With the holiday season less than three weeks away, many of us are getting ready to travel and make our appearance elsewhere. Speaking of appearance, many of us battle with “travel hair”, where despite truly valiant effort, our hair never looks as fabulous as it does when we’re at home with our own products and tools. Tired of relatives and others making comments about your own lackluster hairstyle when you come to visit? Afraid to bring all the wrong hairstyling items again? StyleBell decided to take action on this “situation” and call in an expert. Here, celebrity hairstylist Rodney Cutler gives us his exert advice on how to get fantastic hair on the road:

What are some of the mistakes women make when packing as it pertains to hair care?
People take for granted the impact the right or wrong shampoo can have on your hair: it all starts with the right hair cleanser. Transfer your full-sized shampoo and conditioner into generic 3 oz size containers. Our salon produces a great Cutler Carry-On Kit ($22) that includes travel sizes of our Daily Shampoo, Daily Conditioner, Body Wash, Body Milk, and Face Soap. Also, consider what climate you’re traveling into, i.e. more or less humidity than where you live. Different climates require different styling products. Finally, look at the events you’ll attend and plan the desired looks you want to achieve.

What are your essential do’s or don’ts when it comes to travel-proof hair?
Limit your possessions. For example, if you aren’t sure if you’re going to wear your hair curly or straight, bring one tool that does both like a flat iron that works as a straightener and a curling iron.

What are the essentials any woman should pack to make her hair look its best when she travels?
A must-have is a bungee cord to pull hair back into a bun or ponytail so you don’t disturb the texture of the hair.

Is there anything a woman can do in advance of traveling that can make doing her hair on the road any easier?
Go easy on finishing products with too much oil, like a shine spray because travel time will lead to your scalp producing oil, which creates greasy hair.  Stick with products with more of a matte finish because. Quick and easy and you’ll be ready for any holiday function with gorgeous hair!

By Kristin Booker