When our favorite celebrities want Instagram-worthy hair, they visit Kristin Ess. And when we say celebrities, we mean Lauren Conrad , Lucy Hale , Ashley Tisdale , Jenna Dewan-Tatum , and too many others to count. Ess is one of the best hair colorists around, and she also creates haircuts that set trends. (Just check out her Instagram for major hair inspiration.) Ess is busier than ever, especially now that her line of hair products launched at Target last month . Luckily for us, the stylist to the stars loves spreading her knowledge, so we caught up with Ess to get her top 10 hair hacks. Count these as your tips for photo-ready hair.
Related: 21 Instagram Hair Hacks That Are Borderline Genius
If your ends are out of shape, do an overnight mask of coconut oil ($9, target.com ) on just the tips of hair. Secure hair in a bun and put a sock over it to keep oil off your pillow, then shampoo and condition in the morning as usual.
Dealing with intense static? Rub your brush bristles down with a dryer sheet and then brush your hair. Ess prefers this method, as opposed to rubbing the sheet directly on your hair, because you can get the antistatic benefits all over versus just on the top layer of your style.
If you want more volume from your ponytail, secure a high pony as usual with a thick elastic. Then wrap a second thick elastic right above that one. The stacked effect will give you double the height.
Instagram content
View on Instagram
When wearing your hair up in a high bun or ponytail, use an eyeshadow that matches your hair color to fill in an inconsistent front hairline .
This is one of those hair hacks that's more common sense: Clean your hairbrushes! Ess says that the amount of product and oil and dirt on most people's hairbrushes would astound you. Once a month, do a deep cleaning where you shampoo and rinse them well. With clean tools , your blowouts will be smoother and bigger, plus they'll last longer.
If you don't want your bobby pins to show, spray them with colored dry shampoo that matches your hair color after pinning them in your style. Not only will the shade blend better, but the pins will also have a matte finish, making them undetectable, and a better grip.
Instagram content
View on Instagram
If you overcurl your hair, mist it with a superfine water spray like Evian Facial Water ($13, sephora.com ) to take it down a notch instead of going over it again with hot irons. (That's a surefire way to risk heat damage .)
If you have super-fine hair and want to create a deep side part, part your hair diagonally. It gives the illusion of a deep side part, but you'll still have the same amount of hair on both sides and your style won't end up looking limp or lopsided.
Instagram content
View on Instagram
When curling your hair, skip the ends. Then tap them straight with a flatiron for a cooler, more modern look.
Air-dry fans: When you get out of the shower, use the pads of your fingers to massage your scalp in tiny circles while the hair is still wet. This will stir up the root and lift the hair off your head so it doesn't dry completely flat, giving you a little boost of natural volume.
You might also like: How to Get Beachy Waves With a Flatiron
