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.

Clark Russell the salon VIP Cards

It's the card you have to have and can't afford not to carry!

With every referal you send in with the VIP card, you will save 25% off your services!Come in to the salon and pick up some cards and share the best kept secret in the Bay Area... your stylist! It is your Black Card for a passport to style! You don't have to have an appointment to pick up the cards. Let your great style work for you!

The late 80's Buzz is Back... but is it well received?

The late 80's we certainly an interesting time in history and fashion. Rap music started hitting in the suburbs on MTV, Madonna still was on the top of the charts,the Berlin Wall came down, Mall Bangs were in and so was shaving half of your head. The ultra tall mall bangs have not made their comeback yet, but the trend of buzzing half your head is now back in trend.

From the 80's

To 2012....

Brushing 101.. Are you Brushing your Hair Correctly?

Hair brushing properly is one of the important hair care technic you should practice very well. What is hair brushing? This in my understanding is the act of caring for your hair by smoothing, styling or grooming with a brush. As you already know that hair brushing is always done with a device called brush. What is a hair brush? This is an object made of short stiff hair (called bristles) or wires with a handle used for grooming hair. To keep up hair growth you need a blood circulation and a clean scalp ( i.e no dirt or oil products build-up on your follicles), that is where brushing your hair comes in. Brushing your hair increases blood circulation as it massages your scalp and hair. Brushing your hair is very important because it’s one of the ways to keep it healthy and shiny. Make sure you’re using the right brush for your hair type or a certain hair style because different types of brushes are made for different purposes of hair care, so always use the right brush according to your need. Using the right hair brush at the right time or at the right hair care can do so lot more good to your hair than any hair products. Brushing your hair cleans it and also polish it as the oil has been distributed to your hair from the scalp. You have to know that brushing works very well when you must have detangle your here first. Brush morning and night to help stimulate your scalp and using a clean brush is very important. Always buying a good brush can be a good investment because if you take good care of the brush it will definitely last for years.

How to properly brush your hair
■Massaging your hair with your finger can be the best way to get it ready for brushing.
■Apply any good product that work for you when detangling to moisturize your hair for smooth brushing e.g detangling lotion, leave-in conditioner, serum or oil. Any of these will make hair easier to brush and less likely to break.
■Section your hair with hair pick or what ever you have. You can section your hair in 4 or more sections, again depending on the thickness and length of your hair.
■Clip all the sections with your hair clips.
■Take one section of your hair with the clip removed and start combing gently from the ends to the root with a wide tooth comb. Comb it untill it’s free and clip it back. Repeat this to all the sections and do it gently.
■Brush your hair gently from the tip to the scalp first and then from the scalp to the tips. Take one section at a time and use the right brush.
■Unclip all the sections and style with the right brush.

Tips for brushing hair
■Always brush your hair gently.
■A good natural boar bristled brushes can be good to your hair than a synthetic one. But a synthetic bristle brush can help you dry your hair faster. This all depend on what you want.
■Too much of brushing your hair can cause damages such as split ends.
■Don’t use brushes that are too stiff, thick, harsh or hard to your scalp or hair, rather use the ones that are flexible.
■Use brushes depending on your hair texture and length for easy styling and to avoid breakages.
■Brushing your hair with natural bristled-brush or boar bristle brushes can be very nice to your hair and make it healthy and this type of brushes also help to spread your hair products e.g oil on the scalp to the ends.
■You can massage your hair, remove dirt and products build-up from your hair and also distribute natural oil from your root to all your hair by brushing it.
■Brushing can stimulate the scalp.
■Don’t brush wet hair to avoid damaging through breakages.
■Short hair can be brushed without much detangling.
■Brushes are very good for styling hair.
■Wide bristled brush can be good for all hair types. Read ‘Hair Types’ posts here .
■Brushing your hair gently at night can make it to be a bit shiny in the morning ( but you have to also put your hair together).
■Clean your brush every day to remove all the dirt and oil build-up and you can do this while in the shower ( this is applicable if you use your brush daily).
■ Never brush your hair with a dirty brush because the dirt will be deposited back to your hair and this can cause damage to your hair.

How to Clean your brushes

■After brushing your hair, always remove the hair in the brush.
■Fill the sink or bucket with warm water.
■Add a tablespoon of your shampoo and two drops of ammonia.(You can buy a cheap shampoo for washing your brushes).
■Put in your brushes in the mixture.
■Leave it for 10-15 minutes.
■Drain the water.
■Rinse them several times, untill you feel its clean.
■Dry them with a towel.

OR
■Fill the sink or bucket with hot water.
■Add 1 table-spoon of baking soda, wait a few seconds for the soda to dissolve.
■Stir the mixture.
■Add your brushes to the mixture.
■Wait for 30 minutes or 1 hour.
■Rinse them with a clean warm water, untill it feels clean.
■Dry them with a towel.

OR
■Fill the sink or bucket with warm water.
■Add white vinegar.
■Put all your brushes in the mixture.
■Rinse it with clean warm water.
■Dry it with a towel.
■Cleaning your brushes with vinegar doesn’t only clean it but it also remove the oily deposits from your hair.

OR
■Fill the sink or bucket with hot water.
■Put your brushes in the water for 10 minutes.
■Put a mild detergent or shampoo.
■Take out the brush from the water and use the rat-tail comb or hair picks to clean it thoroughly.
■Soak it for five-minute in a new clean hot water.
■Rinse it with a lot of luke warm water.
■Dry the brushes with a towel.

How to clean natural brushes
■Always remove hair in your brushes.
■Fill the sink or bucket with warm water.
■Add mild detergent or shampoo.
■Dip the bristles in water for 2 minutes (hold firm the handle as you do this). Don’t put the wooden part of the brush in water as this can damage it.
■Use your pick to remove any dirt or hair on the brush.
■Repeat this about 5 times.
■Rinse with a luke warm water.
■Put it on a towel to air dry.
■You can add anything you want in the water to wash your brush but don’t wash the handle or wooden part, wash only the bristle part you use in brushing.