Now that Summer is upon us, its important to take precautions with your hair. Anytime you will be in the sun for a long time you need to wear a hat or put some leave-in conditioner in your hair. This will help in keeping your color from getting brassy. Even when taking precautions, too much sun will make your hair brassy. A color glaze or toner will help cut the brassiness and give you a rich beautiful color. If you were ever interested in playing with haircolor, this would be a great time to start. Since the glaze or toners are demi permanent, they will fade out in 4 to 6 weeks, sooner if you are in the sun. So if you ever wanted a little red or copper, your commitment will be short, so you wont keep it too long. If you like it, you can keep doing it.
If your going swimming, I advice to wet your hair prior to going in. Wetting it at home or bringing water to the beach will do. I know it sounds like and inconvenience, but you hair will love you afterwards. The salt or chlorine wont absorb into the hair if it already has water in it.
If you like the summer beach look, then enjoy the texture and body. Just make sure you give some tender loving care to you hair. Hair mask, or deep treatments, will help your hair from getting too dried out.
Don't forget to apply sunscreen to your skin. I love the sun and I'm blessed to have skin that tans good, even with 30SPF on. It might take a little longer to tan, but I think its worth it.
Enjoy the great weather!
Monday, June 7, 2010
Friday, April 9, 2010
Haircolor
What is Haircolor?
Haircolor are products that use artificial pigments to change the color of your hair. The end result is a combination of your natural pigments, always warm, with the artificial pigment. Warm refers to the "red," "orange," and "gold/brassiness" you see when hair is lighten. Understanding Color Theory, and Applied Color Theory will allow you to control and predict the end result. There are a couple of things you need to understand when dealing with haircolor.
Types of haircolor There are 4 types of haircolor, temporary, semi-permanent, demi-permanent, and permanent.
When formulating haircolor for a client, we need to measure the natural hair color first. In order to predict the end result, we used the Level Scale to measure the clients natural hair color level. The Level Scale is as follow: 1-Black(artificial black) 2-Brown Black(natural black) 3 Dark Brown 4-Medium Brown 5-Light Brown 6-Very Light Brown 7-Dark Blonde 8-Medium Blonde 9-Light Blonde 10-Very Light Blonde 11 White. Many companies have there own version of this scale. Usually clients call a dark blonde and light brown. Knowing the Level Scale will allow you to be able to explain what hair color you really want.
Peroxide or Developers
These are terms used to describe the hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) that we use to mix haircolor. The mixing of these chemicals cause two process to happen. The first process removes some of the natural pigment. How much is removed depends on which developer you use. The second develops the haircolor, meaning it changes from noncolor to color, and links together to hold in the hair. With haircolor, you can only lift about 4 to 5 levels. The developers can range from 5Volume to 50Volume. Each brand has there own unique formula, so its best to used the same brand developer as your haircolor.
Single Process Double Process
Single process refers to haircolor that lift and deposits color at the same time. The more deposit, the less lift you get. The more lift, the less deposit you have. Darkers shades have more deposit and less lift, while Lighter shades have more lift and less deposit. As stated before, you can only lift about 4 to 5 levels in a single process. You can only get a golden blonde with a single process. Double process is used when you want to lift more the 4 levels. The first process uses a lightner that lifts, lightens, the hair to the desired level. Once rinsed out, a second haircolor is applied to achieve the color you want. To achieve a pale blonde of any tone, you have to do a double process. Weather you use an all over application or a highlighting technique, its still a double process.
Haircolor are products that use artificial pigments to change the color of your hair. The end result is a combination of your natural pigments, always warm, with the artificial pigment. Warm refers to the "red," "orange," and "gold/brassiness" you see when hair is lighten. Understanding Color Theory, and Applied Color Theory will allow you to control and predict the end result. There are a couple of things you need to understand when dealing with haircolor.
Types of haircolor There are 4 types of haircolor, temporary, semi-permanent, demi-permanent, and permanent.
- Temporary- Usually found in shampoos, conditioners, hair mascara, hairsprays, mouses, etc. These direct pigments are large and only sit on the surface of the hair shaft. Once hair is shampooed, it washes out. Does not lighten hair. If hair is dark, you will see the color when the light hits the hair. What you see out of the contaner is what you get.
- Semi-permanent- Longer lasting then Temporary. Direct pigments are of different sizes which allow for penetration into the cuticle layer. This give you durability of 8 shampoos. Depending on your hair's porosity and how often you shampoo, it will last longer. Some can become permanent if you hair is very porous, or damaged. The pigments stain, or get stuck in the hair fiber not allowing it to wash out. Semi-permanent haircolor is not mixed with anything, its used directly from the tube or bottle. It adds tone, vibrancy, and shine to hair. Does not lighten hair. What you see out of the container is what you get.
- Demi-permanent- Mixed with something to produce haircolor. It contains direct pigment which we see, and oxidative pigments, we see after it mixes with the developer. Sizes are different that allow for deeper penetration of the hair shaft. Depending on product used, they will lift the hair slightly. It needs to do this in order to make room for the artificial pigments. Lasts 3 to 6 weeks depending on how often you shampoo. Leave slight or no line of demarcation and hair is warmer then before. Used to Color Balance, Glazed, as a Toner, or a Sealer. Used over color treated hair.
- Permanent- Product of choice for maximum grey/white coverage. Lifts 4 to 5 1/2 levels depending on the product used. Hair color has to grow out, leaves line of demarcation. Once your have colored you hair with permanent haircolor, your hair is now color treated. You cannot use haircolor to lift the hair. What this means is that if you apply a dark brown on you natural hair, and a month later, you apply a blonde over it, you will not achieve the desired color blonde. It might make it somewhat lighter, but not the color you want it. Sometimes the color will be much lighter, in that case, the first colors wasn't that dark to begin with and the product used was stronger. In any case, the end result will not be what was expected.
When formulating haircolor for a client, we need to measure the natural hair color first. In order to predict the end result, we used the Level Scale to measure the clients natural hair color level. The Level Scale is as follow: 1-Black(artificial black) 2-Brown Black(natural black) 3 Dark Brown 4-Medium Brown 5-Light Brown 6-Very Light Brown 7-Dark Blonde 8-Medium Blonde 9-Light Blonde 10-Very Light Blonde 11 White. Many companies have there own version of this scale. Usually clients call a dark blonde and light brown. Knowing the Level Scale will allow you to be able to explain what hair color you really want.
Peroxide or Developers
These are terms used to describe the hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) that we use to mix haircolor. The mixing of these chemicals cause two process to happen. The first process removes some of the natural pigment. How much is removed depends on which developer you use. The second develops the haircolor, meaning it changes from noncolor to color, and links together to hold in the hair. With haircolor, you can only lift about 4 to 5 levels. The developers can range from 5Volume to 50Volume. Each brand has there own unique formula, so its best to used the same brand developer as your haircolor.
Single Process Double Process
Single process refers to haircolor that lift and deposits color at the same time. The more deposit, the less lift you get. The more lift, the less deposit you have. Darkers shades have more deposit and less lift, while Lighter shades have more lift and less deposit. As stated before, you can only lift about 4 to 5 levels in a single process. You can only get a golden blonde with a single process. Double process is used when you want to lift more the 4 levels. The first process uses a lightner that lifts, lightens, the hair to the desired level. Once rinsed out, a second haircolor is applied to achieve the color you want. To achieve a pale blonde of any tone, you have to do a double process. Weather you use an all over application or a highlighting technique, its still a double process.
Color Correction: Going Darker
Many people are afraid of the words, "Color Correction." I love them. Color Correction is one of the most challenging color applications to do. Its unpredictable, time consuming, and expensive, to name a few. What needs to be understood by the cosmetologist is that everything they know about haircolor is going to be put to the test. I get excited about this, the more challenging and creative the task is, the better I push myself. Its scary at first. What helps me is being able to go with the flow. For the client its more about being flexible. Flexible in that the current state of their hair will put limitations on what can be done, as well as, what can be used on their hair. My client wanted to go darker to a light brown. She didn't mind warmth, which is always a plus. As you can see in the pictures, she had about four to five months of regrowth. Last season she wanted to go blonde, so we highlighted her head. We used a slice technique and didn't leave any of her hair out. Knowing the condition of her hair, I told her it was going to take several color application. I said her hair being so light, we had to return not only the color that we lighten before, but also condition the hair properly in order for the color to hold. She picked a color from the color chart so that I would have an idea of what tones she was looking for.
Consultation finished, I went off to the color room to formulate. First I had to decide if I was going to fill then color, or to include the filler in the color formula. Because of the level of lightness, I new that I didn't have a choice. I had to fill then color. To get the most shine, richness, and depth, there is no choice. If we weren't going so dark, I would include the filler in my color formula. My rule of thumb is, "Level 6 or darker, fill then color. Level 7 or lighter, include the filler in the formula." Sometimes I will do the latter when I think its applicable. Use you judgment to decide what can be done.
I did a mask on the hair before anything else. The hair at that level always needs moisture and protein. I started with a level 8 golden copper demi permanent haircolor. Process, rinse, and towel dried. I spray the hair with a leave-in conditioner to equalize the porosity of the hair some more. The second filler was a level 6 red copper demi permanent haircolor. Process, rinse, towel dried. Fillers are always demi permanent because of hair porosity and sensitivity. Permanent haircolor will add more unneeded swelling of the cuticle. With each step, make sure you client is comfortable.
The final step, color formula. When I saw the brightness of the red, I won't lie, I was a little scared. Why? Even though she didn't mind some warmth, it didn't mean she wanted to be a redhead. She wanted something natural looking. The final formula was a level 5 golden ash with 10V. I picked the ash to make sure that brightness was toned down enough to make the haircolor look natural. I choose 10V because I didn't want any excess lift that 20V would give to her fine hair. Process, rinse, and towel dried.
You may think that this is were you will be finished, almost. This is were the clients flexibility comes to play. I dried one side of the hair and show the client the end result. Two things can happen. One, she loves it and we are done. We can cut and style the hair, and of she goes. Two, she says, "its too. . . fill in the blank." Depending on the answer, will depend on what you do next. My client love it and said "it was the color that I wanted." That made me very happy.As you can see the color is beautiful. Its shiny, rich, and has depth. When doing a color correction you must remember that its tedious and time consuming, yet I find it uplifting. Its a welcome change and challenge.
Beautiful transformation. Color correction is a process that can challenge colorist. If you understand Color Theory and Applied Color Theory, then you're able to understand what you need to do and how to do it and achieve the color you want. Following specific steps will ensure proper color deposit and keep the hair as healthy as possible. Think hair. . . Daja
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Makeover of the day
Transforming curly hair to sleek and smooth with our styling techniques.
Think hair. . . Daja
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Hair Texture Types
WHAT'S MY TYPE?
Knowing your hair texture allows you to understand you hair needs. Examples are as follow: Straight, Wavy, Curly, Frizzy, Limp, Dry, Heavy, Thin, Think, Medium, Full, Sparse, and anything in between. Once you know your hair, you will understand the advantages and limits of your hair.
Next time your in your stylist chair, ask about what they think your type is. If you're not sure about what they said, go get a second opinion. Its funny how people will spend so much money on QVC or HSN after the sales person explain the benefits of their product. Why not ask you hairdresser, the person who knows. This blog can also serve as your headquarters to understand your hair. We will talk about products, give suggestions on who should use them, and how to use them. Understand that each of us has millions of hairs on our head. In reality, we have many different hair types in our head.
Once you know what your hair type is, you can now talk about haircuts. Having the right haircut for your hair type is key in having "good hair." To me, good hair really means that you can easily style it and it does what you want it to do. When people come to me with a picture of a celebrity or model and say, "I want that cut or style," I think people confuse the whole look with just the cut and style. As professionals, we are trained to balance your features. If you don't have the same features and bone structure as the model, it won't necessarily balance your look. In this case, I would give options to the client, and let them choose one. Never except a, "you can't wear that," from your stylist. If this is said, then they don't know how to do it or they don't want too. Your stylist should always give you options to choose from. In this case, I would say, "I could give you your personal version of that cut which will balance and flatter you or do it exactly how you see it." I've done many haircuts that I didn't think would balance my clients features, but in the end, if the client is happy, then I'm happy. When dealing with people, we have our professional opinion and our personal opinion. Example: That dress looks good on you, but I don't like that dress. In the example, the dress flatters her shape or the color compliments her hair and skin, on the other hand, I personally don't like that dress. Everyone has an opinion, half will love it, half will not like it. Being true to your taste and likes, will empower you. You have to wear your hair everyday. Bad days start with bad hair. If you are confident about what you wear, it will show in every other aspect of you life.
Our goal it to give you the tools to style your hair the way YOU wear it with confidence.
Knowing your hair texture allows you to understand you hair needs. Examples are as follow: Straight, Wavy, Curly, Frizzy, Limp, Dry, Heavy, Thin, Think, Medium, Full, Sparse, and anything in between. Once you know your hair, you will understand the advantages and limits of your hair.
Next time your in your stylist chair, ask about what they think your type is. If you're not sure about what they said, go get a second opinion. Its funny how people will spend so much money on QVC or HSN after the sales person explain the benefits of their product. Why not ask you hairdresser, the person who knows. This blog can also serve as your headquarters to understand your hair. We will talk about products, give suggestions on who should use them, and how to use them. Understand that each of us has millions of hairs on our head. In reality, we have many different hair types in our head.
Once you know what your hair type is, you can now talk about haircuts. Having the right haircut for your hair type is key in having "good hair." To me, good hair really means that you can easily style it and it does what you want it to do. When people come to me with a picture of a celebrity or model and say, "I want that cut or style," I think people confuse the whole look with just the cut and style. As professionals, we are trained to balance your features. If you don't have the same features and bone structure as the model, it won't necessarily balance your look. In this case, I would give options to the client, and let them choose one. Never except a, "you can't wear that," from your stylist. If this is said, then they don't know how to do it or they don't want too. Your stylist should always give you options to choose from. In this case, I would say, "I could give you your personal version of that cut which will balance and flatter you or do it exactly how you see it." I've done many haircuts that I didn't think would balance my clients features, but in the end, if the client is happy, then I'm happy. When dealing with people, we have our professional opinion and our personal opinion. Example: That dress looks good on you, but I don't like that dress. In the example, the dress flatters her shape or the color compliments her hair and skin, on the other hand, I personally don't like that dress. Everyone has an opinion, half will love it, half will not like it. Being true to your taste and likes, will empower you. You have to wear your hair everyday. Bad days start with bad hair. If you are confident about what you wear, it will show in every other aspect of you life.
Our goal it to give you the tools to style your hair the way YOU wear it with confidence.
Friday, March 5, 2010
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