In this day and age, with every waking moment documented on social media – is it any wonder we’re nosy as all hell and want to know the minutiae of everyone else’s lives? ESPECIALLY their beauty routines?
I’m absolutely a sucker for people’s swear-bys and must-haves – so I asked the entire Pedestrian office for a deep dive into their personal haircare routine. Hey, maybe it’ll solve my endless struggle with my natural curls, which I currently straighten to within an inch of their life because I juuuust can’t seem to master the process of drying them into ringlets?
COURTNEY
Hair type?
Wild, unruly curls, thick, lots of it. Easily kinked, and defies gravity like a lion’s mane.
What’s your hair washing routine?
I wash my hair once a week with the old double-shampoo trick – washing it once, then rinsing, then washing again. I’ll usually use something that gives it a good clean but is still hydrating – because of my curls, the ends tend to dry out otherwise. Then I’ll use a rich, hydrating conditioner because my curls need the moisture.
How do you style your hair?
I straighten my hair most of the time. To protect it, I pop in a straightening serum when my hair is damp, let it naturally dry, and then straighten it with a GHD straightener and heat protectant spray. Can never have too much protection. After that I add in a little more hydration to the ends with a hair oil, and smooth a touch over my whole head to flatten down any flyaways. When I wear it curly, which isn’t often, I’ll just let it do it’s own thing with the straightening serum in there – I find it’s so curly the serum alone just defines the curls a little.
What frustrates you about your hair?
I hate that I can’t just get up and go. It needs a comb or a quick run over with the straightener – only for me to get outside and have it go bad anyway. My hair reacts a lot to humidity too, so as soon as there’s any moisture in the air, I’m like a fluff ball.
And what do you love about it?
I do love that there’s lots of it so I have a lot to play with when styling.
What’s something people who don’t have your hair type might not know?
The curl itself is formed because our hair follicles right up through the dermis to the epidermis (outer skin layer) is shaped like a crescent moon. That shape also means that although we create as much sebum as the next person, the follicle doesn’t allow as much to come out onto the hair strand, so curly hair tends to be drier/less oily than straight hair!
MEL
Hair type?
It’s naturally curly like a lion’s mane, but holds a style really, really well. It’s also insanely damaged from years of heat tools, so the top half feels quite fine and wispy even though overall I have a lot of hair.
What’s your hair washing routine?
I always double shampoo – I leave my hair washing as long as I can because I’m lazy as hell, so it’s usually filth-town. I usually wash it once with a clarifying shampoo and then go back in with a hydrating one so it’s not all dried out. For a while I wasn’t using conditioner at all, because I found weirdly in winter my hair was getting really greasy? It’s probably because the top half of my hair is essentially “fine”. But then Pantene sent me the new Foam Conditioner and I’ve been trialling that. It definitely feels weightless and works well for me, especially for that top section of my hair – it doesn’t look as flat as it did when I would go in with rich conditioners. Although I still use a hair mask every week to really nourish my strands hard-core, given they’re so prone to damage.
How do you style your hair?
LOOOL my hair styling routine is insane. Ok. So I’ll dry it all off roughly with heat protectant spray on. Then, I’ll straighten it all in sections – crucial to get the no-fluff finish. Then, in sections, I’ll curl it with my straightener. I have a fringe, so I ALSO need to style that. I straighten the whole thing, rinse it under the tap and then dry downward to give it a bit of movement but no fluffiness. It’s so high maintenance, I can’t even deal. But there you go.
What frustrates you about your hair?
Oh man. I feel like 10 years of being a total jerk to it (not using heat protection, constantly using heat tools) has made the ends so split that even with regular trims, I can’t get it to grow.
And what do you love about it?
I love the colour. It’s natural at the moment and it has these golden streaks through it naturally. I also love my cut (shout out to Dolly Ward!), it just really suits my personal style and when I do my hair properly, makes any outfit look ten times better.
What’s something people who don’t have your hair type might not know?
Less about my hair type than what happens when you constantly style your hair – split ends can’t be fixed. You can mask them with serums but the only “solution” is to cut them off. That’s why regular trims are vital, and why you need to use heat protective sprays and the lowest possible temp setting on stylers. I wondered for years why my hair took ages to grow until a hairdresser pointed this out.
LUCINDA
Hair type?
What’s your hair washing routine?
I wash my hair every three days. I use a blonde shampoo once a week. If I’ve got something special on, I’ll tone it with a blonde shampoo beforehand. I use a light leave-in conditioner every morning as it keeps my breakage-based fly aways under control. I sleep in a super hydrating mask once a week.
How do you style your hair?
I don’t use anything except a light leave-in conditioner straight out of the shower. This makes my hair dry relatively straight.
What frustrates you about your hair?
Having to get the roots done every month. I quite like when the roots come through, but if you leave it too long between bleaches it’s impossible to get a clean colour without an orange head band finish. Only Fake Blonde Girls Will Get This.
And what do you love about it?
I can roll out of bed and it’s done. I like that it is a mullet. I like that people over the age of 35 think it’s ugly.
What’s something people who don’t have your hair type might not know?
Bleached hair is an expensive habit. It costs a bomb and it’s addictive. You’ll always want more (blonder, more silvery).
MELISSA
Hair type?
I have naturally dark brown hair, but it’s currently pastel pink.
What’s your hair washing routine?
Obviously to keep the colour, hair washing is reduced to every 6 days/once a week (more if the oiliness can be hidden under a beanie or in braids). During that once a week routine, it will include a colour/hair protective shampoo & conditioner, I will also use an intense repair leave-in hair treatment after washing.
How do you style your hair?
I try to avoid heat tools as much as I can. Heat fades the colour, especially pastel colours. If I want to curl it, I’ll do it the traditional way with non-heated curlers or wraps overnight, or leave them in a few hours with some hairspray before heading out. I’m lucky enough to have a lot of hair that holds curls & waves well.
What frustrates you about your hair?
I can’t wear certain coloured clothes anymore because my hair colour clashes with them.
And what do you love about it?
Definitely is a conversation starter for most, it’s just really out there and different. Also now that the base of my hair is blonde/white I can go all different colours!
What’s something people who don’t have your hair type might not know?
You can go from a natural dark brown to a nice pastel pink in one very long (9.5 hour) sitting. Obviously this can depends on the health of the hair & how your hair takes to colour, but if you want to do it and dark hair deters you, I recommend checking with a hairdresser because its definitely possible!
DEBORAH
Hair type?
Flat. A little frizzier at the bottom now that I’ve bleached and dyed it, but the top is in it’s 100% natural state and it’s just always flat.
What’s your hair washing routine?
Around twice a week, three times if I have time or it’s particularly greasy. I use anti-dandruff shampoo for coloured hair on the roots, and I’ve just started using a light conditioner but only on the ends, because my hair is quite fine and I find the richer conditioners give me the “flat” look on the top.
How do you style your hair?
As far as hair styling tools, I have a hairdryer and 2 different sized curling irons. I choose curling irons over a straightener because I can straighten with a curler (yes, really!), but I can’t curl with a straightener. I’m not super handy with a hairdryer, so I just use it to dry roughly rather than style. As for the curling irons, I either straighten and turn the ends under to look like a blow dry, or I curl the ends (which now hold curls because of bleach and dye). I finish with a shine spray. If I haven’t put the curler through it at all, it will be in a big loose braid.
What frustrates you about your hair?
How obvious it is when I haven’t washed it. I try to make it last longer than it should between washes, but you’ll know it’s a greasy mess when I come into the office in a top knot or a heavily teased pony tail.
And what do you love about it?
Its resilience to bleach and the speed at which it grows. In the last 4 years, I’ve had bobs, lobs, and waist length tresses, and heaps of different colours from ashy brown, to deep purple, to burgundy, to bright pink, to a now conservative chocolate brown. It’s currently long because I grew it out (for 8 months) to be a friend’s bridesmaid and then decided to keep the length for my own wedding.
What’s something people who don’t have your hair type might not know?
Asian hair comes in the fine variety as well. My sister has thick Asian hair and I have fine Asian hair, just a lot of it so it looks thick. When I ponytail it, the thinness of the elasticated part gives me away.
DEE
Hair Type?
My hair’s thick, curly and extremely frizzy.
What’s your hair washing routine?
I wash my hair twice a week. I use a purple shampoo to keep my blonde ends looking bright, and I’ll always leave my conditioner in for a couple of minutes in the shower to let it soak in. Once a week I’ll put in a leave-in conditioner too.
How do you style your hair?
Usually I just leave it down and allow it to dry naturally. I will straighten the edges of your hairline otherwise it just looks too crazy. I use a smoothing serum once it’s dry if the frizz is out of control.
What frustrates you about your hair?
My hair breaks a lot at the ends because I’ve bleached them blonde. They get really dry, so I need to care for them. I also cannot get my hair smooth unless I blowdry it forever, which I can’t handle.
What do you love about your hair?
I like the natural curls, and that when I do take the time it’ll generally do what I want it to do and hold the style.
What’s something people who don’t have your hair type might not know?
That I need to use a purple shampoo for the blonde ends, otherwise they go brassy. I know loads of people with balayage and highlights who don’t tone the blonde and wonder why it goes so orange!
