Hair Rehab: New Interventions for Major Tress Abuse
By Heather Haemker
Over the summer, she sunbathed, swam, stayed up too late, drank too much and shampooed with whatever was on sale. Her conditioner? A few drops of her coconut-scented sunscreen. Now it’s fall, and she’s back to the real world of long hours at the office and getting her life (and her hair) back on track after months of neglect. Today, she’s sitting in your chair, and her hair is begging you for an intervention! It’s dry. It’s brittle. It’s breaking. Here are some great tips and products to restore her lackluster locks to their full, gorgeous glory.
Straight To Rehab
Shampoos, conditioners, treatments. Products are that simple…right? To move beyond what the labels say and give your clients the most effective styling regimen possible, it’s important to look closer. You can’t repair their troubled tresses fully unless you understand what goes into the products you use, so you can uncover their full ingredient potential. Here, the experts at TIGI® help you get to the “root” of your most pressing product questions:
Q: Why are some shampoos acidic?
A: Acidity in shampoo helps to strengthen the inter-protein bonds within the hair fiber and smooth down the cuticle, leaving hair softer and shinier.
Q: When it comes to moisturizing, can conditioners in a range of products be used in addition to treatment masks?
A: The answer is always a resounding yes! All the products in a range are designed to work with each other in harmony to allow maximum personalization to a client’s needs. Cleanse with the shampoo first, boost the surface repair with the conditioner and then apply a mask for 3 to 5 minutes to give a dose of internal repair. TIGI® now offers a range of masques, in their Urban Antidotes from TIGI® Collection, designed to work with your clients’ most pressing concerns to hydrate, repair and restore hair to tip-top shape.
Clarity
How does exposure to sun, chlorine and saltwater harm hair? Let us count the ways! Chlorine is used to kill bacteria in pools, but it is also used in bleach to remove pigment. You’ll also find copper, which causes color to turn green, and bromide, which is an oxidizing agent. Plus, sea air and water basically suck moisture out of the hair! Therefore, clarifying strands is often a must to remove those damaging elements.
Here are four different clarifying products that can help restore brittle strands! Moroccanoil Clarifying Shampoo thoroughly cleanses the hair and scalp, eliminating buildup and “resetting” hair to a naturally healthy state. Likewise, Nioxin offers a comprehensive clarifying system—Nioxin Clarifying Cleanser—to remove residue and mineral deposits, followed by the Nioxin Deep Repair Hair Mask to restore manageability and strength and, finally, the Nioxin Rejuvenating Elixir to finish off the treatment with soft, silky texture. Another go-to solution is Eufora’s Urgent Repair Shampoo, which removes buildup and environmental pollutants.
Snip
Stylists know that sometimes the only solution to damaged hair is a good cut, but that can often be a challenge with clients who love their length! In these cases, KMS® California Art Team Member, Joi Rooks, suggests a hair “dusting,” which is an itty-bitty trim—just on the end of the hair. “It freshens ends and removes split ends without sacrificing length,” she explains. “I love KMS® California MOISTREPAIR Revival Crème. It’s a leave-in moisturizing cream that protects the ends and aids in styling!”
Repair
At the Andy LeCompte Salon in West Hollywood, celebrity clients require top-of-the-line hair repair. So Andy and his team often turn to the new Wella Professionals LuxeOil Collection. Andy reveals that the LuxeOil Keratin Restore Mask contains almond, argan and jojoba oils, plus keratin, to instantly and weightlessly reconstruct hair fiber. And for serious cases of damage, he offers the following Andy LeCompte Salon Keratin Restore Service:
1. Cleanse with Wella Professionals Keratin Protect Shampoo.
2. Mix 8 to 10 pumps of Wella Professionals Reconstructive Elixir with 25g Keratin Restore Mask, and apply from roots to ends.
3. Perform a head message for 5 minutes and place the client under a climate controlled heat source or cover the hair with a warm, damp towel, and process for 10 minutes.
4. Rinse and mist with Wella Professionals Keratin Boost Essence Leave-In Conditioning Spray.
Condition
For at-home hair defense, check out the KeraColor Purify Plus Leave-In Conditioning Treatment. This spray is fortified with a Krystal Water Complex to neutralize chlorine and trace minerals while adding moisture and shine. It also contains keratin to prevent breakage and combat split ends. Tell your clients to apply it to towel-dried hair after shampooing, and comb through for even distribution. It’s also a great way to protect hair before she jumps into the pool! A little goes a long way, so advise her to use it sparingly, especially in the scalp area!
Argan oil has become the go-to ingredient for conditioning fanatics, and now CHI has created the perfect argan storm with its new CHI Argan and Moringa Oil. This mighty formula incorporates the proven power of CHI’s signature ceramic and silk compounds with argan and moringa oils to produce shiny, healthy, strong hair, thank to its reparative, restructuring and smoothing properties.
Treat
Matrix has discovered the healing power of oil in Matrix Oil Wonders. This revolutionary collection of care, cutting enhancement and finishing products provides softer, shinier, more vibrant and more manageable hair, all inspired by ancient beautifying traditions from India, Egypt and the Amazon. Renew fragile, weakened hair with Matrix Oil Wonders Indian Amla Strengthening Oil. To control and smooth rebellious, unruly hair, try Murumuru Controlling Oil. For restoring the luster of color-treated hair and providing ongoing protection, opt for Matrix Oil Wonders Egyptian Hibiscus Color Care Oil. The oils can be used at home, and as customized, in-salon treatments.
