Ever wish you knew all of your hair stylist's secrets?
We've rounded up our favorite hair stylists to dish the best tips they've learned throughout their careers — and not just what they offer to clients, but the methods they really use on their very own precious tresses. You can thank us later.
1. Look at old photos
There's an easy way to select the shade that will look best given your skin tone.
"The color you had when you were a kid is the most flattering natural color on your skin type," Lorean Cairns, co-founder of Fox & Jane salons in New York, California and Colorado, told TODAY Style. "I've always gone by that rule of thumb and it hasn't failed me yet."
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Can't remember? Bring in a photo from your childhood — before you hit the bleach bottle — and show it to your stylist to replicate.
2. Splurge on silk
If you suffer from breakage or tangles, consider upgrading to silk sheets.
"Double-process blondes and (people) with damaged hair should sleep on a silk pillowcase," Brent Ericsson, a stylist at American Mortals in Philadelphia, told TODAY Style. "Silk is a soft fabric that doesn't cause friction."
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3. Take smarter showers
Pro tip: Tilt your head back like you do at the salon when you're in the shower to get the deepest clean.
"Hair is best washed with water flow moving in the same direction as the cuticle," Angelo David Pisacreta of New York City's Angelo David Salon said.
4. Leave wet hair down
What you do after the shower matters, too. Multiple stylists warned that wet hair is particularly susceptible to breakage. Don't put wet hair up with a hair tie, Steven DeCarlo, a senior stylist at Mizu in New York, said.
"This causes breakage on the ends because the elasticity of the hair when it's wet (makes it) more able to stretch and break," he told TODAY Style. "Braid your hair instead, or leave it down with a leave-in conditioner to air dry."
Cairns added that curly-haired folks should also skip the towel dry.
"Scrunch curly hair with a plain cotton T-shirt instead of a towel to reduce frizz," Cairns said. "The loops on the terry cloth have a tendency to grab at the hair, causing it to separate from the curl structure."
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5. Put down the hairspray
If a few spritzes of hairspray on your way out of the house is a normal part of your beauty routine, you're not alone — but you're also not doing yourself any favors.
Gio Vacarro, creative director of Glamsquad, said paste actually provides a longer hold.
"My clients often think paste is too heavy," he told TODAY Style. "However, the moldability of paste helps keep the shape of the style, while hairspray is sticky and makes hair static-y."
Paste can be intimidating, but it's easy to apply: rub a small amount in your hands, run your hands over your hair, and voila, you're good to go!