Wedding Wednesday... The Secret behind hair extensions (Part 2)

Last week I talked about the business behind the billion dollar hair industry. There is so much more to say in regards to the business side of it. I have educated myself in how the process works and how people are becoming so successful in this industry.
You do have to do your research if you want a supplementary income.
Research is vital in making sure that you end up with a quality product.
Quality=Longevity
A higher price doesn't always reflect a quality product.
The market is over saturated now, so the hair is being massed produced in order to keep up. The hair quality has drastically declined and your Brazilian, Indian, Mongolian, Peruvian, Moroccan, etc... hair extensions are coming from factories in China.
There are wholesalers that are selling hair for $10-20 per bundle and you "the customer" are paying
4-10 times the price.
However the customer trying to purchase the hair is in a difficult position because you want to get whatever is readily available. The average person isn't going to invest the time and energy going to research how they can get wholesale hair extensions. You are going to get hair that is familiar and has a good reputation.
The downside to buying the hair wholesale is that there are so many suppliers. All the hair isn't created equally. The hair despite it being labeled as "virgin remy ____ hair", it's been processed. The hair has been altered to get the curl pattern that you are seeking "deep wave", "loose curl", "body wave" etc...
It's not neccessarily bad hair, but it's not what you think it is. The hair in the beauty supplies are machine processed, it's not technically "human hair", but it works just fine.
I want to educate you on how this billion dollar industry works. It's all about brand marketing and producing what consumers want.
You want to look like your favorite celebrity, well it comes at a price.

Wedding Wednesday.... Does length matter?

All Styles done by Serena 

I was on Facebook yesterday and my friend Yodit (Favored by Yodit Events) raised the question "Does size really matter" referring to wedding rings.
So the inspiration for this post was from her post.
I started thinking about hair and how fixated people are with length.
I've personally had a woman tell me that she didn't feel pretty without her extensions. I've had women tell me they felt bald, unattractive and out of place without extensions.
It's really sad that society puts pressure on people to be something they aren't.  I know women that are very comfortable in their skin. They happen to love their natural hair, flaws and all.
 I love extension but I also wear my natural hair. Is it perfect? No, as sometimes I feel that my hair is thin.  I wear clip-in extensions as well as partial sew-in extensions. Sew in extension when done properly can be a protective style. It's good to give your natural hair a break from chemical, environmental and heat damage. I feel as though hair extensions are an accessory not a substitution for damaged hair.
I do whatever I can to make sure that my natural hair stays healthy. I never want to be in a position as to where I have to wear extensions because my hair is damaged.
Of course, when I take the hair out I feel like I have no hair because I had 2 bundles of hair extensions sewn in (usually down my back, ha!). It's all mental.
It's so bad that the girls that have naturally long hair, are accused of having extensions. If your hair is thick and has body people think it's a wig.
 If you are African American and you have long hair, people assume you must be mixed with something else. Technically we are all mixed with something, but that's another topic.
I know most of you know a girl that decided she was going to go for the BC (Big Chop) and after cutting it short went and put extensions in it.
So I raise the question, Does length matter?

The Brand...Dorothy A. Johnson (Short Hair)

Dorothy A. Johnson is such a motivation to me. She is a spontaneous, kind-hearted, and daring. I wasn't strong in styling short hair, but I must say I'm pretty good now and getting better daily. Dorothy came and she not only challenges me but  trust me as well. I appreciate her because she's open to taking risk when it comes to her hair. It's not often that people come and sit in your chair without a vision. Most of my clients know what they want and are mainly safe. I'm safe when it comes to my hair as well. I enjoy being a hairstylist because I love to be able to carry out people's vision. It makes me feel good when people are enthralled with the outcome of their hair. It's even better when you have the ability to touch people's lives internally and when it can be reciprocated. My clients are awesome beings and they motivate and inspire me to be better. I'm so grateful and humbled to have this incredible talent. #TressArtist

Color (back to back, slice highlight)

Wrapped, pressed, and curled

New Product Alert!

As many of you know I love to try new professional products. I love to see how certain product revive the hair. All products may not work well for certain hair types. I like to use a variety of products because I want to hydrate and protect the hair. Chemistry is involved in all aspects of hair care. It's pretty interesting to understand the science of hair. I recently bought the latest product from the Moroccan oil line it's called "frizz control". Its pretty magical! I used it before I blow-dried the hair and it gave the hair; sheen, manageability, and protection from the heated tools. I could instantly see the miracle it worked on the hair. I have a lot of natural hair clients, so many times their hair needs hydrating, so the Moroccan oil line provides products that accomplishes just that.

This is the link below:

http://www.moroccanoilproducts.com/morrocanoil-frizz-control-100ml-3-4oz.html

Tress test!

The other day I tried a few new products on my clients hair. I love trying new products in hopes that they enhance the quality of the hair. Conditioners are the key components in aiding towards healthy hair. When I'm doing hair I like to lay a foundation so that hair is protected from  environmental pollutants and thermal tools. The key is to strengthen the hair from the inside out. If the hair is damaged there is nothing that grease, oil, or a traditional shampoo/conditioner can do. That hair needs to be  restored.

My client below is a natural hair client, whom is growing her color out. Her hair has a base change and highlights. She gets it straightened once a month and wears cute heat less hair styles as well. We used an organic sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner from Influence professional product line. After I rinsed the conditioner out, I applied a dime sized amount of Moroccan oil, and then sprayed Fekkai thermal protectant in her hair. Afterward I proceeded to blow-dry the hair. After the hair was dry,  I gave her a light press and then flat-iron curled the hair. While flat-ironing, I used Design essentials silk drops on each section (ends only), before I would glide the iron on them. The color causes the hair to be dry, so in order to seal them I use the silk drops. If the hair is conditioned well, it  should have a nice sheen on it after it's blow-dried.

Shampoo/conditioned, prior to blow-dry

After blow-dry

After press and mini-trim

Pressed, flat-iron curled

Products

Beach hair...How to get chlorine and salt out of your hair

Most people don't know how damaging chlorine can be to your hair. I'm here to tell you it can be detrimental to your hair. Chlorine can dry out hair, and in turn cause breakage and weakness. It's very important to use the proper shampoo to remove chlorine from your hair. My favorite chlorine stripping shampoo is Paul Mitchell's shampoo three. It is excellent in removing any impurities or build-up from the hair shaft. It leaves your hair squeaky clean.

http://www.paulmitchell.com/products/paulmitchell/clarifying/pages/shampoothree.aspx

Salt is also damaging to the hair. You think that regular shampoo is going to save your hair from that salt water? Think again, salt can cut through your hair and leave it dry/brittle. It's so important to use a shampoo that is made for swimmers. Your hair does not have to suffer, you can swim and have healthy hair. Proper conditioning is also imperative. A moisturizing conditioner is what you want to follow the shampoo three up with. I have a few different moisturizing conditioner I like to use.  

                      

                    1) Design Essentials (instant moisturizer)

2) Joico Moisture recovery

              3) Paul Mitchell (tea tree Lavender)

             4) Matrix (hydrating or smoothing)

                            5) Ginger Lily Farms (moisturizing awapuhi)

Trim vs. Cut

Getting a trim can be a nightmare for some, but it doesn't have to be. There is a huge difference from getting a haircut versus a trim. Many clients are terrified to get their split ends taking off, because of a bad experience they've had with a stylist. Having your ends trimmed is a necessity, because if it's not done, the hair will be compromised. Healthy hair does not have split ends. Hair should be trimmed every 6-8 weeks. Hair that is not trimmed in that time frame will split up the hair shaft and eventually break off. I have had clients whom avoided getting their hair trimmed and wonder why its shedding and not growing, the reason for that is, it's splitting/damaged. Damaged hair will not grow,period. Hair needs to be nourished in order to grow. 

Natural hair before "cut"

Cut in long layers
pressed/ceramic curled

Long layers cut and styled by Serena J.

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Sew it up, partial sew-in weave

Sew in #1

Remy Indian extensions

Extensions sewn in
natural hair around the perimeter

                                                 Sew in #2
                                                 Brazilian extensions

Hair sewn in
natural hair left out on top and edges only

Extensions, cut, style by Serena J.