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    1. Beauty
    2. Hair

    Hair dusting: What it is and everything you need to know about it

    Yes, it’s a thing, and you NEED to know about it

    Jenny Proudfoot's avatar
    By Jenny Proudfoot
    Published 20 January 2017 In Features

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    Yes, it’s a thing, and you NEED to know about it

    Introducing one of the buzziest beauty trends: hair dusting. The hair maintenance technique has actually been around for decades, but thanks to LA hair stylist, Sal Salcedo, it has had a resurgence, becoming a viral trend in the space of a week. Now, people across the globe are turning to the craze as an alternative to actually getting a haircut.

    Basically, get prepared to see a lot of hair dusting video tutorials from your favourite beauty bloggers.

    Here’s everything you need to know about the viral hair trend.

    What is hair dusting?

    Hair dusting is a way of refreshing your locks and getting rid of your split ends whilst retaining your hair length – perfect for anyone trying to grow their hair out.

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    Sal Salcedo, the LA hairstylist responsible for the trend’s resurgence, explained the concept: ‘Hair dusting is a technique in which you don’t get rid of any hair length, but only the damaged hair tips. This can be done by snipping the very bottom of each hair strand.’ He went on to compare the technique to ‘removing fuzz from clothes’, only trimming the damaged hair and saving inches of your hair that you would usually lose in a standard cut.

    How to dust your hair?

    You can ask for a hair dusting at salons but you can also dust your hair yourself.

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    Get yourself some sharp scissors (these are crucial as you’ll need to do sharp clean cuts) and divide your hair into portions so that you can dust your hair one section at a time. Smooth your hair out and twist each row between your index and middle fingers, this will allow the damaged ends to pop up and expose the hair you need to dust. When you see a split end or a knot, trim less than a ¼ inch from the end of the strand, just enough to remove the damaged ends. Then continue to do this to your whole head of hair.

    The internet is flooded with how-to videos so use one as a guide if you’re unsure.

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    What are the pros of hair dusting?

    There are quite a few pros to giving your hair a dust – it’s cheaper than an actual cut for a start – but its main benefit is the fact that you can give your hair a post-cut health boost without losing any length, allowing you to grow your hair as quickly as possible while maintaining its health. Find the perfect hair oil to help nourish hair here.

    What are the cons of hair dusting?

    There’s only one big drawback to hair dusting and that is timing. The technique may be effective, but it’s also pretty time-consuming and can’t be rushed, so only start dusting your hair if you’ve got the whole afternoon free.

    Is hair dusting a new phenomenon?

    No, the concept of hair dusting isn’t anything new – in fact it has been around for decades. But with a new name and some hashtags, it has suddenly become an LA-based viral trend.

    Jenny Proudfoot
    Jenny Proudfoot
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    Contributing Features Editor

    Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. After working at Marie Claire UK for seven years - rising from intern to Features Editor - she is now a freelance contributor to the News and Features section.

    In 2021, Jenny was named as a winner on the PPA's '30 under 30' list, and was also listed as a rising star in journalism.

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