What High Ammonia Hair Color Can Do to Your Hair

We all want to maintain somewhat youthful looks and occasionally enjoy a new hair color just to perk us up. It’s all in the name of beauty and she is a powerful force to be reckoned with. This is why hair color has become so mainstream.

Unless you are careful though about where and how you color your hair, you could end up damaging your hair permanently. Most box hair color products on the shelves contain ammonia. Ammonia is a known alkaline chemical that is used to open up the hair shaft so that the color or dye sticks for a couple of weeks to one month. The amount of ammonia in the hair color is a big factor in determining what the effects will be. For example, as a rule, the more blonde you want your hair color to be, the more ammonia content can be found in the product.

You will know the hair color product has ammonia because it has a distinct smell that stays on your hair for about 12 to 24 hours after you color your hair. If you keep using the hair color with ammonia, you expose yourself to high level of this chemical. What happens? You can expect any or all of the following effects:

• Damaged hair
• Dry hair and dry scalp
• Irritation, redness, rashes
• Hair loss
• Dandruff or itchy scalp
• Nausea

The problem is not just these effects but the long term side effects, some of which are still unknown or unverified to this day. The issue is not what the long side effects will be, rather when will they start showing up.

You do not have to use hair color with ammonia just to get the hair color you want. A talented and conscientious colorist will choose higher quality products than you get at low dollar salons or supermarkets. Low ammonia hair color is the best. You’ll notice that it doesn’t even have the smell, when it’s being applied, will likely have built in conditioners, and will last longer against fade.

Beauty does not have to achieved at such high costs to your health. Consult your colorist. Ask about the color being used. Smell the air, and you’ll know right away about the ammonia content.

Call now to book an appointment. Anastasia is a salon hair stylist in Oklahoma City, OK. Out of town appointments welcome.

Light Up Your Hair

Get ready for summer and put some light in your hair. No matter what color your hair is highlights can put some spark and shine into your hair. Your stylist has professional products that are gentle on your hair and the techniques to give you just the right amount of light to brighten your look for the season.

Not Just Blonde: You’re not limited to just blonde highlights. Caramel, gold, beige, and platinum are popular choices. Be daring with hot colors like pink, blue or purple. Red with hot colors shot through it is an edgy look sure to turn heads. If you want a bit more subdued look then try a base of platinum blonde with pastel highlights woven through it. The look is subtle yet stunning. Your stylist can add depth and movement to medium or dark hair with beige, caramel and golden highlights.

Frame Your Face or Get a Sunkissed Look: Frame your face with chunky highlights. Shots of color around your face give your complexion a lift and draws attention to your features. Give your hair a sun kissed look with small highlights woven through it. Highlights are a great way to camouflage and blend gray. No matter what your haircolor, your stylist can help you select the right highlights and placement for your hair style and lifestyle.

Treat Your New Highlights Right: Highlighted hair does require some special care. Professional products are much gentler on your hair than over the counter brands, but still can be drying to your hair so be sure to use a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner. If you use a flat iron or curling iron to style your hair, use a protective product to keep your hair healthy and shiny. Ask your stylist which products she recommends to protect your new highlights and keep them looking fresh.

Maintenance: As with all color services you will need an appointment about every four to six weeks to maintain your look. So get ready for summer and capture the sun with profession highlights.

Anastasia is a salon hair stylist in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Out of town appointments welcome.

Winter 2010 Hair Color Trends Are Here!

Trends:

• Think chunky highlights, and natural color blended.
• Multi tone hair color produces natural hair color with highlights.
• Two tone hair color produces a bold, dramatic look that looks thicker.

Natural color hair is making its’ return: in deeper hues of brown, plum, auburn, and mahogany. Bright shades of red, and blonde. All with undertones of black and lavender.

Because natural color in deeper hues is returning, if you decide to try highlights, remember your skin tone when choosing a color; color helps brighten your look, you may want to be bold and change your make up to complement the new color. Visit the stylist first, then get a makeup consultation.

Need some color tips for this bold uprising?

• Light brown hair with gold highlights, subtle highlights blended for shine.
• Red base or natural red hair color will look great with deep bold red highlights framing the face, with streaks of light blonde in top or deep chocolate.
• Dark red hair color will look great with strawberry blond framing the face and sides.
• Light red hair color will look great with light copper, auburn, strawberry blond or Tahitian red highlights, then use deep apricot, caramel, ginger, or chestnut.

When choosing any duo tone, make sure the colors contrast – for instance, light and dark shades together for brown hair. Again, don’t forget your skin tone, natural hair shade, and personal style! Make sure the colors are from the same color family for dynamic contrast. As always, consult your stylist.

Anastasia is a salon hair stylist in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Out of town appointments welcome.

Highlights vs. Lowlights

Highlights are meant to compliment your hairstyle, and face.  They can be any tone or shade you desire; they are lighter than you original hair color. Generally they are placed at the crown and around your face for optimum effect. The thicker the highlights (thick highlights are also known as chunky highlights), the less natural they look. The thinner the better. Want to mix them beautifully? Go for contrast, with highlights that are even, thin and natural looking.

For a general idea of shades to use, look at the following:

• If you have dark hair, go no more than three shades lighter than your natural color.
• If you have black hair, red highlights enhance the contrast and cut of your hairstyle; blonde or caramel highlights blend well, so they are the most popular highlights; purple highlights soften dark hair color and add subtlety, highlighting your bangs. Feeling quirky and fun, by trying multicolor highlights.
• If you have brown hair, it has shades of red to go through first. If done incorrectly, it will turn brassy. Some shades of platinum blonde are fine on brown hair; do not use platinum blonde on dark brown hair, or it will turn your hair green.
• For light brown hair, try a color two shades lighter than your original hair color; copper highlights look great; try copper and gold highlights for a gorgeous look.

Lowlights are meant to add definition and depth to your hairstyle. Adding lowlights the third time you get your hair highlighted, will blend your highlights with your natural color which looks fabulous and prevents salon trips every six weeks to cover dark roots. Tones of blended copper and gold are often the best lowlights to use. As always, consult your stylist.

Anastasia is a salon hair stylist in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Out of town appointments welcome.

Don’t Let The Fate of Your Hair Rest on A Box!

Using at home hair coloring products is often more damaging to your hair than you know. Do it yourself hair color kits use chemicals like ammonia that are more than strong enough to color your hair, but also leave it dry and damaged.

Because of the wide array of techniques and products professional hairstylists use to color your hair, going to a salon to get your hair colored is far less damaging than doing it on your own.

At home coloring kits provide you a picture on the box which represents the color the dye is supposed to change your hair to. The chemicals in the box are strong enough to get your hair to the desired color as long as your hair isn’t too far off from it in the first place — from dirty blonde to auburn, for example. But consumer hair coloring products remove all of the moisture and protein from your hair, often making it look worse than it was before, just a different color of worse.

Besides the damage that home coloring does to your hair, you will also probably not get the exact color you wanted. Consumer products are not meant to dye to a color that is far different from your natural hair color. If your natural color is light blonde and you want to dye your hair to a dark brown or black, it is going to take more than one dye job to get to the color you want. Multiple applications of strong hair dye in a short period can damage your hair to an extent that not even deep conditioning and protein treatments can save.

A professional hair stylist will decide on the perfect combination of dyes for your hair, to get it just the way you want it. Professional products are not as strong as the products you get at the store, and mixing them or having multiple applications will not damage your hair anywhere near the extent that a do-it-yourself coloring kit will. If you want your hair to turn out to be the exact color you’re looking for with the minimum amount of damage possible, especially over time, then it is best to have a professional take care of your hair coloring needs.

Don’t let the health of your hair rest on a coloring kit in a box. If you would like to have a fresh new color for your hair and still have it as healthy as it was before you dyed it, Anastasia can help. Call to schedule a consultation, and we can work out a hair color that is perfect for you and discuss how we can keep it looking fabulous even after it’s dyed. A woman’s most important asset to her beauty is her hair and, if it’s unhealthy and dry, then it becomes more of a hindrance than an asset.

2009 Sooner Style

Some Fashion Trends for Sooners to Keep an Eye on in 2009

Most years,  fashion and hairstyle trends take more time to hit the Midwest but, if fabulous moves in from the coasts, it’s moving more quickly in 2009.

Colors to Keep You Trendy This Year

Neutral Color Tones: Tried and trusty neutrals are as in style as they are any year, but 2009′s neutrals come together in layers. Grays, ifblacks, lavenders, and beiges should go hand-in-hand this year. A black or lavender shirt under a light gray sweater would be a simple and stylish choice if you don’t want to be too extravagant.

Yellow Yellow Yellow!: The color yellow is making it big this year! Yellow can be hard to match with other colors that aren’t so bright, but if you can mix it with a similarly bright purple or red, or solid black it can look fabulous. Wearing a yellow makes you really stand out in a crowd and gives you the aura of being wild and free. Definitely the way to go if you want to make a loud statement this year.

Fashion Styles You Can’t Live Without in 2009

Ruffled Tops, Dresses, or Smocks: Ruffles are a major player in fashion this year. A good ruffled top or smock can make almost any unfashionable pair of pants seem fashionable again. A dress with ruffles at the hem or along the collar or shoulders gives any woman a playful look that’s as timeless as it is cute.

Harem and Drop-Crotch Pants: Wide-legged pants really disappeared from the fashion scene for a while but in 2009 they are back again in full-swing. 2008 saw some in-style harem pants, but 2009′s variation is a little less wide and a bit more flattering to the legs while still hiding flaws.

Drop-Crotch pants are the opposite of harem pants, as they start big and taper as they go down. Drop-crotch pants look akin to something MC Hammer wore in the ’90′s, but trust me: they’re big again. The drop-crotch pant can be hard to work an outfit around, but once you find a top and a pair of shoes to work with it, it looks fantastic.

Trendy Hairstyles and Colors for Sooners in 2009

Styles to Keep a Lookout for

2009′s Bob: The timeless bob, what would we do without you? The bob itself never goes out of style, but the preferred variations change year to year. This year the lovely pixie cut bob and the eye-catching cropped bob are attention grabbers.

Straight Hair Makes a Comeback: Last year, wavy hair was in style and it looked fabulous. This year the preferred way to wear your hair if it’s long or medium length is straight and sleek. A good cut, a curling iron, and some wax or mousse will be your best friend this year.

Ponytails: Ponytails are a bit of a gray zone in hair trends. It’s so simple, and sometimes you just can’t have your hair blowing all over the place. In 2009 the ponytail is actually in, and a carefully controlled haircut can really make a simply ponytail seem like so much more.

Haircolors in 2009 to Make You Say “Wow!”

Deep Red: A nice dark and deep red is always beautiful and in 2009 it’s also stylish as well, which is good news for those redheads out there. A deep red gives a hint of sophistication that other hair colors can’t match up to, except maybe a nice ash blonde.

Ash Blonde: Ash blonde is a really traditional hair color that rarely seems to really come “in” style, it’s just always there and looks good. This year is a good year for ash blonde and those who have it.

Dark Browns and Black: Black has a little mystery to it, doesn’t it? Well the mystery this year is how it got to be so popular! Dark colors are on the rise, and that includes black and close dark browns. Black or dark brown hair is a staple of almost any unique look and they both just look good.

There’s a lot to keep up with in the fashion world, and its especially hard in the land of the fashionably late. If you want to keep in style, you need to work with a stylist that keeps up with trends – otherwise it might be back to bleach blonde – and that’s so 2007!  Give me a call to  see when I’m available, and we’ll set a date to bring you up to date and looking stunning in 2009.