Stranger Things has shown us how to wear 80s hair and we are craving it

Stranger Things crept into our lives in 2016 with not only the most lovable new characters on TV but also showcasing the coolest 80s gear as well. This show has made fashion just as important as the nail biting storyline. But more importantly the hair has allowed some old favourites to return and get us all crushing on these latest looks.

Eleven

Every girl wants to be her and every boy wants to date her. We watched he grow out her shave from Season 1 and go through that awkward phase in Season 2, and we are now met with some very cool tussled curls in Season 3. Teamed with a new wardrobe and a scruchie she brings back ‘no fuss hair’.

Billie

Season 2 and 3’s hottie and also baddie. Who doesn’t love a hot bad boy. With aviator sunglasses, a mullet and a mo the shirtless hunk swoons all the ladies, even the married ones. But we can’t deny how cool and retro that blonde, curly mullet is. It has become the must have look for the local tradies.

Dustin

Sporting the white man’s afro, the cute kid with the lisp has owned his curls through 3 seasons. With or without a truckers cap we all want his locks. They are personality plus. And who can forget the very cool gelled back look for the dance.

Nancy

This girl gets to wear the coolest outfits with a hairstyle to match. Curls loosely pulled up and hair combs to create puffed out sides. She is the girly girl of the 80s.

Steve

The bully turned sweetheart has a great head of hair. A soft mullet with a Johnny Depp style fringe. High or floppy, we love his hair both ways.

Embrace the retro look. It's low maintenance and oh so hot right now!

Could your Purple Shampoo be Damaging to your Blonde?

Purple toning shampoo made a resurgence into our lives via online videos showing hairdressers creatively squirting squiggly lines over untoned hair at the basin. We were mesmerised. Hairdressers chanted "It can't be true!" How could a shampoo do as good a job as a toner? The public was in awe and Instagram was full of videos and pics. Everyone wanted this miracle shampoo. The miracle that is the new age of purple toning shampoo looked revolutionary. This changed the game in toning shampoo. It turned warm hair white, cleaned up old blonde and toned better than most toners. It achieved the scientifically impossible for what a toning shampoo could previously do.

That is because some of these toning products contain other ingredients added into a standard shampoo. It looked liked a shampoo bottle, it has the word shampoo printed on that bottle and it is marketed as a shampoo. But as we know in the Hairdressing Industry, marketing can't be trusted.

Current Australian Standards state that all ingredients must be listed on cosmetic products and unless those chemicals are banned in Australia, it is up to consumer choice whether the purchase the product with those ingredients. A hair product can be classed as cosmetic if it is used on any external part of the body to change its odour, appearance, cleanse it, keep it in good condition, perfume or protect it. Shampoos, conditioners and styling lotions come under the same cosmetic category as hair dye and bleach. Along with skin whitening products. This is why these products are allowed to be sold on a supermarket shelf even if they do contain ammonia and hydrogen peroxide. This is how the producers of certain brands can market their product as simpler products. Similar to what the food industry does with processed ingredients.

I was told early on by one of my product company reps some of these shampoos and conditioners contain peroxide, therefore are capable of lightening the hair and affecting the colours that we perform on the clients. This comment led me to investigate further. I had a few clients who were using purple toning shampoo and had unexplained breakage. The only way any product could remove gold tones and lighten hair is if it contained products that acted as a bleaching agents.

Analysing all the ingredients, I came across one called Guar Gum. Guar Gum is added to shampoo and other beauty products to thicken the consistensy. It is also a derivative of ammonium. The other ingredient that I red flagged was Citric Acid, as in Lemon Juice. The stuff we put on our hair to lighten it in the sun.

So I then asked a Scientist client if a derivative of ammonium when mixed with citric acid could lighten hair. The answer was a strong YES!

Just like 'Sun In' contains Hydrogen Peroxide and Lemon Juice, this combo will lighten hair and then the strong purple tone will tone this lightened hair to clean, icy blonde.

Together, the ammonia and citric acid acts like a mild bleach, lightening the hair every time you wash it. So if your hair is already light blonde, this continual lightening will cause the hair to become dry and brittle and then break. It will also lighten any natural hair, causing it to turn orange or yellow and giving highlighted hair a solid look. Too much purple tone in these products can cause the hair to look dull and over toned. The more orange the hair throws off from the shampoo lightening the natural hair, the more the public use the toning shampoo to tone out the warmth, resulting in over toned, murky, green/khaki, dull looking blonde hair. So you either end up with breakage or a dull blonde or sometimes both. This then makes a more difficult process as Colourists to get the blonde you desire.

I have seen this myself online and in salon. Please see the pics below.

My client who used a purple toning shampoo twice a week for 6 weeks.

'Chewed' was the word she used to describe the condition of her hair. We had to cut a fair amount off to even up the length. 6 weeks later she discontinued the use of the culprit purple shampoo and has had no more breakage and the condition of her hair has improved dramatically.

Just to be clear, I am not against these products. There are some great brands out there doing amazing purple toning shampoos that don't harm the hair, but moderation and correct instruction from your Colourist is the key. I think any salon hair product has great results when used correctly. Once or twice a month as a toner is ample with a moisture treatment applied afterwards. What I do have an issue with is the marketing of some of these products as shampoo and conditioner with recommendation on the bottle to be used twice weekly in place of your regular shampoo. Some brands are sold online and marketed to the masses with no warning or correct instructions.

Currently there is very little regulation in Australia when it comes to hair and beauty products. As long as the ingredients are listed, it is up to the consumer to make their decision. When a product can cause a great amount of damage to the hair and chemically react with hair colour due to build up in the hair, then I believe there needs to be better regulations and more information available.

Until then, this article has hopefully given you the info you need to make your own informed decision about your future hair product purchases. If it seems miraculous then it may just be too good to be true. Always, always check out the ingredients on the back rather than trust the marketing on the front. Choose wisely!

The girls at Birdie recommend Purology Best Blondes Shampoo and Conditioner ($39.95) each or Redken Blondage Shampoo, Conditioner ($31.00) and Anti-Brass Mask ($43.00)

Why your Supermarket Shampoo is Preventing you from going Blonde

The latest and hottest hair trend at the moment is all things Blonde. Scalp Bleaching, Balayage and Beach Blonde are all highly desired and sitting on most people’s Pinterest Boards, but you have tried and tried and still can’t seem to find a Colourist who can get you to that certain blonde you desire.

But did you ever think it may not be all about your Colourist but more about what you put in your hair, with your main culprit being your shampoo and conditioner.

You have heard hairdressers en mass proclaiming how bad these products are yet the top 4 Supermarket shampoo and conditioner brands make up 50% of the total sales. So we know they are bad but convenience, lack of education and just not being recommended by your Colourist could be all reasons why we reach to the Supermarket, full knowing what we are doing is not the best option for our hair.

But when it comes to being Blonde or going Blonde, could all those little nasties you read about that hang out in your Supermarket (or Priceline, Chemist Wharehouse etc) shampoos and conditioners actually be preventing you from achieving the blonde you desire.

Let’s run through the main culprits and their affect on your Blonde:

Ammonium- Ammonium is derived from Ammonia which is present in hair colour to help lighten hair. It opens the cuticle to let the colour penetrate into the hair shaft. The more ammonia, the more open the cuticle. If the colour is a blonde or bleach, this allows it to penetrate in further, therefore lightening the hair faster. In shampoo it is used as a foaming agent to give the shampoo lather but can also open the cuticle causing damage long term such as tangling and knotting. It is also known to be harsh on the scalp and make you more prone to scalp irritations and burning during the lightening process. An open cuticle means more damage to the hair when lightening and a faster blonde lift which results in more warmth and an uneven result. This lightening is also harder for your hairdresser to control and the uneven nature of lightening can cause breakage in areas with weaker hair or hair that is finer such as the crown and front hairline. This faster lightening can also cause the hair to become warm and heat up, creating more scalp sensitivity and possible burning of the skin. When teamed in a shampoo with Citric Acid or Alcohol this can also have a ‘lightening affect’ on the hair the way lemon juice in the sun does and not only cause your natural hair to lighten but your colour and toner to fade quicker. Avoid any shampoo with the word Ammonium in the first 4 ingredients. Other culprits are Guar Gum and Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium.

Silicones- Silicones have been known to be a big ‘no no’ nasty for a while and is used in shampoos and conditioners to give shine, detangle the hair and stop frizz but basically form a ‘plastic like’ coating over the hair making it feel and look cosmetically great but offers no nutrient values to the hair. Over time the hair starts to disintegrate internally as it isn’t receiving moisture under that coating. This coating prevents the bleach or lightening product from penetrating into the hair shaft, causing uneven and inconsistent lightening. A chemical reaction can occur causing the bleach to heat up, turn to liquid and slip right off the hair. This liquid then becomes dangerous if it comes in contact with the skin. If you have ever sat at a salon with foils in your hair and you have felt the foils heating up or expanding, you can blame the silicone in your hair. Again the chemical reaction can make the colour lift faster, creating a higher risk of breakage. Avoid any shampoo or conditioner with silicone present in the top 4 ingredients. Click here to see a list of the 29 Different Names for Silicone

Sodium Chloride- Yes that is run of the mill Table Salt and they use it in shampoos as a thickener so that big blob you squirt out can sit neatly inside your palm. We all love the way salt water at the beach make our hair feel…at the beach, but we also know the long term damage that salt water has on the hair such as lightening and eroding the hair. This Sodium Chloride is absorbed into the hair when you wash it and long term build up can literally eat away at the hair causing fine, brittle hair. This hair type is particularly dangerous to lighten due to it’s already weakened state and may cause the hair to snap very easily Avoid any products containing Sodium Chloride, including some Sea Salt Sprays.

Diethanolamine (DEA) and Triethanolamine (TEA)- These two nasties are known to destroy the keratin in the hair. Keratin is what hair is made of and it the foundation to how strong and dense the hair shaft is. Basically without keratin, hair will crumble. As hair strength is a key component when going Blonde, these 2 nasties are essential to avoid.

Other known Scalp Irritants- The last thing you want when having bleach or lightener applied is an irritated or sensitive scalp. This can cause discomfort and burning while the product processes. The following ingredients are known causes of scalp irritation: Lanolin, Petroleum, Mineral Oil, Propylene Glycol, Synthetic Colours and Fragrances and Alcohol.

So if you are already Blonde or thinking of going blonde it is time to bin those cheap, synthetic products and speak to your Colourist about their recommended products. Please let your Colourist know if you have been using Supermarket products before your colour service because it will affect the way the colour processes and reacts. It’s better to give them a ‘heads up’ first for the safety of your hair and skin. They may recommend a couple of washes with a Deep Cleansing shampoo to remove these impurities prior to colouring.

Either way, now is the time to start prepping your hair. Give it all the love it deserves and your gorgeous Blonde hair will thank you.

Written by Bleachdoll

Follow Birdie Blondes on Instagram for more tips and mini blogs

8 rules to follow before going blonde

Blonde is everywhere you turn. So many trends, so much Instagram inspo, so many choices. Balayage, root stretch, platinum, pastel, sunlights and babylights. The choice is yours and any service in which the hair is lighted comes under the banner of blonde services in our books. Each service needs to be tailored to the hair and each look requires preparation to get the best out of your service.

So we have compiled a list of the 8 things your hairdresser would love for you to do before your blonde service.

1. Thou shall flip through Pinterest.

No matter what you have been told or assume, us hairdressers love photos, as long as the expectations are realistic. Pinterest is the hub where you can browse photos of colours that you like, things that make you cringe and the looks you aren’t game enough to try. It’s the place where you create the board of your Hair Inspo where you end up with a common theme, hence the look you are after. As long as the looks are realistic and the models have similar hair type, skin tone and texture to you then most looks can be achieved or a plan put in place.

2. Thou shall do my research.

So you have found your blonde icon and now you need to find the right person to help you achieve this look. Get online and research. Pick up the phone and research. Send an email and research. This will help you get a vibe for the salon, their blonde knowledge and how comfortable you feel putting your hair in their hands. Check out the salon’s Instagram. Before and afters are a great way to see how experienced the salon is with the look you are after. Don’t put your dream look in anyones hands. Make sure your time and effort is not wasted on the wrong hairdresser.

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3. Thou shall save up enough cash

The golden rule here is never pick your blonde specialist on price. In this case, cheap does mean nasty and a less experienced stylist with lower quality products. If you choose to go blonde you need to be willing to spend the money. Most blonde services will cost you between $150 and $350 depending on how detailed the service is. Not all products are created equally and the colour range your stylist uses on your hair can determine how light your blonde is lifted and how well your toner works. Cheap colouring products can cause damage and leave the hair brittle and dry. Make sure the salon’s blonde colour range contains either Olaplex, Fibrelex or any other plex which helps re bond the hair back together after a lightening service.

4. Thou shall throw out my supermarket products

Supermarket and cheap shampoos, conditioners, treatments, protection sprays and oils do nothing to strengthen, repair, nourish, add shine or do whatever else the bottle promises. Again cheap is cheap and supermarket products are mostly detergent and water. It’s like washing your hair with dishwashing liquid. The excess silicon in supermarket products builds up on the hair over time and can react with the bleach. This build up can cause over heating of the foils resulting in unstable processing and it the worst cases, the foils to steam. It makes it hard for the colour to penetrate through, reducing the ability to lift the colour light enough. After care with supermarket products is not recommended either as they will strip the toner out of the hair resulting in brassiness sooner than expected.

Click here to read 'WHY YOUR SUPERMARKET SHAMPOO IS PREVENTING YOU FROM GOING BLONDE'

5. Thou shall put my hair irons away….or turn them down at least.

Typically hair irons heat to 280 degrees and you are subjecting your hair to the burn of such high temperatures. Anytime extreme heat is applied to hair, the cuticle breaks down resulting in split and broken hair. If the hair has minimal cuticle then it is extremely hard to colour as the hair is so fragile. These shredded ends will also soak up toners more as the damaged hair is searching for pigment to help it rebuild. Overuse of hair irons cause alien antennas, spiky crowns and broken hairlines. They can also burn out your toner quicker, dry the hair out and give you dull, scarecrow locks. If you want long, blonde and shiny hair then we suggest not using the irons at all. If you must use them due to your addiction to poker straight hair, then we suggest turning them down to 180 degrees (if your iron has a dial), using them only once a week and running them over each section of the hair once and slowly to get maximum results. It makes us cringe when I see people ironing their hair how they would brush it. I can literally hear the hair breaking.

6. Thou shall do treatments, treatments and more treatments.

Yes people, treatments are real and they do work. They are more than a glorified conditioner. Treatments are concentrated nutrients and should only be used once a week. We suggest once a week for 4 weeks before you decide to go lighter. This fills the hair with goodness and preps it for the lightening process. Buy a good quality blonde hair treatment and if possible from the salon that will be lightening your hair. This way the product is tailored to your hair and the upcoming service. Do I need to repeat that a supermarket treatment is not a real treatment so don’t waste your time and money. Pay a bit extra and your hair, and hairdresser will thank you for it. Now if you don’t have time to do the whole hot towel, leave on for 20 min deal, just do the treatment in the shower for 5-10 min. I always say that something is better than nothing and the treatments these days are designed for our time poor society. Alternatively, put the treatment in your hair before going to bed and sleep with it overnight. Make sure to put a towel over your pillowcase so as not to make a mess.

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7. Thou shall stop my purple shampoo addiction.

We are not saying don’t use purple shampoo. There is a time and place for it and it helps keep the brass at bay longer. By the time you are due to get your blonde redone, the brassiness will be hard to kick. That is the normal cycle of hair. So soaking your hair daily in purple shampoo until it forms a dull grey colour is not doing it any favours. Remember, purple shampoo is pigmented and designed to be used once a week for enhancing your colour, not changing it. All that purple build up is then a colour that the bleach needs to break through, resulting in less lightening ability making the hair throw off a warmer tone. We suggest not using your purple shampoo for a week before your blonding appointment and let the ashiness fade out on it's own. This also gives us hairdressers and indication if we need to tweak the toner and the fading ability of your hair.

Click here to read ‘COULD YOUR PURPLE SHAMPOO BE DAMAGING TO YOUR BLONDE?’

8. Thou shall get a decent trim.

No, Rapunzel didn’t have 4 long, frizzy, split hairs hanging at the ends of her hair. If you want long locks then they need to look thick and shiny. There is nothing worse then when people tell us they want to keep all the length and that length is about to break off on its own anyway. If your hair just won’t grow then you need to read above and see tip numbers 4,5 and 6 to look after your blonde hair, then believe me it will grow. But until then, we cannot save those strings and they just need to be cut of. It might mean a trim or losing 2 inches but your hair and colour will look better if you let us get those ends off. This prevents future breakage, tangling and knots and preps the hair for a fresher, cleaner blonde.

No one said going blonde was easy and it takes time. The care of the hair is essential and if you are not willing to put in the hard yards, then maybe blonde just isn’t for you. You wouldn’t spend a fortune on buying a Lamborghini to then wash it with dishwashing liquid or leave it out in the elements to fade. Your blonde is the same. It is an asset to your look and can make you feel younger, more tanned and stand out in a crowd. So please show your blonde hair the respect it deserves. Follow us on Insta @birdiesalon