Hair styling mousse: what it is and how to use it?

Hair styling mousse is an effective and easy-to-use means for creating hairstyles and, along with other fixing compositions, is often used in hairdressing. With it, you can give your hair a variety of forms and make everyday and festive styling.

Hair styling mousse is a universal composition designed to give hair the desired volume and the formation of the effect of wet hair. The tool is able to give the strands a special pomp and well-groomed appearance, in addition, the curls formed using mousse, keep their shape in all weather conditions. The form of release of mousse is an aerosol can, equipped with a vacuum sprayer, saturating the outgoing foam with small air bubbles. Cylinders are very easy to use and allow you to use the tool quite economically.

The main functions of the mousse - giving the desired volume to the locks and fixing the styling. However, the fixing role of the tool is rather secondary, since after the formation of the hair is completed, the curls are additionally sprayed with varnish. Another important task of the tool is to protect the strands from overheating, which occurs during the use of the dryer.

Moreover, many modern tools contribute to increased hair growth, remove excess fluffiness and make curls supple and docile.

The effectiveness of using fixatives depends entirely on their chemical composition. So, hair styling mousses consist of biopolymers that give curls a natural look and make them bulky. Another important component of the mousse are protective additives that prevent the negative impact of external factors on the hair structure. Supplements are presented in the form of glycerin, which moisturizes the structure of the rods, and panthenol, which protects the curls from the desiccating effects of electrical appliances used for hot styling.

As an auxiliary substance, the conditioner is included in the composition of the mousses, which facilitates combing and significantly reduces the fragility of the hair. Quality mousses of well-known manufacturers do not contain alcohol additives that do not allow the strands to breathe and make the locks brittle and lifeless. In addition, some products include light fragrances and fragrances, giving the composition a subtle pleasant aroma, as well as ceramides and vitamins of groups A, E and B, which make curls shiny and docile.

Hair styling mousses are quite popular means, however, before proceeding with their choice, you should be familiar with their strengths and weaknesses. Below are a number of indisputable advantages of mousses, which favorably distinguish them from other fixing means.

1. Mousses are universal preparations and can be used for any type of hair.
2. Thanks to a special formula, the tool does not glue the strands and allows them to look quite natural. However, improper use of mousse can cause the opposite effect, which makes it necessary to carefully read the instructions before applying the preparation.
3. Many compositions additionally feed the curls along the entire length and protect them from the effects of aggressive environmental factors.
4. Due to the presence in the composition of special fragrances unpleasant odor, characteristic of most fixing means, is absent.
5. The long-term effect of increasing the volume and styling allows you not to worry about the hair all day long.

However, despite the large number of obvious advantages, mousses still have disadvantages. These include low efficiency in relation to too thick and hard hair, as well as the presence of alcohol in the composition of the most budget drugs. In addition, when using mousses, many women face a number of problems. First, there are some difficulties in determining the optimal amount of funds needed for one-time use.

Secondly, with the wrong composition, the strands quickly become greasy. This occurs in cases where the type of hair does not match the purchased product. Very often when applying mousse strong fixation on too thin hair, they become too "heavy" and get oily shine.

Another problem is the loss of lively glitter hair, which makes it dull and lifeless. One of the reasons for this result is too frequent use of mousse or applying a fairly large amount of substance in a single dose. So, for short curls there will be enough a frothy ball the size of a walnut, for medium ones - as big as a small tangerine, and for long ones - an apple. In some cases, sticking of strands is also noted, however, this unpleasant moment is associated with applying the substance on too wet hair that did not have time to dry enough.

And another significant disadvantage of using mousse is itching of the skin. It is also associated with improper use of the tool and most often happens when rubbing the substance into the scalp. This is absolutely not necessary to do, otherwise you can quickly get contact dermatitis. Apply the drug should be directly on the hair, without affecting the scalp.

Modern industry produces a large number of different mousses, classification of which is carried out according to several criteria.

• The determining criterion for the difference is the effect produced. On this basis, in turn, there are three categories of funds. The first includes mousses designed to create volume. They are able to create the illusion of thicker hair. The second group is represented by means that effectively nourish and strengthen hair, as well as protect it from the negative effects of ultraviolet radiation and high temperatures. The third category includes compositions that can perform elastic styling, without causing the effect of weighting the hair.

• The next sign of classification is the force of fixation of the compositions. Here allocate means of weak (elastic), medium, strong and superstrong fixation. The first two types of mousses are used for daytime daily styling, while the last two are used to create complex evening or ceremonial hairstyles.

• The third sign of difference is the type of hair for which a particular mousse is intended. There are compositions that specialize in straight and curly curls, as well as tools for long and short hair. However, the classification by length is a very tricky marketing move, and it makes no sense to buy the drug, focusing on the length - no.It will be enough to choose the means of the desired fixation and apply the foam in the amount required for a particular length of hair. But the curly hair mousse is a really effective thing. Due to the composition consisting of conditioning components and panthenol, the tool makes the curls shiny and docile, eliminating their excessive fluffiness.

• And the fourth sign by which mousses are classified is the presence of additional functions.. According to this criterion, it is possible to distinguish mousses-conditioners that give the hair shine and expressiveness and simplify combing. Thanks to air conditioning curls easily fit and do not tangle when styling a hair dryer. Wax mousses, which contain natural resins, are also very popular. Thanks to their enveloping effects, the curls do not lose moisture and are not afraid of the thermal effects of the installation power tools.

Before you start buying hair styling mousse, It is desirable to get acquainted with the recommendations of experts.

• Before purchasing, it is necessary to carefully study the chemical composition and make sure that there is no alcohol in it. An excellent choice would be a product containing vitamins, an ultraviolet filter and keratin.
• If the mousse is purchased for thin or damaged curls, then it is better to opt for the means of weak or medium fixation. For thick and thick, on the contrary, professional mousses acquire strong and superstrong fixation.
• When buying funds should pay attention to how it smells. If the foam has a peculiar smell of chemistry, its purchase should be abandoned. The best option would be a composition that does not have any odor or moderately flavored.
• For unruly hair, choose mousses with the mark "extra strong fixation". The same composition should be used before going outside in windy weather.
• Holders of brittle and dry hair, in principle, is not recommended to use mousses. However, if such a need still arose, it is better to use only mousse-conditioner.

Hair styling with mousse is a fairly simple procedure and does not cause difficulties even for beginners. In order to properly apply the product to the hair and get the expected effect, it is recommended to use the advice of professionals. that will help you to properly style your hair and create a beautiful hairstyle.

• Before styling, wash your hair well and then rinse it thoroughly. On the curls should not remain a trace of shampoo, mask or conditioner, otherwise when mixed with mousse hair will look dirty and will find an untidy look. In addition, the effect of the mousse will be short-lived: in a few hours the hairstyle will lose its shape and volume.
• The amount of funds, as well as the technology of its application depends on what task it faces. So, if a general hair straightening is planned, then the composition is applied over the entire length, to give volume - only to the root zone, and for curling curls - exclusively on the tips.
• Laying should be done immediately after application, otherwise the composition will quickly grab and fix the strands in any shape.
• After using the mousse, it should be thoroughly washed off the hair. To do this, apply any shampoo to the curls and leave for 2–3 minutes. This time is quite enough for the composition to have time to dissolve.Then the hair is well rinsed and dried in a natural way.

After getting acquainted with the basic rules of use of the drug, you can begin to create a hairstyle. To do this, it is necessary to observe a certain sequence of actions and not to violate the technology of application. So, the algorithm of actions includes several stages.

• Washed and dried hair gently combed with a comb with rare teeth.
• The mousse bottle is shaken, and then the required amount of the product is squeezed onto the palm.
• The head is slightly tipped back and foam is applied to the base of the hair.
• With the help of a comb, the tool is evenly distributed over the entire length and immediately proceeds to the creation of styling. You can act cold and hot methods. In the first case, the curls curl on curlers, and in the second - resorted to using electric pliers or hair dryer.
• To give the volume to short hair, a small amount of foam is distributed on both palms and applied to the hair from the roots to the ends. Then the curls are slightly dried with a hairdryer, lifting them from the roots and giving them the desired volume. This method is well suited for both women's and men's styling, which can be performed not only with a comb, but also with your hands.
• The effect of wet hair looks good on curly hair and can also be performed with a mousse. To do this, the composition is applied and distributed over the entire length, after which a little crush curls. With straight hair, the procedure is somewhat more complicated and is performed using a hair dryer with a diffuser. At the same time, the head is slightly tilted forward and the diffuser is installed under the fallen strands. The curls at the same time should lie freely on the nozzle and take the form of waves.
• Putting mousse can be done not only on wet strands. There are situations when it is better to do it on dry curls. Such express styling does not require the use of a hair dryer and consists in applying a mousse with simultaneous lifting of the strands near the roots. The procedure is performed by hand, thereby creating the effect of slight negligence. Then the curls are slightly shaken and fixed with varnish.

Mousse for fixing hair is often compared with gel and foam.

1. Unlike gel, which is used mainly for short hair, the use of mousse is permissible for any hair length. The means and consistency are different: if the mousse is a foam, then the gel is a liquid, sticky substance. As a result, the release form also differs: the mousse has aerosol cans and the gel has plastic bottles.
2. If you compare the mousse and foamthen the second means increases the volume better, which is due to the more dense structure. In addition, the mousse has a slight drying effect, while the foam has no effect on the moisture of the hair. Mousse is more suitable for short and medium hair, while the foam easily fixes long and thick strands. Mousse often does not contain flavors and is an excellent option for allergy sufferers. In the foam there are always perfume fragrances.

How to use hair mousse is shown in the video below.