The Chameleons of Summer: How a Dramatic Hair Transformation Became the Season’s Secret Weapon

As summer prepares to make its slow, sunset-like descent into autumn, a quick look back at our favorite metamorphic beauty moments confirms that it was the season of the fearless hair change. Dramatic chops and color adjustments inspired us—while constantly keeping us guessing—and promised to provide a template for our own adventurous shifts going into September.

Case in point: Georgia May Jagger bleached her layered lengths before saturating sections in playfully bright pastels, resulting in a physical representation of summertime whimsy that will segue nicely into the washed-out shades of blush, lavender, and tangerine as the temperature dips. Meanwhile, Lupita Nyong’o proved that changing one’s hair can be done easily and often, morphing from short-haired siren into side-braid bohemian and back, this time with a headful of natural curls that we can’t help but mentally pair with a chunky knit sweater.

While many embraced the long, swingy lengths typically associated with beach bombshell season, hairstylist Orlando Pita snipped Amanda Seyfried’s signature wheat-colored mane into a shoulder-grazing, polished bob, and for a good cause—Seyfried donated her shorn lengths to Locks for Love. Also going against the grain: Poppy Delevingne, who lightened her honey-colored hair to an icy, Nordic blonde shade that seems rife for emulation.

But perhaps our favorite dramatic reveals arrived courtesy of Jennifer Hudson—whose ultra-short style only enhances her striking, pronounced features—and Greta Gerwig, who traded her shoulder-sweeping waves for a chin-length crop that she continued to braid, straighten, and slick back to transformative effect. Above, five summertime hair moments to inspire a seasonal reimagining of the mane.

Taking Care of Your Hair You Should Kknow

Your relaxed hair needs lots of extra attention if you want to maintain its health. Because relaxed hair is robbed of much needed moisture, you must make every effort to both replace lost moisture and to retain what moisture your hair does have. Many women with relaxed hair use heat styling methods to help preserve the straightness of the hair. Heat added directly to the hair may give the hair the appearance of health, but actually works to further promote damage to the hair.

1. Wash your hair with shampoos and conditioners that are designed to moisturize and strengthen relaxed hair. These products are available at drug stores and many other retailers. Like finding healthy foods for your family, you will have to read the labels of the hair products to find the best ones.strengthen the hair.

2. Wrap your hair at night with a silk scarf or hair wrap. As you move throughout the night, the silk will glide across your hair, not pulling as any other fabric does. Weakened, relaxed hair breaks easily, so simply turning your head against a regular pillow at night can cause you to lose hair.

3. When using a curling iron to style your hair, do not allow the barrel cover to clamp down on your hair. Hold the barrel cover slightly open and allow the hair to move over the curling iron barrel without the tugging and pulling caused by pressure from the barrel cover.

4. Never use hair oil on relaxed hair. Oil was designed for natural hair, and the usage of hair oils on relaxed hair is the major reason African American hair breaks off at such an alarming rate. If your hair is well conditioned you won’t need any oil at all. If you choose to use hair oil, rub a very, very small amount in the palms and spread lightly through the hair.

5. Moisturize frequently. Relaxed hair is naturally dry, so it’s important to moisturize daily, even if it’s only dipping your fingers in water and then running them through your hair. It’s a good idea to comb a moisturizer thoroughly through your hair every few days, starting from the roots then combing down. Also, when going to bed, wear a head scarf or cap to keep the moisture in at night (these scarves are also a good way to keep a hairstyle looking fresh!)

Hair Care Tips

Hair Care Tips

Designer clothing, perfectly applied makeup, and fine jewelry are all wasted if your hair looks greasy, dull, or messy. Fortunately, no one needs a hair salon or expensive hair products to have hair that looks professionally cared for and styled. With the right techniques for shampooing, drying, and styling your hair, it can be among your most attractive features.

We'll provide some useful hair-care tips in this article, starting with the basics.

Basic Hair Care

• To minimize breakage, make sure that your hair is thoroughly wet before applying shampoo. Use no more than a quarter-size dollop, and rub the shampoo between your palms first. Lather for no more than 30 seconds.
• After shampooing, rinse your hair with cool water to seal moisture in the hair shafts.
• To distribute the natural oils in your hair, bend over and brush your scalp and hair from back to front until the scalp tingles; then massage the scalp with your fingertips.
• Towel-dry your hair thoroughly before using a blow dryer. You'll save time and avoid damaging your hair with too much heat.
• To cut down on static electricity, dampen your hairbrush before brushing.
• Avoid using a brush on wet hair because it is subject to breakage. Comb out snarls.
• If you suffer from a flaky scalp, try the following treatment every 2 weeks: Section your hair and rub the scalp with a cotton pad saturated with plain rubbing alcohol. Let the alcohol dry, then brush your hair and rinse thoroughly with warm water but don't shampoo.
• To perk up permed hair between shampoos, lightly mist your hair with fresh water and push the curls into place with your fingers.
• Dull, lifeless hair can be a sign of a poor diet. Try cutting down on cholesterol and fats.
• Wait at least 48 hours after coloring hair to shampoo it. Every time you wet hair you open the cuticle -- so give hair time to seal in the color.
• Beer can remove residue from your hair. Add 6 tablespoons beer to 1 cup warm water and pour it over your hair as a final rinse.
• If your hair is prone to buildup from conditioners, styling gel, or hair spray, mix 1 tablespoon baking soda with your regular shampoo once a week. Rinse and dry as usual.

• Use pomade sparingly to remove static, control flyaway ends, and add a glossy sheen to either straight or curly hair. Apply a very small amount to one hand, and liquefy it between your palms. Then run your hands through the hair. If braiding, apply before braiding and use it for small touch-ups.
• Use gel after a braid is finished to smooth down loose or uncontrolled hairs. Apply it to your fingertip or to the end of a hairpin, directing it on top of the stray hairs to encourage them back into the braided pattern.
• Use hair spray to hold the finished design in place. If you want a soft finish but need to control the hair, spray into the palm of your hand and then smooth over the surface of the hair to control flyaway strands.
• Use a coated rubber band or a soft hair tie to secure ponytails and the ends of a braid to reduce the stress on the hair.
• Use gel to control hair when you want a "wet" affect. Apply gel sparingly to your hair once styled. To use for braiding, apply it to all of the hair before you braid, or when you want a clean, off-the-face effect, you can apply it to the perimeter hairline where lengths tend to be shorter.