Ambika Pillai Tells You How to Get Salon Groomed Hair at Home

With the lockdown in place, we are sure you have figured ways to connect with friends and family. Hangouts now have moved online and more than ever you have been doing video calls. The downside to this is that video tends to highlight your frizz or dull, flat and lackluster hair and worse still when the uncoloured roots and a little grey here and there start showing up. You wish if only you had salon access. To help you fight bad hair days, we get celebrity hair stylist Ambika Pillai, who’s clients include Bollywood stars as well as top models to give us easy hacks to get salon-esque hair at home.

Bouncy Hair
Staying at home gives you an opportunity to look after yourself and do everything that you have been ignoring for a while. Pillai suggests you take one tetra pack of coconut oil and if you have aloevera growing in your balcony or garden, take a leaf and scoop out the gel. Add two table spoon of coconut oil to it and beat it into an amazing hair mask. Take sections of your hair and emulsify this mix in and leave it on for 30-45 mins and rinse it off for good bouncy hair,” says Pillai.

Smoother Hair

A slight tweak to your regular oil massage can give stunning results. Instead of one oil do a mix of oils. “Take equal amounts of whatever oils you have at home sesame seeds, coconut and almond. Mix them in, warm it up and give yourself a hot oil massage,” recommends Pillai. Massage the oil from the roots to the tips. If you split ends focus on the tip of the hair. After 10-15 minutes of massage, wrap your hair in a hot towel so that your pores open. do it for 2-3 times and then wash off the oil from your hair.

Frizz Free Curls

This is the most effective way to take the frizz out of your hair. Shampoo your hair and towel dry it. Take anti frizz serum or cream and apply it to the hair and let it air dry for a while. “Then take sections of hair, comb it out and twist it on your fingers and let the curls spring back. Creating spiral curls with your finger will atke the frizz out,” quips Pillai. Once you spiral curl all your hair with your fingers, let it air dry and then lower your head and shake the hair for beautiful curls.

Curl Your Hair Like A Pro

If you have poker straight hair and you want some kind of bounce or curls, then this is what you need to do. Cut out little strips of clothes from old t shirts or cotton shirt. Put in some mousse to shampooed, clean hair. Let it completely dry out. Then take each section of hair and roll it on those strips of clothes, all the way to the scalp and tie the strip into a knot. “Leave it on for hours, when you open it you will have bouncy curly hair. If you want quicker curls, then braid your hair and press it with an iron,” says Pillai.

Camouflage Uncoloured Roots

“Another problem that many are facing and are writing in to me for solutions is their roots showing,” says Pillai. Most go to a salon frequently to get root hair color touch ups done. Since colouring your own hair can be messy and difficult, here’s what you can do. “If you have a surma or black mascara, apply it to the roots to cover the grey hair if you are taking a picture or doing a video call. Take the mascara on your fingers and gently cover your grey hair,” advises Pillai.