Just about everyone is pressed for time in the morning when so much has to be accomplished before you can head out the door. Yet, most women still want to look their best in spite of these time constraints. Following these hairdressing tips from top Edinburgh hairdresser Janet Nicol will help you achieve a put-together look without consuming too much precious time which means a lot on a typical busy morning of trying to get off to work or school on time and still look tidy and stylish.

One way to save time is to blot the hair with a towel that is highly absorbent immediately after washing to help soak up moisture quickly. Choosing the right brush for your hair type can also help the styling process go faster. Those who wish to straighten their hair should use a large, round brush, and if body and curl is desired, a small, round brush works best, for smooth, sleek hair use a paddle brush. If a heat-retaining hair brush is used when blow-drying, this will help maintain the style, and limiting one’s styling product regimen to four or less products, also saves time and produces better results.

Selecting the most suitable hair products is also important, whether curls or a straight look is desired, the products one uses should be formulated to give these results. Also, keeping the hair in good shape can definitely make it easier to style which will take up less time. This means visiting the hairstylist for regular treatments and trims as needed to ensure that the hair is healthy, and healthy hair is always less of a challenge to style than damaged hair which requires special attention.

If using a curling iron, it is best to let each curl cool for about 10 seconds before doing anything else with it as this will ensure that they last longer and will eliminate the need to have to re-curl any strands that straighten out later on in the day. Good quality styling tools can also go a long way in producing the results one wants quickly, as does proper understanding of how to use styling products, and getting the most suitable hair cut for one’s type of hair and daily styling needs.

There are certain styling short-cuts for every haircut. Those who have a bob cut can achieve a sleek, sophisticated style by first removing excess water by squeezing it out into a micro-fiber towel, next applying a leave-in conditioner to prevent fly-aways and then make a side part, combing most of the hair behind the ears and apply a gel or smoothing balm to maintain the style. With a long-layered cut, one has the option of pulling it into a bun or ponytail, or sectioning it off into clusters, then securing it with small elastics. Curly haired ladies can skip blow-dryin, and simply pay attention to their curls, of which there are many products specifically designed for.

Sometimes people wake up to find that their hair is greasy and they don’t have time to wash it, the best solution is to use a dry shampoo product. There are many of these available on the market and some are more effective than others so it is best to try several different ones and compare them in order to determine which one are best for one’s particular hair type. A bandana is another easy way to stylishly disguise oily hair. Just fold it into a triangle, centering it over the head, tuck the ends under and secure with several bobby pins.

A regular scarf also works well to keep dirty hair under wraps. Rub some texturizing spray into the hair to create an intentionally messy-chic look and then tie the scarf around the head, starting at the back, then twist it over twice at the hairline to form a knot, then twist the ends once again and pull them to the back of the head to make another knot then tie them together.

Some days hair is just impossible to tame, which is where the up-do comes in. Wetting the hair down to start with can help make it easier to style. Variations of the up-do include the classic bun, the “twist and pin” in which the hair is twisted back from the hairline and then gathered into a loose bun, and the braid which is perfect for keeping stray pieces of hair in check. All of these styles are great ways to look elegant in spite of the unruliness of one’s hair and they generally stay in place for the whole day.