Five reasons why your hair looks bad

The alarm screeches. Barely awake, you reach over, hit snooze and slouch back on to your pillow, turning away from the rising sun as it breaches your curtains. You repeat this pattern every nine minutes for longer than you should. Far longer than you should.

Before you know it, you’re late.

Outside, the traffic is building. You hear the whirr of static engines as you rush around your home getting ready. You can’t cool down from your shower and your shirt is sticking to your back.You’re in no fit state as you approach the mirror, completely unprepared for your biggest battle, the one you fight daily trying to get your hair right.

The mirror should not be a theatre of war, but for you it is. And your arsenal, a tub of supermarket-grade hair wax, is woefully inadequate. You’re outgunned again. Your hair won’t sit right.

The fuse is lit. You ruffle and restyle, ruffle and restyle, ruffle and restyle. But your time has run out – it’s time to go. You sit in traffic, glancing in the mirror, asking ‘why’? Just like yesterday, and the day before. It’s Groundhog Day. But it doesn’t have to be this way. A bad hairstyle need not be a life sentence. But to broker peace with your wayward hair, you need to understand it. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

Leading British barber Kyle Ross, founder of Sovereign Grooming, explains the five reasons why you can’t quite nail the look you’re after – and where you might be going wrong.

1) You don’t have the right style for you
Your hairstyle needs to suit everything about you; face shape, hair density, texture, fashion taste, lifestyle. Consult with your hairstylist and take their advice as to the style that works for you and your style – and don’t forget to consider how much time you have to dedicate to looking good. If you don’t have enough hours in the day to do the requisite drying and styling, go for something low maintenance that works with your natural hair texture and direction.

Also beware of getting a poor cut. While there are loads of great men’s hair stylists out there, there are also a lot of not so good ones. Sometimes to the naked eye, the overall hair cut may look ok, but if your struggling to get your hair to sit right, the likelihood is that its been cut too short in certain areas or left too long. There may be too much bulk in parts which can really make your hair difficult to manage. Paying that little extra to go to someone who has the experience and skill to deliver for you can be the difference between loving your hairstyle and fighting a daily battle.

2) You don’t have the skills
A follow on from previous point, but you don’t have the skills to maintain your style – hair styles that aren’t specifically cut to work with what your hair wants to do, will usually require some work from you to sit right. When your hair is wet and you leave it to dry naturally it will dry in the directions, waves and curls that it naturally grows in. The only way to alter this is to use heat, from a hair dryer or styling tool such as a hair straightener or curling tong. With a little bit of knowledge and practice this relatively easy to do however your stylist or barber should be teaching you how to maintain your style yourself at home.

3) It’s been a hot 
Rain is the mortal enemy of a carefully crafted hairstyle. However, it turns out that the heat is too – as many have found out over what has been an exceedingly hot summer. Your hair always reverts to its natural state when wet. So if you’re sweating, moisture from your scalp will undo the work you’ve put in to drying and setting your hair. In the heat, some styling products also become pliable, so it’s a good idea to finish with some hairspray if you see the mercury rising.

4) You aren’t taking good enough care of your hair
Hair like everything about your body, requires care and attention to look healthy. Cleansing your hair with shampoos and conditioners that contain the right ingredients will gently cleanse your hair and, over time, provide the nutrients and nourishment you hair needs to look healthy smooth and shiny. Most supermarket shampoos contain harsh abrasives, sulphates and parabens, which over time will strip your hair of the essential ingredients it needs, leaving it feeling dry and looking dull and lifeless. Try a natural alternative from our online store.

5) Don’t be lazy and let products do all the work
Styling products are amazing when used in the correct way. But if you want your hair to have volume, you need to put the work in to get your hair to stay up. No matter the level of “hold” a hair product has, throughout a day gravity and your hair’s natural forward growth will cause it to drop. Use a hair dryer and a brush, lift the hair with the brush drying point the hair dryer up the hair shaft. This will create root lift and also smooth out the hair. Use your favourite styling product to then give it the look you desire adding shine or a textured matte finish.