How to Get Glass Hair: A Step-by-Step Guide

If you missed it, trend forecasters predict that this winter, glass hair will be huge. We love this hair trend because it’s chic and sophisticated. While glass hair may not be an everyday look, it’s perfect for special occasions. If you want to learn how to get glass hair, keep reading!

What is Glass Hair?

Glass hair is hair that’s smooth and shiny. So shiny, in fact, that it reflects light like glass–hence the name. You usually see glass hair paired with blunt haircuts, further emphasizing the hair’s glossiness.

This trend will work best for straight and wavy hair types that straighten easily without using a lot of heat. Since the glass hair trend requires a lot of heat styling, we don’t recommend it for hair that’s dry, damaged, or brittle.

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How to Get Glass Hair at Home

Step One: Cleanse & Condition

While some hair trends work best on second (or third) day hair, glass hair is not one of them. For this trend, you want squeaky clean hair, so start by washing your hair with a shine-enhancing shampoo and conditioner. Any hydrating or shine-boosting shampoo will do as long as it’s sulfate-free. It’s thought that sulfates strip the hair and scalp of their natural oils, leaving your hair dry and dull. And when it comes to glass hair, hydration is essential. So, in addition to choosing a sulfate-free shampoo, consider adding a deep moisturizing hair mask to your weekly routine.

The way you shower can also affect your hair’s moisture level. We recommend shampooing and conditioning your hair when you get into the shower. But instead of rinsing out the conditioner right away, let it sit in your hair while you complete the rest of your shower routine. Then rinse thoroughly using cold water. While not proven by science, many hair experts believe that rinsing your hair with cold water will improve its shine by “sealing” the hair cuticle.

Step Two: Prep for Styling

After rinsing, gently dab your hair with a microfiber towel or an old cotton t-shirt. These are gentle alternatives to traditional cotton towels that can rough up the hair’s cuticle layer and leave hair looking dull and frizzy.

Use a shine-boosting leave-in conditioner to aid in detangling. Choose a formula that locks out humidity since humidity is your number one enemy when trying to achieve glass hair. Why? Because humidity causes frizz. The leave-in conditioner will help limit breakage when detangling. Breakage means frizzy and flyaways, which is the opposite of what you want if you want to achieve the glass hair trend. Other ways to eliminate breakage:

• Work in small sections
• Start at the ends of your hair and gently work your way toward your roots
• Use a wide-toothed comb or wet brush

Then generously apply a heat protectant spray. A heat protectant spray is a must any time you’re heat-styling your hair because hot tools can dry out and damage the hair, leading to breakage.

Step Three: Blow Dry

Blow dry your hair smooth using a large, flat brush and working in small sections. Tip: use a narrow nozzle to eliminate frizz. Pointing the nozzle downward will help to smooth out frizz and flyaways. It may feel time-consuming, but blow-drying your hair as smoothly as possible is essential for achieving glass hair. The less you need to flat iron your hair, the better!

Step Four: Straighten

Next, use a flat iron to straighten your hair in small sections. This technique ensures that you straighten every strand for that perfect glassy finish. To mitigate damage, only straighten sections of hair that need it. And make sure to keep the flat iron moving: holding the flat iron in one spot too long can create bumps in your hair and damage your strands. Finally, brush through hair with a boar bristle brush after straightening.

Step Five: Apply Finishing Touches

Finish the look with anti-frizz hairspray. An anti-frizz hairspray will lock out humidity (which, as you will recall, is the enemy of glass hair) and ensure your glass hair lasts all day. You can also apply shine serum or oil for extra shine. Just make sure to keep it away from roots since this type of product can make roots look greasy.

Have you tried the glass hair trend? Let us know in the comment section below!