Hair Care

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The ballerina bun is a classic style because it is effortless and shows off the natural beauty of a woman, according to TRESemmé celebrity stylist Jeanie Syfu.

But we can't help but wonder if "Black Swan" influenced the hairstyles seen on the Spring 2011 runways of Sophie Théallet, Rebecca Taylor, Adam and Tadashi Shoji, or if stars like Diane Kruger, Kirsten Dunst and Jennifer Lopez wanted to put their spin on Natalie Portman's bold bun.

Syfu admits that she hasn't noticed an upsurge in celebrities sporting knots since the ballet thriller hit theaters, however she does believe that the style has transformed over the decades. "There are many different versions -- messy, to the side, top of the head, with a pompadour or sleek. But it also has a lot to do with how styling products have evolved from the '50s and '60s when buns were over-styled and stiff."

So what's this pro's trick to perfecting a ballerina bun? Her secret lies in the setup.

"Before putting your hair up, always work some type of styling product in to create a strong foundation so your bun doesn't lose its structure. I find blow drying the hair in the direction of where you want the bun to sit allows for more control, whether it be a messy bun done with your fingers or a sleek bun using a flat boar bristle brush," says Syfu. "When gathering the hair into an elastic, make sure to keep your head upright to avoid a sagging bun at the nape of your neck."

Syfu's final words of advice: make the look personal.

"There's no right or wrong way to style it for day and night," she adds. "I would keep in mind what you are wearing and since this hairstyle is putting attention to your face, try to emphasize one feature like a pretty lip, groomed strong eyebrows, lightly contoured cheekbones or a sultry, smoky eye."

Click here to find out which summer hair trend has celebrities bursting at the seams! And try the look for a summer wedding, like Beth Jones of B. Jones Style.

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Every year, Father's Day gift guides seem to go something like this: colorful tie, golf tee, high-tech electric razor. It's not often we think out of the box when it comes to spoiling our dads, so on June 19 we suggest you give him something slightly more stylish.

A trip to the barber shop just might do the trick, and make your old man feel like a million bucks to boot. With hundreds of throw-back barbers popping up all over the country, a true close shave with an old-school vibe isn't hard to come by these days.

Click through our slide show to see inside five of the best.

Rarely does one beloved beauty secret cross the breadth of so many centuries, countries, cultures and ethnicities as the use of oil on hair.

With effects that run the gamut from conditioning and adding shine to treating dandruff and stimulating strand growth, oils are truly the workhorse of hair care products.

While the nutrient-rich substance fell out of favor in recent times in part due to a general lack of knowledge of how to use it without weighing down hair, oils are now enjoying a popular resurgence as the rise of the green beauty category brings the ancient treatment back to the spotlight.

"Oils are not only incredibly beneficial to all hair types, but they have a ritualistic quality to them that many find spiritually soothing," says Horst Rechelbacher, founder of both Aveda and Intelligent Nutrients, a certified organic beauty line that is entirely based on plant ingredients.

Two oils of the moment -- argan and monoi -- are the current 'it' girls of the industry, attracting attention and fame, and dedicated legions of fans. Argan oil is the star ingredient of the ubiquitous Moroccanoil brand, and monoi takes center stage in a new line launching by Carol's Daughter.

"The romance of monoi is what hooked me first, its tradition and the process by which it is made. The second thing was its scent," says Carol's Daughter founder Lisa Price, of the oil that is created by soaking Tahitian gardenias in coconut oil. "The goal became, 'How do we prepare this so that we can marry the ancient tradition with modern-day efficacy?'"

But before you dive into the healthy hair benefits of oil, it's vital that you know how to apply it in the right way to best benefit your hair. Our tips and tricks below cover all textures and types -- and even the most baby-fine heads of hair.

Know the three types of cosmetic oils and their weight. Fatty oils like castor and shea butter have large molecular weight and sit on the surface of hair, while semi-fatty oils like sweet almond, avocado and sunflower are absorbed more readily, and work for most hair types. Dry oils like grape seed, coconut and evening primrose are the lightest, and seemingly disappear into the hair without any residue on even fine textures, says natural beauty expert Julie Gabriel, who will publish Oleotherapy: Reveal the Powerful Rejuvenation Benefits of 100 Oils for your Health, Beauty and Wellbeing in November 2011.

Always massage oil into the scalp. The most common mistake people make is that they apply oil to the ends of hair only. "Oils help regulate sebum production in the scalp much in the same way that face oils are helpful to normalize sebum production in the skin," says Gabriel. Fine hair can apply oil only to the scalp, while medium to thick types can also apply the oil to the mid-shaft and down. Coarse types can massage the oil from the scalp all the way to the ends.

The goof-proof choice for any hair type is jojoba oil. A plant that is indigenous to the southwest, jojoba is the lightest of all cosmetic oils, and absorbs weightlessly. If you have super-fine hair, you can even look for clarified jojoba, which takes it even a step lighter. "Jojoba is a liquid wax, and you can clarify it and take some of the wax out of it to make it even lighter than it already is," says Rechelbacher.

Argan oil is best for medium to thick hair. While everyone is reaching for argan these days, Rechelbacher says that the exotically fragrant oil is more suited to thicker heads of hair. "Argan is sticky, and can be hard to get out of fine hair. It's like olive oil -- you'll need to shampoo two or three times to fully rinse it out, or else you'll get build-up." Yet for richer locks, argan can strike the perfect balance of shine, scent and manageability.

To get the benefits without any weight, apply oil to dry hair. If you don't want to keep oil in your hair, try this treatment recommended by Rechelbacher. On completely dry hair, first work oil into the ends, and then slowly massage into the scalp, deeply inhaling the aromatic experience for relaxation. Gently brush hair from scalp to ends for five minutes, and allow the oil to sit for 15 to 20 minutes. Then hop in the shower and wash it out. "In most cases, you won't even have to follow up with a conditioner unless you're very coarse. Your hair will feel like silk," says Rechelbacher.

Castor oil is a natural growth treatment. Castor oil is believed to stimulate and strengthen hair growth, but Gabriel says that it's too heavy to use on hair. Instead, you can apply the vegetable oil with a Q-tip to sparse eyebrows and lashes at bedtime to encourage thicker, healthier and faster growth. Think of it as nature's Latisse.

Warm oil is a fix-it for scalp problems. Since putting oil on the scalp encourages the skin to rebalance itself, adding warmth will also allow nutrients to penetrate more deeply. Gabriel says that massaging your choice of oil into the scalp is helpful for dry dandruff, non-hormonal hair loss and itchy scalps. Simply nuke a small amount of oil in the microwave, and then enjoy a soothing fingertip massage in small circles around the scalp.

How often you should use oil depends on how often you wash. Fine and oily hair types that wash daily, or close to that, can consider using an deep oil treatment weekly. Textured and coarse hair types that wash weekly or bi-weekly will likely enjoy the best results with an oil treatment applied once a month. The risk of applying oil too often is that it will build up in the scalp and weigh hair down, unless it has been shampooed sufficiently between applications.

Beware of cheapened oils. Manufacturers are notorious for flooding products with silicones and petrochemicals, and including only minute amounts of oil, says Gabriel. Be sure to read ingredient labels to confirm that you're getting the real deal -- which should be a listing of various oils. Rechelbacher and other vetted natural experts often use essential oils in their mixes, as it's a more hygienic choice that diminishes the chance of bacteria growth. The addition of seeds and antioxidants is an indication of top-notch blending that will allow the oils to perform even better.

If pregnant, don't use nut oils. Oils derived from nuts like peanuts and pine nuts can be potentially hazardous to pregnant women. "Oils from nuts go rancid the quickest, and you don't want to apply rancid oil if you're pregnant. If in doubt, smell it. If it doesn't smell right or is off, don't use it," says Rechelbacher.

It's clear that oils are well worth the effort -- but can the same be said for the clampless curling irons that are all the rage right now? StyleList investigates.

Hair trends may fly in and out of style in seconds, but hair tools tend to have longevity.

Chances are, that first flat iron you fried your hair with in your teenage search for shampoo commercial shine and sleekness doesn't look too different from the flat iron currently cord-wrapped and stored in your bathroom cabinet.

Yet a new tool has seemingly taken over the industry in recent months: the clampless conical curling iron. From blogs to fashion glossies and the shelf at the local beauty supply store,these baton-like wands are everywhere you look.

But I wondered: Are conical curlers just marketing hype, or do they really perform that much differently from traditional curling irons? And is it worth buying one if you already have a curling iron at home?

After picking up the Sedu Revolution Professional Clipless Curling Iron and feeling more like I was about to engage in a medieval joust than curl my hair, I decided to ask some leading stylists for tips on how to put this curious new tool to the test.

Basically, it all comes down to what look you want to achieve. Clipless curling irons make softer, beachy waves a cinch, while a traditional iron is going to more easily give you a defined, ringlet type of curl.

I photographed my different looks, which I think show the textural difference in results from the two types of irons. However, I want to make it clear that I'm not a professional stylist, but merely just another girl who is trying to coax my hair to do things it doesn't naturally do -- and the photos are my first attempts.

So, just how do you use these things, and what are some tips and tricks to leaping over the learning curve, and instantly rocking results like a pro? Read on to find out -- and be sure not to miss our stylists' secret tricks to turning your traditional iron into a clipless version for free.

Practice with the iron unplugged first. The most damaging aspect of hair tools is not the heat itself, but the cumulative effect of passing a hot iron through the same strands multiple times. Practice your movements on a cold barrel first, so that you get the hang of how to hold the tool and wrap the hair before you're actually working with heat, advises stylist Adam Campbell of LA's Prive Salon.

Point down and wrap. The key move is to hold the clampless iron vertically, facing down. Then wrap a small section of hair around the base, and continue to wrap outwards to the tip. Don't wrap the hair over and on top of itself; make sure every part touches the iron, including the ends. Hold for five seconds, and release. "The main benefit of using a clampless curling iron is to produce a perfect curl from roots to ends without 'fish hooks,' which are those unattractive kinky, frizzy ends that a traditional curling iron can produce," says Amy Ambramite, creative director at Chicago's Maxine Salon.

A protective glove is included for a reason. Chalk it up to my impatience with reading directions -- I first decided to embark on this experiment without taking the time to put on the heat glove that accompanied my Sedu iron. Bad, bad idea. After my fourth or fifth crazy woman cuss, I finally surrendered and put the glove on. Wow! Now that I was no longer burning my hand off, wrapping a section around the iron and holding it in place to set was as easy as pie. If purchasing a clampless curler, check to make sure it comes with that essential heat resistant glove. Not all models do.

Become ambidextrous. I always hold my hair dryer with my dominant right hand. After stubbornly trying to do the same with the clipless iron because I didn't want to swap the glove (since, you know, it takes so long to switch hands), I finally acquiesced to the fact that this is one tool that requires a switch up. Fortunately, the styling motion requires minimal dexterity. Simply hold the iron with the hand that corresponds with each side, and do the wrapping work with the opposite hand. I found that it's well worth the effort, as you'll hit that quality wave on the first try using this method.

Size and grasp determine wave. For subtle and free-flowing beach waves, use longer sections -- about two to three inches -- and wrap slightly loose around the barrel. For a more pronounced wave and richer texture, use a smaller one inch section, and wrap the hair a bit more tightly around the iron, instructs Adrian Castillo of LA's Sally Hershberger salon.

Now, beachy waves were certainly not invented with the advent of the clipless iron; stylists have long achieved the look with traditional curling irons, too.

If purchasing a clipless iron isn't in your budget right now, you can still use some savvy stylist tricks to get the same look with a traditional curling iron that you may already have.

Simply keep the clamp on your iron down, and wrap the hair around the closed barrel as you normally would with a clampless version, says Campbell. Just be careful to keep the wrap looser, or else you'll end up with the indents of the clamp in your hair.

You can alternately try opening the clamp, and winding your section around the barrel, without closing the clamp, suggests Castillo. It's a little tricky to start, but you'll get the hang of it with some practice, and it's a helpful option to consider if caught in a pinch without a conical iron.

Lastly, Abramite says you can even transform a curling iron that you're no longer using into the new generation version. "Save yourself some cash, and create your own clampless curling iron by removing the clamp on a traditional iron with a screwdriver!" says Abramite.

This stylist speaks my language.

But if you want the convenience and instant ease of the new clampless curling irons, excellent options are available at all price points.

If you're looking to invest, the $120 Sedu Revolution one inch barrel version that I used in the pictured photo features ceramic heat technology, adjustable heat settings and a polished barrel that gave me the glossiest and softest waves of all the irons I tried.

For a bargain buy, Infiniti by Conair You Curl can be found online from anywhere from $29 to $39, and also has ceramic technology and a graduated conical shape that gives waves a more natural looking texture and form. Another competitive buy is the $29.99 Remington T-Studio Ceramic Pearl Professional Curling Wand, which is adorably designed in a frosty shade of pink to boot.

(Note: the traditional curling iron photo was taken after use with the $29.95 Cricket Friction Free Tourmaline Ceramic Curling Iron.)

With all these options to choose from, beach waves no longer need be the exclusive domain of Victoria's Secret models. Sexy is yours to have, too!

Think good hair days are impossible, come summer? Not so -- check out these tried and true tips for calling a truce with your strands this season.

Can you color your hair with eye shadow? This colorist does it.

Like a three year-old made to sit through church service without a nap, my hair throws a fist-flying tantrum come the heat and humidity of summertime.

Defiant, willful and with a mind entirely of its own, my hair will do as it damn well pleases. And just about every woman out there with hair on her head knows how this tune goes, having likely fought that kicking and screaming child inside of her own mane on one of hot summer days.

Fortunately, New York's Mark Garrison, owner of the Mark Garrison Salon, and Chicago's Amy Abramite, creative and educational director of Maxine Salon, have some clever dos and don'ts that will have us all sporting our best summer locks ever.

So ready to finally call a time-out with your hair? Read on for tips on how to make the truce.

Do go sulfate-free. People tend to wash their hair more during the hot summer months, but the heavy detergents in most shampoos can dry out strands, a problem that is then exacerbated by the frying effects of a hot sun. Using a sulfate-free shampoo is a gentler option, or you can try this recipe with products you already have at home. "My DIY cocktail is to combine three parts conditioner to one part normal shampoo. The added conditioners will diminish the power of the shampoo, which is likened to what a sulfate-free shampoo does. This is especially great for dry, colored and frizzy hair, but may be too heavy for fine and thin hair," says Garrison.

Don't color your hair before a beach vacation. Dropping big bucks at the salon or spending valuable time at home touching up color is a waste of your resources, as UV rays will likely change your color, warns Abramite. The dryness caused by something like a fresh highlighting job may also be intensified by the harsh rays of the sun. So clip it up and just enjoy yourself -- the glow you'll have from relaxing on vacation sure beats out a new color job, anyway!

Do rock the ombre trend if you want color. "Ombre hair color is still all the rage, and will continue to trend into summer," says Garrison of the gradual dark-that-fades-to-light color technique. "Girls with color-treated hair can easily wear baseball caps in the summer to protect their roots, while pulling their pony through the back of the hat, letting the sun hit the ends of the hair, and oxidizing the color. You'll have ombre in no time!" adds Garrison.

Do carry dry shampoo. It happens to the best of us -- you get caught in an elevator, bus or store with no air conditioning, and suddenly your hair is flat and greasy with perspiration. Gross! "If you're on the go, refresh and cleanse your style with dry shampoo," advises Abramite. Aim the can about a foot away from the scalp, and spray in 1-inch sections that go against the grain of hair growth. Allow to absorb for a couple of minutes, and then brush out any remaining powder. Suave Professionals Dry Shampoo is a new launch for the drugstore market, and Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray is a prestige option that doubles as a styling aid that adds body.

Don't cut bangs on curly hair. During the most humid summer months, it's a good idea to refrain from cutting bangs on curly and coarse hair types. "The 'boing' -- or shrink up factor -- is just too great!" warns Garrison. Instead, curly hair types should keep bangs longer during this time of year, to both look sleeker and save your sanity. When the heat hits, you can sweep longer bangs out of your way, and fasten with a pretty pin for a neat and polished look.

Do blow dry hair plagued by pouf. "Clients say they blow-dry their hair in the morning, and the second they step out the door, they can feel the frizz creeping back in. They say they can actually feel their hair growing larger with every passing minute!" shares Abramite. Oh yes, you bet we can relate to that. Abramite says the cause of the pouf monster is lingering moisture hiding out in the hair. A strong blast with a hair dryer will push frizz out and bring smoothness back. For hair tools that are truly small and light enough to carry along on the go, I've been loving Cricket's hair dryer and mini flat iron.

Do use hair conditioner as a styling product. Manes of thick waves and curls can retain definition without getting crunchy by using this recipe. "The ideal concoction is a mixture of gel and hair conditioner or mask," says Garrison. Swirl the blend into the palm of your hand, and then apply to wet hair and allow it to dry naturally. "The gel gives curls hold, while the mask retains flexibility," explains Garrison. You can finger curl strands around the face and top of your head for more definition as you apply the product.

Don't think head scarves are dowdy. If you have a wedding or other special occasion coming up that requires hair perfection, go Jackie O with a touch of sensible French chic to protect strands from the damaging effects of the sun. "I love hair pulled into a chignon and wrapped with a colorful scarf," says Garrison. The elegant combination will ensure that UV rays don't mess with the shade and finish of your hair, and you'll look stylish while keeping cool to boot.

Do learn how to style a polished pony. "Too often, I see ponytails that are thrown up hastily with no care. A ponytail worn to work should not look like the ponytail you wear to the gym," says Abramite. For a pony that means business, take the time to brush hair back smooth with a natural boar bristle brush to eliminate bumps. Secure at the point of the head where you want your pony to flow from using an elastic or bungee -- the latter of which is a popular fashion week hair tool -- and can be purchased according to your hair color at Rickys NYC or your local beauty supply shop. Control flyaways with a touch of pomade smoothed over with your palms. Optional: Add a headband to keep strands in place if frizz is an issue.

Do wash your hair at night. If you don't want to fight your strands all summer long and instead want to work with the beautiful texture nature gave you, the secret is to wash at night. Shampoo and condition before bed, and allow locks to air-dry overnight, so that you don't have to get sweaty while brandishing a blowdryer in the morning. Upon waking, use a sea mineral spray and scrunch hair to accentuate waves and bring out texture. Spritz a shine spray for a polished look, and you're good to go. If you want a gently styled look, you can run a flat iron or curling barrel on just the ends for smoothness.

If you're looking to save cash for weekend trips and margaritas on the rocks this summer, here's how to trim bucks from your hair care routine.