Hair Rules For Everyone

This Isn’t One Of Those Magazine Articles With Tips That Apply To Only One Hair Type. Read On For All-Inclusive Advice That Works Regardless Of Your Length, Style, Or Texture.

- Jennifer Goldstein

A confession: Over 10 years ago, Marie Claire published a story that offered this advice: “To score sleek hair without an iron, douse damp hair in conditioning spray, slip on a tight fitting knit hat, leave it on for at least 15 minutes, then remove to reveal amazingly frizz-free hair.” It was problematic for many reasons, not least of which was the assumption that every woman reading the magazine wanted straight hair. But even if that were true, the number of people who can smooth their strands by putting on a ski cap hovers close to zero. So, for that, Marie Claire apologizes—and we haven’t offered exclusionary advice like that in a long time.

We aren’t the only ones to evolve. In the past few years, the hair industry has had its own awakening, realizing that every woman is unique and we each need different products based on our texture, curl pattern, length, style, the season, where we live, etc. But experts say there’s still a long way to go when it comes to the national hair conversation.

For example, Jonathan Colombini, a Los Angeles stylist who works with celebrities such as Kendall Jenner and Camila Alves, wants to ban the word trend. “Why do beauty editors still ask me what trends are hot?” he wonders. “The trend is no trend, embracing your individuality, doing what works for you. The products have gotten more inclusive, and it just feels old-fashioned to suggest something like ‘glass hair’ for everyone,” he says, name-checking the straight, glossy, blunt-edged style popular with some L.A. based Insta-influencers.