Hair Coloring BASICS

Types and Application methods of HAIR Coloring

Temporary Colour

Semi Permanent Colour

Demi Permanent color

Permanent color


Methods of Applying those 4 types of Colour

Highlighting

Lowlighting

Double-Process

Block or "show" Colour technique

WHAT'S YOUR IDEAL HIGHLIGHT HUE ?

These are merely suggestions for highlights and lowlights.... I have had this chart for over 15 years, which shows you that Hair color may seem to change dramatically to you, but in all actuality it simply goes through phases, exactly the same as "fashion" does.

A new client called the Lab today and asked if we knew anyone that does that "NEW LOOK" of bleached white-blond hair with bright pink highlights surrounding the face...sound familiar? Its been done a lot....what we have to do and as a good hair stylist we 'should' do is come up with "new' ways of presenting the same thing.
Which we do - year in and year out.

OXIDATION , Hydrogen Peroxide & everything White

Oxidation: 1.The reaction of dye intermediates found in hair coloring developers with hydrogen peroxide 2. The interaction of hydrogen peroxide on the natural pigment.

Deposit: describes the color product in terms of its ability to add color pigment to the hair. Color added equals DEPOSIT.

Lift: The lightening action of a hair color or lightening product on the hair's natural pigment

Hydrogen Peroxide: An Oxidizing chemical made up of 2 parts hydrogen & 2 parts oxygen (H2O2) used to aid the processing of permanent hair color and lighteners. Also referred to as a developer by Stylists/Colorists; available in liquid or cream.


Now we move to the Hydrogen Peroxide ,the "white creme" in the other bottle! Within the BOXED KITS OF COLOR (I'm on the war path against) there are 2 items enclosed, one is a bottle of color the other a bottle of peroxide.

The percentage of LIFT in any color is directly related to its AMMONIA content. At times you will hear Color lines boasting of "no ammonia" which would only be in color the manufacturer does not 'want' to lift... for exam: in many of the "men's" color lines promising to cover grey and not change anything else. The only disadvantage to ammonia in hair color: if you are allergic to it, which is rare, but does happen, it is necessary for light blonding.

The percentage of dye content in the bottle is also known as pigment weight. The more dye molecules in the bottle, the more depositing capabilities the color has. The action of depositing dye or color molecules into the cortex of the hair shaft is partly triggered by OXIDATION, which is achieved by adding hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to the color.


The dye molecule in any permanent color is too large to penetrate the cuticle of the hair shaft without first altering its structure with hydrogen peroxide. Since without hydrogen peroxide the dye will only stain the cuticle layer,understanding what happens when you add hydrogen peroxide to color is essential. That is also where the difference between Permanent,Semi-permanent, and Temporary color rests.

After the Hydrogen peroxide is added to the color, it begins to oxidize,or lose an oxygen molecule. This creates heat in and on the hair shaft, which expands the cuticle layer so that the color or dye molecules can penetrate.

Once the hydrogen peroxide is completely oxidized, it turns into water (H2O), and its chemical action stops. The color molecules return to their original structure and become part of the structure of the cortex. The cuticle closes, trapping the dye or color molecules inside. the color process is complete.

Don't let me lose you here, this may seem boring/confusing>or BOTH!! but... it will all make sense and come FULL CIRCLE here real soon, promise.
If it doesn't, then ask me questions LOTS of them, I want you to get it...I truly do, because if you do... then you will have knowledge that some of the top Colorists in the country possess & that is what ROCKS about the INTERNET, that high dollar information like that can be had for FREE ;-)...hee hee hee!

Home Hair Colorist - Lesson 6

PIC 20-40

HOME HAIR COLOURIST - Lesson 6

In an attempt to stay interesting and not bore you, I am going from “hair” theory back to “color” theory and back again. It’s an odd of way teaching the info but am assuming we have no closet Cosmetology students out there and it will be OK.

Remaining Pigment Contribution

Primary, secondary and tertiary colors can be found at any level of natural hair color ( See Pic 20-40) .Remaining pigment contribution is the color that will be left in the hair after the lifting process. Knowing the colors that will be present at a given level of color ensures that you will select the proper base color formulation to either neutralize or enhance the desired color.

A huge problem you will face is that most color swatch charts display color selections on “white hair” swatches, another weird move on the hair color manufacturers’ part… My complaint with Boxed Hair Color is how they do not take into count what color the hair is underneath when selling them. It matters, as much as they like to pretend it doesn’t, when new colorists ( like you) are just learning how to do this, that can really throw them off. It irks me that the damn companies cannot just make the charts right to begin with. It wouldn’t cost a penny more, but it would be correct, therefore eliminating all the improper color on women in those first few years of learning hair color and when buying hair color “kits”. Hair color is a science and does not have to be “guess work” which is what these companies make it , by supplying the wrong information. By the way, the charts are just as messed up for us in the professional lines as well, so they are not prejudice, we all get screwed up with improper color charts and information. Wella's line Color Perfect has done the most brilliant thing...The chart for this line of color displays what each of their colors would look like if applied on white hair on blonde hair and on brown hair….brilliant..!

Can’t they just spread that technology so all the companies can benefit ? Like I said..its not rocket science.The entire problem with both Boxed Kits and their charts boils down to them not taking into consideration the pigment contributed from the natural hair UNDERNEATH that will remain during the lifting cycle.

( Figure 20-40 is just a rule of thumb there is no way to make charts like this on every line for every company)

Contribution of Underlying Pigment

Decolorizing the hair’s natural melanin pigment allows the colorist to create the exact degree of contributing pigment needed for the final result. First, the hair is decolorized (bleached) to the appropriate level. Then the new color is applied to deposit the desired color. The natural pigment that remains in the hair contributes to the artificial color that is added. Lightening the hair to the correct stage is essential to a beautiful, controlled, final hair coloring result. Many times you see people walking around with just awful “yellow” hair, for a Colorist there is nothing worse to see “yellow” or “orange” that is a mistake by not leaving the lightener on the hair long enough, sometimes you have to reapply it, sometimes with very resistant hair…you may need to do it one more time the next day. The point is Stylists that leave hair this way, don't need to, it might take a while but ALL hair is fizable in my mind. My mntor taught me that as I watched her many times work for 1 or 2 full days on a tough case. She would be proud, I have spent many a long night in that same spot.

Toners are semi permanent or demi-permanent hair color that are used primarily on pre-lightened hair to achieve pale and delicate colors. They are applied to the lightest degree of contributing pigment that remains after the decolorization (bleaching) process. Toners are one of my passions…there was a time when I had hundreds of toners on hand at all times….you can perform magic with them. If you like to be blond – becoming a Picasso of Toners is a suggestion of mine you can vary the color of your hair with something as simple as a Toner application once a week & using the proper brand can also lend a tremendous amount of shine and strength to your strands. One of my favorite’s - I call boysenberry crème - it’s a very soft purple-rose-cream color….. to 1 full ounce of Ivory color Toner I add just a squeeze (½ inch) of a color called boysenberry to an ounce of color - mix & add 10 volume peroxide. Using 10 Volume Developer makes any color “Semi – permanent” ( we go into tomorrow).

TEN DEGREES OF DECOLORIZATION
See the 10 degrees of decolorization? Those are the stages the hair goes thru as it loses its color or as the color is taken out with lighteners…bleach, etc. Not all hair will go through the 10 degrees, each natural hair color starts the decolorization process at a different stage. Remember, the goal is to create the correct degree of contributing pigment as the foundation for the final hair color result . See figure 16-20

In my opinion there is only one way to lighten hair this light, safely… and that is with oil bleach. Its been around for years, the absolute best oil bleach on the market is Redken’s -- Levitation (cool name). Annie Humphries taught me that (Mother of Color)and since that day I never have used another, because it makes the most beautiful blonds on the planet – with hair so healthy and conditioned its as if it wasn’t bleach. I am making this available to Killerstrands members email me killerstrands@gmail.com or post in comments at the end of this post. Other wise there is Wella’s Wellite, the next best version, which can be found at almost every Beauty Supply on the planet.

The hair needs to be very carefully taken care of when lifting past the yellow stage to white with lightener. The extreme diffusion of color necessary to give hair a while appearance causes excessive damage to the hair strand. The result is the hair feels “mushy” and will stretch without returning to its original length. When dry, the hair is harsh and brittle usually suffers breakage and will not accept a toner correctly.

The way to that beautiful “baby blond” or “Marilyn Blond” ?...it can be carefully achieved by lightening the hair to pale yellow and then neutralizing the unwanted undertone (contributing pigment) with a toner.






Look at the 10 degrees on this chart
If hair is dark brown, you want to go blond
These are levels hair must go through in that climb
(the most common complaint I hear is "orange" hair)
Watch what happens:
the hair starts to lighten, goes from Red-brown to Red to Red/Orange to Orange !
Then it stops at the Orange stage, why?
The entire problem is the color 'choice' was the wrong one and the peroxide was the wrong one, otherwise it would have kept going and gotten lighter.
That is what you will learn when we are finished, how to avoid this.

Home Hair Colorist - Lesson 4 - How In The Hell The Color Wheel Relates to Hair Color

The Color Wheel and Hair Color...
having nothing to do with those CRAZY COLORS you have seen on Hair Models.

Identifying your Natural LEVEL is the first step in understanding PROFESSIONAL HAIR COLOR for the Home Hair Colorist.
The next most valuable tool is the Color Wheel, remember the color wheel from elementary school? That probably sounds odd, let me simplify it.

Its important to have a general understanding of how colors work together, you may already know but let me review and how it relates to Hair Color. Remember I am trying to help you learn to Color your hair correctly at home and that's it! If you can understand the color wheel.... when you have colored your hair blond and it has this weird cast of green to it ??? knowing the color wheel well -will help you understand how it got there and more importantly how to get rid of it. I still to this day will glance at it - I love color, but looking at the wheel can settle many questions with hair.

The LAW OF COLOR is a system for understanding color relationships. When combining colors, you will always get the same result from the same combination. Equal parts of Red and Blue together always make violet. The Color Wheels on this page should help you understand the relationships.


PRIMARY COLORS: are pure fundamental colors that cannot be achieved from a mixture. The primary colors are blue,red and yellow. All colors are created from these colors. Colors predominantly blue are "cool" toned colors...many hair colors are referred to as Cool - Icy ...which usually means have a 'blue base' or 'blue cast' to them. Colors with a predominance of red are "warm" toned colors ... on the flip side many hair colors are also referred to as "warm" in hair color meaning they have red base.

Blue is the darkest of the primary colors and is the only cool primary color. In addition to coolness, blue also brings depth or darkness to any color to which it is added.

Red is the medium primary color. Red added to blue-based colors will cause them to appear lighter. Red added to yellow colors will cause them to become darker.

Yellow is the lightest of the primary colors. When you add yellow to other colors, the resulting color is lighter and brighter in appearance.

When all 3 colors are present in equal proportions, the resulting color is BLACK! It helps to think of hair colors in terms of their relative proportions of primary colors. NEUTRAL BROWN, for example, has the primary colors in the following proportions: blue --- B, red --- RR, yellow---YYY.

hang in there . . . don't want to put anyone to sleep..........

Secondary Colors: a color obtained by mixing equal parts of two primary colors...secondary colors are: green, orange and violet .

Blue + Yellow = Green

Red + Yellow = Orange

Red + Blue = Violet

Tertiary Colors is an intermediate color achieved by mixing a secondary color and its neighboring primary color on the color wheel in equal amounts. Tertiary colors include blue-green, blue-violet,red-violet,red-orange,yellow-orange, and yellow-green. Natural looking hair color is made up of a combination of primary and secondary colors.

Last one! and this is the one that saves your butt every time!

my fav...

Complementary Colors are a primary and secondary colors positioned opposite each other on the color wheel. The colors of the BLOGGER website are complementary and many logos and insignias because they "pop". Complementary colors include:

blue........and orange

red..........and green

yellow ....and violet

This where they come in handy... Complementary colors NEUTRALIZE each other . When formulating hair color, you will find that it is often your goal to emphasize or distract from skin tones or eye color or to NEUTRALIZE or refine unwanted tones in the hair. Understanding complementary colors will help you choose the appropriate tones to accomplish that goal.

A very common problem, so that you can "picture" this in your mind.... which should help you understand it.

Ever seen a bleached blond who didn't leave the bleach on long enough??? and its this horrid shade of YELLOW , its a very common problem. If you take that head of hair and purchase what is called a "toner" I have always used the analogy of a "NYLON" to my clients . When you shove your arm into a pair of nylons you can still see your arm it just has a "see-thru" cast to it....? correct?? the cast is whatever color "nylon" you chose.

Same with Toners, you can "see" thru them.

So with the very YELLOW bleached blond hair....

WHICH color toner would you track down?

To NEUTRALIZE the YELLOW . . . . . .??? ? ? ?

Look at the color wheel.......................

which color NEUTRALIZES --Yellow ................follow the color wheel ............where??............opposite side.............

Violet.

Violet based Toner.

A COOL BASED VIOLET toner,will knock that yellow out of the ball park!

Fun and Games

The missing primary color in this game is what you would use to neutralize the unwanted tone.

Find the missing primary to neutralize the following:

TONE MISSING PRIMARY

Orange ?

Green ?

Violet ?

Answers tomorrow.............

Home Hair Colorist - Lesson 3 - Learning The "Levels" Into Your Brain

The Level System
What level are you?

HOME HAIR COLORIST > Lesson 2

Understanding the LEVEL SYSTEM of HAIR COLOR

Everyone MUST understand a few of the basic rules of Hair Color, they are not difficult, they are easy. I want you to understand them so a much larger percentage of women will be able to color their hair at home and it will come out correctly. There are just too many people having their hair

CHART 02-01

destroyed by BOXED HAIR COLOR KITS...they should be destroyed and the process I am teaching should be made mandatory . It involves more flexibility, so you are not given a set bottle of hair color with a set bottle of peroxide ( that come in those damn Kits) for everyone.

LEVEL is the unit of measurement used to identify the lightness or darkness of a color; it is sometimes referred to as value or depth. Colorists use the LEVEL SYSTEM to analyze the lightness or darkness of a hair color (See chart 02-01).

Hair color levels are arranged on a scale of 1 to 12, with 1 being the darkest and 12 being the lightest ( not too long ago it was 1-10 ;some new HIGH LIFT Blonde's added 2 more light levels). The names for the natural hair color levels may vary from manufacturer to manufacturer but they each use this chart as the base.

What I want you to learn here is simple....try to get very comfortable with these Levels and especially:

KNOW YOUR OWN VIRGIN (without color or anything on it) LEVEL OF HAIR COLOR

that is an important piece of info and will be important for the rest of your life(even though it will change as you turn grey!)

Please figure that out right now and email to me ______________.

If you are a redhead (as am I) its a tiny bit more complicated, you still use the same chart to figure it out, you would just draw your finger across the chart to the different "hues" it goes from Gold/Red to Red to Red/Gold to Red/Violet and keeps going as well.

For example:

KILLER CHEMIST > NATURAL LEVEL COLOR: I am a Level 8/RG

which means my roots or virgin hair is a LEVEL 8 Red/Gold (or Light Copper). Knowing that piece of info helps me be able to figure out more accurately what to use to color my hair with hair color.

You will impress the Hell out of your Hair stylist as well, if you go into your next appointment spouting off the "levels" - they will be very impressed. I have run into many a Hair Stylist that still have not memorized them (but they should).

Using and knowing this chart really well, is what you need to learn in order for you to become a good HOME HAIR COLORIST.

I'm going to plaster this onto your brain this week. .. by showing you many different ways to memorize and relate it to your hair...

So get ready!

Frizz-Free Friday Lesson #4 : Make Your Own Silicone Serum

It's Fun, Its Super Easy....the Best Part ?
you can now have the perfect HAIR FRAGRANCE - that lasts

You do not have to be the "crafty" type - I liken it to making Chocolate Milk

AS a cool little treat, after reviewing my curly headed notes and papers....I thought about how wonderful it was for me the first time I made my own silicone serum....and why not give you the tools to make your own!

Silicone serums were one of the most revolutionary ingredients to come along in the Hair "ingredient" world, in decades. Every month in my Cosmetics Technology magazine I read, there are no less than 50 and no more than a couple hundred new ingredients "discovered", patented and advertised up the whazoo ! Its a big business and companies are scrambling trying to find the next "silicone" or even better yet the next hair "growth" wonder plant extract.

There isn't a person on the planet...man or woman who's hair cannot benefit in one way or another from a silicone serum of some sort....they basically "coat" and protect the hair.. by slipping over the hair strands when applied.

Silicone's main purpose in Serums is to coat and protect the strands from:

• Sun
• Heat
• Frizz
• Brushing
• Over Processed

Silicone's main purpose in Deep Conditioners & Conditioners:

• De-tangle
• Add Slip
• Coat and protect for above 5 reasons

There is such a rampant problem with FIA or Flat Iron Abuse that this is the one item that can at least protect your hair <> from you and its so easy to make, I like to compare it to making chocolate milk, yep - that simple!

The advantages to making it yourself?

• SAVE $$$ - a lot - now you can afford to carry some in the purse\
• MULTIPLE WEIGHTS (thin----thick) some styles need a spray some need drops...I would suggest 3 different weights for "whirly curlies"
• SCENTED - (finally) an excellent method of scenting your hair in exotic scents of your choice - & these last hours!
• INCOME - If you are really ambitious you can sell them to friends!
• PERFUMED BODY SPRAYS- nothing to do with hair, but with a bit of a twist on the amounts of the exact same ingredients you can make wonderful silky perfumed Body Sprays as well.

Don't let this mini recipe throw you. Its virtually 5 Grams of Trimethicone added with 495 grams of Cyclomethicone
495 Grams is 16 1/2 ounces ! 16 ounces of Cyclomethicone (a helluva lot) costs $7.75 !! Most Silicone Serums are 2 ounces for $20. Bucks.

Here is a hair glossing spray that can be used in a spray bottle. . Note: the pumps can vary in their ability to properly mist some formulations. Adjust the level of Cyclomethicone down in the following formulation if this proves to be a problem for your pump assembly.

Simply Shine Hair Glossing Spray

Percent Grams Ounces Ingredient
Phase A 1 5.0 0.17 Lotioncrafter 1550 Phenyl Trimethicone
Phase B 98 495 16.5 Lotioncrafter LC8515 or LC995 Cyclomethicone
Phase C 1 5.0 0.17 Fragrance ( your choice - fun part!)

1. Add Phase A to Phase B and to Phase C stir to mix.
Makes 500 grams (16.69 ounces)!!

Everything you need and the most wonderful person will help you get started, all located at this web site:

www.lotioncrafter.com with a dear woman named Jenny ( make sure you tell her that "Dakota" from killerStrands" sent you) She knows an endless amount about silicones and was the first one to bring them to the public. Remember to hit the "FORMULARY" on the site to look at all the recipe's for Silicone Serums for the hair ( for the different weights) be brave - its very hard to go wrong with them...

Jenny's specialty is GOAT MILK soaps and the ingredients to make them ...she is a real stickler for "natural" products and was actually the one that gave me loads of information about the safety of silicones for hair years ago. Anything you want to know - she will know it or find it out for you! The only thing she doesn't carry are the 2 or 4 ounce bottles & the "fragrance".

Those 2 things can be had at the same place and that is Brambleberry's - Brambleberry's is another goldmine of wonderful products. What started out as a SOAP making site, has brilliantly expanded into Perfumes; Silicones Serum Gloss & Perfume Sprays; Lotion-Making; Candle making; Bath Bombs and more. You want natural products? Make them yourself that's how you can finally know exactly what is in them.

http://www.brambleberry.com/packaging.html

They have some perfect environmentally conscience aluminum bottles in 2 or 4 ounce sizes...but the best part of Brambleberry is their Fragrance library. Anne Marie the owner has a nose after my own, you will not find one spot with better scents. They are all top notch and superb. Scent your hair, just about any side of the rainbow you want with the most fantastic array of fragrance oils.... on the planet. Try one of the "best of's " for an idea.

There is no better single product or tool for frizz -free living than having silicone serums available at every single point of rest in your life,you should have a bottle in every car, in your locker at work,in your purse, in your bathroom, in the kitchen.....E V E R Y W H E R E, and with this info you can make them for all those places for under $20.00!

So there you have it for FRIZZ FREE FRIDAY...

Dakota AKA Killer Chemist

Becoming a Home Hair Colorist

My bio and background. . .

and "why you"

How to be a HOME HAIR COLORIST

This is being written for all of you for one reason or another must or want to color your hair at home. I’m going to try my damndest to skip all the bullshit & CUT TO THE CHASE in this endeavor.

Killer strands #1 goal is and always was the “CARE OF YOUR HAIR”, try to remember that is always the basis of all of my advice and teachings. Performing microscopic hair analysis on a daily basis for hair loss & damage incorporates looking at hairs magnified 1-200 times has turned me into a freak about it, which is only good news for you.

Reason for HOME HAIR COLORIST SCHOOL?

So many of you are having your hair destroyed, damaged, and turned ungodly shades of orange and yellow and green…all because of the BOXED Hair color Kits. In the level of hair coloring I was associated with ( Malibu & Hollywood) I was appalled that anyone would even think of using them – I mean -- why can’t everyone spend $100. – $200.-$300.00 on their hair monthly? Well, as hard as that is to admit…it is exactly what I thought, please except my apologies and my regrets that I was like that. I can only learn and try to get back to being a decent person, and with this effort I hope to make-up for that.

In my previous environments I just was not aware of the amount of people that must color their hair at home, for one reason or another…I now… fully understand and want to turn my thoughts, efforts and education to that segment of the Hair Universe. Being ridiculously over-trained for it,I have come to terms with that now, with my new predicament, its about all I can handle and it will be good for me and for YOU!

My Beginnings . . . My Education

There may be many different theories on hair color, I don’t know…I was taught by the best so I have never ever needed to look anywhere else. I attended Vidal Sassoon Academy for 1 full year, stayed on to assist Lucie Doughty ( my mentor) for the following year to hone my skills as a colourist, which was worth every single minute! Lucie is the best Colourist in the United States, I don't care what you read in the magazines. They are wrong, no one is as talented as her, for one thing I only like to work with "the best" in everything I do ....and I wouldn't have hung around for a year on my own if I didn't know she was the best.

England is the so-called “home” of hair color & hair for that matter…with Vidal Sassoon’s head colorist Annie Humphries being given the name the “Mother of Hair Color” of the last 25 years that I know of. She has always set the “collections" developed the “trends”…made up new and innovative coloring techniques that we as “pupils” (wink-wink) would pick up - copy and spread throughout this country – she was a firecracker and damn what a talent. Everything I know and practice was passed down from her and I have worked directly under her on occasion.

So many of the techniques being done today, Annie was doing 10-15-20 years ago, now retired, she truly is and was the Grand Dame of hair color. After her, I looked to Lucie to follow and learn from, as she moved over to Paul Mitchell. I look to Lucie to run with the crown for the next decade or two and with the USA trying to catch up, the need to reach across the pond has diminished. What I teach here, is what Lucie taught , which is brilliant and it in turn earned her: Teacher of the YEAR - in Hair Colour…I don’t know how many times. So, although the education did not come from me….it is my interpretation and my slant on things after years on my own and with my personal artistic twist. Being extremely lucky in having some of the best teachers in the world -- I thank my lucky stars all the time.

This is my interpretation of a standard way that hair color works; it is chemistry, like “cooking “is. Certain ingredients perform certain actions… emulsifiers, ammonias, peroxides…they need to be used to perform certain actions period. Certain products have no grey….its black and white…its science although in order to come up various colours and new inventions we are taking all sorts of new liberties…The method I relay, is going to be as absolutely SIMPLE as possible.

Any questions at all I hope you will bring up immediately.In order for you to understand which color you should buy when you go to the store you must learn some very simple basics. So,please try to have an open mind, hair color manufacturers ‘think’ the consumer won’t take the time to learn the “LEVELS” system. I disagree. I feel with a little education, PowerPoint demonstrations and a great website they can solve that.

The first Lesson will be examined and explained to you in as brief as detail as I can: Why Boxed Hair Color Does Not Work Correctly .. or How the Boxed Hair Color Manufacturers Set You Up To Fail.

GOOD HAIR = Life / Death /even worse:...your Job !?

The Pitfalls of

Crappy Hair Has Even Seeped Its Way

Into The Work

Place

courtesy of http://www.modernsalon.com/

Remember to hit Sister Plog : www.killerpics.blogspot.com for PHOTO'S and PICTURES of every style under the sun!

Top 10 Habits That will Destroy or Damage Your Hair

The 15th of every month I slap this up to remind you . . . .

I know some of them are very very hard to stop.......I know....

I've been there

The first sign of your body's health . . . is your HAIR

Frizz-Free Friday - #2 Weekly Post for Frizzy & Curly Hair-monsters

Frizz-Free Friday

7 SECRET TIPS for Frizz-FREE HAIR

#7.........Stop - Drop & ROLL ---> Pile your curls on top of your head and let tendrils drop around your face. ..Its a very sexy look for summer

#6........Huff & Puff ---> The trick to achieving a neat, glossy curl is to blow-dry hair straight first - before you start curling, using serum, spray detangler and your IONIC Blow dryer...sounds like loads of work BUT . . .the results are worth it if FRIZZ-FREE is the goal leaving your curls luscious & shiny.

#5.........Stiff N' Crispy.The very worse type of curl? the Stiff Crispy Curl...even 'saying the words' gags you & forces you back to the "proper products" category, staying away from cheap mousse's AND not applying too much product. Make sure to get a product suited to your hair, there are many different types of curly hair ( fine, coarse...etc)...and once you have the correct goop be sure to shake the excess water out of your hair - swinging the hair side to side gently ( no towel) - before applying the goop to the hair rather than soaking wet hair.

#4..........Press & Curl..........Preventing the Frizz comes from smoothing the Frizz with a Curling Iron. The bigger the curls the bigger the barrel and the bigger the section. Change the 2 variables and you change the size of the tendrils. Small Barrel, small section = smaller curls for the perfect loop

#3......... Snip the Splits....... Frizzy hair can often suffer from mega dry ends. To help beat "crispy" hair, make sure you have a good trim every three to four weeks to keep those tips in tip top shape. Find a stylist that "swears" they will perform a "tip-trim"...just trim 'the TIPS".

#2.......SHOWER FILTER.........I will NEVER EVER stop on this....it is imperative, and especailly for you mop-tops. Filtering the crud out of the water, WILL lessen the FRIZZ...clean clear crystal pure water is absolutely AMAZING for the condition of the hair. How does your 'tap' water taste? As horrible as mine? if you can't drink it comfortably then do NOT RINSE YOUR HAIR WITH IT. A shower filter can be had in a million and one places on the Internet....Aquasana is a great brand, so are the rest. It will cost you between $125 & $200 > for the year! You can get a decent filter for $50.00 - be sure to change the filters or you've wasted even that.

#1.........2 for 1..........last but not Least?? I get this question a lot......how to use the FLAT IRON to make Curls, so you are only buying one tool. The Foto below shows it..........In words: Place the SECTION of hair at the root horizontally on the flat Iron and Tilt and Turn the iron 360 degrees forward. Holding your hair taut by the ENDS, slowly slide the Iron at the same angle until you come to the ends, then tilt Irons slightly to the side and

that's it.

7 Tips to speedy hair

we will get to this shortly

Photo shoot of my work. . . .

ITS ALL IN THE INGREDIENTS , MY DEAR

A CUTICLE SAVED

Lets start the weekly series off with something I have not done....something plastered on every single website you hit:

Support and promote a new product line !

I have a very hard time finding one that cares for the hair the way I think it should.. I stumbled across (although-not personally tried yet) a line of new products for curly - frizzy hair that show tremendous promise - how do I make that assumption without using them ?

As chemist's do:

Exclusively by: THE INGREDIENT LIST

Its rare that I find products that reach my expectations for hair, coming from different specialties. Many think my expectations are ridiculously high, but I have worked with over 10,000 heads of hair...I know the repurcussions of products with lousy ingredients. Manufacturers of products use 100 or 200 heads to make their products, that doesn't compare with the amount of heads of hair I have seen and watched over for at least 10 years.

Aveda has introduced a shampoo they claim reduces frizz and unwanted wave by mimiking the natural cuticle. ( With the ingredients they use they have a great shot at it).



S M O O T H INFUSION

S H A M P O O



Daily cleansing smooths and softens hair up to 60%.

• Moisturizes and reduces frizz




• Exclusive plant infusion—a blend derived from organic aloe, maize and guar bean—creates a smooth new surface on hair




• Significantly reduces frizz and unwanted wave, helps prevent flyaways




• Protects against surface damage from heat styling




• Babassu-derived cleansing system softens

S M O O T H Infusion

C O N D I T I O N E R

• Daily conditioning smooths and softens hair up to 60%.




• Moisturizes and reduces frizz




• Exclusive plant infusion—a blend derived from organic aloe, maize and guar bean—creates a smooth new surface on hair




• Significantly reduces frizz and unwanted wave, helps prevent flyaways




• Protects against surface damage from heat styling




• Babassu-derived cleansing system softens hair with a luxurious lather
  
  

L I G H T Elements Smoothing F L U I D

Smoothing Fluid is a great prep before applying flat iron heat to hair that has been dried. It will give the hair slip—leaving a smooth, shiny finish.

• A fluid styling formula that adds shine and movement as it restores a healthy look and feel to hair.




• Plant-based ingredients—like certified organic jojoba—help condition and smooth hair.




• Smooths, and conditions




• Dries with a soft touchable finish




• Adds weightless, free-flowing movement, body and natural shine




• For all hair types

HANG STRAIGHT

Smooth on damp hair from roots to ends before styling. Blow-dry straight.

• For straightening out hair and taming flyaways.




• Certified organic marshmallow root and flax seed blend creates smooth hold, while silica enhances shine.




• For curly or wavy hair




• Coaxes hair vertical Tames flyaways Defies humidity
  
  
  
  
  
  

the products are formulated with the company's plant infusion which includes aloe, maize and guar bean. The infusion is said to leave a deposit on damaged hair that restores the cuticle, mimics the nature of the cuticle and creates a foundation for smooth hair .



All of products use a number of ingredients I use in THRIVEN the Deep Hair condtioner that is a part of 10,000HEADS my 10 step STRONG HEALTHY HAIR Protocol, which I commend them for.



There are thousands of great ingredients out there, it just baffles me as to why none of these companies use them . . . . now I have found one company maybe I can refer to a lot in the future. here is a very accurate little vidoe clip of what we hear as hair stylists out of the mouths of "curlies"...check it out.

http://www.aveda.com/whatsnew/video_curly.tmpl