Hair 101

SO I started to write some in depth responses to some of the questions I received on my FB page... and realized that I was trying to explain a lot of things that not everyone will understand the significance of. SO. I decided to do a quick post explaining a little about the hair shaft itself.

There are 3 parts, layers if you will, in the hair.

1. Medulla- The inner most layer of the hair, also known as the pith or marrow. This really does nothing for the hair. In fact it is absent in most fine hair. We don't really need to worry about that layer.

2. Cortex- The second, or middle layer of the hair. This layer is made of a unique protein structure known as keratin (it is the base for hair, skin, and nails).This is also where the pigment (color molecules) are held. This is the muscle of the hair and probably the most important.

3. Cuticle- The outer layer of the hair. It is made up of over lapping translucent scales. Imagine shingles on a house roof. This layer protects the hair to an extent from outside forces. Also, the first layer to get "blown apart" when we use bleach or heat or sun or anything else damaging to the hair.


One more thing. The hair's two most important factors in heath and repairing damage are MOISTURE and KERATIN PROTEIN. It is hard to tell sometimes what one your hair is lacking when damaged. But your hair stylist should be able to analyze your hair and prescribe the correct treatment, moisture or protein based.

I will most likely go further in depth with all of this in future posts. For now I feel like this is a good building block :)

#1 What's The Best Way To Grow Out My Hair?

There are several things that will help your hair grow out the most healthy and the fastest.

1. GET IT CUT! Who would have thought that getting your hair cut is probably the #1 way to keep your locks growing long? It's true! I'm sure you have heard your hairdresser say that trimming makes your hair grow faster and look less stringy at the bottom, this isn't completely true. As the hair gets longer the ends get older, more damage, and well picked on more. The hair actually starts to break off because of split ends due to all damage from life. When you trim off the ends every 6-8 weeks it stops the split ends from going up and eventually breaking off, making it seem like your hair is growing faster. If you have layers ask your hairdresser to "tip" them to keep them heathy as they are growing.

2. HEAT PROTECTANT! If you use ANY type of heat on your hair, blow dryer, straightner, curling iron, hot rollers, or anything else that is well... hot, you need to be using a heat protectant. It seals the Cuticule (the outer layer of hair that looks like shingles on a roof) down so that all the moisture and protine says in the hair. Without it the cuticle is blown open and moisture especially is dried out. Any PROFESHONAL product (anything sold in a salon) is water soluble. This means that you will have no product build up on the hair shaft because as soon as it hits water it runs right off, allowing any treatments or color to penitrate, styles to last longer, and guess what?!?! It helps your hair not break off and get frizzy at the ends! Thus helping keep the length you have grown.
A few of my favorite products that work on almost any hair are Satinwear by Redkin and Super Skinny Serum by Paul Mitchell. Satinwear is reviewed as a 5 star product. It contains UV filters to protect color from fading, along with anti-oxidents to keep the good in and the bad out! This is my #1 choice for anyone who colors their hair. For anyone who doesn't color their hair or feels like you need a little more smoothing action Super Skinny Serum is the thing for you. This is reviewed 4 1/2 Star product even cuts down on blow drying time! It does this by penitrating deep into the hair shaft, removing water molicules (different from moisture) and constricting the hair to keep it out. Great for places with humidity :) Then it shines and protects the hair with a light weight silicone. Leaving the hair shiny and soft. :)

3. NIOXIN! This is a line that was first designed for chemo paitens that lost their hair. It helps with the recovory process. It since has been re-formulated to help with hair growth and keeping hair heathy. For people struggling with baulding, stress or pregnacy hair loss, unexplained hair loss, scalp disorders, itchy scalp, or just trying to keep hair and scalp heathy and growing.
It does this by deep cleaning the scalp and opening the hair foliculs. Breaking down sebum, product build up, and any other nasty stuff on the head and hair (trust me there are a lot!). Odd fact, if you have a bauld cadaver and you peal back the scalp there will be a web of hair that has grown! The hair lost it's exit point through the nasty folicules. So by keeping the scalp clean you're hair grows faster and stronger! Makes since right?!
They have a 3 step system, but you only need to use the Cleanser and Scalp Thearapy if you're trying to grow :) Add the 3rd step if you are worried about hair loss. I put my dad on the full system about 8 months ago... the results have been amazing! My Mom is enjoying it too ;)

So there you go! Try it out and let me know! These 3 steps will be the most simple and heplfull things in growing hair :)

Quick Tips!

So I would like to start doing some quick tips on here. I'm often answering questions about products, color, perms, styling, zits, make up, cuticles, and anything else you can think of! SO I figured it would be helpful to share as much knowledge as I can with you guys up front. I LOVE teaching.

So. Here's the deal. What do you have questions about? I'll give you the answer! If I don't know, well I'll resurch until I figure it out! So please post questions in a "comment" box in this post (or future posts) and I'll do my best to answer them all! :)

Thanks!

COLORS!!!!

Alison and I had so much fun I did the Purple and Green color and the tinstel. Alison did the pink and blue color and the feathers! :) Just fun pictures thought you'd enjoy!

Extentions!

Extentions!!!!

Thanks to Miss Ashley I got to try something new and it came out great! I think I want some now! lol I did color cut extentions and tenstel :) And now my hand is brused from the pliers. lol

PERM!!!!

Bottom picture is before... and the other three are durring and AFTER!!!

53 Orange rods and 52 Pink and 3 1/2 hours and 2 boxes of perms and this is what you get!

I was a little nervous seeing that I've never done a piggy back perm before.. but it worked!!!! My boss was so so ver impressed and couldn't stop saying good things to the point where she stoped and said, "Now I'm not trying to just feed your ego here". Olga my favorite Russin buddy who has been doing hair 27 years was saying that she had never seen a perm wrapped like that or come out so beautiful! Yay!!!!

Thanks to Krysta for helping me figure out the placement of the last rods... It was a team effort on this one!

Thank you LORD!!!!
I love my job :)

Please Pray?

Okay I need some prayer here!

I love love love my job. The people are great and this has no reflection on them at all.

BUT.

I'm sorounded in a world centered around beauty, outward beauty. Everything. Everywhere.

At times it consumes my thoughts. Weather about someone else or me. I find myself judging not only others but myself more and more on the outward apperance. This. Is. Not. Me.

Please pray I keep my head on straight. That I see the heart of the people around me and am able to bless them, not only by making them look better but making them feel loved. The kind of love that can only come from God.

Please pray for my own personal set of issues. A lot of old emotions of feeling un-beautiful (outside and now inside too) are quietly creeping back.

Thank you much!
God Bless!

Amazing day!

Yesterday I got the day off work to do hair for a wedding to help out Alison :) I was very sleepy and not to crazy excited to go. But I did. It was so so much fun!!! The bride, while nervous was very very sweet. All the girls were fun and enjoyed laughing, they talked to us, easy going, totally trusted us with their hair, and it was just a lot of fun!

They paied us well above what we asked. It was such a blessing! God is so so good!

So we called work after we were done to see if they needed help. Saturdays are crazy busy. Neither of us wanted to go in but they needed us so we smiled and headed out. I was going to my first ugly sweater party that night and now that they needed us at work I wasn't able to go :( I was very sad.

I was lucky enough to to get a fun fun client! She's 12 years old. Her name is Zoe. Very smart. Funny. Sweet. Her mother Miss Sue was the same :) The Mother and daughter were best friends, they reminded me of my mom and me. ;)

They provided me with stories and clean conversation. We laughed, talked, and yes Miss Sue even danced. It was such a fun night! Worth missing out on wearing an ugly sweater.

I also got to do my lovely hair sparkles all night too! I couldn't think of a better time at work, crazy colors and lots of sparkles.

Thank you Lord for such a refrshing night. I love you! -Amen

(PICS: Sami- sparkles!! Zoe- Teal hair and we took off about 7 inches too!)

Referral!!!

I got my first referral today!
I did this lady's hair a few weeks ago... It was just a cut but, we changed her style up and gave her a new look. She was going out with friends that night. I loved her and she was totally fun!

Yesterday my boss called and asked if I would come in on my day off to do a cut on a lady because she asked for ME! I figured out how to make it work and went in. :)

The lovely lady that I cut her hair today was the bartender at the bar that those girls went to that night. She asked where she got her hair done and the girl told her that she HAD TO SEE SARAH!

It wasn't even someone she knew, but she saw my work and liked it and came to me! :) she left very beautiful as well ;)

God is so so good!

Please pray for clients... I need to start bringing more in if I'm going to make ends meet... Thanks guys!!!

xoxo,
Sarah

Color. Removers.

Oh goodness! I had a girl come in with black hair... colored herself. from a box. at home. tisk tisk! She wanted to get back to a level 5. I've never used a color remover on someone else before! Thank goodness I had some girls who knew what they were doing!

I stripped her hair 2 times. Then put shades over it to try to even out the tone. Her roots lifted to about a 9 and her ends to about a 3. Her poor hair was fried! I talked her into to a despratly needed cut so that helped :)

Alas, she was happy 4 hours later when she left! And she did look quite beautiful if I do say so myself ;) Nice tip. I felt like I helped someone and I learned a lot :) God is good!

Miss Maggie you would have been proud.. ridding the world of one more person with black hair ;) (I miss you btw!)

Love you all!

First Day!!!

My first day at a new job, my first salon. It was great! I felt right at home. I had three hair cuts walk in. All left happy and I had $23 of tips in my pocket. Good day!

Thank you lord for giving me this creativity. Please bless my fingers and my mouth. I want to be your light in the dark city. Use me. I love you!

Inner Beauty

This was a status post from a fellow cosmo and it fit so well with the idea... or one of the ideas of this blog that I had to steal it. Thanks Christina!

There is an inner beauty about a woman who believes in herself, who knows she is capable of anything that she puts her mind to. There is a beauty in the strength and determination of a woman who follows her own path, who isn't thrown off by obstacles along the way. There is a beauty about a woman whose
confidence comes from experiences...; who knows she can fall, pick herself up, and move on ♥

I PASSED!

Today is the day that I officially am a cosmetologist!

God,
Use me. Teach me. Show me. Send me each person on purpose. Give my hands your creative skill. Bless me financially. Use me to bless others, to show them your love, grace, hope, and joy. Show me how to be a light in this dark dark world. Show me how you want me to fight. Thank you Lord :)
I love you!

Miss Anne

Miss Anne... Known her since I was like 8 or something. Amazing woman. Writing teacher, speech and drama coach, the loudest best laugh ever,strong woman, mom to 2 great kids.
She went through a not so fun divorce a while ago... she's out there again looking for some lucky guy.
Came over and I put some highlights in her hair a few weeks ago... Now she came back and let me cut it and I did some facial waxing.
Other than having fun, being sarcastic, laughing, and not letting her see it till it was done it was an awesome day!
About half way through the cut my mom looked at Anne and said " WOW! I think that takes off about ten years!"
Long story short the next 3 people that walked in the room said the same thing! When I finally let her see it she was so so so so happy and very much agreed with them.
This is one of the most rewarding "work fields" out there.
Some would say that it's a quick high for a person to feel pampered and beautiful, but I'm sorry it can really change how someone looks at themselves... I'm not saying that Miss Anne was at all down on herself, but that smile showed me something that I hadn't seen in a while.
I helped put the smile there.
Wow. :)

PASSED BOARDS!!!!

I was so so freakn nervous!! lol like seriously. Even Seth started being nice to me because I was freaking out so much!

For you up coming boards people i got a 90' shears cut, a perm, a color retouch, curling, basic mani, basic facial, and full eyebrow hot waxing.

Don't be afraid to stop and correct yourself guys!!! lol

I had a lot of prayer backing me up too... My mom's (and my mom know's a LOT of people.. like thousands. lol)prayer loop, emails, facebook, texting, my mom just happened to have a prayer group schduled the same time as my test.... ya I was covered.... literally covered in his blood :)

One of my mom's friends kinda just laughed and said "well we all know she's going to pass because this is a huge part of God's plan for her life... how about we pray for where she is going to work and the people who sit in her chair?"

Wow right? That's faith... I lack that sometimes. But ya that's where I am :) going to trust and figure out where I'm going. Oh ya still have to pass the written test ;) Pray for that! lol

Peace!

I got your back

So a while back... While I was still in school I had this client come in for a color. She walked in and I knew she would be a challenge. Her hair was long, dry, brittle, pours and very thick. I could tell by her atitude that she wouldn't be easy to please. She picked out a picture of a dark solid color and some chunky highlights. Easy enough right?

NOT.

Well I talked it over with her and she was fine with everything except the price. So I had four educators and the campus manager out there figuring it out with her. So we caped the price no matter how much product I was going to use. So I went for it.

I sspent 4 1/2 hours working on her... she spent almost the entire time on the phone trying to get her electricity back on. My heart went out to her... I don't understand her mind set. But having kids and money problems is never fun.

I was rinsing her hair as one of the other students walked past looking at my client's hair. I wasn't all to suprised when she said... "What the F*** are you looking at?"
I explained to her that we were encouraged to learn from what the others were doing. She proceded to complain about how all girls (besides her and me obvously) were B****'s. goodness... I tried to stay calm and calm her down. Then....

Picture this.

Three educators and a campus manager sourounding her at the shampoo bowl demanding to know what her problem was and why she had used language with a student she didn't know.

The poor lady floundered her way through an explination and never said sorry or admited to anything. lol

After me re-doing her hair about four times trying to tone it to just the right color she had in her head (not the one in the picture) she complained that it wasn't like the picture at all... so I got the stinking picture. At that moment someone walked past and was like "Wow Sarah! Her hair looks just like the lady in the picture!"

I smiled and said thanks... My client knew she had lost her battle. She decided she was done and ready to pay... But guess what? Her wallet was in the car. Ha. Right. So my campus manager looked at her and was like "well I need some fresh air, I think I'll walk with you."

So yes she came back in side and payed. We charged her about $60 less than it should have been. She looked at me and said I did a great job and that she was sorry she was a pain in my A**. lol I thanked her for coming.

When she walked out the whole school of girls aploded. lol they all gave me hugs and said good job and that they wouldn't have put up with that. But I did it :) And she looked darn good when she walked out if I must say!

So in a school of 100 girls (and like 3 guys) that I didn't think really cared about me... they all had my back at the end of the day... interesting how that works. :) I learned so so much with that client! Not only how to keep my cool. Keep my confidence. Work on some one I don't like. Handle that type of hair... And that I have friends when when I don't expect it. God is good and we have to just trust that we will learn something out of any situation. :)

Learning....

So close to graduating... I thought I knew it all... Could go out and counqure... Out shine everyone... Make the big bucks.

Wow. Talk about some pride! lol

The day I really thought I knew it all God gave me 2 clients that I got to learn A LOT on. One was my aunt. She has very unique, not so easy to work with hair. But I learned so so may tricks from my educaters! I'll be coniant nest time I see hair like that. I'll know just what to do!

The other was this lady from south africa (she was white) and she let me do what ever I wanted with her! It stretched my creativity! My educaters were giving their input and having fun with it too :)

It was just an amazing day! I guess my point is never ever ever think you know it all or can do anything stop and do a pride check... Pride comes before the fall... or worse yet you might miss something that you could have learned and seen if your nose was forward instead of pointed to the sky.

Thank you lord that I still don't know everything!! I would be so bored! Contiue to teach me in everything I do.
Amen

If Only You Could See

My School Girls,

If only you could see.
See the real me.
The crazy one.
The fun one.

I love to party.
I love people.
Every person.
You're all special.

I'm really quite loud.
I hardly shut up in group settings.
Unless it's to watch.
Seeing who people really are.

I love to listen.
Listen to heart ache.
Listen to joys.
Laughter and tears are my favorite.

I wish you could see me.
High with out drugs.
Drunk with out wine.
Content with out sex.

It's possible you know.
A good time with out regret.
A party with out wild times.
Loving life.

I hate to run.
I love to run.
To let go.
Be free.

Friends are the only things that keep me.
I have so so many.
I walk in.
EVERYONE knows my name if I want them to or not.

I love coming home.
Feeling known and loved.
For who I am.
Cherished.

I know that's not life anymore.
I'm at it alone.
Nameless in the world.
Just another person praying to make a mark.

I wish you could see.
Jesus who sees you.
Forgives you.
Loves you.

I pray.
You will someday feel that only unconscionable love.
Only He can give.
Joy only from him.

I wish I could be used.
That person who shows.
But I don't know how.
I'm not worthy to show.

I love each of you.
More than you know.
I pray for each of you.
Probably more than you'd like.

If only you could see.