How To Truly Care For Long Hair

I’ve always been a longhaired person. At least that’s how I would define myself. As a kid I was proud of the fact that my hair was so long I could tuck it into my jeans. I loved my hair, it was my security blanket and I felt I would have died if anyone cut it. What I didn’t realize, well into my teens, was that it wasn’t just long. It was scraggly, sun bleached, old, dead, stringy, shapeless, and the bottom half was hanging on for dear life. Even the fact that my father owned a hair salon didn’t change my mind. I’m sure; knowing what I know as a cutting specialist now, the stylists there must have been dying to give me a much-needed cut. I wouldn’t even get trims for fear of loosing my precious beauty blanket atop my head. A weekly ritual in my house growing up was to sit in a chair and have my frustrated mother spray Johnson & Johnson ‘No More Tangles’ into the depth of my rat’s nest. Here she would take on the painstaking task of detangling huge knots, which accumulated from tons of split ends, locking together, and creating massive snarls.

So what are some of the causes of unhealthy long hair? Not brushing, not getting regular trims, cheap shampoo, twisting and twirling hair, over processing, too much sun, excessive use of ponytail holders, and within the last decade, the over use of flat irons!

When hair grows out of your head it ceases to be alive. It’s dead hair, but the hair closer to the scalp, the main source of nutrients, is considered virgin hair. This hair hasn’t had a chance to be damaged by the elements. There is no splitting in this region. It stays lubricated with sebum, the oil secreted from the sebaceous glands on the scalp. Its purpose is to keep the hair soft, supple and lubricated. Unfortunately, in today’s society, it’s stripped by the constant over shampooing of hair. This is usually from the fear of looking or feeling unclean. The ironic thing is that the more you shampoo your hair the more oily it becomes. Almost 90% of my clients over shampoo their hair. Shampooing everyday would be considered excessive, at least for long hair. When I suggest it is not only damaging to the hair but also making it extremely difficult to style, the excuse is always the same thing, “I have to shampoo my hair everyday because it’s so oily.” or “If I don’t, it gets too oily.”

So what are these clients to do? They are right in theory that if they don’t shampoo their hair everyday it will appear greasy, however that is only as long as they are stuck in this cycle. And that’s exactly what it is. When the scalp is shampooed everyday, you are stripping it of its essential oil. So what happens? Your sebaceous glands say ‘oh no! We need to produce more sebum/oil right away!’ The only way to break this cycle is by letting your hair re-balance itself. This means that for the first week; shampoo your hair only every other day. It may seem hard in the beginning, but I assure you your scalp will adjust. Something that can help in the beginning is using a dry shampoo. Bumble and Bumble Hair Powder is a great product that can be sprayed on the hair, soaking up any unwanted oil. The added benefit is that it doubles as a great styling product providing the hair with extra lift and light separation.

If you work out or sweat you can always just rinse your scalp with water. The whole head of hair doesn’t need to be shampooed. The oil or sweat in your hair is nothing to be afraid of. In fact it can act as one of the greatest styling and conditioning products around. We need to get out of the mindset that it’s gross not to shampoo our entire heads of hair everyday. It’s not as if we are working out in the coalmines. It wasn’t until recently that women became obsessed with shampooing their hair everyday. In old movies or even television shows as late as the 1980’s, you could hear girls say they had to stay in for the night to shampoo their hair. Look at hair in any magazine. This hair wasn’t freshly shampooed and then put in front of a camera. In many cases they ask the models not to shampoo their hair because clean hair is too difficult to work with. Products and tools are used to mimic what our hair may do if it wasn’t just shampooed. The term ‘bed head’ came from that sexy, tousled hair that looks lived in, slept on, natural, and organic. Even if your style is sleek and smooth, it will look and react much better with what is referred to as ‘second day hair.’

Here are two simple tips for keeping your long hair healthy and beautiful:

Getting regular trims every two months or so will not only help keep split ends at bay, it will keep the shape that you left the salon with. This is also a chance to check in with your stylist, aka, your professional hair doctor. They can carefully assess the condition of your hair and make some suggestions in your hair care regimen. How can getting regular trims keep your hair long? Because split ends grow higher and higher up the hair shaft, leaving the ends weak, skinny and lacking in integrity. The perimeter of your hair then looks thin and scraggly. It’s all about preventative maintenance. It’s less traumatic to have a smaller amount of hair trimmed on a more regular basis than a lot at one sitting.
Make sure you use a decent shampoo and conditioner. My favorite recommendation to clients is PureOlogy Essential Repair. I suggest you use the shampoo, conditioner, and weekly mask in that line. Many grocery store shampoos are filled with damaging sulphates and are harsh enough to be compared with dish soap.

Written by Mercedes Mancillas, Stylist at Urban Betty Salon

How To Make The Most Of Your Hair Consultation

We all strive for that amazing salon experience that puts every other salon encounter to shame, where we dance out of the salon with our hair blowing in the wind like a Pantene commercial. OK, maybe not that drastic, but we do want to walk out feeling new again and happy about the direction our hair is taking. It’s comforting to know that your stylist is on the exact same page from the color, cut, curl expression, home styling, and every other flicker that comes into your head about how you want your hair to act. Stylists should have ESP right? An extra sixth sense so that they know exactly what you mean when you heave a large sigh and say, “Please just fix this! I don’t know what to do with my hair anymore and I think I’m in a hair funk”. Don’t Worry!  There is a bright moment to this cloud, and you are the key. How do you achieve this crazy eye-level intuitiveness with your stylist about your coif? You’re going to have to be honest about your hair expectations. Tell us about the absolutely fabulous times when your hair was at it’s peak and then we want to hear about your worst times when you couldn’t stand to go outside without wearing a hat. We won’t air your hair monologue to the world, so don’t be ashamed about your hair’s history. I routinely had perms back in the mid 90’s and sported a bobbed haircut on my round cheeked face, life happens to the best of us.

So let’s take each one in stride. Everyone loves the good hair times and there’s no hiding that, and we love to talk about the times that we felt our best and everyone around us had hair envy. That might have been a tad eccentric, but you get my drift. Now is the time to tell your stylist about the good things that you like about your hair. Did you like your last haircut? What specifically did you like about your last hair cut? Do you like how it’s growing out? Do you like that random patch of curl at the nape of your neck and want to highlight it’s appearance in your next frock? Tell us these things, because they’re very important and they make up you. Tell us what you like about your color now or a previous color that you had that you really loved. Make up five things, and they can be quick statements, about the pros of your hair. If words are hard to come by, pictures are a great way of telling your story.

Now comes the harder part. What do you not like about your hair? No one’s hair is perfect and usually our hair will have a mind of it’s own. Tell us about those pesky cowlicks, tell us about that horrible time you tried to go blonde after being brunette or that time you cut your own bangs. Asymmetrical and a jagged edge is in right? Most importantly, tell us about your chemical history. Not every color line is equal and yes there is a quality difference between at home and salon quality coloring. Every person has been down the path of picking a box shade from the grocery store. You usually pick based upon the girl’s beautiful hair girl on the front of the box only to discover, hmm, yeah my hair did not turn out at all how I expected. Color is a chemical treatment, and it could react adversely with a previous color or chemical treatment, so let us know what’s going on so that we can quickly diagnose what steps are best for maintaining your hair. It can be hard to be honest about what you didn’t quite like from the previous experience, especially if it’s your regular stylist, but don’t worry. Coming to the salon is fun and it’s a friendly environment, but above all, you’re paying money for a service and we want you to be happy. Is it not as layered as you wanted it? If your hair is too light or dark for your tastes, please talk to your stylist. Once again here is a great place to show pictures you’ve found to reinforce your hair case. Don’t worry about hurting our feelings by being honest and stating any cons from your last visit. If you’re not fully satisfied during your salon visit, we need to know so that we can learn and know what not to do for future visits. Being open and straightforward will save more time on the front end than having to go back and fix something after the fact, a win-win for everyone.

So the good and the bad have been taken care of, now to talk about reasonable expectations. I would love to tell you the secret to growing your hair five inches overnight or to have ten times thicker hair by merely changing your part line. Your hair in its normal state on a normal day is what genetics has bestowed upon you. It could be smooth and sleek or it could look a tad frayed and frizzy because of your recent trip to the coast. Damaged hair is damaged hair no matter how many hair masques and treatments we apply. Believe it or not, a little trim will actually make the hair appear fuller and thicker because it has a nice blunt edge and retains color better than a split end. If your hair is breaking, having trouble curling or retaining color, don’t be alarmed if we advise a trim or cut. Color is a main expectation that could have its differences. What a stylist sees as a Level 8 neutral (medium blonde), the client could see it as an orangey blonde. Your stylist will go over these differences in color to help you to understand the process. Sometimes achieving a look can take several times, in intervals of 6 weeks.

One more thing to mention, don’t forget to talk about your hair routine. I roll out of bed, spray hair spray on my head and let my hair fall where it wants to fall. Sometimes my head will naturally rock a faux hawk and it looks great and then sometimes my hair rebels and it’s a headband day. Do you like to blow dry your hair, let it partially air dry, let it fully air dry, flat iron, velcro roller, or curl your locks with a curling iron? What type of products do you like to use at home? Letting us know how you normally style your hair will play a significant roll in planning your cut or color. With all these helpful hints in tow, you should have an amazing consultation and the best hair experience possible at your next salon appointment.

Written by Nina Gay, Hairstylist at Urban Betty Salon

From Retro to Modern, Bringing Back the Blowout and How to Do it at Home.

50’s Hair Style

In the 1950’s, women visited their salon once a week to set their hair in rollers  and have a style that would last several days.  Those services were focused on neatly rolled sections, hood dryers, time to cool and lots of shellac.  I was inspired by this genre after hearing my clients daydream about having someone at home to set their hair in the morning.  I fashion my blow-dry class to mimic those classic sets.  For now, I have only a few clients that will allow me to round brush their hair with all the volume and hairspray that my heart desires.  This is a new generation with smoothing and shine on the front-line.  Fortunately, “movement” in the hair has made a comeback and I take a lot of pride in marrying the old school techniques with trends of today. You can always benefit from my hands-on coaching, but I have a few key points that can help you at home.

Step-by-Step Guide:

•  Product Application

Product application has endless possibilities.  We all have good hair days and bad hair days that may determine which products we choose.  Use the shampoo and conditioner that best compliments your hair’s needs.  Volume, style, smoothing, and hydration, etc.  Every other product you add is contributing to the structure.  Make a plan for your style by thinking of how each product can build on to this structure.   Combinations can be layered or cocktailed. Consider the product’s use to determine where it should be applied on the section of the hair.  Conserve your products by using them strategically along the strands of hair as well.  For example, keep volumizers near the roots, polishes near the ends and styling products throughout the midstrand.  This is generally speaking, of course.  I have learned that some fine hair can use a finishing hairspray during a blow dry for a root lift.  Try blow-drying a finishing polish into that frizzy part of the hairline that won’t calm down.  Necessity is the mother of invention.  You might be surprised at how many ways you can use your average product.

•  Sectioning

The Trials and Tribulations of the Round Brush

This is the most entertaining part of the blow-dry class I teach.  It’s always the most improved subject by the end of the class too.  When it comes to sectioning, there’s a lot of slacking off that really sets you back.  Do your self a favor and get a good supply of jumbo clips and duckbill clips.  When you section, imagine drawing the line on your scalp.  Twist and tuck the whole strand of hair into the area so you can avoid tangling that hair in your brush.  Neat sections will save you time and avoid tangles and tearing of your hair in the brush.

1.  Breakdown the head into five major sections.
2. Start with the top of the head and create a section centered around the part.  This should be no wider than the brush you are using and it will be the last and most important section you do.
3. Divide the rest of the head into four major sections.  Blow-dry using subsections that are not larger than the brush you are using.
   

   The Finale of Your Own Blow-out

4. Start at the bottom and work your way towards the top and the front of the head.  When you are blow-drying the bottom section, just pay close attention to setting the ends since the rest of your hair covers the roots.

• Setting

1.  Set the hair by thoroughly cooling each section with your dryer after it is heated dry.
2. As it is cooling, set down your blow dryer (in a secure place where it won’t fall off the counter) and brush through the section several times while maintaining the shape.  By doing this, you “freeze” that shape of the brush into the section.  That what we call setting the hair.
3. Repeat this all around the head and run a cool dryer once over using your hands to separate the section lines that may still show.
4. Apply your favorite finishing products and celebrate a job well done…or another practice session survived.

I always welcome new clients for blow-dry sets and for my Round Brush Techniques Class.  You can find me at Urban Betty Salon, Monday – Friday and our front desk staff is available all week to answer questions about my services and classes.

Written by Veronica Gonzales, Stylist at Urban Betty Salon