I’ve been meaning to write about Keratin for a while now. I’ve gotten several questions about it so it’s really about dang time I discuss it on the blog! If you don’t know what it is, Keratin (or Brazilian Blow Out) is a protein treatment that smooths and fills the cuticle of your hair, dramatically reducing frizz. It is applied to clean, dry hair and then sealed in with a very hot (450 degrees F) flat iron.

Here are some pros:
~Blow drying your hair will be half the job for you
~Blow dries will last days longer
~Blow drying your hair will be half the job for me! (but not half the money, too bad, hehehe)
~Hair will look shinier, healthier and smoothier
~It’s not a chemical process, so it isn’t damaging (aside from the 450 degree flat ironing)
~You might get yourself a boyfriend/husband in like one minute

Here are some cons:
~It’s expensive, my salon starts at $300 and goes higher depending on length and thickness
~You have to use specific sulfate free shampoos
~Some people have said it relaxes parts of their hair unevenly after the second or third time getting the treatment
~You can’t shampoo, tuck your hair behind your ears, use a headband/pony or sweat for three days after getting the treatment, which is inconvenient

Good to know:
~It is not a Relaxer/straightener. It will soften your wave/curls, but don’t expect pin straight hair a la Japanese straightener.
~It last 4-6 months.
~It takes 2+ hours for the treatment.
~Like I said, you can’t shampoo your hair for 3 days, or use a pony or anything that might kink it.
~Some brands are still using formaldehyde in the product, so be sure to google the specific brand before getting it. Most have cut out the formaldy, but just make sure.
~Keratin is best for people with wavy to curly or frizzy hair who straighten or blow dry it. It is really a miracle treatment for this type of person, and it is definitely the newest hair craze. For good reason.
~I don’t get Keratin on my own hair, because I like frizz and also it softens wave, which I don’t want since I wear my hair wavy every day.

If you are the right person for it, it is a really amazing treatment, and very worth the money. I have seen Keratin change people’s lives. I have a regular client with afro-hair who gets keratin and every time she comes in for a blow out, I feel like it is one of those times in your life when you have done something so miraculous in just 45 minutes that you accidentally kurtsy afterwords and everyone whispers about it later. And also since she started getting the Keratin, I no longer feel like I have just spent 2 hours at the gym when I’m done with her. So that’s always nice.

I definitely recommend the Keratin treatment.

*note, I’m not posting a question because this was a very popular one. And I apologize for being a lazy hairdresser on fire. If you want to call me hairdresser on mildly flickering flames, I’ll understand.

How bad does dandruff suck? Even in moist New York, my clients still deal with dandruff during the dry winter months. I hate the word moist. So, I always feel for people with dark hair who have dry, itchy scalp and flakes. First, I want to say that it’s common….really common, and when I’m combing out a freshly shampood head of hair, and see flakes, this is what I advise….

~Scalp treatments. You can do them yourself. Often times the dry flakes are conditioner/product buildup that is irritating your scalp and making it flake/itch. If you brush your scalp (I mean really brush. With some good hard pressure) thoroughly all over your head before showering, you’ll loosen up that buildup and it will wash right off. Leaving your hair all squeaky like Marsha Brady. Her hair really was amazing, right? This is your typical scalp brush. It has hard bristles for the job it’s faced with.  PS you can get a brush like this anywhere, it doesn’t have to be fancy.

~Shampooing. SCRUB! Scrub hard, guys. Get that scalp real clean. Half of you are probably thinking ‘duh, we know how to shampoo our freaking hair, hairdresser on mildly flickering flames.’, well la di dah, you can read ahead because you are so much smarter than the rest of us, because I didn’t learn how to shampoo properly until beauty school. And not until I was an assistant at a big swankalicious salon did I become a shampoo ninja. The point is this, scrub your *swear word*ing heads! It also makes your hair grow fast. Scrubbing my hair is my secret to a long and prosperous life, but I have absolutely no facts to back that up.

~For more chronic dry scalp, you might have to get a medicated/special shampoo, which is a fancy way of saying head and shoulders (or the like). Did you know that dandruff is a minor form of fungus? Don’t feel embarrassed, it’s totally common. It’s happened to us all. Use your special shampoo every day until it’s better. Did I just tell you to shampoo everyday? This is a first. Dandruff is an exception guys. Don’t get too excited.

~Dandruff is also genetic. So if the above list doesn’t help, ask your dermatologist.

Love ya!

Q by Lacey and Katie: We need your help. Our co-worker Patrick keeps asking for hair advice but will not get rid of his longer locks. We keep telling him he needs to go shorter for a look that is more in this decade, but he is not satisfied with our suggestions. That’s where we turn to you… the hair expert and professional! Please look at these pics we snapped of him – any suggestions or advice would be GREATLY appreciated!

Patrick seems to think he can pull off a look similar to Bradley Cooper in the Hangover if he just has the right products. But, his excuse is that he doesn’t know what products to use. We told him that we don’t think he could pull that look off, but, we are no professionals. He said he would value your opinion over ours, so please help us!

Feel free to ask any other questions you may need to know! And no worries if you don’t have the time. I’ll still be a loyal ‘Hairdresser on Fire’ follower!
Signed,

Lacey and Katie “Co-workers that Care”

A by Reagan: Can I start out by saying this whole email tickled me to pieces. Sorry to who was in the coveted “favorite question” spot before, you have now been demoted. Patrick is practically the best sport ever….posing front and back and to the sides, and trying not to laugh. Then not to mention seeing office-y things in the back-ground just made me die. I am so proud that I have taken a small group of your office away from your jobs so that you could discuss, take photos of and submit to me all in the name of Patrick’s desire for good hair. I love it all, right down to the cubicles in the background. I’m putting this whole experience on any future resumes.

So, back to the question…I know you said you’d still be a loyal follower if I didn’t have time to answer this question, but will you still be a loyal follower if I’m team Patrick? Maybe? Please? First hear me out. The front and back of his hair isn’t too bad, in fact, it is actually very close to Bradley Cooper in The Hangover, in my opinion. They have a similar cut, but Bradley’s hair is a little thicker than Patrick’s. See? (can we all agree this is one of the best scenes in the movie?)

Lacey, Katie and Patrick, it’s the sides that are hurting. It’s a little too windswept and not enough messy-hot guy bed head (see any picture of Chase Crawford for the messy-hot guy bed head). Try not to push the sides back so much while you’re styling your hair, Patrick. Kind of shake it out as it’s drying (using a few sprays of volumizer), and then apply product to it when dry. I recommend Rough Paste or Work Hard, both by Redken.

Next time you have your hair cut, have your stylist use thinning sheers all over on your ends. It gives it an imperfect edge and helps it look a little wild without being too jaggedy like a razor often does. If your stylist says no, tell her to do it anyway. Not enough stylists use thinning sheers on men, I think it is because of the name, but it really makes the cut.

If you feel like this isn’t working out still. Start doing this version of the the Bradley Cooper Hangover Hair….

In which case you would comb everything back with your fingers (and maybe even a blow dryer if you are willing), then used rough paste or work hard to give it some hold. Rub that stuff together in your hands until it’s warm before you apply.

Guys. Thanks again. This was perfect. And if I ever work in an office I hope the fun level is similar to yours…

I’m so excited about this tutorial. The video is a little long, but with it being a more complicated (but totally do-able) style, I felt like I needed to do more visual. If you have time, pinning all of the curls to set will really give it a lot of extra hold. Also, spraying a light hold hairspray (and letting it dry) before you comb it out will also help this style hold longer. Use Vinyl glam on your ends to make it all nice and shiny-beautiful. I meant to demonstrate pin curls during the video, but I forgot! I’ll do those soon, because those are a great finishing touch to your retro styles. Please put any questions in the comment box.

That concludes the list of things I forgot to say/do in the video! And PS, don’t laugh at the headless hairstylist! haha, fine you can..

Thanks to Jake for making the video, and Kat for modeling for me! Also, anyone notice my mention of the Mason Pearson brush? This video was done a whole month ago! Great timing on the question, Amanda!

Q by Ashley: You mentioned that perms are most always a no-no.  What about body waves?  I have small hair and something that will make it look bigger (I totes want GINORMOUS hair) is really tempting to do.  So I guess my question is do body waves even look good?  Will not doing as much heat styling kind of cancel out the damage from a body wave?

A by Reagan: Ashley, I know you want to look like the picture above, so march right on over to your local beauty parlor this very second! Hehehe. (When someone calls it a beauty parlor, the only thing that I can picture is a bunch of women with tight roller sets and perms. And FUMES from perms!)

In all seriousness, a lot of people have asked this question. Ashley asked it most recently, so I just copy/pasted her Q for the post. I’m afraid to say ladies, loose, wavy perms do not really exist. They don’t. If you insist on getting a perm (don’ say I didn’t warn you), the closest thing you could get to wave, is bigger rods with very small sections, or small rods with bigger sections of hair. The chances of it coming out the way you want it are very slim, and the chances of it coming out damaged are very high. Especially if you have color treated, or long hair.

Honestly, I rarely do perms. But the fundamental rules for perms haven’t really changed….the bigger the rod, the less likely the curl will take. But you are still putting a very powerful chemical on your hair, so whether or not the curl takes, that damage will be there. Another honest opinion, I like perms. I like perm-perms. Perms that look like this…

I can tell Halle’s style is done with a curling iron, but it is similar to how a normal perm with normal white or purple rods would look like. And I like it. I almost did it with my own hair, but seeing as how my hair is brittle, and I knew I’d grow it out again, I opted to keep my natural instead.

Back to your Q…a body wave will give you some damage (that you might actually need), and make your hair a little bigger. But it wont make it ginormous, and it wont make it wavy. I think you should get a small curling iron, wrap big sections around it, and shake it out furiously. That will give you ginormous hair.

Ashley (and others), I think you shouldn’t do it. But if your heart is saying perm it, follow your heart. (don’t come chase me down when you look like the first picture!)

Here is a quick little video demonstrating how to use a Marcel iron. It’s pretty short, but hopefully will give you a better idea of how to hold an maneuver this magnificent tool. We have a great tutorial posting next week that a Marcel is a must for! So get practicing!

Enjoy!

Guys, I have bad news.

You can’t have amazing hair without spending a little time on it. I get a lot of questions saying things like…

“I’m a mom and I’m so busy and I literally haven’t had my hair cut in 2 years and I don’t have even 3 minutes to style it, how can I look like a model?”

Ok, so that is a fake question. But I really have several in my inbox that aren’t too far off. I know the majority of us aren’t trying to spend an hour and a half daily on our hair, but if you want to have pretty hair, you can’t expect much unless you’re willing to spend a little time on it. You can cut corners, but you have to level with me here…..you have to do your hair for it to look good.

Also, I don’t believe you. Everyone has 10, 15 or 20 minutes to run a curling iron over the front or throw it in a cute pony. Did that sound rude? It wasn’t supposed to, but I hear a lot of people say that they don’t have time work out, or clean their apartment. I don’t believe them either. Because I don’t have that kind of time at all, but working out is a priority of mine, so I make time for it. Cleaning is a drag and I’m tired, so I have a messy apartment. See a pattern?

So, I’m sorry, in fact I’m very sorry, but you have to put in a little time. There is no miracle treatment or product to have hair like this….

…out of no where.

All you ladies asking if a perm will make your life easier, I would say in most cases, no. It wont. It will still need to be styled, dried and producted like your non-permed hair. But add damage and up-keep and conditioning treatments to the list.

Guys, I mean it, I’m sorry! If you invent some special secret wand that makes your hair like the picture out of no-where, will you give it to me or at least sell it to me for cheap?

(note: there is a very small small small amount of humans who have amazing hair that doesn’t need anything; no time, no product and no styling. They are the rare exception to this post and we hate them.)

ps I have a client who comes in with pictures of very meticulously styled do’s. She says she wants that haircut, but “make it so that it looks like this straight out of the shower, k?”. Guys, she is so dead serious! We have had the same conversation 20-30 times. I would laugh but it is too stressful. When I see her on my schedule I get sweaty immediately out of stress.

Here are some photos of hairdresser on fire tips you tried out!

Here is Morgan with very pretty and natural looking flat iron waves. I love it!

Here is Liz with beach waves! PS this is Jake’s cousin!

Thanks for sending in these pictures!

Q by Amanda: First, I’m looking for a new, great hairbrush. Do you have any recommendations? I have wavy hair that I straighten, if that makes a difference. Also, what brand of dry shampoo do you recommend? (Sorry if you already answered this- I couldn’t find it) Thanks!! ~(hdof says use batiste dry shampoo!)~

**A by Reagan: I’m pretty surprised this is our first question about brushes! Hooray! So, the first brush that comes to any hairstylists’ mind is (Cue angels singing)……

The Glorious Mason Pearson

This hair brush is the Rolls Royce of Hair brushes. I’m not really sure what else I need to say about it. If you have ever held one in your hand, you know…you just know the difference between it’s magnificence and other ordinary hair brushes. Please buy this hair brush. A regular sized one (there is also extra large and pocket size) will cost you almost 150$. Ask for it for mother’s day/christmas/birthday/halloween/or just I want it and what are you going to do about it day.  Here is an oath.

I, Hairdresser on Fire Breinholt, do solemnly swear that this hair brush kicks total ___, and your hair might explode in a good way when it finds out you bought it. Rave. Rave. Rave. This is me raving.

And now, let me present you with your knock-off…

The Denman

I’ve never used the Denman’s knock off version of the MP, but I know Denman is a great brand, and 15$ is very inexpensive. I’m just guessing that you’d be able to tell the difference in quality right away if you held one of each in your hands, but again, I’ve never used this brush. I have used several knock off MPs, and they have all been pretty good, but there is just no comparison to the real thing. It’s like a chinatown bag and a real bag. It may look almost the same, but when you touch it, feel it, hug it, you just know you’ve got an impostor.

Every woman deserves to have a Mason Pearson Hair Brush. I think they should give me some presents for saying that.

**I responded right away and asked Amanda specifically what kind of brush she was looking for, she replied that she was looking for a flat brush. I assume pretty soon we’ll do a few posts on some more types of brushes…

Zac Efron has great hair. Mostly. Sometimes I used to be like, ok ok ok, your hair is sweepy, we get it. But most of the time, I think he has just the right amount of thickness, curl, flip, separation and suaveness.

It’s kind of funny, because usually when a guy is sitting in my chair, trying so hard to explain the hair cut he wants, I am thinking “he wants a Zac Efron”, but when I say that out loud, the guy gets embarrassed and says “no way, I want the opposite”. But he has just spent the last ten minutes explaining Zac Efron’s hair to a T, so then I say sure and give him the Zac Efron anyway. He loves it and leaves my salon zippity doo-dah-ing down Broadway. And I knew all along what was in his hair’s best interest. Is it because Zac Efron is a teen hear throb that guys are scared off? I think he is the next Leonardo DiCaprio and that’s in a good way. Who wouldn’t want this guy’s hair?

plus, look at all the strange places he finds himself wearing a suit? Ooops, I’m laying on the beach in a skinny suit and pea coat! How did this ever happen?