Thursday, October 29, 2015

What Is The Difference Between Brazilian Blowouts and Keratin Treatments?

I recently had the opportunity to go to a Brazilian Blowout class to become certified in doing them.  I figured since I do them on a regular basis I might as well become certified.  I will admit that I went into the class thinking that I already knew everything that they were going to tell me but the truth is that I actually learned a few things.  One of the things that the educator told the class was that Brazilian Blowout is NOT a keratin treatment.  So, today I will be sharing the difference keratin treatments and Brazilian Blowouts.



Previously, I thought that a Brazilian Blowout was a keratin treatment.  Well according to them, they are not a keratin treatment, but instead they are amino acid based demi-permanent smoothing systems.  Keratin treatments are keratin based.  The amino acids are said to penetrate the hair and repair any damage from the inside which results in healthier hair on the outside as well.  Keratin is a protein that also strengthens the hair as well.


The Brazilian Blowout does not contain any formaldehyde and is said to last up to twelve weeks, or equivalent to three months.  During this twelve week period, the hair is frizz free and naturally curly hair can be made straight.  Once the twelve week period is over, the hair reverts back to its original state entirely.  It is a great option for natural women that like to wear their hair straight but don't do it often because they say it does not last through work outs, humidity, or if they sweat in their scalp at night.  Many keratin treatments contain formaldehyde which is what gets the hair straight AND makes the hair stay straight.  That's right, many keratin treatments make the hair permanently straight! Also, with many keratin treatments, you can not shampoo your hair for at least three days after getting it.  With the Brazilian Blowout you can.


This client is on her second Brazilian Blowout.  She was pleased that the first time she got it that it actually lasted the entire three months.  During that time her hair was much more manageable, was frizz free, and it strengthened her hair.  Many keratin based treatments contain formaldehyde which can be harmful and in many cases the hair does not revert back to its curly state.  It also makes the hair extremely soft and silky.



I do Brazilian Blowouts on many kids because the parents do not want them to have a relaxer but the kid wants straight hair.  It is a win-win for both parties.

Now for the million dollar question.. How much does this treatment cost?  They start at $250 and the price can go up to as much as $350 depending on the length and/or thickness of the hair.  That is only about 4-5 silk presses so it is definitely cheaper than getting a silk press every week or even every other week.  Is it worth it? In my professional opinion I think it is simply because it is also strengthening your hair which makes each strand healthier and I am all about healthy hair.  Also, relaxed clients can get it as well.  I have had one on my own hair.  The benefits would be that you too would also benefit from zero frizz and from having a treatment done on your chemically relaxed hair.  It will significantly strengthen relaxed hair making it stronger and reducing breakage.  If you stretch your relaxers it will smooth out and straighten your new growth allowing you to only have to manage one texture.


I have been using the Brazilian Blowout product for a long time and have never had a problem with it.  I would definitely recommend this product to just about anyone.  The only time you would not be able to get it is if your hair is extremely damaged and can not take the heat of the flat iron because you have to do 4-7 passes with each piece of hair.  In that case you would need to treat your hair first and once it gets healthy enough you could get the Brazilian Blowout.
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Wednesday, October 28, 2015

The No Heat Hair Challenge (week 3) (video included)

The no heat hair challenge (bun week)
This week is the third week for the no heat hair challenge.  This week I chose to go with the bun for my hairstyle simply because my hair basically looks a mess without being shampooed for three weeks!  Being a hairstylist, I always told myself that I would not be that hairstylist that was great at doing hair while my own looked a fool.  So, even though my hair has not seen soap and water for three weeks, I still have to look presentable.  This experiment is not a one size fits all kind of deal.  You can shampoo your hair during this challenge.  The point is to not use heat so if you shampoo, just be sure to pick a style in which heat from the flat iron or curling iron is not a factor.  Styles like this would include rods, roller sets, twist outs, or anything like that. I chose not to go this route because I like my hair straight and in order to get it straight, I need some heat!

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Thursday, October 22, 2015

No Heat Hair Challenge (week 1& 2) || How To Get Your Hair To Grow By Decreasing Heat Usage (Video Included)


This week we, yes I said we because I want you to do it with me, are going to be doing a no heat hair challenge.  Right after I had the baby I was at home for several weeks with the baby which meant I did not go anywhere.  Since I was not leaving the house, I often left my hair wrapped for several days at a time before taking it down.  Once I ended up going three weeks without shampooing my hair!  Before, I would have hung my head in shame at this but then it dawned on me that I might be on to something here.  I always say when applying heat to apply it once per week or less to avoid any damage to the hair.  Of course the less heat you apply, the better it will be for the hair so I decided to do this no heat hair challenge to see if it will let my hair grow any faster.  So for the next few months or so I will be reducing my shampoo schedule to every three weeks.  Do not get me wrong, I absolutely love to shampoo my hair once per week but this is just an option of giving my hair a  temporary break from heat without having to get braids or a sew-in.

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Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Should You Get Permanent Color On Your Relaxed Hair?

Should you get permanent color on your relaxed hair?

So you have the long, healthy, relaxed hair that you want but now you are bored with your hair.  What should you do?  Many women decide to try color at this point.  But should you get permanent color on your relaxed hair?   I advise my clients to always pick which chemical they want, either the color OR the relaxer.  Having both is a lot of upkeep and majority of women are not going spend the time or the money required in order to avoid damage to their hair.  As a hairstylist I know which clients are good at taking care of their hair at home and which ones are not so good.  For the ones that I know are not going to take care of their hair I will not even entertain the thought of color if they have a relaxer.  If you just have to have some color and you do not want to give up your relaxer here are a few tips.

Should you permanently color your relaxed hair?


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Monday, October 19, 2015

Can Relaxers Damage Your Hair?

Can relaxers damage your hair?

When masses of women began going natural, a lot of people thought that it was just a fad, or something that people were going to try for just a little while before they returned back to relaxed hair.  But the truth is, many women are sick and tired of having damaged, unhealthy hair.  For many of these women having a relaxer is to blame for their damaged hair so it is assumed that the stop to having relaxers is the stop to having unhealthy hair.  Today's question is can relaxers damage your hair?  The answer is absolutely yes they can!  But, can you have healthy hair even with a relaxer?  Again the answer is yes, you absolutely can!  Relaxers contain very dangerous chemicals
that, when used incorrectly can cause extensive damage to your hair.  The client featured in today's post had to learn this the hard way.
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Thursday, October 15, 2015

How To Cut Your Hair But Still Keep It Long

How to cut your hair and still keep it long


I have quite a few clients that have long hair and want a change.  They feel like their long hair is boring and they want to cut it but they still want to keep it long.  You do not have to cut all of the length of your hair off when going for a change, especially if your hair is significantly long.  This client has had long hair for her entire life and decided that this appointment would be the one where she would cut her hair.  When she said cut, I did not think she would really do it.  I thought that what she really wanted was a trim but she quickly corrected me!  She brought pictures and showed me that she wanted a bob, but a longer version.


Client's natural hair before cutting

This client is natural so the picture above is her wet air in its natural state.  I shampooed her hair using Silk Hydration by L. Jones Clarifying Shampoo to remove all of its oil , dirt, and residue off of the hair.  Next, I used the Silk Hydration Extreme Moisture shampoo, which adds the moisture back in.  After that I used the Replenishing conditioner and rinsed that out before I added the leave-in conditioner.  Then I began the blow-drying process.


hair after being shampooed and blown dry.

Once the hair was completely dry I went ahead and cut it.  Her ends already in desperate need of a trim but since she was getting more than a trim I knew all of the split ends would be cut off.

slightly angled long bob

While cutting I also added layers in there as well (per her request of course).

side view, long bob

Instead of getting it straight, she wanted a few curls, so curls is what she got! I think she looks great with her hair curled.

view from the other side

To maintain this look, she needs to either wrap it or she can also put some rollers in it to keep the curls longer;

back view, she cut her hair but it still has length on it

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Wednesday, October 7, 2015

How Long Should You Transition? // When To Cut The Rest of Your Relaxed Hair Off


Many women want to go natural without cutting all of their hair off, which is called transitioning.  When you transition, that means you let your hair grow out long enough to a point where you are comfortable with cutting the rest of the relaxed ends off.  This client decided to do that today.  Well, almost.  She only had a little bit of relaxed ends off and I cut most of it.  She wanted to leave enough to be able to pull her hair up so that is what I did.


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Monday, October 5, 2015

Styling My First Celebrity: Katt Williams

Katt Williams and I

This past weekend now all seems like a dream.  It all started with an email that I received out of the blue from the assistant to none other than Katt Williams asking if I would be available to style his hair for his comedy show.  My first thought was that it was a joke.  But as time went on, I realized it was very much real! So, to answer the question of am I available, heck yes I'm available!  With some rearranging of my clients that day (thank you all who moved your appointments for me!) I made it happen.  I had a whole week to prepare myself and wrap my mind around the fact that this was really going to happen.  Once I got over being star struck, I transitioned into professional beast mode because I knew I only had one chance to make a great first impression.

Me on the back elevator headed from the hotel room to the backstage room

As each day passed and it got closer and closer to showtime I began to get more and more excited.  I wrote a list of things I knew I would need as well as a list of things that I might need and started packing everything.  This was also my opportunity to have a celebrity try Silk Hydration by L. Jones so I arranged to have a gift bag of Silk Hydration waiting for him to shampoo his hair with before I arrived.  I was very happy when I found out that he actually used it and liked it!

And again, with my backstage pass

Now for the question of the hour, how is Katt Williams personality?  Well for the few hours that I was around him, he was very nice and down to earth.  He didn't act "hollywood" at all, which is kind of what I was preparing myself for so it was a pleasant surprise to find the contrary.


backstage pass up close

As it got closer to time for the show to start, I had to go backstage to his room to set up.  This required going through back hallways and elevators, and that is when it sunk in that this was really about to happen!  Once we got to the hallway to his backstage room, I saw the opening acts' rooms also.  Katt Williams was not quite ready for me yet so I got to take a few pictures with the other acts as well.  Red Grant & Marc Curry were happy to take selfies with me!

Red Grant

I was originally going to take a picture of the sign on Red Grant's door and as soon as I snapped the pic, he walked out of the room!  It was perfect timing.  Then he came over and took a selfie with me.

Me and Red Grant

Next, I saw Marc Curry walking down the hall and he took a pic with me as well.

Me and Marc Curry

There were two other comedians that I did not see backstage so I didn't get to take pics with them.  Next, I saw Katt Williams walking down the hall so I had to switch back to work mode.  I went back in the room and got ready to work.  He wanted a simple flat iron.  His hair was still damp after shampooing with Silk Hydration by L. Jones products (he used the clarifying shampoo and replenishing conditioner) so I had to blow dry and flat iron.  And yes, he is not joking when he talks about his perm, he really does have a relaxer.


Katt Williams & Marc Curry

Afterwards, I had to get a picture with him!  After all, he was the reason why all of this was happening in the first place.

Me and Katt Williams (finished look)

And to top it all off, his assistant blessed me with two FREE tickets to the show, and not just any tickets but front row and smack dab in the center! So, hubby and I got a much needed impromptu date night!  All in all, it was a great night and hopefully if he comes back to Birmingham,  I'll experience it all over again.

Best seat in the house!

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