Hello again! Let's talk about hair today. I get quite a few guests with the same challenges in my chair on a regular basis. I would like to address some of these today because I've noticed many of them are easily fixed and a result of not knowing any better. Let's get started!
1. Split Ends:
Everybody gets them no one is immune! There is no amazing repair, cure, serum, etc. that will "heal" them. The only way to combat split ends is to cut them off! Yes this means regular trims and haircuts. I know, I know you're growing it out and don't want to lose any length! Or the last time you said you wanted a healthy trim the girl took off too much. I get it, I've heard it all. Plus before getting my education and license I was a hair guest. SO here's the skinny. If you get regular trims and don't burn your hair with improper use of heat tools (which we will discuss shortly) your hair will get longer faster. How you ask? Simple! On average healthy hair and scalp grows .5 of an inch (1.25 cm) a month. So an inch every 2 months. If you get a trim every 8 weeks (trimming about a half inch or less at a time) to keep the ends clean your hair is still growing and looking healthy at the same time. Long hair with stringy, see through ends is probably not the look you're trying to achieve. Plus split ends left untrimmed continue to split and break. This means when you tell the stylist "I just want a trim to take off the dead stuff because I'm growing it out" one of two things will happen. A) The stylist does just that and cuts the 2-3 inches that NEED to come off to make your hair healthy again & you have a panic attack or B) He or She allows you to win the argument & only takes off that teeny tiny bit you are comfortable with and you leave with the problem not solved. The point being made here is beautiful hair takes time and maintenance. You have to put forth some bit of effort and trust a stylist to help you reach your hair goals. Stop being afraid of scissors they are not your enemy.
1. Split Ends:
Everybody gets them no one is immune! There is no amazing repair, cure, serum, etc. that will "heal" them. The only way to combat split ends is to cut them off! Yes this means regular trims and haircuts. I know, I know you're growing it out and don't want to lose any length! Or the last time you said you wanted a healthy trim the girl took off too much. I get it, I've heard it all. Plus before getting my education and license I was a hair guest. SO here's the skinny. If you get regular trims and don't burn your hair with improper use of heat tools (which we will discuss shortly) your hair will get longer faster. How you ask? Simple! On average healthy hair and scalp grows .5 of an inch (1.25 cm) a month. So an inch every 2 months. If you get a trim every 8 weeks (trimming about a half inch or less at a time) to keep the ends clean your hair is still growing and looking healthy at the same time. Long hair with stringy, see through ends is probably not the look you're trying to achieve. Plus split ends left untrimmed continue to split and break. This means when you tell the stylist "I just want a trim to take off the dead stuff because I'm growing it out" one of two things will happen. A) The stylist does just that and cuts the 2-3 inches that NEED to come off to make your hair healthy again & you have a panic attack or B) He or She allows you to win the argument & only takes off that teeny tiny bit you are comfortable with and you leave with the problem not solved. The point being made here is beautiful hair takes time and maintenance. You have to put forth some bit of effort and trust a stylist to help you reach your hair goals. Stop being afraid of scissors they are not your enemy.
Speaking of maintaining your hair, this brings up my next point.
2. Maintenance:
You must take care of your hair if you want it to look the best it can. This means washing AND conditioning, styling products that are meant for your hair type, controlled heat styling, proper blow drying, and regular hair cuts. Most of all don't lie to yourself or your stylist! First things first, washing, conditioning and drying. Wash in warm water or cooler. (Hot water dries out the scalp and opens the cuticle more) Use a shampoo that is for your hair type. (My favorite brand is Surface) Only shampoo every other day at the most (Obviously if you get dirty wash up) and follow with a conditioner. Yes conditioning is part of the overall cleansing process. No it does not need to match the shampoo. I love, love, love Surface hair products. (http://surfacehair.com/) They are only sold by professionals. Mind you I have used personally and professionally Redkin, Matrix, Kenra, Pureology, Paul Mitchell, and various others. They are good products but for long term use and overall actual improvement in hair and scalp Surface beat them all. Ok enough about that! (If you have interest in this line message me or check out the website) Moving on. Drying... Use a wide tooth comb to detangle wet hair. While hair is wet it is in a very weak and fragile state, so all that snapping and breaking you hear as you rip through those lovely locks with that angry brush is litereally your hair breaking. Also don't rough up your hair with that bath towel. (Especially you curly girls) While the hair is wet, the cuticle is open, and when you rub the sins out of it you are in fact making the shaft rough. Try using a 100% cotton cloth or I've used an old T-shirt and gently wrap the hair up in it like you would to make that very fashionable turbin we all sport on occasion. Apply your leave in products or stylers that go on damp and let them sit for a minute. Now it's time to dry. If you want to be curly use a nice leave in product and a diffuser on your blow dryer. Minimal touching with the hands and medium heat. Straight and sleek you need a thermal protectant and a round brush or paddle brush. Put your concentrator on the dryer and follow from root to tip down the hair shaft, behind the brush directing the heat down the hairshaft, to close the cuticle. This means straight shiny hair. If you still have some wave after this then it's time to flat iron. However if you get good with your blow out technique you should only need to flat iron to touch up. Speaking of flat irons I will post either later or tomorrow, in regards to these and a few other tools, about proper use, care, and what makes a tool good to purchase. I have already discussed hair cuts previously so I don't think we need to go back to that. The last bit is about styling products, lying to yourself or your stylist, and heat tools,but today has been a pretty long post and I have a few diapers to change and snacks to make so I will have to stop here and say TO BE CONTINUED...
See you next time where we will talk about communicating with your stylist, heat tools, and styling products.
Thanks for reading!
2. Maintenance:
You must take care of your hair if you want it to look the best it can. This means washing AND conditioning, styling products that are meant for your hair type, controlled heat styling, proper blow drying, and regular hair cuts. Most of all don't lie to yourself or your stylist! First things first, washing, conditioning and drying. Wash in warm water or cooler. (Hot water dries out the scalp and opens the cuticle more) Use a shampoo that is for your hair type. (My favorite brand is Surface) Only shampoo every other day at the most (Obviously if you get dirty wash up) and follow with a conditioner. Yes conditioning is part of the overall cleansing process. No it does not need to match the shampoo. I love, love, love Surface hair products. (http://surfacehair.com/) They are only sold by professionals. Mind you I have used personally and professionally Redkin, Matrix, Kenra, Pureology, Paul Mitchell, and various others. They are good products but for long term use and overall actual improvement in hair and scalp Surface beat them all. Ok enough about that! (If you have interest in this line message me or check out the website) Moving on. Drying... Use a wide tooth comb to detangle wet hair. While hair is wet it is in a very weak and fragile state, so all that snapping and breaking you hear as you rip through those lovely locks with that angry brush is litereally your hair breaking. Also don't rough up your hair with that bath towel. (Especially you curly girls) While the hair is wet, the cuticle is open, and when you rub the sins out of it you are in fact making the shaft rough. Try using a 100% cotton cloth or I've used an old T-shirt and gently wrap the hair up in it like you would to make that very fashionable turbin we all sport on occasion. Apply your leave in products or stylers that go on damp and let them sit for a minute. Now it's time to dry. If you want to be curly use a nice leave in product and a diffuser on your blow dryer. Minimal touching with the hands and medium heat. Straight and sleek you need a thermal protectant and a round brush or paddle brush. Put your concentrator on the dryer and follow from root to tip down the hair shaft, behind the brush directing the heat down the hairshaft, to close the cuticle. This means straight shiny hair. If you still have some wave after this then it's time to flat iron. However if you get good with your blow out technique you should only need to flat iron to touch up. Speaking of flat irons I will post either later or tomorrow, in regards to these and a few other tools, about proper use, care, and what makes a tool good to purchase. I have already discussed hair cuts previously so I don't think we need to go back to that. The last bit is about styling products, lying to yourself or your stylist, and heat tools,but today has been a pretty long post and I have a few diapers to change and snacks to make so I will have to stop here and say TO BE CONTINUED...
See you next time where we will talk about communicating with your stylist, heat tools, and styling products.
Thanks for reading!