What An Honour!

What an honour it is for us to able to do what we do,  especially when we are invited to partake in something this profound.  It is amazing to me that someone would spend the amount of time it takes to grow all of their hair out to 15 inches only to cut it of in a hair donation,  let alone 3 times!

That is exactly what happened Erin Lau showed up last Friday requesting to have us cut her hair off for donation a third time in our company history!  I had the pleasure of doing it for Erin the first time and this last time and its truly an honour.  Erin went from 15" inches of long hair into a layered bob landing at mid neck.  The hair was then packaged in an envelope and returned to Erin so she can bring it to Angel Hair for kids.  Erin says that  "it`s the least she can do" for kids that need so much.  We were thrilled to have been involved in such a wonderful gesture and hope to be able to help further in the near future.

YOU Have To Chill Out!!!

What is it with you ladies out there?!!  I mean we have had over a year and a half of style that has included body,  wave,  curl,  and overall big big hair and still we iron!  I mean I would understand the fascination if we were still stuck in the late 90`s / early millennium addiction to start flat hair but we as stylists have progressed!  It seems to me that ladies of all ages (Yes,  that`s right it isn`t just the teeny boppers)  are absolutely addicted to damaging their hair.  Don`t mistake me here because we as salon operators are more than happy to sell you all the products in the world to help fix the damage but why make it easy on us?


As an example I have a guest ( Who will remain nameless!)  who has an obvious addiction ( her hair is double processed blonde and has started to chemically cut itself :( )  to the heat.  She irons daily,  and when I let her know that her hair cannot take this abuse and is breaking in various spots her answer is simply " I just can`t stop Jon... It`s not an option".  I for one find this extremely difficult to understand given all the irony I have used with her such as " That`s okay you can take your highlights home in a doggy bag today" or the clever " Hey check out this peach fuzz" .  I know that those are harsh things to say to a guest... I get it,  BUT,  The problem is that I actually truly and whole heartedly care and am scared for her.   Anyway I can rant all day on this the point is when your hairstylist (who sees an average of 9 clients/heads of hair a day)  says its time to stop... it`s time to stop!  Please share your thoughts below or don`t BUT,  if you know a junky smarten them up at least! 

Birds Of A Feather...

Okay I know I have already done a blog post on feather hair extensions,  But I cannot help doing another one!   This things are the hotness right now!  IT`S CRAZY!!!  I mean we are selling extensions like it going out of style (even though it REALLY isn`t!).  People are buying up these feathers because they are durable,  trendy and have a beautiful appeal to them.  They  create a really beautiful bohemian soft feel on long wavy hair and on shorter more cropped looks.  At the shop we sell them for $15.00 per feather and $25.00 dollars for three.  As you would imaging people tend to jump on the latter option just because it creates a nicer look to have multiple shades and textures of feathers.  It does so because it creates a more natural and eclectic look.  We love these things as I have four members of our staff sporting them and that helps to create a buzz.  Anyway I really think that if you have`nt tried them out yet you may want to give it a go before the trend changes.  They are easily cared for and can be shampooed,  blow-dried,  styled and last at least 6 weeks!  Anyway if you are interested come by either of our locations in Bloor West Village (at Runnymede)  or at Yonge and Eglinton for a chance to try them out!

Timing Is Everything...

WOW we have a hot day here today!  Amazing that we are into September and even though the days are obviously getting shorter we at least still have some really hot weather out there!  It feels today like its 30 degrees out there!  Hopefully this is a sign of things to come over the next month and a half,  we get that stretched out summer we all love.  Today I have a pretty good question to answer for you all so here we go!

"I`m trying to grow my hair out a little longer and am a wondering when the right time to come in for a cut again is.  I was at the salon about three weeks ago and was told I should be there in six weeks,  so I guess I would like some confirmation from you.  Is it normal to get your hair cut every six weeks if you want it to grow?  I have a long bob currently and would love to grow it out long,  Thanks for your response."

The simple answer is NO!  Just like you cannot tailor a suit that fits every man perfectly,  you cannot tailor a women`s hair cut schedule.  I generally recommend to my clients that they book they`re cuts every 8-12 weeks for that very reason.  Although your stylist is correct in telling you that your ends need maintaining if you want your hair to grow,  the timeline (for me) seems a little off.  When I have a guest who is trying to let it grow out I generally recommend that they stay as far away as possible from me for as long as they can.  Although your ends should be neat in order to see your new length growing in,  hair DOES NOT GROW FROM YOUR ENDS!  It grows from your roots!  My best advice would be that you should eat clean and get all your vitamins and then stay away and wait until you just can`t deal with the ends anymore.  When that time arrives you need to see your stylist fro a MILD trim to tidy the ends and continue to allow that new length to come in.  Lighten up you're styling a little and don`t fuss much with your hair,  this has its place in helping new growth also.  Hope this helped out,  and that you end up with luscious "Pantene" like flowy locks!

The Right DO 4 U!!!

Hey Guys and Gals!  Ready for the long weekend?  Sad to say the last long weekend of the summer,  But at least it looks like we are gonna have some nice weather.  Anyway I for one am super pumped and ready to get together with my peeps and have a great time!  Anyway,  today we have a question that comes to us from Louise in Toronto!  So let`s get to it!

Hi!

I'm a huge fan of your blog (and your salon - shout out to my fabulous hair stylist Ryan at Y&E).  I've been growing my hair for my upcoming wedding, however afterwards I'm really looking to cut it.  It's not that I don't love the long hair, but with my crazy busy schedule, I never seem to find Me time to actually do anything with it and it ends up in a pony tail.  I find when my hair is shorter, I'm forced to actually style it each morning.  

Today you posted a blog about bangs for round faced people.  I am one of those round face individuals, but instead of the bang question I have a question about cutting my hair shorter. Now I don't want to go pixy cut short, but was looking for more of a just about the shoulder length, however from what I've heard, cutting it just above the shoulder isn't the most flattering look for us round faced individuals. 

Any advice or suggestions?  I know Ryan will give me fantastic advice when I go and see him next, but I just wanted to do my research first!

Thanks,
Louise

AMAZING QUESTION!!!  Thank you for asking it Louise!  Okay so I personally feel as though there are two lengths that are a NO GO for round faced individuals. The first being chin length,  there is absolutely not one cut I feel is worse for a lady with a round face shape!  When you place the emphasis of the cut (being its overall baseline or length) right at your chin (the roundest part of your face shape) you are doing the opposite of what you are looking for.  The other cut which is the on that you are inquiring about Louise is the other.  The reason I don`t love this cut is multi facetted!  In that I generally don`t love the length as I find it boring and for lack of a better term (Mommyish)  I know its a terrible thing to say for all the moms out there,  But try to understand what I mean.  Jennifer Aniston ruined everyone when she coined the look in the nineties!  I just find it a standard everyday unflattering length on most women let alone those with round face shapes.  My recommendation to you Louise is to hit the middle ground,  Not chin length OR slightly above shoulder length but MID NECK LENGTH.  So literally have the sassy bob finish in the mid point of your neck,  with a gradual slope and some mild layering through the bottom to get it to sit nicely under.  AHHH My fave compromise!  Short hair that isn`t too short AND compliments a round face shape!  Hope the Pic above helps make it clear if I have n`t already, and maybe slightly, slightly shorter?  Thanks again for your question,  please feel free to send and others my way at dimauro.jon@gmail.com!

Pin That +#@! Up!

Hey Everyone!  And I hope you are all settling back into the working world well after your long weekends!  Today we have another question that needs some answering and I hope to satisfy with my answer!  Here we go,  lets get to it!


"Hi Jon!  I wanted to start by saying that I am a reader of your blog on a regular basis and that I am very interested in basically all of the content.  So, I figured it was time to produce my own question for you!  I am noticing a specific area of my hair that is constantly breaking and fragile,  I am also aware that this is probably happening because of where I tie my elastic all the time!  Is there anything else I can do?  I need to get my hair up when I work out but do not want it to keep breaking :(  a little help please..."

Well,  unfortunately I have to say that there isn`t very many ways to create a "non-damaging" ponytail with elastics.  The only way to do a pony and still keep it from damaging that one specific spot in your hair is to use those really sexy 80`s fabric elastics (Oh yeah! So Hot Right now!)  I am not even kidding because those are the ones that protect the integrity of the hair while getting it up tight and out of the way.  The other option is to use a couple bobby pins to pin up a bun after you wind all your`e hair up.  So the way to go is to pretend that you are going to create a pony and gather all of your`e hair together.  When you have it gathered you begin to twist it until you have it all wound up.  Then begin to wind it up in a bun shape at the back of your head,  once wound up begin to pin it at the base all the way around the circle.  When you have it secure stick in three more pins to be sure,  then a little spray and your`e done! If you have any more trouble fire me off an email and I will give you a call!  It should be a great way to change it up and still get your`e hair up while you save the condition of it!  Thanks for reading and contributing! It made me soooooo happy!

Grey Is The Way!

Okay,  is it just me or is this the hottest weather we have ever seen in Toronto?  I cannot believe this!  I will say though that this is NOT a complaint.  I will take heat and humidity over -30 ANY day of the week.  Alright so today we have a question that either pertains to you now or will at some point,  and seeing as how I turn 30 in a little over a month I am already there!

"Hi there,  I have recently started going greyer and greyer over the last little while and can honestly say that it is having a bigger effect on me than I thought it would.  I just feel old and boring and I am not sure what to do.  I am a person who would prefer to avoid maintenance when it comes to my hair,  and even more importantly don`t really want to spend extra money.  I have seen a lot of women my age just leaving the grey and wanted to know what you thought of this idea?"


I LOVE IT!  I will tell you this,  I have successfully converted three clients in the last month!  These are guests that used to colour their hair with us and that I have convinced that going grey is a better idea!  This is crazy for a business owner!  I mean for as long as they keep their insecurity toward their hair colour I will continue to profit.  However,  I have NEVER been that kind of business owner so why start now?  Anyway I feel that there is an air of sophistication that women have when they attain the confidence to go grey.  It really is a matter of how you feel when you look at yourself,  some feel proud and others are just dying to rewind the clock.  The difference may also lie in your haircut,  It seems to me that one of the reasons women give up and go back to colouring is that they don`t change the WHOLE look.  When you make the decision to go grey you will need an edgier cut or more fashionable one anyway to make you feel sexy and trendy.  I believe that most women can look fantastic grey as long as they stay current and trendy with their hair cuts.  Anyway if I had it my way you would be grey all the way!  but with a sexy progressive cut to match!  Hope that helped and please feel free to send me any more questions at dimauro.jon@gmail.com!

Splitting up with Splits!

Ahhh yes,  a topic that I haven`t been asked about in a really long time...

Yeah Right! You guys are constantly fixated on your splits! This is a topic I discuss with 2 out of 5 of my guests (for the sake of averages anyway). Split ends are something so many clients want help with it doesn't surprise me that today we have a question about them. 

" Hey is there any way to help prevent split ends? I know I can get regular haircuts but what about in between."

That`s Awesome! Obviously your stylist is going to be the one who says that more frequent cuts will control your splits!  Anyway the truth is yeah, cutting your hair more often reduces splits (you never give them a real chance to form!)  However that`s not the only way to help. You can also try slathering some conditioner on your ends before jumping in the shower, this will keep them safe from the shampoo stripping natural oils away from them.  Another way to help is to look into using a split end mending serum.  These products are great because they allow you to moisturize while your on the go, and are generally made up of leave in conditioners that are meant to be applied on dry hair.  Hope that helped and I look forward to hearing from you. Send me your questions at dimauro.jon@gmail.com