How do celebrities get super shiny hair?

[Nenwing]

I just wonder what on earth they use to get that shine that you almost need sunglasses to look at their hair. I'm betting it is some super expensive salon product.

[RancheroTheBee]

I'm going to be a cynic, and guess the following.

1) Serums.

2) Really good lighting.

3) Extensions.

4) Airbrushing/digital manipulation.

[Aer]

Alcohol based glosses, I would guess.

[LittleOrca]

Cones, wigs, and Hollywood magic. I don't mean there is a secret product we all can buy, it's all a bunch of products that are bad for your hair that add in wax or other crud so the hair looks shinier. But I tell you what, If I were under 100 lights for photo shoots and movies and all that rot, my hair would shine like the dickens as well. Just look at their hair when they are not in the studio in those candid pictures. Their hair is not perfect or gloriously shiny all the time. Thus, their hair is one of the many lies of Hollywood. :)

[Shiva]

I've asked my mom, who is a hair stylist and she says it's all smoke and mirrors.

:shrug:

[23_seconds]

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[teela1978]

The flat iron helps too. Causes ridiculous damage in the long run, but gosh did it make my hair sleek and shiny for an hour or two after use.

[ericthegreat]

As a hairstylist in training who has worked and seen what has been done on the hair of many up and coming young models, I can tell you that what celebrities subject their hair to on a everyday basis is ANYTHING BUT healthy for their hair.

They will have their hair colored, highlighted, blown out and flat-ironed and curled with a hot curling iron on a regular basis for their magazine interviews and movie premieres. Trust me, they don't wake up with perfect sexy waves and flawless makeup. These people wake up at 3AM to get their hair and makeup done by the top hairstylists and makeup artists in the world, and the top clothing designers will lend them all those expensive clothes to wear.

What your seeing on these celebrities is hair coated with coney shine serums, that has been professionally blown out straight, and then styled with a ceramic flat iron or a curling iron. Its very damaging in the long run, but for the immediate moment it makes their hair super glossy. They are shot with literally dozens of hot lights glaring down on them. If any of us were given the same kind of star treatment, our hair would look just as shiny and beautiful if not more so.

[juliaxena]

I think you can still get a pretty decent shine without all those products and devices.

[slz]

What your seeing on these celebrities is hair coated with coney shine serums, that has been professionally blown out straight, and then styled with a ceramic flat iron or a curling iron. Its very damaging in the long run, but for the immediate moment it makes their hair super glossy. They are shot with literally dozens of hot lights glaring down on them. If any of us were given the same kind of star treatment, our hair would look just as shiny and beautiful if not more so.
And on top of that you can add photoshop - a star's best friend !

[Rapunzal2Be]

I completely agree with all of the above.

It is smoke and mirrors - photoshop, the bright lights, extensions and wigs, and hair torture devices, smothered on top with a 'coney serum or two or five.

Candid pics show stars with flat hair, dry hair, even fried hair sometimes. They're people, too.

I envy photos of stars with beautiful, long, flowing, thick gorgeous, shiny hair - but then I realize that they torture their hair to get it that way, then have to torture it more just to keep it looking that way, and in the long run what will they be left with when there are no more stylists and bright lights?

*As an aside, too, I have found that my hair shines like glass just from henndigo, a good shampoo and conditioner (Nioxin) and no product or leave-in whatsoever, left to air dry.

[LittleOrca]

I think you can still get a pretty decent shine without all those products and devices.

Yup! And here is the proof!

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff176/Little_Orca/Long%20Hair%20Gallery/Long%20Hair%20Journey/IMG_7198.jpg

tee hee :o

[hmmm]

LittleOrca! I LOVE your hair! It's just perfect! You're making me even more impatient for mine to grow out now :P

I don't think celebrities have nice hair except on television. I've often seen movies that have some pretty crappy looking hair in them too, just not the very mainstream ones - in those it looks like fake hair. I know they use it in Bollywood movies, they have nylon extensions and wigs on their heads all the time. It looks really cool but really unlike hair.

[GlassEyes]

Same reason hair on here is so shiny in general--smoke and mirrors--lots of lies created by cones, wigs, and photoshop. Just most of us here are cheap and use flash. ;):p

[3azza]

LittleOrca your hair is stunning!!!

[Jeepchick99tj]

I bet on their days off they feel pretty insecure about the way they look. Imagine looking flawless most of the time and then seeing yourself first thing upon waking with bedhead and no makeup on. Oh well, that's just part of their job requirement.

[Juanita]

LittleOrca Wow what beautiful hair you have
cheers
Juanita

[Nenwing]

Aha! So it is all hair torture! I figured it had to be something like that.
Beautiful hair LittleOrca!

[marikamt]

Cones, wigs, and Hollywood magic. I don't mean there is a secret product we all can buy, it's all a bunch of products that are bad for your hair that add in wax or other crud so the hair looks shinier. But I tell you what, If I were under 100 lights for photo shoots and movies and all that rot, my hair would shine like the dickens as well. Just look at their hair when they are not in the studio in those candid pictures. Their hair is not perfect or gloriously shiny all the time. Thus, their hair is one of the many lies of Hollywood. :)


agreed.
Okay, tried to post this, says I have to lengthen to 10 characters, so I did.

[marikamt]

And on top of that you can add photoshop - a star's best friend !

haha- yeah... I love seeing those "before " photoshop and "after" photoshop.....

[GoddesJourney]

Nylon extentions don't frizz. And serums.

[Fractalsofhair]

Any silicone shine serum, professional washing with gentle shampoos(that's the only way ANY of them could have natural hair longer than mid cheek), extensions of healthy well cared for hair, and a flat iron. Even the shine serum would be enough to get decent shine for most of us.

[~GypsyCurls~]

Probably cones...what baffles me the most is that some of the celebrities who have extensions still don't even have hair that long. Shoulder length extensions? Think about how damaged their hair must be if it can't even grow that long o_O

[Katze]

And on top of that you can add photoshop - a star's best friend !

Mostly photoshop. Faces, skin, bodies, hair are all manipulated to make us feel like we are missing something because we don't look 'perfect." I worked with a graphic artist who did this for a living and he showed me how he reconstructed entire bodies.

France is apparently considering some kind of law about manipulated photos having to carry a disclaimer saying that they are not real...in the interests of trying to reduce eating disorders.

[Fractalsofhair]

Probably cones...what baffles me the most is that some of the celebrities who have extensions still don't even have hair that long. Shoulder length extensions? Think about how damaged their hair must be if it can't even grow that long o_O
Yeah, a lot of African American women, just due to relaxers, can't get their hair longer than chin length without extensions. That's probably about as damaging as a heavy bleach(Brooke Hogan ish), or flat ironing a lot with a "Keratin treatment". It's actually kinda hard for a lot of people with fine hair to get it to shoulder length with modern "teen""celebrity" practices. A flat iron does do a LOT of damage if used daily, and bleach is pretty bad. I can't get my hair longer than 3 or so inches if I use a blow drier daily in the front, and in the back I can get it to barely shoulder length.

[JuneBelle]

Hmmm....... With all that damage, do they have to wear wigs when they are old because they have lost their hair?

I couldn't say what goes into it. I'm sure you guys are right about all of this; but I've got to think that there is something they are doing to help their hair recover, too, because I don't see bald or sparsely covered heads in the candid shots, either. I've heard long-term extension wearing causes hair recession, which would then require wigs......

So, to all the stylists who know, what is the hair of people who do this to their hair long-term like? And do they do hair repairing treatments to make up for it?

[Fractalsofhair]

Well, it's pretty easy to photo shop in a little bit of hair.

Extensions, if applied and removed properly will not always cause total hair loss. More like, thinning at first, then hair loss. You don't go totally bald from them. Also, most celebs have face framing layers, so they don't have extensions on the front, where balding would be most noticeable.

Pixies go in and out every few months, which gives the scalp a chance to recover.

Hair can recover over time. If you're gentle with the washing(Ahem, have a professional wash it with gentle shampoos!), carefully dye it, and get it cut regularly, it's not always that one goes bald. Otherwise, most of my peers would be bald. If you're careful to keep the flat iron away from your scalp, you won't go bald either. Just deal with breakage. You can do a lot to hair before you go bald. The dyes and relaxer instructions all tell you to keep it away from the scalp. That's to prevent chemical burns, which could cause actual balding!

[Elbereth]

I agree with everyone else: that movie star hair is not real. In fact, quite often it's extensions or a wig. Or, at least a couple of day's Photoshop work.

After years of LHC, my hair can give a Pantene commercial a run for its money without any product in it. That's what healthy hair of my hair type looks like. Which means that in the real world, that glass-like shine is a combination of a suitable hairtype and gentle haircare regimen. If one's hair is coarse and kinky, it will never be super shiny naturally (in which case, it probably has some other very flattering qualities). On the other hand I didn't treat my hair very gently, it would be more dull. In fact, once upon a time I did find use for shine serum.

[JuneBelle]

Well, it's pretty easy to photo shop in a little bit of hair.

Extensions, if applied and removed properly will not always cause total hair loss. More like, thinning at first, then hair loss. You don't go totally bald from them. Also, most celebs have face framing layers, so they don't have extensions on the front, where balding would be most noticeable.

Pixies go in and out every few months, which gives the scalp a chance to recover.

Hair can recover over time. If you're gentle with the washing(Ahem, have a professional wash it with gentle shampoos!), carefully dye it, and get it cut regularly, it's not always that one goes bald. Otherwise, most of my peers would be bald. If you're careful to keep the flat iron away from your scalp, you won't go bald either. Just deal with breakage. You can do a lot to hair before you go bald. The dyes and relaxer instructions all tell you to keep it away from the scalp. That's to prevent chemical burns, which could cause actual balding!

So, basically, as long as you don't mind your real hair getting damaged, one can do this without terrible results in the long term since one can grow out and cut off the damaged hair. BUT you have to have a bunch of professionals to do it because the average person would likely mess up. LOL
Thanks for the info.

I agree with other people in that I think it is possible to get shiny hair without that stuff, just not quite as shiny. My hair goes through good and bad days. On the good days, it looks really shiny. :cool:

[elianne]

Yup! And here is the proof!

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff176/Little_Orca/Long%20Hair%20Gallery/Long%20Hair%20Journey/IMG_7198.jpg

tee hee :o

WOW that is some gorgeous hair you have! Such a pretty color, too!

[Fractalsofhair]

So, basically, as long as you don't mind your real hair getting damaged, one can do this without terrible results in the long term since one can grow out and cut off the damaged hair. BUT you have to have a bunch of professionals to do it because the average person would likely mess up. LOL
Thanks for the info.

I agree with other people in that I think it is possible to get shiny hair without that stuff, just not quite as shiny. My hair goes through good and bad days. On the good days, it looks really shiny. :cool:

Well if you are careful, you can do a lot to your hair and not go bald, just have a lot of breakage! Professionals are the best for these horridly damaging things since they've been trained in how to destroy hair. And quite frankly, a stylist that's paying attention to your hair and has decades of training along with being the top in their field is always going to do a better job than a person who is just playing around at home, esp when we start talking bleaches and such where there is a learning curve. You can certainly have terrible results in the long run, but it's just a lot less likely if you're being very careful. Extensions are probably the worst in the long term(Though the 3 or so month break every 9-12 months certainly does help prevent balding), and flat irons can be just as bad if not used correctly.

You can certainly make your hair super shiny without all the horrid stuff celebs use! It's called oiling and brushing(for straight haired people, curly haired people, not quite sure as I don't have curly hair!), coney serums if your hair likes them, moisturizing enough, not over bleaching and dying, and in general just being nice to your hair with a little extra when you want it to look perfect! I can make my hair look like a pantene model shiny with a teensy bit of a coney serum, lots of coconut oil, and a bit of brushing with a boar bristle brush. Now, those of us here are looking to grow our hair long, so we can easily get shiny hair compred to the average person out there since most of us are being nicer to our hair than most people are!

[JuneBelle]

Well if you are careful, you can do a lot to your hair and not go bald, just have a lot of breakage! Professionals are the best for these horridly damaging things since they've been trained in how to destroy hair. And quite frankly, a stylist that's paying attention to your hair and has decades of training along with being the top in their field is always going to do a better job than a person who is just playing around at home, esp when we start talking bleaches and such where there is a learning curve. You can certainly have terrible results in the long run, but it's just a lot less likely if you're being very careful. Extensions are probably the worst in the long term(Though the 3 or so month break every 9-12 months certainly does help prevent balding), and flat irons can be just as bad if not used correctly.

You can certainly make your hair super shiny without all the horrid stuff celebs use! It's called oiling and brushing(for straight haired people, curly haired people, not quite sure as I don't have curly hair!), coney serums if your hair likes them, moisturizing enough, not over bleaching and dying, and in general just being nice to your hair with a little extra when you want it to look perfect! I can make my hair look like a pantene model shiny with a teensy bit of a coney serum, lots of coconut oil, and a bit of brushing with a boar bristle brush. Now, those of us here are looking to grow our hair long, so we can easily get shiny hair compred to the average person out there since most of us are being nicer to our hair than most people are!

Oooooo...... I'm bookmarking this. LOL
I am nice to my hair in some ways but not others. I don't dye my hair. I don't blowdry or perm or curl or iron or whatever else. However, I do tend to occasionally sit for long periods in the sun. And all I know to do is use a better shampoo and conditioner, leaving the conditioner in for a while before rinsing. Then I let my hair air dry and only brush it after it does. So I'm looking around here for some nice hair tips.

Still, my hair has it's shiny days. So I definitely think that I am capable of doing that stuff and getting your Pantene results! :D :cool:

[Fractalsofhair]

Oooooo...... I'm bookmarking this. LOL
I am nice to my hair in some ways but not others. I don't dye my hair. I don't blowdry or perm or curl or iron or whatever else. However, I do tend to occasionally sit for long periods in the sun. And all I know to do is use a better shampoo and conditioner, leaving the conditioner in for a while before rinsing. Then I let my hair air dry and only brush it after it does. So I'm looking around here for some nice hair tips.

Still, my hair has it's shiny days. So I definitely think that I am capable of doing that stuff and getting your Pantene results! :D :cool:
Note, I have only had these amazing results with virgin hair, and cones do dry out my hair over the long run, making it look greasy and weird and frizzy, and then break!(So more of a special occasion thing for my hair) Hmmm, the sun could dry out your hair. Try a deep moisture treatment? And maybe a protein one? Or, wear a scarf on your scalp when you're in the sun? I also have short hair currently.

A little drop of coconut oil or sweet almond oil does seem to make my hair the most shiny, olive oil gives it a sheen, but not a shine. YMMV, it does depend on your hair type.

[JuneBelle]

Note, I have only had these amazing results with virgin hair, and cones do dry out my hair over the long run, making it look greasy and weird and frizzy, and then break!(So more of a special occasion thing for my hair) Hmmm, the sun could dry out your hair. Try a deep moisture treatment? And maybe a protein one? Or, wear a scarf on your scalp when you're in the sun? I also have short hair currently.

A little drop of coconut oil or sweet almond oil does seem to make my hair the most shiny, olive oil gives it a sheen, but not a shine. YMMV, it does depend on your hair type.

Thanks for the warning! Not to worry. I have virgin hair.

[Kris Dove]

A lot of celebs wear wigs or hairpieces, this website has a few photos where they're showing- http://www.entertainmentwise.com/photos/40127/1/worst-celebrity-wigs--weaves

My own hair can look really shiny with serum and straighteners, but I only use the latter on special occasions.

Toner can make hair, especially dark hair, look really shiny too.

[tja]

Like many of you already said, I think that celebrities use lots of bad things for their hair. I cannot imagine anyone washing their hair with shikakai and oiling them every 3-4 times a week with amla oil, lol!

[ladylibra]

Shine-enhancing product. Simple as that. Even when I was relaxed and (ab)using heat every day, my hair grew to APL easily. All it took was some cheap oil sheen for the fake shine.

Although my natural hair has some shine to it when curly, the blingy shine I get when I straighten is probably more from my cone-filled heat protectant. :D

[JamieLeigh]

I get super-shiny hair from a Suave Naturals tropical coconut conditioner, and honey leave-in mask. I leave it in for two hours, then rinse like it were normal CO wash. I spend maybe $2 a month on this. :)

Oh...but I'm not a celebrity.....who knows how they do it? It sure is probably super-expensive, whatever it is! ;)

[eresh]

As a hairstylist in training who has worked and seen what has been done on the hair of many up and coming young models, I can tell you that what celebrities subject their hair to on a everyday basis is ANYTHING BUT healthy for their hair.

They will have their hair colored, highlighted, blown out and flat-ironed and curled with a hot curling iron on a regular basis for their magazine interviews and movie premieres. Trust me, they don't wake up with perfect sexy waves and flawless makeup. These people wake up at 3AM to get their hair and makeup done by the top hairstylists and makeup artists in the world, and the top clothing designers will lend them all those expensive clothes to wear.

What your seeing on these celebrities is hair coated with coney shine serums, that has been professionally blown out straight, and then styled with a ceramic flat iron or a curling iron. Its very damaging in the long run, but for the immediate moment it makes their hair super glossy. They are shot with literally dozens of hot lights glaring down on them. If any of us were given the same kind of star treatment, our hair would look just as shiny and beautiful if not more so.


I completely agree!
You know, on here lots of people have shiny hair on photos in plain daylight...without using the flash.
I bet most of those models do not have that off set ;)

[pinklemonade]

I think you can still get a pretty decent shine without all those products and devices.

Yeah, look at your hair it's so shiny!!! How do you get it like that??

I also always wonder how in the world do celebs keep their hair healthy?? I mean, models and stars like Beyoncé and Shakira, they dye their hair/curl it/straighten it/must wash it more often/use all sorts of products for making their hair stay put and stiff....they practically need to do something with their hair all the time, with their kind of job/lifestyle!
I permed my hair twice, and I'm full of split ends...

[myotislucifugus]

Hey, Catherine Zeta Jones has admitted to washing her hair only once or twice a week, and swears by beer washes. It's not all bad hair hell...

[BlueWaterRed]

LittleOrca, your hair is simply amazing!

I'd like to think LHC has a couple of lurking celebrities who have the courage to tell their styling entourage to stop all the damage and go healthy ...

(Also, makes me wonder if some of LHC users' favorite product companies lurk too to find out what we love, what really works, but that's for another thread ...)

[rchorr]

Lots and lots of product!!! LOL! :silly:

RCHORR'

[RedJen]

That's very cool about Catherine Zeta-Jones. She has such gorgeous hair and it looks so well taken-care of! Now I know why!

[yellowchariot]

I just wonder what on earth they use to get that shine that you almost need sunglasses to look at their hair. I'm betting it is some super expensive salon product.

I used to think they were just born that way! LOL :o :D

[Anje]

Silicone and a flash go a LONG way.

Heck, around here, a flash gets you pretty far toward blinding shine.

[Samara]

I have often wondered this myself. I think maybe shine sprays or serums. I have wondered this about specifically Dita Von Teese's hair. While not long, it's sooo shiny!

[Demetrue]

A lot of those extensions are just clip-in for the evening or event or photoshoot - they are not actually bonded to the existing hair. New extensions can have a blinding shine because they are usually coated with silicone, which washes off after 3 or 4 shampooings.

[yellowchariot]

A lot of those extensions are just clip-in for the evening or event or photoshoot - they are not actually bonded to the existing hair. New extensions can have a blinding shine because they are usually coated with silicone, which washes off after 3 or 4 shampooings.

OR. . . All of the celebs are actually bald, and they just put on fake hair for their photo shoots and movies! :D J/K

[Ally<3]

Back when I had extensions (I know I know) they made my hair look super healthy. The hair is treated differently and harvested from people who don't mess around dying, heat styling etc.

Flat irons too, make your hair look sleek and shiny.

How ironic.

[BlueWaterRed]

Flat irons too, make your hair look sleek and shiny.

How ironic.

Ha ha, you made a good funny.:lol:

[sally_neuf]

OR. . . All of the celebs are actually bald, and they just put on fake hair for their photo shoots and movies! :D J/K

well... it isn't that crazy... or just take a look at Naomi Campbell's hair
She is just going bald!
http://celebrities.ninemsn.com.au/img/blog/blog280508_naomi2.jpg

[SurprisingWoman]

I find full on sunshine works well for me. ;)

[Rhiannon7]

I heard that some of the actresses use ice ( actual ice cubes from the freezer.) on their hair before going to special occasions like the oscars so their hair is super shiny. don't remember where i read it but it was in a magazine. i guess the extreme cold would make hair shiny. but i wonder about the damage of such extremes. i know that in cold weather ( below 40 F.) hair will snap if wet, basically freezing. so how does one go about using ice on hair to make it shiny? smooth the ice cubes on wet hair? or dry? and what about other things? like special oils. wouldn't oils make hair super shiny? this post has made me think....and keep thinking.

[coppercurls]

I'm going to be a cynic, and guess the following.

1) Serums.

2) Really good lighting.

3) Extensions.

4) Airbrushing/digital manipulation.

I agree 100%!

[brokencrystal]

Yeah, a lot of African American women, just due to relaxers, can't get their hair longer than chin length without extensions. That's probably about as damaging as a heavy bleach(Brooke Hogan ish),

Well this is my real hair in my avatar. Whenever I get it done and it isn't too poofy/frizzy from humidity to wear down I'll take another picture. It's a little bit past my shoulders.

I have gotten relaxers since I was a kid, and I'm sure you can see I have highlights (which I did myself but I used Loreal highlight styliste first, since it isn't level 40 peroxide) and then I put the red over it.

I have heard relaxer horror stories but I think it's because they were using products that were too strong for their level of hair coarseness, or it was left on too long. What I really think causes the problem is extensions. The pictures of Naomi Campbell show it all- having heavy extensions all the time damages your hair and makes it break off. If you have the kind that are sewn on, you can't comb the real hair underneath or anything.

[Shastrix]

Whilst I'm sure chemicals and hair stylist wizardry play a major role in how the hair looks, I think a lot of the general "amazingness" of celebrity hair, especially in still shots, is the result of image manipulation.

There is a brilliant website called "the Art of DeTouch (http://detouch.org/)" that allows you to fade between the original image and the "photoshopped" finished product (be warned that one or two of the galleries contain some nudity though nothing more serious than the odd boob here and there ;)). I like to dabble in Photoshop myself, but even I was shocked by what the experts can achieve!

There is a good video that exemplifies the entire process from the inital make up, through the lighting and photography, and finally the digital "touching up" on YouTube from a BBC 3 programme entitled "Dawn Gets Naked (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJ2cWv7O6N8)" (the video doesn't contain any nudity).

Below are some, not particularly exteme, examples of hair manipulation:

http://www.shastrix.com/ash/TLHC/hair1.jpg

This one above looks like it may be a brush advert, in the "conraddigital.com" gallery there is an advert for Pantene. It is worrying that they are allowed to alter pictures relating to the outcome of a product. I suppose it is a bit like the mascara adverts which always have "artificial lash inserts and digital manipulation were used in the making of this commerical". :rolleyes:

http://www.shastrix.com/ash/TLHC/hair2.jpg

Amazingly, in the next one they actually invent the hair...

http://www.shastrix.com/ash/TLHC/hair3.jpg

[Rentlle]

Guys, if you take a flash-camera, your hair is as shiny as theirs :p
and just take your camera go stand under 1000 spots and our hairs will be even shiny or even more shiny ;)

and wow, those p&#238;ctures are realy cool :D

[Amara]

Yikes! re: Naomi's hairline!