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Heavy hair visually saps energy and adds weight. In bringing hair to life, cut, colour and condition all play their part. In this popular series of blogs, we look at the common mistakes hairdressers make, and how to get the best out of your hair.
It may not look like it in the ‘before’ picture, but Emma has great hair. But it was trapped in a bad haircut. The condition, colour and haircut all conspired to drain life out of the hair. Which then reflected in the wearer. Passed the point of enhancing her features, it hung like a heavy blanket around her shoulders.
This is what we did…
1. Cut - The haircut hung lifeless and leaden. Her A-Line one-length outline could just about work if it was always kept perfectly straight. But that’s not helpful with the uneven natural texture and waves. The layer about four inches up was also quite randomly chopped so didn’t show any useful shape however it sat.
Even if it hadn’t been so poorly executed, the choice of cut wasn’t versatile so needed adjusting. We graduated the hair at the front taking up to five inches off, and connected through to long layers at the back. All without losing any of the length. The Diamond Dry Cut™ is my natural method of sculpting. We cut hair dry to see the shape evolve in much the same way as Canova would approach a marble bust. Emma’s hair can now move fluidly and give off the vibrancy and bounce that makes it so alluring.
2. Condition - The original haircut had dry uneven ends at the front which made them look frizzier. When hair becomes this dry and decayed its more difficult to manage and styles don’t last long. We gave Emma a LifeSaver Prewash Treatment. Nothing injects moisture, elasticity and shine quite like this. Read…The Facts of LifeSaver Emma will now continue at home with this unique system of Healthcare for Hair™
3. Colour – Jodie, our Senior Colourist, crafted a delicate balayage and highlight combination to magnify the tonal contrast in the colour, and enhance the sense of movement in the hair. The combination of the new haircut and the LifeSaver Treatment has also enhanced the new colour. The effect also helps to create movement.
Before – A Lazy haircut. Essentially one-length with a random layer four inches up the back. This lack of fluidity in the haircut shape will stunt movement in the hair. The flat haircut shape also flattens the colour. The heavy effect and frizziness in Emma’s hair is caused by the bad haircut. Some of the rest is caused by the majority of de-frizz serums and oils on the market which dry hair out long term, so she used more of these de-frizzing products just to get through the day. Read…Why Silicone is Bad for your Hair?
Read…The Lazy A-Line
After – The new haircut has narrowed the old pyramid shape (flat around face, too wide at the bottom) and given lift, movement and vitality with precise long layers. A simple tong-effect that Emma could do herself at home gives life and shine to the hair.
Hair is a sensual material. It exudes vibrancy and a sexual energy into our aura and that is all part of our animal attraction. But it needs to move or at least suggest the promise of this latent energy.
Bounce, swing, vitality, vibrancy, strength, suppleness, flexibility, spring, elasticity, lustre, resonance. All words we associate with youthful, healthy sexy, hair and especially longer hair that can swing far and wide. Poor condition and a long A-Line base shape are the two main things that kill this energy. Correcting the shape dealt with the haircut. Our LifeSaver Treatment helped repair condition. This unique silicone-free formula is our best-selling hero product.
“Since having the cut it feels and looks so much healthier, the extra layers give it a great shape and movement which makes it so much easier to manage when I don’t have time to style it properly. The colour is great too. It adds some gorgeous sun kissed shades, making me feel younger - perfect for summer.” – Emma
For Emma’s hair we used our exceptional LifeSaver Prewash Treatment to rehydrate, then Cashmere Protein Moisturising Shampoo and Conditioner. A little Thicker Quicker blowdry spray and Volumising Mousse helped give body and control. We used the Large Round Brush to style followed by large tongs. Then finally a little Ten Second Transformation to feed and smooth the hair giving a little shine and texture too.
I've never skied in 23⁰ C sunshine before. That's how it was in April this year with beautiful snow below and beating sun above. Gorgeous. It would be far more romantic to say the melting ice cap revealed a centuries old collection of lost
