Highlights Are History, With Photos To Prove It

Your Stylist May Not Like This News, ( the reason for that feeling may be the old cash cow)

Highlights are the most expensive procedure on that long menu of prices at the Salon

Eclipse Technique: Bleach half the head leaving the lengths the virgin color, if needed refresh the ends with demi perm Level 6BA(brown-ash). A very tricky procedure and very expensive - but > OH .... SO .... WORTH.... IT!



Hidden Ribbons technique: MAGMA colored Bleach & Tone in one step. Great for all virgin Level 1-6 Hair (ethnic hair). Applied in minimum amount of 3/4" Ribbons - using foils to separate



Paint Drips Technique: Ends are colored/lightened or darkened. Huge in UK & Germany, Very easy to apply. Use tail comb to separate out the pieces...apply bleach or lightener of choice use foils to separate .All over color the rest of hair.

Hidden Frame Technique: 1 inch of hair along hairline separated away and barrier creamed off from remainder of hair. Lighten or darken according to needs. Color the bulk of hair other color ; here a 7RG.



Single Pirouette Technique: Star shape on top of head parted off. Remainder of hair lightened to Level 12. Star tinted a 7RG.

Block Color Technique: One big block of ASH (deep green-blue)applied to one big panel of hair.

Little bit of a few techniques. A few PAINT DRIPS . . .One All Over color.......then one foil with one layer of highlights and a ggggggreat cut!

Framed Technique : one simple ribbon on each side of the face. Something as simple as this give the feeling of having lightened hair without the dreaded "highlight" routine



Dark Framed Technique. 1 inch along hairline tinted dark.









This is just the "ENDS" ...not Highlights. Paint Drips Gone Wild

Paint Drips and Ribbons combined...... lightened ...........followed by Crazy colors in Iris and Orange

Breath of Fresh Hair : Stress & Its Effect On Healthy Hair

Do you really feel that stress can manipulate something as physical as hair

Wow. What a difference a year makes.
Here is Step 3 of my 12 Step protocol (10,000 HEADS) I finally put down on paper a year ago, I was combing through some old files & stumbled upon it.
I read this and decided - wow there was a time when I was not so edgy and frantic.
The progression of this damn disease - is very apparent now - - even to me.
But, forget that
and read it . . . at one time I could write a helluva lot better than I do now.
This is a decent article and I think tells me I need to roll out the whole Protocol - it really is an excellent protocol and there is not a doubt in my mind I could solve at least 50% of all the hair loss in women in the country.


Step 3 of 10,000HEADS. HAIR LOSS PROTOCOL

Yoga and Hair Loss

Stress and relief of it is a very individual subject.

A lot depends on where your stress comes from. Its almost crazy that as a rule I am suggesting everyone has it. Do you? I am of the belief that everyone has it in one form or another. One person’s stress may be another’s relief, as is the case with children. Some clients will claim their children are the entire cause of their stress and others use ‘hanging with their children’ as a form of relief. So it’s an entirely individual subject.What I’d like you to do if you have a problem clearly defining where your stress comes from is to get a small notepad carry it in your purse for 1 week. Every time your blood starts racing, your anger level rises or you begin yelling at someone -jot it down. Becoming aware of your stress triggers can be a huge help if you don’t know what they are. Once you know what they are, begin the process of figuring out how to combat each one. My suggestion would be to log on to AMAZON.com and find a book dealing with your particular stress trigger. Amazon is great, with one of the most user friendly sites available – so much so , sometimes it scares me by suggesting books I might like…and I DO! Typing in“road rage” or “ dealing with an overbearing mother”. . . it will give you a list of the top sellers in that category. Buy one book for every stress factor in your life and read it cover to cover. It’s a lot cheaper than therapy and they are normally written by the top professionals in the fields you are looking in.

There are 2 parts to this step & that is one.Stress produces many types of mental and physical illness in our society. Some of the symptoms of prolonged exposure to stress are headache, brain tissue damage, high blood pressure, weakening of the bones, depression, anger, fear, nervousness. The list of stress related ailments is truly staggering .The abuse of drugs or alcohol are used as common coping mechanisms with chronic stress. There are scientists out there that feel stress can even cause cancer and I have a tendency to believe them. One of the absolute necessities of this step is Part 2: Yoga. Every client that wishes to have healthy hair is required to practice YOGA at least 3 times every week, I prefer 4, 3 will do. YOGA can have a profound effect on stress and on your hair. YOGA offers many techniques which are designed to release the tension of accumulated stress. The use of hatha YOGA postures, specific yogic stretches, as well as the breathing exercises can thoroughly wash away the symptoms of stress. YOGA also provides the psychological means for releasing your stress with the use of techniques such as Pranayama (breathing) and Meditation. Even more important to the cure of stress is the philosophy of YOGA. When YOGA is truly fathomed it can dramatically alter your view on life and the world thereby restoring your feelings of self -worth and personal meaning…which gives you a feeling of deep power and control.

According to the world expert on female hair loss, Elise Olsen MD, she has written that she is undecided about whether or not stress affects hair loss. I am not. She is a doctor and works in a Lab, I admire a lot of her work and if it wasn’t for her there is a lot we would not know about hair loss, especially female hair loss… …she just does not see the amount of hair clients that I do and in my opinion there is nothing that beats HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE…nothing. I certainly am not smart enough to acquire an MD certificate so I do admire most everything else about this woman. She has written the only HAIR LOSS TEXTBOOK in existence which I have read twice and study all the time.

When I give clients the 10,000HEADS Protocol I ask that they follow all 12 steps religiously. I even have them sign a “commitment paper” as a mini-ritual that hopefully gets them hyped up and committed. Being a little more than stupid, I know that everyone does not follow all 12 steps religiously…if they did they would be truly remarkable people, it is an extremely tough task…most follow 6-7 maybe 8 steps. For the 85% success rate I quote, an individual needs to follow all 12 religiously. After some Trials I ran out of my mini-Lab over the course of 6 months, I came up with the numbers I quote.

3 weeks ago I had a long time client come in with a completely new head of hair and I was stunned. This is a 52 year old female,w/ a super high stress job, but with an otherwise very comfortable upper middle class life. She started the program because of the terrible hair ‘fall’ issues; she was losing hair in her brush, on her pillow and was freaking out about it. “Appearance” is part of her very successful job. She was doing all the steps except Step 3 & 12. Stress & the Secret Weapon supplement and I knew it. Plenty of clients end up with Step 12 as the “one” that makes the most monumental changes, it deals with what the body is missing as far as vitamins & minerals. Step 12 is the one step that changes the most peoples hair. This is the first case I could pin the dramatic change to YOGA. I didn’t know it, but she had started YOGA 3 months prior to her coming in, so it turned out Stress was her trigger point {Trigger point is what has triggered your body into shedding hair}.If she had practiced all 12 steps right from the beginning, she would have had a full year of great hair, but there was no way of knowing that .She is on Cloud Nine now…she has better hair than she has had in over 25 years and I am thrilled for her. She also has said how wonderful YOGA has been for her overall general health , her marriage and her overall happiness and was very grateful for me continually bugging her to go to a class.With YOGA you are empowered by a deeper self understanding and personal value with this new attitude you will find that you are able to cope with stress more effectively.Mental control, intellectual acuity, stress free psychological health, physical health, vitality, plus emotional healing and balance, area all the wonderful by-products of YOGA practice.

Yoga should be the primary component in your stress management program.If you do not have a yoga studio near you then head on over to http://www.yogajournal.com/ and look up what their recommendations are for a good DVD or VHS tape. My one suggestion would be the Ana Forrest YOGA – DVD. I found her style pleasant although am not sure if she has a beginning version or not. Everyone needs to get permission from their physician before beginning any type of physical activity. YOGA was my saving grace after radiation, I was super weak, and the best part was there was absolutely no pressure to be any better or to keep up with my neighbor, it is the only activity I have ever done that has not an ounce of competitiveness involved in it. You participate at your own level no matter what it is.

Added bonus: Within the practice of YOGA there are many position where you are upside down they are called INVERSIONS. Being inverted for a few minutes at a time has the blood in your body rushing to your head, That blood in your head nourishes the hair follicles, which in turn after a month or two will begin to make a difference in your hair.

In addition I have a couple of Pro-surfers that see me for their hair loss issues, both have studying Yoga for over a year, alongside the hair thickness side effects > they both claim it has improved their surfing more than any other activity ever has – these 2 are in the top 20 Professional surfers in the world.

The delights and treasures that YOGA bring to your life are vast….having yoga work on relieving your stress should be what you set your mind to. Physiological advantages of YOGA· Stable autonomic nervous system equilibrium, Pulse rate decreases· Respiratory rate decreases· Blood pressure decreases· Galvanic skin response (GSR) increases· EEG-alpha waves increase (theta, delta, and beta waves also increase during various stages of meditation)· EMG activity decreases· Cardiovascular efficiency increases· Respiratory efficiency increases (vital capacity increases, breath-holding time increases)· Gastrointestinal function normalizes· Endocrine function normalizes· Excretory functions improve· Musculoskeletal flexibility and joint range of motion increase· Posture improves· Strength and resiliency increase· Endurance increases· Energy level increases· Weight normalizes· Hair health improves· Sleep improves· Immunity increases· Pain decreases - your life changes it truly does.

I have decided to devote one month to a step with February being STEP 3 - STRESS - I know there is only a few days left, but I can also see losing people interest on this step... a lot was said in just today's post. We shall see.
There are 12 Steps, I will double up on one other month then each month you will be given another Step until we are completely finished in December.

You will solve a lot of your hair health when you get real with yourself & with life, as well.
NO B/S, I don't have time for that so I hope you please try to understand that.

I am going to apologize for the crappy writing I am producing now...after reading this I realized that at one time I had it a little more together than I do now.
I just hope you all understand....maybe I will slow it down a little.

Killerstrands POLICIES on Purchases

Policies
Killerstrands 480 Paseo Camarillo # 306 Camarillo, CA. 93010 805. 300.0656
OFFICE HOURS: Monday through Friday: 12 p.m.- 8 p.m. Pacific Standard Time

KILLERSTRANDS POLICIES
Ordering:
There is a minimum order of $12.50.
Orders should be placed online using either PAY PAL or GOOGLE CHECKOUT . . . if interest continues to grow we will be adding a shopping cart. If you encounter any difficulties, please contact us and we'll be glad to assist. You don't have to create an account to use our site, however we welcome you to register if you'd like to do so.
For those who do not want to give credit card information online, PAY PAL & GOOGLE check out are perfect as I never even see it, that's why I like it. In addition the entire transaction takes place through their site not mine and it takes you exactly where you need to go + if you are not happy it gives you a "Big Brother" to speak to about your issues.... if need be ( i don't look forward to that day) .
All orders must be prepaid by Google Check out or Pay Pal (using any of their methods). Orders paid via Pay Pal e-checks will be held until Pay Pal advises your funds have been received. This can take 4-6 business days or longer, depending on your bank. We reserve the right to cancel orders shipped to unverified Pay Pal accounts. Orders not paid for within 10 days will be canceled from our system.
If your shipment is urgent, and you’re choosing an expedited service (UPS Next Day Air, and the like), don't hesitate to contact our office for specific shipping assistance.

International Orders: We do ship internationally utilizing USPS International Mail. Due to recent fraudulent activity, we will no longer ship to anyone or any other address but the Bill To party. Please do not ask us to declare your merchandise as Used Goods, Gifts or Samples. We are required to include commercial invoices on all shipments and we do so without exception. We add a $5.00 handling charge to international orders to cover the additional documentation and time needed to complete these orders.
We check calculated charges against actual shipping and will adjust your invoice as necessary and advise you accordingly. International shipments must clear customs in their destination countries. The buyer is responsible for customs duties and fees. Please note, we're advised UPS charges for customs clearance are substantially higher than shipments sent via international mail.

Cancellations: Because we strive for a rapid turn around of your order, you may cancel or change your order within 1 hour of when you place it, unless it has already shipped. Orders cancelled after the payment has processed will incur a 5% processing cancellation fee. Orders cancelled after shipping, but prior to delivery, will incur a 20% restocking fee, plus the cost of shipping and return.


Shipping:
Killerstrands will ship orders inside the continental U.S. using USPS Mail service. Mail generally takes 3 to 5 days, excluding the day of shipment, Sundays and holidays. Our cart cannot calculate Priority Mail Flat Rate box charges, or determine if your order can fit in one. However, we can and will use this service where possible and adjust your Priority Mail shipping charges accordingly. The current charge for an insured Flat Rate Box is $9.95 for shipments valued up to $50 and $11.00 for those with a value up to $100. The insurance fee is $1.05 for each $100 value thereafter.
We don't ship COD, nor do we ship UPS collect. We strive to keep your shipping charges as low as possible.
As for now and using PAY PAL and GOOGLE checkout, I request your Zip Code to calculate the shipping charges. As we grow things may change to make it easier & more convenient for you to chose your shipping - we shall see.

If you supply us with an incorrect address/zip code, we will charge you the extra shipping charges that occur for correcting the address or intercepting the package; you agree to this additional charge to your credit card. UPS charges $10.50 for delivery intercepts/address corrections -- please make sure your address is correct!
Shipments to APO or FPO addresses will be sent USPS Priority Mail.

All domestic shipments sent via US Mail are insured at less than or the same rates charged by the post office; however we have our own in-house policy for these and don't rely on the US Mail's insurance program. Shipments sent via International Mail are insured through the US Post Office and claims for loss or damage on these are processed by us through the US Post Office and can take up to 3 months to complete (we're prompt in handling the details, but the international postal system is not!).

Returns: Raw material products may not be returned because once shipped we can no longer guarantee the purity of the products. Defective or damaged merchandise will be replaced by Killerstrands. In the unlikely event of a container leaking, leaked contents will be replaced or a credit issued at our discretion. Durable goods that are not opened and are in saleable condition may be returned. A 20% restocking fee will be charged on all returned items. Shipping charges are not refundable.

Email us for a return authorization number. We will not be responsible for items returned without authorization and items returned without authorization will be refused. We will not be responsible for returned items lost in transit. Authorization numbers should be posted on the outside of the package, near the return address. Please request return authorization numbers within 3 days of delivery and return it to us within 7 business days. After that time the product will no longer be accepted and sale is considered final.

Damage Claims: Please inspect all packages at time of delivery and, if damaged, note on the USPS driver's delivery receipt when you sign for it. All damaged, defective or missing item claims must be reported to Killerstrands the next business day after acceptance of package. After that time, the customer accepts responsibility and will not hold Killerstrands liable.

Please help us make your experience successful by following these guidelines.

Disclaimer: We do our best to offer you only the highest quality ingredients available. We cannot guarantee that any ingredient will be consistent in appearance, color or typical odor from one batch to another, as this may be within the manufacturer's tolerance for a particular product.
In the event of loss or damage, Killerstrands will only be liable for the actual cost and or replacement of the merchandise.
We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone.

Killerstrands prices may change at any time without notice.

Privacy: We promise that none of your personal information will be shared in any way with anyone.

Fancy Meeting You Hair . . .

couple of Killerstrands monthly reminders...







just to keep you aware of what to avoid to help hair be strong & healthy...all 12 of these I have witnessed myself change in people when they have quit - their hair improves - substantially.



Just this week a long time client ( my closest,die hard clients still drive to my home - they refuse to give up on me)of mine quit smoking of about 25 years when she had booked some plastic surgery...so I decided to tell her again my theory on smoking and the health of hair, when she was NOT smoking. I have been watching her healthy hair go down the tube in the last few years See > though she had great hair for 47 years,it caught up to her, and when it did it moved very quickly. She quit 4 months ago and this appointment her hair was beautiful, healthy, shiny and full of luster AND her sides have grown in..I honestly think she has not returned to smoking because of the health change in her hair.

Which is terrific.

Just send me an email with "Product Order" in the Subject, I answer those first.

With every order comes a detailed color formulation work-up, I will help you calculate exactly what you need for your individual CRIB COLORIST formula.

The Color charts to all the lines will be posted this week-end, when asking for a color formulation work-up the one and only true way for me to help is for you to send me at least 2 photos of your hair up pretty close - I never realized how much the sense of touch and sight were imperative to color formulation - until I began doing it Online!

Once we determine what you need I get your zip code to calculate shipping charges, then send a "REQUEST FOR FUNDS" through PAY PAL, which has turned out to be the most simple - easy and Secure methods of web paying there is, everyone has loved it so far.

All my hair color comes with

• the appropriate developer/ Wella Koleston Perfect Permanent color- $16.00\ tube


• gloves / Wella Color Touch - Demi Permanent - $18.00\ tube


• tail comb (for parting) / Renbow Colorissimo - Ren Color - Crazy Color-$18./$16./$11.


• free sample of THRIVEN


• plastic cap / Redken Levitation Oil Bleach - $20.00 \ 1 Kit=2 apps. 2 Comes with 2 volumes/suggest: 20 vol. & 40 vol.

All other items can be quoted as well. . . . . MAGMA the COLORED bleach is available this is is the most amazing but expensive product...bleaches

and tones in 1 STEP!! There are reds & cool blonde's

ONLY so far.

Top 5 Reasons February Doesn't Suck . . . .

Top Five Reasons Why February Doesn’t Suck:
By Chris www.shoeboxblog.com

1. The weather. No, that’s wrong

2. Summer vacation is just around…no it’s not.

3. You can start wearing…wait. No you can’t.

4. Valentine’s Day was happy. If you were already happy.

5. It’s two days shorter than the other months. But not this year.

A New York Times article suggested that John McCain had a sexual relationship with a female lobbyist. An indignant McCain responded, "I did not have sexual relations with that woman... Okay, let me rephrase that.

"The Teamsters are backing Obama. Look for this development to be reflected in Obama's new slogan: The Teamsters Are Backing Me. You Got A Problem With That? Yeah, I Didn't Think So.

A Navy missile has shot down a failing U.S. spy satellite, marking the first time in years that military officials have been able to say, "We meant to do that" and mean it.

Oil prices are up again near $100 per barrel. Senior oil executives are saying, “mwaa, aa, aa, aaaa!!” while rubbing their cold, bony hands together.

Florida schools are only now officially allowed to use the word “evolution.” Even the creationists are happy about this because it makes it way easier than saying, “we deny that dinosaur monkey can hail a cab now changey thing.”

A magnitude 6.0 earthquake hit Nevada this morning, but the damage was not wide-spread because when shock waves got to Vegas, they stayed in Vegas.

Chinese officials are using algae-munching fish to clean up one of that nation's most polluted lakes. The fish are especially effective because after eating, they're always hungry again an hour later.

St. Patrick’s Day is causing a dilemma for Catholics this year because it falls during Holy Week. Church officials are recommending their standard approach of party/feel guilty, party/feel guilty.

Pop star Pink says the end of her 3-year marriage is "not about cheating, anger or fighting".

So it's probably about fighting, cheating, and anger.Lindsay Lohan's mom assures us that her daughter’s nude photo shoot recreating a famous session by Marilyn Monroe was a "tasteful and artistic honor to the late icon, especially her boobs".

I got a chuckle . . . hopefully you do ;)

Sometimes the best thing in life, can be a chuckle

Toner or Tone Him; Either Way its a Kick Ass Solution, For A Way Too Common Hair Problem

Toners are a long time celebrity secret,

not the colored conditioners they try to sell you

As I wrote this I realized that I keep forgetting to point out the celebrity WHO-HA that I have been involved with. I leave myself notes to use celeb photos...and forget as well ....why? I don't like people to set unexpected & unrealistic goals, and that happens with the celebrity race. I dislike using them as a reference, think society has gotten all out of whack about them and gone apeshit crazy over the bizarre worship. Some of my best friends have been in the genre and , Holy Batshit - Batman . .they're as nutty as the rest of us.

RENCOLOR TONERS: Notice the
Coral Rose and the Petal Rose !
they are gorgeous!

I have lived and worked in that business for close to 30 years, in 2 completely different aspects, but still. I have 2 daughters, both successful, one a film Producer http://imdb.com/name/nm1362747/ at the age of 26; has produced 4 studio Feature Films and is the youngest member of the Producers Guild of America. The other a photographer, a very successful independent photographer http://www.cheyenneellis.com/ shoots a lot of celebrities and is a master of that program you've all heard of: Photo Shop. Through all of that you cannot believe the amount of hair facades & tricks I have been around, seen and invented.

All of them .

I know everyone is interested in celebrity "everything", I am just trying to point out that most of what I say comes from that world, I just neglect to point it out most of the time - I hope you will remember that. Toners are a total celebrity luxury, and they really don't need to be. Applying a toner is so simple and so easy. . . anyone can do it, they really can.

TONER: A pastel color to be used after lightening

Toners are semi permanent, demi permanent, and permanent hair color products that are used primarily on lightened(pre-lightened) hair to achieve pale and delicate colors. They are applied to the lightest degree of contributing pigment that remains after the de-colorizing process. You may hear the term "double-process" application in association with a Toner. That means the first process is the application of the lightener; the second process is the application of the toner.

I try to explain it to newbie's in the chair using the reference to a "Nylon" on a leg. The leg is one color(white) and if you want it to look tan> you don't buy brown tights...you buy a "tan" colored nylon, opaque - sheer nylons. That is what a Toner is.... Opaque-sheer-pastel-color that slips over the hair. So you slip the nylon on the leg and poof - you have a Tan leg. Same thing with blond hair, applying the toner is exactly like the nylon, only the toner covers all the strands of your hair with the opaque-sheer- pastel color.

Why do I say "anyone can do it"? What's the difference between this color and any other? The hardest part of this process? Access to getting them!

A toner is a very light color usually a Level 10, sometimes a Level 9 or even an Level 8. So its a very light color to make it a toner, the goal is only to deposit color so one uses a 6 Volume - 10 Volume - 15 Volume - 17 Volume - are the 4 levels of Peroxide I have in my Lab for this purpose.

{ Remember like a "nylon"} . So you have a low volume peroxide and a HIGH Level of Color which makes for "NO" lifting action. Therefore the chemical reaction is very mild, no color is being lifted out of the hair....so you don't need gloves (use them anyway) , the color does not stain your hands, or the furniture!, and there is NO line of demarcation, so you can kind of slap it on {although "I" never do}, being careful to make at least 1/2" parts to apply the product. Its just not that critical - I have put them on myself {a LEVEL 8RG-red-gold} without even looking at the back, just doing it by feel. Apply it every where then comb it through.... wham bam thank you mamn.

Its even easier than applying those color conditioners, it truly is because there is NO MESS from the color pigment. ++ the biggest advantage to me is you are not screwing your hair up for your next color. Just be sure to apply the last toner application 2 weeks before your next appointment or the next time you will color your hair.

What do you need to apply toners? I use the tint brush and tint bowl method, I'm a colorist, I doubt I will ever be able to break that habit. But truthfully - for a toner - those dumbass bottles I see at the beauty supply should work just fine > If you buy Color Touch, the ratio is 1:2 which makes up 6 whole ounces of product with one tube. One tube will do 1 head of super long <> super thick hair. Everyone else may get 2 applications out of the one tube. I have re-priced the Colour Touch, as it comes with the developer, tail comb and gloves for $18.00 - so its my homemade Kit <> THE RIGHT WAY.

Toners & Uses(samples)

• Toning highlights to give warmth ( gets ride of 'gray' highlights)


• Color Touch 9/36-Light Golden Violet Blonde (sugg.)


• Tone down Brassy highlights - CT 10/01 Lightest Ash Blonde


• Platinum toned Gwen Stefani style- combined Colour Touch 10/89 + CT 10/7 Cafe Latte


• Tone blocks of platinum - silver - CT 8/81 Silver


• Molly - I used 10/6 Lightest Violet Blonde - was out of 10/89 the strongest yellow-killer


• Coral Rose - RenColor - for Fun And Fashion!

If you click on these charts these are the Color Touch Color Charts, the top 2 rows are the colors usually considered "toners".

I suggest studying these charts just spend some time looking at them, it will help the "level system" sink in. We will review them again and some additional ones, but for now try to become familiar with them.

Now to order any of the dozens of Professional toners I have - - - please join our Group . . . so you have access to our UNDERGROUND STORE .

First apply to the Group which gives you access to the Store :

http://groups.google.com/group/killerstrands?hl=en

We have lots of Goodies there . . . . for hair health and hair color. . .

The Real McCoy or Fake-y : Hair Products Up For Review

The dark side of the beauty industry : DIVERSION of hair products

How many times have wondered about those high end hair products that have sprung up in very weird sources like Target....CVS.....Longs Drug..... Rite Aid and so on? I do all the time and I know what the rules, laws and codes are.

The topic of DIVERSION has long been talked about to industry professionals, and have never understood why they don't talk to the public about it, I sure the hell would want to know - I bet you would too.

Diversion: the act or an instance of diverting from a source

Diversion is the unauthorized distribution, buying and selling of professional products to unauthorized outlets outside of the professional industry. Perhaps you've seen professional hair care products sold in your neighborhood grocery store, drugstore, pharmacy or on the Internet. Most likely, these products were acquired through a "collector" who, by operating in a "gray market", acquired these products from various sources and, once they collected enough product, sold them to a mass distributor who specializes in selling "gray market" product to unauthorized retail establishments.

It baffles me that the stores buy them, if more people reported them or didn't buy the products the problem would be eliminated. Not trying to blame the wrong people, just trying to make it clear how to get rid of it.

Professional companies like Joico, Redken, ISO, Wella, Matrix, etc., and so on DO NOT sell their products to drug, discount, stores - they just don't. Part of their agreement & policy with hair stylists is that they will only sell their product to Salons so that the customer has to get the product at 'the' Salon. Its a kind of a Gentlemens agreement they have had for many years and they do stick to it. The manufacturers will only guarantee their product if its bought at a Salon. If you buy those products at those stores you are taking a giant risk in my opinion.

The products in those stores are not supposed to be there, Period. They have gotten there by one of two ways - both wrong.

#1)There are companies in China, Taiwan, the Philippines, etc. that have gone to the trouble of duplicating the bottle and packaging of your favorite products. Stuffing it with some random concoction of ingredients, and selling it for the 'real' thing. Yep - they are completely bogus.

Today while I was waiting on a prescription , because I was contemplating writing this post, I meandered over to the aisle, found a bottle of Biosilk, opened it, sampled a little and was horrified. I used Biosilk for years (before I learned about ingredients & cosmetic chemistry), I know exactly how it should feel, and smell. This formula was full of some liquid laced with over 50% alcohol,it was no where even close to what it should be. So there it was....my sign for today on what to write! Not only was there none or very little of the cyclomethicone or dimethicone necessary to protect your hair (the most expensive ingredient) I checked the list of ingredients and they did not have a preservative listed. That can be a very dangerous avenue, products can become contaminated without the proper preservative as I have spoken about before. Its not the Preservative that is dangerous its the amount of it , that is crucial. But having none, is not what you want to see.

These companies fill the bottles with the wrong ingredients...in bottles that look exactly like the original - then sell them to you for as much as 15% higher than they should be. Please don't buy them in those stores, for your own good.

#2) The second method? Companies that have the real product, that are old -- way past their shelf life and should have been thrown away - decide to re-sell them to another outlet. So there are some that are in fact, real, but past their shelf life. Again, they charge too much for them and the safety is compromised with an out-of-date preservative.

There is virtually no way to tell which one of these problems is which. But the point is neither are any good, and both should be avoided.

I checked the price and the BIOSILK was more expensive...so I do wonder why anyone would buy them there. Must be the convenience factor. Still, I would guess over 60% are counterfeit, so please don't waste your money or ruin your hair with these bogus replicas!

DIVERSION : help to prevent it, only buy your high end hair products in appropriate Salons or the Beauty Supply.

In The Pink . . What one little Swish can do

Applying one little semi permanent ribbon of pink adds oodles to your style . . .

ask Avril

Why Do I Have (very expensive) "Gray" Highlights?

Does this problem haunt you? Why and how to fix it

A new Killerstrand-er wrote in with a question off my List of "Future Post Titles" therefore the age-old cliche: '2 birds--one stone' fit the bill.

Its an excellent question, & as I told her, for great general questions I am going to have to ask you all to post the question in the COMMENTS section or in the Killerstrands GROUP Forum. I have started to generate an extraordinary amount of email. In order to keep up with the quality of my advice I am going to need to answer more in the Comments section of any post or the Killerstrands GROUP http://groups.google.com/group/killerstrands ... simply so > I don't end up having to repeat myself.

How common are Gray highlights? Very. Even here in LA, I was just in the post office behind 2 women with the dreaded head. I wanted to hand them my card with the comment, please...let me fix your hair. In order to avoid decapitation, I decided against it.

Its nice to hear someone admit they have them so its not just Colorists that see them.

The problem stems from one or a combo of these 4 issues which are all interconnected:

• too-white highlights


• hair color Basic Rules not followed


• "over-busy" Stylist


• Using only 1 Color


• too many foils

1.)Too-White Highlights: The number one reason for 'gray' appearing highlights is having too 'white' > highlights. How do they get too white ? The bleach is left on the hair too long, pushing the color of the hair past the lovely golden blonde stage and over to the bright white stage.

I will gamble that most of you that have this problem have a brown base. You've gone into the Salon and asked for the Jennifer Anniston color and come out with something more on the line of the Golden Girls, sound like you? If you place too many white highlights on top of a brown base...the overall appearance is "gray" . That is just how it looks, and I know it confuses the client. What colors make gray? Black and white. Brown is the closest color to black and close enough within the context of hair to give the effect of gray. Brown and super white highlights -appear 'gray'. Now if you have your base tinted brown first, you have an even higher chance of having that "gray effect".

What stage comes after the too white stage>? the 'breakage stage" which I am sure many have discovered that have this problem - so if you are here - stop the madness and get off the train. Put your foot down, ask for a change or you change Stylists. Please see the decolorization chart posted here. Which shows "how" color comes out of hair as it is lightened. If you understand the process it will make it easier for you to solve the problem.

The second reason they would be too white? Using the heat of a hair dryer. Especially when it says right on the package of every bleach I have ever seen, DO NOT USE HEAT. Heat speeds up the processing, which in turn speeds up the lifting action .. again zooming it right past the "golden blond" stage and up to that old "white" blond stage. Whiter is not better in highlights, nor is yellow the desired color either. Its those couple levels in between, and its not that hard to hit them. Just takes a little practice and using the proper rules and techniques.

2.) Hair Color basic rules that need to be followed - there is a reason Stylists are required to attend a specialized school for 1 year. Even if they did not learn it there > right on the package of almost all colors and bleaches it will say "DO NOT APPLY HEAT" . I was so shocked when I moved from the Academy to the Salon and saw this trick in action. I would say 90% of all hair color specifically says not to use heat. Most color that is professional says right on the package: DO NOT USE HEAT... in giant -- all capital letters, in many different places. Yet, in the Salon every single Stylist I watched in action was shuffling their clients in and out of hair dryer chairs, does this happen to you?

I would worry greatly if a stylist is not even following something as minor as directions on the package. By using heat on a product, especially bleach, you speed up the action of the product which in turn will make those highlights go from a nice golden blond to a raging white. WHITE highlights are a huge no-no by anyone with any sort of artistic vision and eye for the health of the clients hair.

Its also dangerous to apply heat to chemicals not designed to take heat. That is a very basic hair color rule being ignored by these people.

3.) Over Busy Stylist: This person is overbooked, has clients coming in every 1/2 hour or even every 15 minutes -- with no assistants. They "buy time" by slapping clients under dryers ... making them think they are getting something accomplished - by sitting under a dryer, instead of sitting in a chair with nothing "going on". This buys her time to juggle the next client/clients. By leaving the product on the hair too long OR too long PLUS with the heat ... again...they create the "too white" highlight. This stems from being over-booked with too many clients.

. So to use a hair dryer as a means of stalling so they can cram in more clients, is the base of the bigger problem. Too white highlights. They need to plan their day better, clients deserve individual attention, they can hire an assistant ...there are many ways around those issues.

I would rather rinse the color off at proper stage, then apply a deep conditioner, if I need to buy a little time. Everyone benefits from an extra dose of deep conditioner! Especially the hair. Care about the hair.

4.) Using only 1 Color in Highlight formula. Another simple rule to achieve a standard Jennifer Anniston-type highlight is, to use more than 1 color. I never use under 3 colors, with 5 thru 10 my normal array, its just not in my make-up to not use a variety of colors. I don't know how any Stylist can arrive at a decent look without at least 2 lights and 1 dark if not many more. A variety of tones are needed for a natural look.

The idea in hair color is to go for the color of a child's hair. That has been a great goal in all my work and one of the reasons for my success. A child's hair color has dozens of colors in it and that is why it is so beautiful. That would need to be part of the formula for any Stylist/colorist that you see. If the stylist is using only one color, you should ask for at least 3 and if they balk at that you are in the wrong chair...to avoid the confrontation in the chair clarify this when making your appointment. If you have gray highlights, do not put up with them... that is terrible that you are paying good money for a huge mistake.

5.) Too Many Foils. Along with the other 4 reasons, I have noticed that these Stylists put hundreds of foils in clients hair. Yes, that justifies charging more money, but there is no reason to put that many foils in the hair. It will never make the hair color look better if you are using one color, bleach.

If you are only using one color you are making more white stripes which adds to that brown plus white equals gray 'look'. Therefore, too many highlights/foils will only exacerbate the problem.

If you are one of the many people out there with the Gray Highlight issue. Try to figure out which of the 5 issues is the root of your problem, one or all will be I can guarantee you. Either speak frankly with your stylist, get a new one, or join the many that are starting to learn the basics of hair color and beginning to figure out how to professionally color their hair at home with us on Killerstrands. This is not a subject anyone really talks about, but isn't that what Killerstrands is all about.

Talking about any and every issue that no one else will in regards to hair, hair color or anything hair related.

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an excellent advertisment for
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Anyone with Level 1 thru 6 hair color this would be your single best ribbon technique - you could have in those dark locks of yours. Going too far away from your natural color looks odd and many times just doesn't sit right. Level 7- Cashmere beige Ribbons on top of a Level 3-Moka Base is simply Awesome

Tap That OverLap

Bleach Retouches Kill Hair If Not Properly Applied

Skipped right over this subject when I had quite a few of you want the goods on it.... so here we go

I am famous in the malibu world for my:
Top 10 Habits that Destroy & Damage Your Hair
Its not a 'good' famous. . . . its a 'get under your skin' famous
Why? Its silly really
the List is:
frank,
controversial,
to the point,
and most people do not want to admit that 'it' or 'I' am right
about what it says
It's one of those lists that puts a rain cloud over the sunny party, a sad face replaces a happy one...and I think the one that rattles the most cages is the very first habit, so right out of the gate I have most of the human race,pissed off & angry at me.
Its quite funny the emails - notices- and other correspondence I receive randomly when it hits a chord with someone
The 10 habits are in no particular order, they are all equally as bad for your hair...when you have a full clientele coming to you because of your advice, knowledge, & talent- I take the advice I dole out very seriously. Very . I have worked very hard to conquer the hair thinning and hair loss problem I have watched grow to ridiculous levels in the past 10 years. If something is not done soon "balding women" is going to be a very common term not a rare one.
The first damaging Habit? "Smoking Weed"
That is why it gets under everyone's skin
Everyone knows someone that smokes weed, in today's society...Weed is this generations "beer" or "cocktail"...... or relaxation after a hard days work..... and lets all face it-- it is a helluva lot less harmful to the world than its sister > "Alcohol" as I'm sure you would all agree. So putting it front and center on my list, was only done to get people to "pay attention" to the list. That's it. It is not the worst of the 10 habits, it just gets the most attention, which is what I wanted. The more people that pay attention to the list the more we will begin chipping away at the problem of female hair thinning/loss - one of my missions in life. I had no idea it would instigate so much flak from men -- by the way, I've only had men approach me on it (the List is really for women! - men have years of research on their hair loss issues - they have a pill (that works), a Laser comb, surgeries, Lotions, all OK by the FDA -- Women have ZIPPO/ nada / nothing! So I was trying to get the ball rolling for the female gender - that's all, no favorites promise! The issue of hair loss for womenand men are com

pletely different ball games - with different causes & cures from each other...and need to be approached completely different.
On this list in spot number 8 ..is "OVERLAPPING" with lightener.

Which is finally getting around to what this Post is about. Trying to teach you what overlapping is and how to prevent it. This one word is responsible for a lot of breakage on today's girls & its so very simple to prevent... but not if the Stylist was never taught it, nor understood it.
I was hoping if I taught it here, maybe just maybe I could prevent some of the mistakes that leave Salons every day...."from the Internet!! of all places. Your Stylist might not take to kindly to you telling her how to do it....but its your hair, and that should be the Number 1 most important fact. If you see her doing this, I would think very hard about NOT returning to that Stylist....This is very preventable as you will see.
Very.
This usually happens during a retouch on foils.
The technique's referred to a a "weave" "highlight" or "foil" are popular in today's Salons...although the manner in which they are used has evolved and I am hoping that many of the Salons will start tuning in to some of the more current web sites and consider updating their techniques.

To decipher these photos with this program is going to be impossible I have discovered Blogger is not really made to host photo's in the caliber that I have asked it to.....it tries....it really does...And does a pretty good job....but for me to organize these photo for you, is impossible I have discovered.

Therefore,

What I'd like you to do is know that the problem comes when a lazy or uneducated stylist applies lightener to the entire piece of hair you see sectioned off..... instead of stopping where the line of demarcation is....

> That is where "overlapping" ZAPS your hair...

instead of applying the lightener to just the "new growth" they slap it on that entire piece (over-lapping it on TOP of the already lightened piece)

See the Diagram here . . . . .

The proper method of touch-up is to apply just to the "dotted lines" not the solid lines....

But that is where the common mistake is made . . ..

Instead of just applying to the dotted lines, they slap the bleach on the entire piece of hair.......overlapping it on TOP of already bleached hair.

This is what happens with "highlights" and highlight re-touches...


What each of you should do is wait 4- 6 weeks before doing your roots. There is simply no way any of you will have the expertise to apply bleach to 1/4 inch of hair without making the mistake of overlapping - - -THEREFORE, you must all wait till about 5-6 weeks when you have a solid 1/2" of dark roots and are not in danger of overlapping.

That is not hard - nor does it look bad, Madonna has dark roots all the time. This is a very expensive process, that you have taken on yourself...the only part of that process that you must be super careful of, is NOT overlapping the bleach.
It can be very easily done , IF........"IF" you wait 4-6 weeks - before re-applying the bleach which should be LEvitation Bleach and 20 Volume unless you are a level 5 and below.


I would Never apply bleach twice to roots.

if you have this issue I want to email me, so I can clarify it to you. Killerstrands@gmail.com

Please see the Diagram as well.....