Party-Proof Your Curls

Even the bounciest ringlets can drag on the dance floor. Our pro method will
deliver the body and hold you need for an all-nighter.

1.
We love Becki Newton's made-for-dancing hairstyle. Tresemmé celebrity stylist Mara Roszak suggests your prep first by blow-drying wet hair. Then mist a lightweight hair spray all over the top layers. Flip your head upside down to reach the bottom section.

2.
Holding a curling iron vertically near your temple, clamp it to the 1-inch section of hair closest to your face, and rotate the barrel outward. Release after five seconds.

3.
Immediately roll the just-curled section around your finger, and secure it to your scalp with a bobby pin. It's okay if it's messy or the end sticks out.

4.
Repeat the above two steps with the next section of hair, but this time, twist the barrel toward your face. Alternating the direction of the curls prevents them from clumping together.

5.
Keep going until you finish curling and pinning up all your hair, then apply another coat of the spray.

6.
After five minutes, remove all the bobby pins, and rake your fingers through your hair to break up the curls. Once they're styled exactly the way you want them, spritz on a final layer of hair spray.

How to Grow Long Hair Fast

by Cosmo's Beauty Bloggers, on Tue Aug 10, 2010 9:30am PDT

If your hair grows achingly slowly or gets to a certain length then suddenly stalls, you'll want to start scrubbing your scalp daily and babying the hair you have. Here's why.

1. Rub and Scrub. You wouldn't just stick your face under a spout to clean it, would you? Similarly, your scalp needs to be touched. "New hair has trouble sprouting through a layer of dirt, oil, and old skin cells," says Kingsley, who suggests massaging your scalp vigorously with a scalp brush or the pads of your fingers for two minutes preshower.

2. Pamper hair. Look for shampoos and conditioners that contain moisturizing shea butter or avocado oil. They keep strands saturated - key for growth since brittle, splitting strands break off before they can get long, says San Francisco derm Paradi Mirmirani.

3. Rethink Your Styling Routine. Heat (from appliances) and friction (from brushes) can damage hair's protective covering, or cuticle, making strands susceptible to snapping off. Detangle with only a wide-tooth comb, use heat-shielding sprays prestyling, and declare Sunday a lazy-do day. "Laying off the blow-dryer or iron once a week can help," Serratore says. For easy waves, braid wet hair; unravel when it's dry.