I was recently contacted by a woman who was given my name by one of my clients. My client is now in a time out. The e-mail read something like this: "I have been coloring my hair black, but now I want to be bright red. I used color remover on my hair and put a red on it. The roots went bright red but the rest of my hair turned dark brown. So I used color remover again and used a brighter red. My roots went really bright red, but the rest of my hair turned dark again, almost black. My hair is still in really good shape. Could you get me to a bright red?"
God save us from box color. It's like giving someone a chemistry set and telling them to cook up their own Prozac. Speaking of Prozac, do you have any?
As I read through the e-mail, I just wanted to reach through the screen and shake her and say "Stop! For the love of god, just stop!" . Nothing reduces a stylist to tears faster than home hair color. They put those pictures on the front of the box of some model who has never been within a mile of their product, and promise that you too can have perfect hair, white teeth, glowing skin, and an above average IQ if you just throw this chemical hell-storm on your head.
Then the next morning you're calling a stylist for a miracle. Honey, Miracle Max couldn't fix this. Forget the chemistry, the color theory, or the knowledge of hair structure that you've completely disregarded. You now want a Get Out of Jail Free card so you can go to work the next day without a bag on your head. And don't tell me, I already know - you don't want to lose any length. So cutting away this painful reminder of your poor judgment isn't in the cards.
This is one of those moments when a stylist doesn't know whether to laugh or cry. Either way, the client will be deeply affronted. So we gamely try to explain why, yes, we could get your hair blonde again, but no, it won't still be on your head. It's a toss-up whether your scalp will be there, either.
So, please. The next time you get that gleam in your eye after a glass of wine and think "I want to be blonde. Tonight." , put down the box and pick up the phone. Better to call us before the crime has happened than to call us afterwards asking for help to hide the body. I promise, we'll both feel better in the morning.
God save us from box color. It's like giving someone a chemistry set and telling them to cook up their own Prozac. Speaking of Prozac, do you have any?
As I read through the e-mail, I just wanted to reach through the screen and shake her and say "Stop! For the love of god, just stop!" . Nothing reduces a stylist to tears faster than home hair color. They put those pictures on the front of the box of some model who has never been within a mile of their product, and promise that you too can have perfect hair, white teeth, glowing skin, and an above average IQ if you just throw this chemical hell-storm on your head.
Then the next morning you're calling a stylist for a miracle. Honey, Miracle Max couldn't fix this. Forget the chemistry, the color theory, or the knowledge of hair structure that you've completely disregarded. You now want a Get Out of Jail Free card so you can go to work the next day without a bag on your head. And don't tell me, I already know - you don't want to lose any length. So cutting away this painful reminder of your poor judgment isn't in the cards.
This is one of those moments when a stylist doesn't know whether to laugh or cry. Either way, the client will be deeply affronted. So we gamely try to explain why, yes, we could get your hair blonde again, but no, it won't still be on your head. It's a toss-up whether your scalp will be there, either.
So, please. The next time you get that gleam in your eye after a glass of wine and think "I want to be blonde. Tonight." , put down the box and pick up the phone. Better to call us before the crime has happened than to call us afterwards asking for help to hide the body. I promise, we'll both feel better in the morning.