When it comes to hair, and the way our hair changes throughout our lifetimes, I'm constantly amused by some of the old wives tales and misconceptions we have about our crowning glory. I've noticed that most people think of their hair with a very static attitude (yes, pun intended). Most clients will usually think of their hair as always having been a certain way, and also seem to expect it to stay that way for the rest of their lives. Oh yes, we all expect, or dread, the advance of greying, or even thinning hair, but for the most part people will think, "Well my hair is curly, and always has been," or maybe "I have blonde hair, and that's the way it will always be". This attitude is just plain silly.

For some reason we expect our bodies to change, we expect to battle weight as we get older for instance. Maybe we notice our skin sagging or being a bit dryer, or possibly a little arthritis develops in our joints, but when it comes to hair, it should be the same today, as it was yesterday, and will be tomorrow. But no, that's not how biology works.There isn't really any aspect of our bodies that doesn't change in some way over time, and hair is no exception. I can use my very own son as a perfect example.


When my son William was born, he had pretty much no hair. This isn't really unusual with a newborn, and in his case he didn't grow much hair until he was around 2 years old. Luckily nobody really cares if male babies have hair or not; it's the girls we decide to stick a bow on to try to stop all the "aw isn't he cute" comments, even when we dress the darling little thing in a pink frilly dress. Go figure. 

When his hair finally grew in it was soft, silky, and about as white as a blonde baby can be, it was the color we usually call towhead. His hair was also very straight. When he finally needed a haircut, I cut it in the adorable bowl cut that was the standard baby boy haircut through most of the early 90's. However, as he grew, his hair changed. Gradually over time it thickened, of course, but it also changed from universally loved pale blonde, to universally un-liked "dishwater" blonde. The other thing it did, somewhere around puberty, was to become curly. For the most part it was a very nice large loopy curl that would show up when it reached just past his chin The kind of hair you expect to see on the cover of a romance novel, or maybe a movie about scottish warriors. The only drawback, the unusual (seriously I've never seen it on another living soul) frizzy patch around his front hair line. It started at his forehead, and continued back about 1/4 inch or so. 

Both William and I would struggle with this "problem" for many years. It would stand straight up, and no matter what I tried, it was just pure frizz. We tried straightening it, cutting it short, growing it long, using a smoothing iron, and even taking the somewhat unusual step of letting it transition into "locks". The locks (dreadlocks for those who aren't into the lingo of ethnic hair styles) worked really well. They looked stylish, and on him, they just seemed to work. We kept them neat and tidy by washing and setting them several times a week to keep the private catholic school he attended happy, and for a while we thought we had found the perfect solution. However, it turned out that the shop I had taken him to start the process had used the wrong technique, and with a little research I figured out what had been done wrong, so after a number of months we decided we needed to comb them out and start them the proper way. I spent a few hours with a metal comb gently prying loose all the locked hair, and when I finished that, I started in on the process for starting locks on non-ethnic hair. Somewhere slightly into the process William changed his mind, and decided that he just wanted to leave it combed out, long and curly. So he dealt with the frizz in the front by wearing hats pretty much non-stop for the next 5-10 years. The rule around our house was "no hats in the house, or restaurants," but one day at our favorite restaurant Tres Hermanas, I said, "Take your hat off William," after he took the hat off I immediately said, "put it back on, put it back on!". I never made him remove it in a public place again.

He's 24 now, and guess what? No more frizz at the front hairline. "But how can that be," you might ask? Well, that's the thing, hair changes. Just like anything else in this world, time works it's magic on us. As we age our hair can get straighter, it can get curlier, it can frizz more, less, you name it. It's a strange human trait in many ways. We cling to the ideas we develop in our 20's or 30's, and we just don't see the changes our bodies go through until there so drastic that we can't ignore them. However, when you are coloring, curling, straightening, or just blow drying your hair, it's really easy to ignore the changes. We continue on in ignorant bliss about what's occurring until one day a stylist says, "What do you mean you have flat hair, your hair is curly enough that you can let it dry naturally and look like you've got a perm. You just never noticed!"

So the next time you visit your stylist, talk to them about your hair. Ask questions about its texture, its color, the amount you have, or even had. Work with your stylist to develop the natural beauty and uniqueness that is your own special hair. You might be pleased to discover that the old assumptions you've been making for the past decade(s) isn't really true any longer. Maybe you actually have the hair of your dreams, but you've been treating it like the hair of your nightmares! After all, just because you used to hate your hair, doesn't mean you need to now.
 
 
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We've recently updated our product lines to not only reflect every budget, but to focus better on your hair type and desired results as well. We still carry our favorites such as Aquage Straightening Ultragel Gel, and Kenra Curl Defining Creme, but we wanted to add lines that assure you they were formulated with your specific desires in mind. So here are my top three problem solvers!

I'll start with my favorite new line: Deva Curl. I've wanted to bring this curl specific line in for some time, and finally felt that the need outweighed the costs! This line is based on the "No-Poo" idea of surfactant free cleansing. The No-Poo (lather free cleanser), and the Low-Poo (a little more "cleansing") keep the natural oils for less frizz, while the styling products all work to hydrate (the leading frizz factor), add shine, and encourage the best possible curl for your specific curl type! The Deva Curl line is formulated specifically for those textured hair clients that want to work with you natural curl. If you want to calm your natural curl, read on.

Next on the list is Simply Smooth Magic Potion smoothing treatment and support products. Simply Smooth offers a keratin smoothing "mini-service" that helps smooth, de-frizz, and speed drying time for up to three shampoos (notice I said shampoos, not days). For a $10 add on fee we add the Simply Smooth Magic Potion along with the recommended styling gel, mouse, or cream, and simply style your hair as normal! It will last through 3 shampoos, and according to the manufacturer, the support products can help it last for a week or more! Of course not every hair problem is due to frizz or curl. 

The next product line has been with us for many years, and doesn't deal with textured hair, but the opposite. If you have fine or limp hair, or simply want more thickness or body, you need to try the Epic Volume/Superstar products in the Bedhead line by TIGI. This wonderfully rich and amazing smelling shampoo helps bulk up your hair, the Epic Conditioner is designed to not only be weightless, but also add fullness, and the Superstar support products add thickness and volume while feeling like they aren't even there!  If you usually complain that products look greasy or heavy after a few hours, this line is for you, I promise. Really.


 
 
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Meet our newest semi-permanent hair treatment, Simply Smooth Magic Potion!

If you've read my philosophy of color blog post, you know that I'm not a fan of products that permanently change the structure of the hair. Permanent color can do significant damage to hair over time, whereas demi-permanent color is almost completely damage free. The same may be said for permanent smoothing treatments versus semi-permanent. 

No matter what you might hear or read in Keratin smoothing adds, they can do long-term damage to the hair shaft. I have several clients in the process of growing out damage (some up to 20-30% breakage) from keratin straightening, both clients I've tried it on, and clients who came to me with the damage from other stylists.

BUT, we can now offer a wonderful semi-permanent 3 day blowout as a simple $20 add on service! Simply Smooth Magic Potion is a semi-permanent blow-out designed to keep your hair smooth (either straight or curly) for up to 3 shampoos. That's right, when we say three days we mean shampoo days! And if you would like to extend the treatment at home a daily styling, temporary (1 shampoo), version is available for at home use!

Who doesn't want shiny frizz free hair??

Keep an eye out for the add on special at Schedulicity coming soon!

 
 
I was folding a pair of my husbands pants the other day, and I kept thinking the same thing. How ugly are these pants? Worn, shapeless khaki chinos, blech. Sure, khaki is a neutral, and while somebody else would describe them as "comfortable"; I would call them shapeless. The fact remains, they're ugly. Of course, as Pete would surely point out, they don't get worn to "important" functions. Meaning: they're fair game for any time other than meetings, certain entertainment venues  (opera, ballet, etc.), nice restaurants, and miscellaneous jobs. Any other time (casual lunch, etc), they're good to go.

So here's my question, why? Why wear ugly pants? Yes yes, when your in your teens and twenties and sure that all the rules of the world should be torn away, you can get away with shapeless ugly clothes. Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose. If you don't have anything, your free to say SCREW THE WORLD, I don't have to conform to societies rules, I will be a vegan and be as unattractive as I please (because of course as anybody over 35 realizes, hardly anybody under the age of 25 is rarely ever truly unattractive). I will wear baggy pants that make my ass look 50, I will wear ugly clothes that make people think I live on the street, I will wear comfortable shoes that make me look like a spinster or hipster.

But, if you are 25 or older, and working and living in the real world where you have to wear "appropriate" clothing, why not make even your casual wear fabulous? You really think people admire you because "you don't care about outward appearance" still? You think people are drawn to you because you wear "comfortable" clothes? You really think people admire you because you wear blah colors and ill fitting sweaters and hoodies. They don't. They think you're a slouchy, lazy, slob. Why shouldn't they? Isn't that what you want them to think? Of course it is, otherwise you would find "fabulous, happy, fun" clothes. Notice I didn't say "uncomfortable".

I'm not nearly as strict as the hosts of What Not To Wear, I don't have a problem with faded and worn jeans, as long as they flatter your ass (which is what jeans are designed to do). Slouchy, saggy butt doesn't look good on anybody. News flash guys, take it from a gay hairstylist, I know what your women think. There is not one single woman I have ever talked to that likes a guy to look like he has a saggy ass. If you were in a womans romance novel, would you be wearing saggy pants? Not if you want to have sex.

Faded jeans can look awesome if you pair it with a nice, and flattering blouse or shirt. And a nice pair of shoes. Pete thinks I'm like Imelda Marcos, but actually I have an extremely reasonable number of shoes. One pair of nice loafers, one pair of nice half boots, 2 pairs of boots, (all work shoes). I have two pairs of very nice, but not as comfortable dress shoes. A pair of amazing blue suede loafers for being fabulous, and a pair of patent leather "fancy" shoes for black tie events. A pair of "garden" shoes that are trashed, and miscellaneous casual slippers, sandals, and flip-flops. Honestly, I could use a few more types. I can't imagine why I would have less. I buy high quality shoes, that aren't too trendy, and they last me 10 years or more if I take care of them. I think that's a bargain.

Track suits can be fine. As long as they fit, and aren't unnatural and eye bleeding-ly bright colors. And really ladies, rhinestones? Come on, a track suit is not a rock band outfit. Fringe, glitter, and glow paint looks silly. Do you really think your husband/boyfriend/partner/wife really wants to look like she's walking down the street with an adult sized kindergartner? Please, have some dignity, that's all I ask. But really, a pair of butt flattering jeans is better than a track suit in literally every situation. By the way ladies (and some gents), what is the problem with skirts? Seriously, I look forward to the pleasant weather (which in this area means 75% of the year) so I can wear my kilt. You live in a desert, pants don't make sense. Shorts, yah, but I look silly in skater shorts, and I feel stupid in short "Dad" shorts. So for me the answer is kilt. Yay.

And don't even go there ladies, I'm sorry but, if you are over the age of twelve, for god's sake do not wear leggings and baggy shirts!! They do not "camouflage", they make. you. look. fat. period. Just don't. Please.

A jacket for all seasons is a must, and yes, you are too old for hoodies, unless your in high school. Buy a nice coat, scarf, and cute hat, there's no reward for weatherproof. Look like an adult, and you will be treated like one, and being an adult rocks.

So come and join me people, ugly pants don't always rock!-David

 
 
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We had another great education event at the salon the first week of December! It was an intro class for our new Kenra Color line. We had to attend the intro class before we could take any advanced classes, but even an intro class can turn into a true education bonanza. This class is a perfect example.

The instructor for our class, Twyla, is a wonderful educator. She was engaging, charming, open minded, and obviously very knowledgeable. Most of the stuff was pretty elementary, but one of our attendees had just graduated from cosmetology school, and so Twyla geared most of the class to his level. In some instances that can be excruciatingly boring for more advanced technicians, but in this case it actually served as a catalyst for one of my pet projects, which is healthier, less aggressive coloring alternatives whenever possible. I find the better condition the hair is in, the more likely we are to achieve a more vibrant and long lasting color. 

Twyla and I had differing ideas about the use of certain products, and the back and forth was truly illuminating to both of us.

Before Twyla left we scheduled our next event. It will be in March, and is a more advanced color correction class. We should have some very interesting tales from that one!

Twyla gave me one of the best compliments I've ever had as she left, she told me that she had learned as much as she taught at our class and that she would try out some of my techniques that she wasn't quite convinced about, and I promised to try some products and techniques (one I used today in fact!) that she insisted I would love, she was right.


 

Red Ombre

12/02/2012

1 Comment

 
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I had so much fun last night! My client El has had a very pretty natural light golden blonde hair color for the entire three years I've worked with her hair. In all that time she was growing out her length, and a little damage. We always did a dry cut, very minimal to reduce split ends without taking off length. It was very precise with no elevation to prevent choppiness. By almost anybodies standards she has very pretty hair.

Then one day she walked in for a color consultation, with a head of faded copper red hair! She was looking for a change, she said, so one day she walked into a drug store, bought a box color and was very quickly a redhead, which she loved. Unfortunately, she was having trouble getting the color to hold for long enough. Luckily, she had started with a semi-permanent color, and since reds are often called a "fugitive color" because it doesn't stick around for long, knowing good red formulation is critical. Luckily I know that the red dye molecules (from what I've been taught) have very few connection points, and so when the pigment molecule oxidizes, the attached molecules are very small, and leach out of the hair quicker than other colors. This is one reason I steer clients toward coppers often, the red molecule combined with the yellow molecule (gold) is a larger finished dye, so sticks in the hair longer. As pretty as this hair color is on El, it really won't have the punch it has in a few weeks, Davis water doesn't help, luckily the other thing I know is that if we stick with a demi-permanent color, her color will "fade on tone". Meaning that it will never turn a weird pink color, or brown out too much, assuming she keeps to her maintenance schedule.

Anyway, not only did she want the red, but she wanted black ends. I talked her out of the black ends, at least for now. Black is almost imposible to come back from, and even though it would just be her ends, it was enough length that she might regret the decision of black for many years. So we settled for a beautiful dark plum. It's not quite black, thought it looks much darker in person than the pictures above for some reason, she actually commented that she loved the way it blended into her black blouse. We also agreed an ombre color effect and a new layered cut was the order of the day. I wish she had been headed to the Emmys, she was runway ready!

 
 
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Silkening Power Infusion


What it is
  • a powerful 60-second, rinse-out treatment that repairs and silkens color-treated or damaged hair
Why you should use it
  • it replenishes moisture to restore hair’s silky, natural feel
  • it contains exclusive Algaeplex technology with the healing powers of organic seaweeds and algae
  • it contains no sulfates, sodium chloride or parabens; safe for keratin-treated hair
How to use it
  • shampoo hair with any sulfate free shampoo, and rinse
  • spray Power Infusion on slightly damp hair from 4-6 inches away and comb through
  • leave on for 60 seconds and rinse out; style as usual


That's the basic info for this amazing product, and it's a product I am really excited to endorse! Honestly, anybody who has ever sat in my chair will tell you that I don't often recommend conditioners. Conditioners don't help repair hair. To have healthy hair you need to keep it that way in the first place. However, if your hair is damaged, you can make it look and feel a bit better, and you can possibly protect it from continuing damage (my clients will also tell you that if I do recommend a conditioner, I almost always recommend leave-in sprays or lotions), but you can't "repair" truly damaged hair. This is why I don't push deep conditioning treatments at the salon, although I do recommend gloss treatments for shine, and I always prime a clients hair with a leave-in conditioner before I cut and style.

Having said that, this is as good a deep conditioning treatment as I've ever used. It does what I expect a conditioner to do; it makes the hair feel and look better. By that I mean that after spraying this in my clients hair, leaving it to work for 1 minute, and rinsing. The hair was completely detangled, amazingly soft, and really shiny. I didn't have to use a pick to detangle, just my fine tooth cutting comb, and the hair didn't look oily or greasy after it was dried. To recap, this is not a leave in conditioner, this is a 1 minute rinse out conditioner. So if your hair is fine, or tends to get oily and flat if you use conditioner, you will love the rinse out aspect, and if you have course, wiry, or overly curly hair, you will love the detangling and softening aspects.  


This product is specifically designed to be used once a week for six weeks. I'm not sure what is supposed to happen at the end of six weeks, again, I don't believe hair can be repaired, but hey, we didn't used to be able to color or perm it either, so who knows? If this turns out to be a true "repair" treatment, I'll be sure to let you know, but if not, just enjoy the amazing texture your hair will have after just 1 minute.

This I know for sure, at $30 for a six week 1 minute deep conditioning treatment that actually does what it says it does, this is my top product pick, and the only conditioner I've ever 100% endorsed.

David Martin
Owner, Cobalt Salon & Gallery





 
 
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Today the Cobalt Salon & Gallery staff, and some of our friends from around town, got to do one of my favorite things in our industry; an education event!  There's nothing like an education event to inspire, and rejuvenate the creative juices! 


We had two fabulous educators from Paul Mitchell's men's line, Mitch, stop by the salon for a few hours this morning to give us some tips and ideas in a hands on men's grooming class. 


Our instructors Richard Britton of the Salon + Spa, in Tracy, California, is a top notch educator from Paul Mitchell Systems, and he was accompanied by a future educator Robin Roberts that will definitely go far. We worked on much of the usual stuff, scissor over comb work, clipper work, texture, face shape, and hair density. Everybody was very engaged and willing to work hands on today, which is the sign of a successful class. We also received advice on the use of the Mitch men's line. 


So if you, or somebody you know, needs a decent style change-up, send 'em our way!!


 
 
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a Bed Head by TIGI cut I was practicing a few years back.
I got to do a particularly interesting hairstyle today. It was a mullet. Cue the groaning, but in fact, it was really fun. Sometimes, as I told my client "Janet", who was trying hard not to use the word mullet, you have to think about things differently. Instead of thinking of it as a "mullet" in the horrible cliche sense, 
think of it as a Mullet, a retro style that has been trying to come back, and go mainstream, for years.


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Janet was having trouble finding a stylist that would do it. From the previous cut she'd had 6 months ago, I could tell she didn't get what she asked for. We talked, and after a while I introduced the concept of the disconnected cut. It's a style that has been championed by the well known celebrity stylist Sam Villa, and it's popping up in mainstream fashion in such places as Miley's "undercut" pixie, and last years Project Runway winner, Anya Ayoung-Chee's fashion forward style.






These are really just modern examples of the disconnected "mullet".



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These were the looks I was channeling.
We cut Janet's hair with a side-swept bang, tapered down at the temples to ear so her earrings would show, cut piece-y, and totally disconnected (not blended) from the significantly longer back. 

She was reluctant to tell me what she wanted, it seemed to me that she had shut down with stylists because they had made it hard for her by talking her out of what she wanted, or just not doing it. Sometimes we forget that our client, and their perspective, is the most important part of our job.



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This is surprisingly close to what we ended with.
Once I had her convinced that I was willing to do what she wanted, provided I could make sure it was edgy and flattering, we managed to work out a funky, stylish and modern, Mullet



She totally rocked it, and I hope I get to see her again soon, I've got some ideas to shake it up a bit ;)
 
 
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Sam Villa's "V" cut.
It's so inspiring to practice a new technique! Recently a hairstylist friend of mine "liked" celebrity stylist Sam Villa on Facebook. I followed the link to the tutorial she "liked" and I was instantly impressed, amazed, and inspired. So inspired that I bought the haircut tutorial for the style you see to the left. It's a truly modern "disconnected" cut, called the "V" cut. To the stylists out there, it's amazing the versitilty of this cut; the techniques are very clear, and it's not a cut that takes a long time to master, or execute.To clients, so easy to style you'd be shocked.

Having said that, any takers?? I would love to practice this on a real live model (no worries, I practice the cut at least twice on a manikin head before I try something new on a real live person).

If you have an interest, or if you're a stylist and would like to run through it in person with me, just email me! By the way, special bonus to clients, it would be free...

This cut would be best for medium to long hair wanting a shorter style, and a wide range of hair textures. For this practice I'd prefer medium to (not too) fine wavy to straight hair.

[email protected]