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.