Hair Salon Blog: Essential Hair Care Tips and Insights

Grey hair isn’t just a sign of aging — it’s also a badge of life’s experiences, an emblem of the paths we’ve walked and the lessons we’ve learned. But while it’s a natural part of life, not everyone is ready to embrace the silver fox within. And that’s perfectly okay!

You’re in the right place if you’re searching for trusted guidance on the best ways to cover grey hair. Today, we’ll delve into the wonderful world of hair color and provide insights, tips, and techniques curated by our experts here at Therapy Hair Studio. So, whether you’re just starting to spot a few silvery strands or have a full head of gorgeous greys, read on. We promise to make this journey of transformation as graceful and stunning as you are.

What Causes Hurn to Turn Grey?

The color of our hair, whether raven black, sandy blonde, fiery red, or anything in between, is determined by a group of pigments called melanin. These pigments are produced by cells in our hair follicles known as melanocytes. As we age, these melanocytes start to slow down and eventually stop producing melanin, leading to less pigment in our hair. The result? Hair that is a silvery-grey color.

Certain factors can influence when and how quickly this process happens. Genetics plays a significant role – if your parents went grey early, you might be on a similar trajectory. Other elements include stress, certain health conditions, smoking, and nutritional deficiencies, which can all potentially speed up the greying process.

But remember, there’s no right or wrong time to start greying. It’s as unique as your fingerprint, making you the individual you are. Now that we know the why, let’s move on to the how: How can we tackle those silver strands and have you feeling your best?

Discovering Your Color Journey: Top 6 Ways to Cover Grey Hair

With the right tools and techniques, covering grey hair becomes less of a chore and more of a creative adventure. We’re here to walk you through the top six methods, providing you with the knowledge to make an informed decision about which route you want to take. Here we go!

• Semi-Permanent Hair Color: Ideal for those beginning to notice a sprinkling of greys, semi-permanent color adds a layer of pigment to your hair without drastically changing the overall shade. It’s a low-commitment option that washes out after a few weeks and subtly blends grey hairs with your natural color, resulting in a softer, more natural look.
• Permanent Hair Color: For those with a significant amount of grey hair or a desire for a complete color transformation, permanent hair color offers a total coverage solution. This method works by infiltrating the hair shaft with color, offering a long-lasting and intense result. Regular touch-ups are needed to ensure consistent color as your hair grows.
• Highlights and Lowlights: If full coverage isn’t your style and you’d prefer to incorporate your grey hair into a new look, consider highlights or lowlights. By coloring selected strands either lighter (highlights) or darker (lowlights) than your natural color, your stylist can blend your grey hair into a multi-dimensional masterpiece, turning a perceived challenge into a chic feature.
• Balayage: This French hair coloring technique involves hand-painting color onto the hair to create a graduated, natural-looking effect. It’s a fantastic method for those wanting to disguise greys while adding depth and dimension to their hair. Plus, as the color grows out, the regrowth is less noticeable than with other methods, making it lower maintenance.
• Root Touch-Up Kits: A lifesaver between salon visits, these kits are designed for easy at-home use. They offer temporary coverage for greys, focusing on the root and temple areas where grey hair often shows first. While not a permanent solution, these kits can be a great stop-gap measure to keep you looking your best between color appointments.
• Henna: A favorite among those who prefer a more natural approach, henna is a plant-based product that has been used to color hair for centuries. It can lend a range of hues from red to brown to black. While henna dyes may not cover greys as thoroughly as synthetic dyes, they offer a chemical-free alternative with less predictable, but often beautifully unique, results.

Each of these coloring methods has unique benefits, and the best one for you depends on your specific needs, the condition of your hair, and the look you’re striving for. No matter your choice, our skilled stylists at Therapy Hair Studio in Houston are eager to help you embark on your color journey, ensuring a final result that brings out your inner radiance. Call (713) 355-4247 today or complete our contact form to schedule an appointment.

If you’ve ever bleached or dyed your hair, you know how color treatments can cause severe damage. The good news is you can repair damage from color treatments and make your hair look good as new (and maybe even a little better than new). How? By using the Olaplex hair treatment system.

Olaplex is the name of a hair care company that creates products for both salon and home use, and their products are specifically designed to repair damaged hair. Olaplex products use a patented chemical called Bis-Aminopropyl Diglycol Dimaleate that repairs the disulfide bonds in human hair. These bonds give hair its structure, stability, and strength, and repairing broken bonds is essential to restoring damaged hair to its former glory.

The hair care specialists at Therapy Hair Studio are familiar with Olaplex products for both salon and home use, and we’d be happy to show you how this incredible treatment can fix your hair. Below we explain more about what Olaplex is and how it can restore damaged hair.

How Olaplex Works

While Olaplex offers products for home use, those products are meant to work as part of a more extensive treatment system. The first two steps in the treatment process require a trip to a salon.

The Olaplex treatment starts at the salon, where a stylist applies the company’s Olaplex No. 1 Bond Multiplier to your hair. When mixed with water, the Bond Multiplier restores and repairs the bonds in your hair, helping to fix split ends and other damage. You can use the Bond Multiplier as a standalone treatment or include it with a bleach treatment, in which case the stylist will mix the product with the bleach.

The next step in the treatment also requires a salon visit, as a stylist will apply the Olaplex No. 2 Bond Perfector. The Bond Perfector goes in your hair after the stylist rinses out the bleach, and you’ll keep it in your hair for about 20 minutes to mend any damage from your bleach treatment.
The Olaplex salon treatments are great for restoring hair with severe damage, but you can also use Olaplex products at home to keep your hair looking beautiful. The company’s most popular product is most likely their No. 3 Hair Perfector, which you apply to your hair before shampooing. The nice thing about the Hair Perfector is that it’s a preventative treatment that keeps your hair looking amazing by minimizing damage from color, bleach, or environmental factors like intense heat or humidity.

Using Olaplex at Home

Once you complete the first two steps in the salon, you can use Olaplex products at home until it’s time for another bleach or color treatment. In addition to the Hair Perfector, you can use the following Olaplex products at home as part of your regular hair care routine:

• No. 0 Intensive Bond Building Treatment – The Intensive Bond Building Treatment helps prime your hair and enhances the effects of the Hair Perfector.
• No. 4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo and No. 5 Bond Maintenance Conditioner – Olaplex’s shampoos and conditioners are specifically designed to work with and enhance the effects of their other products.
• No. 6 Bond Smoother – The Bond Smoother is a treatment you can leave in your hair to repair damage from color treatments or bleaching. The company says using the Bond Smoother reduces your blow-drying time and helps prevent frizzy hair for up to 72 hours.
• No. 7 Bonding Oil – Olaplex recommends using their Bonding Oil to increase your hair’s shine, softness, and vibrancy, especially if you use straighteners, curling irons, or other heated tools on your hair.
• No. 8 Bond Intense Moisture Mask – The Intense Moisture Mask can help add shine, smoothness, and volume to your hair, along with the moisture it needs to stay healthy. Olaplex says that in a clinical trial, people who used the Intense Moisture Mask saw twice as much shine, four times as much moisture, and six times more smoothness than before they used the products. The company also says 94 percent of people who used the Intense Moisture Mask saw more body and volume in their hair.
• No. 9 Bond Protector Nourishing Hair Serum – Being out in the sun or exposure to air pollution can cause intense hair damage, but Olaplex’s Nourishing Hair Serum is designed to counter the damaging effects of your everyday environment. The Nourishing Hair Serum protects your hair from pollution for 48 hours and temperatures up to 450℉.

Therapy Hair Studio offers Olaplex Treatments for Our Clients

Olaplex products have taken the beauty industry by storm, and Therapy Hair Studio is proud to offer these treatments to people with brittle or damaged hair. You can learn more about Olaplex treatments or schedule an appointment with one of our stylists by calling 713-355-HAIR (4247) or filling out our contact form.

Caring for curly hair is challenging, and even figuring out something as ordinary as how often to wash your curly hair is difficult. If you wash your hair too often, it may become dull and flat, especially if you use harsh shampoos and conditioners. On the other hand, going too long between washes can cause odors to build up or make your hair flaky. You want to find that Goldilocks zone for washing your hair: Not too often, but often enough to keep your hair looking beautiful.

So, how often should you wash 4C hair? Most hair care professionals recommend washing 4C hair once or twice a month, with at least five days between washes. Washing more frequently can severely damage 4C hair because it’s particularly dry and brittle compared to other hair types.

The Houston hair care team at Therapy Hair Studio understands the special challenges of caring for curly hair generally, and 4C hair in particular. Our highly trained technicians can help you create a hair care routine that will make your curls shine. Keep reading for more information on washing 4C hair, or you can call us or fill out our contact form to schedule an appointment with one of our expert stylists.

What Does ‘4C Hair’ Mean?

Hair comes in many styles, textures, and colors, and different hair types require different routines and products to maintain. The term “4C Hair” comes from a hair type chart popularized by stylist Andre Walker, who is best known for working with Oprah. While the chart itself is not without controversy, as some people argue its definitions are too narrow, it’s a helpful starting point for developing an effective hair care routine. 4C Hair refers to hair with tight coils instead of curls, and the coils sometimes form “Z” patterns.

Challenges in Caring for 4C Hair

The tight curls of 4C hair can make for some unbelievably gorgeous styles, but they can also break easily. 4C hair also tends to be really dry, which can make it frizzy, matted, or tangled without proper care. Knowing how to care for 4C hair is essential to looking your best.

4C Hair Care Tips

While everyone’s hair is unique, our stylists have compiled some tips you can use if you have 4C hair. Remember that these are general tips, and our stylists are happy to meet with you or recommend products to help with your hair care routine. Keep these tips in mind when caring for 4C hair:

• Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate: 4C hair loves moisture! Use a hydrating shampoo and conditioner as part of your routine to keep your hair happy. Drink plenty of water, too, because hydration starts from within.
• Deep Conditioning: A deep conditioning treatment is like a spa day for your hair. Do this once a week to keep your curls soft and shiny. When applying a deep conditioner, cover your hair with a shower cap for added warmth and better absorption.
• Say No to Heat: Avoid styling tools like straighteners and curling irons, as the heat from these devices can damage your hair and lead to breakage.
• Protective Styles: Braids, twists, and updos protect your hair from damage and give it a break from daily styling. Plus, they look super cool!
• Use the Right Tools: Wide-toothed combs and soft brushes are your hair’s best friends. They help detangle your hair without breaking it.
• Night-Time Care: Protect your hair at night with a satin or silk scarf or pillowcase. This reduces friction and helps retain moisture.
• Be Gentle: 4C hair needs a gentle touch. Treat your hair like fine silk, and avoid pulling or tugging on it.
• Oil It Up: Oils like jojoba, argan, and coconut can add extra moisture and shine. But remember, a little oil in your hair goes a long way!
• Patience Is Key: 4C hair may take a little longer to grow because of its tight, coiled pattern. But with the right care and patience, your hair will thrive!

Remember, everyone’s hair is unique, so what works for someone else might not be the right choice for you. Our stylists know how to care for 4C hair and can help you establish a workable routine.

Therapy Hair Studio Is All About Curly Hair

We encourage anyone with 4C hair to embrace their natural curls and coils. Our stylists can recommend the right products and routine to give your hair a beautiful and distinctive look. Call us today or fill out our contact form to schedule an appointment.