October 28, 2000
Hair Is Too Blonde?

Question

Dear Karen, 

I am a 25 year old woman who had gone crazy trying to duplicate Pamela Lee Anderson's light white blonde hair. The problem is that now my hair looks really terrible. I finally decided to stop messing with the home haircolor although I do love L'Oreal products, and go to a colorist who can help me.

I found a colorist who came highly recommended but I was distressed at what he told me. He said that my hair was "overprocessed".

Is this possible. He told me that he would have to do something to build back color to start over?  I was shocked because not only could I not figure out why he would need to add color back but the cost factor was not something I wanted to commit to. Do you think the colorist was telling me the truth about my hair? 

Jenna

Answer

Dear Jenna,

Although I can not speak for the color expert you talked to, I would suspect that what he was telling you was that because your hair may be overly lightened from home bleaching and/or coloring, you need to have missing color pigments built back into your hair so that the colorist can work on creating more natural and deeper shades of blonde. It is possible that the colorist just wants to deepen the blonde especially if it is too light, which actually can be a problem.

There is a process that color experts will used called "tintback" and the process is just what it sounds like. It is a process that a color expert will follow to actually add color back to your hair so that a new bridge or foundation for final color can be built.

While I can't speak for the colorist and the brands he prefers (there are many good ones including Clairol Professional), I would suspect that he plans on using a formula that is gentle and does not contain any ammonia that would be mixed with a developer. The colorist may use a permanent or a semi-permanent color and the volume of the developer may vary depending on the results the colorist wants to achieve. The key is for the colorist to deposit a richer color overall and then work with adding subtle and more natural highlights and colors through foils or caps or whatever the colorist prefers.

As a side note, many colorist will use a tintback process for corrective color work on hair that has had a terrible color experience.

Color is a tricky process for even some of the most experienced color experts. That is why I always recommend that for color hair product consumers seek the advise of a professional, which you have wisely done.

I encourage you to work with the colorist of your choice to achieve a stunning final color, whether it be like Pamela Lee or Heather Locklear. When in doubt ask questions, like you are currently doing and talk things over with the color expert. A good colorist will be willing to do a consultation and talk to you about what they recommend for your hair. It is important to feel comfortable with the colorist that you work with. If you do, the results can be amazing and wonderful.

Best wishes,

Karen

October 18, 2000
Instant Scrunchies For Ballet Dancers

Question

Karen,

I am a 16 year old girl that is really into ballet. I have to put my hair up in buns a lot but my hair is fine and slippery and I have a problem with standard hair elastics. The cloth-covered ponytail holders and related hair elastic pieces just don't help my hair. I am bummed. I certainly can't use the bands with metal as they break my fragile hair.

Can you help me find something that will work to hold my hair up without damaging it? I am at a loss at this point.

Thanks in advance,

Rhonda

Answer

Dear Rhonda,

I think you might like my suggestion on a good elastic band that will not rip or tear your hair. I learned this trick from many different people as I was growing my hair.

Go to the nearest grocery store and buy color nylon "knee highs". Take them home and then cut the top band off the top of the "knee highs". They come in all colors are incredibly cheap and don't ever have metal bands.  Also, you can experiment and try children's sizes if your hair is exceptionally thin.

Best wishes,

Karen

October 17, 2000
Boar's Bristle Brush - Recycling

Question

Hi Karen,

I had been hearing lots of conflicting information from my friends as to whether or not natural or boar bristle brushes are good for my hair.

Some of my friends told me that they are the best to use on my hair while some of my other friends told me that the wrong brush could actually damage my hair.

I finally broke down and asked my stylist her opinion. She looked at my brush and said it had bristles that would definitely harm my hair. She did tell me that there are some good boar's bristle brushes but I had a bad one. Whatever that means. My "bad" brush is fairly new although I have used it too much to return it. My question is what to do with this brush? Any ideas? It seems way too expensive to throw it away. Should I donate it to someone? My worry is that I don't want to donate it to someone so it will ruin their hair. Help.

Thanks,

Jeana

Answer

Dear Jeana,

I had a friend who was advised to dump his Boar's Bristle Brush because it was too sharp for his hair type. My friend had paid a lot for the brush and found the perfect solution. He now brushes his Yellow Lab with the brush.  The Lab loves it and my friend feels that he at least got some good use for the brush.

The brush is recycled and everyone is happy.  If you don't have a deserving dog or cat that would enjoy being brushed by a boar's bristle brush you can always give the brush to a friend for their pet.

Hope that helps,

Best wishes,

Karen

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