Travel Hair Styles Helpers

San Diegans are blessed with beautiful weather all year long. Even so, exploring other destinations with comparably lovely climates (or, maybe not) lends excitement, adventure and cultural appreciation. Although zipping around the globe is great for the heart, mind and soul, it can take a distinct toll on the health of your hair and skin, not to mention make maintaining your regular beauty regime difficult. Luckily, there are tons of great treatments, products and styles to carry you through your travels and give your aesthetic self a sense of normalcy. We sat down with Carynne Hansen, a stylist at Avia Salon and Day Spa in La Mesa, to get the lowdown on how to prepare your body for long trips. Avoid stuffing your bags with flat irons and blow dryers, and keep your hair looking just as good stepping off the plane in Saint Tropez as it did boarding in San Diego. Jet lag may be a drag, but you won’t have to show it.

Spending hours suspended in the air across seemingly endless miles is never anyone’s favorite activity and can definitely prove to be uncomfortable and leave you feeling in a funk. Your feet get stepped on, you bear an enormous likelihood of getting clocked by flying suitcases, and squishing into tiny rows of seats ends up making you rumpled and crumpled, your hair included. Fortunately, there are several simple, pretty, and functional styles to keep you feeling put together for your entire flight. Wearing hair off the face is key for comfort so you can sleep, eat, drink and read while being confined without battling your bangs. Hansen recommends styles like the popular side braid, which she says is an easy look for anyone to achieve. Buns or ponytails with “the bump” – aka the Pompadour style by adding volume to the back of the hair, not the front, a la Snooki – to carry you effortlessly through the plane ride and beyond.

Another common issue with travel arises when you are faced with the choice between packing up all of your trusty-but-bulky hot tools and products, or ditching them and chance turning into a frizz explosion in unfamiliar climates. A few options save you the extra space and weight in your bags while still keeping your locks smooth, silky and under control. Hansen is a fan of Tigi Bed Head Rockaholic Dirty Secret Dry Shampoo, which is awesome for travelers because it acts just as a traditional liquid formula does – eliminating the greasies and freshening hair—without necessitating a blow dryer whatsoever. She also encourages travelers to use L’Anza Beach Spray for creating easy summer waves, doable in a few sprays and scrunches. Finally, she recommends Tigi Bed Head After Party, which she calls, “a styling cream for shine and for after the party.” If you fall asleep on the plane or the beach, hit a windy spell or truly do need a fast pick-me-up after staying out into the wee hours, After Party tames your strands and adds lots of natural shine.

Salon and spa treatments are a final way to prep and maintain the appearance and health of your skin and hair on stale plane rides and once your reach your destinations. Since common vacation elements like plane air, wind and sun can all be very drying, Hansen suggests getting a deep conditioning treatment for hair and a few microdermabrasion cycles on your face to bring out ultimate health and vitality for different climates. She also emphasizes the importance of waxing before a trip where you are going to be spending a large amount of time in swimsuits, dresses and shorts. The benefits of waxing are twofold: first, and obviously, no one wants stubble ruining their new summer outfit or peeking out at the beach, and also because its effects are so long lasting. If you focus on target areas, you can leave your razor and shaving cream at home. Finally, to get bronzed without the sun’s damaging rays, investing in a self-tanner or an airbrush tanning session is a good call before departing.

With these hassle-free prep and maintenance suggestions, a free and easy vacation is completely achievable. Ditch your heat tools, heavy products and high-maintenance blowouts for a few key styling goods and quick, fashionable updos. For more information, visit Aviasdayspa.com.

Discover more San Diego full service salons and check out our beauty and health blog for more tips and trends.

Photo courtesy of Victoriassecret.com