JW Hair Design – Hair Stylist

Archive for the ‘Hair Care, Hair Styling Articles By Jenn’ Category

Are you looking for a new hair salon or hair stylist? Are you tired of getting the same hair color or haircut even when you ask your hair stylist for something new?

Then try something new yourself! Try out a new salon and a new stylist! I’ll guarantee you that you will leave with a new style and a fresh new color! No two hair stylists or hair salons are the same and if fresh and new is something you want, it’s worth it!

I work in a fabulous Salon in Larkspur California called Nae’ Salon. It is a small salon where everyone gets to know your name and you become one of “the Family”.  We are a tight knit group of outstanding hair stylists and our salon is clean, comfortable and stylish.

I offer all hair services including hair extensions, keratin straightening, color correction, highlights,and wonderful precision hair cuts! I love what I do and I care about your hair!

So if you’re looking for a new hair stylist  or new hair salon to bring in the New Year with a fabulous new “Do”, come in and check me out! What are you waiting for?

I know everyone is feeling the holiday crunch this year but lets face it, we still want to look good, which ultimately makes us feel good!

If you’re like me, you still want to buy gifts for children and family members but not at the cost of giving up your hair care routine. Am I right? Well, I have a few tips to help continue your beauty routine and still save money to afford all the extras this Holiday season!

If you color your hair you need to keep this as a priority. Extending the time between touch ups will only make it more obvious that you need to color it. In addition, it will be harder for the colorist to cover all the gray with a seamless blend if the regrowth area is two inches out and the ends are faded. Some stylists would consider this “color correction” and would charge you more to correct it! So keep on your regular touch up routine! Every 5-6 weeks is recommended.

If you highlight your hair you might be able to get away with a partial highlight instead of a full head. The top of your head and the sides would be well covered so unless you wear your hair up all the time no one could tell the difference anyway. This could save you $50 dollars or more depending on your stylists rates. Enough for a gift or two!

Also adding a few highlights to the top of your head can stretch out a partial highlight. It would eliminate the sides and the back but could save a bundle if you just need the regrowth touched up and you don’t wear your hair up.

If you’re looking to change your look for the Holidays, consider new bangs or fringe. Bangs are one of the NEW trends we are seeing a lot of lately.  It can instantly update your style and make you feel fresh and new again and most stylists will only charge $5-20 for just a bang trim. Some even do it complementary if  you are a regular client. Save the full hair cut for later.

Ask your stylist when you book your Holiday hair service ( color, cut) if they have a few extra minutes to show you a couple of new ways to wear your hair up for Holiday party’s. Most stylists would be happy to and it could save you a lot if you would normally spend money to have them put it up for the annual company Party. Do it yourself up-dos are usually best if  you want a soft more natural “messy” look. If you’re looking for perfection in an up do, Pay your stylist!! The time you save by having them do it is worth it! Plus, you will have no frustration and more confidence going out that night.

Don’t buy EVERY product your stylist uses on you at the salon! Professional shampoos and conditioners are a must if you color your hair but you can get away with just one styling product! Ask your stylist to recommend the ONE styling product that would be most effective for use at home using your normal styling routine.

The Salon owners hate it when I recommend MY favorite “trick” for finishing off dry ends and flattening those “fuzzy” hairs that stand up on the top of your head (usually new growth, by the way,  a very good thing). I love hand lotion! After styling your hair, before hair spray( if you use it), rub some hand lotion into your hands and when it’s almost completely rubbed in then just run you hands over those fuzzy little hairs and dry ends. It really looks great and feels good too! Then finish off with the hair spray. Save yourself the money on that finishing product and get smoother hands while you’re at it!

I hope these tips keep you in the ” Green” this Holiday season and your hair looking great!!

It used to be that we colored our hair for just one reason, to cover the gray! We didn’t want people to notice that we colored our hair and wanted the color to look as natural as possible! The shades of old were often flat looking and over time the hair lacked shine and vibrancy. The old chemicals used were very strong and harsh on the hair and scalp and often offensively scented as well. The “build up” of old hair color through the ends often darkened the longer lengths making it even more noticeable that is was colored.

My how times have changed! Thank goodness for technology!  Currently, there are hundreds of techniques from single application all-over hair color to multi-dementional highlights and baliage techniques. The chemicals used are only as strong as they need to be for each specific technique and hair type. Stylists today have more control over the outcome than ever before.

We can use the gentlest semi-permanent colors and glosses to refresh the ends or blend in the occasional gray hair. These are also great products to use on young teens or people who want a no commitment hair color or just want to see what it would look like to change the tone of their hair color. These products generally last 6-8 weeks and will eventually fade out of the hair leaving no line of demarcation at the root area. They are extremely shiny and silky to the touch and in many cases the hair will feel as if it were just conditioned, not colored! These colors are often used in color correction as they are so gentle  to the hair.

We use permanent hair color when covering gray or needing to lift the natural pigment in the hair. Going from a dark brown to a lighter chestnut or honey colored hair, for example. These colors do leave a line of demarcation at the root area and need to be touched up every 5 weeks or so.

Often, we use highlights or low-lights in conjunction with these permanent hair colors to give a much more natural multi-dementional hair color result. Highlights used this way often only need to be done at every other hair color service and they help break up the more obvious line of demarcation at the root. This often gives the client an extra week or two of wear before the roots “need” color again.

The newest option in hair color is not hair color at all, it’s extensions!!  Extensions can be used to” try on ” highlights or different streaks of color. Extensions have come a long way, they are no longer just for the young woman who wants really long hair. These days extensions are used to add fullness to short or shoulder length hair and to add demention and highlights to the hair with NO damage or commitment at all. Many celebrities use extensions in this way because of the constant color and texture changes needed to capture the role they are playing.

Everyone is coloring their hair these days, even men!  It is no longer taboo to use hair color to enhance your looks, it is the norm!  People of all ages are doing it, some better than others, but with today’s technology and extremely talented stylists your hair can look any way you want  it to!  Thank goodness for the NEW!

In infancy a drop in hormone levels causes the “baby fuzz” you’re born with to fall out.  By your first birthday your follicles will begin to grow new hair again.

In childhood you have the most number of active follicles producing hair. Approximately a thousand per square centimeter. Your pigment producing cells have started working by now, however, they are not fully mature so your hair color will probably get darker with time.

In your teens those wonderful sex hormones will mess with your hair and skin. Higher levels of estrogen and testosterone can bring about changes in hair color and texture.

By your 20’s you will have about half as much hair as you had in childhood, however the hair is still in great shape. Stabilized hormones and a faster metabolism means your hair will grow its fastest ever.

Your hair will hit its peak of thickness and strength and will have plenty of shine due to the abundant production of sebum at this time.

Diet is crucial at this time for new hair growth. Protein ( the main component in hair) and B vitamins (found in spinach and kale) will keep your hair at is healthiest. Diets that lack these vital nutrients may make hair more dry and brittle.

In your 30’s and 40’s the decrease in estrogen production gradually slows down hair growth. Thinning may become more visible at this time.

There are also fewer pigment cells in the cortex( the hair’s core) of the hair at this time so strands start to become “non-pigmented” or grey.

A slight decrease in sebum production may occur at this time so hair may loose its lustre.

The diameter of your hair begins to shrink so your hair appears thinner especially around the hair line where new growth is more visible.

Declining melanin levels lead to more non-pigmented( grey)  hairs. These also have a natural wiry texture that reflects less light, making your hair color seem dull.

Coloring your hair at this time will add bulk back into your strands making them thicker and fuller. Go easy on bleaching though as these chemicals can cause weekend strands to become more porous and frizzy.

In your 50’s and beyond hormone dips cause some follicles to stop working all together, so you are left with about a third of the hair you once had in childhood.

Most women are about 50% gray by their 50th birthday. And at least half of all women will have some type of hair loss by this age. As your follicles shrink over time the hair typically becomes thinner and more fine around the hair line and top of the head.

Eating well and controlling chemical and heat damage will disguise its true age.

Hair extensions, color, and great hair cuts become an essential part of  our maintenance programs through the years. Skimping on these services will surely show our age.

Now is the time to take control of how our hair ages!

We all love accessories! Some people love sun glasses, some belts or handbags others love designer jeans at $200 to $300 a pop! We sometimes buy them in several lengths, long for wearing with heals, short for flats or flip flops and sometimes cropped for the sporty look. Some people love to buy hair accessories like headbands or expensive hair clips. We sometimes buy accessories we especially like in several colors!

Accessories “Make” the look as one of my clients likes to express. An accessory can take an average look and pull it all together to make it spectacular! Women especially, feel better when they are all put together and polished.

Well, my friends, Hair is the only accessory you can’t take off! Your hair style, cut and color are paramount to your finished look. Why anyone would want to cheep out on their hair, I don’t know! A cheep haircut that won’t hold it’s shape or grow out nicely is like buying a shirt that falls apart the first time you wash it! I mean really, most of us change our clothes daily and have many nice things to choose from but what if we couldn’t take off that shirt? Wouldn’t you want it to be the best quality you could find?

As a hair stylist people expect me to have good hair! Well, I have to work at it too! I make my appointments ahead of time, usually when I leave the chair! Only the best people will ever touch my hair! I often pay for it too! Sometimes I’m lucky to work it into a trade but I’m still working hard for it, usually doing the same services on my stylist as they do for me! I also use only salon products and make sure my appliances are working with me instead of against me. A blow dryer that’s too hot and just destroys your hair is as good as toothpaste that gives you cavities. The problem is I’ve seen way to many people who know that they’re hair care regimen is not up to snuff but continue to use this stuff because it’s cheep or they’re waiting for it to quit working! Then they expect miracles of their hair stylist often blaming them if their hair doesn’t look right. I don’t get it? Why not spend what it takes to get the only accessory you can’t take off looking its best? Then it won’t really matter if the belt or shoes are designer brands, people will be too busy admiring your hair!

Because after all, Hair is your BEST accessory!!

Timing is everything when it comes to changing your look. There are good times, and bad times to do something drastic with your hair. Having been in the business some 20 odd years now I’ve seen and lived thru some of these “Good” and “Bad” times for change.

The worst time for a major change in hairstyle is in the last trimester of pregnancy for a woman. Women tend to get restless and anxious towards the end of their pregnancy and start to feel unattractive. Many women choose this time to make major changes with their hairstyle. Who could blame them with the thicker, faster growing sometimes different textured hair they’ve been given during pregnancy? They also come complete with raging hormones, a very different and cumbersome body,and a blood supply that’s focusing on something other than her brain! (I know, I’ve been there!) At any rate this is certainly a time when a woman needs attention and nurturing and quite possibly highlights (highlights make everyone feel brighter and more beautiful!) A trim or subtle haircut change might also be very welcoming to an expectant mother. Big changes, not so much!

When I was 7 months pregnant with my son I felt dowdy, ugly, huge and very unattractive! My hair was OK but I worked in a shop that had just hired a “big deal” hair dresser from a major city (I won’t name names) but I was encouraged by all my co-workers to give him a try. They assured me it would make a world of difference and give me a new “sexy” more apealing look. Now I gained 50 lbs with this pregnancy so I’m not sure how they thought my hair style would make me more attractive. I was convinced, none the less. Before I knew it I was in his chair with a completely different color on my head and looking forward to a new look.

We had a breif consultation with some pretty basic guidelines. I want to stay blonde. Darker blonde was OK as long as it still felt blonde! And it had to fit in a pony tail.(I was going to be a mom after all and needed the option of putting the hair up).  Well, a few short hours later I looked in the mirror and hardly recognized myself! My blonde hair was now a very dark chocolate brown with those huge very light, almost white, streaks accross the top. I looked like a skunk!!! And that was just the color! The cut was something I’ve never seen before….he started with an above the shoulder bob and then layered, razored, and chipped away at any actual shape that existed within that bob line leaving only a very sparce five or six strands of hair actually long enough to fit into that pony tail. I was mortified, I cried myself to sleep almost every night for a week. How does this happen to a hair stylist? Trust. When you allow someone to do your hair you allow them to touch you, hear about your life and ultimately give them control of your hair. You assume they hear you and are listening to your expectations. I did at least, he came with very good recomendations!  He also turned the chair away from the mirror so I would have a surprise at the end! Boy did I!! My hair is now, four years later, down the middle of my back because of the trauma I experienced. I no longer like to get my hair cut when I’m feeling the least bit emotional. I always look in the mirror and watch every move!

This was a really “BAD” time for me to change my style for a number of reasons. I found out a few days later that this “Big Deal ” hair stylist was on drugs at the time and was fired.  Thank god! I thought I wasn’t communicating properly or something! However, looking back and knowing how I had been feeling at that time and also knowing and talking with numerous women who had children and went through the last trimester of pregnancy. I’ve come to the conclusion that less is more at this special time in a womans life. She needs to be pampered and listened to and left to feel that she still has some control. (The kids can break her of this need for control later!) Save the big changes for when you feel great inside and out and just need to reinvent the package!

Timing is everything!

Clients and friends are continuously asking me “What are this seasons new trends?”

Well, for Spring 2009 I think the reinvention of past trends using more volume and masses of texture will be the current look. Think Brigitte Bardot and Jackie Kennedy with a modern day flair! High drama, tons of volume, sexy and very feminine classic styles. Softer ends full of texture with a full or “fluffy” interior style will be key. Natural textures that are full not “frizzy” will also be extremely popular as we head into Summer.

Lengths will vary as they have the last few seasons but long hair remains on every one’s “wish list”. Fortunately with the texture, quality and longevity of the Great Lengths extensions I use, I’ll be able to transform any of my clients into the look of the season! Full, voluminous, sexy hair with lots of feminine texture!

I now offer the Keratin Complex smoothing therapy, also known as the Brazilian blow dry. It is a revolutionary smoothing system that infuses Keratin deep into the hair cuticle eliminating up to 95% of frizz and curl from the hair, leaving the hair soft, shiny and luxurious.

Hair will be more manageable and easier to maintain, reducing daily styling time. For many, this is a truly life changing experience!

It will rejuvenate the hair, making it soft, silky and smooth. It is “skin care for your hair”. And unlike many salon services, the more you treat the hair, the healthier it becomes. With every treatment, the build-up of Keratin makes the hair:

• Softer and Silkier
• Straighter and Shinier
• Faster and easier to blow dry
• Reduces daily styling time
• Less maintenance

Hair is basically Keratin- So, when Keratin is re-infused into the hair, you are providing “skin care for your hair”. The more you treat the hair, the healthier it becomes,and the happier you will be with your hair!

This process takes aproximately three hours to complete and will last up to five months. This is a great investment in time saving management.

This service can be done on all types of hair and is especially recommended after fresh hair color as it will help “Lock In” the color.

Keratin Complex is also great when treated one week prior to extension services on people with curly or frizzy hair. It will look thicker, longer and “Naturally” smooth.

Please book this service by calling Jennifer today!

Hair is not just a style, a cut,a shape…it’s an attitude!

When a client wants a “change” it is most often her attitude she’s trying to influence. She wants to FEEL different, she’s looking for that certain something to push her emotions over that edge into something better. Most often, small changes offer the most rewarding feelings.

Highlights for example can be used to brighten a gloomy outlook.  They make people feel younger and not so “dull”.

Adding a bang or fringe is fabulous for people who want to feel more interesting or important. The fringe actually brings the viewers eyes up from the lengths of the hair to the eyes of the wearer, demanding attention.  People feel more important when their eyes are the focus.

Springtime often influences shorter new haircuts for the season. After a long sedentary winter people want to feel re-energized and healthy.  Cutting off that extra length takes the weight off of their shoulders, literally, and puts focus back on the face instead of the body allowing the wearer to feel more confident about their new body and lending them inner strength to work out more effectively.

I’ve always wondered why some women say” I’d love to wear short hair but I need to loose 10lbs first” fact is, that if they cut off that hair they would free themselves of excuses and loose the weight.

A great stylist will always look for those signals from a client who needs an attitude adjustment and will have the time and skill to offer small changes for a BIG boost in moral.

Think about this…Over the years do you tend to go back to the same hair style that you wore when you were the most happy and content in your life so far?

In my 20+ years of experience as a stylist I have found that most people will grow out, cut off, color and style their hair very similarly to the style they wore when they were the most happy. They might wear the style they wore as a young student, when they got married, had a child, fell in love, etc… Changing your “happy” hair into the current trend is also another talent of a good stylist, again, sometimes the subtle things bring on the most change in attitude.

Your hair is a direct reflection of your attitude and feelings. Is it time for an attitude adjustment?