Yes, I'm going to talk about Head lice ( cue dramatic cliff hanger music, and gasp for effect )
It baffles me that as long as there have been humans, there have been head lice and yet we are still so unwilling to discuss it. Like its dirty or something.
Well I'm going to clear a few things up, drop the stigma and squash some myths, because I'm not afraid to talk about anything, and I'm sure this will help many parents out.
Head lice have no prejudice to how clean your hair is. They couldn't give a monkeys. As long as you have a scalp to bite and suck from, and a hair shaft to cradle their eggs, they are happy. If you were told by your mother "Lice only like clean hair" I'm sorry to tell you that your mother was misinformed, and probably trying to make you feel better. Everyone has probably had head lice at one time or another, and they are no less common, and no less likely than a cold or flu.
The most likely to catch head lice are school age girls because they have long hair and tend to play closer to other children, making it more likely for lice to get on to their hair. Boys are less likely to catch them due to the fact their hair us usually short, and they're more likely to kick a ball, then cuddle their mates! Although, they can still pick them up, especially if they are budding wrestlers!
Common Myths
"Head lice can jump". No. Fleas can jump. Fleas aren't head lice. Head lice can only crawl, and can only be caught by direct contact.
"head lice only like dirty hair" Nope. They don't care. And it doesn't make it harder for the eggs to stick if your hair is greasy, it would have to be a literal oil slick to prevent this, and lets face it, if you're letting your kid out with hair like that, you have bigger issues that I'm not qualified to deal with...
"head lice only like clean hair" NO. Regular washing will help to wash out any lice, but will not get rid of any eggs.
"olive oil is best to get rid of lice"....not really, although Olive oil is good to smother the hair in, and then use a nit comb to get rid of lice and eggs, it will not kill the eggs. So if one is left in the hair, you will have another 10 in a week!
Best tips for getting rid of head lice.
Check your child every other day. Check well, and check behind the ears and at the nape, as this is the preferred place for egg laying.
If you spot any use something like "Hedrin once". Its a really thick oil that suffocates the lice and the egg by covering the breathing hole. Leave it on for 15 mins then use a nit comb to get as many of the little blighters out as possible! Don't worry, the nits are dead! Pesticides are more ineffective now, as lice are like roaches and have built up a resistance to them.
Check the entire family. If necessary, treat them with the lotion too. It doesn't take long and isn't smelly like it used to be, nor do you have to sleep with it in, so in my view, you may as well do the family as a matter of course.
Tell the school! Your child caught the lice from somewhere, so parents need to know to check their children!
Wash all bedding, hats and clean all brushes. Lice can live for up to 3 days off the scalp.
Don't let your child share brushes or hats or anything that touches the head, with other children.
Please check your child before any hair appointments, or warn us if your child has has Nits! Though if you are unsure wether they have a case of head lice, call your salon and ask they're advice. I personally, would be happy to help my clients diagnose a case, if it meant it wouldn't go untreated.
Above all, don't be ashamed. It says nothing of your social standing nor your hygiene if you, or your child has Nits. I mean, I'll bet good money the Queen's had them.... ( god I hope I don't get beheaded for saying that....)
Signing off now......my head is itching.....I'm sure its psychological ;-)
Its actually fairly common, you know, to be scared of us Hairdressers. I can understand it, we are normally pretty confident things, and therefore may seem overbearing. Some are also guilty of being a little up their own arse, to the point that they completely ignore you and just do what they feel like to your hair, regardless of your wishes. And lets face it, when someone is brandishing a weapon in the form of scissors and telling you they know your hair better than you, you would be forgiven for sinking in to your chair and meekly saying "whatever you think".......
I think everyone on the planet has had a bad Hairdresser experience - mine was my mother. Without fail, the night before every school photograph I would look up from my beans on toast and there she would be - looming over me with a pair or "hairdressing" scissors she inherited from my grandmother (who used to be a hairdresser in the 50's so you can imagine what these scissors were like!!)
"Right. Lets cut your hair" Oh God, no. "Mum, I don't want it short, just take a bit off" "Ill do what I thinks best madam!!"
Alas, there are no school photo's of me with beautiful long blonde locks, they are all of me sporting an iffy looking bowl cut that looks like the fringe had been chewed off by a hamster.
I think that this has made me more sympathetic as a hairdresser. Its possibly the cause of my wanting to be a hairdresser in the first place. I vowed I would learn about hair and redeem my dodgy cut status in my later years. And, above all, my kids would have really cool hair ;-)
So, here's some advice on how to ensure you get the best from your visit to the hairdressers, and leave with the hair you actually want.
1) Choose your salon and stylist carefully. Do your research. Is the salon reputable and does it come recommended? Is it cheap? You tend to pay for what you get, and cheaper salons will not have the funding to re invest in products and training. If you see someone who's hair you love, ask them where they got it cut, they'll be flattered and you'll have got a good tip off! When trying a new salon, most good ones will offer you a free consultation. Don't be afraid to ask for this. It's not committal for you and gives you the opportunity to get a feel for the salon and stylist.
2) Know what you like and what you don't like. I know this sounds odd, but I have had many a client who has sat in front of me and answered all of my questions with "I don't really know". Take in pictures of styles and colours you like, even if its just the fringe in one picture, or the colour of another. This really helps your stylist to understand YOUR perception of your hair, and will help you to get in tune with each other.
3) Do not expect to look exactly like the picture. We have scissors and tint brushes - not magic wands -and whilst we can give you the colour of Jennifer Anniston, we cant actually turn you in to her!
4) Speak up! Be honest and confident. Tell us what you hate about your hair, and also what you love about it. If we know this, we can enhance what you love and remedy what you don't.
5) Be honest! If you haven't had it cut in 6 months, or have used home colour, we need to know! You may well get a raised eyebrow, because you know that's naughty, but we really need to know in order to assess correctly what needs to be done to achieve your desired look. If you have been using home colour, please don't lie about it, it really affects how our salon colour turns out! Also, if you have been using dodgy cheap products, don't be ashamed to tell us, but do expect to be told about correct aftercare for your hair. We're not trying to give you the hard sell, just ensuring your hair looks salon perfect for as long as possible.
5) If you love the salon you go to, but would like to try another stylist within the salon, tell them! Personally, in my salon, we operate a "free roam policy" so clients can feel free to have any stylist they choose, without feeling disloyal or pressured to stay with the same stylist. We understand its nice to get a different view on your hair, and sometimes you may want one stylist to colour your hair, and another to cut it.
6) Remember, its YOUR hair. Not the stylists! I often joke with my clients that they relinquish ownership of their hair when they sit in my chair, but these are the clients who truly know and trust me. We have built up a strong relationship, to the point that they feel completely comfortable not actually having a clue what I am going to do to their hair, but are safe in the knowledge it will be awesome! After all, my clients are my adverts, and they know I would never let them leave looking less than perfect. On the flip side, they know I would never be offended if they didn't like it, and would have no problem in rectifying it if this were the case.
As Stylists, our job is to make your hair look great, and above all else to make you feel fantastic. A visit to the salon should be indulgent, relaxing and renewing. Don't be scared, no stylist wants you to be unhappy, and with these tips and a little effective communication you need never be unhappy again :-)
Many people colour their hair at home. You get a bee in your bonnet and whip down to the supermarket and buy a box colour then whack it on at home. We have all done it, me included. When I was a teenager I used to use a lightener on my naturally blonde hair. I know the feeling well - the excitement of ripping open the box. Completely ignoring the safety instructions. Popping the colour on, then washing it off after the alloted time with excitement....then drying it, with that increasing "sicky" feeling in my tummy as I notice I have orange roots and suspiciously green looking ends....dear God, if I knew then what I know now......
So whats the difference between a home colour and a salon professional service? Where do I start?!
Firstly home colours, though essentially made of the same stuff as salon colours, are made to cover a more generic hair type. They tend to have a very high volume of peroxide so that they can easily lighten even much darker hair. This really isn't good for the condition of your hair, and will affect future colouring, as you will have to treat the regrowth differently to the coloured hair.
Salon colours will be tailored to your hairs individual needs, and will be much kinder to your hair, protecting its integrity by using the correct amount of peroxide that your hair requires.
Hands up who does a patch test every time they use a home colour? Be honest! There have been many cases of people using home colours and suddenly developing sensitivity. This can lead to awful side effects, that can require hospitalisation. Some sad cases have even resulted in Death. I don't mean to scare monger, but I must stress the importance of a patch test, even when using home colour. Its just not worth the risk.
All salons are required by law to perform a patch test on a new colour client. If colour brands are changed, a patch test must be performed again. We dont just do it to annoy you, I promise! It takes a few minutes, but worth it. If your salon is happy to do your colour without patch testing you first......don't do it!
I have done so many colour corrections from home hair colour its unreal. If I had a pound for every time I heard the sentence "it said dark brown on the box, but its turned out black!!" Its not the fault of the consumer, how are you supposed to know?
But I can tell you, if you got a brown felt tip pen and coloured a WHITE piece of paper, would it be the same as if you coloured a RED piece of paper? Colour results very much depend on what the natural base is. Its not a simple as whacking it on, then 40 minutes later having the locks of Eva Longoria.... Hairdressers are extensively trained in the science of colour, and know how to mix bespoke cocktails of colour and peroxide specific to YOUR hair.
We don't just stand around talking about holidays and the weather you know ;-) well, not all the time anyway...
To be honest, the main issue with home colouring is in the application. Generally, when you colour your hair at home, you see your roots come through and pop the box dye on all over.
Its getting to the roots right? maybe so, but what's it doing to the rest of your hair?
Get that felt tip pen out again. Colour in a square on paper, then do it again adding a bit on the top, then again, and again making sure you are going over the original bit too. Light top and very dark, if not annihilated bottom???
Same thing in hair. You are building up pigment on the ends, that will cause it to be dry, dull, brittle and way darker (or lighter, if using a lightening tint) than your roots!
In a salon, your stylist will apply to your roots first, then refresh the ends as he or she sees fit, using their technical knowledge to guide them as to what your hair requires.
"But salon colours are so expensive!" Yes, they cost more than £6.99 this is true, but you are paying for a bespoke service and colour that is applied safely and correctly all the while being entertained and waited on and and foot by highly trained proffesionals. You're not just paying for the tube of tint!
Besides that, have you ever spent an entire sunday, applying box colour upon box colour to your hair because it's just not turning out right? Did you end up having to get it fixed in a salon? Did you end up spending twice as much?????
I am an ambassador for low maintenance hair I assure you! I have 2 children and a business to run, and have bills to pay like everyone else. But I don't even attempt to paint my own nails, I pay someone who knows what they're doing because I will get the result I want, without panicing that I have made a total hash of it!
If you have a salon colour you can work with your stylist to create your perfect look, that will be as low maintenence as you require - and if you don't like it, you at least have some come back! We are here to make you look the best we possibly can with a tint brush (not to be mistaken for a magic wand ).
Like I said before, If I knew then what I know now....I would of happily payed a professional £30 to do my roots, then risk £6.99,(paid it) orange roots,(had them) broken ends (snapped to hell) and an allergic reaction on a home colour (narrowly avoided thank goodness).
In this blog we will be addressing the "age old" (sorry ;-) topic of GREY!
Again, my aim here is to highlight a few of the myths and set the record straight about what can and cant be done with grey hair.
I will start by letting you in to a little secret......there is no such thing as grey hair. No, honestly. So next time someone refers to those little sprinklings of natural highlights as grey, you have my permission to correct them! Hair only has the effect of "grey" when it is against darker hair. You don't see many natural blondes with salt and pepper coloured hair do you?
Hair simply looses its pigment altogether and turns white. There you go, myth one squashed. You don't have grey hair, ok? Feel better? No? Ok well read on......
Hair is pigmented by the same thing that pigments our skin. Melanin. The darker our skin is naturally, the darker our hair tends to be. Natural blondes tend to have a fairer complexion, whilst brunettes may have more olive skin.
As we age, our levels of melanin diminishes. Our skin becomes lighter, and unfortunately, so does our hair.
There are many theories on why this happens, including links between stress, DNA and genetics. My personal theory (which I should add has had no medical research involved, it is a mere thought!) is that as we age, and our body tires, it has far more important things to worry about than the pigment of our hair, such as knackered joints, general lethargy, and the stress of waiting for the kids to finally move out....
There is a stigma about "grey" hair that irks me. Its that its ugly, and unsightly. As a hairdresser I have to admit that a large part of my work is covering greys, but if the grey hair is beautiful, which it truly can be, I would - and actually have - refused to colour it. I have seen beautiful silvers, steels and whites that I believe would be sacrilegious to colour over!
However, some grey really does need hiding, and this I have no problem in doing!
Some myths about "greys"
"if you pull one out, twenty more grow back in its place" Think about it. Really. If you pulled any hair out, would twenty more grow back? Is the secret to thinning hair (to be covered in another blog soon) to actually pull it all out then? Actually, if you pull out a grey hair, it damages the follicle making it grow back crinkly and wiry. This hair will also tend to stand up from the rest of your hair, making it seem as though you suddenly have lots more!
Best just let it grow down.
"hair can turn grey overnight" Yes, and your skin can also turn dark brown overnight too....
this is, of course, not true. Melanin is diminished over time and it is physically impossible for it to turn literally overnight, no matter how shocked you were about your last phone bill!
"only old people turn grey" Grey hair does tend to grow through the older you get, however it is still possible for the greying process to happen when you are very young. It is not clear why, but there are links with DNA and genetics about this.If your parents went grey early, it is likely you will too, though not definite.
"grey hair is ugly" ummmmmmm George Clooney???? Meryl Streep??? I rest my case.
So what can you do about your greying hair?
As hair turns white, the texture often changes. It is impossible to predict how it may grow through, but one things for sure - you will have to get to know it all over again!
It tends to be drier, so more nourishing products will be needed.
It tends to be coarser, so more smoothing products and tools such as irons, will be needed to create a smoother finish.
It tends to be a little trickier to colour and perm, so this really must be done by a professional who knows how to deal with it.
There have been many studies done on grey hair, finding links between Vitamin B12 and Foilic Acid taken in supplements that have slowed the greying process, but there is no hard evidence on this. There is however exciting research that is ongoing in the U.S regarding a protein called Wnt and its ability to reverse the greying process.....watch this space!
If you are one of the lucky ones, who's greying hair is much like that of Helen Mirren's silky silver locks, then count yourself a trend setter! Its one of the hottest looks right now and steely grey hair is even being imitated by the young stars of today!
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