something to fit my oval face. I have short layers now and hate them. They give me that rocker look and my style is more toward preppy. The length of my hair is just over my collar bone. What can I do with it to make it look better?
Hi, Anna!
Medium-textured hair has a propensity for oiliness (it gets limp and flat quickly). For a more preppy look, try a hairstyle that is mostly one length between the jaw and shoulders. Ask your stylist for light layers to provide some lift and support. This gives you a variety of styling options. You might also consider some subtle highlights to provide some dimension in the style.
I’m am thinking about dying my hair and putting a colorful streak in it (ex. pink or purple), what brand of hair color do you recommend?
Hi, Rebecca!
Before you make the change, be sure you want that bright pop of color in your hair. Have you thought about clip-in extensions? They come in all kinds of colors (blue, pink, purple) and they’re available at your local beauty supply store.
I have shoulder length, thick, straight,light brown hair. Naturally I have dark-brown hair but the light matches my eyebrows better. I have fair white skin but in the summer it gets really tan like almost dark-brown and I’ve been wanting to go blonde but I don’t know if it would look right with dark skin. My hair is also naturally very oily. I have to wash it every day or it looks dirty but since I’ve started dying my hair 4 years ago it feels healthier. People tell me I’m going to go bald from dying it but every time I dye it its just as thick and it feels silky not damaged. Do you have any advice on whether I should dye it lighter or should stop dying it or how to fix oily hair? Also If you have lightened your hair to a reasonably light color should it be easier to go from light brown to blonde without an orange hue or tint?
Hi, Monica!
Coloring your hair will not make your scalp produce less hair. Thinning hair comes from genetic predisposition or damage to a hair follicle either internally or externally. Haircolor does not damage those follicles. Your body produces a protective layer called the “acid mantle” for all surface areas. Some people produce more than others. The more you attempt to remove the protective layer, the more your body will work in overdrive to replace it. So constantly shampooing is working against your efforts. Try using a pH balancing shampoo such as Serie Expert’s Sensi Balanced. If you absolutely cannot reduce shampooing to every other day, try skipping one to two days per week to start. After about six weeks of this, you will be able to skip a third day until you have less oil produced. Coloring your hair on the scalp every 4-6 weeks also helps to reduce the oil for a period of time. As for color choice, you are in the perfect place now to highlight your
base color. Your hair will appear extremely lighter by only adding highlights. Changing your color on the scalp to overall even lighter might be a bit much, all at once. Blondes look more natural with some variation of highlights and lowlights.
Hello everyone I need help my hair is very thin so thin that when I curl my hair my curls wont stay for a long time I tried hair spray such as Suave,Pantene,Garnie fructics but my curls still fall flat is there any thing that I can put on my hair to make my curls stay I need some suggestions?
thank you
Hi, Blank!
Aside from hairspray, have you tried to use any other products? Using mousse will help hold your curls. Take a quarter-size amount of mousse and work it into damp hair. You can also spray in a little root booster or volumizing spray before blow-drying. Also, take a look at your tools. After you curl your hair with a curling iron, trying pinning the curls and allow them to cool for 10 minutes. You may even want to try hot rollers, as they create tighter curls. Try to avoid using a brush, as it will flatten your curls, and only use your fingers to tousle.
Hi, I want to be able to get the hair that is so popular right now with the long hair, volume on top, with cascading curls but I dont know what to tell my hairstylest. In the sophisticate’s magazin they show all the hair i like but I dont know what the hair looks like without all the curls to be able to tell her what I want, what do I tell her? My hair currently has layers but I cannot get the look showcased help!
Hi, Marylynn!
Check out the latest issue of Sophisticate’s Hairstyle Guide, which just hit stands this week. There’s a look in the At Home Styling Guide that fits your description and the handy guide offers complete styling instructions!
Any advise for women with super fine hair? Almost all styles are published are for really thick, long hair. I have long hair, but it’s super fine and I can’t find any styles suitable.
Hi, Jamie!
Have you ever considered extensions? They’re not just for length. Hair extensions also add volume, weight and thickness and help you style your hair like Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift and more. You can either have a stylist bond them to your natural hair or purchase clip-in hair extensions from your local beauty supply store.
Hi I have a round face and I have brown hair with blond hilights in it and I’m not really liking the blonde. my hair is naturally a dirtyish blonde and the hair dresser said that I will have to just wait untill my hilights grow out because there is not a color she can make my hair so that it will be very close to or almost exactly like my natural hair color so what do I do?
Hi, Payton!
You may want to seek another colorist. You could have a demi-permanent overlay to bring those highlights to almost any color! Sometimes bringing lightened hair down to a natural ash shade is not as pretty as targeting a warmer end result. Ask for those highlights to be a beautiful caramel that is only one level lighter than your natural. That will add some warmth for summer and then you can take it from there when you are bored and those light pieces need retouching.
I have a round face with a very little double chin. My hair is so very thick that it is just getting to hot already and hard deal with. Its also heavy and corse. The color is brunette with its own highlights of a little red tint. The length is about 4 to 5 inches past my shoulders. I want to go with a shorter look but dont know what to do because i dont know if it will look good on me or not. I had a perm that i brushed out cause I was ready to go back to the straight look so now when I wash it its wavy and when I dry it its bushy until I flat iron it. I have medium length bangs that I keep swept to the side and it has a few layers in it. What should I do? Thought about a length just above shoulders and stacked in back. What do you think I should do? Please help. Thanks!
Hi, Sylvia!
For summer, you can either wear your hair back and off the face, use clips to keep it off the neck or wear high ponytails if you don’t want to cut the length. Otherwise, move to a shorter style with some shag and swing. Definitely check out Sophisticate’s Hairstyle Guide Clip & Snip section for lots of great inspiration photos.
hi i am wanting a big/dramatic change but as well something that will look good on my skin tone…i have drk brwn eyes,blk-brwn hair, and not too dark or light skin, more like light brown neways what do you recommend? i would like to get either hi-lites or low-lites or both or get 2 hair tones on my hair such as the tips being another hair color…and so i would appreciate your advice thx
Hi, Anabel!
Depending on the overall tone of your hair, you might try under-lights or subtle highlights. Underlights are subtle highlights of various shades that peek through the surface. These are great because regrowth is concealed and these peek-a-boo colors add dimension to hair. When it comes to “drastic” color changes, you may want to try on wigs or hair pieces so you can tell what you like what looks good on you and what you’ll be comfortable with. Haircolor takes a lot of time and consideration. Be consistent and stick with your stylist on a long-term plan so you’ll get the best results.
I wanted to thank you guys for the great advice you have given me on my hair and my pushing for more redheads in the magaazine.Haven’t been to the salon lately but going to try the tips I have received and if I hate my hair,I’m blaming you guys(LOL).I need to stop commenting on the site I’m sure you guys go oh no not her again.If she doesn’t stop we are going to have to put her in the magazine to prove we are putting more redheads in it.LOL
Jennifer:
We love your comments and talking to you–our favorite redhead!
oh sorry i forget i have thick straight hair. when my hair is wet when i towel dry it’s wavy until i brush it out,
Hi, Karisa!
Take a look at your styling tools. When you style your hair, use round brushes with metal or ceramic barrels and wire bristles (not boar bristles). Boar and nylon bristles can pull the hair and fray the ends if you’re not careful, and at-home blow-outs are not always easy to do. Go for a shoulder length cut with soft layers and external movement. This style works well with a heavy bang because you can wear your hair straight or add a little curl and, either way, it looks great. You might also try having the ends cut a little choppy so they fall softly around the neck and shoulder area. To control the frizz, use thicker styling creams and apply them to your hair when it’s wet to help tame the unruly look.
oh i forget i don’t know this matters. but age sometimes does when it comes to certain hairstyles i’m 22.
i have very think brown hair it grows very fast, about to the middle of my back, i have a round face, i also have bangs that are very thick. i want to get it cut in about a month but i’m not sure what style i should do because i’ve gotten it cut short before and i wash it the next day and it’s frizzy and bushy. thank you. if you have any style ideas let me know