Virtual Hair Styling - Try Hairstyles And Colors Without Commitment

Virtual hair styling is an extremely useful online program which allows you to upload a photo of your face and view yourself with endless different hairstyles, hair colors, lengths and textures. This is a wonderful tool to use if you are thinking about a change of hair color or style, as you can see exactly how it will look on you before you go through with the change.

It's ok to see a hairstyle or hair color on a model in a magazine and think "That's lovely, I want to look like that!" Then you take the magazine to your hair stylist and they snip away (or color away) until you have the look you wanted. However, what looks good on a model in a magazine will look completely different on you, and you may find that the hairstyle or color you wanted does not look quite how you hoped it would on you.

Remember that everyone is unique. Our complexions and features vary greatly, and this determines which hairstyles and hair colors suit us. If you see a hair style or color that you like, the best way to know for sure whether or not it will suit you is to use virtual hair styling. This way, your photo is uploaded and images of virtual hairstyles and colors are loaded around your face. It's the next best thing to having it done for real, but this way, there is no risk of disappointment if it looks different to what you were expecting.

You wear your hair every day of your life. It's not the same as an outfit that you can choose not to wear if it doesn't look good. Therefore, virtual hair styling allows you to see in advance the best hairstyles and hair colors for you, with no commitment. There's no risk this way, and you may find that you become a little more adventurous with styles and colors if you can try things out first.

Maybe you are brunette and have always fancied yourself as a blonde, but have never wanted to risk it in case it doesn't suit you. Or maybe you have always worn your hair in a certain style because you don't know if anything else will look good on you.

If you have short hair, and wonder how it would look if it were longer, virtual hair styling shows you instantly.

No need to wait. No need to worry. The options are endless.

Virtual hair styling gives you the freedom to try all the options you desire. You may even find that after trying a few styles and colors, you get more adventurous and try out others that you would never dare try out in reality. But hey, this is virtual hair styling and it can all be undone with a simple click !

The best virtual hair styling programs will let you try thousands of hairstyles and hair colors, along with different textures, thicknesses and lengths. This way, you have every option available that you can possibly think of.

I know of one program which shows your image in 3D. This makes it possible to see how your new hairstyle will look from the front, side and back - just as other people see us, in fact. You can't really get much more realistic!

Some virtual hair styling programs have a range of hairstyles for special occasions like weddings or the prom. This is especially useful for times such as these, as it's vital that you look perfect. Virtual hair styling assists you in finding your perfect style. You'll know in advance how wonderful your hair is going to look - because you've already tried it online!

Apart from bridal hairstyles, and prom hairstyles, some programs even have emo hair cuts, braided hairstyles, dreadlock hairstyles, punk and extreme hairstyles and more.

The celebrity hairstyles feature on some virtual hair styling programs enables you to see yourself with the same hairstyle and color as your favourite celebrity - see how glamorous you look !

Virtual hair styling is a fantastic way to try new hairstyles, new hair colors and see a new you without the commitment.

Looking for New Hair Styles or a Completely Different Look?

Maybe you need a Gia Makeover.

When it comes to hair styles, there are so many different options today to make changes. You can change your color, add highlights, add bangs, add layering and even add length or thickness with hair extensions. Makeovers are becoming more and more popular as television shows such as ABC's Extreme Makeover outline how a makeover is done and drastic changes that can be done.

Hair stylist, Gia Wood of Salon D in Dallas, Texas specializes in makeovers and hair extensions and is considered Dallas' makeover specialist. She has hundreds of clients locally and many clients that fly or drive in to Dallas for her services. One of her clients flies all the way from Spain just to get her hair done. Gia says, "I find that clients who are willing to drive or fly that far just to get their hair done are the biggest compliment and the proof of my success."

So what is this makeover fuss all about? Gia explains that most of her clients have either been the victim of an inexperienced stylist or have simply not thought enough about the change in hairstyle they wanted and they are now stuck with something they hate. Gia adds, "Most of my makeovers include color correction, which can be highlights, color, gloss or all of the above. Makeovers also include a haircut and style, along with makeup application. The total process can take around 4 hours to complete."

Gia says, "When dealing with color correction, the first thing every client asks me is '...how damaged will my hair be after a color correction?'" Believe it or not, color correction is not as damaging as it used to be. The old way of stripping hair color out with bleach is history. Modern day products allow hair stylists to remove 'artificial pigment' only, meaning that it will not open, damage, or split the cuticle of the hair in any way. This allows hairdressers to remove the most intense colors from hair, and allow it to be re-colored in the same appointment time."

Gia will also offer suggestions for change in color and style to fix any problems a client reports with their hair. "For example, if a client has a brassy blonde color, I will suggest a bleach highlight or an ash toner to offset the brass color." She explains.

Getting a successful makeover depends on the experience of the stylist. Gia further explains, "My previous clients and even new clients trust my experience level and let me do what ever I feel like with their hair. Most of the time when I'm doing a makeover, I am usually correcting another stylist's color or haircut. I usually ask my clients what or who they would like to look like and to give a firm example of what they like and don't like. And, even if a client loves the way her hair looks, they may be looking for a change to further improve their hair style."

Photos of styles the client likes are very helpful to hair stylists. Gia adds, "Clients and stylists have different vocabularies. For example, Bangs. There are a thousand ways to wear bangs." Gia recommends bringing at least three photos of the hair style you want so your stylist does not get confused.

Gia also keeps a computer at her work station to look up hair styles online (such as a past hair style of a celebrity) if a client does not have photos or cannot remember certain styles they like. The computer eliminates the need for bulky portfolio books.

"Once the client and I have decided on a style and color," Gia explains, "We discuss what it will take to get the clients hair to that hair style." Most of the time the exact cut and color are achieved in one day. But Gia mentions that some clients that are growing their hair out may take several months and appointments to reach their overall goal. Human hair extensions (human hair extensions are attached directly to the natural hair) are also an option for clients that don't want to wait for their hair to grow out.

Gia's makeover experience is well-documented on her website: http://www.hairbygia.com Many before and after photo examples of makeovers, including hair extensions can be seen for your reference. Gia is quickly becoming the talk of the town with recent appearances on the television show "Austin Nights" (Segment can be viewed on her website) for her hair extensions services. She was also interviewed for the Number One best selling E-book by Hair Resources, 2005's Most Popular Hair Extensions and participated as a Judge in their Nationwide Bridal Hair Style Contest.

In short, if you are sick and tired of your hair style and need a makeover, a trip to visit Gia Wood at Salon D in Dallas, Texas may well be worth your time, money...and happiness!

Short Hair Style? Make it Stylish, Sexy, and Chic

In all of its transformations and variations, the short hair style has always been numbered at the top of the list when it comes to versatility, style and manageability. No other style catches the eye quite like the short hairstyle and no other style makes the wearer look as professional, chic and sexy.

Short hairstyles worn by women are a fairly new style trend when compared with women's styles in general. In fact, cropped styles only came to the forefront of fashion a little more than 50 years ago. Since that time, the short hairstyle has given women the freedom to express themselves in numerous ways. From the funky and spiked to the soft and feminine, the short hair style can be worn by any woman of any personality, style and age.

Short hair no matter what the age

It has long been a held belief that an older woman should wear her hair short to make her appear younger. While there is some truth in the belief that long hair tends to make wrinkles and flaws more noticeable, shorter styles and long hair styles can both be worn by women of all ages if they choose the right style to compliment their particular face shape and bone structure.

A good rule of thumb to follow when it comes to choosing a hair style to suit your age is to pay more attention to your overall appearance rather than focus too much on how old you are. For example: Trendy, spiked styles can emphasize flaws and sagging skin, but I have seen women in their 70s with exceptional bone structure wear these shorter styles and look amazing. On the other hand, I have also seen younger women try to wear these same short hair styles and not be able to quite carry it off. So, if you want to wear your hair short, pay close attention to your face shape, build and style of dress before deciding how to cut your hair.

Short hair to flatter your face

I've heard it said many times by many people, "I always wanted to wear a short hair style, but I don't look right with short hair" Ladies, this is nonsense. Granted, not every woman can wear every short style, but every woman can wear a short hairstyle that is tailor-made to compliment their face shape and beautiful features.

There are five basic face shapes: oval, heart, round, square and triangular. All of these shapes can be beautiful, but one is ideal: oval. No matter what shaped face you have, achieving the perfect look involves picking the right cut or short hair style that will make your face appear more oval.

To do this, you and your stylists can try different variations of popular short hair styles to compliment your individual features. For example: If you have a round face shape, you can still wear your favorite short hair style as long as you bring some hair forward on your cheekbones and wear a little height in the bang to give your face the illusion that it is oval.

The bottom line is that a shorter style is not for just a few who have been blessed with perfectly proportioned features. With the right short hair style, you too can sport trendy sexy cropped locks that will be guaranteed to turn a few heads.

Styling Tools - Best Styling Tools For Hair Styles

For most women and many men, styling our hair after a shower has become a daily ritual. Either as a necessity to dry or tame fly-away hair, or as part of a regimen to sculpt a "perfect look" - and styling tools have become part of the styling inventory.

Though styling tools and appliances come in a just a few "categories", their effect on hair styles is pretty substantial...short, long, medium, straight, curly, ethnic, thick or thin hair styles all benefit from styling with the right products for the job. Let's take a closer look...

Hair Brushes

Ah, the most common, yet most overlooked of the styling tools. Though some may not consider the brush - or comb - as a styling aid, it generally has the greatest impact on the style outcome. The type brush you select - round, paddle, flat - and its bristles can have a measurable impact on your hair.

A couple of considerations: Look for brushes with ceramic coating on the barrel and bristles. Ceramic coating holds up longer to heat, humidity and wear and tear. As bristles lose their coating, they create friction with follicles and tend to tear, strip or frizz hair. As we age, hair becomes more dry and brittle and brushes without adequate coating aggravate damage.

Bristles are usually stiff, soft, plastic or boar's hair. Though the stiffness and density of the brush is a matter of personal taste, staggered, stiff bristles work better with long and thick hair, whereas boar's hair provides increased manageability to fine or thin hair style. If possible, look for barrels with ceramic coating for heat distribution with thermal venting for faster drying (of your hair and the brush).

As a note, short hair styles work best with smaller barrels if you are using a round brush and narrower widths if using a paddle. Many stylists prefer small-width paddle designs for their increased flexibility and ease of use for short hair.

Hair Dryers

Probably the more critical, most often used, and easiest to operate, blow dryers & hair dryers have come a long way in the past few years. Many - at least the mores expensive ones - incorporate Tourmaline, ceramic and ionic drying technology to allow for smoother hair without threat of damage. Newest models offer "cold shot" switches that allow you to quickly blast cooler hair assisting setting your style. Separate heat and speed controls allow you to find an ideal setting for your style, thickness and hair type.

The biggest villain in drying is the most obvious - killing moisture in the follicles. Using the lowest setting possible helps reduce damage and ionic and tourmaline technology help infuse moisture into the cortex while eliminating static electricity. Today's hair dryer's are no longer only meant to dry wet hair, but are now used to add the requisite volume to the hair and the also control the frizz.

Flat Irons or Hair Straighteners

For long hair styles, flat irons have become the weapon of choice. Newer technology reduces frizzing and damage from over-heating and provide silky, smooth styling. Even those who prefer waves or curls, the flat iron is often the first step towards manageability. A couple of thoughts when considering a flat iron....one, Tourmaline and ceramic plates help protect the hair and distribute heat more evenly - avoiding hot spots that can burn and damage. Many have ionic generators which provide negative ions that smooth and soften while taming static electricity, fly-away and frizz.

The greatest concern with flat irons is heat damage. Ensure hair is dry and plates are clean of dirt, oil pr product build-up before using. Wet hair can steam and create significant damage. Look for models that have pre-select temperature settings, automatic shut-off.

Hair Styles - How To Get The Most Flattering Hair Style

Do you ever wake up in the morning, look in the mirror and just want to crawl back in bed because of the way your hair looks? We all have bad hair days, but if your bad hair days are turning into bad hair weeks or months, then you might need some help.

Many people look to celebrities to find a new hair style---spending tons of money on all kinds of magazines only to frantically tear thru the pages in search of the perfect hair style.

Then you go to your salon and get that fantastic celebrity hair style only to discover (usually after the first shampoo) that you need to spend about an hour to get it to look the same way.

There are 5 important questions you should ask yourself if you want to get the most flattering hair style that will work for you.

1. How much time you are willing to spend every day fixing your hair? Include hair drying, hair straightening, hair curling, special conditioning, styling, etc. Be realistic about your lifestyle and hair grooming habits. If you don't have the time, don't get a high maintenance hair style.

2. Is your hair in good condition? Don't plan on doing any sort of perms, hair straightening, extensions, bleaching if your hair is damaged or brittle.

3. Do you know what your face shape is? Your face shape is very important for selecting any hair style. What will look great on a square face shape might not look good at all on a round face. See HairResources.com for suggested hair styles for each face shape.

4. Are you generally happy with your hair stylist? Does your hair stylist give you instructions about how to style your hair at home? Do they address all of your concerns about your hair or hair style?

The hair stylist plays a vital role in the way your hair style will look from day to day. Sometimes you can leave the salon looking great--for a day or two. Then it's all downhill after that. You need to get a hair style that YOU can make look great on your own. This can require special instructions from the hair stylist along with specific hair care products.

5. Do you know what hair styles you like and why you like them? If you explain to your stylist what you like about certain features of a hair style--i.e. long side-swept bangs or long layers in the back---the stylist may be able to add some of these features to your hair style even though the entire hair style may not be suited for your hair.

Wedding Hair Styles - How To Avoid Disaster

WEDDING HAIR TIPS OTHER SALONS WON'T TELL YOU

Wedding Hair Styles- Your wedding hair planning has begun. It seems that there are so many details you must complete at the same time. You've imagined that you'll have the most beautiful of wedding hair styles.

But will it match with your wedding dress and wedding hair accessories and will it be complimented by the bridal hair styles of your bridesmaids? All of this wedding stuff already has you almost overwhelmed, so you think, "I need help".

You've come to the right place. I'll help you look like the stunning, romantic, storybook bride that you always fantasized that you'd be. You see, for over 20 years I have helped brides with their wedding hair and bridal makeup.

Finally I will give you some inside information that other salons don't want you to know regarding wedding hair styles services and contracts.

WEDDING HAIR STYLES- WHERE DO YOU START?

Wedding hair styles and bridal makeup plans should be formulated at least 3-4 months before the event. Have your hair stylist show you some pictures of their work on brides or of special event hair styles. Bring the wedding hair pictures displaying the styles you like the best.

Pictures of wedding hair styles are one of the best ways to avoid bridal hair disasters. Pictures will help eliminate misunderstandings between you and your hair stylist.

Be practical. Try a style that is comfortable for dancing and moving around. Consider the wedding location's climate (humid, dry, wet, cold, too hot). Make a selection from wedding hair styles that will match with the style of your dress. Keep your desired bridal hair styles in mind when picking out accessories.

ACCESSORIES AND BRIDAL MAKE UP

Wedding Hair Accessories like hair ornaments and headpieces should not overpower your wedding hair. If you plan to wear a more elaborate headpiece, your wedding hair style should be simple. Bridal Tiaras can be very flattering.

Very simple jewelry will do for the bridesmaids. Stick with earrings, bracelets, or rings, but avoid
necklaces. The entire bridal party should have one theme for the wedding hair styles and bridal make-up. However the bridal party could all have different hair lengths, color and texture of hair.

Your bridal make-up should emphasize the eyes, lips, and skin-tone as these parts should be camera friendly at all times. Remember that bridesmaids are to compliment the bride and are not there to overshadow her.

WEDDING HAIR STYLES TYPE

It is not a bad idea to have an up-do, if your dress covers all the way to the neck. Don't be afraid of a short hair style especially if you are petite. Short hair can be one of the more sexy wedding hair styles.

It is usually better to not to request a classic hair do with a contemporary wedding dress. If you have your heart set on one of the classic wedding hair styles, then it should be a casual one.

For a modern or classic Victorian style, one of the beach wedding hair styles is better when it is a basic chignon or down hair style with simple, loose curls. Soft curls give you a very romantic look. This goes for the bridesmaids as well. It is better that they all follow the same pattern.

The bridal party should wear the same color and style of dress as well as a similar hairstyle. For example, either all the bridesmaids should wear flowers in their hair or no one should at all.

WEDDING HAIR STYLES TRYOUT SERVICE

What's the best way to check the look of all the wedding hair styles in your bridal party? Easy, it is to have your entire bridal party make a visit to a salon for a wedding hair style tryout.

Salons usually give a tremendous discount for wedding hair style tryout service since they know you will like their work and that subsequently you will book your wedding party with them. It is common for salons to present a contract to brides.

WEDDING HAIR STYLES CONTRACTS

Make sure to read your contract carefully before signing. Read every word and make sure to ask questions if you don't understand something. If you are uncomfortable with the wording, it is fair to ask that the contract be changed.

Don't just gloss over the details of the contract. It should include important information such as the date of your wedding, the types of wedding hair styles and bridal make up services to be rendered.

Many salons will ask for a deposit to hold the appointment in advance. Some contracts will state that deposits are nonrefundable.

If your wedding hair styles contract has such a clause determine if there is a grace period. Pay a percentage of the service and not the whole price. Also make payment with a credit card. Should there be a problem or dispute, you will have a better chance of getting your money back.

Men Love Long Hairstyles

A popular beauty magazine once interviewed 100 men and asked them what hairstyle they liked the best on women. Per usual, the long hairstyle was a favorite pick by the majority of men. While many long hairstyle can be hard to maintain, there are many options today that will make having a long hairstyle much easier.

One of these options is layering. Adding layers throughout a long hairstyle will make it much easier to style and keep looking good. The layers help to take the bulk out of the hair and help it to lay just right.

Another great option is to add hair bangs. There are many different types of bangs - long, side swept, fringe, short, choppy, layered and the full bang. Also, if you don't feel quite adventurous to get bangs cut, try out some clip in hair bangs for an instant new look. Check out some of the latest layering of long hairstyles