Blonde Hair Problems...things to know before you join the fair-haired crew.

So we have all heard that Blondes have more fun but it is definitely a commitment and takes hard work and patience. Heres a few things to consider before taking a walk on the light side.

1. Chlorine can turn your hair green.

Public pools and Balinese hotel pools are the biggest culprit. Due to blonde being so light and yellow based and the blue of the chlorine, the hair can turn green. Avoid cheap chlorinated pools and go with salt chlorinated instead. If you do happen to end up with locks of green, we suggest neutrilising the colour with either tomato sauce or a tin of tomato soup. Coat the hair with the product, glad wrap and leave in for 20 min. Ok it may stink and be messy but its the easiest and nicest on the hair. If that fails to work, then please consult your hairdresser.

2. Your blonde will always lose tone after 4 weeks

That's if you don't use a toning shampoo or conditioner. The toner that we use in your hair to neutralise the colour breaks down over time and fades with washing. The only way to stop your colour from going brassy is with a toning shampoo or conditioner you can use at home. Alternatively, you can pop back into the salon at the 4-6 week mark and have the blonde retoned. This is especially good for balayage clients who don't necessarily need their regrowth done but need a toner refresh. This service should only take about 30 min so its an quick and inexpensive way to keep your colour looking fresh for longer.

3. Regrowth is not always your best friend

Too fresh or too long between colours. That is the age old riddle for blondes. Between weeks 1 and 5 I personally think is the right amount of regrowth. Most blondes don't want to look too fresh but there are also drawbacks with too much regrowth. Namely extra oiliness, less body and the great big black stripe down the middle of your hair. Oh and don't forget the amount of people who comment on how dark your natural hair colour is. There are ways to soften the blow. Try getting a root depth toner, where the roots are toned slightly darker than the ends. This gives more of a natural look to the hair and softens out the regrowth line when your natural hair comes through

4. Being blonde takes work and $$$

No matter what Instagram may show you, you cannot go the perfect, clean blonde in one session. Blonde takes time and a fair amount of dollars. Blonde is a specialist job and with the right Stylist and aftercare, you can hit your blonde goals and stay there for a while. Colour build up, hair condition and heat damage can all be factors in preventing you from being Instagram worthy blonde in the first session. Going blonde is a journey, so listen to your Stylist, look after your hair with at home treatments and put away the hair irons. This doesn't mean you have to be Tiger Stripped in between, but it does mean patience and some really pretty smokey blonde tones on the road to blonde Mecca.

5. Dry hair is part of the process

Yes peeps, your blonde hair will not be as soft and shiny as your silky brunette locks but it doesn't mean scarecrow hair. Any colour process, especially going lighter will involve some damage to the hair. This doesn't have to be major but be aware that the texture of the hair will change. Modern technology in the form of Olaplex and Fibreplex has helped keep damage to the minimum so make sure your Stylist is adding one of these into your lightening service to keep the hair healthy and with maximum elasticity. You also need to make sure you are using the proper aftercare to avoid breakage and add nutrients into the hair that are lost during the lightening process.

6. Blonde is not a phase

Please commit to your blonde hair once you have made the decision. It is a long process to get you there and it takes the patience of a monk so dont decide to go back brunette at your next hair appointment. This will not only frustrate your Stylist but begins the whole frustrating, time consuming process if you decide to lighten up again. I'm not saying that blonde is for life but be aware it is not something you can chop and change from. If you feel the need for a change from your blonde, experiment with toners. There are 100 different tones and combinations you could explore, so brunette doesn't have to be your only option. We all envy the deep rich tones of Salma Hayek, but most blondes don't look good brunette. Just be the best blonde you can be.

7. Not all blondes have to be ash

There are multiple tones of blonde. Ash is not standard. Ash should not turn grey. If it does, your hair has been overtoned or the toner is too dark. If your hair goes green then the Stylist has not lifted your blonde enough and tried to rectify with a toner. No hope. Gold does not mean brassy orange. Gold should be soft and slightly warm. Platinum does not suit everyone. Ask your Stylist to choose the best shade for your skin tone

10 ways to get the best from your Hairdresser.

So you have stalked your dream hairstylist on Instagram, read the reviews and have finally booked your appointment. Yes as a Stylist, we love our job and are very excited to be doing your hair. Here are 10 ways to get the best out of your appointment and make your Stylist love you as a client.

1. We consider ourselves as Artists and art is a personal opinion so please do your research before choosing to book in with us. Just like Tattoo Artists, we all have our own style and specialise in certain looks. Don't just be dazzled by our pretty Instagram and Pinterest pictures. Work out if this look is for you. Can you maintain the style? Is it appropriate for your job? Do you really have the confidence to wear hot pink hair? Chose the best stylist for the particular look you are after.
2. No we don't double book like your doctor does. If we run late, it is usually due to a process taking longer than expected or the client has extra thick hair. If we have a day of back to back long, thick haired clients, this will surely throw our schedule out. Some hair takes longer to lift than others and some people take longer to consult. We make adjustment to the times when we know the client but it can be difficult with new clients so please state when booking if your hair is extra long or extra thick. We will also call you if we feel we are running really late but please don't huff and puff over 15 min. If time is an issue, give the salon a call about 30min before your appointment to see if the Stylist is running on time.
3. We love pictures and we respect other Stylists work as inspiration, but don't be coming into my salon with a picture from a Stylist in the same town and tell me how amazing their work is but you could't get in with them or we were cheaper. If you love that Stylists work then please go and see them. We don't mind inspiration but we cannot exactly replicate another Stylists work, especially when it has been Photoshopped, filtered and Stellar lit. Show is your inspiration and let us do the work. We like to know you chose us after some research and that you have confidence in our work.
4. Please have some idea of the look you are after. It is wonderful that you want to let us weave our magic but please give us a ball park idea. This is not a Makeover show. If you let us do what we wanted, then I am sure you would not like the mermaid/Galaxy/unicorn look we will create for you if your job is a Lawyer. We will ask you open ended questions so please answer honestly. Also be realistic on what your hair will do and your styling ability. Some of my favourite looks have been the simplest things which complement the client's look
5. Please let us know if you are on a budget. Most salons will warn you if the price is getting over $250 but who are we to make judgements on what you find expensive. If money is an option, then ask for a quote. We would rather tell you up front then have you pass out at the front desk.
6. You know your hair the best so if there is anything unusual it does, please tell me. A weird kick, an area that doesn't colour or patches that go lighter or darker than they should are all really helpful thing to know before I start your hair. Saves us a minor freak out later at the basin but in some cases we may be able to rectify the problem if we know about it beforehand.
7. When your Stylists speaks, please listen. If we tell you that you will not be able to achieve your desired colour today or your hair is too damaged to lighten any further, please listen. Don't just nod and then complain at the end. Sometimes I wish we had one of those Telstra 'recording your call' services to play back to clients who refuse to acknowledge our conversation.
8. Please don't lie to us about your colour history. Just like your parents, we can see through your lies. We can see it in your hair. Even if you put a semi permanent in your hair 3 years ago, chances are if your hair is past your shoulders, it will still be in your hair. Even semi permanents will mark the hair and we need to consider this when colouring. Your lies will only make your colour not turn out as hoped so please be honest for both our sakes.
9. Please respect the time it takes to create the look you are after, and time is money. These days we can do double colour processes in the one day thanks to Olaplex but this does take more time and will therefore cost extra. The darker your hair, the longer it will take to lighten. Please be patient, clear your day and bring a packed lunch if you are wanting an extreme colour change.
10. By all means, if after a week you are feeling uneasy or not liking something about your hair, call the salon. All respectable salons will amend your hair and will most likely not charge you if its a reasonable request. Obviously if it is a complete change of mind, there will be charges. Peoples variations and perceptions of a certain look or picture may vary so tell your Stylist what it is you don't like or can't do with your hair and they can rectify it. It is usually an easy and quick fix. Don't ever leave it over 2 weeks to contact the salon and definitely don't go to another salon to get it fixed then come back for a refund. You owe it to the Stylist to let them see what you don't like and attempt to sort the problem.

Why is my blonde hair breaking?

So you love being blonde! So pretty yet so fragile at the same time. We all know that blonde hair requires upkeep and care but there is nothing worse then when you think you are doing everything right yet your blonde hair keeps breaking. Here we show you some ways to reduce breakage and get the most from your blonde hair.

Put the irons down or at least turn them down:

Straightening your hair every day is a big no no and especially on blonde hair. The best option is to blow dry blonde hair and if you must iron it then keep it to twice a week max and turn the temperature down to the lowerst setting. It will still straighten the hair but is not as harsh and will do less damage.

Use Olaplex or a similar hair treatment once a week.

Blonde hair needs lovin care but only once a week is ample. You don't want to overload the hair. No need to walk around for 20 min with glad wrap on your head, 5 min in the shower instead of conditioner is better than nothing at all or sleep in it and rinse out in the morning. We recommend Olaplex No3 $49.95 or Mr Smith Masque $45.

And speaking of treatments...

Keep Protein to a minimum

Protein shampoos and treatments are designed to build fine hair but can also harden the hair. Blonde hair is traditionally hard and grittier so protein will just harden it more and cause it to snap. If your hair is breaking 3-4 weeks after your colour than this could be the main cause. Instead alternate your protein with a moisture based treatment.

Tying your hair up wet or too often

Bleached or lightened hair has had the cuticle removed so the diameter of the hair is thinner than uncoloured hair, therefore more prone to breaking. Wet hair should not be brushed or tied up, instead combed and dried off before tying up. Tying up wet hair also causes bacteria to form as the scalp doesn't have air, therefore will start to mould, which causes dry scalp and dandruff. Tying your hair up too often as a blonde isn't ideal either as the hair ties can cause the already thinner hair to break. If you have a line of breakage that is the same around the head then this is most likely caused form your hair tie. Instead, tie it up loosely or jump on the latest trend and wear a scrunchy.

Always comb hair with a detangling spray.

Before you even put a comb near your head, make sure you have a heat protector/detangling spray in the hair. This helps smooth out knots but gives the hair a smoother surface so there is less friction from the comb, causing less breakage. We recommend Schwarzkopf Moisture Kick Spray Conditioner $29.95 or Fibre Force Primer $29.95.

...And lastly make sure you have a kick ass colourist that undersatnds blonde hair. Do your research and find out who specialises in blonde. They will be able to give you advice on the best tones to suit your skin, the process and aftercare.

#Blondesdoitbetter

In pursuit of the perfect, damage free blonde hair...What the 'plex' is with Olaplex, Snaplex and Cureplex?

What is Olaplex, Snaplex, Cureplex and all the other products that Hairdressers have affectionately dubbed 'The Plexes'. Do they live up to the hype of unicorns blood, shooting stars and angel dust? Is it the miracle that blondes have wished for as they brush their dry, broken hair?

As a Stylist who has been using these products from day dot, I am here to give you the low down on what is truth and what is myth to help you make an informed decision in the quest for the perfect blonde.

To begin, let's talk science. When we lighten or bleach hair, the cuticle is opened and the bleach removes the colour pigment from your hair via oxidation. Any type of trauma to the hair, including colouring or heat styling, will break the internal bonds and make hair weaker. Traditionally, these bonds would remain broken and over time the hair would eventually split and need to be cut, or in the worst case, the hair would break. This is where we have seen extreme breakage when bleach has been overlapped and heat styling is excessive.

Olaplex, Snaplex and Cureplex repair these bonds resulting in less breakage and more elasticity to the hair. These products on their own do not lighten the hair. They need to be added into the colour or bleach as bond rebuilders. They are not colour removers or bleaching products on their own. Therefore, they will not miraculously remove years of black dye and turn you platinm with the wave of a wand. We still need to use the traditional methods of colouring the hair with bleach or dye, in foils, balayage or all over colour. We are still bound by the restrictions of black dye and over processed hair.

So where do we begin with how these 'miracle' products have changed the face of Hairdressing.

Let's begin with colour correction or colour removal. Whenever you dye your hair darker, whether it be supermarket or salon colour, permanent or semi permanent, the colour pigments penetrate into the hair and sit there until an open cuticle allows them out again. The cuticle opens via damage to the hair whether through heat or colouring. This is why darker colour doesn't last as long on damaged hair. When we bleach hair, we open up the cuticle to allow the bleach to lighten pigment. In uncoloured hair, the bleach will lighten out your own natural pigment. In coloured hair, the bleach needs to lighten out the artificial pigment before it can get to work on the natural pigment.

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Previously, as hairdressers, we would only allow the bleach to lift out the artificial pigment as our main concern was the condition of the hair as any lightening process will break bonds. We would then need to give the hair time to repair itself over the next 6 weeks before we would be able to bleach it again. This was a slow lightening process and would always leave the hair in the red/orange territory which we then would have to tone out. Clients learnt to accept this stage in their commitment on the road to blonde.

What Olaplex, Snaplex and Cureplex allows us as hairdressers to dois push the lightening process further without fear of damage as it repairs the bonds while colouring. This means we can leave the bleach on longer to take the hair lighter and cleaner. It also allows us to do a double process bleach on the same day where previously this was unheard of and would surely compromise the condition of the hair. It allows us to push past the red to a lighter more noticeable blonde colour.

The second bonus to the plexes is with existing blonde clients. Most people who have dedicated their lives to being blonde with foils and bleaching have experienced breakage on more than one occasion. That broken crown area was jokingly called 'the layer for extra body'. Even the most precise hairdresser will still encounter some overlapping when bleaching a clients regrowth, coupled with the fact that bleach expands slightly and can move on the scalp. This overlap is where the hair has the potential to break. The plexes protect the previously blonded hair and therefore reduces breakage. I have many blonde clients, that after a year of using Olaplex and Snaplex in their colour, have finally been able to grow out the 'layer' in their crown area.

So what are the limitations and downsides of these products.

Firstly, when the hair is already highly damaged and broken, these products don't do it any favours when used in the colour alone. The only way to get rid of breakage is to cut it off. If there are no bonds left to repair, then these products are useless. They cannot repair damage and cannot rebuild split ends. If the hair is still hanging in there but highly damaged, I would suggest a series of weekly in salon Olaplex treatments to build up the hair before lightening it any more. Weak hair will snap with more stress, no matter how much protection we give it.

The plexes also slow down the lightening process so pack a lunch and snacks. You could be in the salon for hours. This limits how light we can go in one day. Just remember that when you are faced with these amazing Instagram pics of black to platinum in one sitting, we fail to see that these looks can take 9+ hours and involve multiple processes. The longest I have seen a stylist mention is 16 hours. When you think that time is money, and we work out pricing on these times, you would be looking at $900 to $2000 for a service like this. This is fine if you are a Kardashian or have time and money to burn but I personally wouldn't expect a client or a Stylist to work on something this long. In my salon we would never do more than 2 lightening services in the one day, even using Olpalex. After this, we are compromising the condition of the hair and stepping into unpredictable territory.

You can also still damage your hair post plex. Colour is not the only avenue to hair breakage. Using hot hair irons and tongs will also break the bonds in the hair. You still need to follows the cardinal rules of heat styling. Always protect the hair with a heat protector and minimise use of hot tools. I always tell my clients when they go blonde, that it is time to put down the irons...or at least heavily reduce the usage. Once or twice a week after washing is fine but daily is excessive and will break the hair. You don't have to walk the streets with fizzy, natural dried hair but remember, there is nothing wrong with a good old fashioned hairdryer. Just bear in mind that a hairdryer heats to 100 degrees Celsius and a hair iron can heat to up to 230 degrees Celsius, which is the temperature of the grill of your barbecue.

Going blonde is high maintenanace and takes a lot of commitment. Blonde hair should be treated weekly and all brands of plexes have the take home no 3 treatments to continue the bonding process at home. This step is highly recommended and you WILL see and feel the difference.

So which of the plexes is best you ask? Well I think they all have their pros and cons and as Stylists we need to work out what works best for what we do in salon and what works best with our brand of colour. Each company claims they are better than the other and over the next year or so there will be a hundred more copycat versions on the market. All I can say is that either way going blonde is 100 % better than when we had to colour without the plexes. If your Stylist doesn't use any of the plexes, ask them to get one in. If they won't, then find a salon that does. At the end of the day, it's the integrity of your hair that is most important and we now have these products at our disposal, so why not utilise them.

As Stylists, we think we are magicians, and yes we want to solve all your hair problems in the one day but we are also trained to be realists and every time we apply colour to the hair, especially lightener, there is damage to the hair, even when using the plexes. If we can minimise that damage, then we must use these tools. We also cannot predict what hair will do, when dealing with colour correction, until we apply the lightener to the hair. This is because there are so many factors beyond our control, including brand of colour, colour build up and condition of the hair so please be patient and have respect for our craft. The plexes help take away the uncertainty and allow us the push the boundaries of colour with the reassurance of minimal damage.

The best you can do as a client is be patient with the process and look after your hair at home using the advice of your Stylist. This my friends is the secret to damage free, silky smooth blonde locks.