Hair Treatments

Published January 10, 2023

If you’ve been keeping up with the trends, you’d know that pastel colors are currently popular with men and women alike. It supposedly allows them to make a fashion statement since it’s not your typical hair color. Pastel colors are also excellent options if the client wants a softer look.

The issue with these colors is they can be harder to make work than regular colors. If you choose a suitable color, the results will be fantastic. Otherwise, the client may regret going to your salon.

Granted, the choice ultimately depends on your client, but you can at least prevent them from choosing an incompatible pastel color by providing recommendations. The best hair color generally depends on the person’s skin tone. So, to start with, let’s talk about skin tones.

What are the main types of skin tones?

Skin tone refers to the color of the surface of a person’s skin.

There are generally four classifications of skin tone. Different experts use different terms for each classification, but they have roughly the same connotation. These classifications include:

1. light/fair,
2. medium,
3. olive/tan, and
4. dark/deep.

They mean exactly as their names suggest. Those with a light or fair skin tone generally have white skin. Medium-skinned individuals are a bit darker, and so on. It’s usually fairly easy to determine one’s skin tone, but there will be times when you’ll find it particularly difficult.

How to determine a person’s skin tone

Each classification of skin tone can be classified further into different complexions. There are people with very light skin, but there are also those whose skin is barely light enough not to be medium-skinned. If your customer is one such person, here are tips to determine their skin tone:

• Consult your coworkers. It’s always better to have a second or more opinion.
• Look at the client from different angles. The color may appear differently according to the angle, so you must avoid looking at the client’s skin from only one angle.
• Focus on the jawline. A person’s skin generally doesn’t have a uniformly-colored skin. Some parts will be darker, and some parts lighter. The jawline, however, is less affected by these skin changes, meaning it’s the most accurate representation of one’s skin tone.

Best pastel hair colors for different skin tones

Once you’ve made your observation, all that’s left is to recommend a pastel hair color that fits their skin tone. It’s really only a matter of choosing from a predetermined list of hair colors.

Published December 5, 2022

Anyone who’s been to a salon to get their hair done knows that bad habits can ruin a perfect hairstyle. Using hairstyling products excessively, for instance, can turn a curly hairstyle frizzy.

That’s particularly true for perm hairstyles.

‘Perm’ is short for permanent, and it’s a hairstyle that features curls and waves in the hair. While it doesn’t last permanently, despite the name, the hairstyle still lasts for a relatively long time.

Considering how it lasts for several months, you wouldn’t want to ruin your perm right after getting it. With that said, below are five tips and tricks on what to do after a perm procedure.

1. Look For Specific Hair Products

A perm makes it so your hair becomes wavy or curly, so it’s only fitting that you treat it as such.

In fact, it’s what you should do whenever you change your hairstyle—you must change how you treat your hair as well. You can start by using products that are designed for curly or wavy hair.

Shampoos, conditioners, and other hair products meant for curly hair typically contain:

• Aloe vera
• Keratin
• Shea Butter
• Plant Extracts
• Hydrolyzed silk
• Essential or natural oils (e.g., sunflower oil, avocado oil, coconut oil)

Basically, a general rule of thumb when taking care of a perm is that you need to do what people with naturally curly hair do. A lot of the tips in this guide will follow that principle.

2. Don’t Use A Blow Dryer

People with naturally curly hair often avoid blow dryers.

That’s because heat styling is generally bad for curly hair. The high temperature that blow dryers and other heat styling devices produce can remove or damage the natural curliness of one’s hair.

However, if you must, experts suggest putting the dryer six inches away from your hair. Of course, such advice doesn’t work for straightening irons, so it’s best to avoid them altogether. 

You can use brushes or combs instead. A wide-tooth comb would be the ideal type, but any other type of comb or brush should do the trick. It’s also fine not to use combs or brushes at all.

3. Apply Heat Protectants On Your Hair

This follows the same concept as the previous tip, where you must avoid heat or high temperatures as much as possible. Unfortunately, that can be incredibly hard and perhaps even impossible. After all, the UV rays from the sun should also be, to some extent, damaging.

For that reason, it’s advisable to apply heat protectants on your hair to ensure your curly or wavy hair doesn’t get damaged as much. Do this frequently, or at least when you need to go out.

4. Add Oils To Your Hair Manually

One of the downsides to having curly hair is that the natural oils tend to take some time to travel down the hair shaft—the bottom part of the hair. Sometimes, the oil may not travel down at all.

That’s why it’s advisable to add oils to your curly hair manually.

Any of the following would suffice:

• Argan oil
• Coconut oil
• Grapeseed oil
• Jojoba oil
• Olive oil

5. Avoid Over-Shampooing

Shampoo has a variety of benefits to the hair.

Published November 8, 2022

There are a variety of reasons why one colors their hair.

People who have slightly damaged or weak hair, for instance, often color their hair so they can add a layer of protection that’ll protect their hair from environmental hazards or exposure.

There are also those who color their hair to cover up the unwanted tones or gray hair.

Put simply, to some people, coloring one’s hair isn’t just a means to improve their appearance. It can also be an essential component of their hair care routine. If you’re one of these individuals, there’s a good chance you once tried to color your hair too often, and you must have realized that doing so tends to lead to detrimental effects. So, how often should you color your hair?

How Often Should You Color Your Hair?

As a general rule of thumb, it’s best to wait four to six weeks before coloring your hair again. Keep in mind, though, that the ideal frequency ultimately depends on two main factors, your hair and the dye you want to use. According to these two factors, there may be outliers to the general range of four to six weeks. Let’s take a closer look at these factors.

Hair

Since your hair is the main subject of this activity, its characteristics would definitely affect the ideal frequency at which you color your hair. To be precise, it depends on three things:

• The original color of your hair. The greater the disparity between your original hair color and your desired hair color, the less frequently you must use a hair dye.

That’s because going from red hair to blonde would require much harsher chemicals than if you were to go from brunette to blonde. You also need to bleach your hair. These will inevitably damage your hair more than it would if you’d just stick to a closer shade. For that reason, you may have to let your hair rest for a bit longer than usual.

Published October 25, 2022

Perm, short for permanent hairstyle, is a hairstyle technique that creates patterned and typically tight curls in the hair semi-permanently, hence the name. It’s a relatively popular technique, and though many people like perms, it can be damaging to the hair. After all, it utilizes harsh chemicals, so while the adverse effects might be unnoticeable, there’s definitely an effect.

What’s An American Wave Perm?

The best description of an American wave perm is perhaps ‘wavy,’ which is fitting considering the name. It’s a hairstyle that features wavy, natural-looking, and soft curl patterns.

The main difference in regards to style between an American wave perm and a regular wave perm is that the American style is typically a bit looser. Hence, the hair can bounce more freely.

In addition, the American wave perm is often gentler and therefore is less damaging.

Will An American Wave Perm Damage My Hair?

No, an American wave perm doesn’t damage the hair. After all, it’s one of the main selling points of the hairstyle. That’s because while perming usually utilizes harsh chemicals, an American wave perm procedure does not. Instead, the salon would often use a gentler compound which most salons like to call the ‘ionic wave lotion,’ which has the same effect as the chemicals.

One explanation why American wave perm isn’t damaging is because chemicals used to perm a hair usually have ammonia. This inorganic compound can damage hair when used repeatedly.

An ionic wave lotion is different. It’s ammonia-free, and it alters the change of one’s by using the positive ionic charges from the ionic wave lotion, hence creating a similar effect as the ammonia.

Published Aug. 26, 2022

Despite the popularity of eyebrow threading, many people are still reluctant to try it thinking that it’s going to hurt. In fact, one of the most popular questions on web forums about this brow shaping method is, “does eyebrow threading hurt?”

Considering that the procedure involves pulling your eyebrow hair from the roots, we can’t blame you for thinking such. The first time I tried it, I was a nervous wreck and had the same hesitations you currently have. I was even looking around the salon to see if they’ve got some balms or ointments on hand, just in case.

Besides, if you’ve tried other brow shaping methods like waxing and plucking, then you know how painful they can be. I swear they brought out the beast in me a couple of times before. And if eyebrow threading is anything like them, I’d rather stick to razors.

So, Does Eyebrow Threading Hurt?

Yes, eyebrow threading can hurt but in general, the pain is tolerable. It can be daunting, yes. But based on my experience, the amount of pain really depends on the skills of your brow artist or aesthetician. 

You see, threading is not just about twisting some threads and uprooting eyebrow hairs. It requires dexterity and precision to properly control the thread.

I’ve had some aestheticians who did my eyebrows while I was asleep and I didn’t feel anything. While one aesthetician made my eyes water because the thread accidentally clamped on several pieces of eyebrow hair at once.

However, the overall threading experience can vary for each person. Some people are more sensitive to pain while others have better pain tolerance. Your first time will inevitably cause some flinching from time to time, but, as I said, the pain is usually tolerable. And if it does hurt, a dab of aloe vera or cooling gel usually helps.

How Does Eyebrow Threading Work?

Eyebrow threading is a brow shaping method that uses (surprise, surprise) threads. 

The aesthetician starts by tying both ends of a piece of thread that’s about a foot long until it forms a loop. Then the thread is twisted tightly until it’s taut and forms an hourglass figure. As the brow artist adjusts the tightness of the twisted thread, the twisting motion rubs the threads against each other. This allows it to trap brow hairs and remove them from the hair follicle.

But before the actual threading process will start, the aesthetician will prepare your brows first. The process usually varies per salon but in general, it involves brushing or trimming your brows. If you’re aiming for a specific brow shape, the aesthetician may also draw your preferred shape using a brow pencil.

Depending on your brow shape and thickness, an eyebrow threading session can take anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes. If you’re lucky to get an experienced aesthetician, the process is usually faster and more efficient. But if your aesthetician is still learning the ropes, it may take longer than 15 minutes.

Benefits of Brow Threading

Compared with other brow shaping methods like waxing and plucking, threading is considerably less painful. But aside from the pain, there are other reasons why many people are choosing to thread their brows.

It’s Faster

For one, other brow shaping procedures require a lot of work. Let’s take plucking, for example. This procedure takes longer as it involves pulling the hairs off your face one at a time. Threading, on the other hand, takes only a few minutes so the discomfort is much shorter.

Clean Results

Eyebrow shaping also produces clean and precise results. Because it pulls hair from the follicles, it doesn’t cause lumps and bumps like waxing. Nor does it make your eyebrow area red and swollen like plucking. There might be a little redness but it’s nothing that an aloe vera gel can’t fix. You can walk out of the salon right after the procedure like nothing happened.

Chemical-Free

Another reason behind the popularity of eyebrow threading is that it doesn’t use any chemicals. It’s no secret that wax and hair removal creams can damage the skin in several ways. So chemical-less procedures like this are a definite win for your skin.

Published July 12, 2022

Brunettes often want to have blonde hair. However, at the end of the day, the exact color that you want doesn’t suit your skin tone. 

Needless to say, that does not mean that you cannot lighten the shade of your hair. It is just that you need to know the limitations you can’t do.

In hairdressing terms, the color of a person’s hair is determined by a spectrum numbering from one to ten. Anything level six and above is a blonde whereas anything five and below is a brunette. While you can jump levels, it is not that easy to jump from a one to a solid ten.

So have you always wanted to go from brunette to blonde? 

We’ve created this guide that’ll teach you everything there is regarding the matter. That way, you may finally achieve the perfect look that you’ve always wanted.

Going From Brunette To Blonde

Published July 12, 2022

Root melt, shadow root, and root tapping are all techniques that hairdressers utilize. Each of these procedures is similarly done, and therefore, produces similar results. 

As a person who wants to get their hair done right, it’s essential to know the differences between the three. That way, you’ll be able to achieve the perfect look properly.

• Root Tap

Published June 3, 2022

Bangs are one of those styles that may totally change your appearance, especially when the various types of bangs are considered. It is no surprise that debating whether to have them has become a symbol of a huge life change.

In addition to satisfying your need for a change, they can also totally change your face shape and highlight your strongest features. For instance, soft, wispy bangs help to contrast sharp jawlines, and dramatic side bangs can clearly provide more dimension to round faces.

Face Shape = Types of Bangs

You may be asking, “what face shape looks good with bangs?” There is a bang for every face shape, even if it sounds far-fetched. Bangs transform your face instantly and offer you a stunning new look. Choosing face-shape-appropriate bangs is, of course, the key to achieving a perfect makeover without shedding a tear.

1. Oval Faces

If you have an oval-shaped face, you must have repeatedly heard that it is the perfect shape. The styling options for bangs on an oval face are practically limitless — straight-across bangs, cropped baby bangs, thick fringes, short layered bangs, wispy bangs, etc. Don’t be scared of trying them on because they will probably look great on you.

2. Round Faces

A bob, short or long, with wispy bangs or curtain bangs can look fantastic on a round-shaped face. For short hair, medium hair, or long hair, side bangs are an excellent round face bangs option. A side-parted fringe will provide an elongating look and emphasize your cheekbones and jawline for a round face.

3. Square Faces

If your face is square-shaped with a prominent jawline, you won’t be disappointed with thick bangs that extend to or just below your eyebrows. Long, wispy bangs will bring your jawline down a notch and soften sharp facial features. You could also style a thick fringe into a sassy side-swept square face with bangs for a lighter look, or you can comb it down to create well-defined full bangs.

4. Rectangle Faces

A haircut that includes bangs is all about finding a balance between your jawline, hairline, and facial length. The forehead and cheeks of a rectangular-shaped face are wider than the jawline, which is blunt and angular. Therefore, bangs that are suitable for rectangular face shapes should give the sense of the jawline’s length and roundness. To soften the prominent jawline, the best bangs for rectangle faces are asymmetrical fringe, side-swept long bangs, as well as curly bangs. This face shape looks best with a face-framing side fringe that extends past the chin, creating the appearance of length.

Published April 29, 2022

Partial vs. full balayage? Both hair highlights are easy to love. Balayage is an effortlessly stylish hair trend achieved by hand-painted highlights. Clients appreciate the technique since it creates an authentic sun-kissed look and is much easier to maintain than traditional foils. To begin, you should get a better understanding of balayage before getting into the full balayage vs. partial debate.

Balayage Overview

The French word “Balayer,” which translates as “to sweep,” is where balayage got its name. The term refers to the method of coloring your hair, not to the color itself. Balayage is a procedure in which hairstylists paint highlights onto the hair by hand to achieve a more advanced, natural-looking highlight.

Balayage is a hair coloring procedure created by a French hairstylist for the purpose of achieving a natural highlight. The process involves hand-painting a thick combination of lightener onto a portion of hair with brushes in one of three different paint designs, namely, “Singles,” “Slants,” and “V’s.” Then, the designers apply lightener in a “sweeping” motion, starting thin at the roots and building up to the ends.

The procedure ensures complete control over the application of color and results in reduced overgrowth and increased contrast in the hair. As a result, you’ll have the finest natural-looking highlights you’ve ever seen. Due to the absence of heat and foils, the hair is left in great condition and free of stripes as a result of the elimination of foil lines.

Partial Balayage vs. Full Balayage

Full balayage is a method that involves the addition of highlights throughout your hair. This is an excellent and popular treatment for anyone who wants lighter hair without the constant care associated with root grow out.

Similar to full balayage, a freehand hair coloring method is used in a partial balayage, in which highlights are placed on a particular area of your hair rather than all over. Typically, it is applied around the face or to the upper layer of hair, with an emphasis on the ends.

Hair Styling and Coverage

If you’re looking for subtle style improvements, partial balayage is the way to go, while full balayage is for more radical alterations to your hair. Partial balayage involves fading or lightening your hair in sections, but the full balayage method thoroughly bleaches your hair, leaving only 5 to 7 cm of the root.

Time and Cost

As mentioned, full balayage means highlighting the entire hair, which takes slightly longer than a partial balayage process. A full balayage will take three, sometimes four, hours in the salon, whereas partial balayage only takes 45 minutes to finish.

Full balayage is always more expensive than partial balayage since it requires more appointments with the hairdresser. On average, full balayage costs from $250 to $500, depending on the location, and partial balayage costs from $70 to $130.