Hello there, welcome to my office! I’m Anna, your local Hair Therapist. I’m so glad you’ve taken the steps to get here- Please, take a seat- try to relax, I want you to know you’re not alone, I’m on your side & I’m here to help!
As the pandemic has us all a little less afraid, life is slowlyyy returning to some form of normalcy (if not a NEW form of normalcy). Last year has resulted in some damage... to say the least
As of lately I’ve felt like a hair detective because the first thing almost every client has said to me when they sit in my chair has been one of the following:
“My hair/scalp/skin has never felt and looked so dry!!”
“My hair feels so fragile and broke! What’s going on?”
“My hair is shedding like crazy!! And it won’t grow!!”
“Am I going bald!? My hair feels like it’s thinning!!”
“I boxed dyed my hair over the pandemic, help!!”
“I cut my own bangs/ends/curtain fringe/layers because I saw a #tiktok video that made it look easy!!”
Don’t worry my friends, what matters is that you’re here (SORRY, that was the last therapy reference, I promise) I won’t bullsh** you, and I’ll be the first to call you out if it’s something in your routine that I’m able to correct, but I’m also (in all seriousness) not a doctor nor can I spy on you all day to make sure you’re not cheating.
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Hopefully I can give you some helpful recommendations for your Haircare routine moving FORWARD!
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First things first, I’m going to address one of the most detrimental issues to have plagued hair health over the pandemic. PLEASE PUT DOWN THE BOX DYE, SCISSORS & CLIPPERS!!
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I don’t care what you saw on tiktok... it might look “easy” to cut those trendy #haleybieber curtain bangs, but I promise you, as easy as they’re to cut, it’s much harder to patiently grow them back!! There is a reason I’m so strict about cutting bangs on a whim during your appointment! Please, go to a professional!! Think it through, look through lots of pictures, assess your everyday routine (will you have to style them everyday? Will they annoy you in two weeks when they’re right in your eyes?)
Second of all, #boxdye .... eyyyyyy.... I’m not here to lecture... BUT... ok yes I am! Let me ask you a question, Would you buy a pair of one pair fits all jeans? Sure, Brandy Melville works for a simple top, sometimes... but my ass would not fit in those pants! I think I’m gonna go stand in the color dye section at the grocery store and just hand out my cards... Also, just because you bought it at Sally’s, doesn’t mean it’s professional dye. No shade to Sally’s, but it isn’t a Professional Beauty Supply Store, it’s a beauty store where the general public can access professional tools, equipment and yes unfortunately box dye . Again, I don’t mean to offend, but just because the lady/man at Sally’s told you “that color would be fierce!!”- does NOT mean she/he is giving you expert opinion or that they’re even a licensed cosmetologist #sorrynotsorry but more than most of the time THEY AREN’T!!! Doing it yourself can lead to much more damage and honestly you’ll probably find yourself booking at a professional salon for a #colorcorrection and end up paying twice as much compared to if you had just gone there first initially. Box dye is also full of harsh chemicals that (quite literally) will bust your hair!
Some of these include Ammonia, PPD and Metallic Salts. So if you have no idea why these things are bad- basically the ammonia is blasting open your cuticle to deposit and stain the cuticle. When color is applied with ammonia it has a hard time closing back up and can leave the hair with that Brillo pad feeling rather than that smooth silky feeling- think about a porcupine with all its quills up. It’s pissed it’s rough and you’re left with broken and split ends.
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The metallic salts continue to just pile up and will continue to darken your hair to an undesired level. Ends are naturally more porous (especially if you’ve been box dying) so they will take to the color much faster than your roots, leaving you with what we, not-so-fondly refer to as “Hot-Roots”
So if you wish to reverse this over darkened result, metallic salts are any hair dressers nightmare!! They’re a bitch to remove and the only way to lift them out is to bleach them out. Trust me when I say, I’ve seen some weird things happen while lifting out metallic salts (I’m talkin all the colors of the rainbow, strange smells, I’ve even seen smoke!!) Over time, continuing to use these metallic salts on your hair with make your hair start to feel hard and kind of like a witch wig on Halloween... making it more prone to breakage, color fading, and you can even develop an intolerance or allergic reaction to the chemicals... I’m talkin scalp scabbing, psoriasis damaged follicles which can result in hair loss, not to mention extreme pain and discomfort
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For itchy scalp, hair loss, breakage etc- I can’t stress this enough to my clients, while there could be some hormonal changes going on (especially after such a stressful year), climate change is REAL and we’re starting to see the affects on our hair and skin.
With that said, now is NOT the time to cheat yourself on skin care or HAIR PRODUCT!!! Luckily, most brands are going green in their packaging and production.
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Why spend good money on your hair color or a quality hair cut, if you’re going to tarnish it with shitty product. Don’t get me wrong I love target for SOMETHINGS. But please don’t buy your shampoo and conditioner here . That’s like buying a Bentley and then throwing trashy stickers all over it!!! Most stores like target, CVS, Walgreens, Walmart etc. want quantity over quality. Meaning the products are generally diverted and diluted with additives that can act as an astringent (drying) to your hair follicle and hair strand. If you’re committed to a brand like Paul Mitchell, American Crew etc. make sure you buy your product from a verified seller (I.e. a professional salon or the verified official website). With that said, if you must buy products from Amazon, ALWAYS check who the distributor or secondary party is selling through Amazon.
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If you’re looking for product suggestions, here are some of my favorite brands depending on your budget
1.) shampoos and conditioners under $30
Ouai detox or Ouai fine, medium, or thick combo shampoo and conditioner is $56
Olaplex #3 $28
Unite Eurotherapy 7 Seconds
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2.) shampoos and conditioners $40 and under
Kerastase Bain-ultra violet purple shampoo $35
Kerastase Bain Satin 1 Moisturizing shampoo $31
Kerastase Bain Force Architect for damage repair $31
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3.) luxury shampoo and conditioner $40 and over
Oribe Gold lust Shampoo $49
Oribe shampoo for beautiful color $46
Oribe serene scalp and anti dandruff $46
Oribe signature shampoo $46
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Next, I can’t stress enough how important after shower “wet” or “leave-in” product is!! When you wash your hair, take it to the finish line!! Towel dry first and THEN apply your product, always comb through with a #wetbrush or wide tooth comb. When your hair is wet it becomes more elastic. Think of your hair like a rubber band. the more it goes in water and dries out the less elasticity it has. That shitty old rubber band you have in your pantry cupboard that snaps the minute you give it one good pull, that’s your hair strand without TLC. So when you get out of the shower you should first towel dry your hair, spray a leave-in conditioner/detangler and THEN gently work through the tangles.
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1.) leave-in conditioner, heat protectant, anti-humidity, sun protection, and detangler UNDER $30
Unite Eurotherapy 7 Seconds Detangler $29.50
Olaplex No.7 bonding oil $28
Olaplex No.6 bond smoother $28
2.) leave-in conditioner, heat protectant, anti-humidity, sun protection, and detangler UNDER $40
Ouai leave-in conditioner $38
Kerastase Fluidissime Anti Frizz Spray $39
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Squeeze out excess moisture or liquid from wet ends before moving to any of these highly recommended Serums and repairing oils. They can be a little pricey, but if your hair is in desperate need and on the verge of snapping like that crusty old rubber band... Honey, you need to give it some extra love.
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Kerastase Initialiste Scalp & Hair Serum $53
Oribe Power drops damage repair booster $58
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If you’re able to allow your hair to air dry, this truly is the best solution to repair damaged fried hair. Either way, we’re in Colorado, it is SOO dry here. Ive even known professional hair products that have to be reformulated so they don’t combust at our altitude or don’t preform the same as they do at sea level. My favorite Argan oil is-
UOil by Unite Eurotherapy $43
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A little goes a long way so this bottle is definitely the most bang for your buck! The smell is super unisex and not super rich or super floral. Argan Oil shines, seals, and protects hair from heat & UV damage. It delivers a rich dose of hydration. It quickly smooths frizz and flyaways, hydrates dry and damaged ends and reduces blow-dry time. It’s also conducive to all hair types and textures from ultra-fine to thick and unruly hair. Use on damp or dry hair, putting a small dime size drop in the palm of your hand and work into ends first and then into mid-strand. Avoid putting this directly on your roots.