| Professional Haircolor On A Budget |
| Karen Marie Shelton - Copyright 2003 - All
rights reserved |
| Revised Date: 3/07/08 - Original
Publication Date: 7/11/2003 |
Introduction
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Paul
Mitchell: Smoothing |
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Paul Mitchell
All Rights Reserved |
You
may dream of visiting one of the current hair color magicians known
for transforming mousy hues into spectacular works of shimmering
beauty but lack the funds for both the initial color and the long
term upkeep.
Although you may be able to scrape together the
medium to big bucks to get foiled by the best colorists around, you
will be wasting your money if you can't afford regular upkeep.
Does this mean that
you can't go to the master colorist for a hue transformation?
Not at all. What you should do is make sure that the colorist
understands your budgetary limitations and requirements.
Professionally applied
color can have a spectacular impact on your hair. While it
doesn't come cheap, it is often a wiser financial investment than
home hair color that may ultimately cause more damage than the cost
savings are worth.
It is also important to note that hair
correction services that must be performed by a color professional
can wipe out any potential savings you might have counted on with a
home hair color treatment.
Color Options For Any Budget
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Paul
Mitchell: New PM Shines™:
Give Your Hair A Treat |
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Paul Mitchell
All Rights Reserved |
Master
stylist and color expert Barbara Lhotan pointed out "there are many
tricks that experts can use" to create stunning hue
transformations" with much lower maintenance requirements.
Barbara, who is a senior educator with
Paul Mitchell Systems and author of
5 Minute Fun Finishes and 5 Minute Updos, pointed out that the
majority of hair dressers want to work with their customers offering
the best possible color options according to their financial
constraints.
Barbara explained that when she is
approached with tight budgetary consideration for achieving color,
she suggests a number of treatment options that range from very
simple and limited face framing ribbons of color to more extensive
random highlights applied "like a field of flowers".
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Paul
Mitchell: New PM Shines™:
Give Your Hair A Treat |
|
Paul Mitchell
All Rights Reserved |
While
the limited face framing highlights may only utilize one contrasting
color, the more extensive highlights might include three or four
contrasting and complimentary colors painted in a "hunt and peck"
formula on a series of previously separated and elasticized hair
sections.
Barbara's random color
highlighting technique results in deep, multi-dimensional
colors that have a gorgeous shine. Even better, both types of
highlighting is less extensive and will grow out with minimal lines.
She estimates that both types of highlighting applications
could last up to six months with minimal, if any, need for salon
touchups in between.
Note: To talk about
Hair
Color visit HairBoutique.com's
HairTalk Forum
on
Hair Color.
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Paul
Mitchell: Haircolor USA:
Strap & Block Color Design |
|
Paul Mitchell
All Rights Reserved |
She
also suggested that a cost conscious color client that wants a more
edgy color change might consider a hot new color strapping
technique.
Barbara explained that "one of the hottest new
color techniques is the strap technique" invented by the Paul
Mitchell award winning Hair Color USA team of
Scott Cole & Linda Yodice.
Barbara explained that "the strap
technique involves foiling the underneath of the hair a darker color
and then painting a contrasting color, either lighter or darker,
along a strategically placed hair strap on the top of the strands
along the natural part.
The colored strap can range in size
from 1/2 to 2 inches and extends from the tip of the widows peak
near the forehead to the rounded part of the head. Similar to
a suspender strap in shape, the technique provides bold and
spectacular hues that grow out beautifully with a minimal color
line.
The
strap can be designed to fall open along the part and can be
optionally angled to achieve a more horizontal or vertical impact
with the color.
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Paul
Mitchell: Juxtapose
A Robert Cromean's Salon Team/Hair:
Scott Cole
& Linda Yodice |
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Photography: Giuliana Bekor
Paul Mitchell
All Rights Reserved |
Barbara noted that since bold red and gold
hues are sizzling color combinations, many colorists are creating
the new strap technique with a black and red focus.
The color strap technique can be easily
maintained every 6-8 weeks with minimal investment after the initial
color strap application.
Haircolor clients that have the straping
color technique applied to their strands only have to have the
color touched up along the strap zone.
Barbara explained that the
average client might require "touchups every 6-8 weeks or so
depending on their hair growth".
Color reapplication to the 1-2" of the
strap hair would be very quick and relatively inexpensive, compared
to the time and cost of touch ups required with full blown color or
highlight treatments.
Even better, the strap area, as it
grows can be disguised through a series of zig zag or alternating
parts. Carefully planned trims can also maximize the lifecycle
of a strap color treatment.
Color Options For Any Budget
The
cost of professionally applied color varies widely according to a
number of factors from the geographic location of the salon and the
skill of the colorist to the type of actual treatment selected.
Expect to pay more in large cities and for full blown color or
multi-step treatments.
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Paul
Mitchell: Smoothing |
|
Paul Mitchell
All Rights Reserved |
Besides asking your colorist to create
a limited color solution built around your hair and budgetary needs,
there are other cost saving options you can employ to have your
desired professional hue without breaking the bank.
1. Investigate discounted
coloring options.
Consider volunteering to have your hair colored by
apprentices during training nights at large established salons.
Although the pros are always standing by, be aware that being worked
on by an apprentice may take more of your time at the salon.
The good news? You will get new
hair color for discounted prices.
The bad news? You may not be
able to select the color you want since apprentices are often
required to perform planned color treatments.
2. Check out local hair academies
for savings on hair color treatments.
Similar to the established
salon's training night opportunity, all beauty schools have a
experienced professional supervising the students. Although
this may pose a slightly higher risk than training night at an
established salon, the costs savings are similar.
The good news? You can book an
appointment at a cosmo college or similar school and request color
touch up services. Not all schools will offer all types of
color treatments so call before you go.
To get the best possible work at a
cosmetology college or related school, always ask for the most
senior students. At Paul Mitchell there are actually students
who have been picked to be in the honors program. Ask for an
honor student and you have a much better change of receiving top
notch color services supervised by a teacher.
3. Locate experienced colorists.
Check into hair color experts
that have recently moved to your area or have opened a new salon and
are trying to build a new customer base. Newly opened salons
or relocated colorists often run coupon specials to attract new
clients.
You may also wish to ask your own
hair color expert if they are planning any specials in the near
future. Ask to be added to their mailing list to be notified
of any deals. Some colorists will offer special deals during
slow periods or during the day with their business is not as busy.
4. Ask about a referral
system.
Some hair colorists are willing to
offer a free color service based on the number of new customer
referrals you provide. Others may offer you a discount for
bringing in new clients. It never hurts to politely inquire.
Professional hair colorists would much rather retain their long
standing customers during economic slowdowns by offering deals or
special seasonal sales.
5. Take extra care with your
color treated hair at home to maximize the time between touchups.
This
includes avoiding the use of harsh hot water shampoo treatments
while
utilizing color enhancing shampoos and conditioners such as healthy
hair™
color drops™. Remember
to avoid extended exposure to the sun or surf which can fade your
color investment.
6. Take advantage of latest
color extend options for at-home use
Famed celebrity hairdresser to the
stars, Ken Paves, has developed a spectacular color enhancement
product designed for use by professionals and hair consumers.
The product known as healthy hair™
boost up™ color drops™
comes in six different popular colors (Platinum, Beige, Honey, Red,
Brown and Black).
If you wish to extend the life of
your chemically enhanced hair color, use 1-2 pumps of
Ken Paves boost up™
color drops™
with your daily conditioning rinse. The beauty of the
color drops™ is that you can use
it with your rinse-out conditioner, your leave-in conditioner or
your favorite styling products.
This amazing product also works well
to amp up natural hair color hues while making hair amazing soft and
shiny. Ken's celebrity clients like Jessica Simpson and Eva
Longoria use the revolutionary
color drops™ on their own
tresses.
Note: If you would love to try the Ken Paves Healthy
Hair™ products check out his convenient
Healthy Hair Try Me Kit™ which includes 2 oz of the daily
shampoo, conditioner, shine serum and shaping hair spray. All
Ken Paves Healthy Hair™ products are available at the
HairBoutique.com Marketplace.
Summary
Professionally applied salon color
doesn’t come cheap but with a little planning and thought, you can
have the color of your dreams without busting your budget to
smithereens.
Barbara
Lhotan is known as the "Personal Trainer" for stylists wishing to be
experts with long hair and is a Senior
National Educator for John Paul Mitchell Systems. |