Ice Ice Baby

For YEARS, I have wanted to go platinum blonde.  I'm not talking single process, golden blonde, I'm not talking a full head of highlights, I'm talking WHITE.  However to do this, I know that it would involve a major chopping of my hair since I had so much buildup of other colors on my ends.

Not that I had incredibly long hair.   Ever since I cut it to my shoulders my senior year of high school, I've maintained different lengths and versions of a bob.  But I know that with this process, I might have to venture into pixie territory.  Thankfully, a pixie cut has also always been on my bucket list (not that I plan on kicking the bucket any time soon), but a round face and short body have always held me back.

My hair before the chop

I know, I know, I was not practicing what I was preaching.  Every day I tell women who sit in my chair, that there is a short haircut for everyone.  No matter what your face shape, there is a way to counter balance what you consider to be your flaws.  But something about actually following my own advice scared the sh$t out of me.

Emotionally, the past 12 months have been taxing on me for personal reasons, and I think I just finally came to the point where I wanted to chop it off as part of a cleanse.  I knew my husband had nightmares about short hair, and I jokingly used to tease him that I was going to cut it all off, and he begged me not to.  However, about a month ago, I put the feelers out there to him mentioning that I was feeling the desire to go short, and he said to do whatever made me happy.  WHAT?  Who was this alien in place of my husband?  I felt that he was probably just tired of seeing me sad about certain things, and was willing to say anything to make me happy, but I decided not to dwell on it, and run with his blessing!

When I got to the salon that I work at, all ready for my color appointment with two trusted coworkers, I knew I was in for a rough day.  My natural hair color is a medium to light brown.  I had about two inches of regrowth (roots), and the ends of my hair had layer upon layer of dark color, highlights, toners, keratin treatments, blah blah blah.  So, the only way to get to my desired icy hue was what we call in the hair industry, a double process.  This means that were bleaching my entire head- roots to ends.  Normally this has a slightly tingling effect on the scalp.  Not pleasant, but tolerable.

I've known from past experiences with bleaching clients hair that when the bleach would touch my arm, I'd get a small hive, but it would always go away in five minutes, so I wasn't worried.

As the colorist finished applying the bleach to my head, she placed a cap on top to keep the heat from my scalp enclosed, which helps with lightening.  I started to feel a tingle, but I expected that.

No turning back!

I went to the back room where staff usually goes for breaks, and I decided to wait in there while I had a snack.  30 minutes into processing, a few coworkers came into the room and told me that my face was bright red.  I went to look in the mirror, and not only were my face and chest bright red, but they also began to look incredibly swollen.  Thankfully it was already time for my hair to get washed out, so we did that quickly.  Normally after lightening the roots, they tend to look very yellow, and need a toner to neutralize the color to make it a pretty pale blonde.  However, since I was having such a reaction, we decided to let my other coworker cut my hair first to give my body a break.

hives on my arms

I took a benedryl while the stylist was cutting my hair, but I was feeling extremely light headed, nauseous, and my hearing was feeling very muffled.  I excused myself from her chair and speed walked to the bathroom, where I unfortunately threw up.  After that, I felt a bit better.  The redness in my face went away, the swelling went down, and the hives on my arms disappeared.  Sounds attractive, right?

At this point I wasn't even paying attention to her cutting my hair.  We went with a versatile pixie cut that I could wear rough and messy, or smooth and sleek.  As a group, we decided to wait to tone my hair until the next day, so I had to go home looking a little yellow, which I HATE.

Morning before toner.  Hard to tell in this picture, but I was feeling pretty Big Bird yellow.

The next morning when I came in I felt a lot better so we put an ash toner on it to cancel out the yellow.  Usually with double processes, when you tone the hair, it might look a little greyish/purplish/blueish for a couple of days because the hair is so porous that it really absorbs the toner.  And boy did my hair absorb!  My hair had a violet tint a-la Kelly Osborne, and coworkers began to lovingly call me Jack Frost.  

Luckily, in my own weird brain, I'd rather be blue for a few days, knowing that in a couple of washes it's going to be the perfect shade of platinum, than have it be egg yolk yellow.

We're twinsies

Finally after three shampoos, I was beginning to see my desired color.  As for the haircut, it felt like freedom!  I think it took a few days for my hair to come out of shock, and for friends to get used to my new look.  But day by day, I was getting more compliments on it.  Before doing this, my insecurities told me that I was going to feel like a short, fat boy.  To my surprise, I've never felt sexier!  There is something so amazing about having your neck exposed.  Not to mention having the short hair has kept me motivated to eat healthy and keep the exercise going.

I actually LOVE my hair now.  Every day I learn a new way to style it.  If you asked me the day I colored my hair if I'd ever do a double process again, I would say no way jose!  Not with what I went through!  But as the weeks pass by, I am beginning to forget the discomfort more and more.  It's like my friends say- right after they give birth, they swear it will be their only child.  But once you realize how happy you are with the outcome, you kind of forget the pain.  Not that I think an allergic reaction to bleach is as difficult as childbirth, I'm just saying that the human brain has a very selective memory when it comes to pain.  Maybe just next time I will pop the benedryl first!

The Right Shampoo For You!

The art of washing your own hair- should be simple, right?  Something we learn when we are toddlers, no?  

The truth is, there are so many different aspects of what goes into washing your hair correctly, that most people are doing it the wrong way. This is the number one reason you end up dissatisfied with the way your hair looks after styling. There are different methods you should be following based on your hair type: oily, dry, flat, thick/coarse, color treated.... Most people don’t realize that you have to cater the products on your shower shelf to your hair's specific needs.  I’ve put together a little “How-To” guide for you, to make sure you are using the best products for your hair type. This way styling can end in head-turning results. Scan through each section, but pay close attention to your own hair type!

Fine Hair:  Fine hair means that the individual strands of your hair are very thin, which ends up making it extremely difficult to achieve body when styling your hair.  A huge hair myth is that everyone should be using the strongest conditioners they can find on the shelves.  In reality, fine hair almost needs no conditioning.  Conditioner weighs the hair down and will make the hair owner look oily very quickly after washing.  

What you should be looking for, are shampoos and conditioners that say “add volume.”  These products have ingredients that help dry the hair, even rough up the cuticle a little. This helps give the hair “grab” when styling, leading to a more voluminous head of hair.  If you feel like you NEED to use conditioner, use the smallest amount possible, and only run it through the ends of your hair- steer clear of your root!  The shampoo and conditioner I like to use at work is Goldwell’s Dual Senses line for Volume.  It is a very light shampoo and conditioner, perfect for fine hair.

Some tips on styling fine hair: stay away from any products that are a cream or serum, or anything oil based.  Instead, opt for things that will help add volume, such as mousses and root lifting sprays.  Regular trims are a MUST.  Depending on the length that you like to keep your hair, visit your stylist every 4-6 weeks for a “dusting.”

Thick/Coarse Hair:  Thick hair is fine hair’s lucky sibling, and is a little easier to manage.  The main complaint that people with thick hair gripe about, is that it tends to to look a little puffy, maybe even frizzy.  Where people with fine hair usually have to wash their hair everyday, thick hair is best when washed every other day, or longer.  Your natural oils work in your hair’s favor, coating the follicles as the days pass, making it look sleeker with each passing day.  Conditioning is important and helpful for thick hair, so it is okay to use conditioner every time you wash.  Still, most people make the mistake of putting conditioner on their scalp.  You DO NOT need conditioner there.  I recommend that people apply conditioner from halfway down their hair shaft, through the ends.  If your hair is long, I tell people to apply from where your ponytail would start, down to the bottom of your hair.  Using a hair mask or deep conditioner once a week seals the deal on keeping thick hair healthy and shiny.  I like Goldwell’s Rich Repair line. The shampoo and conditioner are great for abused hair, and their 60 Second Treatment hair mask is magical.  Most hair masks you have to apply, get out of the shower, leave on for 30 minutes, then get back in the shower to rinse.  With this one, you can put it in your hair after you have shampooed, leave on for 60 seconds (hence the name), do the rest of your cleaning in the shower, then rinse.  So great!  Also, if you are not washing your hair everyday, but on that last “dirty” day you feel a bit greasy, I am a BIG fan of dry shampoo.  It comes in a spray can, and to apply correctly, hold it about 3 inches from your head, spray directly on the root where you feel oily.  Then, massage into the scalp with your fingertips, and lastly, comb through the hair to avoid powdery-looking patches.

Curly Hair:  Curly hair CAN be beautiful!  It just takes a little bit of work.  The main reason curly hair tends to almost always look frizzy, is because curly hair lacks moisture more so than straight hair.  It is constantly in need of hydration.

I have become a believer of “non-lathering” washing methods for curly hair. They are not always classified as shampoos, but are sometimes called “Cleansing Conditioners.” The theory behind using cleansers that do not lather, is that when there is a lot of lather in a shampoo, it irritates the cuticle of the hair, which creates that frizzy, damaged hair look. Not having lather when you wash takes a little getting used to. I have a lot of clients that tell me that they do not feel clean unless they feel a bubble bath’s worth of suds happening up on their head. You just have to fight the urge for the lather, but make sure you generously use the non-lathering product, and really scrub it into your scalp. It might take a little more elbow grease than usual, but it will tone your arms and clean your hair, all at once!

The two most popular non-lathering systems for curly hair are the Deva products and Wen Hair Care.  The Deva line comes in a separate shampoo and conditioner.  The shampoo is offered in “No-poo,” (which has no lather), and “Low-poo,” containing just a little bit of later, but less than your average shampoos.  

The second product is called Wen cleansing conditioner, and it is just one step, not two separate items.  You have to order this online or by telephone.  People have been really thrilled with the results, however after two weeks straight of using, you might want to use a clarifying shampoo just once, to get rid of product build up.

Some more tips on keeping curly hair hydrated: as the day progresses and your hair might be fluffing up, keep a small bottle of leave-in conditioner in your bag, and spritz a light mist all over. Then scrunch your curls for about a minute.  Also, try to never brush your hair.  Instead, comb the cleansing conditioner through your hair with a wide tooth comb while in the shower before you rinse it out.  Then, when you get out of the shower, just blot your hair with a towel, and use your fingers to separate and style.

It is always important to use a sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner on your hair. They have gentle, non-stripping properties, that are even more essential especially when you color your hair.  All of the recommended shampoos and conditioners are sulfate free.

This advice is the foundation for having fabulously healthy looking hair. No matter what your texture is, it's possible. Here's to health, happiness, and great hair!

Your Hair: a Year Before the Wedding

When my now husband proposed to me back in April 2010, we decided to set a wedding date for the following April, giving me 12 months to get my hair ready.  While some brides think that it's all about the dress, in my world, it's all about the hair!

I read a quote in a magazine from actress Michelle Williams, that said "Is there a word for someone who can't stop cutting their hair? It's a disease and I have it."  My thoughts exactly!  If you know me, then you know I can't keep my hair the same for longer than four weeks!

Working in a salon with talented coworkers at my fingertips, I often reap the benefits of getting the latest cut and color, leaving me with a shorter, textured, Meg Ryan-esque style.  However, it is a common desire of brides to have long hair on their big day, simply because of the options it opens her up to for potential styles.

With most weddings being planned within a one-two year time frame, here is a timetable guide of how to get your hair in tip-top shape for when you tie the knot:

12 months before the wedding- Time to stop experimenting.  As tempting as it is when you see celebs with the latest cute crops, remind yourself that you are on a mission to care for your hair.  If you color your hair, talk to your colorist about keeping a low-maintenance  look until your wedding.  If you have highlights, ask him or her to tone them to a more natural looking shade that's closer to your base color, so you don't see the dreaded root come in as quickly.  A toner is a semi-permanent glaze, sometimes pigmented, sometimes not.  What it does, in addition to either adding richness or deepening the color, is coat the cuticle of the hair, giving the follicle a more smooth, shiny, healthier appearance.  Toners generally begin to fade after 4 weeks, but is okay to continue to get them, as they are the least damaging color service you can get.

10 months before the wedding- Snip off those dead ends, or as much as you're willing to part with.  This will be the time where you cut off the most hair before your wedding.  After this, since you will be seriously caring for your hair, you will not need to cut much during future trims.  Start looking through bridal magazines to get a feel for what style you might be interested in.  During this appointment, make sure they give you a deep conditioning treatment, and be sure to take home a deep conditioning hair mask that you can do on your own about once a week.

6 months before the wedding- Go "Au Natural," and lay off the heating tools.  Lock away your flat iron, and use your blow dryer as little as possible.  Few people are lucky enough to have their hair air dry and look oh-so-fabulous, so experiment with different styling products to give you a hand.  Sea Salt sprays help create that natural beachy wave, however they can be drying so be sure to alternate with other products.  Utilize pinning your hair up in a messy twist with bobby pins, or wear your hair in a braid after a shower until it dries, and then take it out for soft, flowing waves.  If it it is winter and you absolutely cannot go outside with a wet head, flip your hair upside down while blow drying until your hair is 90% dry.  After it is almost all dry, flip it back upright and smooth the ends with either a paddle brush or round ceramic brush.  By drying most of the hair upside down and loosely, it helps to not damage the hair as much, and will be great for helping you achieve volume!

3 months before the wedding- make an appointment for a consultation with the stylist who will  be doing your hair on your wedding day.  If you are having a destination wedding and this is not possible, explain to him or her that you would still like to make an appointment for a trial style, this way you can take pictures to show whomever is doing your hair for the real thing.  Bring in a few pictures of styles you might like, and ask your stylist what they recommend based your faceshape, dress style, and type of wedding.  Also, get a small trim.  This will help your ends look healthy but there is still enough time to let your hair grow back for the wedding.

2 months before the wedding- If you feel your hair has not reached the length you wanted or lacks volume, pick up some clip-in extensions from your local beauty supply store that match the color your hair will be on your wedding day.  If you cannot find an exact match, do the best you can, and bring them into your salon so they can color them to match.

1 month before the wedding- relax!  Treat yourself to a deep conditioning treatment at the salon.  By now you have done everything you can do to prepare your hair to look its best for your wedding.  Make an appointment to color it about one week before the wedding.  That way you will have time if there's something you want to change, but it's close enough to the wedding day that you won't have roots.  Whether you decide to where it up and elegant, or down and flowing, just know that to the person you are meeting at the end of the aisle, you will be the most beautiful vision they have ever seen.  My advice is to not sweat the small stuff- if a hair is out of place or if a curl comes undone, just smile and no one will notice:-)

Now that I'm almost a year into marital bliss, I am back to my old ways of being a hair chameleon.  Old habits die hard!

Here's a peak of me on my wedding day- my hair was healthy and happy!

Bye Bye Ombre...Well, Almost.

"What is Ombre Hair Color?  How does one pronounce it?  You mean, you actually want me to pay to look like I have roots?"

This is how most hair color consultations went in the beginning of this trend phenomenon.  For those of you who have not picked up an US Weekly Magazine in the past year, allow me to fill you in on this craze that some might have never predicted would become popular.

"Ombre," (or as my boss like to refer to it- "Recession Hair"), means coloring ones roots a darker shade, and gradually blending the color to a lighter shade at the ends.  Some say that Gisele Bunchden was the pioneer in showcasing this hair art, but others note that it was Sarah Jessica Parker as Carrie Bradshaw, on Sex and the City, who made it "tres chic."

Over the past few years, a more extreme version of Ombre has been popular.  Think: Rachel Bilson, where the roots are almost a shade of black, and the ends lighten up to a golden blonde.

What we are seeing more of now, is a more subtle version of the trend, a little more tone-on-tone.  The color should look more like you spent the summer in the sun, and now it's the Fall so hair is growing in just slightly darker at the roots.  Placing some face-framing highlights close to the root just in the front also adds a nice modern twist to the look.

The pros of Ombre are the obvious: that it made roots socially acceptable, and visits to the salon less frequent.  The goal of the look is imperfection, which makes it easy to try at home.  It also looks better on wavy hair than straight hair, so it eliminates the torturous need to blow dry your hair.

The cons are that if your natural hair color growing in is gray, this look can actually be more maintenance for you, because when gray roots are growing in next to a dark base color, it is as if the grays are screaming, "Hello world!  I'm here!"  Also, lighter hair tends to look more damaged than dark, so your ends will always be looking a bit straggly.  Additionally, having a darker root might make your hair look more oily than it actually is, giving you more of a "dirty" appearance (but if that's what you're going for, to each their own!)  And lastly, some people might just never get it, and will think you are just lazy or too cheap to keep up with your hair color.

I myself am going to try this look on it's way out.  I feel like it's only fair to my clients and followers to try out these trends so I can speak from experience.  While I create this illusion on my clients daily, there is something that bugs me about being a Colorist with roots.  I am going to try and hold out until the Fall, although I have a friend's wedding in July, and I hope I don't cave and touch up my roots.  I am going to need some Ombre cheerleaders!

While I am almost over this hair craze....ALMOST....I say rock it out for summer.  It is the perfect look to pair along with the most carefree season of the year, and I will keep you posted for what will be hot for Fall Hair (although I know now, I have to hold your interest!).

I will try and post a picture of my hair after the July wedding, and enjoy your low-maintenance look while you can!

Hair Color Schizophrenia

I was born a warm, honey-like, golden blonde.  After spending summers with my hair up in a ponytail as a child, when I would take my hair down you would see natural, sun-kissed highlights.  They were the kind that people pay lots of money for in a salon, but can rarely obtain.

As I entered my teen years, my natural hair color darkened, to what I refer to as "mud."  Not a dark blonde, not a light brown, just plain old, dirty mud. Luckily my boyfriend at the time was good family friends with a hairdresser and she introduced me to the world of highlights, and I've never been the same since.  I loved having lighter, brighter streaks streaming throughout my hair.

But, as high school went on and I was on the cheerleading squad all four years, I began to resent the blonde, ditzy stereotype I was living up to.  I was green with envy over my friends' dark, lucious, Kardashian-esque locks.  To me, dark hair was equated with mystery, sex appeal, exotic ancestry....all of which I was the polar opposite.

Finally upon graduating from high school I took the plunge and chopped my hair into a cute, college-appropriate 'do, and went over to the dark side, making my hair a rich mocha shade.  Boy, did I feel sophisticated!  When I settled into Boston University, I felt interesting, smarter, and like people were going to take me seriously.  Needless to say, my family hated it.  To them I would forever be their blonde little angel, taken over by this strange, dark, serious college coed imposter.

For the rest of college I went back and forth from blonde to brown, but when graduation rolled around, I really wanted to feel like "me," so I stuck with the blonde.

A few years later when my father passed away I kept my hair a neutral, unnoticable brown shade.  I don't think I realized it at the time, but I think my hair color was expressing how I felt for that period of my life.  Not only did I feel dark on the inside, I looked it on the outside.  And it's sad but true- I did get less attention as a brunette, which was what I wanted in that moment.

From then on I played with different browns and reds, always fighting my roots as a blonde.  Last year marked five years since my father passed away, and only then did I start to feel the clouds lift and began to sense my old, happy self creeping back.

I am getting married this April, and the question amongst all my friends has been, "What color will your hair be for your wedding?"  Until today, I wasn't sure.  I will always mourn the loss of my father, but I want to look like the person he knew me as.  I want to look like the person my friends grew up with and learned to love.  I want to look like my mom's little angel.  But most importantly I want to look like my true, original self, so I can walk down the aisle and see my husband-to-be, and know that he is marrying the real, unedited me, (plus a few false eye lashes).

Your hair color doesn't determine who you are, but it does affect how you feel about yourself.  Blonde does not mean better, but for me, it was just going back to who I am.  The old stereotypes will never go away- the sexy brunette, the fiery redhead, and the bubbly blonde....Just pick what feels right for you, and your personality will do the rest!

Welcome

Welcome to the Follicle Forum!  This a meant to be a helpful, no-fear zone, about all things beauty!  I hope to help you all understand the the Art of Hair and Makeup a little better, and realize the wonderful cyclic connection between inner and outer beauty.

Growing up in a well-to-do suburb of New York City, I secretly always wanted to do hair.  Yet in a town where if you didn't get into the top university as part of their Pre-Law/Pre-Med program, you were looked at as an utter failure.  So to vocalize the desire to enter the Hair Industry?  Fuhggettaboutit!

I knew I always loved to write, so I decided to study Journalism at college, all the while experimenting on the heads of my forgiving friends, as well as my own!  I would pick the brain of every hairstylist I met, and would constantly visit the websites of cosmetology schools in the area.

After I graduated from college I moved to Manhattan and gave the traditional job route a fair shot, and was miserable.  I knew what I wanted to do, but had been afraid to do it up until this point.  During my first semester in grad school, I went to visit an AVEDA-based cosmetology school, signed up that day, and dropped out of grad school.  I am not encouraging dropping out of school, but for me, I knew my path....that is, until the first week of school.

Before this, I had THOUGHT that I was amazing at hair.  But from the moment they showed me the proper way to do a blowout, it was like writing with my left hand for the first time (I'm a righty).

You get out of cosmetology school what you put into it, and I am living proof that you can start out really struggling with something, and become more than skilled at it.  If something doesn't come naturally to me, I feel like I have to work at it until I conquer it, and that's what I did!

I started this blog for many reasons.  I have received an overwhelming response from friends and clients before they come to me, confessing that they are frustrated with their hair, and don't know what to do about it.  They go into a salon wanting one thing, and walk out with something completely opposite, pondering over what went wrong.  Clients are some of the most loyal people ever, and I have heard people say to me that each time they go to their stylist, they are unhappy with the result, yet they keep going back to them!  I am here to help you learn how to verbalize what it is you are looking for, because hair is a language all its own, and stylists and clients speak very different dialects! It is like someone from Mars speaking with someone from Venus (but that's a whole other book)!

I hope my passion for this topic will be contagiously passed on to you, my readers.  Here's to good health, happiness, and of course....Hair!