Cocktail for thick, coarse hair

You've heard it before, " I'd kill to have hair like yours." If they only knew what you have to go thru in the morning to make your hair behave. Hair that seems to grow out of control when you blow dry, fighting uncooperative curls that have a mind of there own and a constant halo of fine frizz that just won't go away.
Here is a hair cocktail that will save you time and assist you in the battle against the frizz.
4-8 pumps of Kenra's Smoothing Creme
1-2 pumps of Kenra's Silkening Gloss
Mix in the palms of your hands and apply to towel dried hair. Style as usual.
Problem solved.

Hair and pregnancy

   This is a question that comes up frequently in the salon. During pregnancy you are likely to experience many changes in your hair because of the hormonal changes taking place in your body. Since these changes effect everyone differently there is no way of predicting what you might experience so, I will attempt to adress the changes I have seen in my 26 years of doing hair.
   Some of you may notice your hair becomes dry, brittle and more prone to breakage. Although there is nothing you can do to stop this, try to remember that this is a temporary condition and your hair will return to its normal state, usually within three to six months after your delivery. The use of good moisturizing shampoos and condititioners such as REDKEN'S Extreme line of haircare products will help to alleviate some of these symptoms. Products such as Extreme Cat, Deep fuel and Anti-Snap will increase your hairs strength, minimizing breakage during this time.
   Many of you will notice that your hair and nails will grow like crazy and become healthy, thick and shiny. Much of this has to do with your raging hormonal levels but some of it has to do with the added nutrients that your prenatal vitamins are providing. Relax and enjoy these amazing benefits while you can as unfortunatly it is a temporary condition. After your delivery and nursing period, your hair will return to its normal state wich means that you will probably experience some hair loss. Don't panick, this is normal,too.
   Since we are known for our coloring services, it is only fitting that we address the the question of haircoloring and pregnancy. While there is no conclusive evidence  that coloring your hair during pregnancy will cause you or your baby any harm, we recommend that you check with your healthcare provider for the answer. Most Doctors will agree that it is alright to have the service performed after the first trimester but there are some that don't think that it is safe will advise you not to have coloring services performed until after your nursing period has ended. Always check with your healthcare provider and follow their advice, they know what is best for you.

Why does red hair color fade so fast?

   This is a question that comes up frequently in the Salon. I hope that this explanation will shed some light on the subject. All artificial color fades over time, reds fade more quickly than the rest of the color palette particularly if you are having it applied in the U.S.
   The main reason that reds fade so quickly is that many years ago the FDA determined that the red dye stock molecule we used in our industry caused cancer in laboratory rats when you gave it to them in ridiculously excessive amounts. My thoughts on the subject were that rats already have a rough life, why would they want to make them live in a cage and deliberatly cause them to get cancer?

   Back to the subject, the dye stock that they replaced had a smaller molecular size than the one that they replaced it with, wich allowed it to penetrate deeper into the cuticle layer of the hair shaft giving it a better chance of staying in the hair for a longer period of time. The one that we are currently allowed to use, with it's larger molecular size, sits in the outer layer of the cuticle where it washes out of the hair more quickly.

   Another thing to consider is that the very bold, intense colors that are popular with some of our younger guests are only designed to stay in the hair for eight to ten shapooings. So, if you are looking for a more permanent color they are not a good option for you to choose.

   Here are some tips to help you keep your color longer. Sun and heat are an artificial redheads worst enemy. Keeping your hair covered during the sun and fun of summer is not always practical but it will slow down the rate at wich your color fades. Chlorinated water sources such as pools and hot tubs are hard on color treated hair, particularly hot tubs where the problem is compounded by heat. Rinse your hair thoroughly after chlorine exposure or cleanse with a clarifying shampoo and condition, condition,condition. Check your water temperature when showering or bathing. To some, a scalding hot showers feels good in the morning but it will make your hair color fade faster. The same goes for heat styling your hair. Blow dryers, flat irons and curling irons generate a lot of heat. Everytime you heat up the hair the, cuticle layer opens up resulting in a loss of pigment. Try to keep thermal styling to a minimum and you will keep your color longer.
    Talk to your stylist about  having a clear glaze applied after your color treatment. This will protect the hair and slow down fadage.Your best defense is to keep your hair in it's optimum condition by using  professional haircare products. There are many great products on the market that are designed specifically for color treated hair. Listen to your stylist when they recommend products for you to use at home. They know wich products will best fit the individual needs of your hair and wich ones will compliment the coloring products that they use. We use and recommend products by Kenra and Redken. My personal favorite is Kenra's Platinum. Their sulphate-free shampoos combined with their botanically enriched conditioners will keep your color fadage to a minimum. Redken's Color Protect is also a good choice.
   The bottom line is, you will never be able to keep your hair color from fading but it is my hope that by taking this advice it will slow the process down so that you can enjoy your color for a longer period of time.

Salon Only Products

   I was finishing up a color application yesterday when I overheard a conversation that Tom was having with one of his guests. I thought it would make an interesting subject for the blog."Is it alright to buy professional hair care products outside of the salon?"

   This is one of the battles that we  hairstylists fight on a regular basis. It is true that you can occasionally find "Salon Only Products" being sold in the personal care aisles of many grocery stores, pharmacies and big box outlets all across the nation. The professional  companies try their best to prevent the sale of their products from occurring outside of the salon but with so many outlets all over the place it is difficult for them to police the problem of product diversion.

   The problem started years ago when the small, independent distributors were forced out of business by the larger companies that dominate our industry today. The manufacturers wouldn't take the products back so in order to get rid of them they sold them to "jobbers" at pennies on the dollar  to recover some of their losses. These people sold the products for a good profit to companies that were happy to put them on their shelves.That is why you find them among the shampoos, conditioners and such, in places that they shouldn't be but, "Buyer Beware"!!!

   Many of the products are old, well past their expiration date. There are companies that manufacture counterfeit products and sell them to an unsuspecting public who gobble them up, thinking that they are getting a deal. Incidently, when we have found these products on the shelves,  they are generally marked up 20 to 25% higher than what we sell them for in the salon. Add to this the fact that these stores aren't staffed by hair care professionals that can tell you wich products are best suited for your hair and suddenly the great deal that you thought you were getting isn't such a bargain,afterall.

  So the next time you run out of shampoo,conditioner or styling products, stop by your local salon where  highly trained  professionals can help you select what is best for your hair.