[ back ]
Color My Hair: Back to Your Roots
(by Sharon Mosley - January 12, 2009)
You may not consider missing your hair salon appointment when your bangs start to get in your eyes (Hey, longer bangs are "in"). But as more of us are trying to find ways to save money, we may just stretch that all-important visit past the usual four to six weeks, especially when it comes to expensive coloring. Are we talking roots, anyone?
There are ways to make sure your hair looks good between visits to the salon, however.
Martha Clemence, stylist educator for Fantastic Sams, a nationwide chain of hair salons, has some advice on keeping your locks looking great even on a budget.
MAKE HAIR COLOR LAST:
-- Use a shampoo and conditioner that prevents color loss.
-- Do a glaze that refreshes color between color appointments.
-- Use products that don't contain alcohol.
-- Use shampoo and products that contain SPF so the hair is always protected.
-- Do not wash every day unless you are using a low alkaline product that won't strip hair of color.
MAKE IT YOURSELF CONCOCTIONS TO GO TO THE SALON LESS OFTEN
-- Baking soda rinse: After shampoo and conditioning, rinse baking soda with water and use as a final rinse, which removes any product buildup from the hair and makes it shiny.
-- If hair is really dry, use olive oil after conditioning the hair. As a styling aid, olive oil closes down the cuticle, making hair look healthy, shiny and smoother.
-- Rinse hair with beer to close the cuticle and make hair shiny.
-- Take a comb and press down hair between comb and finger when hair is 90 percent dry. This will make hair look shinier with more bounce.
-- Mayonnaise is good for moisture-deprived hair; it adds plenty of shine.
-- Rinse conditioner with very cold water, which seals the cuticle and gives hair a good shine.
KEEPING HAIR HEALTHY
-- In order to repair dry/damaged hair, the protein has to be substituted. Products that have soy proteins, which will penetrate into the cortex layer, replace what chemicals have removed.
-- Pay attention to your scalp. Brushing 100 strokes is not an "old wives' tale." Besides aiding in blood circulation and loosening dry skin, brushing will help to distribute the hair's natural oils throughout the hair shaft. Shampoo with a stimulating product, i.e. tea tree oil, also cleanses the scalp and helps to exfoliate dead skin.
USE HAIR ACCESSORIES
-- A headband with a side swept bang on the crown of the head is a great way to wear hair when roots are showing or hair is in a transition phase.
GROWING BANGS
-- Angle the sides of the bang and blend in with the side angle so it doesn't look like you have them. This forms softer layers around the face.
-- A longer version of the bang is in; a little past the nose and almost touching the lips looks great.
(set images) smo122308-vis.jpg, smo122308-vis2.jpg (end images) (set caption) Want to get hair color like the Keira Knightley's "deep caramel" or Brad Pitt's "frosted" look? Try out the recipes at home for budget-conscious but salon-style hair color, such as the famous celebrities found in Lorri Goddard-Clark's "The Hair Color Mix Book" (Collins, $24.95). Photos courtesy of "The Hair Color Mix Book." (end caption)
Sharon Mosley is a former fashion editor of the Arkansas Gazette in Little Rock and executive director of the Fashion Editors and Reporters Association. To find out more about Sharon Mosley and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 2008 CREATORS SYNDICATE INC.
[ back ]
