STOP WASTING YOUR EXPENSIVE SHAMPOO!

So you finally did it- you took the plunge and bought yourself that fabulous expensive shampoo your hairstylist was raving about. In this blog I will teach you how to make the most of your bottle, preserve your color and keep your hair and scalp health in top condition while avoiding these top mistakes.

Mistake #1:
It isn't sudsing and you pour out tons of shampoo, just to get a lather.
If you go a bit between washes, or you use a significant amount of styling product, you are going to need 2 shampoos to get the job done. The first shampoo removes product and you will observe a very unimpressive suds from this one. Resist the urge to pour out more shampoo, and remember the second wash will lather nicely.
Using two smaller amount more deliberately, will allow you to more fully utilize your shampoo while getting your hair cleaner
Mistake #2:
Once you pour out a huge handful of shampoo, you just dump it on top of your hair and rub it around- then hope for the best.
It sounds like a no-brainer, but many folks put just as much shampoo at the scalp, as the ends of their hair. There are very few people who should be shampooing their ends at the same rate as their roots. The hair at the roots is being nourished by naturally occurring scalp oils, while the ends are too far away to receive that benefit usually and need light cleansing and mostly moisture. (Read conditioning tips for more on this point)
Therefore, the scalp and ends have different needs- don't treat them the same.
Mistake #3:
You missed a "spot" (most clients have this challenge)
The same way that we exfoliate our faces, feet etc, our scalp needs the same treatment to stay healthy. Actually, one could argue that the scalp should be a priority, since the hair follicles that (hopefully) produce hair are directly affected by how we exfoliate and nourish them.
 The cause I think is two-fold; we've asked the market for more gentle soaps because we now know that squeaky clean isn't good, but we haven't adjusted how we scrub our heads. As important as it is not not over cleanse our hair, we want to make sure we are also taking care of the follicles that help us actually have hair in the first place.

Ok, now that we identified the most common mistakes with shampooing, let's put it all together with a step-by-step in the shower

The shampoo you purchased will probably be thicker and will have more expensive sulfides that won't produce as much sudsing action, but will also not strip the moisture and color out of your hair. Instead of relying on powerful soaps, you must provide more mechanical action to properly cleanse with your fingertips and nails.
People with really thick hair especially have a hard time properly exfoliating their scalp.

Begin by wetting your hair and parting down center from front hairline to nape. Squeeze out 1/2 the amount of overall shampoo you will be using and emulsify shampoo between palms and fingers. 

Apply shampoo along front, middle and back to center part with fingers (avoid touching your palms to your scalp). Emulsify shampoo again between palms and fingers to redistribute to shampoo evenly on your hands. Apply wherever you feel didn't receive enough shampoo along the center part.

Now take a parting from ear to ear, making a cross section from original center parting (the cross should lie at crown area).
Squeeze out the remaining 1/2 of shampoo you would regularly use, and emulsify between palms and fingers.

Begin applying shampoo with your fingers to front right and left sections, re-emulsify and apply to back right and left sections.

After shampoo is applied evenly, scrub vigorously with fingertips and nails, taking special care at your crown and any other areas you tend to produce the most oil and scalp build-up. 

Keep shampoo at roots where it is most needed by scrubbing at the scalp and approaching from each of the quadrants. This technique will avoid premature color fading and hair dryness.

Wave Iron Tutorial

Check out the 3 part video here:

http://youtu.be/VM4NGs5tGPo

TOOLS 101

Why is it so important to arm yourself with the proper tools?

I can't emphasize enough how much extra time, effort and unnecessary wear and tear on your hair using improper tools create! 

If you have to scrimp everywhere else, proper tools should be your #1 priority.

Let's start with Brushes:

Look for Boar Bristle Pure or Boar Bristle combined with heat resistant polyamide pins.

Natural bristles are the best thing for your hair because they are the least damaging, and the most efficient at smoothing the cuticle. 

Unlike your metal brush, they conduct heat evenly, which reduces the chance of burning your locks!   (If you MUST use your metal brush, use one that is coated with ceramides to protect your cuticle layer)

My favorite brush has varying lengths in the bristles which more effectively grab the hair and direct it into the boar bristles evenly, such as the Ibiza.

However, please take special care not to tug too strongly as this can also cause damage, no matter how wonderful your brush is!

(My favorites are Ibiza for Round Brush styling, and YS Park or Mason Pearson for Flat Brush drying and gentle detangling)

Blow Dryers:

Having an efficient blowdryer saves you time.

The wattage is a general indication of each blow dryer’s power potential in temperature and air flow. Some Blowdryers however heat up to a higher level with less airflow, and others have more blowing power with less heat. I wouldn’t bother with anything under 1200 watts. Although the motor directly effects the air flow power, a better quality motor will let you get away with lower wattage.

Choose a blow dryer for your hair type by identifing your texture and density. The thicker each INDIVIDUAL STRAND (not amount of strands) the higher heat level you will need to alter what your hair does naturally. If you have thick Frizzy hair you like straight and smooth you will need a hotter blowdryer. The hottest blowdryers are generally ones that are labeled ionic. Ionic dryers generally have a low air flow and can be easier for the average person to use because it doesn’t blow the hair around as much. If you are trying to reduce volume and frizz, you will find this a nice feature. However, you must be careful to KEEP THE HEAT MOVING because you are at a higher risk of singing your hair with these.

If you have finer hair, you generally will be fluffing at the roots and trying to bend flat hair around a round brush for volume. An ionic dryer might be frustrating because it wouldn’t have the airflow for root fluffing, and the high heat would smooth and flatten your mid-lengths to ends much more than a conventional dryer.  I wouldn’t recommend this for most people. It is similar to a flat iron effect. I would suggest this in replacement to a flat iron perhaps. 

A Ceramic blowdryer is your best bet. The heat is even, and has ionic properties without being overkill on finer hair. A ceramic blowdryer means that the heating element it uses is made of ceramic, as opposed to metal heat coils which can burn, found in cheap blowdryers.

If you are unsure of what hair type you have, don't hesitate to ask!

TGR, Parlux and Elchim are three great brands with ionic and ceramic options.

HAIR AT HOME

Have at least two shampoos and conditioners in your rotation. You wouldn’t eat the same thing everyday and expect to get all you need nutrition-wise, your hair is the same. The type of cleansing and moisturizing products will vary with your wants, but a good concept to keep in mind is that of balance. For Example:

If you crave VOLUME, rotate your Volume Boosting line it with a Moisture line.

(You want volume yes, but you don’t want dry crispy ends)

For COLOR & HEAT DAMAGE, rotate a Strength Building line with a Moisture line.

(Strength is good, but without the balance of moisture, over-keratinization can cause the hair to lose its elasticity and break off)

TREAT an OILY SCALP by Rotating an Oil Reducing Treatment line with an Everyday line (Don’t ever condition the roots, and also consider if you over shampoo your hair. The body’s oil production accommodates to your shampoo schedule. Some of you might need to try shampooing less to send the message to your scalp to take a break on oil production)

TREATING DRY SCALP is a two-part process; Exfoliation and Moisturizing (FYI, Moisturization is not a freaking word).

Most Dandruff Shampoos utilize a bunch of waxes to coat the scalp to keep dead skin cells stuck, worsening the problem. You need to slough off the dead skin, then moisturize to make a difference.

Rotate between a SCALP therapy line for dandruff and an intense Hydration line. Davines has a legitimate dandruff treatment line we recommend. Some have had success using baking soda as an exfoliant. However, make sure to neutralize the scalp and hair with apple cider vinegar, and follow with a deep conditioning mask.

(Some have flaky scalp seasonally, others from a slight food allergy, or from the fragrance etc. in your current line up of hair products. Eliminating the culprit might be necessary, or maybe the flakes are worth the pleasure)

It may be time to see a doctor to investigate possible allergies.

-Treatments. If using a treatment oil or mask, steam will facilitate its penetration. Another option for a treatment oil, is to apply and tie up your hair on a day off allowing the treatment to soak in for the day.

Your stylist will be able to tell you how often you should be using each line in your rotation.

Why you Should Layer up for Summer

Don't let the title throw you off, we do lots of layering for summer.. layer on sunscreen layer on moisturizer, so what are you doing to protect your hair?

There are two things you can do-  to battle the scraggly ends summer blues:

Nourish and Protect with the Triple Threat: a Deep Cleansing Shampoo, a Deeply Hydrating Conditioning Mask and a Leave-In Solar Protectant. Here's How: Shampoo away build up with a Clarifying line (or even do a Vinegar rinse if you don't mind the aroma), towel blot and apply Mask, Leave in for at least 10 minutes. After rinsing out mask, again towel blot and apply your Leave-in Protectant.

Layer Up: Visit the salon for a Shiny Gloss Treatment Service to Seal in all your hard work. Not only can a gloss treatment seal in moisture, it can also be used to enhance your existing color and add an extra layer of protection from the dry elements.

3 Extra Tips:

For swimmers: wet hair before going in the pool, this dramatically reduces the amount of chlorine your hair absorbs

Oil: Don't be shy lathering on Sun protectant Hair Oil before playing in water or on land (Davines and Morrocan Oil make a good one). You might even designate a brush to use to press the oil deeper into the cuticle layer by means of a good brushing!

If you tie your hair up all summer, be mindful what you are tying it up with, and how gently you pull it out, no ripping please. Here's a good example of a suitable hair tie on wet and dry hair: http://www.amazon.com/Rosallini-Black-Telephone-Wire-Elastic/dp/B008X0OUIC

What is Balayage Anyway?

You may think the word Balyage is the French word for highlights, but in France you would actually ask your hairdresser "Puis-je avoir mèches?" 

The art of Balyage began in Paris in the 70's. The word originates from the meaning “to sweep” or “scan” and has a very different approach from traditional highlighting. Envision how sunlight sweeps across the hair, and imagine painting it on!

Not just reserved for blondes, this technique can be applied to all shades of hair.

Since foils are not used to separate the hair, The Parisians use cotton, and sometimes, plastic wrap. The Italians have been known to use prosciutto paper. A specialized brush may also be used to apply the lightener or color.

The Balyage technique arrived to the US in the 90’s, and has been slowly gaining fans in metropolitan areas since. Currently, many stylists offer some form of "Balyage". Many create the ombre effect with it; where the roots are left dark while the mid to ends are lightened, and don't separate the highlights at all, or even use foils. That is definitely an American adaptation.

Those who have gleaned from the original french technique, know there are ways to do a beautiful classic highlight that get as close to the roots as foil!                                                   

One of the best at this technique is Muriel Mastey at Point De Vue Salon in West Hollywood. Muriel grew up in Paris and is considered to be a master of the technique. During our years working together at Point De Vue Salon, she was so kind as to share with us her beautiful technique (Her version of Balyage that she has applied to many of her a-list celebrity clientele). 

The thing we personally love about Balyaging is the creative leeway. We can create effects ranging from              a child’s-hair-kissed-only-by-the-sun, to peek a boo panels in a geometric haircut.

Although we do utilize foils, many of our clients prefer Balyage for the soft effect that allows them to stretch out their appointments a little further.

  It’s ok, we don’t take it personally!

Link to Muriel: http://pointdevuesalon.com/83725/index.html