MoroccanOil Treatment

 

 

This is an amazing product, it was launched six years ago and is now the number one selling independent product in the world!

 

As a hairdresser who has a big highlighting clientèle, I find this product incredible. I add it to highlighting powder to keep the hair conditioned and protected while highlighting. It guarantees fantastic results every time. I also use it as a porosity equalizer before I do permanent colours on my clients, the result is beautiful, rich, even colour!

 

And clients love it!  The delicious smell of the product entices every client and the feel of their hair after using the oil has them instantly sold on it. The Moroccanoil treatment improves the condition of the hair, it de-tangles, increases elasticity, controls frizz and static and gives the hair a gorgeous shine and a super soft and silky feel.  It can be used as a conditioning, styling and finishing product and it also protects hair from environmental damage.

 

The magic ingredient in the Moroccan oil treatment is their signature argan oil. Found growing in South-west Morocco. Argan oil contains unsaturated fatty acids, protein and vitamins as well as antioxidants which renew, restore and revitalize hair that has been damaged.

 

The oil absorbs into the hair instantly and it can be used on wet or dry hair. It decreases blow waving time and can also be comfortably used on wigs and extensions.

 

This product really is a winner, and if you are not already using it I suggest you give it  try, you won’t be sorry!

 

How to cut your own fringe successfully!

English: Picture to illustrate bangs (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As much as I ask my clients not to cut their fringes, it seems that the urge is an irresistible one and most clients have at some point attempted cutting their own fringe.

So instead of having a client walking into the salon with a sheepish, somewhat guilt expression on her face and me being challenged with some serious repair work, time to give some advice on what to do and what not to do when you find that you are in dire straits and absolutely have to give your fringe a snip.

Firstly, using kitchen scissors is not an option. Nails scissors would be far better. (You can, of course, buy a pair of hair scissors and keep them especially for these desperate moments.)

Secondly you need a comb to help create a straight and even line on your fringe.  A couple of hair clips to separate the rest of your hair from the fringe is also good to have on hand.

I don’t advise that you cut your fringe when your hair is wet. Your hair jumps when it drys and you are bound to end up with a fringe that is too short.

So with the correct tools at hand and clean, freshly blow waved hair you are now ready to successfully cut your fringe.

Don’t cut your whole fringe in one go, instead take small sections along the hairline. Comb the first section down over your eyes and then starting from the center work out to each side, cutting your fringe in a straight line and finishing where the eyebrows end.  Be sure that you don’t cut your fringe to short, I suggest that you cut your fringe below the level of the eyebrow.  Once you have cut the first section use that section as a guideline and bring other sections down and cut these as you did the first.

It is important to note that most peoples fringe jumps more on one side than the other, so take this into consideration when you cut your fringe and allow for that jump.

And lastly my advice is to be conservative in your cutting. cut less rather than more of at first, you can always cut more off if you need too, but if you cut too much, well you know only to well that it can’t be put back!!

Good luck and happy fringe cutting.

The Brazilian Blow Wave

How the Brazilian works

Keratin is applied onto the hair to temporarily restructure the hair shaft. Unlike a perm or chemical straightener which breaks down the bonds of the hair and then with a neutraliser reforms these bonds into a new shape, the keratin is bonded to the hair with a bonding agent (e.g. formaldehyde) and by applying heat (by ironing) to seal it into the hair.

Some products work on the basis of leaving the treatment in the hair for up to 72 hours after it has been ironed in while others you can wash out almost immediately. This depends on the product itself and the process that the manufacturer recommends. Although clients find it inconvenient to leave the product in for 3 days, I do think that leaving it in the hair over a length of time aids to bond the keratin to the hair.

The treatment should last for about 5 months and I don’t recommend that my clients do the process more than 2 to 3 times a year.

Who needs a Brazilian Blow Wave?

The treatment is best for hair that is wiry or frizzy or to help control unruly curls or to create a flatter, straighter effect. Essentially what the Brazilian does is give the hair an easy to manage and easily blow waved look, it cuts down blow waving time and it thus a win to all those battling with creating a straighter more controlled blow waved hairstyle.

I do not recommend it as a conditioning treatment as such – the shine that clients experience after the treatment is generally because the cuticles are being made smooth with the keratin and ironing process.

Further more I don’t recommend it for clients that already have fine straight hair – all the treatment will do is make the hair flatter and more limp. There are an abundance of other types of keratin treatments out there designed to feed fine or processed hair at far less a cost and with far better results.

Is the Brazilian a health risk?

There is a huge controversy about the Brazilian containing formaldehyde and being potentially carcinogenic.  Formaldehyde is a bonding agent and thus found in large number of products such as in nail varnishes and glues and to the other extreme, used to preserve dead bodies.

When the treatment first came onto the market it contained very high levels of formaldehyde and although some brand names still contain high levels of formaldehyde, most have been adapted to work as effectively with less formaldehyde. It is important to note that even though a product may say formaldehyde free it is not necessarily so – all that this may means that the level of formaldehyde is below a certain level. My understanding of how the Brazilian treatment works is that it would be  less effective without formaldehyde or a derivative of formaldehyde to bond the keratin to the hair.

So –  is it dangerous? – if you are allergic to formaldehyde, most definitely so. If you have asthma or any other respiratory disease I would be cautious, as you may be sensitive to the gas released from the process  and if you are pregnant or breast freeing I would also be cautious too. It is always better to be safe than sorry, so be sure that your hairdresser is well informed on the product that they are working with, and be sure that the salon has ample   ventilation.  The Brazilian Blow Wave most likely presents more of a danger to the hairdresser doing the treatment as they directly inhale the fumes.

 

There are many manufacturers and brand names associated with the Brazilian and because of the success of the product these are continually being updated and improved.  Many manufacturers are also now adding oils, vitamins and proteins to give the hair treatment conditioning and restoring properties.

 

 

Used on the right kind of hair and used correctly, the Brazilian Blow Wave is a process that works wonders and is a treatment that has made many of my clients hair far easier to manage and their hair more enjoyable.

Introductory Blog

Hello and welcome to my blog!

I am planning to use this blog to give you information that you  might need and want to know about your hair.

Some of the information and topics I believe are essential to having the best hair you can have. Other topics will be on a lighter note and more fun.

I have quite a few subjects lined up that I hope you will find of interest but would welcome ideas suggestions on hair topics that you would like me to write about.

Enjoy reading!

Amanda