Ballroom hair seems to be one of those mysteries for most especially in the beginning of your competition life as a dancer – it can take a lot of practice to finally learn how to deal with your competition hair style.
The #1 problem I see most often, is not having enough hairspray. Ladies need to be using so much hairspray that they should consider adding an actual “hairspray budget” to their list of competition costs. Ideally it should take you a good 20 minutes of standing in the shower to melt out all your hair product – if that gives you an idea of just how much you need.
Doing your own hairstyle can be intimidating, but I strongly urge people to keep practicing (it will pay off eventually LOL!). You will get better. And if you can’t handle all sorts of fancy swoops and designs, a classic and *clean* simple style (for example, a low bun) can make for a super polished look. Of course, you can spice up your style with our hair accessories or headbands as well (yes that would be our shameless product plug LOL but hey, it’s our blog).
To get that insane mirror-like shine (aka Dance Helmet), this is most often simply an effect from using LOTS of hairspray. Hairspray, blowdry, hairspray, blowdry….. hairspray, blowdry…. again and again. Please be aware that most shine products will break down your hold products – I’ve both tested this and confirmed with several hair dressers. You might get away with a really quick shine mist but generally, shine products almost always weaken the hold power of your gel and hairspray. Unless your hair is loose (like a short cut) I would recommend prioritizing hold over shine.
There is a really long thread on Dance-Forums regarding how to do “competition hair”, but it’s worth the read, since many discuss different techniques, ideas, and products, and there are even pics and vids stuffed in there.
My personal folder full of awesome hair pics on Pinterest is something I also refer to for inspiration ;-).
Good luck! And the more you practice at it, the easier it will get!