Hair As Shiny As It Can Be

Now that fall is upon us, hairstyles are changing. While it's excusable for your hair to be a bit fried and drab during the summer, hair this fall is all about being shiny, silky and luxurious.

So what makes hair shiny? When the outer layer (cuticle) of the hair shaft lies flat, the even surface can reflect light. Smoothing the outer layer also repels the moisture that causes frizz, which is a major shine inhibitor.

Stylist-to-the-stars David Evangelista shares his techniques on The Early Show to make sure you can have those glossy locks.

"Using moisturizing shampoos and conditioners can actually inhibit the shine of your hair," he says. "Excess residue is a major shine assassin, and if you're using a heavy-duty moisture shampoo/conditioner combo daily, you're sure to have quite a lot of buildup."

Shine-enhancing
What to do? Evangelista advises using shampoos and conditioners that specifically say "shine enhancing" or "moisturizing." In addition, once a week, try an acidic finishing rinse after you wash your hair. The acids tighten the outer layer of the cuticle, and thus allows light to bounce off the smoothed cuticle giving shine.

Best of all, you don't have to go out and buy an acidic rinse. You can make one in your own kitchen. The following are great buildup busters:

• Beer — Shampoo hair and rinse as usual. Pour 1 bottle of beer through hair and massage in, rinse thoroughly with cold water. Hair will be left shinier and with more body.
• Lemon juice — Shampoo hair and rinse as usual. Mix the juice of a lemon with a cup-and-a-half of water, and pour through hair. Rinse thoroughly with cold water. Hair will be left shinier.
• To correct the hair's pH and remove residue from shampoo and other hair products, try:
  Juice from 1/2 lemon (eliminate if you don't want the slightest lightening of color)
  2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  1 cup water

  Shampoo hair and rinse as usual. Pour the mixture onto your hair and massage into scalp and through the hair. Rinse thoroughly with cool water

Deep-condition
To protect the outer layer of the hair and increase shine, apply a deep conditioner once a week, twice if you've done a lot of sun tanning or swimming in the past few months. A heavy duty mask formulated for extra shine will not only boost shine, but also moisturize your hair back to a healthy state, and make your hair as soft and glossy as you've ever imagined.

Some masks to look for at the beauty store:
Frederic Fekkai Overnight Repair, $195. It is a steep price, but you apply it at night before going to sleep and in a few weeks your hair is soft, healthy and gorgeous. It is the hot new product of the hair world this season.

Propoline Hair Mask for Brightness and Revitalizing, $20
Aveda Damage Remedy Intensive Restructuring Treatment, $26
Kerastase Chroma Reflect Radiance-Enhancing Masque, $58

Again, you don't have to hit the beauty store for a great mask. Make one at home by trying this recipe to restore moisture and give more shine:
1 avocado
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. baking powder
Mash up avocado with the olive oil, and add the baking powder. Mix well until combined and work the mixture through hair. Leave on for 15 minutes, and wash out thoroughly

Add Extra Gloss And Fight The Frizzies
For a mirror-like finish, using a little product is a good idea. Lots of products will add shine-enhancing emollients to your hair and, in doing so, will lay the cuticle of the hair shaft flat, thus stopping any sign of frizz.

The trick to avoid getting weighed-down by shine-enhancing product is to avoid the roots. Apply these products to dry hair, applying to the shaft of the hair, at least an inch-and-a-half from the root. Also although common sense would tell us that silicone sprays would give extra shine, they actually tend to leave a film on the hair which will kill any shine you've got.

There are tons of different formulations of products to help get the gloss back into your hair, from pomades to serums to cremes. There's no rule for which to use. The key is to find a formulation you like and go with it — although oils and serums tend to work better on thick or coarse hair, while sprays and pomades tend to be enough coverage for thin hair. A few to try are:

• Crèmes
  Bumble & Bumble Grooming Crème, $22
  Frederic Fekkai Glossing Cream, $18.50
  Kerastase Chroma Reflect Radiance-Enhancing Polishing Cream, $34
  Matrix Color Smart Nourishing Shine Cream
  Biolage Smoothing Shine Milk, $12.95
• Serums
  Prive Serum D'Eclat Shine Serum, $19
  Oscar Blandi Jasmine Oil Hair Serum, $23
  Bliss Lemon & Sage Hair Shine & Body Gloss, $26
• Sprays
  Prive Styling Brilliance, $23
  Aveda Brilliant Spray-On Shine, $18
  Dessange Paris Super Hold Styling Hairspray for Glossy Finish, $19
  Redken Vinyl Glam, $13.95
  Bumble & Bumble Gloss, $13

If you have straight hair, look for a natural bristle styling brush, or an "ionic," or ceramic brush. Negative ions speed up the evaporation process, as well as infrared heat, to help dry the hair in half the time. In addition, ionic and ceramic brushes prevent static, frizz, and color fading.

Use the nozzle on your hair dryer. This is key. The nozzle will allow you to focus the heat in one direction on the hair. Using a dryer without the nozzle is a sure-fire way to make your hair look like a rats nest. Invest in a high-speed hairdryer, minimum 1800 watts with a "cool" air button. T3 has wonderful brushes and dryers that will minimize the drying time and keep your hair supple and shiny without frying it in the styling process.

When drying hair, aim your blow dryer down the hair shaft. The direct hit of the airflow will smooth the cuticle. Otherwise, air pushes the cuticle up, causing frizz. Using the cool shot button, once your hair is almost dry, will seal the hair cuticle, and will keep your hair smooth and silky.

If you're insistent upon using a flat iron, look for one that is made of ceramic, which will inhibit hair from frying as it would with metal flat irons.

If you have wavy or curly hair, a diffuser with built-in "fingertips" will scrunch curls and prevent the airflow from frying your hair.