This Is How Kim Kardashian Gets That Mega-Watt Hair Shine

Because you've been wondering...

Design by Monica Park

Despite the wear and tear that comes from being an immaculately-coiffed celebrity, Kim Kardashian's strands literally shine like the top of the Chrysler Building. It's freakish—and because it's got us all we'll-have-what-she's-having, we're looking to two of her go-to hairstylists, Jen Atkin and Justine Marjan, to learn how she reaches peak luster.

1. Regular masking. Healthy hair = shiny hair, and the former is much easier to achieve when you're conditioning your tresses on the regular. "While most stars [like Kardashian] need to be made up in hair and makeup most days, they spend their off days allowing their hair to soak up a hair mask," explains Atkin. It can be laborious, but the beauty of today's market is that there are all kinds of masks: Ones you can sleep in, apply pre-shampoo, or use in the shower in place of conditioner. One of Kardashian's go to's is Carol's Daughter Monoi Hair Mask, which is rich in essential fatty acids and antioxidants that fortify damaged, chemically-treated hair.

2. Controlled heat styling. If your tool is too hot, it can singe and subsequently dull the hair. "When styling, I always use tools that won't damage the hair," says Marjan. "GHD's irons are optimized at 365 degrees, the ideal temperature that won't blow open the cuticle layer or cause color fading."

3. Sleeping on a silk pillowcase. Many fabrics, like cotton or polyester, absorb moisture and can cause friction and be abrasive to the hair. Silk will help retain your strands' natural shine. Plus, your hair won't get frizzy overnight, says Marjan.

4. Protecting and finishing the hair with oils. Certain oils—like the OUAI'ssignature blend of African galangal, ama, and borage oils—can double as heat protectants when you're using hot tools. Additionally, Marjan cocktails oils (meaning mixes them together), such as the OUAI's and Tresemme's Keratin Smooth Oil, to enhance shine.

5. Using a T-shirt to dry hair. "Post shower, instead of drying your hair with a traditional towel, gently squeeze out moisture with an old cotton t-shirt so as not to disturb the cuticle layer of the hair," advises Marjan.

6. Taking hair supplements. You can stock up on daily supplements packed with ingredients like B-complex vitamins (such as biotin, cobalamin, and niacin) to help restore shine from the inside-out. Try Atkin's OUAI Dry Hair Supplements or Marjan's go-to OLLY Undeniable Beauty Grapefruit Glam Gummies as each contribute to stronger and shinier hair.

7. Olaplex. If you dye your hair, your colorist should be using Olaplex with your lifting agent as it repairs the hair structure on a molecular level while it processes. You can also make like Kardashian and put it in your hair before you go to sleep as an overnight treatment.


Advertisement - Continue Reading Below