The Biggest Hair Mistake Every Woman Makes

Hair is a fickle master. Some days you put down your blowdryer, smile contentedly, and do a hot-chick-in-a-bro-movie slow-motion head toss. And sometimes, you look in the mirror and ask God what you did to deserve the unspeakable mess that is sprouting from your head. Blame it on the weather, genetics, or the a-a-a-a-a-alcohol — but no matter the reason, the truth of the matter is sometimes your hair is just kind of a dick.

With all of these factors working against you, it'd be safe to say you are pretty particular with the products you put on your head. Which is all well and good — if it weren't for the fact that you're most likely using the wrong ones. Or, at least, that's the theory of Jon Reyman, a stylist and founder of Spoke & Weal salons.

Reyman posits that many women buy products based on their hair type — i.e. curly, wavy, or straight. The problem with this, according to him, is that not all hair of the same type has the same needs. And, you can manipulate hair through heat-styling to change its type — from straight to curly, and vice versa. That's why Reyman says you need to start choosing products based on your texture — soft or coarse — to get the best-looking hair.

"Hair texture is controlled by two things," he notes. "Products and styling tools (or lack thereof). Those are the things that control the way your hair works. Because if you have fine, limp hair, it's just going to be fine and limp, no matter if it's curly or straight."

Reyman claims that hair type is simply really good marketing. "If you just apply product based on whether you have curly or straight hair, you are not going to get the same results. Not all curly-hair products solve curly-hair problems."

Navigating this territory is no picnic, especially with all the products out there, each touting a different, life-changing claim. Reyman says to think of picking out products like reading a GPS: You have to know where you're starting and where you want to go. Consider what your hair looks like right now and what you want it to look like. "After you know your destination, then you need to decide what ingredients you are going to use," he says. Reyman says that instead of looking at your hair solution as one way and one product, you should mix and match different types of products and styling techniques to get what you want.

"Styling products are one of two things: an oil product or a hold product," says Reyman. "Some products are a combo of both, but it will usually be more one than the other. After I've felt [the product], I need to see the degree of it. Some are soft and light, while some are soft but thick and dense. Some products have a light, movable hold, and some have a really strong, structured hold."

So what does all this mean for you? Read on to learn about your hair texture, as well as the products and styling moves that are best for you.