By Rhonda Moulder, stylist and mama of 2

Sometimes my clients who are busy mamas of little girls ask me for tips about cute hair-braiding techniques they can try out on their little ones — especially when they’re sick of the same old ponytail. The good news here is that the World Wide Web is FULL of great video tutorials that can teach you everything from the most basic braid to some very intricate, amazing braided hairstyles.

If there’s a certain type of braid (French, fishtail, Dutch, etc.) that you’d like to learn how to do, you can either go to YouTube and type in that name or you can go to any of the popular hairstyle sites that specialize in teaching you how to master these techniques. I like a site called Cute Girls Hairstyles because it features a mom working her hair magic on her own daughters and it covers a wide variety of styles. She also teaches mamas a thing or two about cute ways to style your own hair. Cute Girls Hairstyles has more than a half a million subscribers on YouTube.

Here’s one of their videos that was filmed when the Mom was away, so Daddy had to fill in and fix the girls’ hair. It is hilarious! But the guy did a great job and this is a neat little trick for pulling the hair back and getting it out of your daughter’s face. In this “Daddy Do” video below, he teaches us how to do a pull-back into a square knot. Enjoy!

The holidays are a great time to try out some new hair techniques on your daughters, so watch a few videos and start practicing!

Rhonda Moulder, pictured right, is a mama to two beautiful daughters and is also a stylist in Bentonville at Studio 28 Salon. E-mail her a hair question at mamas@nwaMotherlode.com or call for an appointment at 479-270-4480. Have a happy hair day.

By Rhonda Moulder, stylist and mama of 2

Hi, mamas! Guess who went to the Ritz? I felt like a princess when I strolled into the St. Louis Ritz Carlton recently for a hair show.

The show began on a Sunday morning and it kicked off with some amazing hair color and cuts on the models. Hair shows are a great way for stylists to stay up-to-date with the latest and greatest hair in the world.

So what’s trending right now? Glad you asked:

• Shorter cuts are a big hit for fall with bright peek-a-boo color accents throughout the hair. They call it “cutting to the color instead of coloring to the cut.” Kind of confusing I know, but normally, a stylist or colorist will place hair color to accentuate the cut. But with this new method, the idea is to color the hair first and then create a cut to accentuate the color. (Here’s an example of what peek-a-boo color accents look like.)

• Fringe or bangs is also popular right now. Most of the fringe I saw at the hair show was full and thick across the forehead. Before you go chasing this trend, it’s important to know that this look will work beautifully if you have a found or oval face. If, however, your face is square or rectangle, this could be a disaster and here’s why: Remember the old “stripes across the rear” thinking? Well, just as stripes across the rear make it look broader, a straight row of fringe across the forehead creates a hard, horizontal line. If you put a horizontal line on a square, it makes that square look even wider. So for a square or rectangle face, I like to cut fringe that frames the eyes. I use a semicircle shape in order to avoid that horizontal line.

Always remember to talk to your stylist and let him or her know exactly what you want for your hair. And keep in mind that stylists are visual thinkers, by nature, so don’t forget to bring along a few photos so you can show her the look you have in mind.

Have a great hair day!

Rhonda Moulder, pictured right, is a mama to two beautiful daughters and is also a stylist in Bentonville at Studio 28 Salon. E-mail her a hair question at mamas@nwaMotherlode.com or call for an appointment at 479-270-4480. Have a happy hair day.

Dear Rhonda,

I’m sitting on the fence when it comes to whether or not it’s a good idea for me to have bangs. I need some help making up my mind. Any advice?

Dear Undecided,

I get this question a lot in the salon. Women come in and say, “I’m thinking of bangs….what do YOU think?”

There are plenty of options when it comes to bangs or “fringe” and all of those options can look good on the right face if they are styled in a flattering way. Nicole Richie and Zoey Deschanel, for example, both have bangs but wear then in different ways and they both look great.

Example of side-swept angled bangs

The first thing I look at is my client’s forehead. Is it high or low or in between? A high forehead is great for fringe because it helps disguise how far back the hairline is. A low or short hairline, however, is a different story. Bangs on a low forehead can actually cause your face to look boxy or squared off.

Example of full bangs worn across forehead

I  like to start with a few bangs angled to the side so you can wear them pushed over instead of wearing heavy bangs all the way across the forehead. This testing process lets you get used to having bangs so you can decide if you do or don’t like them. If you love the look and want more, that’s an easy fix.

If you decide you don’t want bangs after all, simply intermix the few bangs you have with the rest of your hair and only pull them down when your hair is pulled back or is in a ponytail.

Cutting bangs/fringe is definitely something you want to think about before you make the first cut. As I always say, “When it’s on the floor, it is no more! ”

Have a great hair day!

Rhonda Moulder, pictured right, is a mama to two beautiful daughters and is also a stylist in Bentonville at Studio 28 Salon. E-mail her a hair question at mamas@nwaMotherlode.com or call for an appointment at 479-270-4480. Have a happy hair day.

Note from the mamas: The Summer Remix symbol appears on posts previously published on nwaMotherlode that were noted as a “reader favorite”. If you missed the original publication date, we hope you’ll enjoy this encore performance. Happy summer!

Hi Rhonda!

I have a hair question. I have A LOT of hair, and I like to keep it thinned out. How do you feel about thinning hair out? I know some hair stylists hesitate to thin out very often.

Dear Lisa,

Well, honestly I’m on the fence about this one. It really depends on your hair type. If you have thin, fine hair, the hair really SHOULD be thinned. If however, you have course, curly hair…..client BEWARE!!

You should always make sure your stylist understands the concept of taking bulk out of your hair. There are several ways to achieve this. Using the thinning shears is great but can often take more out than you want. Again, if your hair is curly, you have to be careful because thinning too much out at the scalp will cause curly hair to stand up and actually be bigger!

The second technique to consider is “point cutting.” This basically takes out bulk but not length. It gives a cut movement and swing, and it’s a great way to personalize a cut and make it fit your style.

Talk to your stylist about thinning your hair or point cutting. If you like what you hear and feel confident, go for it. But if you are hesitant, talk a little more specifically about the look you want to achieve. Thinning is one of those tricky things, and you definitely want to be comfortable with it and KNOW that your stylist can do it correctly to get the look you want.

Thanks for the great question!

Rhonda Moulder, pictured right, is a mama to two beautiful daughters and is also a stylist in Bentonville at Studio 28 Salon. E-mail her a hair question at mamas@nwaMotherlode.com or call for an appointment at 479-270-4480. Have a happy hair day.