Orange Hair . . . Oh My! . . . Claire Asks:

Sarah Hamilton Answers:

“Color for Hair Correction”I’m going to assume when you had your hair colored dark brown that you were covering some previously high lighted hair? If so, I would not suggest getting the hair stripped of the orange tones. You will only damage your hair even more and you’ll be right back where you started. If you are trying to achieve the same look, dark brown hair, you simply need to have the hair re-colored. Your hairdresser or hair colorist should use a natural hair color with a blue base to cancel out the orange tones. It is the simplicity of using complimentary hair colors! The blue will neutralize the orange out of the hair.

If this is not your case, then your hairdresser was more than likely attempting to give you a nice warm brown hair color and simply put in too much of the red/orange tone in the formula applied to your hair. Once again, your hairdresser should use a natural brown hair color with a blue base to tone out the brassiness in the hair. You may also want to have a Malibu treatment done on your hair. More on that on Barb’s article How to Solve Hard Water Hair Issues.

A Malibu treatment will remove any buildup due to hard water, rust, chlorine and the like. It is possible there may be build-up on the hair that is also causing the orange tones. This of course also depends on what you want your end result to be. It may take a few applications before you actually achieve your desired look.

If you are looking for an instant solution to your problem, you can have the hair stripped of the color but, this is considered hair color correction and not only is it very damaging on the hair, but is typically very costly. Every hair color correction is different, but it’s not unusual to cost in the hundreds of dollars to do a hair color correction.

There is a chance your hairdresser may have to cut off several inches of hair after stripping, depending on the state of your hair. Definitely see a hairdresser for a consultation if you are considering this option! Your other option of a hair color application per month is not only less expensive but will maintain the health of your hair and possibly the length too!

For further discussion on hair color correction you might want to check out these other articles:

• How to Get Back to Your Natural Hair Color
• How Can I Get my Natural Hair Color Back?
• How do I go back to my natural hair color?
• Getting Back to Your Natural Hair Color
• Can I get my natural hair color back?
• Stripping Hair Back to Natural Colour
• Dyed Hair Too Dark? Let’s Talk!

Barb Quinn on Google+  

Hair Styles with Lowlights

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Summer Hair Color Fade-Out? Try Hair Styles with Lowlights!

Have you been seeing the ravages of too much summer sun on hair around you lately? Not only do we see the dried out look of too much fun in the sun, but hair color is looking faded-out making for blah looking brunettes, burnt-out looking redheads and washed-out looking blondes.

“Hair Styles with Lowlights this Fall” Hair lowlighting is a great way to add depth to over-lightened hair. When blondes become too light, they need to add warmth back into the hair. Hair lowlights that are too ashy in tone can look dull or gray. A gold shade of medium to dark blonde can be added to give the warmth they need. The placement of the foils is also a strategic art form and if you hope for a beautifully enriched color, see a hair colorist who specializes in how to do this and you won’t be disappointed.

How do you find that person? Stop the woman with a beautiful hair dye job, and get the number of her hair colorist. Word of mouth is usually about as good of marketing a professional can get, so ask around. The site haircolorist.com offers you some board certified hair colorists in your zip-code area. To be board certified requires extra training and testing which is explained further on the site.

Hair style with lowlights

Hair lowlights are also a great way to subtly blend gray hair with blondes, brunettes and redheads. When the correct levels of hair color are chosen with an added knowledge of good judgment in the placement of foils, the gray hair can be artfully disguised.

If your hair is in less than desirable shape, try an at-home deep conditioning treatment, before going in to your hairdresser for lowlights. Allow for one shampooing after your deep conditioning, before going in for a hair color treatment. Not sure of the validity of this one, but have heard the hair may not grab the hair dye quite as well if it was just deep conditioned . . . so shampoo it once.

There are lots of conditioners that will work well as deep conditioners. Actually, any thick and creamy conditioner will work if you don’t have one specifically formulated as a “deep conditioner.” My conditioner of choice lately has been, Paul Mitchell Color Protect Reconstructive Treatment. It leaves my hair, shinier, softer and more full of body especially when I use it with heat, as a deep conditioner.

This seasons hairstyles with lowlights are done to look more natural so that they blend better. The most natural looks have a mixture of both warm and cool tones where the deeper tones are placed in a more subtle way. The heavier, more dramatic look of stripes, is gone this season.

For more discussion about fall hair colors checkout these articles:

Barb Quinn on Google+  

Got a question, war story or comment about this topic? Click on the "Leave Your Comments" link at the very bottom of this article. Some of my best ideas for future articles come from reading reader comments. I'd love to hear from you!

• Hair Lowlights – What is it? Can I do it at home?
• Fall Hair Protection
• Fall Hair Colors and Hairstyles
• Hottest Fall Hair Trends
• New Hairstyles for Fall
• Fall Hair Colors Look More Dimensional
• A Highlighting Tip From American Salon Magazine

Curly hair is back, Say “Good Bye” to Your Flat Iron, and “Hello” to Your Curling Iron

“Curly Hair will be Hot this Holiday Season” Curly hair is back and curls are staking their claim once again as “the” look for hair in the up coming seasons.  For all of you fashionistas who have been waiting for hair to finally decide in what direction it is going next, the wait is over. You have seen it on the runway and in fashion magazines for the last several seasons. Flat, straight hair has gone the way of the dinosaur, at least for the time being.

Of course the question for those of you who are not blessed with beautiful curls is,  “How do I create curly hair?”  Well for the current looks for curls, the old-fashioned hot rollers are usually a big fashion faux pas, unless you are planning on entering a local beauty pageant. To be au currant, keeping your curls loose and tousled will create a carefree, sexiness to the hair.  To get these modern curls, a ¾” or 1” curling iron will be your best friend.

The big trick in getting curls to hold is to dry the product into your hair. A mousse, like Redken’s newly redone, Full Frame.

This will provide the much-needed support to hold the hair style in place. Think of this as the walls or frame for the house. Without the foundation, the house will surely fall . . . as will your curly hair style. When drying your hair, use your fingers and/or a vent brush, to allow the hair to become full to further help retain the style.

Curly hair hot look

Once your hair is 100% dry (it is critical that the hair be totally and thoroughly dry), use your curling iron and take random sized sections of hair, keeping in mind that smaller sections will create more defined curls, while larger sections will create a less defined or loose curls. Brush through the individual section to remove any tangles and to help keep the hair style neat.

For shorter lengths of hair, less than 6 inches, place the curling iron about 2 inches from the end section, then pull down to the end and curl the iron with the hair back to the base. This technique will help to heat the hair and help avoid any crimping of the hair with the iron. If the hair is longer, place the iron even further up the section of hair and then pull the hot iron down to the end and roll up.

For all of you long hair lovers, you may need to start in the middle of the section and roll the hair down to the base while leaving the end “tail” out of the iron. Once you have the hair wound to the base release the tension on the tang and barrel of the iron and continue to turn so you are working the “tail” into and around the barrel of the iron. This will allow for an even curl from the scalp to the ends, instead of the look where the ends are very curly but the scalp is still stick straight.

Finally make sure to spray each section with a thermal spray. An old stand-by I like is, Redken’s Hot Sets for firm hold, or for a lighter hold, Redken’s Spray Starch.

If you want to make your curly hair last even longer, clip each section up after it is curled until it is completely cooled.  Once you have finished curling the entire head, run your hands through your hair and break the curls apart, or even better for longer lengths, tip your head upside down and tousle your hair with your hands.

Now go out there and enjoy your fabulous new curly hair!

For further discussion on tips for curly hair you might want to check out these other articles:

• Curly Hairstyles for Round Faces
• Curly Hair Tips
• Curly Hairstyles
• Curly Hair, Can I Wear a Short Curly Hair Style?
• How Can I Get Curly Hair With My Flat Iron?
• Tips to End Curly Hair Boredom
• Styling Products 101: Curl Boosters
• The Best Curly Hair Products

Barb Quinn on Google+