Kelly asks:

“I have lots of hair questions but one that is really a concern at the moment is how to keep my hair from drying out in the summer heat. I feel like my scalp and hair is completely dry to the bone! I have switched shampoos and drink lots of water but nothing seems to help. Any advice?”

Really good question Kelly- everyone battles with this one! Here’s what our stylists have to say.

Lancer says:

“Ah the sun! The elements do take a toll on the hair. I recommend making an appointment for a deep conditioning treatment. My favorite is Kevin Murphy’s Born Again Treatment, which contains Rose Hip and Rose Absolute ($6K a kilo). Rose Absolute catalyzes the other botanicals in the treatment as it vibrates at a higher speed than the rest! These botanicals are heat and light sensitive; once exposed to the wind and sun, they become energized and moisturize, repair, and regenerate the hair and scalp. Antioxidants stop damage in its tracks as well as the further onslaught of damage by bringing a balance to the hair and scalp!”

Thanks for your question Kelly, and make sure to stop by and make an appointment or pick up your own bottle of Born Again to beat the heat!

Stay tuned for more Ask a Stylist posts coming up! Send your questions to ameliahanron@gmail.com

Our hair is a very important part of our bodies, in more ways than one. Sure, it’s gorgeous and can be an excellent accessory, and can also be a great way of expressing your personal style, but did you know your hair is also a great indicator of your overall physical and emotional health?

Your hair can be one of the first and best signs of how your body’s doing. When you’re healthy, balanced and relaxed, your hair will be lustrous and shining. However, when you’ve been ill, or are stressed out, there can be many negative effects on your hair. “I once had a friend whose hair was going grey because she had a really stressful job,” says John, one of our stylists, “She left to go to a different job, and right away the graying stopped.” If we’re under a lot of stress, either mentally or physically, our hair can get dull and even start to fall out.

Typically, when we go through a period of high stress, our hair will go into the telogen phase, which means it stops growing, and about three months later, it will start to fall out. So if you notice an abnormal amount of hair loss, think back a couple months- it’s likely that you’ll find that you had been going through something stressful at that time. Hair can also get thinner and fall out when you are going through a great physical stressor such as childbirth, illness or surgery, since the body takes energy away from growing hair to focus on healing.

Fortunately, there are a lot of easy ways to combat stress and keep your hair looking healthy and beautiful. The easiest thing to keep yourself balanced is regular exercise and a good diet. Vitamins are really important for the health of your hair, so go heavy on foods rich in Vitamin B, like greens, fish, cheese and eggs; Vitamin A, like spinach, broccoli, tomatoes and melons; and Vitamin C, like citrus fruits and strawberries. All of these, as well as vitamin supplements, will keep your body balanced and keep your hair looking rich, as will foods rich in calcium, like cheese, milk and yogurt.

There are also many products that can help revamp your hair. “Conditioning treatments like Kevin Murphy’s Born Again and Staying Alive can help stressed hair by making sure your hair and scalp is in balance,” says our stylist Lancer. “You should definitely tell your hair dresser what’s going with your hair- hair professionals are the best treatments for damaged or unhappy hair.”

Stress will come out in different ways for people, and can be remedied by different treatments. “When I’m stressed, my scalp gets itchy,” says Andrea, our receptionist. “John just did a Moroccan Oil Dry-No-More Scalp treatment on me- and gave me a killer head massage- and I feel great!”

Whether your hair needs a boost of life to get it going again, or if you just want to make sure it’s at it’s healthiest, our stylists are always here to answer your questions and make sure your hair is always as beautiful as it can be. Give us a call and make your appointment today!

Post by Amelia

The MoroccanOil Treatment is the perfect complement to any color or chemical procedure. Applied in-salon, this cocktail will leave your hair shiny, manageable and will help keep the true color last longer, with added UV protection.

For Extra Conditioning with Dry/Damaged Hair:

• Consider an Intense Hydrating Mask applied to hair after shampooing. It helps bring back shine and luster to dry/brittle hair.
• Whether applied in-salon or at-home, the treatment only requires 5 to 7 minutes and does not need to be activated by direct heat.

For Repairing Color/Chemical Treated Hair:

• Use a Restorative Mask, a highly effective therapeutic remedy enriched with proteins that requires only 7-10 minutes without the application of heat to restore chemically damaged hair.

This season be on the look out for…

Long straight hair worn parted down the center or with a blunt cut fringe.

• This hair length is versatile and looks striking when ironed. MOROCCANOIL Treatment and Hydrating Styling Cream are the essential products to obtain this perfect sleek look.
• Add MOROCCANOIL Gold Glimmer Shine for extra shine, a bit of glamour and sophistication.

Natural-looking hair is back in full force.

• Apply Hydrating Styling Cream on wet hair and comb through then curl with a hot curling iron or roller set and brush out hair for loose natural curls.

RED is this Spring’s highlight color.

• From strawberry blond to auburn, red heads are featured this season.
• Prolong the life of your color by asking your stylist to add MOROCCANOIL Treatment to your next color process.

Emerson Salon LOVES Moroccan Oil. We tested it for months before ordering it for the salon. Indulge your senses and improve your hair with a MorrocanOil treatment today!

-posted by Lancer

Hair can be lackluster in Seattle for a variety of reasons. Winter climates can really dull the hair’s cuticle (external) layer, when most of us are wearing hats often, ignoring our hair’s conditioning needs, or growing out an old color or haircut.

Dull Hair

The rain, snow, indoor heat, lack of sun, and harsh winds dull the hair, leaving it dry, resulting in frizzies, flyaways, or hardness in texture.

Curly/wavy hair

Combat frizz with Kevin Murphy’s Leave In Luxury, especially for those of you who don’t like the feel of product in your hair. Like a bit of soft controlled frizz to your do? Kevin Murphy’s Motion Lotion does the trick. It holds your curls loosely and without silicones.

Fine, flyaway hair

Tame your hair without the feel of product with Kevin Murphy’s Stayin’ Alive. It is a leave-in treatment that you spray onto your hair when you leave your home. Just spray it on, comb or brush it through lightly, and feel the aromatherapeutic goodness of lavender. It also tames your baby fine locks!

Flat, heavy hair
Truly benefits from products such as Alterna’s Spray Shine, brushed through, or from Kevin Murphy’s Sticky Business- just emulsify a bit throughout both palms, and, working from the back, finger-rake it from your roots out to the ends of your hair.

Seal in shine

Show off your revitalized hair with Kevin Murphy’s Session Spray. Not a Maximun hold spray, but rather, contains resins which attach themselves to your hair strands, holding tousled locks, chunky texture, and face-framing fringes into the shape you styles them into!

Need more hold?

Lately it has been rather windy! To freeze your hair into place and fight the wind, once your hair is ready to go, spray a mist all around your hairstyle, using Alterna’s Maximum Hold Volume Lock spray, or Fudge’s Membrane Gas, and head to that party or gig!!!

-posted by Lancer

We just recently got the Mason Pearson brushes in the salon to try out. I have to admit, I was very skeptical. How could a hairbrush be all that? As hairdressers, we have tried many brushes and combs, endless blowout techniques and products, not to mention all methods of hair straightening, and they all have their pros and cons. This brush has never failed me or my clients. After one use of the brush in a regular blowout (without straightening products or the like), my clients’ hair has never looked smoother, softer, nor straighter.

It is true that the best thing one can do for one’s hair is to brush it. The same idea applies to nails; the best things one can do for one’s nails is to buff them.

Hair Solutions achieved with the Mason Pearson brush:

Dry hair: Brushing activates the tiny oil glands at the case of each hair – so that they lubricate each hair shaft just enough for elasticity and bounce and there’s no danger of hair being brittle, dry and difficult to manage.

Greasy hair: Brushing helps lift away excess oil from the hair shaft.

Dandruff: A Mason Pearson brush reaches every corner of the scalp and makes a thorough job of sweeping away the scales.

Be like Marsha:

Regular brushing with a good hairbrush through to the scalp will stimulate the blood supply and promote healthy growth.

The Mason Pearson brush:

Glides more easily and smoothly through the hair, allowing you to lift your hair in wide curves.

Is designed so that every individual tuft penetrates right through to the scalp.

Mason Pearson have established a unique reputation for hairbrushes. The reason for this is partly in the design and partly in the versatility of the brushes. The design consists of unique spired tufts of boar bristle, or nylon, or bristle-and-nylon mixture, set in a pneumatic pad so that every tuft penetrates right through to the scalp. In addition the materials are first-class. Mason Pearson brushes are made in different sizes, materials, and colors, at a wide range of prices. There is one for every type of hair.

Why is the Mason Pearson brand better?

• The unique rubber-cushion pad, made by hand using Mason Pearson’s original techniques, allows for effective and efficient brushing. It is kind to use and massages the scalp.

• The cellulose plastic handle is hand-polished and any sharp edges are removed to make the hairbrush more comfortable to hold. This handle was developed from the original wooden design which we continue to make in small quantities.

• We continue to try to improve on the established design : for example, the “Child” brush is in response to a customer’s request. This is designed to enable a child to become accustomed to the activity of brushing. Similar to this, in the materials used, is the “Sensitive”, which has been developed for people who have thinning hair or very fine hair. This brush gently stimulates the scalp. The natural extension has been to have a “Sensitive” model for those men who are “thin on top”.

• We build our products to last as long as possible. While we cannot make indestructible products, we use the best materials available so that, with a little care, they should give good service.We try to make improvements continuously. We have developed our own special nylon and take particular care in our selection of natural bristles to use the best combination for each brush.

The particular MP brush that we have in stock:

Bristle and Nylon tufts: This mixture is a good combination for normal, thick or long hair. It is the ideal brush for anyone just becoming accustomed to brushing his or her hair.

Other brushes:

Too hard a bristle would hack at your hair and scalp.

Too soft a bristle would slide ineffectively over your head.

Resources: Mason Pearson Site / Folica

Protecting your hair from heat damage is essential to prevent dehydration and breakage. Heat weakens the hair by making the cuticle, or protective layer, dry, rigid and brittle. This leaves your hair susceptible to breakage. Here are a few things you can do to protect your hair.

Protect by Strengthening
Using a product that strengthens and helps your hair maintain moisture will protect against heat damage. I recommend using Caviar Styling Spray by Alterna. It’s infused with nutrient activating enzymes to help maintain vital moisture levels in your hair. It also helps stimulate protein production, which is what keeps your hair strong and breakage-free.

Repair
If you feel you may already have some damage, there are some great products out there to help. A leave-in conditioning treatment can be applied on wet hair before styling. Staying Alive by Kevin Murphy is one of my favorite leave-in conditioners. It helps repair damage and strengthens with silk proteins. It also contains Iceland moss, a natural moisturizer that makes the hair super shiny.

Re-hydrate
When shampooing and styling on a regular basis, your hair will lose a lot of the natural oils that condition and moisturize. If your hair is feeling dry, try using a conditioning treatment like Kevin Murphy Born Again about once a week.

It’s also a great idea to make an appointment for a professional conditioning treatment. We can analyze your hair and determine the best possible treatment for your hair type. Not only is it super healthy for your hair, but also relaxing. Who doesn’t love getting their hair shampooed, conditioned and styled? You’ll love how soft and shiny your hair feels afterwards.

The Alterna Caviar shampoo and conditioner comes in a moisture formula for dry hair, and a volume formula for fine hair. We love this product because of it’s ability to lock in hair color and protect the hair from daily abuse. The moisture formula is fantastic for restoring moisture, shine and softness in dehydrated colored.

If you have fine, fragile, colored hair Caviar volume will come to the rescue . It strengthens and protects your hair in addition to helping you achieve volume and fullness in your style.