Survive Dry Hair Season!

For most of us, winter is the season we dread more than all other seasons. It is a time of suffering with dry skin and hair. This is especially "painful" for those of us with longer hair. So, how can we 'survive' the dry hair season?

You can follow my 3 steps to keep your hair healthy during the most harsh season.

1) My first suggestion is to use a smoothing shampoo and conditioner. There are a variety of different brands available at the salon. My personal favorite is Biolage's Smooth Therapie. It also wouldn't hurt to get the smoothing serum. You put the smoothing serum in when your hair is damp (I towel dry it for a few minutes first). Remember that hair doesn't absorb styling products very well when it's too wet. The serum also allows the hair to dry a little faster and keep it shiny.

(You can also use a little serum on your skin to keep it moisturized! I use it with my lotion.)

2) Another good idea is to let it air dry. Most of us know about that helpful little tip, but some of us (like me) just can't go into work with a wet head. However, we all have some lazy days, right? Let it go on the weekends! My own personal experience with this is that my hair has a much silkier feeling to it when I let it dry on its own. Also, try not to use the flat iron or curling iron so much. Your hair will like you better.

3) I know many of us use a mousse for styling since we crave volume. I don't use mousse very often in the winter as it tends to dry the hair out too much. Afterall, mousse is mostly air. I switch to a styling cream or balm. One good product that I recommend is Paul Mitchell's 'The Cream' and then I round brush it as I blow-dry. This is essential if you prefer not to let it air dry.

A Few Tips to Prevent Color Fading

One of the main concerns from my clients is how to preserve their haircolor. The reasons are obvious. There are many tips available. I wouldn't be too concerned with color fading if you get it touched up every 8 weeks and the ends "refreshed". However, it's still wise to use products that help protect haircolor. Permanent color does change your hair texture a tad.

Five Helpful ways to Preserve color:

1) Use the shampoo & conditioner designed for color treated hair. The reason this works is because these shampoos have less harsh cleansers that strip color out of the hair. My personal favorite shampoos & conditioners for color are Wella, Redken, Biolage, and Regis DesignLine.

2) When you're out in the sun -wear a sun hat! The sun will help fade your color no matter what. You can also put sunscreen in your hair...but immediately shampoo the sunscreen out when you're done being outside. It's also wise to put sunscreen where you part your hair.

3) Only shampoo every other day. You can rinse your hair with water, and use conditioner in place of shampooing. This will help color last longer.

4) Use styling products with UV protection. Paul Mitchell has many styling products (hairsprays, mousse..etc) with UV protection. Just like the skin, your hair can become damaged from the sun.

5) Even blow drying everyday can damage the hair and cause fading. You stunt the damaging process by using products -those burn off before burning your hair! Mousse is my all time favorite product for this -you put it in when it's damp (not dripping wet!) and blow dry...adds body & shine. You just can't go wrong with mousse!

Coloring & Overprocessing

I know many people like to save money (especially NOW!) so they cut corners everywhere; including with their own hair. For those who like to add color & extra shine, they dye their hair themselves. It's not so bad the first couple of times, but if you're wanting to keep it up every 8 weeks or so, it's just not wise to keep dumping that color ALL OVER your hair and letting it sit for 35+ minutes every single time. You're overprocessing the previously colored ends. It starts to get frizzy, harder to comb, and just overall *nasty*...

5 Reasons Why it's safer & better to get your roots retouched up at a salon:

1) Stylists color the roots ONLY and let those process the regular time, and the last 5-15 minutes they pull the color through the rest of the hair to *refresh* the color all over. Doing this prevents the ends from "frying" or worse - breaking off. We call that a chemical haircut...

2) Professional (salon) dyes don't contain metallic salts that stick in the hair. Once those salts are in the hair, it's quite the challenge to get them out. These salts make any future coloring difficult to achieve great results. The strongest chemical in the salon, which is bleach or lightener for highlighting, sometimes can't lift these salts out of the hair.

3) Color Corrections can be very pricey. Your odds of getting the results you want are much better when you get it professionally done. Depending on where you go, color correction services can range from $30-$300...and who knows -maybe even MORE than that..depending how badly someone has damaged their hair. Deep conditioning & Malibu (Clarifying) treatments might be necessary.

4) Salon dyes last longer and the color is more vibrant. The metallic salts I mentioned above may look good the first week..but that doesn't last long. The color fades into an unwanted color many times. When you get your roots touched up regularly at a salon, they should also have a record of previous coloring services..that way they can use the same formula you like..or they can slightly change it if you want a little more warmth or even coolness to your color.

5) You always have someone to talk to for advice on maintaining your hair and its color if you make regular salon visits. Don't be afraid to ask questions. IE: How you can keep it from fading. How to take care of it in the sun, What are the new trends...etc. You just don't have that when you're browsing an aisle full of Box Dyes with "promising" results.

Swimming turns your hair Green?

Yeah, it can. I read a little bit on this to gain more information. Apparently, it's the copper in the water that turns your hair green. It's more visible on blonde hair since there is less pigment in the hair to *hide* it. Makes more sense than chlorine, eh? Either way, we all know (I think?) that swimming in pools can turn your hair green.

Our water DOES have minerals in it -especially here in Minnesota. Simply showering everyday can deposit minerals in your hair (more noticeable in the crown area since the water from the shower head hits there first). I've noticed some color change in peoples' hair before. It turns the color to a brassy-brown/orange color. It's just interesting to know how everyday showering can create a chemical change on your head. And if you've got a lot of mineral build up in your hair and want to dye your hair, your hair just might not *take* the color evenly or at all. It can even become very resistant to perms.

How do you battle this? Well, there are treatments available at the salon -and prices depend. I used the Malibu treatment when I was still in school and it stripped those minerals right out of my hair..and even brightened up my blonde highlights! I had grown out highlights and just my natural color of roots..people thought I foiled my hair blonde -everywhere! Your color also lasts longer, and it takes evenly after this clarifying treatment. I'll say it again -those minerals can & will change your hair color -whether you've got dye in there or not.

For those who prefer to fix things themselves, you can strip these minerals out of your hair by using a clarifying shampoo about once a week (found in salons). This is a harsh cleansing shampoo and shouldn't be used every day. Be warned -this can make dyed hair fade! That's why I wouldn't use it everyday! Also note that I'd purchase a deep conditioner or reconstructor (same difference...) to put on my hair -this smoothes it down more effectively after roughing it up with clarifying shampoo.

Why go to a salon to get these products? Simple -it has the same PH as your hair. Hair is slightly acidic -so your shampoo should be too. Some of those shampoos bought outside of a salon have an imbalanced PH and can cause unnecessary stress to your hair. Curious to know what kind of stress? Answer: uneven porosity (ability to soak up moisture -hair dye is moist!), and then there's dull hair/no shine. People like shiny hair, right? I know I do :)

Hope this helps -now you can swim with peace.

Deep Conditioning

Oh yes. I think we all love a nice scalp massage. The salon is quite the refuge from everyday stresses. But it's not just the scalp massage, you're doing your hair good by giving it the injection of vitamins it needs to be, look, and feel healthy. It's easy to damage that mop -so you gotta take care of it. You want nice hair, don't ya? Me too.

If you don't care to have someone do it for you, then buy a deep conditioner from a salon -always good to ask a stylist for advice on what you need. They don't lie -remember, they use those same products as well..most of the time. I know I do. I wouldn't buy anything less than professional. Sure, it sounds elitist..but these products are amazing!

Just get deep conditioning treatment every time you get your haircut -that's all you really need -and it helps support your stylist! Keeping it up with the cuts keeps it looking healthy as well as being easier to style. True story!

And trust me -if you color your hair as well, a healthy head of hair will keep that color longer.

I know, I make myself sick talking about hair all the time. But at least I make it interesting with my own artwork! ha.

Bodiful Hair Tips

This is dedicated to the women with longer hair that has no body and come into the salon frustrated.


Sadly, you can't just wash & go and expect it to look brilliant every time. Like everything else, it takes some work (or crafty hands of a stylist)...But it doesn't have to take a whole lot of time. Using Volumizing shampoos & conditioners can dry your hair out and even make your color (if any) fade faster...and you don't get maximum results anyway, in my experience.


There are COUNTLESS ways (and products) to get the hair you want -and might cost you. I have a few simple suggestions.


1) The cheapest & easiest way? Learn to shampoo & condition correctly. This is one of the most crucial steps -believe it or not! Yes, many of us *think* we know how to do it, but unhealthy habits we learned early in life can contribute to weighing the hair down and keep it flat and lifeless. Like globbing a bunch of shampoo/cond. in your hand and then plop it on your head/crown area right away. BAD idea - you're roots are already healthy and don't need all that product on them. Over time, it collects build up that WILL weigh it down. Emulsify it in your hands and apply at the ENDS first, lather it and work your way up to the roots. Same with Conditioner -apply to ENDS first ALWAYS. Leave the conditioner in your hair for a couple minutes and then rinse.

(((During the winter months, it's very important to keep your hair hydrated. Nobody likes static. For that, I personally like Matrix's (also makes Biolage) Sleek & Shine -use the reconstructor every week as well. It comes in a bright orange bottle. Try to stay away from Volumizing if you have FINE hair - fine hair already tends to be dry, you don't need to contribute to its wonderful world of dryness.)))


2) Mousse & Round Brush. I personally prefer the Kenra 12 Mousse. It helps protect the hair and its ends from drying out so much when blow drying; Not to mention, it adds shine. After applying mousse, lift sections of the hair straight up and position the blow dryer so it faces the ends of the hair to keep the cuticle closed. You don't want frizz, just volume.


3) Permanent Wave (Perm). You may think perms are out of-fashion..but you're wrong. Get a nice body curl that will last you 3 months without using a bunch of goop and slime everyday. You can straighten it with a flat iron, or put in a roller set and get that body you crave - seen in *many* hair commercials. The perm helps hold that body all day and MORE.


4) Coloring it can help add body and shine as well. Afterall, you are chemically *enhancing* it. I wouldn't encourage anyone to go out and buy color and apply it yourself - some dyes you just can't trust as many of them deposit metallic salts in your hair that you can't get out...and any future coloring might not go as planned...it'll just cost you more in the long run. We get A LOT of corrective colors in the salon. I REPEAT: What may seem like the cheaper route, will end up costing you more in the long run.