Myth #1: Cutting your hair more frequently will help it grow faster. Grow faster? Not the case, after all your hair grows out of your head so why would trimming the ends make it grow faster? It’s a bit of an optical illusion! When your hair goes too long without a trim, the ends become more wispy, thin, and spit. When this happens, and if you have extra long hair for example, you ends could be right above your elbow, but they are so thin compared to the rest of your hair that the weight line looks like it’s ending about an inch or two higher. When you get a trim it evens out all those wispy ends and creates a stronger line at the end of your hair, which can actually make it look longer in some cases! We recommend a trim every 4-6 weeks if you want to maintain your current style and length, or every 8-12 if you’re growing it out.

Myth #2: All hair grows at the same rate. This one is good for our post-baby clients! Not all your hair grows at the same rate. Every single hair on your head is either in a growing, resting, or falling out stage, which is why we can stand to loose an average of 100 hairs a day without going bald! It’s also why if you go months without a haircut it will lose it’s shape. Also, for our clients who are 3-6 months post-baby delivery, know that those little hairs around your hairline are not breakage, but are new hairs growing in, because during pregnancy, hair stops falling out as it normally would, and instead stays in the growing or resting phase, until after your bundle of joy arrives, and then all the resting hairs that should have fallen out during pregnancy, all come out in a matter of a few weeks! You’re not balding, we promise!

Myth #3: Comb your hair from top to bottom. Coming your hair from top to bottom, or roots to ends, will make it even harder to de-tangle, and create more friction on the hair strands which could lead to breakage, especially on wet hair. Comb your hair from ends up, and we don’t mean in some weird reverse way. You’ll still be combing in the downward motion, but start with the last few inches of your hair, as you detangle those keep working in sections up your head until you reach the top and everything is tangle-free!

Myth #4: Stress will make your hair fall out.   This one is actually true! High levels of stress can cause breakouts and other ailments including hair loss, although it generally isn’t enough to be noticeable on your scalp (no bald patches) and it will usually start growing back within a few weeks if your stress level goes down. If you continue to experience hair loss, even after reduced stress, you may consider looking at your diet, any new medications or hormonal changes as possible culprits.

Myth #5: With the right products you can mend split ends.   Unfortunately once the hair has split it’s split! There aren’t any products that will mend your hair back together, however there are lots of products you can use to help prevent the split before it happens! We recommend Pearatin Fortifying Repairative Serum or Loma Organics Fortifying Repairative Tonic.

Have a hair myth you’ve always wondered about? Email us your question and we can give you a professional’s opinion, to debunk any “rumors” you may hear floating about.

First off, with our bridal hair services, we always include a trial run, for every client. Why is a trial run necessary? It helps with ease of mind not only for the bride but also for the stylist! We’re all very seasoned in a wide variety of updo styling, from the classic Pinup sets, to the artistic and avant-garde, to loose beachy styles, and everything in between. Since all hair types and textures are unique, it’s important for us to know how cooperative your hair will be with your desired style, and the best products and tools to use, insuring your hair will hold up throughout the day and night! When a bride leaves after her trail run, she can let us know if the style held up or not, so that we can easily adjust our approach for her wedding day as needed. Another reason that a trial run is good to do ahead of time is just in case the style chosen ends up not working with the wedding dress. We’ve had brides set on a high bun updo for their wedding but after seeing the trial updo with the dress on, they realized that a low side bun worked better for a balanced look. There should be NO reason that getting made beautiful on a bride’s wedding day should be stressful, and having a trial run eliminates any question that her hair will look just as perfect as she imagined it should.

Aside from hairstyling we also offer makeup services. Our stylists have all been trained in basic shading, contouring, skin tone matching and color enhancing techniques via our professional license training, as well as advanced private classes held by M.A.C and Youngblood Cosmetics. Some of those classes have been bridal work specific, giving us a better sense of how bridal makeup should work with certain types of lighting and camera flashes, which is pretty critical given that all your memories from your wedding day will have been captured through the lens of a camera! Living in Seattle, we run into many girls who don’t wear much makeup, so we don’t want to have them feeling like a totally different person on their wedding day! From tinted moisturizer to full coverage foundation we will create a look that naturally enhances the bride’s features, to leave her looking like her most beautiful self, while respecting what level of coverage she is comfortable with. You won’t be running into those heavy foundation lines with us, but know that you also won’t be left with makeup that is too sheer to look fantastic well into the night. Love the dramatic? Don’t worry – so do we! Smokey eyes, vintage red lips? Whatever your fancy, we are on it!

We not only provide bridal services in the salon, but for 95% of our clients, we actually come to the wedding site to service the bridal party. Hotel bathrooms, church basements, the groom’s cousin’s dining room – we have worked in every kind of space, big and small. If your bridal party is getting their hair or makeup done as well, we can even send two or three stylists to get everyone completed in a shorter window of time, and be in the comfort of your own venue! Jen always tells the story about getting a speeding ticket 2 days before her wedding on the way to pick up her gown, and how stressful just THAT was. Her philosophy is that driving around town on one of the most stressful days of one’s life probably isn’t a super wise idea, so the more we can help reduce the need for commuting, the better for everyone on the road, especially the bride!

Pricing – everyone wants to know about pricing, of course! This is tricky to quote exactly, since travel fees will vary slightly based on your location, but as a general rule, the larger your bridal party, and the more services received by each person, the more of a discount we can give you on each service added. For example, in-salon hair styling for the bride plus 2 updo styles (and these prices include the trial run for the bride) is $350, whereas the cost for the bride plus 5 other styles is only $575. Styles don’t have to be just for your bridesmaids either, as we often do hair and makeup for flower girls, mothers, and grandmothers of the bride and groom! Each wedding party is always provided with a firm, custom quote, so if you’re interested in finding out more, you can email bookme@pinupsalon.biz with the details of your event and we’ll get back to you within a day or two with an exact price based on your needs.

We look forward to bridal season every year here at Pinup Salon and truly enjoy helping our beautiful brides look their best for their wedding day! If you are planning your own wedding, or helping a friend plan hers, we hope you will consider Pinup for your styling needs. We promise to create a seamless, stress-free experience, focused on keeping your day calm, and joyous, while also making your entire bridal party look amazing for your big day!

So back to this box ombre idea:

The idea is that you use the brush in the kit and it will lighten just your ends. It’s a simple enough idea, though if you look at the photo you really aren’t getting that subtle blend that a hand painted ombre is
really supposed to have! The idea of ombre from a salon is that we hand paint fading with multiple colors, melding highlights from darker to lighter throughout your hair, mimicking where the sun would naturally highlight it! We stagger the highlights higher to frame the face and lower in the back to make the ends look even brighter. In the salon you can also pick to lighten all the ends or blend them in with darker pieces, really creating more control over your look from subtle to bold. In the kit however, you end up with a noticeable line where your lightener has been applied, and will also have a brassy golden tone to it. I’m sure we can all imagine a few celebrities we’ve seen with an ombre that looks like this, but here’s a comparison from a blended ombre to a non-blended one:

You can see what a difference blending and tone will have on this look! There’s ombre, and then there’s beautiful ombre! We want you to look BEAUTIFUL!

So fair warning to you DIY hair colorists out there! If you want to try ombre hair, save yourself the time and let an experienced professional do it. It’s more money up front, but the best part is that it is a VERY low maintenance style! If done in a subtle fashion with different colors and developer strengths fading from dark to medium to lighter tones (again, something difficult to achieve out of a box), you could really get it touched up just twice a year, and that’s a LOT cheaper than a color correction! Please, for the sake of your hair, and not having to invest in a new hat wardrobe, if you’re considering the box, call us first and talk about your color options. Consultations are free, and can save you a lot of grief in the long run.

The first thing to know about curly hair is do not brush it!! Brushing the hair will just break up the curls and leave you with a frizzy, fuzzy head of hair instead of nice, defined, soft curls. If you need to detangle your hair, you can do so while your hair is wet in the shower with a wide tooth comb and conditioner, but not after that! When your hair is wet from the shower, don’t throw it up in a towel! Terry cloth is too rough for curls, and will just dry them out and make them frizzy! Instead, dab at your curls with an old T-shirt. The material is softer and won’t rough up your curls but will still absorb the excess water.

Now comes the tricky part, styling. Everyone’s curls are different and will react differently to products, but one product that we’ve found to work on most curl types is UNITE Boing curl cream. Boing leaves your hair feeling soft and smooth with just enough hold to keep your curls intact, but still touchable. No crispy crunchy curls here! Use about a quarter size amount on wet hair, then style as desired. If just the Boing curl cream by itself is too much hold for your curls, you can mix it equal parts with UNITE Blow and Set Lotion to add softness and shine and cut the hold.

When it comes to styling, the easiest thing to do is just let your hair air-dry! Your curls will find their place un-disrupted and you won’t have to put in any styling effort. However, if you’re not a fan of having wet hair the first few hours of your day, the next best route is to use a diffuser. By using a diffuser attachment on your hairdryer you’re mimicking how your hair would dry under a hooded dryer. Having the air from the dryer come out from multiple locations makes the airflow softer on your hair and helps to not disrupt the curls and not create extra unwanted frizz. If you are finding that air drying or using a diffuser is still leaving your curls a little uneven, try separating your hair into separate curls while it’s wet. Take 1 inch square sections around your head and twist them into tight curled locks, from here you can let them air dry or diffuse. By putting in your curl cream beforehand and then twisting them it helps smooth the hair out and has it dry in a pre-set curly shape. When your hair is dry gently shake loose the curls with your fingers and you’ll have more a more uniform curl pattern! Take smaller sections for tighter curls or larger sections for looser waves.

Extra special tip: If you do choose the diffuser route, we recommend that you only dry the hair about 80-90%, so that the last bit dries on its own to reduce frizz potential.

Now that you’ve taken the time to set your curls, here are some tricks for maintaining them:
* Sleep on a satin pillowcase. Cotton pillowcases will absorb the oils in your hair and will rough up the curls as you move your head while you sleep. Sleeping on a satin pillowcase leaves a smooth surface for your curls so they won’t end up frizzy in the morning.
* Use a spray conditioner to revitalize your curls in the morning and throughout the day. UNITE 7 Seconds Leave In Conditioner is a great thermal protector and weightless conditioner. Spritz it on dry curls to bring them back to life for a quick shower-free fix on the second day.
* Another nice treat for curly hair is to come in for a deep conditioning treatment from time to time (or add one on to your haircut!). Curly hair is naturally more dry so adding in a little deep conditioning love will always leave your hair feeling revitalized.

So there’s some curly-care tips from us to you! Exciting news for February is that we will be certified in DevaCurl products and the DevaCurl cutting method, so check back in with us if you want to learn more about how to keep your curls looking their absolute best using products, cutting and styling techniques that are SPECIALLY made just for curly hair!

The new year brings new year’s resolutions, and for most those resolutions include ways to better oneself, such as: a better diet, being organized, better mental health, so how about better hair health as well? First, let’s start with a little self reflection. How much damage are you really doing to your hair, and are you taking the proper precautions to combat the damage? For example, do you flat iron your hair every day, but maybe you aren’t using a proper heat protectant? You’ll be getting dry, split ends faster with every pass of the iron! A good product for everyday use is our Loma Pearatin Repairative Serum. It’s light weight so it’s great for all hair types, and will not only protect against the heat, but also helps to de-frizz the hair and add shine without weighing your hair down. Use it on damp hair prior to blow drying, and then a little bit on dry hair to tame frizz or to help repair dry, damaged hair.

Are you addicted to having those perfect blonde highlights, or that all-over icy bleach and tone, but your hair is starting to feel extra dry and frizzy? Make sure you’re using a good deep conditioner once a week! Again, the Repairative Serum is also great for dry and damaged hair, but a deep conditioner once a week is going to make your hair feel closer and closer to its original state. The Loma Pearatin Daily Hydrating Reconstructor is a great deep conditioner for those who need some extra moisture in their hair, and like it says in the name is safe enough to use more than once a week. With deep conditioners that are more protein-rich you can actually over use them causing your hair to go from dry and damaged to soft and smooth and then when overused back to dry and brittle! So ask your stylist for what your hair type needs, and we’ll direct you towards the best deep conditioner for you and how to properly use it without weighing down your hair!

If you want to go the extra mile, you can also treat yourself to an in-salon deep conditioner treatment! We’ll shampoo your hair and apply the correct deep conditioner for your hair’s needs, then you can relax under the warm hooded dryer for 20 minutes to get the best possible results from this treatment, before we give you a great blow dry style. Color feeling a little dull? We can even add a shine treatment to your next haircut to start 2013 off right. So, the next time you’re in the salon, treat yourself a little, not just for your hair’s beauty but for its health!

For more details or to schedule for this weekend’s shoot, please email bookme@pinupsalon.biz.

So how do you train your hair to stop producing so much oil so soon? Step one: Be patient! It takes time, so make sure to keep some dry shampoo on hand. Step 2: Try a higher quality shampoo, which doesn’t freak your hair and scalp out by removing every bit of natural oil from your  hair. The idea is to remove the dirt and bacteria from your hair, not all the natural hydration. Step 3: If you just can’t handle not getting your hair wet every morning, try rinsing the hair with warm water, instead of also shampooing. Either way you will probably still experience some oily buildup on your hair, so Step 3: Spray your dry hair with a quality dry shampoo (We recommend Unite 7 Seconds Dry Shampoo, which leaves no white residue behind.) to absorb the oils on your scalp and hair, and also add more body and volume into your hair. Dry shampoo also gets rid of any oily smell that your scalp might produce, so not only can you save time by not needing to style your hair every day, but your hair will also still look and smell clean!

Aside from saving you time in the morning, not washing your hair as often will also prolong the life of your color and any smoothing service you receive. It also helps with dry or itchy scalp problems, and will help prevent dandruff as well! Dirty hair also holds style better than clean hair, so your curls will hold stronger for longer on hair that is 2nd or 3rd day dirty. Talk to your stylist about the best way to go about training your hair to go longer in-between shampoos. We know it’s a lot harder for our clients with finer, lower-density hair, but there are many products to assist with oily hair for all hair types! We’ll show you how to make your hair healthier and how to keep your color and style lasting longer, all the while leaving your hair looking clean longer!

Tinted shampoos and conditioners are a great and inexpensive first step. If you changed your hair to a beautiful chestnut brown, and want to maintain that warm shine to it, a shampoo or conditioner tinted with that shade can deposit a little color every time you wash your hair, to not only extend the life of your color in-between appointments but also keep that tone bright! Ask your stylist next time you’re in the salon and we can customize a color deposit shampoo and conditioner for you to take home.

Another great in-salon option for your color is to add on a botanical color and shine treatment in-between color appointments or during your root touch up! We carry a product by Pravana called Silk Degrees, which doesn’t require any use of chemicals, but does wonders to refresh the previously colored hair, adding massive amounts of shine, and gorgeous color deposit. You can choose from red, copper, golden, mahogany, chocolate, and even platinum. We like to combine them for customized tones to match your regular color formulation. The best part about this product is that it causes NO additional damage to your hair, so if you are concerned about over drying out your hair, or making it more frizzy, this product has the opposite effect. Our clients who have tried this, absolutely love it!

Lastly, something to think about if you feel you might have gone too dark for your comfort level is to have a few Ombre highlights added to your deeper tone. We can paint on as many or as few highlighted pieces to your hair for a nice subtle lightened effect or for something more bold. This is also a great way to start transitioning away from the dark come early spring, if your goal is to return to blonde for the summer…though that does seem a long ways away at this point! :-O

Embrace the fall weather and the rich darker colors that are trending. Whether you bring that into your hair is your choice, but remember we can always help you maintain it with professional recommendations that will keep you loving your hair every time you look in the mirror.