Foam for hair styling: how to choose and use?

There are a lot of styling products on the cosmetics market today. Foam is one of the popular products for creating volume and fixing hairstyles.

Foam is a styling product that is applied to wet hair and provides easy combing, and also helps to create and fix styling. In addition, it strengthens the hair. Due to the application method and the consistency features, the foam is often confused with mousse. However, these are different cosmetic products. Foam is designed for thin and rare hair and allows you to add a volume hairstyle. In this regard, the product is lighter and more gentle. Mousse is designed to help style heavy or naughty hair.

The foam does not stick together and does not weigh down the hair, allows you to achieve the volume of the strands, to preserve their naturalness, mobility. In this case, the foam, surrounding the hair shaft, contributes to its protection from ultraviolet radiation, frost and thermal effects. And if the product contains vitamins and oils, it also has a restorative effect: it smoothes hair flakes.

These properties are achieved due to the compositional features of the styling product. They may vary slightly depending on what problems the foam solves. It usually contains the following components:

• hydrogenated protein (responsible for the texture of the product and the preservation of the naturalness of the strand, it allows them not to stick together);
• butane (gives a drying effect);
• preservatives (provide long-term storage of the product both in airtight and open form);
• vitamin supplements (help maintain the health and attractiveness of curls);
• aromatic additives (give a pleasant aroma to the product).

Foam can vary the degree of fixation. Fixation happens:

• easy;
• medium;
• strong.

According to their functions, there are different types of funds.

• Some foams are designed for curly naughty hair, they are used to straighten curls.
• Special products can be found for dry, weakened hair. As a rule, they contain more vitamins and minerals.
• For overdried, dyed, and also locks that are often exposed to hair dryers, irons and pads, heat-protective foam can be recommended. The product contains panthenol and vitamins. The first envelops the hair and provides its protection, while vitamins nourish the hair follicle. Like any foam, thermal protection allows you to make styling and fix it. It is worth noting that a thermal protective agent saves hair from the negative effects of the environment: ultraviolet rays.
• There are tinted foams that allow you to slightly color the strands during installation. The color will be washed off without a trace during subsequent washing of the head.
• Very popular are means for volume. They allow you to add splendor to the hairstyle and fix it. For the procedure, you will also need a hairdryer and a special brush-brush. She will need to raise the strands when they are dried from the roots to the tips.
• There is also a foam for the effect of wet hair. It is especially convenient to use for owners of short and medium hairstyles. The product is applied to wet hair along the entire length, after which styling is created with hands and brushing.
• For dull hair, you can choose a foam that gives shine. The secret of the drug is the presence of special flickering particles in the composition. They will provide shine and healthy radiance of your curls.

Stylists recommend choosing foams for professional styling. They can usually be found in specialized stores for hairdressers. They cost more than analogues from the mass market, but they cope better with the tasks set (styling, protection, recovery). Among professional foams, several can be distinguished.

• Full Volume by L »Oréal Professionnel. The foam provides a basal volume and fixes the strands along the entire length, styling is maintained for a whole day.

• Full Effect by Redken. The composition is suitable for dry, porous and fluffy hair. It fixes the hair, helps to achieve volume and at the same time moisturizes the hair.

• High Amplify Foam Volumizer by Matrix. Foam for maximum volume at the roots. Does not stick and fixes hair securely.

It is worth noting products that have received the approval of specialists and users.

• Wellaflex. Available in several modifications according to the degree of fixation. It allows you to achieve basal volume, lasts a long time. The remnants of the product are easily combed out with a massage brush.

• Taft. Another effective tool at an affordable price. Great for owners of curls: gives a basal volume, facilitates combing, makes curls more well-groomed and shiny. A clear advantage - spray cans of different volumes. Standard 200 ml can be used at home, a mini version of 100 ml to take with you on trips. Of the minuses, a rather strong specific smell can be noted.

First of all, you should pay attention to the composition (it must be safe) and make sure that the foam will help to solve the styling problem that is facing you. The longer and heavier the hair, the stronger the fixation of the foam should be chosen. A strong fixation tool will also be required if you create a complex hairstyle or want to highlight (texture) individual locks.For daily styling, medium fixation products are suitable.

Weak fixation is optimal for short hair. It will also help to achieve a basal volume to wavy hair, to create a beach styling: light tatteredness, volume. If you use foam quite rarely, it is logical to buy a composition in a small-capacity cylinder.

Avoid bonding and weighting hair when using foam allow simple recommendations.

• Correctly and beautifully, you can only lay clean wet hair. After you wash them, pat them with a towel: they should not be too wet, water should not drip from them. Squeeze a small amount of foam on your hands, rub it in the palms of your hands. There should not be much money, otherwise the hair will look oily. For short hair, a walnut-sized product is sufficient. For hair below the shoulder blades, the size of a tennis ball.

• Hands distribute styling first at the roots of the hair, and then along the entire length. You can use a comb with rare teeth. If the composition does not have a thermoprotective effect, it is recommended to take care of the protection of the hair before using the hair dryer.

• If you want to achieve root volume, lower your head down and blow dry your hair a little in this position. Then divide the hair into segments and, using brushing, lift and dry the strands.

• Do not hold the hair dryer too close to the scalp. Thanks to the drying effect, styling already enhances the harmful effects of hot air. The optimal distance is 20 cm.

• To add volume to very thin hair, you can use an iron-corrugation. Several strands should be processed with an ironing at the very roots, and then covered with other strands. It will be imperceptible that you have a corrugation, but a volume will appear.

• To obtain a beach hairstyle, foam is applied to wet hair, after which the strands need to be wrinkled by hands. Chaotic waves and curls should turn out. The hairstyle can be allowed to dry on its own or tilt your head and blow dry with a hairdryer, while continuing to wrinkle hair with your hand.

• For smaller curls, you can apply foam, comb your hair and braid the braids. Dry them, spin them. For large Hollywood curls, after applying to the hair, the strands are wound on curlers and dried with a hairdryer. You can make such curls with the help of ironing or curling iron of large diameter.

• Experts do not recommend the use of even caring foams more often 3-4 times a week.

• A little secret: if the color turned out to be too bright when using the tint foam, it can be washed off with water.

Women leave feedback on products from different manufacturers.

• Positive feedback gets foam from the Belarusian company Belita-Vitex (product Bamboo style). From the name it is clear that the composition includes bamboo extract, which protects the hair. Buyers note that the composition does not stick together and does not weigh down the hair, is easy to apply, lasts all day. It is mainly used to create basal volume. Other advantages: natural styling, reasonable price and economical expense of funds. Some say that it would not hurt the manufacturer to expand the product line. Now it includes foam for strong and ultra-strong styling.

• Another brand that has won the trust of consumers - Wella. The line includes several products, including a strong hold foam for heavy and curly hair. Reviews allow us to conclude that the tool copes well even with naughty and heavy curls and fixes styling for the whole day.

• World famous brand "Taft" also has very positive customer ratings. The product line of this manufacturer includes several varieties of foam.All means allow you to make styling more voluminous, to solve the problem of dry, split ends. After application, the hair visually seems more lively and healthy. These styling products are especially good for owners of curly or tangled hair. Thanks to keratin in the composition, they easily comb, become more supple, lively. However, you can find reviews in which they talk about the fragility of styling with this foam. Moreover, users note that the tool can not be called inexpensive.

• Among the products for curly hair a lot of positive reviews Extra-Body Sculpting Foam by Paull Mitchell. According to the manufacturer, the composition includes rosemary, aloe, jojoba extract, which ensures the foamy leaving quality. Buyers talk about the ease of application and the stability of the styling. She is able to "survive" even the wind and light rain.

An overview of some brands of hair foams, see the video below.