Free The New Rules for Blondes by Selena Coppock Page A

a bit. But not too much. Don’t go calling a friend during that window of time because it’s a very limited phase and you can’t be yammering. The hair is drying, but you cannot let it dry completely or all your hair work will be for naught.
    Once your damp hair has dried a bit, it’s time to blow-dry. My best friend, Suzanne, somehow managed to get a wicked case of carpal tunnel syndrome from blow-drying her hair. No joke. She saw her doctor to get to the bottom of it, and he was able to identify the offending behavior that was causing her wrist problems. He had some wise words that we all should heed: When you’re blow-drying your hair and you have the dryer in one hand and a brush in the other, keep them moving around the head. Don’t get stuck in one spot doing the same motion continuously. In this way, blow-drying isn’t unlike childhood bike riding: safety first. Everyone has his or her own way to blow-dry—some people separate the hair into sections to isolate the sections that they are working on, other people only blow-dry with their heads upside-down, others start with their bangs and move back, and still others start at the back and work their way forward. All are correct. Much like the Hard Rock mantra of “Love all, serve all,” when it comes to blow-drying your hair, “Love all, dry all (strands of sweet hair).” I personally start at the back and bottom and get that settled, then work my way up and forward. The toughest section is the hair that frames the face. Cowlicks can muck things up, and it’s often hard to get the hair to point where you want it to point and hang how you want it to hang, right off the ol’ dome piece. When I’m blow-drying, I simply focus on getting the hair dry and straight, and I leave the specific styling and pointing of hair to later.
    “Later” comes quickly when you have fine hair, so now it’s styling time. At this point, when the hair is completely dry, gel and mousse are verboten but a touch of hair spray and styling wax is permitted. Part your hair how you wish to part it (I love a good diagonal side part—a flattering look on most and a nice way to balance things), then lock in the style by giving it a quick spritz with hair spray from an aerosol can. I know, I know, environmentalist blondes reading this book are thinking, She’s a terrible person, and aerosol cans are the devil. Aerosol cans cause rips in the ozone layer, and this jerk is slowly killing our planet because she needs to lock in style. Don’t blame me! Blame the scientists who have yet to create a hair spray application device that is as good as aerosol but without the environmental repercussions! You just can’t beat the light spray that an aerosol can emits.
    Earlier I mentioned styling wax. It’s not just for the boys and the lesbians anymore! Styling wax should be used in moderation because a little goes a long-assed way. Don’t make the same mistake that I did when I first dabbled in styling wax and apply it to wet hair post-shower. Again, that damp time is for mousse, gel, and root boost spray, but not for hair spray or styling wax. If you apply styling wax when the hair is damp, your hair will dry and look filthy all over again. Styling wax’s purpose is to control hair and rein in flyaways at the final step of styling. I use a dab of styling wax if I’m parting my hair for an updo or pigtails and if I have flyaways that I need to smooth down. Be warned, though: Styling wax can be quite thick and heavy, and you should only use a pinch between your fingers and apply it to a specific spot. If you have flyaways all over and need to smooth things out (perhaps you didn’t use enough conditioner and/or it’s wintertime), don’t use styling wax in this situation. It’s too heavy for all-head application. In this circumstance, I used to use a product called Secret Weapon, but it was discontinued a few years back. That was what I call my own personal D-Day (discontinuation day), and it