How to Get Shiny, Silky Hair in 13 Steps
Who doesn't want silky, shiny hair? That shampoo commercial-worthy gloss and bounce is at the very top of the list when it comes to hair goals. And anyone, no matter their hair type, can achieve it with the right products and regimen. It's all about care and consistency – so let's take a look at the steps you need to follow...
1. Book in For a Salon Glaze
First on the list is your most foolproof glow booster. Veiling hair in a translucent veil of colour with unrivalled radiance, a hair glaze salon service lets you unlock healthy-looking hair in the space of a lunch break. For the glossiest finish with shine you can feel, ask your Wella Professionals stylist for a SHINEFINITY Colour Glaze. The zero lift, zero ammonia treatment comes in a wide range intermixable shades, so you can give every colour a glow-up.
You can also ask for a clear SHINEFINITY Glaze if it's tint-free shine you want. In just 10 minutes, dull hair will appear transformed with a light-reflective finish. Find your nearest Wella Professionals salon with our Salon Finder, and reveal your most radiant hair yet. This service suits everyone.
2. Trim Away Split Ends
While you're at the salon getting your SHINEFINITY Glaze, ask your stylist for regular trims. They'll cut away stressed ends in minutes; a quick step that instantly makes your hair silkier. If you're worried about losing length, request a Cut & Seal Service. They'll treat clean, wet hair to a misting of ULTIMATE REPAIR Miracle Hair Rescue, then target and trim just the very tips for an 'invisible' cut.
3. Gloss Your Hair at Home
You can also try an at-home hair gloss. Whether you're refreshing colour-treated hair or enhancing your natural hue, the Color Fresh Mask will have your shade looking more luminous in under 10 minutes. Combining a delicate tint with nourishing oils that make hair smooth and shiny, it comes in 13 shades. Choose from natural blonde, red and brunette tones or a selection of vibrant bolds.
Once you’ve got your shade, all you need to do is smooth the mask through just-shampooed hair, allow it to develop for 10 minutes, then rinse to reveal instant shine. Used once per week, it ensures locks always appear ultra-glossy. No wonder this easy-to-do glaze is a must in any shine-enhancing kit.
Image Credit: @dereqc
4. Focus On a Regimen for Damaged Hair
Damage in the form of frizz, dryness and dullness can put an end to your silky-smooth hair dreams, so if you want a mirror-like mane, make sure you focus on repair. The ULTIMATE REPAIR regimen is the answer, centring on a skincare-inspired blend of AHA and Omega-9 that repairs frizzy, dry hair from the inside out. Start with the rich lather of ULTIMATE REPAIR Shampoo, a luxurious cleanser that gently yet effectively rinses impurities away. Then, through the mid-lengths and ends, smooth ULTIMATE REPAIR Conditioner. Its comforting scent and creamy formula care for your hair and calm your senses. Though sumptuous, it rinses completely clean to prep locks for the third phase: Miracle Hair Rescue. This leave-in treatment repairs hair damage in 90 seconds* to leave you with 12x smoother hair**. Mist from root to tip for see-it-to-believe-it results.
5. Give Your Scalp Some TLC
Healthy hair begins with a healthy scalp, so if yours is feeling tight, dry or flaky, make sure you add a rebalancing shampoo to your hair care product kit. You don’t need to use it during every wash, but you should reach for it on those days when your scalp craves TLC. Here’s how to pick your scalp-balancing wash:
If you use tons of product: Try the INVIGO Aqua Pure Purifying Shampoo; a detox for locks that rids your scalp of residue to reveal ultra-clean, lightweight, shiny hair.
If you have an oily scalp: Give it a menthol-cool refresh with INVIGO Refresh Wash Revitalizing Shampoo. Combine with a scalp massage to work the soothing formula into the roots of your hair.
If you deal with dandruff or flakes: Lather up using the INVIGO Clean Scalp Anti-Dandruff Shampoo. Made with zinc pyrithione, it helps to combat visible flakes.
If you have an irritated scalp: Think dry, itchy and imbalanced. The INVIGO Senso Calm Sensitive Shampoo is perfect for gentle cleansing that purifies and calms.
Image Credit: @hairbysatukylatasku
6. Add a Repairing Hair Mask to Your Regimen
The antidote to frizzy hair and the answer to a silky mane is a hair mask. No hair care regimen should be without one, and our go-to for smoothing repair is ULTIMATE REPAIR Mask. Packed with AHA, Omega-9 and smart conditioning agents, it identifies and treats the areas of damaged hair that need it most for truly bespoke results. Squeeze out excess water before you apply it, then allow it to absorb for up to five minutes. It's a weekly must-have to keep hair soft and nourished.
7. Give Clean Hair a Cooler Rinse
After rinsing out your conditioner, hair mask or gloss with lukewarm water (never hot water), turn the temperature down and give clean strands a blast with cold water. Why? Because cool water encourages the hair cuticle to lie flat, which creates a smoother, shinier surface that reflects the light beautifully.
8. Then Blast Hair with Cool Air
If you’re heat styling your hair, try switching to the cool setting on your hairdryer to lock the final look in place. You’ll find a cool shot on the Sahira Light Hairdryer, which gives a similar effect to a rinse with cold water. That means shiny, light-reflective strands with less frizz between washes.
Image Credit: @biancahdrs
9. Apply Heat Protection Before Using Hot Tools
Whether you're loyal to your blow dryer, obsessed with your hair straighteners or can't be without your curling iron, you need a heat protectant in your gloss-boosting, shine-enhancing kit. Enter ULTIMATE REPAIR Protective Leave-In. Not only does it protect against hot styling tools up to 230°C/450° F, but it also shields your hair from damage caused by UV rays and makes frizz history. A silky hair essential. Plus, because it's a delicate cream, it feels instantly nourishing. Hair experts love this one for salon blow-dries, and you will too.
Image Credit: @ellabellas.hair
10. Apply Nourishing Hair Oils
Your hair follicles naturally produce oil to keep your strands healthy and protected. This oil travels down from the roots to the tips, giving hair its natural shine and lustre. But when damage happens, essential, nourishing oils can be stripped from the hair cuticle, leaving it looking dry and dull. So, how do you top those oils back up? The quickest way is by applying a hair oil to your lengths and ends, like Oil Reflections Luminous Smoothing Oil. It's infused with avocado and sweet macadamia oils for lightweight luminosity through all hair types, and just a drop or two is all you need for instant smoothness and shine. Apply it after Miracle Hair Rescue but before heat protection to pave the way for your softest blow-dry yet.
11. Style with a Boar Bristle Brush
When hair is wet, a wide-tooth comb is your tool of choice for gentle detangling. But, once it's dry, a boar bristle brush is your go-to for smoother hair with a natural shine. The special bristles help to distribute sebum – your hair's natural oils – through your lengths for lustrous shine, while also taming frizz and keeping tangled hair at bay.
Image Credit: @marianiliehair
12. Set Up Your Regimen for Overnight Success
Take beauty sleep to new levels with two easy upgrades that will help you wake up frizz-free every morning. First up, switch out cotton pillowcases for silk pillowcases or satin pillowcases, which are kinder to hair strands as you toss and turn. Then, apply a hair serum before bed, like ULTIMATE REPAIR Night Serum. It's specially designed to protect the outer layer of your hair overnight, so you wake up to a more manageable mane. The unique formula also combats frizz and leaves hair deeply nourished, while its wonderfully weightless feel means it's suitable for all hair types, from fine to coarse.
13. Add an Extra Boost of Shine
Shine spray is the finishing touch to your radiance-boosting regimen, but not just any mist will do; EIMI Glam Mist is your go-to. It's 'beautiful hair in a bottle', veiling dull strands in instant, lightweight luminosity. Simply mist it through styled, dry hair, gently brush lengths, and you'll be ready to glow. It even safeguards strands against the effects of humidity, so you'll see less frizz and fewer flyaways. No styling product kit is complete without it.
Looking for more ways to care for your hair? Discover our complete collection of Hair Care Guides, featuring tips for every hair type and concern.
* When using ULTIMATE REPAIR Miracle Hair Rescue.
** Vs. non-conditioning Shampoo.
