Stylist Christa Comeau Shares Eight Clever Summer Hair Tricks

Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.

We've already talked hair this week, but sometimes, you just want an on-the-go trick that keeps your style looking good without buying into a whole new product line. Fifteen years in the business have left hairstylist Christa Comeau, whose family started Blaine beauty school, with expert intel on how to create volume and smooth frizzy manes. Working out of Pini Swissa salon at 18 Newbury Street, Comeau brings a collaborative spirit (something she honed at RISD) to meet her clients' needs.

Christa's Dos and Donts
1. "Hair is dried out in the summertime, whether you're out in the sun or swimming. If you try to keep your hair by putting moisture back into it (say a once a week clarifying shampoo and then deep conditioning), that helps protect the cuticle, which in turn helps prevent frizz. Natural oil serums absorb better than synthetic."
2. "Never brush your hair when it's dry."
3. "If you find your hair gets frizzy throughout the day, just wet your hands or rub a bit of hand lotion into the bottom of your hair, not the top."
4. "A few drops of safflower oil are good in the ends of your hair with a bit of water in your hands. You can also dilute pricey hair products with it."
5. What to do with fine hair: "I like Snappi dry shampoo the best. Even powder is effective because it absorbs at the roots, but I would avoid baby powder because when you start sweating you might smell too much like a baby. Crabtree and Evelyn has a really great one, lavender scented. Pour a bit of that into an open palm and shake it in, then turn your head upside down to get rid of the excess. Another fine hair trick is to put bobby pins and push maybe four into your hair on the top by your temples to help support the lift."
6. "The sun is so drying. It just take 15 minutes to see the color change. UV protecting sprays and shampoos are typically SPF of about 10 and that only lasts a couple hours. The most effective way is to wear a hat or a scarf. I wrap them around my head at the beach."
7. "Saturate your hair with clean water and coat it with inexpensive conditioner, then put it in a bun when you're swimming. It really prevents the water absorption. Barely any chlorine or salt gets in. Big wild beach hair really looks better when hair is in good condition."
8. "To stop your hair from getting frizzy between the T and your office, lightly braid hair or put it in a loose bun and then shake it out when you get to work."
· Eric Spengler of Living Proof Talks Frizz and Hair Science [Racked Boston]
· Christa Comeau [Official Site]
· Pini Swissa [Official Site]