How to Care for Your Human Hair Extensions

You’ve gone to the salon and invested a large chunk of time and money for human hair extensions, of course you want them to look their best for as long as they can. Human hair extensions are the finest quality extensions available and with proper care, you can keep them looking natural without of a lot of fuss. The most important thing to remember is that although they are natural human hair, they are more fragile than the hair that has grown out of your head. Moisture and heat are the biggest culprits when it comes to ruining a head of gorgeous extensions.

Wash Your Hair: Before you wash your hair, gently brush it with a natural bristle brush. This helps to removed any excess dirt and oil. Brushing will also help to get any tangles out of your hair before you wet it. Section out your hair and brush it very carefully so that you do not damage your extensions or pull them out. Wet your hair before you actually begin the shampoo process and with a large tooth comb, make sure all of the tangles are out of it. Do not stick your head under the shower and wet your hair all at once. This causes the hair to swell and you can end up with a mess. Gently wet your hair a section of a time working from the scalp to the ends.

Use a shampoo and conditioner that is very gentle, your stylist can make recommendations on which products are the best. A leave in conditioner is a good idea, but do not use to much or this will cause the hair to tangle and become hard to manage.

Wrap It Up: Use a scarf to wrap your hair before bed or anytime you will be out in windy weather. This helps to protect your extensions and keep them from tangling. Also wear a swim cap or put your hair up in a ponytail if you plan on swimming. If you do not do this, you will come out of the water with a mess of matted hair that may not be able to be saved. Your extensions are too valuable to let a dip in the pool or a day at the beach ruin them.

Keep It Cool: Do not use high heat on your extensions. Even though natural human hair extensions can take more heat then synthetic ones, they are still susceptible to heat damage. Use the lowest setting on your blow dryer and consult your hair stylist before using a flat iron or curling iron. She may recommend that you use an intense protective product when you use these high heat appliances and she will have the professional products to give your extensions the right protection.

Sweet Dreams: Always let your hair dry thoroughly before going to bed. Never ever go to bed with a wet head of hair. You will wake up to a mess. Wrap your hair in a silk scarf before you retire for the night. To do this, simply brush your hair out gently with a natural bristle brush to get all the tangles out. Next carefully gather your hair into a ponytail but do not use an elastic band to secure it. Wrap a silk scarf around your head and tie it up so that it contains your hair. This will protect your hair and the silk is gentle and comfortable enough for you to get a good nights sleep.

Remember: Different types of extensions (e.g. sewn extensions vs. locking extensions) have different lifespans, benefits, and care regimens. Ask your stylist to compare them for you.

Use these simple tips and your human hair extensions will give you many weeks of great looking hair. Do not try to color your extensions or use a home perm. Let your stylist take care of these since special products must be used to protect your extensions and the products that you can get over the counter are much to strong and will damage your extensions. As always, follow the instructions of your stylist and use her knowledge and skill if you have any questions.

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

Essential Summer Hair Care

Long hair has been in style for quite a while now and with it comes special hair care needs. How can you keep your ends from drying out and developing split ends without causing the roots to become oily because of intense conditioning? One way is to use Pureology’s EssentialRepair line of products (Anastasia carries this excellent line).

Split End Repair

Fun in the sun can dry out your hair and leave it tired looking and dull. Boost your hair’s shine, repair and prevent split ends with Pureology’s EssentialRepair Split End Correcting Treatment. The Soymilk and Biotin formula repairs and nourishes your hair while the AnitFade Complex protects your color. Its Ylang ylang, Jasmine and Rosewood scent is refreshing and light, perfect for summer. Natural botanicals of Olive Oil and Chamomile reach deep into you hair for maximum moisture. This leave in conditioner is effective for all types of hair and can help you to look good all summer long. Pair it with Pureology’s Essential Repair Shampoo and Conditioner to keep your hair shiny and manageable.

Color Treated Hair

Color treated hair needs special treatment and Pureology has answered this need with the EssentialRepair Color Max protecting spray. Mist this on after you shampoo and you can protect your hair from the sun’s damaging rays while adding needed moisture. You can even mix a cocktail of Color Max and EssentialRepair Instant Repair leave in conditioner for maximum moisture retention before you blow dry and heat style your hair.

Intense Treatment

If your hair is extremely damaged, you can renew and repair it with Pureology’s EssentialRepair Restorative Hair Mask. This wonder product combines Pureology’s AntiFade Complex and the organic botanicals of Olive Oil and Chamomile along with Soymilk and Biotin provide your hair with the most concentrated form of conditioning possible. To use, apply after you shampoo and condition your hair and leave on for 2 minutes and then rinse. Your hair will be repaired and full of life.

Your Stylist Knows Best

All of Pureology’s products are professional products available only from your stylist. Ask Anastasia, at your next appointment, which Pureology product line is right for your hair. You can be assured that by purchasing your products from Anastasia you are getting the best products tailored to your specific hair care needs.

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

Tips for Curly Hair

Curly hair presents its own set of care needs. You need to make sure that you get enough moisture without over conditioning your hair and making it heavy. Over conditioning can make curly hair limp and lifeless. Not getting enough moisture or nourishment can leave curly hair dry and frizzy. Summer adds to these problems because of the drying effects of the sun and wind. Add chlorine from the pool and you have a formula for split ends and unmanageable hair. You can prevent these problems and keep your curly hair shiny, soft and full of body.

Here are some tips to keep your curly hair looking and feeling its best.

• Keep up with your haircuts. Be sure to get your hair trimmed at least once every six weeks. This will get rid of split ends and your stylist can reduce the weight of your hair to keep it from becoming too “big”. Your stylist can also shape your hair to keep it looking neat.
• Let your stylist color you hair. Home color products are very harsh and much stronger than they need to be and can cause damage and dry your hair out. Your stylist has the right products for your hair type and texture to give you the best results and protect your hair.
• Use products that nourish and enrich your hair without weighing it down. Pureology’s NanoWorks System dramatically improves the condition of your hair and helps it to regain the luster and shine (Anastasia carries Pureology products). The organic Mushroom Blend of Shiitake, Mannentake, and Mucor Miehei not only nourishes your hair but provides anti-oxidant protection. Their exclusive nano-technology penetrates the hair shaft and goes deep to protect your hair and the anti-fade complex keeps your color looking fresh.
• Use a leave-in conditioner like Pureology’s Powerdressing. This light formula of Bamboo, Vanilla, and White Ginger protects your hair from the sun’s damaging rays and keeps your curls soft and full of body.
• Apply a finishing spray to combat frizz. Pureology’s Takehold finishing spray provides medium hold with their Advanced Resin Technology that hold your curls without becoming sticky or heavy.
• Give your blow dryer a break. Let your curls air dry when you can. This will help prevent frizz and let your curl’s natural beauty shine through.

Use these simple tips along with your stylist’s suggestions to keep your curly hair looking its best this season. All of the products mentioned are professional quality and available only in salons from licensed hair care professionals. Your stylist is your best resource for hair care information. Let her be your guide this summer and look your best all season long.

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

A New Twist on a Childhood Classic

Almost all little girls have worn braids one time or another in their lives. Many of us remember our mothers parting our hair down the middle of our heads and pulling our hair up into pigtails and then braiding them. Remember the balls of all sorts of colors and sizes that used to whip around and make noise when we turned out heads? Or how about the French Braids that our mothers did that were so tight we looked like we’d had a facelift? Maybe you spent your childhood with a head full of cornrows. And who can forget the ponytail? This style is worn by young girls and women alike.

This season celebrities like Blake Lively and Fergie are showing up around town with a new sophisticated version of the classic braid. Their hair is pulled back into a ponytail and braided to fall down their backs. This is a new twist on an old classic. You can wear it high on your head or let it lay on the nape of your neck. A braided ponytail gives you another option besides just pulling your hair back in hot weather.

Get the Look

To achieve this look you first need to start with healthy hair. Visit your stylist and get your ends trimmed. This will get rid of any split ends and give your hair new life. Be sure to use a shampoo and conditioner that protects your hair’s color and adds moisture during the summer. Use styling products that guard your hair from the sun’s damaging rays (talk to Anastasia about these when you make your appointment). Just like your skin, the sun can cause your hair to become damaged and oxidize your color to make it look brassy and faded.

To style your hair into a braided ponytail, brush your hair back with a natural bristle brush that is gentle on your hair and scalp. Gather your hair into a ponytail and use a covered elastic to protect it from breakage. Next braid your hair in a soft loose braid or a tight one for a different look. If you have thick hair you can even braid it into several sections and then gather them together with another covered elastic at the ends. The last step is to pull a small section of hair out of the ponytail and wrap it around the elastic at your scalp. This will give you a polished and finished look.

Spritz your hair with a light finishing spray and you’re ready of a casual get together or a night on the town. Anastasia has a complete line of Pureology Professional products to maintain and repair your hair and she can recommend products tailored to your hair’s specific needs.

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

Protect Your Hair From Heat Damage

Flat irons can be unforgiving on your hair. The intense heat that these appliances create can burn your hair and strip it of moisture if you do not use care. Color treated or permed hair is especially vulnerable to the effects of high heat appliances. Coloring and perming your hair too much can make it dry and fragile. You should never use heat on your hair without first applying a protective product to it first.

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Your stylist has professional products that will protect and nourish your hair to make it look its best. She can recommend products tailored to your hair’s style, texture and conditioning needs. If you use a flat iron frequently on your hair, she might recommend Pureology’s SuperSmooth line. Pureology has developed the SuperSmooth line of products to protect your hair and condition it to look and feel smooth and silky.

The products in the SuperSmooth line contain a ThermalAnitFade Complex that protects your color from the heat of flat irons and the UV rays of the sun. The ZeroSulfate formula protects your hair and scalp from the drying effects that are caused by other sulfate based shampoos and conditioners. Organic Geranium and natural Sesame Oil makes your hair intensely shiny. Camellia Oil from the Camellia flower reduces frizz and keeps flyaways under control. Organic Shea Butter from the seed of the African Shea Tree adds moisture and softness to your hair.

Pureology’s SuperSmooth line includes shampoo and conditioner, Smoothing Elixir and Relaxing Hair Masque. The Smoothing Elixir is the perfect product to use before you flat iron your hair. The Relaxing Hair Masque tames frizz and helps to reduce volume in naturally wavy or curly hair. The products work together to give you smooth and healthy hair that is protected from the harsh heat of flat irons.

Your stylist is your best resource for information and product recommendations to keep your hair healthy and manageable. She has the knowledge and experience to help you look your best between salon visits.

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

Summer Sun Protection

Summer can mean time spent outdoors in the sun and heat. While a day at the beach is a fun outing, it can play havoc on your hair. We all know how important sunscreen is for your skin, but did you know it is also important to keep your hair color from fading? Exposure to the sun and elements of summer can not only fade your hair color but can also make your hair dry and brittle. Your stylist can recommend professional products to help keep your color fresh and your hair looking and feeling its best during the hot days of summer.

Image by Laurel Fan via Flickr

How Does the Sun Fade My Color?

The sun’s rays contain ultraviolet A and B rays. These rays react with your hair much like your skin when it tans and can cause your color to fade. Oxidation occurs within your hair shaft and eventually leads to brassiness and unwanted gold tints in color treated hair. Products that contain sunscreen will protect your hair from this effect and protect your color.

What Products Will Protect My Hair Color?

Pureology has a line of products specifically tailored to protect your hair from the full spectrum of the sun’s UVA/UVB rays. Their Nano Works Luxury System is formulated to leave your hair soft, shiny and protected. The Zero Sulfate and AnitFade Complex ensures that your hair will be treated gently and protected thoroughly.

Green Tea, Sugar Cane, Citrus, Apple, and Wine Extracts combine to provide anti-aging benefitsGuar Gum and Shea Butter make your hair shine and add a sleek texture. The certified organic Mushroom Blend of Shiitake, Mannentake, and Mucor Miehei rebuild and renew hair with their antioxidant properties. Used together, the Nano Works Luxury System will make your hair vibrant and your color will look fresh all summer. Ask your stylist today how you can protect your color. She can be your best resource to keep your hair looking good all season long.

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

Beauty From Within

Good health and beauty comes from a balanced diet and lifestyle. If you want your hair to be thick and luxurious it is important to make sure that you get the nutrients you need. Hair, skin and nails are made up mostly of a protein called keratin. A diet rich in lean protein that is balanced with complex carbohydrates, vegetables and fruit can help to give you shine and healthy looking hair and nails. But how much is enough and what are some of the healthy proteins you should be eating?

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Meat, soy, beans and dairy products are excellent sources of protein. The United States Department of Agriculture has issued new guidelines for their Food Pyramid. An average person should eat approximately five ounces of lean meat, poultry or fish and up to three cups of milk or dairy products each day . If you are a vegetarian or vegan, you can get your protein from beans or soy products. Also, if you are sensitive to dairy products, soy milk, soy cheese and frozen soy desserts offer you options that were not available just a few years ago.

The key to any healthy eating lifestyle is moderation. When choosing cuts of meat, try to stay as lean as possible. This will help to cut down on the fat in your diet. Meats, fish and poultry should be boiled, broiled or grilled. There are many ways to prepare beans and peas such as soups, stews or as meat-free burgers. Chicken should be prepared without the skin which will also reduce the amount of fat in your diet. You can include nuts for a healthy snack or as part of your recipes.

Be sure to round out your diet with plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits. If fresh products are not available, frozen ones are a good alternative. Modern processing traps the nutrients in frozen vegetables and fruits today so that almost none of them are lost. Choose brown rice and whole grain bread products to increase fiber and nutrients. Limit sweets and fats.

Use these simple tips to maintain your well being and have younger looking hair and skin. Stay hydrated with 8 glasses of water per day and add a multivitamin for nutrient insurance. Of course another aspect of good health is exercise. Not only will it get you toned but it has been proven to relieve depression and insomnia. True beauty really does come from within and with these tips and information you can be on your way to having the clear skin and healthy looking hair you want.

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

Keep Your Hair

It’s easy to ignore the possibility of thinning or lost hair until it’s already gone. But hair health is part of overall health, and you can do some basic things to take care of your hair and reduce the potential for hair loss. This applies to both women and men, younger and more mature.

You lose about 80-100 hairs per day, but if you’re losing several times that, it may be time to see your doctor, consider improvements in your diet, reduction of stress, and possibly products that help with the appearance of thinning hair, like Nioxin (available in our salon).

Protecting your hair from excessive hair loss requires some common sense hair health techniques:

• Don’t band it with rubber bands, or tie it too tightly into pony tails. The tension on your hairline increases hair loss.
• Use a wide-toothed comb, not a fine one or brush, especially when hair is wet.
• Switch shampoos every 8-10 months.
• Avoid shampooing daily. That can strip your hair of oils and proteins, and increase hair loss during washing, drying, and styling.
• Use an essence or essential oil on your hair (again, available in our salon). This will increase circulation to hair roots and replentish hair.
• If you’re losing hair, you probably shouldn’t be straightening, perming, coloring, or blow drying. But if you are going to do those, then do it less often, and choose processes that last longer (we use color with less fade, straightening and extensions that last much longer than normal, etc).
• Drink lots of water. Eat healthy. Get enough sleep and routine, adequate exercise. Again, hair health is part of overall health and there are direct connections.
• Stop stressing. Stress will leave you looking like a scalped lawn. Yoga can help, or other destressing measures.

Protect Your Hair From the Sun

Summer means time spent under the sun. Time spent at the beach, in the park and just being outside exposes you to the unrelenting rays of the sun. We all know how important sunscreen is to protect skin from premature aging and skin cancer. But did you know that it is equally important to protect your hair from the damaging rays of the sun? This is especially true if you color your hair.

The UVA/UVB rays of the sun can make your color treated hair brassy and cause your color to fade. This happens because the sun causes oxidation to occur and this breaks down the color molecules in your hair shaft causing the unwanted orange, brassy color no one wants. Add the effects of styling products and high heat styling tools and your hair can look tired and stressed this summer. But if you take some precautions you can keep your hair healthy and your color fresh all summer and throughout the year.

What can you do to protect you hair?

• First cover up. Wear a scarf or hat when you are in the sun.
• Stay hydrated. Carry and drink water throughout the day.
• Next be sure to use moisturizing shampoos and conditioners. Your hair needs moisture every season, but in the summer it is exposed to heat, humidity, salt from the beach and chlorine found in pools. You need a gentle shampoo that will not strip your hair of the natural oils that protect it and your scalp. Conditioners that are effective yet not greasy and heavy keep your hair at its peak of health.
• A leave in conditioner can offer further protection no matter where you find yourself this season. Look for one that has natural botanicals to give your hair a natural boost of health.
• Use a moisturizing hair mask once a week. These products offer deep conditioning and can rebuild and repair stressed hair.
• Get regular trims and cuts. This will keep split ends from making your hair look and feel dry and keep frizz under control.

Ask your stylist what products she recommends for your hair type and lifestyle. She is your best resource for advice and knowledge to keep your hair looking its very best all year long.

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

In a Rut? Color It Up!

Do you glance in the mirror and long for a different look? Maybe you’ve been coloring your hair for some time and are just plain sick and tired of the same color over and over again. Why not take advantage of the new color trends this season? Your stylist has hundreds of color combinations that she can choose from to bring your look up to date and get you out of that boring rut.

Pastels: One of the hottest looks this season is pale blonde with pastel accents. You can choose an all over color wash over a blonde base or opt for shots of color in bold streaks or smaller sections woven throughout. This isn’t the old fashion blue hair of old ladies gone by, this is a whole new concept that is showing up on runways and hair shows all over the world.

Vibrant Reds: Nothing says sexy like a vibrant shade of red. Reds have been popular for many years and this season they are being reinterpreted in deep auburn and violet-red shades. One of the most daring looks is a deep red base color with chunky highlights of violet, orange and gold. If that is too much drama for you then try a beautiful mahogany red shade with deep chocolate low lights that will fire up your look.

Bring on the Brunettes: Deep chocolate, espresso, mink, and all shades of brown are popular this season. Full of depth and movement, today’s brown is shot through with caramel and golden highlights. This color choice is a great way to blend in gray without looking unnatural. Brunettes look stunning with any complexion and your stylist can help you decide which shade will bring out the best in your features.

Midnight Black: Whether you choose blue-black or a soft black, this is one of the most dramatic colors that have gained popularity today. Think Abby off of NCIS and you can see how black can be a fashion statement. Elizabeth Taylor, Liza Minnelli and Jane Russell all rose to stardom wearing glossy black hair. You can add even more drama if you’re daring enough with violet low lights or stay subtle with coffee low lights.

So get out of the color rut and let your stylist bring you into the season with a new hair color. She has the knowledge and skills to help you find a color that is perfect for your skin tone and lifestyle. Color treated hair needs tender care so be sure to choose shampoos and conditioners that will protect and nurture your hair. Ask her for product recommendations to help keep your color as vibrant and fresh as the day you leave the salon. No matter which color palette you choose, a new color can breathe a breath of fresh air into your look.

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

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