Down

I think it is pretty common to blow dry your hair upside down. This does give volume. But if you ever struggle with frizz or damaged looking hair, this is not the technique for you. See the outside layer of your hair is called the cuticle. When the cuticle gets roughed up and opens, your hair looks damaged. Many things contribute to this cuticle damage. When you smooth the cuticle layer flat your hair looks more shiny and healthy. By blow drying upside down you are blowing against the cuticle...resulting in potential frizz. If you hold the dryer towards the root and blow down, it will encourage the cuticle to close leading to smoother, less frizzy, more healthy looking hair.

Now blow drying this way will not actually repair damage that has been caused by coloring or perming, but it will aid in hiding that damage. This is just one tip to achieving that look...there are many, many more to come of course!

roughed up and yuck

healthy and smooth

Cool down

Hair color fade got ya down? Well here is a quick tip. One thing you can do to extend the life of your color aside from washing your hair less, is washing it in cooler water when you do. Hot water opens the cuticle of your hair. When the cuticle opens, color molecules escape causing your color to fade. So by cooling off your water a bit, and opening the cuticle less, your color will hold on longer. I am not talking freezing here, just not steaming hot like you might be used to. Shower as hot as you want, but turn it down for the wash. Also remember the importance of color safe shampoo!

Tuesday How To

So I got an email from one of you fabulous followers requesting a "how to" on a certain hairstyle. First of all thank you for the request. I loved it. So it made me think, why not do a tutorial a week on different styles and techniques? Sound good? So here is the first of many "Tuesday How To's". Allow me to make excuses for a minute as well. I have never written anything like this before and I seem to struggle in the area of teaching. But I will do my best. I am sure they will get better from here. So bare with me as I figure this out. I hope you are able to learn at least one helpful hint!

Today we will be doing this:

Whenever you see a hairstyle you like try to break it down into easier parts. It can be overwhelming as a finished product but taking it a step at a time will always help. Also, always consider that you do not have the exact same head of hair as the person you are looking at. So your version will undoubtedly vary. Last, it can be tricky to recreate the same hairstyle twice, so you might not get piece for piece the exact look, but embrace what you have and put your personal spin on it. Let's get started!

Today I have two models helping us out. Kelsey is the real life person, and Jane is the sweet head that got me through my state board exams back when I took them. They both have very different hair types and neither have the hair of the girl in the above picture. So these styles will vary a bit but should give you the foundation to achieving this look. 

You will need:

• ponytail holders
• bobby pins
• hairspray (aerosol of course)
• pomade

1. Start by pulling your hair back into low pig tails, or even three ponytails.

2. Next, take a small section and spray it to make it more workable.

3. Twist section around in any direction creating a loop, open the bobby pin then insert it in to hold twist.

4. Continue twisting and pinning until the back of your head is evenly covered. The easiest way to do this on yourself is to just check the back of your hair with a mirror after a few twists to see where you have empty space to fill then place the next loopy twist there. 

Poor Jane definitely did not quite have enough hair to pull off this style, and Kelsey's length made it end up a bit different as well, but like a said, embrace what you have and do your best! Doing your own hair can be far more challenging then on someone else. Be patient and just play around. For this style just remember to spray, twist, loop, pin and repeat. It doesn't have to be perfect. Just have fun!

And this concludes our first tutorial. Like I said, it can only go up from here right? Thanks for reading and please feel free to email me any requests or questions! Happy pinning!

Go ahead and dry it.

What does everyone want deep down? That perfect haircut. The one that falls into place on its own, always lays right, and looks fabulous with half the work. How do you get this? The biggest tip I have is LEAVE WITH DRY HAIR! Very rarely does a sprayed down leave the salon sopping special really end up being that haircut of your dreams. Why? So glad you asked.

As a very wise woman once said to me "wet hair lies". Think about it. Fresh out of the shower what does your hair look like? Can you tell how curly or straight it really is? Can you see those crazy growth patterns that haunt you every morning while styling? Is your hair the same color as when it is dry? Can you see how coarse or fine your hair is? I believe NOT!

From a stylists perspective how am i to tell if you have a perfectly blended haircut that lays just the way you want when your hair is wet? I just can't. Too many things change in hair from wet to dry. Also when hair is dry that is when you can completely texturize a cut, something that makes ALL the difference. I always do the initial cut wet, but then the majority after I dry it. I promise you will get better results. Promise.

SO please, next time you get a cut, spend a little more and add the style or go somewhere that is all inclusive. Not only do you then get to enjoy a nice wash, and someone else styling your hair for a change, you will dramatically enhance your satisfaction with the cut.

Friday FUN!

OOOOk it is FINALLY the weekend. Let's have some FUN. Ever wish you could just try on hair before you commit to actually cutting it or coloring it? Well you can! Sort of. There is is fun site that if nothing else will give you a few laughs to start your weekend out right. But if you squint and really try, I think it actually can give you a bit of a preview. It might just be enough to assure you to go through with a dramatic cut, push through the awkward grow out stage to get luscious length, or find out if blondes really do have more fun. To show you just how fun it is? I played a bit. I am being SO kind and sharing some awesome pics of myself (yes I am in my pajamas as I usually am by the time of night I write these posts).

Seriously how can you NOT laugh? 

Just slick your hair back and take a super sexy picture of yourself. Then follow the steps on the site and play around with different cuts, styles, colors, and even different makeup trends. I was laughing out loud to myself here while I messed around. It is quite entertaining. So go ahead and have some fun rocking any style you want. Click HERE for a weekend of fun. Oh and the best part? It is completely free!

Frame it.

How do you automatically make your eyes pop and your whole face look improved? It is all about the brows my friends. Filling in your brows can be challenging and time consuming. And if you haven't been doing it you may think you look funny at first. But it makes a WORLD of difference! As my makeup artist instructor once explained, your brow is the frame for your eye, and really your whole face. You will be SHOCKED at how much better all your makeup looks with a good strong brow.

So where am I going with this? This isn't JUST a campaign for everyone to go for darker, more noticeable brows. Next time you are getting your hair colored, ask your stylist to add a little to your brows (unless you are going lighter of course...bleaching the brows is NOT recommended...at least by me).  It takes no time at all, and they most likely have a touch of extra color anyways. It will totally change your face AND cut time off in the mornings so you don't have to pencil them in. Totally a win win. And remember, always tint THEN wax. Never the other way around.

I couldn't help but include Bert. Whenever I think about eyebrows he is on my mind. You might feel like you look like this the first few days after changing your brows, but I promise, you don't.

Faking it.

I hear two things from almost every client I have when we are finishing up their hair. 1. Wow my hair looks great, now do something to my face! and 2. Can you come and do my hair for me every day? Well let's address the second comment there. Why do people prefer the way I do their hair? Several reasons that I will discuss through several different posts. Today I would like to talk about round brushing.

Round brushing does a lot of things. It gives volume, shine, and straightens hair all in one motion. So why wouldn't you always do it? It takes a long time and can be very exhausting, especially to do on yourself. So here is my little trick of the day.

Blow dry your hair until it is about 80% dry any way that is easiest for you. Then pin up the top section from the crown up. Finish blow drying the whole bottom as usual. Then let that top section down and round brush ONLY THAT SMALL SECTION. That way all the volume and shine will still be in the place where everyone sees it, and you only did a fourth of the work! Sure the whole head would be ideal, but we don't all have the time, patience, and strength for that on a daily basis. So cheat a little. It will be our little secret.

Pitch the Pump

Let's talk about hairspray. It is just about the oldest hair product out there, something that most everyone has used at one point or another. So how do I feel about it? I think it is absolutely essential to have on hand. But what kind? Well I have my opinions about brands, but I feel most deeply that it should be aerosol. 

What are the advantages? Aerosol relays an even layer over your entire head rather than over attacking one little area. This makes the fact you used hairspray much less noticeable. It also allows you to ditch the crunch. The type of coverage it gives won't leave your hair feeling like a tortilla chip. And finally the last and possibly biggest perk? No nasty white flaking by the end of the day.

Why go professional?  There is a huge spectrum of sprays out there. All different types and levels of hold to choose from. This is important because you can really choose one to fit your style rather than trying to apply a one size fits all to your very unique hair. Professional product is also less likely to flake, crispify, and build up harshly on the hair. 

So choose to spray today. Choosing the correct hairspray will immensely simplify your life when it comes to styling your hair.  You will not regret switching to a nice even mist evenly covering your whole head, rather than short little pumps that can end up ruining  a perfectly good hair day. 

Enter a new dimension

Want a quick fix to blah hair color? Next time you visit your stylist ask to add a little dimension. Tossing in even a few foils of lighter (if you are a brunette) or darker (if you are blond) can dramatically change the way you feel about your color.

Still a hair color virgin? Be brave! Enhance your natural look with a little somethin! The color can still be yours, just boosted a bit. No need for a HUGE change or to go for something unnatural, just make the most of what God gave you.

Flat all over one color hair is a snooze. Sometimes brunettes feel trapped like they can't go anywhere unless they want to go blond. WRONG. Caramel anyone? Beautiful. Even a few slices of one or two shades lighter will really lighten up your face. And blondes? Let's not be an all over bleach head ok? A little dimension does the body good, I promise.

Notice the beautiful Marianne in the picture above. She technically has "brown" hair, but it is so much more than that. Though this is an older picture and her hair is different now, it is still full of dimension. Don't sell yourself short for blah one colored hair. Spice it up! Your options are limitless.

Myth Busted

SO how about the age old claim: Cutting your hair more frequently makes it grow faster. Many people say it, but have you ever thought about it? Your hair is nothing but dead cells. It does grow from a living follicle...but once it exits that? Its dead folks. So why would cutting off something that is dead make the unattached living follicle produce more hair faster? It doesn't.. Myth BUSTED.

BUT then why does it sometimes feel like it is true? Allow me to explain. When you don't trim your hair, you usually end up with split ends. When you get split ends, your hair usually starts to break off. (notice the give a mouse a cookie trend here). When your hair breaks off a lot, you feel like it is never getting longer because the ends are breaking off just as fast as new growth comes. So you may feel stuck in that one awkward length FOREVER.

So let's recap here. Cutting your hair does not actually make it grow faster, but frequent trims keep your ends nice and healthy and breakage free allowing your new growth to count. Make sense? This is why it is always wise to trim often while growing your hair out. Ponder that and have a fabulous weekend!

That is a split end under a microscope...don't let it happen to you! 

Don't choose sides.

Want an extremely SIMPLE, completely FREE way to change up your look today? Switch your part. Usually part on the right? Take it to the left. Normally a lefty? Switch it! Or be brave and try straight down the middle! This may seem really strange at first but it can totally change your look!

Many people have crazy growth patterns around their hairline which is what has persuaded them to part the way they do. If you start out with your hair sopping wet, part it, then blow dry constantly combing your hair the new way you want it to go, you can usually overcome the craziness or the hair line. If you give it a go for a few days you can train your hair to go your way. Although what I like about changing my part almost daily is that my hair no longer has a mind of its own, it goes the way I tell it to.

It is also common to have fringe cut to part in a certain way. You might be surprised after making the switch that it will cooperate either way. If it lays funny, try a cute twist or braid to hide the awkward hairs. A little pomade can go a long way in assisting the switch.

If changing it up is something you might think you might like to try, mention it to your stylist and she (or he) can do your cut and color to go any way you may feel like trying. It might seem small, but it really will aid you in achieving a new look, even just for a day. So go ahead, cross on over, or settle in the middle. It might feel awkward and out of your comfort zone at first, but branching out has always been a healthy practice!

Friends don't let friends use box color.

Let me start this with a confession: I have indeed used drug store box color on my hair. So I am not acting high and mighty here, I am just pleading with you...stop using box color! There are about a zillion reasons why professional is the way to go. Allow me to list a few.

• Before I even begin explaining why professional product is superior, can I just point out there is a reason we hair stylists go to 2000 hours of school? It is because believe it or not, there is theory behind hair color. Science even. And the better you know it, the better your results. Also, there is a method to the application process. Master your profession, and allow us to be masters at ours. Leave your head in professional hands...it is a safe place to be.
• Have you ever used box color and it went WAY darker than planned? I know I have been there. This is because usually when we color hair we use a 10 level system rather than terms like "medium blond". This helps us have much more control over our results. We know exactly how to formulate to get the precise results we are going for. For a knowledgeable colorist, there is no guess work. Only thought out formulation and application.
• Have you ever tried to go blond with a box? I am guessing it might not have turned out your favorite color. Lightening hair is quite a process. It also takes a trained brain and hand to get it right and even. It is also hard on your hair and can be quite risky to do yourself. If you aren't careful, you might just fry your hair off. Box color also does not include a toner. Often when lightening hair unwanted pigments remain like yellow or orange. If you are in a salon, we know how to counteract that with a little help from our friend the color wheel. If it is midnight and your hair is flaming orange and completely uneven? Well, that can be a stressful time.
• So let's say you are usually a box brunette but want to go blond for the summer. This is much more challenging than if you had been a professional brunette. Box color molecules penetrate deeper into the hair making it much harder to lift the color out. This means you probably won't be able to get as light as you would like in one sitting, and we will need to use a harsher lightener that can be harder on your hair. So don't be afraid, just understand you are in for more of a process. If you go to a professional they will take good care of your hair and make sure they don't over bleach.  This overly deep penetration is also responsible for color going too dark at times.
• Last but not least, professional color contains ingredients that actually soothe and enrich your hair. When someone has damaged hair, I actually recommend coloring it. It helps seal down the cuticle and adds conditioner to make hair softer and shinier, something I am sure we could all live with.

So I already know there are people out there who 1. use box color and are perfectly happy with their results and 2. have gone to a professional and it has ended terribly.  And I definitely understand box color is much more affordable. So take this for what it is worth. If you are happy as you are then great! I don't think so highly of myself that I have the right to force my opinions on you. But I have had many clients come to me to repair the damage that has been done in their own bathroom, and it is quite a process. Just stop and think before you color. And if you can, make an appointment. Go let someone else do the dirty work while you relax and leave beautified with the expected look. Also, not all stylists out there can be trusted, so ask around. There are many out there so choose wisely. Or hey, I am always happy to help. 

Back to Basics

We all want fabulous, healthy hair, yes? Well one of the most important factors in achieving this is using the correct shampoo. Before I attended hair school I used to just use whatever was on sale at the drug store. Then I used professional product for the first time. Truly converted. Professional shampoo doesn't contain the fillers that others do, upping the impact it has on your hair. There are many different brands and types, so there is definitely one that will fit you. This is especially important if you have chemically treated hair, frizzy hair, or other challenges.

Chemically treated hair needs some extra love. If you are a frequent bleacher, you need to replace that protein the lightening process removes from your hair. The easiest way to do this is through your shampoo/conditioner usage. This will strengthen your hair immensely and help return that strong shiny feeling you may have missed.  It is possible to over protenize your hair however, so you should ask your stylist which products they recommend and how often to use them.

One thing everyone who colors their hair struggles with is fading. It is such a bummer to love your hair color the week you get it done, then watch it wash away to some nasty muddy version of the once brilliant color it started as. Professional color safe shampoo is actually clinically proven to extend the life of your color. What does that mean for you? Not only longer lasting beauty, but more time in between seeing your stylist! And that my friends, saves you money.

What about fine, limp hair? Boost it up with some volumizing shampoo. Using products that give you a bit of a boost can really take limp and lifeless to pumped and alive. You will actually notice your hair shaft feels pumped up.  This makes hair more receptive to your styling and it makes you feel like you have more than you do. Kind of like a wonder bra for hair.

Fighting the frizz? A good smoothing shampoo might just become your BFF. By starting the smoothing process at the shampoo level, your whole process will be simplified. Combing it out after the shower, blow drying, and flat ironing will all be aided by the shampoo and conditioner. It won't take your hair from curly to straight, but it will help you out a bit in the battle you face every morning.

Do you spend a lot of time styling with hot tools? A basic heat protecting shampoo and conditioner is a good idea for anyone. Many of us use those super hot tools that can potentially really damage our hair. Your hair needs some armor against what we put it through. This will reduce damage, breakage, and that terrible burning smell some of you may have experiences.

So maybe you are reading this thinking I am crazy and you are totally in love with your drug store special. To that I say lucky you! If you have good enough hair that you don't struggle with hair issues who am I to tell you to make the switch! I am being serious here, I would never try to sell you on something you don't really need. And if you are happy, I am happy. Do what works. If it isn't broken, why fix it? Keep carrying on!

If you are having trouble in a certain area and think that switching the way you wash might help, I would be happy to prescribe products I think would help. The issue I hear most from people when I recommend the switch from drug store to professional is $$$$.  It can be a big price jump, and I understand as someone who lives on a tight budget, this can be hard to swallow. So let me just say a few things. As I mentioned professional products contain fewer fillers making them more potent meaning, less is more.  A fraction of what you may normally use will be adequate.  So it lasts a whole lot longer. I am always amazed at how long my bottles last. Another thing, wash your hair less! But that is another post all together. The other thing I will say is consider it an investment.  It really will make a difference in your hair, so you just need to consider how much that is worth to you. If at the end of the day you really can't afford it? I understand, and I will try to help you figure out other ways to make your hair as fabulous as you want it to be. 

Questions? Comments? Did I not address your particular hair type? Wondering what kind of shampoo and conditioner to invest in? Contact me! I am here to help. Happy washing everyone!

Welcome

Welcome to my new hair blog. On here you will find helpful tips, product bios, and trend alerts among some other things. My goal is post almost every day and address all different needs, so check back often! If you ever have something you want answered, just ask! I live for hair and I am excited to share my thoughts. I hope you find this fun and helpful! Happy Monday!