Inspiration, thought & action

Our lives are infused with the ability to create whatever we want. It’s the inspiration that changes to thought and thought to action. It takes courage and clarity to keep your eye on the prize to get the results that you desire. Often, the result is not achieved in a straight line or in the sequence of A to B to C, rather it is a windy road of events that leads to the desired outcome.

Relating hair to life is a fascination of mine. As our season changes and the days become a little more gray our desire for change is stirred. We have the desire to look different on the outside to complete a internal stirring feeling that we have. This is the magic of hair - it is something that we can change almost instantly.

When we talk about hair colour the first step is to stay realistic in the results that you are looking for. Changing colour usually will take 2 to 3 visits to achieve the appropriate change you are looking for. It probably took numerous applications over months to get your hair to the state it is in now. Professional colourists require subsequent visits to be able to appropriately lift out unwanted artificial pigments or in the case of going darker, deposit underlying pigments that are needed to hold darker shades.

Most of us understand that colour does not remove colour in the case of going from dark to light, however, going from light to dark is a different case. If you can think of your hair’s internal structure as an ice cream cone, if you add one scoop of ice cream and hold it upside down it will usually fall out. If you add numerous scoops that stick together the likelihood of the ice cream falling out is far less. Colour molecules are similar in that they like company and need complimentary tones to be present in the hair before they will last through a shampoo or two.

In the way of haircutting we have to consider hair texture, growth patterns and existing length before we can design a style. One of the biggest challenges that I encountered behind the chair are fine textures. Usually for a person of this texture it is best to maintain blunt lines on the perimeter and only very specific layering and texturizing to enhance the haircut. A downfall of stylists is that we have been over texturizing hair for far too long. Any texture or layering needs to be done with purpose and intent.

The consultation for change is a big one because it’s generally not going to happen in a regular two-hour reservation with your stylist. That’s why we need to talk inspiration first, thought to create the plan, and a series of professional action to enable the follow through.

If you feel you need more clarity from your stylist before they start your service don’t hesitate to express that. We’d always prefer to be on the same page before commencing to avoid miscommunication.

Photo: Contributed

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.