Work has very much become a soap opera lately. We now have a new stylist, which is very exciting. Her name is Erica. She graduated last fall, so she's FRESH, which is nice. Complete breath of fresh air, really. And, she's doing well, considering she's fresh out of school. I see her building a client base rather quickly.
The shenanigans going on: Rita, lovely, Rita....sigh....always an angle with her. She asked for April 28th off, as she had "tickets" in NYC. She went of one of those bus trips to see Morgan Freeman...when I asked her if it was a play, a presentation, whatever, she had absolutely no idea what she was going to, just that she had tickets and was going. So, we (meaning myself, Shezoa & Tammy) let her go. Luckily, Erica was hired in the meantime, so the schedule was somewhat covered. (Erica is slow, she's new....if all of us were on yesterday, it wouldn't have been a huge issue)
THEN, Rita also wanted Saturday, May 12 off. To her credit, she asked for it WAY in advance, thinking I'd just give it to her. When I looked at the schedule rotation, it would actually give her an entire weekend (Fri, Sat, Sun) off, which is a big no no. When Erica came on board (mind you, Erica is on a training schedule, so she's not able to do things like open & close just yet. I want her getting used to the "system", the pace, etc.), she immediately presumed she would be able to cover the schedule and Rita would get what she wanted off. Uh, NO. Nice try, though.
This past Monday, Rita tried, yet again, to pester me about May 12. (which is in the middle of prom season...we don't get much in the way of updo's due to the fact that we don't book appointments, but it's also a Saturday, which means all hands on deck). I told her I would have to look at the schedules and see if I could switch anything around (which, really, I didn't want to, but I looked at it anyway). Well, lo and behold, she's scheduled 10-4. Not a big deal. I also asked her WHY she wanted that day off. "I'm doing my niece's hair for prom". DA DUH DUM DUM DUM....
A side note: Doing hair at home, no matter whose it is, according to Regis, is considered a "conflict of interest" and can get you written up and/or terminated.
I went on my two days off, which were Tues & Wed. When I came back, there were notes galore in my station. Rita and Tina put their heads together and plotted around what Rita wanted and presented me with their "solution". Which got instantaneously shot down when Rita asked me about it. "No. You can't have that day off, nor can you switch with anyone. You are scheduled 10-4. I'm not changing the schedule." Mad doesn't even begin to cover Rita's feelings about that one. She stomped around, slamming things. When the phone rang and it was for me, she barked at me about it. (I was on my lunch at the time) When I took my cellphone with me to go out onto the sales floor in Walmart to call my boss, she was standing just outside the salon, away from the door way, griping to a friend of hers about what a witch I am. (didn't hear the words...didn't have to) I placed my call (left a message) and went back to work. It took Rita a good two hours to calm down.
Tina's shenanigans: I had called her Tuesday morning to tell her about an issue with the ladies at the bank when she told me that the closeout book wasn't right, that Rita had left a note for Tina to talk to her about it when she came in later that day. So, after I got dressed (Katie and I were heading to the mall) we went over to the salon first, so I could check out the issue. A miscount in the deposit money. Easily fixed. When I walked in, Tina was at the desk, with a purple binder, a client log, really(one that can be purchased at any beauty supply distributor), and was copying down information from the computer to the binder. Guess what that is?? A big no no. I said nothing at the time, letting what I saw process a bit. And, Tina is good at distracting people into not seeing what she'd just done.
While Katie and I were having lunch at the mall, I texted (not the best form of communication, really) Tina, letting her know that it's not okay to have that binder. When I got home, there was a long winded message on my answering machine (not my cellphone, as she didn't want to "waste" my tracfone minutes leaving a text or message) telling me she's doing that to help trigger her memory with her clients, blah blah blah, THEN, she completely threw Rita under the bus by telling me that she was a good 1/2 hour late with no explanation. She's such a good "friend".
Friday morning, I had a most excellent 20 minute conversation with Shezoa regarding all the shenanigans going on. Rita is to be told that doing hair at home is a conflict of interest and it is to STOP. Particularly since she struggles with commission, she needs to have all of those "buddies" in the salon to fill her chair. It can lead to write ups as well as a dismissal. Tina, the binder is considered theft and she can also be fired if it happens again. I have already confiscated the pages she had and threw them (along with my notes I'd made regarding clients from way back) into the Walmart dumpster out back. She wasn't quite willing to hand over the binder, but it is empty and it is not in the salon any longer. I informed her that if I found it again, she would get an instant write up.
The other thing they tend to do is when they go to do the deposit, they make stops along the way, to get lunch at Subway, or where ever, which isnt' allowed, as it's stealing company time. Which, wait for it...wait for it....can lead to a write up, and a dismissal if it continues.
Stay tuned for another exciting episode!!
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Sunday, April 1, 2012
"Chunk" highlights. Who thought of this and WHY?!?!?
I have done "chunk" highlights twice in the last 3 weeks. I think they are the ugliest highlights I've ever done, period. Why anybody would want them is beyond me, but, hey...I'm here to serve you.
What they are: Large bands of color throughout the head, as opposed to small, more natural looking highlights. While this falls under the more "creative" side of hair coloring, I have a really hard time with it. Mostly because I'm a little stuck in my ways, and really, I need to branch out a bit.
Anyway. The first time I did them, I truly had no idea what the heck I was doing. And they came out too subtle for my client. She wanted BOLD highlights. The blonde ones needed to be an INCH wide. Which, in hair, is HUGE in size. So, she came back a week later for me to fix them. Because her hair is so long, (shoulder blades), it took me 3 hours to get all the foils in. Part of that, I believe, is over thinking on my part. Anyway. In the end, she liked the colors, but it wasn't bold enough. So, she came back. That appointment still took two hours to complete. Again, mostly because of the length of her hair. However, when I was done, she had wide BOLD stripes in her hair. (Don't you know, she wondered if the blonde was too much after I was done?? Sigh...)
The second one was just this Friday night. A partial highlight, so not as lengthy, but it still took some serious time. Again, her hair was long, however, not as dense as the last one. I did the highs/lows first: Lightener & 20 vol on regrowth, lightener & 10 vol on ends (previous lightening done) for blonde, 3/4 6N & 1/4 5N for dark stripe, and 6RV & 15 vol for the red stripe. Since this was a partial, I only had to deal with from the crown forward. The underneath stuff in the back was the 6N/5N mixture. Let it process (took a haircut while she was processing, so that made timing that much easier!), then rinsed it off, taking the stripes out, one section at a time and rinsing the daylights out of it so they wouldn't bleed. And they came out just as she wanted them (THANK GOD). Cut her hair, dried it up, checked her out, sent her on her merry way. PHEW!
Something else I discovered about this: I don't charge enough for this one. Need to figure it out for next time!
What they are: Large bands of color throughout the head, as opposed to small, more natural looking highlights. While this falls under the more "creative" side of hair coloring, I have a really hard time with it. Mostly because I'm a little stuck in my ways, and really, I need to branch out a bit.
Anyway. The first time I did them, I truly had no idea what the heck I was doing. And they came out too subtle for my client. She wanted BOLD highlights. The blonde ones needed to be an INCH wide. Which, in hair, is HUGE in size. So, she came back a week later for me to fix them. Because her hair is so long, (shoulder blades), it took me 3 hours to get all the foils in. Part of that, I believe, is over thinking on my part. Anyway. In the end, she liked the colors, but it wasn't bold enough. So, she came back. That appointment still took two hours to complete. Again, mostly because of the length of her hair. However, when I was done, she had wide BOLD stripes in her hair. (Don't you know, she wondered if the blonde was too much after I was done?? Sigh...)
The second one was just this Friday night. A partial highlight, so not as lengthy, but it still took some serious time. Again, her hair was long, however, not as dense as the last one. I did the highs/lows first: Lightener & 20 vol on regrowth, lightener & 10 vol on ends (previous lightening done) for blonde, 3/4 6N & 1/4 5N for dark stripe, and 6RV & 15 vol for the red stripe. Since this was a partial, I only had to deal with from the crown forward. The underneath stuff in the back was the 6N/5N mixture. Let it process (took a haircut while she was processing, so that made timing that much easier!), then rinsed it off, taking the stripes out, one section at a time and rinsing the daylights out of it so they wouldn't bleed. And they came out just as she wanted them (THANK GOD). Cut her hair, dried it up, checked her out, sent her on her merry way. PHEW!
Something else I discovered about this: I don't charge enough for this one. Need to figure it out for next time!
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Knots...
I took a phone call yesterday from a frantic mother. Her daughter is 8 years old and has a huge snarly knot in the back of her head and she doesn't know what to do any more to get it out. Any suggestions? Yes. Bring her in so someone can look at it and go from there. It's kind of hard to do say anything over the phone. She agreed and brought her in later in the day.
The little girl's hair was pulled back in a loose braid. At first glance, things didn't seem all that bad. And then....I sat her in my chair, took the braid out, and immediately said "Why would you do this to your hair?? If this doesn't come out, I may have to use the clippers on your hair." I grabbed a pick and started working on her dry hair.
Some of the knots started coming out. On the sides of her head wasn't too bad, compared to the HUGE knot (bigger than her actual head) I had yet to tackle. This poor kid wound up in tears because my pulling on her knots was causing serious pain, so I took her to the sink to see what I can wash out and loosen up.
I washer her hair (as best as I could) 3 times to try to loosen things up. I held the sprayer on the actual root of the knot for a good minute, seeing if the pressure would loosen things up. Then, I worked some conditioner into her hair. I bring her back to my chair and dig in again. This time, things go much easier.
Over all, it took me an hour and 15 minutes to deal with that knot. I had to cut out two spots...one of them a smaller area, however the knotting went all the way to the top of her head. The other one I (Literally) chopped at was the jumbo knot in the back. "THWAP" went the chunk I cut out when I tossed it to the floor. Dad came in and took that clump of hair and kept it, to remind daughter of what happens when you don't take care of your hair. Once I got her hair all combed out, there were parts that WEREN'T EVEN WET. That's how bad that knot was.
After I cut the basic shape of her hair, I took her back to the sink and proceeded to wash her hair, AGAIN. This time, I was able to get it CLEAN. Back to my chair to finish the hair cut.
The entire time I was dealing with her hair, I found out that mom is a ding bat....and has no clue what to do with her child. Dad was incredibly frustrated with the both of them, and took what I said to heart. I also think that the daughter will NOT be doing this again, any time too soon, since it was such a painful experience. The kicker?? Mom & Dad had just pulled all those knots out just two weeks ago. Daughter was using a soft bristle hair brush to deal with her hair, which it wasn't able to do. This child has enough hair for 4 people. It's fine (which is why it knotted so badly) and it's slightly wavy. It was also 3/4 of the way down her back, all one length, with a little bit of bang.
Were these people dirty?? Absolutely not. All were very clean, reasonably well educated. However, they were trusting the 8 year old to do a very daunting, intimidating job. Even better was the fact that Mom washes the kid's hair for her, so she knew what was happening, and did nothing to fix the situation until they brought her in to me.
The end result: Her hair was cut to the bottom of her neck (her choice) in a cute, fun hair cut, making it 5 bazillion times easier for her to take care of her hair, which made everyone happy. And, for the first time in a long time, her hair was CLEAN. To the scalp clean. One thing I've learned from this: I need to charge WAY more for dealing with that mess than what I did. Let's hope I only see her for hair cuts and not to get that knot out again.
Lesson learned.
The little girl's hair was pulled back in a loose braid. At first glance, things didn't seem all that bad. And then....I sat her in my chair, took the braid out, and immediately said "Why would you do this to your hair?? If this doesn't come out, I may have to use the clippers on your hair." I grabbed a pick and started working on her dry hair.
Some of the knots started coming out. On the sides of her head wasn't too bad, compared to the HUGE knot (bigger than her actual head) I had yet to tackle. This poor kid wound up in tears because my pulling on her knots was causing serious pain, so I took her to the sink to see what I can wash out and loosen up.
I washer her hair (as best as I could) 3 times to try to loosen things up. I held the sprayer on the actual root of the knot for a good minute, seeing if the pressure would loosen things up. Then, I worked some conditioner into her hair. I bring her back to my chair and dig in again. This time, things go much easier.
Over all, it took me an hour and 15 minutes to deal with that knot. I had to cut out two spots...one of them a smaller area, however the knotting went all the way to the top of her head. The other one I (Literally) chopped at was the jumbo knot in the back. "THWAP" went the chunk I cut out when I tossed it to the floor. Dad came in and took that clump of hair and kept it, to remind daughter of what happens when you don't take care of your hair. Once I got her hair all combed out, there were parts that WEREN'T EVEN WET. That's how bad that knot was.
After I cut the basic shape of her hair, I took her back to the sink and proceeded to wash her hair, AGAIN. This time, I was able to get it CLEAN. Back to my chair to finish the hair cut.
The entire time I was dealing with her hair, I found out that mom is a ding bat....and has no clue what to do with her child. Dad was incredibly frustrated with the both of them, and took what I said to heart. I also think that the daughter will NOT be doing this again, any time too soon, since it was such a painful experience. The kicker?? Mom & Dad had just pulled all those knots out just two weeks ago. Daughter was using a soft bristle hair brush to deal with her hair, which it wasn't able to do. This child has enough hair for 4 people. It's fine (which is why it knotted so badly) and it's slightly wavy. It was also 3/4 of the way down her back, all one length, with a little bit of bang.
Were these people dirty?? Absolutely not. All were very clean, reasonably well educated. However, they were trusting the 8 year old to do a very daunting, intimidating job. Even better was the fact that Mom washes the kid's hair for her, so she knew what was happening, and did nothing to fix the situation until they brought her in to me.
The end result: Her hair was cut to the bottom of her neck (her choice) in a cute, fun hair cut, making it 5 bazillion times easier for her to take care of her hair, which made everyone happy. And, for the first time in a long time, her hair was CLEAN. To the scalp clean. One thing I've learned from this: I need to charge WAY more for dealing with that mess than what I did. Let's hope I only see her for hair cuts and not to get that knot out again.
Lesson learned.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Things I've read today
Whilst scanning through a renowned color guru's Facebook page, I came across these comments, pertaining to permanent color. And, I thought I'd share them and my reaction to them.
"Permanent color that faded in two weeks". Apparently, this person still hasn't learned what's permanent about permanent hair color. It's not the dye load, it's the lifting action that's permanent. That being said, how you care for your newly colored hair is just as important as what you color it with. If you're using the wrong shampoo and screaming hot water to wash your hair with, of course the color won't last. However, if you're using sulfate-free shampoos, an acidic conditioner to close the cuticle, and moderate temperature water to wash & rinse with, you should have better success in maintaining your color between appointments.
"Organic" hair color: Unless you are using good, old fashioned HENNA (the kind that turns hair orange and is used to tattoo your hands during sacred ceremonies of the Hindu faith), there isn't a hair color out there that is "organic"...which, by the way, is a non-regulated word used by manufacturers of various products to get you to purchase whatever it is. It's a "buzz word". Oh, and the other "by the way"?? If you look at things this way: Things are either organic or inorganic. Something that is "organic" is living matter, animal, or vegetable, carbon based. Something that is "Inorganic" is non-living or mineral based. Which means, basically, that all hair color is both organic and inorganic, depending upon it's ingredients.
"Lift and deposit in the same application" This comment was said in wonder, like they've never heard of it before. What planet are you from?? ALL permanent color, whether it's the "non-ammonia" or ammonia based color, lifts first, to create a base for the color to adhere to, then deposits the artificial color after. Please get some education.
"Ammonia is effective because it's incredibly corrosive and extrordinarily destructive to the cuticle and sacrafices the hair's health and structural intregity". This one is a double-edged sword. With multiple applications, YES, ammonia is corrosive and destructive and will definitely sacrafice the hair health and structural integrity. Ammonia continues to swell the hair shaft, therefore pushing the cuticle open even further, making your hair feel dry. Because this cuticle is open, it also allows the dyeload to "pile up" in the hair shaft, making the strand darker with each application. That's why you'll see people with lighter colored hair at the top of the head and nearly BLACK hair at the ends. This is NOT the trendy "Ombre" look, my friends. THIS is damanged hair.
Something that also happens with color build up (and this even happens with demi and semi permanent colors) is that the hair will break off after a period of time. Hair can only take so much of a "beating" before it just gives up. And, this can happen both at home and with a professional. It's a bit hard to avoid. Careful formulation goes a long way to keeping the intregity of the hair intact. Careful application of color goes a long way, also. Don't overlap the product. Don't "run" the permanent color through the ends of the hair beyond a virgin application of color to hair that's never been colored before. And educate your clients on how to properly take care of their hair.
"Permanent color that faded in two weeks". Apparently, this person still hasn't learned what's permanent about permanent hair color. It's not the dye load, it's the lifting action that's permanent. That being said, how you care for your newly colored hair is just as important as what you color it with. If you're using the wrong shampoo and screaming hot water to wash your hair with, of course the color won't last. However, if you're using sulfate-free shampoos, an acidic conditioner to close the cuticle, and moderate temperature water to wash & rinse with, you should have better success in maintaining your color between appointments.
"Organic" hair color: Unless you are using good, old fashioned HENNA (the kind that turns hair orange and is used to tattoo your hands during sacred ceremonies of the Hindu faith), there isn't a hair color out there that is "organic"...which, by the way, is a non-regulated word used by manufacturers of various products to get you to purchase whatever it is. It's a "buzz word". Oh, and the other "by the way"?? If you look at things this way: Things are either organic or inorganic. Something that is "organic" is living matter, animal, or vegetable, carbon based. Something that is "Inorganic" is non-living or mineral based. Which means, basically, that all hair color is both organic and inorganic, depending upon it's ingredients.
"Lift and deposit in the same application" This comment was said in wonder, like they've never heard of it before. What planet are you from?? ALL permanent color, whether it's the "non-ammonia" or ammonia based color, lifts first, to create a base for the color to adhere to, then deposits the artificial color after. Please get some education.
"Ammonia is effective because it's incredibly corrosive and extrordinarily destructive to the cuticle and sacrafices the hair's health and structural intregity". This one is a double-edged sword. With multiple applications, YES, ammonia is corrosive and destructive and will definitely sacrafice the hair health and structural integrity. Ammonia continues to swell the hair shaft, therefore pushing the cuticle open even further, making your hair feel dry. Because this cuticle is open, it also allows the dyeload to "pile up" in the hair shaft, making the strand darker with each application. That's why you'll see people with lighter colored hair at the top of the head and nearly BLACK hair at the ends. This is NOT the trendy "Ombre" look, my friends. THIS is damanged hair.
Something that also happens with color build up (and this even happens with demi and semi permanent colors) is that the hair will break off after a period of time. Hair can only take so much of a "beating" before it just gives up. And, this can happen both at home and with a professional. It's a bit hard to avoid. Careful formulation goes a long way to keeping the intregity of the hair intact. Careful application of color goes a long way, also. Don't overlap the product. Don't "run" the permanent color through the ends of the hair beyond a virgin application of color to hair that's never been colored before. And educate your clients on how to properly take care of their hair.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
My own color disaster....
My regrowth needed to be done. We NEVER have time at work, due to the fact that we're ridiculously busy most of the time. So, it's up to me to get it done. So, I went to the local professional product distributor and picked up what I needed. I also talked Katie into doing most of my color work for me (she's seriously toying with going to cosmetology school after high school, so, here's some practice!)
Step one: A color balancing. This is a mixture of shampoo, lightener, & developer, mixed in a bowl. Katie sectioned my hair (4 quadrants), then sub sectioned it to apply the product, omitting my regrowth, to lighten my hair. (repeated applications of demi permanent color eventually causes the hair to get progressively darker, thus making my hair look brownish). This sat on my hair, capped, for 30 minutes. Which, as it turned out, was about 10 minutes too long. My hair turned apricot colored.
Not necessarily a big deal, really. It will still support red hair. So, I had Katie apply my permanent color formula to my regrowth. Over all, my hair didn't look too bad...Katie's application was fine, by the way...just too light. (kind of "strawberry"-ish)
So, Wednesday morning, after I take Katie to school, I mix up the formula for my ends. I have neglected to tell you that all of this color is from Matrix, and it's all the "HD" color...."High Definition", which really means intense pigment. I apply the color, cap my hair, let it sit for 30 minutes, then wash it out. HOLY RED HAIR. And not Lucille Ball red. Not Orphan Annie red, not Rita Hayworth red. Freakin' RONALD MCDONALD RED!!! It was an intense shade of red when WET (when hair usually looks quite dark). So, I scrambled in the bin of color that I have, looking for a remedy.
I had also foiled other colors into my bangs: An RV, CR & 1 foil of lightener. Since I liked how that came out, I left my bangs out when I covered my hair with 3/4 6N & 1/4 6CG (natural & copper gold). And, because my hair is a bit trashed from the color balancing, my ends are a bit, well...crispy. (I'm also waaaay overdue for a haircut). However, my ends are now a coppery brown (not my best color, but it'll work til I can get my hair trimmed up) and my bangs have some craziness going on. Which works for me.
Lesson learned?? Don't leave the color balancing on so damn long!! And refill the color stash so I can correct the mistakes a bit better.
Oh well.
Step one: A color balancing. This is a mixture of shampoo, lightener, & developer, mixed in a bowl. Katie sectioned my hair (4 quadrants), then sub sectioned it to apply the product, omitting my regrowth, to lighten my hair. (repeated applications of demi permanent color eventually causes the hair to get progressively darker, thus making my hair look brownish). This sat on my hair, capped, for 30 minutes. Which, as it turned out, was about 10 minutes too long. My hair turned apricot colored.
Not necessarily a big deal, really. It will still support red hair. So, I had Katie apply my permanent color formula to my regrowth. Over all, my hair didn't look too bad...Katie's application was fine, by the way...just too light. (kind of "strawberry"-ish)
So, Wednesday morning, after I take Katie to school, I mix up the formula for my ends. I have neglected to tell you that all of this color is from Matrix, and it's all the "HD" color...."High Definition", which really means intense pigment. I apply the color, cap my hair, let it sit for 30 minutes, then wash it out. HOLY RED HAIR. And not Lucille Ball red. Not Orphan Annie red, not Rita Hayworth red. Freakin' RONALD MCDONALD RED!!! It was an intense shade of red when WET (when hair usually looks quite dark). So, I scrambled in the bin of color that I have, looking for a remedy.
I had also foiled other colors into my bangs: An RV, CR & 1 foil of lightener. Since I liked how that came out, I left my bangs out when I covered my hair with 3/4 6N & 1/4 6CG (natural & copper gold). And, because my hair is a bit trashed from the color balancing, my ends are a bit, well...crispy. (I'm also waaaay overdue for a haircut). However, my ends are now a coppery brown (not my best color, but it'll work til I can get my hair trimmed up) and my bangs have some craziness going on. Which works for me.
Lesson learned?? Don't leave the color balancing on so damn long!! And refill the color stash so I can correct the mistakes a bit better.
Oh well.
Friday, March 16, 2012
Why I haven't been on in, like, FOREVER....
Work has been increasingly busy. Which is a good thing. Except when you're understaffed. Then, it's an issue. On the one hand, I'm making some serious money. On the other hand, I'm seriously tired and a bit stressed out from the pace. I'm getting used to it, so it's not as bad as it was, physically.
I also struggle with the changes I've made in regard to what I blog about. I started this blog as a bitch fest and decided to change it so I wasn't complaining quite so much. Since I've done that, I've limited my outlets for complaining. Sigh.
I don't just talk to hear myself talk. I try to use the complaining constructively to sort out what is going on and just how to cope with it. It doesn't always work. My aunt will regularly inform me of her opinion, and not always in a positive light. Which is fine, I can take it. I'm sure she sees me as a complete whiner. Truly, I'm not. However, I need to get this toxic crap out of my system. I've always been one to "journal" things....this is just a more open format.
So, I'm at a loss as to what to do. Keep it positive all the time, or every once in a while, let it loose??
I also struggle with the changes I've made in regard to what I blog about. I started this blog as a bitch fest and decided to change it so I wasn't complaining quite so much. Since I've done that, I've limited my outlets for complaining. Sigh.
I don't just talk to hear myself talk. I try to use the complaining constructively to sort out what is going on and just how to cope with it. It doesn't always work. My aunt will regularly inform me of her opinion, and not always in a positive light. Which is fine, I can take it. I'm sure she sees me as a complete whiner. Truly, I'm not. However, I need to get this toxic crap out of my system. I've always been one to "journal" things....this is just a more open format.
So, I'm at a loss as to what to do. Keep it positive all the time, or every once in a while, let it loose??
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Harsh hair color...and overplucked eyebrows...
There are times when I wish I could just sit and people watch, all day long. The things I see are just too whatever to make up (stupid, silly, etc.) I was in Walmart the other day (not the store I actually work in) and noticed a cashier's hair color and eyebrows. Sigh.
She's probably around my age (43), maybe a titch younger or older, kind of hard to tell. Anyway, she's got those tell tale bags under her eyes, which tells me she's not living a "clean" life (cigarettes, drinking, idiots in her life). Otherwise, her skin was pretty clear (bonus in her favor). Her hair color is quite dark (artificially so), and her eyebrows are plucked with a poor shape and practically non-existent, which makes her facial features stand out in an unattractive way. I'm not saying I'm the most beautiful person on the planet...to the contrary, I usually look very "relaxed" when I'm out and about on my days off. However, this person was at WORK....she needs a make over, STAT!!
First thing I'd do...counsel her to step away from the tweezers. Get her to let the poor things grow back in so we can actually see the shape they're supposed to be and work on them to get them there. There's nothing worse than looking permanently surprised....Once the shape has been established, and getting her used to how they look, she will notice a HUGE difference in how people perceive what she looks like. I know, it sounds shallow, but it's true. A well groomed brow makes all the difference!! (just look at anyone who gets their unibrow taken care of....what a huge difference!!)
Then, her color. Right now, the only thing that can be done is to A) some very well placed highlights to lighten up her overall color. Continue to highlight her for at least 3 total visits (spread out over the course of at least a year). While these highlights are going on, taking care of her regrowth is very important. I'd be using a lighter color, even if it's only one shade lighter, to move things along, making sure it all blends accordingly. Once the highlights are plentiful, I would then start using a tinted glaze over the whole thing to bring the highlights to a newer, lighter shade of brown, which would be infinitely more pleasing than the harsh dark brown she currently has.
The one thing I'd explain to her is that this process takes TIME. It cannot and should not be done in one visit. The first visit would be a partial highlight to lighten up the over all color....fine highlights, spread out so there's a subtle change, making sure the highlights are placed so there is no obvious line of demarcation. Depending upon how much grey is being covered, I may not touch the regrowth areas, or I might start the process of making her overall color a half shade lighter.
The next appointment, I'd add another layer of highlights, the same amount as before, placed slightly closer together, to break up the color even more, and continue to touch up her regrowth with the new overall formula. The third appointment (the highlight appointments should be placed roughly 2-3 months apart. The retouch of her regrowth should be every month to ensure good coverage of any grey hair) would be the final application of highlights, still placed so there is no obvious line of demarcation. At this appointment, I would match up a glaze color to coordinate with her new base color, lightening up her hair overall without damaging her hair. The glaze will be a demi permanent color, which contains NO ammonia of any kind. This will close down the cuticle and make the hair appear shiny and smooth, which equals healthy hair!!
Is this an expensive process, over all?? Yes. Is it worth the time and money?? Absolutely. Lightening up that harsh hair color does a number of things, most importantly, it makes you look younger than you are. The darker the hair color, the older and harsher you look. No matter how pretty you are, you will look HARSH and OLD with dark hair. Why do you think all the kids want to dye their hair jet black???
She's probably around my age (43), maybe a titch younger or older, kind of hard to tell. Anyway, she's got those tell tale bags under her eyes, which tells me she's not living a "clean" life (cigarettes, drinking, idiots in her life). Otherwise, her skin was pretty clear (bonus in her favor). Her hair color is quite dark (artificially so), and her eyebrows are plucked with a poor shape and practically non-existent, which makes her facial features stand out in an unattractive way. I'm not saying I'm the most beautiful person on the planet...to the contrary, I usually look very "relaxed" when I'm out and about on my days off. However, this person was at WORK....she needs a make over, STAT!!
First thing I'd do...counsel her to step away from the tweezers. Get her to let the poor things grow back in so we can actually see the shape they're supposed to be and work on them to get them there. There's nothing worse than looking permanently surprised....Once the shape has been established, and getting her used to how they look, she will notice a HUGE difference in how people perceive what she looks like. I know, it sounds shallow, but it's true. A well groomed brow makes all the difference!! (just look at anyone who gets their unibrow taken care of....what a huge difference!!)
Then, her color. Right now, the only thing that can be done is to A) some very well placed highlights to lighten up her overall color. Continue to highlight her for at least 3 total visits (spread out over the course of at least a year). While these highlights are going on, taking care of her regrowth is very important. I'd be using a lighter color, even if it's only one shade lighter, to move things along, making sure it all blends accordingly. Once the highlights are plentiful, I would then start using a tinted glaze over the whole thing to bring the highlights to a newer, lighter shade of brown, which would be infinitely more pleasing than the harsh dark brown she currently has.
The one thing I'd explain to her is that this process takes TIME. It cannot and should not be done in one visit. The first visit would be a partial highlight to lighten up the over all color....fine highlights, spread out so there's a subtle change, making sure the highlights are placed so there is no obvious line of demarcation. Depending upon how much grey is being covered, I may not touch the regrowth areas, or I might start the process of making her overall color a half shade lighter.
The next appointment, I'd add another layer of highlights, the same amount as before, placed slightly closer together, to break up the color even more, and continue to touch up her regrowth with the new overall formula. The third appointment (the highlight appointments should be placed roughly 2-3 months apart. The retouch of her regrowth should be every month to ensure good coverage of any grey hair) would be the final application of highlights, still placed so there is no obvious line of demarcation. At this appointment, I would match up a glaze color to coordinate with her new base color, lightening up her hair overall without damaging her hair. The glaze will be a demi permanent color, which contains NO ammonia of any kind. This will close down the cuticle and make the hair appear shiny and smooth, which equals healthy hair!!
Is this an expensive process, over all?? Yes. Is it worth the time and money?? Absolutely. Lightening up that harsh hair color does a number of things, most importantly, it makes you look younger than you are. The darker the hair color, the older and harsher you look. No matter how pretty you are, you will look HARSH and OLD with dark hair. Why do you think all the kids want to dye their hair jet black???
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