Ask almost any woman, especially those living
in hot and humid climates like Tokyo over Summer,
what their most annoying hair issue is and frizziness will hands down
be the most common answer.
We all know what frizzy hair looks like. Formerly smooth,
sleek hair morphs into something that looks like it has been hit
with a few thousand volts, then deep fried.
But what causes it? Why does hair get frizzy when it’s humid?
Humidity is the amount of ambient moisture in the air.
The more humid the day is, the more moisture there is in the air.
Humidity often makes fine hair flat by weighing it down.
If your hair is curly or has a lot of body,
it can cause it to become bushy. Dry hair gets even frizzier.
Hair is made up of dead cells bonded together by proteins.
Being dead, hair does not produce moisture; therefore any moisture
has to come from an outside source like scalp oil or moisturisers.
As hair becomes older and drier, the hair’s surface becomes rough
which allows for better penetration of water into the hair.
Inside the hair is the cortex, which is made up of two different
kinds of protein, orthocortex and paracortex.
Both these proteins absorb water, but do so differently.
When moisture causes them to swell, one expands more than the other,
which causes the hair to twist, leading to the waviness
that many women experience in humid conditions.
Since everyone’s hair has different amounts of ortho- and paraprotein
in their hair, its reaction to humidity can vary a great deal.
Also, the overall condition of your hair and how dry
it is plays a large part in how it reacts to moisture in the air.
Avoid frizzy hair by keeping heat styling to a minimum,
use of a good conditioner regularly and by not over-brushing.
While this may help, you can’t change the basic structure of your cortex.
That is where the use of the right styling products and
a good haircut can really contribute to your hair always looking its best.
Regular trims to remove split ends, the main contributor of
the “rough” texture associated with Frizzy hair.
Seek out styling products that add moisture and silicone which aids in
sealing the cuticle and smoothing away roughness.
This Australian Gent wanted to update his hair with a splash of colour,
with his blue eyes and tanned complexion we opted for a steely platinum to give him an edgier sophisticated look.
It’s always a pleasure when someone entrusts you with such a major change, thankfully he was delighted with the result.
Protecting your hair from the Summer Sun.
Summer, a great time of year to frolic, relax and play, but hot, long summer days can really play havoc on your tresses.
Exposure to high temperatures, direct sunlight and U.V, humidity, chlorine and/or salt water…..well you get the picture.
The main complaints I hear over the summer are usually associated with dryness, frizziness and discolouration, but this need not be your reality with just a few small changes to your home hair care routine.
Firstly try to shampoo less, you probably feel like doing the opposite but frequent shampooing can rob your hair of it’s natural oils leading to dryer, frizzier hair,
cut back on your shampooing whenever possible.
Next look at what you are currently using on your hair and consider if there are gentler options, many people switch their skincare products as they move into Summer, the same consideration should also be applied to your hair and the products you use.
Also re-think some of the harsher chemical services you may be planning until the Summer is over to minimise the impact those chemicals are going to have on your hair without adding the extra stress of Summer to the mix,
I’m especially thinking of processes like chemical straightening as I write this.
Condition, Condition and Condition!
Up the quality of the conditioner you’re already using, perhaps switch to a “leave in” product for extra protection and if you are not already doing this, a weekly hair mask, bi-weekly if necessary will make a massive difference to how your hair feels after Summer has retreated and your tan has faded, don’t let the biggest reminder of what a great Summer you just had be a head of dehydrated, bleached out, frizzy hair,
Oh, almost forgot a couple more things, leave your conditioner in for a MINIMUM of 5 minutes and try whenever possible to lay off the heated hair tools and allow yourself a natural dry, with the correct use of the right products and a few tips from your stylist, you should be able to achieve a look that embraces the casualness of Summer whilst still lending itself an air of sophistication.
Also before swimming pre-saturate your hair, hair can only absorb so much moisture so make that moisture from the shower and not the pool or sea.
Is your hairstyle ageing you? It’s not always that easy to readily identify a bad hairstyle, particularly on oneself and unless you have a completely butchered haircut,
you probably think everything is going O.K with your current look. Ask yourself, when was the last time I updated my hair?
If it takes you more than a couple of seconds to answer that you may want to read on.
One common mistake is not getting your hair reshaped frequently enough.
On average your hair needs cutting approximately every six weeks.
This is not some arbitrary number but decades of experience has taught me that clients I see that have their hair cut with less frequency, say 8 weeks or more, invariably remark” I should have had this cut done weeks ago!” Which begs the question ”How have you been looking these past few weeks?”
Just as Men over about 40~45 should be careful about the instant ageing effect of not shaving daily, designer stubble is best kept for the younger guy,
a grown out haircut that has lost it’s freshness is something to pay particular attention to avoid.
Is your cut working for you, does it have a contemporary flavour to it?, even the most classic haircut can be given a fresh twist,
explore options with your stylist and remember, a change doesn’t always mean you need to become a completely different person,
an enhanced version of who you already are is often subtle and sufficient.
Styling tip, Try to keep a casualness to your styling, don’t finish your hair off too perfectly, if possible, at the finish, use your hands a little more to place your hair
rather than brushing it into a severe perfect finish,
Also, don’t “over do it” with the hairspray, sexy, youthful hair moves.
The ultimate Ager
Colour is a category that I could write reams on but two things come to mind when it comes to hair colour that ages,
1) Make sure your base colour is not too dark, by a certain age, you should be careful using the natural colour of your youth as a reference to which colour you are going to use to cover those pesky greys.
As you age and your hair naturally lightens by an increase in grey, your skin tone also changes to balance that
so keeping it too dark not only creates a strong contrast as the new hair grows through, regrowth,
but likely no longer suits your changed complexion/skin tone.
2) The same can be said of being too blonde, I recommend a darker blonde base colour with some light blonde highlights
which will look much softer on a mature skin tone than heavy blonde alone.
Being an ex-pat salon in Tokyo means it’s a fairly common event to say goodbye to clients returning to their country or onto another assignment on a regular basis but sometimes it that little bit harder when it’s a great person like Lucy.
Lucy has been a constant, loyal client to our salon, indeed Gold is the only salon she has trusted with her hair in the over 8 years she has been in Japan.
To say she will be missed is somewhat of an understatement!, “Best of Luck Lucy”, from all your friends at Gold.
Producing a Salon quality Blowout.
I’m going to condense this tip into five very important steps, perfecting these will require the time you take and repetition using the steps below,
1) The right Blowdryer, I can’t begin to imagine how difficult it must be to use a dryer with a heat and air flow that feels more like a summer breeze. You need at least 1800 watts of power and multiple heat settings. Use medium heat for pre-drying and high heat when you start working with the brush to manipulate the shape of the hair. Always finish with cold setting to close the cuticle and set in your efforts.
2) Nozzle, never discard this, the little accessory on the end of your dryer is invaluable, It is the key to getting enough heat on the hair to smooth whilst creating a buffer so you don’t scorch it.
3)Round Brush, Straightens, makes ends flip, creates waves and builds body into fine hair. Remember to save time the larger the surface area, the quicker the result, brushes with vents save even more time!
4) Hair-clips. Keeps your layers separate allowing you to start underneath where any successful blowout starts. Also helps you to avoid over-drying sections leading to damage. If you need any of the tools mentioned above, just ask us and we can source the very best available to suit your hair and current hairstyle.
5)Last but definitely not least, correct styling products. Using the correct styling products for the desired effect and your hair type is invaluable to getting a really great result when styling your hair, there are so many products for everything from body building to smoothing that finding the product just right for you is something you should discuss with your stylist who can not only make a suitable recommendation but also show you how to use it to gain the maximum effect and benefit.
Ever went out for a big night clubbing, hitting the dance floors, getting your groove on, sexy dress, cha cha heels, hours spent getting your hair looking just truly fabulous, you know what I’m talking about?
Only to find that after a couple of dances/ hours inside a hot, sweaty club your hair looks anything but fabulous and all your hair styling efforts have gone south?
Lots of great waterproof makeup on the market these days making sure no matter how hot and sticky things get, your makeup won’t let you down.
The same unfortunately cannot be said for hair products, well at least till now.
I’ve started using a product by Paul Mitchell in a way that I’m sure they never intended.
Paul Mitchell’s “Express Dry” is a modern take on a dry shampoo, those are the products designed to freshen your hair without washing it,
basically a fine powder is applied to mop up perspiration and scalp oil so as to extend your frequency of shampooing a further day or two.
Great for anyone who travels a lot or convalescing in hospital.
Anyway, it occurred to me lately, if these dry shampoos, like express dry, do such a good job of mopping up oil and moisture from hair that needs to be shampooed, how about putting it in the hair when its clean and dry so when the perspiration or natural oils start making an appearance,
the dry shampoo takes care of the issue before it starts? Guess what, this work a treat!
Just spray it all throughout your hair, paying particular attention to the underneath hair and the root area that usually gets the hottest and sweatiest
and just wait and see what a difference this little idea makes to how your hair looks as the dance floor heats up!
If you find that using this product robs your hair of shine and lustre there are plenty of shine sprays that can be used in tandem with Express Dry to combat that effect.
Just finish you application of Express Dry then give a light misting of shine spray like Glimmer Shine by Moroccanoil to replace the gloss, it’s that easy! Needless to say, you can use this trick also on any sticky days to help combat the effects of humidity and or the sweaty train rush hour!
A style saver, particularly for anyone with fine hair.
O.K., so before you hit the beach or start pool crawling,
pay a little thought to how best to protect your hair from the potentially hazardous cocktail of highly chlorinated water and the summer U.V rays.
The very first thing to remember before you go swimming anywhere and this includes the beach
is that your hair only has the ability to absorb a certain amount of water.
So taking this one small fact into account, it is of the upmost importance that you fill your hair with
the least damaging water you can find.
For anyone who finds it a little extreme to wet their hair with bottled water, don’t laugh,
I have a good friend who does this religiously before she swims, the water from the shower is certainly
less chlorinated than what is used in pools so I recommend you wet your hair completely with the
shower water before entering the pool or ocean for that matter.
After your swim, once again rinse your hair thoroughly to remove any pool water that may have
leeched it’s way into your hair, this step is also good for getting the pool water off your body, thus
protecting your skin.
Another useful tip is after pre-wetting your hair, apply a liberal amount of hair serum, we like
Moroccan Oil for this task.
The silicones found in the serum will aid in sealing the hair from penetration of the chlorinated water.
After your day poolside it is essential that you shampoo your hair and condition it well,
by well I mean leave the conditioner in your hair at least 5~10 minutes.
Alternatively use a hair mask if you have one available. Never allow saltwater or chlorinated pool
water to dry into your hair and sit there overnight!
Well with this relentless heat if you don’t already have short hair, then there are times your going to wish you did.
That’s when your going to need to work out a plan B to get that short hair, off the shoulders coolness
without doing something that you may possibly regret later, or sooner for that matter.
Some people tie their own hair up with grace and ease, for everyone else here’s a few tips to help you to get that swept up cool look, with relative ease.
Firstly it is very difficult to put up clean, freshly washed hair, ask any stylist and they will tell you that the best hair to work with for up- styling is slightly dirty or at
least second day hair, freshly shampooed and conditioned hair is often too slippery to pull up into place and falls down easily.
Secondly your going to need good tools to get the job done, I struggle to put hair up if I don’t have the right combs, brushes and grips.
A cushion based partly bristle, partly synthetic brush combination I find the most effective for bringing all the hair together tightly and smoothly.
Mason & Pearson make the worlds best version of this type of dressing brush but there are many imitations that cost a fraction of the price and still do the job effectively!
Next you’ll need a tail comb, that’s the combs with teeth at one end and the other end with a long straight tail that is really useful for tucking ends in and smoothing the surface of the hair.
Lastly you’ll need something strong to hold your hair up in it’s gravity defying incarnation.
I have always found that any up- style having as it’s base, an elastic secured ponytail to be by far the easiest to work on and the safest against falling down or
collapsing throughout the day.
So to start with use a little gravity to get your hair into the initial ponytail providing the basis of any creativity that follows.
Whilst brushing your hair toss your head over as if you want to take a closer inspection of your kneecaps and with your band around your wrist brush all your hair
from all sides, gather it tightly in one hand before bringing the band off your wrist and around the ponytail your holding in your other hand tightly in a fist.
Wrap your hair band around as many time as you can creating a tight ponytail,
separate it in two then pull it in opposite directions to tighten further, you should now have a high, tight and hopefully smooth ponytail.
After this basic step, this is now where the fun and creativity starts.
I could write a whole book of suggestions on what you can now do with this ponytail but today I’m going to share one simple trick to give you an idea of what can be achieved when you have a plan to dress up a simple ponytail.
Your going to need four small rubber bands, start by taking a 1/4 of your ponytail, splitting it into three then braiding it finishing the braid with one of the rubber
bands to make sure it doesn’t unravel, repeat that procedure three more time on the remaining hair from the ponytail till you end up with a ponytail consisting of four braids.
Before commencing the next step you’ll need to have at least 8 bobby pins ready for the finish, simply take one of your four braids
and wrap it around the base of the ponytail in a clockwise direction and fasten the ends of that piece using two bobby pins attaching it to the base of the ponytail,
literally cross over the end of that braided piece of hair and push the bobby pins into the ponytail stump where the first and main hairband is.
Repeat this procedure with your second piece of hair except now you wrap it in an anti clockwise direction and pin in the same manner as the first piece.
Same goes now for braid number three back to a clockwise direction and finishing of with the fourth and final braid wrapping around everything in a anti clockwise
direction.
First and third braid wrapped and secured clockwise, second and fourth braid wrapped and secured anti clockwise.
Besides ending up with a beautiful braided top knot, you will have something that is near bullet proof when it comes to staying power and all you needed was an
elastic for your pony, four smaller ones for your individual braids and 8 pins, perhaps a little time consuming but time well spent.
Now with a little imagination, just think about what other creations you could come up with based on a simple ponytail??
At this time of year with upwards of 80% ambient humidity the real challenge of keeping a smooth, unruffled appearance is put to the test.
No matter how nicely I press my shirt before wearing it I only need to sit in a chair somewhere under air-conditioned, and the back of my shirt will end up looking like I wore it to bed last night.
Same thing happens with hair, even those of us with naturally smooth, problem free hair will find it a little challenging to keep it neat and in place through the sporadic rain showers and steamy weather that is July/August in Tokyo.
If this sounds like you, then I suggest you try a few drops of Moroccan Oil’s “Light” formula, rubbed into the palm of your hands before smoothing across the surface
of your hair, you will soon notice a level of control you wouldn’t believe possible if you have not tried it.
This “Light” formula, as opposed to to Original is extremely user friendly and readily absorbed into the hair. It is literally one of the best anti-humectant products
I have used to date that is not easily seen or leaves an oily finish on the surface of the hair.
Next time your in the salon ask for a little to be used at the finish of your blow-dry and see for yourself just how light and effective this product truly is.
Sometimes the best styling tools are found in a bottle!
