ANSWERS TO SOME OF YOUR HAIR QUESTIONS.
WHY SHOULDN'T YOU COLOUR YOUR HAIR AT HOME?
Hmmmmm, you’re thinking of colouring your hair at home?
Well unless you are reading this and we are on yet another lockdown and there are no hairdressers open, then back away from that box!
I understand that it is a lot cheaper to do your own hair but it’s a false economy. If you get it wrong it’ll be a lot more expensive in the long run. Let me tell you why.
The ingredients in box dyes are much harsher on the hair. It is high in ammonia, metallic salts, PPDs to name a few.
So as a hairdresser I must explain some of the things we have to ask ourselves when a client sits in our seats.
Do they have grey hair?
What condition is the hair in?
Has the hair been coloured previously or is it virgin hair?
What undertone colours are there?
Are they on any medication which could affect their hair?
Do they have any allergies?
And it goes on……………
There are four big mistakes that I generally see when a client sits at my chair after doing a home colour.
1/ The colour they used really grabs and is way too dark, especially around the hairline where there is normally more grey.
If this happens then the colour needs to be stripped out which is where the big bucks come in. We have to go through a bleaching process to strip the colour out. We need to do this gently so as not to over process and damage the hair and then once we have it at the correct lightness we then re-colour with a lighter shade. This obviously is time consuming and due to this it can be quite expensive.
2/ Root glow, a different colour and peroxide is usually needed for the roots to what is needed for the ends. If you have ever tried to colour your own hair you’ll know that it’s really hard to just do your roots. What happens is that you end up colouring the whole head each time so the roots are lighter than the ends. This is called progressive dying where the ends are much darker than the roots. I see this a lot believe me!
3/ When you're fed up of being blonde and you decide you want to be brown. This is the worst! If you remember your colour spectrum from school, you’ll know that yellow and brown make green. Not the look I think you’re looking for. Our Colour Experts at Avalon Crouch End Hairdressers know the right colour to suit and it usually isn’t one colour we also know when to pre-pig the hair so as not to turn the hair green. So please bear this in mind when you're feeling the brunette look.
4/ You’ve been dark for so long, you want to be blonde.
This is very fiddly and awkward to do. Check out my instagram videos on how to hi-light your own hair and you’ll understand. This was taken during lockdown one when we didn’t know how long we would be locked up for. If done wrong it can be disastrous for your hair and is something that REALLY needs to be done professionally and gradually. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don’t do this at home if the hairdressers are open!
IS DRY SHAMPOO BAD FOR YOUR HAIR?
Well let's just start with the fact that this is most definitely not a shampoo in a can! It does not clean your hair. You basically use it to dry out any oils in the hair and as a bonus it adds body to the roots which gives your hair some body and lift instead of that greasy flat look some of us have, including myself. So it doesn’t take the grease away, it’s just less noticeable. But is it bad for your hair? Well generally, I’d say no however you do need to shampoo your hair every two to three days so as not to get a build up of this wonder spray. If you don’t then yes it is. The buildup of dirt and grease on the scalp can lead to a bacterial infection called folliculitis which can then lead to hair loss. So please make sure you don’t keep spraying!!
Ask the team at Avalon Hairdressers Crouch End for more advice on how to stop greasy hair.
IS IT WORTH SPENDING A LOT OF MONEY ON SHAMPOO AND CONDITIONER?
So you’re at the shampoo section at the supermarket and you ask yourself, “do I just buy a cheap shampoo and conditioner as the kids end up using them as shower gel anyway?”
Well my advice to you is, “you get what you pay for. Buy the good stuff and hide it away from the persky body washes!”
Why, you ask? Well, the cheaper the shampoo, the more likely it is that it has a harsher detergent in which can strip your hair of it’s oils and can irritate the scalp which can lead to a dry scalp. They also contain more water and fillers where as expensive ones have more oils and vitamins which helps protect the hair.
Surfactants are the key ingredients to cleaning the hair, they remove the oils but too much of this can be damaging. The cheaper the shampoo the more surfactants. Have you ever noticed how much the cheaper shampoo larvers up compared to the expensive ones? Well this could be why.
Also all shampoos contain silicones, (these are what make your hair soft). The cheaper the shampoo the larger the silicones. The smaller the silicones the less chance there is of having a build up which can cause your hair to feel greasy.
So what about the conditioner?
Well don’t get me started on the conditioners. I have always personally classed a conditioner to be as important as a face moisturiser. So whatever money i’ve spent on my moisturiser I would equally spend on my conditioner.
What does a conditioner do?
Well the main reason to condition your hair is to coat and protect it from exposure of everyday damage. It helps to nourish the hair so as to help it keep growing healthily and stop any breakage. It also smooths and detangles it so it’s easier to comb, increases the shine and reduces any frizz, all in one bottle!
As with shampoos the more expensive conditioners are, the more expensive the ingredients which give you more chance of actually achieving all that a conditioner promises.
I would highly recommend you talk to one of our hairstylists at Avalon to give you the exact shampoo and conditioner for your specific hair needs.
Ask our Kerastase experts at Avalon Hair Salon Haringey for more information on what products you should be using for your hair type.
DO I REALLY NEED TO SHAMPOO TWICE?
Wash, Rinse, Repeat!!!
Well as a hairdresser I’m all about getting the most from the hair. If one wash leaves you with lank locks then maybe two shampoos are for you. It actually all depends on how dirty your hair is!
The first wash is really to get rid of grease, dirt and any products. The second wash is where the lather created. If your hair is clean then there really isn’t any reason to shampoo twice. We do two shampoos at our hair salon in Crouch End, as we like your hair to be squeaky clean so we can create the best cut and blow dry possible. One of the reasons why we have the reputation of being the best hairdressers in North London.
So the conclusion is if you wash your hair every day then one shampoo is fine.