If you find yourself on a hair health journey and are trying to get the glossiest locks ever, you find yourself in good company, because we’ve just gone through it and have perfected getting glossy hair. Not only does it make us look clean and more put together, but it also feels incredible.
We had a chat with Chrissy Danielle, owner of Hair By Chrissy Danielle Salon, hair influencer, and global educator, and TRUSS Professional Ambassador, and she is somewhat of a glossy hair guru. She shared all of her top tips to achieving the look in our guide, below.
All About Glossy Hair
If we could wake up with perfectly glossy hair every morning, we truly believe our lives would be better. From the soft and silky nature to the flowing locks, what’s not to love about glossy hair?
Danielle describes it as, “smooth, shiny, and reflective, with a healthy sheen that evenly reflects light. It’s typically free from frizz or dullness, feels soft to the touch, and has a sleek texture. Overall, glossy hair is associated with good hair health and hydration.”
How Do You Know If You’re a Candidate for Glossy Hair?
Anyone can be a candidate for glossy hair, but at the end of the day, certain factors will come into play with how easy it is to achieve.
From your hair type to thickness, hair damage, and more, all of these things will play a role!
“Straight hair naturally tends to be shinier, while fine hair reflects light more easily than coarse hair,” shares Danielle. “However, coarse hair can achieve glossiness with proper care. Healthy, well-nourished hair is more likely to have a glossy appearance. A gentle, moisturizing hair care routine, including regular deep conditioning treatments, can enhance shine. Avoiding heat styling, harsh chemicals, and over-washing helps maintain glossiness as well.”
How to Maintain Glossy Hair
If you’re ready to start your glossy hair journey, maintenance is going to be key to longevity and making your locks pop.
And this has everything to do with a killer hair care routine and regular trims (Danielle suggests going every 6-8 weeks). She also tells us to wash hair 2-3 times a week “to keep the scalp clean without stripping away natural oils that contribute to hair health and shine.”
She goes on to tell us, “Incorporate deep conditioning treatments into your routine once or twice a week to nourish and moisturize your hair, and limit the use of heat styling tools such as flat irons, curling irons, and blow dryers, as excessive heat can damage the hair and strip away its natural shine.
“Apply heat protection spray or serum to minimize damage and maintain glossiness when using heat styling tools. You can also incorporate shine-enhancing hair products into your routine, such as serums, oils, or leave-in conditioners specifically formulated to add glossiness and smoothness to the hair.”
Hair Care Routine for Glossy Hair
In general, the best hair care routine for achieving glossy hair is going to include a
- Pre-shampoo wash treatment (TRUSS Professional Frizz Zero)
- Sulfate-free shampoo (Pureology Strength Cure Shampoo)
- Hydrating conditioner (Pureology Hydrate Conditioner)
- Deep conditioning treatment mask (TRUSS Professional’s Deluxe Prime Plus + Mask)
- Leave-in conditioner (TRUSS Professional’s Day By Day Leave-in Daily Protector And Detangler Spray), and
- Shine-enhancing serum or oil (Kérastase Elixir Ultime Hydrating Hair Oil Serum)
How to Style Glossy Hair
Let’s face it, most of us rely on hot tools to provide us with our favorite hairstyles. From blow dryers to straightening irons, curling irons, wands, and even wavers, one of the best things we can do to prevent damage and achieve glossy hair is to use all of these tools at a lower heat.
Danielle says that by doing this, we can “avoid stripping moisture from the hair, which can leave it looking dull.”
She shares more tips with us, stating, “Occasionally use a clarifying shampoo once a month to thoroughly cleanse the hair and scalp, removing any buildup and restoring shine. Avoid excessive towel drying, which can cause friction and lead to frizz and dullness. Treat your hair to occasional glossing treatments or hair masks designed specifically to enhance shine and luminosity.”
“I like to recommend TRUSS Professional’s Gloss Shine to my clients to protect their hair from dryness and frizzing. These treatments often contain nourishing ingredients like vitamins, antioxidants, and oils that help smooth the hair cuticle and add a glossy finish.”
How to Avoid Greasy-Looking Hair
While we adore glossy hair, we find it’s often difficult to find the right balance of glossiness without it looking greasy. Danielle says it’s all about balancing moisture, hydration, and product usage.
She goes into more detail, telling us, “When using hair care products like serums, oils, or styling creams, start with a small amount and gradually add more if needed. Avoid overwashing your hair, and rinse thoroughly after shampooing and conditioning to remove all traces of product residue. Use dry shampoo to help absorb excess oil and refresh your hair between washes.”
Avoid Excessive Heat Styling
As we previously touched on, avoiding excessive heat styling is going to be key to maintaining glossy hair. Just think about it—have you ever seen overly styled or bleached hair? It typically looks dry and lackluster, which is exactly what we’re trying to avoid!
Too much heat makes hair become dehydrated and even strips away natural oils. However, we understand that using hot tools is a must for most of us, so Danielle provided us with some top tips, sharing,
“To minimize the adverse effects of heat styling on the glossiness of your hair, consider using heat protectant products such as TRUSS Professional’s Hair Protector before styling to create a barrier between your hair and the heat.”
“Avoid using heat styling tools at high temperatures and opt for lower heat settings whenever possible. Limit the frequency of heat styling and give your hair regular breaks from heat to allow it to recover. Try to use alternative styling methods like air-drying or heatless curls to reduce heat exposure.”
Consider Hair Oiling
Hair oiling is going to scare some people away, but trust us when we say it can do wonders for achieving glossy hair! Danielle says that regular oiling can “help replenish moisture, resulting in softer, smoother, and shinier hair.
“Hair oils also have emollient properties that help seal the hair cuticle, the outermost layer of the hair shaft. Many hair oils contain vitamins, antioxidants, and fatty acids that nourish and condition the hair, promoting overall health and shine. Oils like argan oil, coconut oil, and jojoba oil are rich in nutrients that penetrate the hair shaft, strengthening the hair from within and adding shine.”
Invest In a Silk Pillowcase
We firmly believe that everyone should be sleeping on a silk pillowcase, regardless of hair type, texture, or even gender. They’re incredibly gentle on the scalp and have been proven to reduce irritation, and frizziness, and won’t pull on your locks while you’re catching up on beauty sleep.
Danielle agrees, telling us, “Silk pillowcases have a smooth surface that creates less friction against traditional cotton pillowcases. This reduced friction means less tugging and pulling on the hair strands while you sleep, which can help prevent breakage and split ends. Silk is a natural fiber that doesn’t absorb moisture as readily as cotton.”
“As a result, sleeping on a silk pillowcase helps maintain the hair’s natural oils and moisture levels. Additionally, the smooth surface of silk pillowcases reduces the hair’s tangling and matting during sleep.”
Choose a Quality Hair Brush
Finding the perfect brush might seem like an odd task. After all, we’re willing to bet most of us haven’t given much thought to brushes! If they can detangle our hair then they’re good, right? Well, maybe not quite!
While you’d have to pry our Wet Brushes from our cold, dead hands (especially on wash days), we think that investing in a high-quality brush that enhances shine is key to glossy hair. And that’s exactly why we’re such big proponents for boar brushes.
Danielle agrees, telling Timeless Hairstyles, “Boar bristle brushes, which are made from natural bristles sourced from the hair of wild boars, have densely packed bristles that are gentle on the hair and scalp. Brushing your hair with a boar bristle brush helps distribute the natural oils (sebum) produced by the scalp throughout the length of the hair. These natural oils act as a conditioning treatment, coating the hair shaft and providing moisture and shine.”