When you think of “effortless” hair you may think it’s achieved
with ease, but in reality we do not wake up looking like
Effortless Hair
Julianne Hough with perfectly tousled and polished locks! Effortless waves are created with the right styling products combined with the correct sectioning and sometimes hot tools if necessary. The great thing about this effortless look is that it can be dressed up with a colorful lip or dressed down with a pair of oversized sunglasses and boyfriend jeans. It’s also a style that can last days when you touch up with a dry shampoo or working hairspray (not a traditional hairspray meant for setting a style, those tend to get sticky on the hair and can cause frizz).
The first step to this look is a great conditioner for your hair, conditioning your hair is the icing on the cake when it comes to a woman’s many bathroom rituals, which can make styling so much easier. For this look you’ll need to tame the frizz and smooth the cuticle so we recommend a great masque like L’oreal Absolut Repair Masque. This masque should be left on shampooed hair for at least two minutes and remember to always squeeze out excess water from your hair before applying the product.
The next step is prepping the hair to blow-dry (or even better air dry, if you have the time!) It’s best to use a leave in lotion or cream product, for shine and manageability. L’oreal Texture Expert Smoothing Lotion helps with heat protection while giving you the polished look with light hold. Apply a dime size amount into the palm of your hand and work through damp hair (roots to ends). If you’re choosing to blow dry, flipping your head upside down and focusing heat onto the root will help with volume.
The best tools to use when creating this look are either a medium size curling wand or a flat iron with beveled edges. Sectioning and direction are key when styling, so for this look make sure you’re taking diagonal back sections and curl away from the face. The size of the sections will determine the size of the wave (larger section, larger wave) so keep that in mind. This isn’t a style you brush out because it will cause the curls to all combine (and we want a piecey effortless look with texture), so instead you should twirl random sections around your finger and slightly tousle the hair. Then finish the look by applying either a lighting working hairspray like Alterna’s Working Spray that will give you a light hold without frizzing or if you prefer more texture apply a product like L’oreal Homme 2 Wax on the ends while twisting the sections.
The most relevant men's trend at the moment is the beard and the newest term is "lumbersexual"
This efortless look is anything but. Although having facial hair is supposed to look rugged and carefree. theres a huge difference between a well-groomed man and a man who looks like Tom Hanks in Cast Away. Don't be Tom Hanks! Take the time to groom your beard appropriately in just a couple of easy steps.
1. Don't let your beard turn into a neck sweater.
If your facial hair is traveling below your adams apple, it needs to be tamed. We always suggest cleansing the area before shaving to avoid stubborn ingrown hairs or razor burn. Our favorite product to use is Vivid MD Purifying Whipped Cleanser because not only does it cleanse the area but it lathers into a shaving cream that fights Folliculitis (infection of the hair follicles in the skin that cause ingrown hairs)
2. Use beard Oil.
Smooth your beards, keep a fesh smell and banish any flakes that could be caused by dry skin (the oil not only gives moisture to your facial hair, but the skin beneath the beard)
3. Have a proffesional shape your beard
Realistically your beard will not grow into a flattering shape or style on its own. There's a thin line between a high schooler's first attempt at facial hair and a handsome lumberjack. Once you've reached your desired length, it's best to have your beard trimmed and groomed.
Its time to talk about something that isn’t discussed enough between stylists and clients, and that’s HAIR HEALTH! Healthy hair is not just about a rich hair masque or the right serum to smooth your split ends, it’s about preventing damage and knowing how to address problems you’re facing. There’s many obstacles people face with their hair, In this blog we’ll go discuss what can cause these problems along with ways to treat them naturally.
New studies are showing that more and more people are becoming Iron deficient due to poor diet, most people don’t know that they’re deficient and unfortunately this has a huge impact on new hair growth. Taking iron supplements have been shown to work wonders on balding men. Other great sources of iron are foods like lean red meat, turkey and egg yolks. Another deficiency linked to hair loss is Vitamin D. Being out in the sun usually produces this essential vitamin so it’s easiest to take it in vitamin form if you work indoors or wear sunblock regularly. Though diet and health have a large impact on hair loss, some hair loss is genetic. A great solution for genetic hair loss (or correcting the issue while new hair grows) are extensions or a micropiece (for clients with thinning hair above the parietal ridge of the head) or Bosley products that prompt new hair growth while repairing existing hair to prevent further breakage / hair loss.
Products To Use: Bosley Kits
If you realize that more and more hair is collecting in your hairbrush or maybe you’re seeing hairs on your pillowcase when you wake up that you’ve never noticed before, this is considered increased shedding. Shedding is usually directly connected to hormone levels changing or Zinc deficiency. The most common issue we’ve been addressing in the salon is women complaining of mass hair shedding after being prescribed birth control so be sure to ask your doctor about side effects.
Zinc is needed for cell repair along with a healthy immune system it’s found in whole grain products, dairy and red meat.
Products To Use: L'Oreal Absolute Repair
Whether it’s build up from product or dehydration, we suggest scalp treatments once a month or purchasing a good scalp exfoliation scrub. The scalp is the root of new growth for your hair, so follicle health is very important to promote and stimulate this. A great supplement to promote healthy scalp (along with skin) is Omega 3 because it’s packed with essential fatty acids. Also make sure you’re not over washing your hair or using too hot of water, stripping your scalp of natural oils can lead to a dry itchy scalp. A great quick fix that not only restores the cuticle to give shine but also clarifies the scalp, is the Alterna Caviar Treatment that is offered in salon.
Products To Use:
Sick of those fly away hairs?! Stop breakage and brittle hair! The entire hair shaft is made of mostly protein, so without it you will inevitably have weak hair that breaks much easier. Not only is a low protein diet shown to cause weak hair, it’s also been proven to cause color loss in hair. So if your hair is looking dull and lifeless, try upping your protein intake with chicken, turkey, beef, egg or low-fat dairy. Be sure to use a natural bristle brush on dry hair and a wide toothcomb on wet hair, it will ease tangles and help prevent further breakage. Another great secret for breaking hair is a silk pillowcase; you will see such a massive improvement in frizzy hair or breakage when you switch to a silk pillowcase from your ordinary cotton.
Did you know that hair is made from the same material that makes up fingernails, and our skins outer layer (also know as the epidermis)? The cells that make up our skin and hair are known as keratinocytes or also referred to as keratin. Sound familiar? Although the reason to why your hair could be so dry can be a multitude of issues, the biggest culprit is... HOT SHOWERS! We all (including myself) love, love, love hot showers! But here is where the keratin fact plays into the hot showers. Keratin as you may or may not know are the cells that protect and keep your hair and skin follicles moisturized. These molecules work together with the thin layer of natural oils our scalp and skin produce to retain that moisture.
What happens when we take really hot showers? Well, this hot water works against dirt and products and cleanses the hair of gross, yucky build up. But isn't that a good thing? Not really. Even though you may have been taught to believe that being squeaky clean is good, your skin and scalp thrive off the natural oils that you are stripping with that heavenly hot water. Not only is it removing what essentially protects your hair, but you are also in the same foul swoop, damaging your follicles causing your skin and hair to be so dry!
Solution: Take less hot showers, opt for luke warm showers to wash and use manageably cooler water to rinse the hair. Maybe even lessening that routine daily shower (wear a shower cap!) Not only will it help the condition of your hair and skin, but it will also prevent you from having overly porous hair which I'm sure you may have heard your stylist use to describe someones hair. Yikes!
Let's say you're looking for hair extensions. First question you will probably ask yourself is "how much?" When it comes to all things that help you feel more confident in your own skin, budgetting yourself not only limits your options, but it also affects your chances of finding products of quality. You as a person (myself included) may see physical upkeep as a chore, but I feel that when it comes to your self-confidence, you are investing into an extension of yourself (no pun intended). When you're looking to expand on what you already have, you want to make sure you're not taking short cuts. I can say a similar thing about finding a dentist and even a doctor. Do you really want someone to do a sketchy diagnosis on you?
I know there are handful of our clients that have tried almost every type of hair extension on the market and when I talk to them about their experiences, I take them to heart. All the misleading information, the blatant lies, the tears of frustration, extreme and incredibly costly upkeep for less than mediocre hair. I'll put it bluntly, it sucks! Especially when you were told "this is the best you're going to get". I say, to heck with them, don't settle for less. My point about clients who have tried just about every hair extension was that they lived through it all and their experience is priceless. That's how a good majority ended up with us at Hair By Cesare. They never gave up, and they didn't settle for less, they found us and they are still with us.
As you may or may not know, the only type of extension we do at our salon is by Hairdreams. Here is a little excerpt from their website:
"Hairdreams only uses refined, hand-selected 100% real human hair, that is characterized by the extraordinary healthy, natural-looking appearance and feel of the hair, resulting in a natural bounce and elasticity. The hair is purchased around the world based on strict ethical principles. It is tested with extensive Hairdreams quality control standards and patented with the most gentle processing method."
This little excerpt is a key description of the strict quality control methods they use for the strands that they distribute to their partner salons. I've done enough research at this point and I can tell you that any stylist that knows hair extensions will tell you "Hairdreams is the Rolls Royce of hair extensions". Maybe that sounds a bit intimidating, but I can assure you that the quality of hair is unlike any other extension I've ever seen or felt. Now aside from quality of hair, I want to go over why Hairdreams is one of the best companies for hair extensions. Every stylist that works with Hairdreams is trained and certified to represent their name, so it is absolutely essential that those stylists know exactly what they are doing. From the way they apply the hair to the way they blend the hair to yours. (Although I have heard some instances of some places not doing the application properly, that's why you always want to verify their partnership with Hairdreams themselves here.)
The other important difference between Hairdreams and a lot of other companies is that the hair we order is customizable, from the size of the thermal plastique bond, the undyed hair colors, to the size of the shaft to suit your real hair. The options with Hairdreams are almost limitless. They even offer micropieces that are just as customizable as the strands, nothing like a wig and look just as natural as someone without extensions. If this all sounds appealing to you and you feel that the integrity of your hair is being tarnished by some uncontrollable situations, I highly recomend you make a consultation appointment. From there, we can analyze your hair and go over your options and we can discuss a quote from there. I also encourage to do some reasearch on hair extensions and read other persons experiences. Our Yelp! reviews are a great place to start. You'd be surprised by how valuable that information can be.
You've just stepped out of the salon with your new, luscious Hairdreams Extensions–you feel like a new woman–stunning and refreshed. You love the way your hair feels and we love hearing you tell us so. The question that lies here is: are you going to make sure they stay that way? We hope so, and we can expect you to feel the same way. This is why we give you the Hairdreams Home Care Pass along with the Hairdreams Kit at Hair By Cesare, because we make sure you take the measures to keep your extensions at their best. Unfortunately, some things are completely out of our control and dealing with the wrath of Mother Nature's forecast in Southern California is just one of the many leading causes of hair damage.
The stubborn heat (that seems to be eternal) causes our hair to get dry, brittle and even oxidizes your color. I know it's the end of the summer but even if you don't have extensions–come next summer–we recommend trimming your ends so that the damage doesn't move up the hair shafts causing extreme damage. This way you can go the entire
summer letting your hair take a beating and towards the end, come in for a treatment to rejuvenate it. We are sure some of you are familiar with Alterna's Caviar Treatment that works wonders on all hair–even on extensions! But what can you do during the summer time to protect those extensions from the blistering heat? We recommend the Hairdreams Double Action Conditioner Leave-In Spray to keep you your locks moisturized throughout the day; it does an amazing job keeping that moisture locked in along with detangling it!
Speaking of tangles–we know getting our beauty sleep is important–how do you prepare your hair extensions for that sleep? We noticed that sometimes there's only so much you can do to avoid your extensions from getting tangled, but trust us when we say that you can take daily measures to prevent them from happening.
• Wear your hair in a loose braid, or a low pony tail to prevent matting
•The next morning, sort through your Hairdreams hair with your fingers from roots to ends
•Carefully brush with your HD Millennium Brush (included in your Kit)
•Separate the bonds
•ALWAYS hold on to the roots of your hair with one hand while brushing
I cannot emphasize how important this is, especially if you want to avoid getting your extensions taken out early because of extreme matting. One other thing that you don't think about, but is very important is that each and every one of us looses around 80-100 hairs daily. Normally this hair would be brushed out however, part of this hair is now trapped in the bonds and cannot fall out naturally. The roots of these hairs need to be removed with a Tidy Cut every 4-6 weeks. This process is very important to avoid matting especially when you are not following our daily upkeep recommendations.
Finally the last culprit of hair damage, hard water. It's no secret that California has incredibly hard water. Hard water is water that has high mineral content such as magnesium, calcium or iron salts. Los Angeles County alone has 180-250 miligrams of calcium carbonate per liter of water. That's of lot of build up! Standards for drinking/tap water suggest a pH value of between 6.5 and 8.5. Human hair and scalp oil, has a pH balance between 4.5 and 5.5. This natural hair acidity prevents bacteria from forming in the hair and scalp, and keeps the cuticle closed and healthy. If the water is too alkaline it causes the cuticle to open too much and can cause lots of damage. Many of the hair products that people use disrupt the natural pH of the hair. You have to find the right balance, but how? One of the of things you can do is invest in a special shower head to level the pH balance in your water–just like tap water filters–but they can be costly. As for extensions, Hairdreams offers a great product and we happen to carry it, Hairdreams PH & Shine Spray neutralizes the pH valure of tap water and closes the cuticle layer after washing your hair. It detangles, provides maximum shine and adds an anti-static effect.
We hope this provides a better understanding as to why the Home Care Pass is important to us, and we want it to be important to you too. Of course, you can always consult with us if you ever have any questions and call 6267925829. If you have any other questions you would like us to cover, feel free to comment and let us know what interests you.
Winter is great in Southern California, the time of mean Mr.Sunshine has passed and we can start busting out all of our warmer clothing. Our temperatures aren't as extreme as the East Coast but regardless, this is the time of year when we notice dramatic change in our clients hair. We get clients that come in with very dry, brittle, snarled and broken hair. It's like suddenly everyone forgets to keep their hair protected like they do during the summer to shield them from heat, dry air, and blustery winds. Not only that, but did you realize that being indoors with your cozy heater can take a toll on your hair as if it's been under the dryer all day? Well it's not as bad, but you get the idea. We have good news though: No matter what is ailing your hair, we have some tips that can help keep your hair strong and healthy.
The Elements
Whether it's rain, wind or snow, one very simple tip is to wear a hat when out as it keeps your hair covered. A good way to avoid hat hair is to wrap your hair in a silk scarf before putting on your beanie, hat, fedora, etc. This helps to protect your hair from damage caused by the hat rubbing against your hair. If static is a problem you face we recommend using a boar bristle brush, the natural bristles are meant to help spread out natural oils (sebum) your scalp releases in order to keep your hair conditioned naturally. If products are more your style, Alterna's Caviar Rapid Repair & Replenishing Moisture lines are our "go-to" product line to keep the static and frizz down. Cesare's personal favorite is Alterna's Multi-Vitamin Heat Protector Spray. Since it's meant for flat ironing and/or blowdrying, it does a great job keeping static charge at bay. But don't forget, wearing a hat all day can cause your head to sweat and retain any products you may have onto your scalp. This can easily be avoided by only wearing one while outdoors, and making sure you regularly dry-clean them.
Thick Hair
If you happened to be blessed with thick hair—but you find that during the winter season it's a bit on the dry side—we recommend doing a weekly deep treatment at home if you can't find the time for an in-salon treatment. Our current favorite is Alterna's Caviar Overnight Rescue. It's a great treatment you can do while you sleep! We like it because it does an incredible job keeping moisture locked in and significantly improves the overall elasticity of your hair. We suggest doing it once a week, all you need is a shower cap keep your hair in a soft braid or ponytail to prevent it from getting all over your bedding. Next morning, just continue your regular washing routine.
Fine Hair
For thinner hair we have other means of keeping your delicate locks in great shape. We want you to avoid deep conditioning yourself even if you hair is moderately damaged because the conditioning will weigh the hair down. Stick to regular conditioning but follow it up with a leave-in spray conditioner like Caviar Replenishing Moisture Milk Spray. It will keep your hair moisturized and is light enough to prevent the flat hair look. But remember just like all other conditioners, make sure you don't apply directly to the scalp. Hair conditioner on the scalp is one of the leading causes of dandruff and clogged hair follicles. If you feel like your hair needs the extra boost in volume, a root lifting spray like L'Oreal's Volumetry Anti-Gravity Volumizing Root Lift Spray does wonders for limp hair.
Color Treated Hair
For those of you that color your hair—especially highlights—winter is a good time to take a break. Since the lightening process does most of the damage to hair, the less stress you put on your hair in winter, the better they will look when summer comes around. However, you don't have to put up with boring hair. Most stylists will recommend slightly tweaking your base hue and adding less intense "low lights" for an eye-catching change with minimal damage. Regardless of what products you use to style or color your hair for winter, always cover your head when outdoors, and always use a shampoo and conditioner for color-treated hair. A customer favorite is L'Oreals Vitamino Color collection. We currently have our Vitamino Color Holiday kits on sale right now for 20% off for all of November.
In conclusion, we hope these tips provide value to you in order to keep you hair at it's best. Of course if you require a little bit more help, feel free to make an appointment with us online or call 626.792.5829. Please remember, with the holidays quickly approaching any appointments require advance scheduling as Cesare's schedule fills quickly from here until the end of the year, but we can try to find openings and ways to accommodate. Any questions or concerns can be sent to us via the comment section below, email bea@hairbycesare.com, or call 626.792.5829. We hope to see you soon and we wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Yes you read that right the Hair color trends of fall 2017 are picking up on many of our favorite flavors of fall.
Butterscotch, Caramel, Cinnamon and Warm Chocolate to name a few.
Trying a new hair color allows you to change with the seasons and make your own statement.
New this season Mushroom Brown
If your thinking portobello you might not be too far off. This slightly ashy color is derived by applying a series of Lowlights and highlights on top of an ash brown base for a very multi-dimensional color. Even better it helps conceal those pesky grays.... should you have any.
What a delicious way to add fresh dimension to dark hair. Warm chocolate base
with a hint of deep red hue that brings out a cinnamon tone. This color is sure to gain attention.
Ready to get back to your roots, then this is for you. Caramel blonde hair color is
warm and shiny and looks best on medium skin tones with darker eye colors such
as brown or black. If you want to go caramel blonde, leave your darker roots intact
and add caramel-hued highlighting.
With a Host of colors to choose from to Spice up your fall its a good idea to talk to your stylist and find out what best for you. Book a Consultation and let Cesare help you choose the perfect color for Fall
Lately there is a sad truth that keeps creeping into my life.
People in every aspect of my life are getting sick. I've noticed that much of this points to the toxic nature of our daily environment.
This is a huge concern for us here at Hair By Cesare, due to the fact that I work with so many different products each day.
Not just on my clients but also with my own hands.
This got me starting to think, "Exactly what is in these products and how is it affecting me and my clients?"
We've always been very careful to choose products for the salon that are good for our clients hair. Products that make the hair healthier and do not damage.
hair care products
It not always easy to find a product with Long Lasting Color and outstanding coverage. In addition to giving daily protection to your hair from pollution and UV. We have always turned to Schwarzkopf Professional products for the hair.
But Color is not the only product we use and want to make sure is healthy its also what the client uses at home.
We recently mad a switch to a more eco conscious line of home care products. Colure Hair Collection
Colure Hair Care
The COLURE collection of hair color care is vegan, cruelty free, organic, free of sulfates, parabens, perfumes, dyes, petrolatum, wheat and soy. COLURE’s Zero Color Fade Technology uses advanced ingredient technology to leave the integrity of the intended color Illustrious and fashion-rich with absolutely no color fading or brassiness.
COLURE’s signature aromatics are made of the finest essential oils, our organic aromatics embodies a tranquil, exquisite, fresh and a pleasurable experience throughout the day.
In addition my own hands suddenly became smoother and I stopped having dry skin from washing clients hair all day. This completely surprised me, I'm not sure why because it s obvious.
I know that I will always want to continue to find the best hair care products for my clients, and its even better when I can support a local company that makes a fabulous product.
For those clients who have hair extensions, the proper stylign products will make the length of tie you can keep your extensions in healthy and tangle free longer.