Call Before You Cut

Everyone has a bad hair day and everyone has a bad day in general. Combined, these two elements can certainly lead to a bad haircut when you go reaching for the scissors for a DIY Haircut on the fly. If we look at the psychology of hair, it might explain why we get in a panic for change.

Bad Hair and Self Esteem:

A Yale study led by LaFrance and commissioned by Procter & Gamble found that when subjects recalled a bad hair day, their self-esteem dropped. Specifically, “bad hair” increased social insecurity and self-criticism and lowered performance self-esteem, hurting subjects’ can-do attitude toward personal accomplishments.

Aging and Hair:

It was once believed in more primitive times that age and fertility was defined by the hair in colder climates, because of the many layers of clothing to keep warm. Long and youthful hair was the sign of attraction. Fast forward to today, many of us see a superficial sign of aging and want to make changes. What is easier than to change the hair for a more youthful appearance? This might be so, but not any haircut will work to your advantage. There are face shapes, lifestyles, hair texture to consider.

When in Rome...

You know the old saying "When in Rome, do what the Romans do", there is a link between hair and social status. Women have used hair to relay messages about who they are, and where they fit into their culture for centuries. Roman women powdered their hair with gold dust to convey wealth and decorated it with luxe accessories like gold hairnets and ivory pins. In the early 19th century, flappers sported shorter, daring haircuts that defined them and made a powerful statement about their feelings on women’s liberation. It's not odd that we see a movie star and immediately want their hairstyle because we tend to associate it with looks, youth, and social stature.


Call Before You Cut

Before you decide on a drastic change, consult a hairstylist and look at why you might be wanting to make those changes. Please do not start cutting or bleaching your hair. It will cost more to repair, color correct or add extensions in.

Parabens.. What are They, and Why Don't You Want Them??

Parabens.. How many us of know what they are, what they do and why they are not good for us? Most of us have no clue about parabens, which are preservatives commonly used in about 85% of beauty products on the market.

Parabens have been used widely because they were considered safe, however in the 1990's they apparently were found to mimic estrogens in the body. According to some studies, distruption in estrogens have been linked to breast cancer and reproductive issue. However, conflicting studies report that there is a very weak effect in estrogen effects. It's not to say that a single use will effect you, but easy to agree that a more widely, long term use could potentially put us at risk, as estrogens can be stored in the body.

There is now a growing movement in companies that are not using parabens in cosmetic products. You can also read the label and look out for butylparaben, methylparaben, and propylparaben. While the FDA rates them safe in small amounts, it might be best to either avoid, or at least look for them in the last four ingredients. This indicates that they are used in the smallest amounts.

Here are a few products that do not use parabens:

be Clarked luxury haircare

Burt's Bees Natural products

Recreating Aquacouture: from Battle of the Strands qualifier to the Launch of Vain Strong Hold Hairspray

As most of you may know, our salon team won the the title of top salon in the Battle of the Strands competition. We just launched the Vain Strong Hold Hairspray officially and decided to recreate a few of our looks from Battle of the Strands, as well as a few new pictures for the official collection launch of Vain. Here is a Sneak Peek of our Aquacouture 2.0

See the complete collection at http://www.beautylaunchpad.com/earthly-eclipse

Grey Area, 5 False Facts about Greying

Going grey puts most of us in a grey area at some point. Its brings up a lot of insecurities and questions about going grey. When going grey there is more than meets the eye! We wanted to give you some insight by discussing 5 common false facts about going grey.


1) If You Pluck... More Will Grow. FALSE!

This is something that we hear all the time in the salon, and frankly its a myth. If you pluck out a grey hair you will not gain more.Hair goes gray when color-producing cells stop producing pigment, Naturally occurring hydrogen peroxide can also build up in the hair, bleaching the color.

Typically, caucasians start going gray in their mid-30s, but can have premature grey before 20. Asians in their late 30s, and African-Americans in their mid-40s but can have premature grey before 30. Half of all people have a significant amount of gray hair by the time they turn 50. But there are plenty of options for embracing, covering or blending grey hair.



2) You Must be Old if your Grey. FALSE!


Finding your first gray hair can be stressful but don’t worry, it happens to everyone and there are many ways we can conceal it. Many people start seeing gray hair in their 20s and 30s, so if you start seeing some grays sprouting up, you’re not alone! Contrary to popular belief, stress has not been shown to cause gray hair. Scientists don’t know exactly why some people go gray early, but genes play a large role.

Also, a vitamin B-12 deficiency or problems with your pituitary or thyroid gland can cause premature graying that’s reversible if the problem is corrected.

3) Salt and Pepper, is Always Natural. FALSE!


Maybe you have started going grey and want to embrace it, but your of that beautiful salt and pepper hair, and wishing you could have had that type of grey instead. Well chances are, the salt and pepper hair you are envious of is colored. While there are some that are extremely luck to have this occur naturally, most of us are not so fortunate. However we are fortunate enough to have colorists that can help us achieve his look with a few simple highlights or lowlights. This will allow you to take a few years off perceptually or give you an artistic blend while you are growing out your grey. The upkeep is minimal financially compared to all over coloring.

4)All at Home Box Color covers 100% of Grey Hair. FALSE!

The problem with at home box color is that there are many unclear choices out there. Some will permanently color hair and cover the gray. However you have to be able to choose the right color. Unfortunately most people are not able too and end up with roots that do not match. Then you have to look out for demi-permanent color that will be labeled with creative descriptions such as a cast of color. These will not cover grey 100%. When in doubt, make an appointment with a professional.


5) Grey Hair will Always be Dull, and Leave you Looking Old. FALSE!

So you want to embrace the grey, but you feel like it will forever be dull and yellow. The amazing this about hair care products today is that colorists can tone grey. This gets rid of that dull, lifeless, yellow tint and leaves the hair with a white or silver radiant shine. Combine that with an amazing haircut and you can go from granny to fabulous.

Thinking about what to do with your color? Clark Russell Salon stylists offer complimentary consultations. Call 925.299.8814 to set up your appointment.