Everyone wants to look and feel their best during the holiday season, radiant hair included. Unfortunately, with our social calendars filled to the brim from Thanksgiving into the New Year, it can be challenging for clients to find the time to care for and maintain their hair color. To help guide your clients' hair care regimen this season, Redken Celebrity Colorist Tracey Cunningham shares her top tips for making the most of their time at the salon during the holidays.
1. Forward thinking: "I typically advise my clients to wait six to eight weeks for gray touch-ups and eight to 12 weeks for highlights," says Cunningham. "With this in mind, and knowing that salons get incredibly busy around the holidays, [advise clients to] schedule holiday color appointments with as much advance notice as possible. If [they] are going in for corrective color, [they should] be prepared for a longer visit."
2. Show, don’t tell: If your client plans to try out a new look for the holidays, whether bold or subtle, advise them to bring in photographs and examples of hair color they love in order to help explore different color options and ensure that you and your guest are on the same page when she says “honey blonde” or “scarlet red.” Says Cunningham, "One technique I’ve been using a lot recently is a Metallic Blur hair color – a combination of luxe bronze and gold tones that are softened together using Redken's new Blur technique. The end result is a natural shimmering finish that is perfect for those holiday pictures and parties!"
3. When in doubt, refresh: If the holidays don’t fall in-between your client's scheduled color appointments, or she does not have the time for a full color appointment this December, offer a RedkenShades EQ gloss treatment to enhance shine. According to Cunningham, "Healthy hair is a staple, regardless of the occasion or the outfit, and Shades EQ is a quick service that works wonders on hair to tone color, refresh highlights, and correct uneven tone. Another great alternative is a Redken Chemistry System in-salon treatment in-between or just before a color service for noticeable long-lasting color results and improved condition. Redken Chemistry rebuilds the hair from the inside out and allows you to mix and match the systems based on your [client's] specific hair type. You can simultaneously address hair’s frizziness while locking in color treatment with two targeted treatments in one!"
4. Maintenance is key! Between many holiday up-do’s, curling irons and flatiron run-throughs, the holidays can do serious damage to your client's locks. That is why at-home maintenance can be just as important as salon treatments. Says Cunningham, "For blondes, it is important to balance out the brass which is where Blonde Idol Custom-Tone Conditioner Violet for Cool Blondes comes in. The adjustable color-depositing daily conditioner is perfect for preserving tonality between salon visits. I recommend that my clients use it the day after they get their hair colored and increase the amount they use as time passes.
"To make your brunette shade last longer than your New Year’s resolution," adds Cunningham, "I recommend sulfate-free shampoos and conditioners such as Redken Color Extend Shampoo and Conditioner or Color Extend Magnetics to help shield, stabilize and secure color intensity."
Pass these tips along to your guests and ensure that their hair is gorgeous all season long!
[Images courtesy of Integrated Marketing Communications]
