When curly clients sit in your chair, it’s never long before they fire off questions focused on frizz—how to prevent it, tame it, get rid of it! Frizz is the curly girl’s arch nemesis and, as a stylist, it’s up to you to arm her with tools for battle.

But first, you have to figure out what’s causing the fight—and that’s not always easy.
“We can confuse frizzy hair as being in bad condition and that’s not necessarily true,” says Kaz Amor, a stylist at Warren Tricomi Salon in West Hollywood, Calif. “It’s usually the way curls are being handled that causes the hair to frizz.”
Clients won’t always tell you how they’re handling their hair at home — whether they’re too embarrassed to reveal bad habits or simply don’t know any better. You have to dig deep for answers.
Here, a stylist’s guide to the undercover causes of frizz — and how you can help your clients fight back.

Cause #1: Your client avoids styling products.
Cause #2: Your client is using the wrong products.
Cause #3: Your client is not applying products correctly.
Cause #4: Your client is not using enough product.
Cause #5: Your client skips over maintenance.
Cause #6: Your client has a drying dilemma.
Cause #7: Your client fibs about the flat iron.
Cause #8: Your client overdosed on color.

Full Guide at CurlStylist.com

Buy new Shears at ShiroShears.com

Texture: The Season of Texture!

By all appearances, fall 2010 will go down in fashion history as “the season of texture.” Dozens of notable fashion designers have eschewed straight strands, embracing instead all manner of curls, coils, crimps, waves and teased clouds of hair on their catwalks.

On the West Coast, style setters are also advancing the texture trend. Nearly every red carpet is adorned with sexy, romantic textures, made popular by stars like Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, Kate Hudson, Charlize Theron and Beyonce.

“Clients today are requesting anything but flat hair,” says Lina Shamoun, a 2010 North American Hairstyling Awards Texture Finalist from Kitchener, Ontario.

And regardless of whether clients are starting out with natural curl, wave or pin-straight strands, everyone has texture options this season!

Natural Curl: Embrace and Refine

“Curly hair is coming into its own,” says Titi Branch, co-owner of Miss Jessie’s Products and Salon in New York. “Twenty years ago, we wouldn’t even be talking about curly hair because people straightened their curls.

“Now, women want to embrace their natural, healthy curl. Michelle Obama even wore curls to a state dinner recently— for her to do so really validates the beauty of the look.”

But curly can also be high maintenance, admits Branch, which is why the current trend is a smoother, looser curl pattern.

“This allows a woman to keep her curl,” she explains, “but refine it.” At Miss Jessie’s, this elongated curl is achieved with the salon’s proprietary “Silkener” service. The technique involves a sodium hydroxide relaxer and a method of manipulation that stretches, yet doesn’t straighten, the hair.

“The result,” says Branch, “is hair that behaves like natural hair when it’s wet—before it dries and shrinks. It’s wash and go—it cuts styling time in half.” To support natural curls, Branch recommends Miss Jessie’s Curly Pudding treatment—a perennial favorite that combines macadamia and almond oil, aloe and shea butter for shine, plumping and moisture.

Curl definition is also imperative for Shawna Parvin’s curly clients, and the most modern approach, says the Aquage educator, NAHA 2009 Texture Winner and 2010 Hairstylist of the Year nominee, is to mix it up—random curl sizes, directions and even amounts of definition. “I’m telling my clients to start with a gel on damp hair,” she says, and comb it through scalp to ends. “Then wind sections of varying sizes, in every direction, so they look like little snakes. Don’t touch the hair until it’s completely dry, then move it around and even pull a few random pieces apart so there’s some fuzz mixed in with the curl. That’s what keeps curl from looking like the ’80s.”

Options are important for women with any texture, and naturally curly clients will always want blowouts for occasions when their hair must look polished, says Dickey, owner of New York’s Hair Rules Salon and hair products company. What makes blowouts look fresh this season, he says, is a voluminous, soft, Mad Men-inspired look, with lots of flattering movement around the face.

“Bone straight doesn’t work for most women,” he comments. “Waves and curls look softer on anyone—it’s ‘instant youth.’”

Making Waves—Keep it Raw

When it comes to creating curls and waves, the perfectly formed curls are evolving into a rougher, more raw-edged texture, says Chad Seale of Salt Lake City, another 2010 NAHA Texture finalist.

“Waves will be more vertical, looser, less constructed than we’ve seen in past seasons,” agrees Darby Shields, Associate Artistic Director of ISO International.

When it comes to these vertical waves, there’s also a new silhouette worth noting, adds Seale, namely, a flatter crown with more volume through the midlengths and ends. Seale loves this texture and shape on shorter-length bobs—actress Charlize Theron has been seen sporting the look. To permanently create this casual texture on tightly curly hair, Shields steers clients to the ISO Maintamer.

“This formula gives stylists plenty of control,” she explains. “Leave it on for five minutes, and it eliminates frizz but maintains the curl pattern. Leave it on for 30 minutes and it straightens more completely.”

To produce loose, ropey, “Gisele” texture with a thermal iron, Shields first mists strands with a combination of ISO Color Preserve Thermal Shield Spray and Daily Shape Working Spray, then wraps sections of hair vertically around the outside of a curling iron, simultaneously twisting each section onto itself like a rope. Once the hair cools completely, she gently releases the twists, revealing “a spiral, vertical wave with lots of internal torque.”

The flat iron is another excellent tool for creating this type of natural-looking body and texture. Many of today’s irons feature beveled plates, which give them the versatility to straighten and shape hair. One of Lina Shamoun’s favorite strategies is to divide hair into thin, one-inch sections, place the flatiron at the root, wind the section once around the iron and draw the tool through to the ends.

“When you release it, the hair will fall into a soft, flowing wave,” she explains.

The beach trend—textured, separated, sea-tossed strands—has generated a number of beach spray products that are great for supporting these looks or for use as stand-alone body boosters.

Color for Curl

With celebrities like Sarah Jessica Parker and Jennifer Aniston leading the way, the hottest hair color trend of the moment is the graduated “I spent last month on the beach and now it’s growing out” effect. Characterized by deeper roots and lighter midshafts and ends, it’s a deliberate technique to approximate “vacation regrowth.” The look is perfect for the twists and turns of textured hair, as long as the technique is done correctly.

Seale believes baliage is the best strategy—this freehand hair-painting method allows the colorist to place the tint exactly where the sun would kiss each strand, namely, on the rounds and fullest parts of each curl and in an unstructured fashion.

“So if your client wears her hair curly,” Seale advises, “don’t blow her hair straight and do a color weave. You’ll get six different colors on one curl and that doesn’t work.”

Additionally, says Seale, opt for high-lift permanent colors when baliaging curls, rather than bleach. “Bleach tends to swell the hair and cause it to become dryer,” he believes.

This hair type is already susceptible to dryness, he adds, so it’s better to use hair color that tends to impart less damage. Shields agrees that baliage is the best way to achieve the dark-to-light look, and advises stylists to work with fairly large sections. “Apply your color to each section randomly,” she suggests. “And for your application pattern, let the trajectory of the waves guide you—dropping off of the crown. Try some ‘peek-a-boo’ foils under the surface, too.

“All of this will create a purposeful, grown-out look, which clients today love since it’s chic and it allows them to stretch their retouching dollars!”

Original article by Modern Salon

We talked to some pioneering texture experts who have developed their own approaches to working with waves, curls and kinks. Their varied approaches illustrate the challenges and rewards of working with texture. When it comes to texture, there is no place for a one-size-fits-all approach.

Cutting Technique: Carve-and-Slice method

Depending on the density of the hair, she slices – takes a little – or carves – takes a lot. You go to the depth of the curl, following the curvature of the curl and allowing the curls to puzzle into each.

You cut the hair in sections, shaking it to see the tightness and start of the wave pattern to see how it stacks. You either slice or carve so that the curls sit inside each other. You never cut closer than 3 inches to the scalp to prevent the hair from puffing out.

Ouidad always cuts curly hair when it’s wet.

“Curly hair doesn’t dry the same, so it’s very difficult to cut it dry. You need to know the curvature of the curl in its natural state,” Ouidad says. (more…)

All the best celebrity hairstyles for the changing of the seasons.

If you are like me, you’re all about saving money. Well, here is a great idea to help you out.

Buy the best quality Hair Styling Shears

Most hairdressers go to the beauty shows to buy their Styling Shears. You book a flight or fill up the tank for the road, pack up your bags and get your fellow stylists together for the annual trip to the big Beauty Show. Many stylists are prepared to spend up to $800 or more on a single pair of Styling Shears that they were convinced are some sort of special steel that is the best that money can buy. Well, I hate to burst your bubble, but 9 out of 10 Japanese Styling Shears are made from the same type of steel.

The steel used is called 440C, we use it here at Shiro Shears. Sure, we could go to the beauty shows, pay thousands of dollars for a booth, and try to sell our products for 3-4 times what they’re worth. But we would rather extend our discount to the consumer by offering REALISTIC prices on all our Japanese Styling Shears online. Our prices online are always less than what you would pay in stores or in the field. Even our distributors don’t sell them for these low prices. Stop paying $500 or more on Hair Cutting Scissors, and buy the best quality at the lowest prices online. www.ShiroShears.com

If I were you, I would take a look at the Sale page at http://www.shiroshears.com/products/sale-categories/ and pick out one or two pair. There is no risk involved in purchasing our products, they are 100% backed up by our Warranty! You can buy them from our website, try them for up to 30-Days, and if you don’t like them just return them for a full refund. Our Sale items are extremely low priced right now and they will not last so buy yours today.

By Justin Whitesell (Owner of Shiro Shears Co.)

by Aileen Passariello on Dec 10, 2009

Ron King offers drying tips to a class at Avenue Five.
CurlStylist.com recently hosted a curly education class for the students at Avenue Five, a cosmetology school in Austin. Curl expert Ron King, owner and head stylist at Bo Salon, was the day’s educator.

Ron King offers drying tips to a class at Avenue Five.

King, who says his clients “just can’t stay away,” began the class by explaining that the most important key to success is customer service. Ron attributes his success to the relationship he builds with each client, the trust he develops, and most importantly the customer service that all clients receive every time they enter his salon. Staying consistent with their experience and cut is what makes customers loyal, he says. King emphasized the importance of “contact” by touching the hair, touching the customer’s shoulders, listening, and understanding to gain that trust needed for developing that strong bond between a hair stylist and their customer.
Also, he advises, stylists should not assume that they know what their clients want before they sit down in the chair. “Don’t just assume you know what your client wants because they will surprise you. Always sit down with them, listen to them, discuss how they are feeling and then give your opinion. Clients feel different each day and maybe that day, they are looking for something different. It is important to always listen.”
The students thoroughly enjoyed the class, taking away a wealth of useful information for their future careers.
“Today’s class was very informative and inspiring. I learned how to think about textured hair in a totally new way,” says student Hilary Lowry, who is known on ChairTalk as hil214.
King learned to cut curly hair with Deva. He attended a class in New York and has perfected his technique over the years.
He says he always cuts curly hair dry and always starts from the inside, using a bricklayer pattern. When separating the hair, try to avoid disruption of the curl, he suggests; don’t rip or tear. When cutting, always cut in the bend of the curl to enhance the spring action and create lift.
“Cutting curly hair from the inside in a bricklayer pattern made total sense, and trying not to disrupt the curl as much as possible makes a huge difference in the outcome,” says Lowry.
King addresses the important difference between cutting curly hair and straight hair. “No two curls are the same,” he says. Therefore, each strand has to be treated as an individual, he reminded the class.
“Pick up the curl, shake it out, and cut down the curl,” he emphasizes. Ron believes that the optimal shape for curly girls is the oval shape, as this shape avoids the “bozo the clown look or the mullet look.”
King told the class that after cutting, it is important to condition your client’s hair. Curly hair tends to be dry, so King recommends that his clients cleanse (not shampoo) their hair once a week. Once the washing and the massaging of the scalp is complete, King uses paper towels to absorb excess water. Regular towels have too many fibers and break the curls, he counsels. Fun tip: Sham wow towels also work great! King recommends using fingers to detangle the hair (or a wide-toothed comb) and then with a mixture of product on a paper towel, he mixes Deva B’Leave-in Conditioner and AnGel.
King uses a diffuser on his clients in the salon, but he recommends his clients air dry their hair as much as possible to avoid too much heat. Ron uses as many as 15 duckbill clips on top of the head to achieve root lift. He also recommends the students always diffuse from the bottom of the hair — not the top. King recommends setting your dryer on low speed and high heat setting. He suggests spraying the hair with Deva Set Me Up! pomade. The heat activates the pomade and gives the curl a shinny look.
Lowry was thrilled with all the real-world information King imparted. “I was also eager to learn how much online reviews and networking in the right ways can help your career,” she said.
And ChairTalker AndieJ22 added, “By far it was one of the best classes I’ve seen here. I graduate on Thursday and I couldn’t be more excited and I hope to learn more from Ron in the future.”
Top 10 Tips from Ron King
1. Stylists need to embrace curls and get over their fears before they can cut curly hair
2. Make contact — gain trust by listening and understanding your customer
3. Stay loyal to one product line — keep it simple for your customers
4. It is very important to educate your client about taking care of her hair
5. The majority of your clients are not looking for a shock effect
6. Be consistent with customer experience
7. Don’t get too comfortable with customers; they will surprise you
8. No one curl is like another
9. The best look for a curly hair is an oval shape
10. Cut in the bend of the curl

by Michelle Breyer on Monday, November 23, 2009

Annalynne McCord

Rick Wellman, celebrity colorist and blond expert, specializes in blondes. As the head colorist and co-owner of Patrick Melville Salon, his clients include celebrity blondes like Heidi Klum and Blake Lively—the latter, who hits up the salon with her dog Penny, was recently credited with the hair of the moment by the NY Times.

As a former artist, Wellman has an uncanny ability to blend and paint color onto hair, using his unique signature style called Bio-Lights, finding the perfect, natural-looking shade which Wellman claims is dependent on your skin tone. While he is an influential colorist at a top salon, Wellman has also worked with companies like Clairol to develop boxed at-home color.

When coloring natural curly or wavy hair, Wellman says to keep in mind the texture is generally a little more coarse and dry.

One advantage though, most likely the curls will camouflage any missed spots. Treat and time the root area differently than you treat the ends, especially if the client already has colored her hair. Be careful to avoid excessive overlapping of color to the ends as curly hair tends to be more porous and can quickly suck up color and become dull. Try adding a tablespoon of natural coconut oil to buffer the remaining formula and help protect ends.

When getting highlights, avoid many tiny fine strands of light pieces as they can just get lost and melt into your curls. Generally, curly hair needs thicker pieces of lightness to be even noticed or worth the while.

Wellman says that the key to achieving natural-looking blond color is “to keep subtle dimension throughout. Solid platinum or monotone yellow are dead giveaways to fake hair color. Remember, hair naturally is composed of different shades blended in the same family. For a more natural look, blonde hair color should always be a little more toned down or ashy near the root area and gradually lighter and vibrant towards the ends, never the reversed.”

Original article: CurlStylist.com