For most the long, hot summer is over, the vacation season is wrapping up and folks are preparing to settle back into work or school. But while the sun, sea, and pool might be goodfor mind and body, they are far from kind to hair, meaning repair rather than dramatic makeovers will be the primary focus for many stylists at this time of year.
‘Clients often return to the salon after summer with the outer layer of their hair dry, brittle and dull, and their hair color is faded,’ says Jessica Sclamberg from SF Color Collective, San Fransisco. ‘Our first step to repairing that damage is to immediately take the client to the shampoo bowl and do a clarifying shampoo to get rid of any build-up on the hair. We love Kevin Murphy’s Maxi Wash for this job as it removes build-up on the scalp and hair, leaving it feeling squeaky clean. And the process is aided by our ECOHEADS nozzles, which have their own filtering system that removes all sediment, rust, and sand from the water. So, when our clients come in to get the PH level of their hair and scalp restored, our ECOHEADS nozzles and the products we use are working together with us.’
The fundamental problems of summer-damaged hair are lack of moisture and hydration, which can exacerbate color-fade caused by the sun. Meanwhile, trace elements in swimming pools can cause dramatic and unwanted color change. Leeanne Heathcote of Eco Chic Salon in San Diego is frequently faced with blondes that have developed a greenish tinge after exposure to the trace metals and chemicals in swimming pools.‘It’s temporary unless they keep on swimming without protection, but it is ugly,’ she says. ‘We recommend a detox shampoo and a hair masque to boost hydration.’ Leeanne also recommends keratin treatments for those suffering frizz following a vacation that has exposed them to harsh elements.‘It smooths out the hair instantly,’ she adds.
At Dry Bar, which is installing ECOHEADS showerheads in most of its locations, the rinse is considered a key part of the restorative process. ‘ECOHEADS ensures the water pressure is consistent across every location so we know the speed and clarity of every rinse, and how it will help smooth hair damaged by summer,’ says Shannon Williams, operations partner at fast-growing Dry Bar. ‘A blow-out is the perfect way to smooth out frizz and we offer a series of proprietary treatments to help moisturize and hydrate hair.’
Saskia Almasan of Saskia Salon in Phoenix, AZ focuses on the actual pH of the hair, which needs to be rebalanced to help banish dryness. ‘After the summer months I always suggest a demi-permanent color gloss to help equalize the porosity that causes fading and loss of shine and to rebalance the pH,’ she explains. ‘We recommend Redken Shades EQ Color Gloss.’
The team at Saskia will also use an oil-based mask to promote hydration, and she would only recommend ECOHEADS for the rinse. ‘We’ve had our ECOHEADS for almost two years and immediately noticed how quickly our oil-based color rinses off scalp and hair. We also seem to get a better rinse, especially with the hard water in the area,’ she explains. ‘It doesn’t take as long for the conditioner to feel completely rinsed out of the hair.’
A summer rehab program will prove more beneficial than a one-off upsell of a service or retail product; it will also build trust in a stylist and a salon. Guests will remember it long after the holiday is forgotten.
