Now for the exciting conclusion…can the hair be saved?

In the previous article I mentioned the term “color correction”.  The simple definition is  to remove color that has gone too dark or to replace color that has gone too light.  That’s it.  As easy as that sounds, however,  it isn’t always easily achieved or even possible.  In this case we are dealing with both scenarios (too light and too dark).

Color Correction Before

Let’s really examine what we are dealing with.  Take a look at the extremely over-lightened hair right next to her scalp.  I need to add a little color here to tone down the brightness but still maintain a natural blonde color.  Next, I will need to see if I can lighten up the red-orange color found throughout the rest of her hair.  You will notice that it is even darker in the hair closest to her face.  Lastly, the client has decided she doesn’t mind the bottom underneath section of her hair being darker.  Therefore, I need to make it a more pleasing brown color without taking it back to black.

Now that I have an outline of what needs to be done I need to see if it is possible.  So my next step will be trying a few test strands*.  In this case I did three test strands – one to see how well a color would take, and two more using bleach to see if I could get the red section and darkest section to go any more blonde without completely destroying the hair.

The results of the test strands gave me a lot of valuable information.  The strand with the color grabbed a little dark and drab so this told me I needed to go a little lighter.  The bleach strands lightened more than I thought they would and the damage was manageable.  Great!!  We can proceed.

Color Correction After

I got better-than-expected results by applying a light blonde color on all the hair closest to the scalp and a light brown color on pieces put in foils to create darker strands.  The highlights were done using a pretty strong bleach formula.  Good news…the results are better than either the client or I expected.  Bad news…there will be some breakage due to damage.

Unfortunately, the damage is unavoidable when you are trying to remove color.  The right products and special care of the hair can help manage the condition of the hair and help control breakage.

Here are some side-by-side comparisons of the before and after.

Color Correction Before

Color Correction After

Color Correction Back Before

Color Correction Back After

Color Correction Front Before

After Color Correction

*A test strand is done by taking a strand of hair (about 1/4 ” wide and 1/8″ thick) and applying a color or bleach to see if I’m going to get my desired result. The last thing you want to do is create a worse mess by using the wrong colors for the correction.

Now that the mistake has been made; what happens next?  Color correction (we will get to what that means a little later).  First and foremost we need to know what has been done…a little history.

Before Color Correction

In this case the young lady’s natural hair color is light blonde.  You can’t see any trace of her natural color since she made the mistake just two days prior to this photo.  She had been coloring around her face and underneath black for a couple of years.  The rest of the hair had been a red color for about nine months.

The mistake occurred when she decided she wanted to be her natural color again.  So, of course, she did what most anyone would think you could do; she bought a “color remover”. Simple enough…apply the remover, let it sit the recommended amount of time and the color is gone.  OH NO!! It didn’t work.

Color Correction Back Before

What next?  Bleach!  Surely that will work!  She applied a bleaching agent all over from the scalp all the way to the ends. The package said it could stay on for up to 90 minutes.  Worry started setting in at the 60 minute mark so she washed it out.  The additional 30 minutes wouldn’t have made that much of a difference anyway.  The result of all this effort is what you see in the pictures.  Quite frankly, the hair was in better shape than I would have expected.  Don’t misunderstand, however, there was a significant amount of damage.

So, this is what I started with.  Over-lightened at the scalp, dark red brown around the face and underneath and orange/yellow on the rest.

Color Correction Front Before

Now that I have the long and sordid history it is time to see if we can move forward with the goal of having a more natural looking blonde color.  There are no promises or guarantees of giving her exactly what she would like.  However, I can guarantee it will look better.

To be continued…Oops! Color Gone Wrong, Part II

At Studio 33 Salon & Spa we require a consultation prior to scheduling the actual extension service.  During the consultation we will ask a few questions to  determine if extensions are right for you, such as:

• What is your normal hair care routine? – You need to plan on spending a little more time on your hair on a daily basis.  Brushing your extensions a couple of times (morning and night) will help prevent tangling and dreadlocks from forming.   Other than that, they are treated like your own hair.
• Are you looking for volume or volume and length? For volume most clients get anywhere from 50 to 150 extensions.  Adding length requires 250 to 300 extensions.

Once we decide what you want, the next step is to match your hair color to the desired extension color.  Usually at least two hair extension colors are chosen to give a more natural blend.  We custom order extensions for each client to ensure we have exactly what you need on the day of your appointment.

Ok…now we’ve figured out what you want and it’s time to get started.

This is Lindsay and she is going for volume and as much length as she can get.  She has a nice amount of length already (this really helps with blending) and quite a bit of layering.  Therefore, we have planned to use 300 extensions.

Lindsay Before

Lindsay's Extension Hair

On the day of her appointment she just needs to show up.  No need for her to shampoo her own hair on the day of the appointment since it will be shampooed with a deep-cleansing shampoo multiple times.  This will ensure the the optimum amount of adhesion between the bond and her hair.

After a thorough cleansing it is time to part the hair off and start the extensions.  Placement is critical so that the extension cannot be seen on the surface or when the hair is pulled back.

Extensions in Progress

Lindsay's Full Application

You can see she gained a considerable amount of length.  All of the after shots below have not been cut or styled.

Lindsay Before Front View

Lindsay After Front Vew

Lindsay Before Side View

Lindsay After Side View

Lindsay After Back View

Lindsay Before Back View

A pretty dramatic difference from start to finish!!  I am currently waiting for some pictures of Lindsay’s new hair after being cut and styled.

We know….we know….it sounds too good to be true!! This is definitely an exception to the rule. So, here they are…Studio 33 Salon & Spa’s six reasons we LOVE Gelish:

1. Easy Application. Gelish is amazing because of it’s easy application that allows very little room for sloppy results. Especially in the skilled hands of a professional nail tech.
2. No waiting.  You can dig right into your purse to grab your keys or lip gloss immediately after your Gelish manicure.  No kidding!!  It’s a tough concept to grasp if you’ve been used to having to hold your hands in an unnatural position for an hour after a manicure to avoid ruining what you’ve just spent your time and money to get.
3. It really lasts!!! Gelish can truly last up to three weeks with no chipping.  However, most of our clients don’t like the look of having regrowth near the cuticle much beyond two weeks.
4. The color stays vibrant and shiny.  You no longer have to refresh your manicure with layers of top coat in between services to keep the color bright.
5. Your nails feel stronger.  Gelish has helped many clients grow their nails when they’ve never been able to before.
6. Gelish causes no damage.  If you should decide you want to take a break from Gelish, it can be removed with no damage to your natural nail.  Very different from the days of having acrylic nails removed and having to baby your natural nail back into reasonable shape.

Well…there you have it…all the reasons we really love Gelish nail polish.  If you have any questions or would like to add a comment, we welcome you to post it to this article.  Should you want to speak to someone, give us a call at our salon and we will be happy to talk to you.

Maddie Lavelle, LMT

Many people have never had a massage simply because the are unsure of the process and what they need to do to get the most from the massage experience.  The following tips should help answer many of the questions you may have about your part in the massage procedure:

First Massage? – Be sure to let your therapist know it’s your first time so they can better assist you with how they do things.  They should tell you where to put your clothes and how they want you to lay on the bed to start the massage. If they don’t, ask.

Get Undressed – All therapists are taught the art of keeping all private areas of the body covered while exposing only the part of your body that needs massaging.  Modesty will be respected at all times.  With that in mind, if you undress completely, it makes the therapist’s job easier.  However, you should undress to your level of comfort.

Communicate, Communicate, Communicate – Communication is the key to a relaxing, effective massage.  The best time for the therapist to determine your specific needs is during the consultation prior to starting your massage. This is your opportunity to let the therapist customize the massage based on the input you provide.  Some examples of communication may be:

• “I would like you to focus a little more on my neck and shoulders”
• “I really don’t like to have my feet massaged.”
• “My shins tend to be sensitive and a lot of pressure hurts.”

Your needs may be similar or very different from these examples.  Whatever your needs may be, keep in mind you are paying for the time allowed for the massage, it should be exactly how you want it.

Relax! – Absolutely do not feel the need to talk during the massage. It is your time to completely relax and unwind.   A good therapist will take the cue from you. If you don’t start a conversation then they shouldn’t either.

Wake Up – The massage therapist will let you know when they are finished and they are leaving the room.  Take a couple of minutes to regroup; gather your thoughts and redress.  Don’t rush but, at the same time, don’t dawdle as there may be another appointment scheduled after yours.

That’s basically it.  Each spa may vary slightly in their procedure.  The receptionist is usually well aware of the practices of their facility so you can always call ahead to familiarize yourself.

Let’s start with the question asked most often; can relaxed hair be colored? Yes. Two types of color can be used:

• Semi-Permanent – contains no ammonia and uses no developer.  It, essentially, stains hair on the surface.  It will blend gray hair for 6 to 8 weeks.  Sebastian Cellophanes is a great example of an excellent semi-permanent hair color.
• Demi-Permanent – contains no ammonia and does use a very mild developer to deposit the color under the surface of the hair.  Therefore, the result is more permanent and does provide gray coverage on most relaxed hair.  Our salon, Studio 33 Salon & Spa, uses Wella Color Touch.

Both semi and demi-permanent color will not lighten hair; they are both used to darken the hair, cover gray and change the overall tone of the hair.  Another great benefit is there is no need to wait, both can be done the same day of a relaxer service.

Extreme caution should be used when applying permanent color to relaxed hair.  Permanent color contains ammonia, which does not combine well with other ingredients found in relaxers, and can cause breakage throughout the hair.

During my 20+ years in the hair industry I have assisted many women in the effort to have beautiful and healthy relaxed hair.  I consider it my specialty!

David Johnson

Next article…Highlights and Relaxed Hair

Brazilian Blowout has passed every test that was done properly.  It has been proven safe for consumers and stylist by the Oregon OSHA, Federal OSHA, USC Scientist Dr. James Haw and Health Sciences Associates.

Unfortunately, this story is not nearly as interesting as a product being TOXIC, so it isn’t getting the media hype.  Check out this comprehensive, five article, blog that lays out every detail about how it all went wrong for Brazilian Blowout:

http://www.bloggernews.net/127339

The dispatch did happen to pick up on the story about Dr. Haw’s research.  Chances are you didn’t see it since it wasn’t front page news.  Follow this link to see the story:

http://markets.dispatch.com/columbusdispatch/news/read?GUID=19924623&ChannelID=3191

We at Studio 33 Salon & Spa, have continued to use this product, as directed, during the controversy.  As a matter of fact, we went above and beyond and started wearing masks during the procedure “just in case” even though the government (MSDS Material Safety Data Sheet) doesn’t say they are necessary.

Brazilian Blowout is a service we absolutely love to provide our clients.  It is revolutionary and truly changes people lives.  I know that sounds dramatic but we hear it every day.  We only hope we can finally move on and continue to help people fall in love with their hair.

Brazilian Blowout Before

Our models’ hair is very curly, frizzy and thick.  Her blowdry and flatiron would easily take 45 min.  This photo was taken after it was freshly shampooed and just prior to her treatment.  If you double-click on the picture to enlarge, pay special attention to all the frizziness within the hair.

Brazilian Blowout After

This photo was taken immediately after her treatment.  It was blown dry with a paddle brush to smooth and a little flat-ironing to smooth the edges.  Her completed look was much sleeker than it had been prior to the treatment and only took 20 minutes.  Taking 25 minutes off her style time!

Brazilian Blowout Day 10

This is day 10 after the treatment.  We shampooed the hair so you could see the comparison wet.  If you double-click on this picture, you will see an amazing difference in the frizziness compared to our very first picture.Our model chose not to shampoo her hair for three days.  One of the great benefits of the Brazilian Blowout is you are able to shampoo the next day.  We have seen no difference with how long it lasts either way.  This model normally shampoos every third day anyway.

Brazilian Blowout Week 5

At week 5 our model came in with hair that had dried naturally with no products other than the Brazilian Blowout Smoothing Serum.  Something she was never able to do before the treatment.  As you can see her hair is full of body with none of the frizz.

Brazilian Blowout Week 10

Week ten and still no sign of the frizz.  At week 12 she decided to have the treatment done again.  There still wasn’t any frizz but she felt her hair was getting too full. Visit our website to get more information. Have a question or comment?  Be sure to post it.  We would love to hear from you.