BLOND NIGHTMARE

What is it about blond hair that will make a woman sacrifice money, time, and even risk the very existence of her hair leaving her it over processed?


When I see a woman with hair that's very dry, yellow, and has "bangs" that were created by breakage, that's one versi0n of over-processed hair. Anyone can see that woman coming through the crowd. She possesses a confidence that comes with striking blond tresses that turn heads as they enter any room. The problem is that no one (not even her hairdresser) has informed her that her beautiful blond locks are no more.




What happened?

Generally the story goes like this...
Let's give our blond-chaser a name. We'll call her Esta.

Esta may have started with a few natural-looking highlights, but over the years she fell more and more in love with the brightness against her skin, noticing the sun-kissed sparkle it gave her face.

Then, before you know it, BAM! A serious case a blond-orexia developed!

Esta may have seen the red flags: the beginning of breakage, fewer compliments, and more concern from loved ones, for example. However, she ignored the signs, and now her hair has the tensile strength of cotton candy.

Who's to blame?

Along the way, Esta may have asked questions like, "Am I over doing it?" "Should I stop with the blond?" or "What product can repair my hair instantly?"

I have seen many clients like Esta over the years in the salon. I have seen them walk out with hundreds of dollars in products, subscribing to empty promises of their hair being restored. Honey, we all know you cant wake the dead!

This is where her hairstylist comes in. The only person who could have stopped this breakage backlash was her trusted hair professional. Don't get me wrong; clients play a role in the mistreatment of their hair. Still, the hairstylist should ultimately be held accountable and sent to "hairstylist prison."

Why should the hairstylist be held accountable?

Um... Hello!?! Who colored her hair? Who was the one selling her the products? And who was the one banking the dollars from the ever-faithful blond? Le Coiffeur, that's who!

Listen ladies, I have met so many women that have had this hair mishap, and you have a right to know that this could have been avoided. You also have the right to know when enough is enough. Remember, there's nothing sexier than healthy, beautiful hair.

How to solve this problem?

At this point stop and ask yourself which is more important: the appearance of blond hair, even though you are turning heads for all the wrong reasons, or checking yourself in to hair rehab and leaving the bald look for those edgy punk-rocker girls? In my opinion, the right choice is to change your hair color to a softer shade before it's too late. By "too late" I mean before the hair is so stripped that it loses its ability to absorb color, meaning you will make multiple visits to the salon and spend loads of money, and still not get it quite right.

If you are willing to take my advice heres how we start (it's hair therapy time!): First, put on some lipstick and high-kick the salon door wide open, making your presence known. Talk to your hairstylist and ask for help to resolve the issue. If you would like to start the journey to healthier hair, here are my personal recommendations.

Go back to natural.

1) Get Kerastase Forcintense treatment and follow the directions. I know, I know, I did say you can't wake the dead (smile). However, you can protect the hair from the hair color to come, and restore the hair to a somewhat natural color. Don't expect miracles- let's just focus on keeping the hair you have.

2) Consult with your hairstylist first about the process. Your hairstylist was the one who got you into trouble, but keep in mind he may not be the one to bring you back. Keep in mind it will take more than a couple of hours to get the old you back. It probably took years to get you to this point, so be patient. Most importantly the process of "going back to natural" that has beautiful tones and some shine can not be achieved in one application.

Here is a brief look at what has to happen with the application:

A hair filler- The hair has no pigment, so before applying the desired hair color, it has to have red and gold color added to the hair to stop it from becoming muddy or ashy. The filler is generally a semi or demi color.

The desired color- After getting the filler right, which a may take a couple of applications, the hair is either towel-dried or blow-dried. The color is then applied. The hair stylist will use his or her best judgement on where to start the color application. Generally the ends of the hair are avoided because they are the most damaged and may grab the color too quickly.


3) After having the color restored, be very careful and avoid tanning salons, steam rooms, swimming pools and the ocean. Invest in hair brushes that are gentle on the hair (like a Mason Pearson) and a gentle hair dryer like the T-3 Featherweight. (That dryer is kick-ass!)

Please keep in mind that the process of ruining your hair was not cheap so it will cost a lot to fix it. This process takes time and loads of product.

Remember, a woman's strongest asset is her individuality, so being different is wonderful - but not at the cost of your hair.

The editing of this blog was done by Camile Lamb of the Perfect Words,Ink.

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HAIR TO HELP.

I've always felt that my true love was being a hairstylist, and I still feel that way. With my move to Miami (over a year ago), I found another love that equally satisfies me. It may not be as glamorous as creating a beautiful hairstyle in a fabulous location, and there's no money to be made (literally zero dollars). However, it makes my heart beat as it did on my first day of fashion week in NYC, as I watched Orlando demonstrate a master piece.

Here's another link to more of Orlando's work.

Let me share one of my latest loves: meet Casa Valentina. Casa Valentina is a non-profit organization that addresses the unique, gender-specific needs of young women transitioning from foster care to independent living. On my first month in Miami, I was lucky enough to meet Sheila Lehrman and her wonderful family. I mentioned to Sheila that I am interested in helping any group of women that needs my services and is open to a little beauty workshop.

Sheila said, "Wait, wait, wait! I know just the place!!!" When she described Casa Valentina to me, I knew I just had to go.



Over the year, I have been able to not only visit them in person, but also to have companies like Vitacare, and DaCuore donate products to Casa Valentina.

On my recent visit with girls, we focused on the theme that "Individuality is a woman's strongest asset." I asked each girl to tell me what her favorite color was. Some said black, like their skin; one girl said blue, like the ocean, which reminds her of her happiest times. They all stressed that they held those colors close to their hearts and would not change them for the world!


I quickly agreed - that's the same way I feel about my favorite color orange. It's my choice and I'm not changing it, no matter what someone else thinks! I asked the girls, if I told them to change their color to a color that I thought suited them, would they do it?

They said "No way."

I went on to explain that this was my point exactly: The way we look (hair, skin color, lips) and our tastes in fashion, are all parts of our individuality.

Every woman has the right to express herself, even with the smallest detail, in a way that sets her apart. At this point, I had their full attention. I asked them a very important question: Were they basing their individual tastes on what they saw on TV and in magazines?

The answer was a big YES! I quickly followed by asking, are their times they they would like to just Express themselves (through fashion and hair) in a way they feel at that very moment? Again the answer was a big YES! Well why don't you I asked?

I went on to urge these young women (as I do all young women) to find that something special that they love about themselves and own it, no matter what the media says. Women: You don't have be part of a large group, all looking the same. That goes for hairstyles, bags, shoes, and even lips! There are already too many Kim Kadashians walking around our streets. Don't get me wrong; as individuals, we have the right to follow a trend, too. Every woman can be brave and express herself with a certain color, hairstyle, retro or vintage clothing, or even just going all-natural with her hair and face.

As we continued discussing the idea of individuality, the girls really started to understand my point. One girl had flaming red hair, which she loves! I loved the fact that it may have been inspired by Rihanna, but she was daring enough to make it even brighter and have it braided. She still made it her own.

The lesson with trends is to look at them, enjoy them, and know that they exist. Women: You can follow trends, but look around you and see how many others are wearing the same bag, shoes, jeans, big purse and hairstyle. Let's show our younger generation that one of the biggest gifts is "individuality."

As Madonna once said, "Express yourself!".



I wish you all true beauty and self love!!

The editing of this blog was done by Camile Lamb of the Perfect Words,Ink.

Posted by Unknown at 10:03 AM - 0 comments