Specializing in Long Hair Cuts

 I made some changes on my website today advertising my passion for cutting and maintaining long hair so I thought I would take a moment to write a little bit more about that here on my long neglected blog. I have opened up my books to accept new clients and I would love for those clients to be long haired hair cuts so I am letting the universe do the rest. 

Great long hair takes time, patience and a good stylist who knows how to shape and maintain the desired style. That's where I come in. If you are looking for someone you can trust not to cut too much, not to over layer and someone who can be honest with you and work with you on your goals, schedule an appointment with me. Let's work together!

Another No Heat Wave Technique...

More quarantine experimentation with easy hair styling tricks. This time I used these noodle curlers two different ways. Both ways worked equally well for the most part, with the first lasting a bit longer than the second. The first time I tried it I put them in before bed and slept on them. The styling worked well but the bags under my eyes from a horrible nights sleep.. not so good.

I really liked the way my hair came out though so I tried another way. I showered as usual and blow dried my hair and then put the noodles in. Now this way requires sitting under one of these for 20 minutes at high heat while you scroll through your phone:

I know not everybody has one of these just sitting around their house like I do, so this might not be the most practical. Also, after the 20 minutes of your hair heating up you need it to cool completely in order to set the curl. I just did my makeup and picked up around the house and then removed the noodles. I love the way it turned out but now that I know about the bathrobe tie method, that is my preferred method. It's the post before this one, you can scroll down and read all about it.

Here's how the noodles turned out:

You can see in the bottom left square that the curls had loosened up quite a bit. They do come out of the noodles quite tight and curly and I prefer them loosened anyway but I thought I should mention it. The bathrobe method stayed consistent pretty much the entire day. I'm not sure if that's from sleeping on them overnight or what but in general, I do think the bathrobe method is superior. The only thing I prefer the noodles for is that I like to wash my hair in the morning everyday but I'm willing to sacrifice and just wash it every other day for the sake of awesome curls!

Happy Styling!!

No Heat Easy Waves

I saw this tip on TikTok and thought I would give it a try during quarantine. Needless to say it is an amazing hair hack and I am sure I will be using it weekly for a very long time to come. You take a bathrobe belt and wrap your hair around it, almost like braids, on either side of your head. Secure with Rubberbands. Important to use it on dry hair, not wet, otherwise it would be very unlikely to be dry in the morning. After I made the 'braids' with the belt, I gave it a once over with a light mist of water from a spray bottle. I will probably try using a little bit of Olaplex No. 3 next time prior to wrapping it on the belt. 

One of the best things about this is that it is super comfortable to sleep in!

I have an Instagram account and I posted the original TikTok tutorial on that account right before the post with these same photos if you are interested. 

Check it out on Instagram: @studiothreeseattle

THE SIX-FIGURE HAIRCUT CERTIFICATE

Update April 22, 2020:

Here's a photo of the practice mannequin I did. The left panel is 'before' and the right is the finished product with the styling technique. Cutting a mannequin isn't really optimal, even though it's human hair, but I'm still glad I got to do it. In particular it was nice to practice the curling technique. I look forward to doing this cut on a real person and posting some photos when I do.

Fun Fall Make-over!

This is a really fun make-over going from Victorian times long hair to a modern, but still long, length transition:

Everybody who knows me, knows I love really long hair so this was such a treat! I particularly like the soft bevel in the back and the long layers framing the face. What a way to start the gorgeous Seattle Fall season!

Love your hair!

Book now: Click the "Book Now" button in the upper right corner

I just had to share these!

Videos of my Sister-In-Laws hair after I put layers in her all-one-length hair!

https://youtu.be/aVRheXxttgw

https://youtu.be/CO-sNVD3W08

https://youtu.be/x7q9tQAfdGM

https://youtu.be/YV2IL4bYlsE

“I think that the most important thing a woman can have- next to talent, of course- is her hairdresser.” ― Joan Crawford

I had the best time last night making someone who had a really bad experience with a haircut (not at my salon) feel like her hair looked even better than before the miscommunication happened. It was one of those times when you meet someone and really get to see them completely light up because they are happy with what you do - and THAT is what I love about my work!

This client is the sister of a long-time client and she had gone in to a walk-in salon for a trim. They discussed layers and I guess there was a miscommunication. One very aggressive snip later this clients hair was what I would categorize as "extremely" layered and not blended at all. As she had one length hair that was about 14-16 inches long this was a very dramatic change. Unfortunately, when she washed it herself and tried to style it at home, the un-blended layers coupled with the extreme difference in the shortest to longest lengths made things quite difficult. She couldn't even really wear it in a ponytail because it just accentuated the 'shelfiness' of the new layers.

Here is what her hair was like before the bad experience at the other salon:

Here are some photos of the ponytail that really show how choppy these layers from the other place were:

And then the fun starts!! We agreed we wanted to keep it as long as possible.. but make the layers more manageable. So I washed and flat-ironed it using Keratin Complex Anti-Frizz Creme (for added conditioning.. since, why not?). Then, I took down a section and determined the minimum I should cut to make the bottom as healthy and full-looking as I could, while still maintaining really long hair. (Sure we could have cut 6-8 inches off, but what's the fun in that?) This photo is that first section and I decided to start at about 2 inches to even it all up:

Now this photo is the super exciting photo of all the hair trimmed, section by section (after flat ironing w anti-frizz creme)  but not yet blended. You can see even here, though, that meticulous layer cutting pays off over one big snip and letting them fall... especially with fine textured hair! My peronal opinion is that being meticulous in a haircut is the only way to be sure that hair cut is going to hold up over time and grow out well. I love my clients but I want them to be able to go a really long time between visits. That's why I do a really precise cut, every single time, that I know they can count on to have built in structure and style! Anyway..here's the photo (pre-blending): 

At this point I was feeling really good about the cut because the over-all foundation was solid again. The rest was details.. blending the layers, taking out weight here and there so she should get height and volume... here's the photo's her sister took as well as some I took myself:

And then I did a quick curl with the flat iron to show her another 'look' she could get with the layers. She was really happy - and so was I! 

Such a fun evening!! And so much more fun than just throwing in the towel on that length and cutting a bob to start growing out. With regular one inch cuts every two months her hair will be easier than ever with solid, manageable layers and she wont have the pain of the "growing out short hair" feeling to go thru. I'm so excited for the evolution of her hair! I just love it when people walk out loving their hair...

Singing That Same Old Song...

So everybody knows I really love long hair. But let's face it, your hair needs to be long AND look good, right? Long hair that is scraggly and wimpy on the ends is not doing anybody any favors.

Even if you don't want a haircut at the time of your color appointment (to me this means, done wet, sectioned out and then styled afterward) I will always at least try and talk you into "dusting the ends" (to me, this means I've dried your hair out smooth and then I "whisper trim" the perimeter to make it all look sharp and even and sometimes if you have layers I do the barely-taking off-and-cleaning-up-just-the-ends and everything is just nice and happy.)

Please, know that when I say you should get a haircut at the change of every season I am not saying we need to take 5 inches off or anything major. It's just a maintenance thing for the health and well being of your hair. It will look better! (not to mention longer and healther, without the thin wispy ends.)

Ok. I'm getting off the soapbox.

Book your appointments today either thru the website or using the links on this blog that say "schedule now"

See, no one is going to notice the little bit that's gone but they will notice the bottom looks thicker and healthier. Plus her hair will grow longer and stronger without the splits traveling up and breaking.

Trust me on this one. Get regular trims!

Dusting the Ends

Even the tiniest trim can make a difference in long hair. Just a dusting can take you from scraggly to put-together.. I almost always dust the ends of my clients hair after any chemical service at no charge. This was a keratin smoothing client who was really nervous about losing any length. Even this few millimeters of a trim made a difference though, don't you agree?

What a Difference a Trim Makes

A picture is worth a thousand words, right? This is about a quarter inch trim -length you won't miss at all- but look at the difference it makes in how thick/healthy the hair looks. I admitt a two inch cut would work wonders in that department but sometimes you have to go in increments because you really want that length for a special occasion or event. Being a long hair lover myself I totally get it. But I like to give all my long hair clients at least a complimentary dry dusting of the ends every time I see them. I think a full-on hair cut should be done at least every three months (seasonally) and the right products at home make for great length instead of just long hair that doesn't really do much for you.

Enjoy the sun everybody! 

How to Fit Deep Conditioning into Your Life..

As a hairdresser, one of the things I hear myself telling people over and over is that deep conditioning is an essential for healthy hair, especially as it starts to grow longer. If you have hair that is 7 inches long or longer you technically have "long hair."

At 7 inches your hair is at a length where the natural oils, essential for the health of your hair, are not able to reach the ends of your hair. You may experience dry ends and splitting as a result. I tell people "put a tiny drop of olive oil in the ends of your pony tail" but maybe 5% of the people whom I've suggested that to actually do it, most don't. I don't even do that myself anymore so I can't really wag my finger at anyone. I know how hard it is to take care of long hair, I struggle with it daily! I have found something that seems to be working for me and I thought I would share it. For me, it's the ultimate solution to the long hair/dryness situation. Deep conditioning, hair masks.. who is able to consistently deep condition on a weekly basis?  Come on, disrupting your shower to wait a half hour for your hair to condition is ridiculous! I just never found a way to make it work.. until the idea came to me..

Drum roll please...
Wait for it,

wait for it..

PUT THE CONDIDIONER IN YOUR HAIR BEFORE YOU HEAD OUT THE DOOR TO THE GYM!

Personally, for me it's the best solution. I feel like I am 'accomplishing' more than just using the eliptical, bike or treadmill and watching old episodes of "Ugly Betty." Plus it's keeping me working out every day (and conditioning my HAIR for god's sakes!) so it really works for me!

I kind of debated even writing this post thinking it might sound kind of stupid but I figured it might inspire someone. Feel free to share your own experiences of how to fit taking care of your hair into your life.. it might help someone else - go ahead.. go for it!!

This photo is my hair - sorry for the poor quality. I have all kinds of color in my hair but it's still in pretty good shape thanks to my regular deep conditioning!

Best Options for Rainy Weather..

With the rainy weather, hair in Seattle presents certain styling challenges. Why bother blowing your hair silky smooth and/or curling or flat ironing it if you are going to walk twenty feet to your car and get it all wet anyway? People here really need a lot out of a haircut.

A good haircut for the Pacific Northwest needs to have the style cut into the hair with a good foundation rather than having the style put into it with heat tools and product every day. Optimally, every haircut should hold it's shape but let's be honest, not every haircut really does. A stylist really needs to know how to build in a foundation with the cut, a basic structure and then know when and where to use texture appropriately. Not every head of hair will really work with the shredded, highly textured haircuts that make up most of the hair magazines right now. Some texture is always nice, but my opinion is that it is the foundation work that makes or breaks a haircut, especially when put to the rigors of this Seattle climate. I've been looking at some celebrity photos and come across three looks I think work particularly well in our weather here.

For short hair I like this photo of Carey Mulligan which illustrates a deconstructed bob. The texture is good because the rough ends will work with weather that is not conducive to something sleek anyway yet it can easily be dressed up with heat tools into a polished look that can also be styled up for more formal occasions:

Now, this photo of Drew Barrymore is a great medium length layered cut that has the same nice properties of the photo above (lots of layers can be worn messy for a rock-and roll look. It's versatile because it can also be blown dry or be heat styled as shown for polish and sophistication):

Jennifer Lopez has the perfect example about what to do with the long hair quandary in Seattle.. the low bun! As far as haircuts, when your hair is this long all you need to worry about is getting it cut frequently enough that your ends are healthy and not too uneven. You may want some layers in there but in general people with this kind of long hair (I'm speaking of myself as well) just don't get it cut that often. Personally, I think 3-4 times a year is reasonable. Styling the hair in a low bun or pony and moving the part around to change up the look is a great go-to for a quick style fix. Sometimes I even use conditioner as my styling product to keep it from getting fuzzy (just a little mind you, you don't want it dripping all over you in the rain!). You can move the bun or pony to either side as well as the usual back of the head. Side anything is really in right now!:

Best new thing for long hair!

Ok, I know it's weird to jump in and write a blog post after half a year (or more) as if there are millions of people just waiting around to hear what I think about hair trends, but I don't care - I'm going to do it anyway..

About a week ago I was in Walgreen's of all places and I saw these weird spiral bobby pins (they remind me of rotelle noodles). I thought, what the heck, I'll try it -so I bought all they had for brown hair (they come in brown and blonde). I immediately discovered they were the best thing ever and proceeded to buy all they had in the CVS store in Arizona* (they were on sale, buy one get one half off) and I am totally hooked! As a long haired person who is really really lazy about styling my own hair I often just wear it in a pony tail or a messy ponytail/bun. But with these babies you can make all kinds of quick cool updo's and not waste an hour of your time in the process.

AND, they are made by GOODY! My favoreit childhood clip brand! Ha!!

*I was on a trip w/ Ryan.. vacation, Sedona. Very nice!

Been too long...

I have had these photos for a long time meaning to post them and I have been remiss.. I apologize!

So, this is a male Keratin Smoothing client. Both he and I prefer his hair curly but the frizz drove him crazy so we gave it a shot.. here's the photos: