How To Prevent Your At Home Hair Coloring From Turning To A Nightmare

We all know that for the best results you need to get your hair dyed at the salon, by a professional, with the right products. Unfortunately, what we don’t know is when our salon’s will be back open. Unless you are quarantined with a professional stylist, you’re stuck to fend for yourselves when it comes to keeping up with your hair color. 

We decided to put together a list with a few tips we suggest to keeping your at-home dye job from turning to an all out nightmare...

Keep Your Expectations Realistic 

Don’t start dying your own hair from a box and expect it to come out with salon quality. You will set yourself up for disappointment. It is most likely that the color you choose will NOT look exactly like it does on the model on the box. 

Don’t Shoot for Huge Results 

Save your major changes for the salon, like highlights or multiple colors. If the color change is too drastic it will probably require multiple process to get to the end result. Think of this as a temporary fix until you can come see us. Stay with a similar color to what you already have.  We suggest staying within two shades (darker or lighter) of what your current hair color; and whatever you do, DO NOT try to mix shades to make a custom color!

One Thing at a Time

If you have recently done a chemical treatment to your hair, make sure to wait at least 7 days before dying your hair. Too much process can cause severe damage to your hair.  Also, keep in mind that treated hair will process color more quickly, so you want to be careful how long you are leaving the dye in your hair. 

Strand Test

Always test the color you choose on a small (hidden) piece of hair to see how it is going to take the dye.  That way if the color isn’t what you wanted, it’s not too late to change.

Section your Hair

To avoid patchy color, make sure to split your hair into at least 4 sections.  You want to apply the color as evenly as possible.  Also, leave it down.  Twisting your hair and clipping it up while the color is processing can also make the color turn out uneven. 

PRO TIP:  Hair dye can be extremely messy. Make sure you have on old clothing and you place old towels on nearby surfaces to prevent the dye from ruining anything. You can protect the skin by using a clear solid lip balm or lotion along your hairline. Use a make-up cleansing wipe for any dye that has splattered onto the skin in the process. 

After Care:

Make sure to shampoo and condition your hair when rinsing the dye out. Without washing it out, the cuticle stays open and the color will continue to process. This will make the dye look darker than anticipated. 

Use a color- boosting gloss treatment or a color-depositing shampoo once a week. This can revitalize the color between dye jobs. Also try to wash less. The more you wash your hair, the faster it will fade out. Try to use a dry shampoo in between washes to preserve the color.

Protect it From the Sun

Now that there’s plenty of down time, there is a lot of time to hang out in the sun.  UV protection for color treated hair is just as important as it is to the skin.  Try to stay in the shade as much as possible and wear a hat or a scarf to cover your hair when you are exposed to the sun for a long period of time. 

Things right now may not be ideal, but it is important to work with what we can. 

Remember, this is temporary. Stick to these small tips and you can keep your hair maintained until you can come in to see us. We can’t wait to see you again!!

Make sure to follow us on Facebook to stay up to date on all the latest product launches and promotions running each month long!

How to Tackle Corona Hair!

Now that we’ve all been stuck inside for some time, we’re starting to see the significance of our beauty routines.  

With most (if not all) of our favorite salons temporarily closed due to COVID-19, we can’t help but notice some of it slipping away from us....

The below are all too familiar:

ü  Roots grown out

ü  Split ends

ü  Missing your routine blow out

ü  Need a treatment

ü  Color fading

Naturally, we all have questions and concerns on how we can take care of our strands on our own.  But before we all decide that we are professionals and take matters into our own hands, let’s take a moment to pause and think this through!  

The majority of us are NOT professionals, hence, getting it done at the salon.  Now, more than ever, is the perfect time to consider what we SHOULD and SHOULD NOT be doing at home.

Roots showing your true colors?

First of all, you’re not likely to see many people during quarantine/social distancing.  Try to embrace your roots if you can stand it.  It’s really not all that bad; and luckily, grown out roots have actually been trending.  BUT if you cannot control yourself and absolutely need a temporary fix, there are plenty of store-bought root sprays and powders to get you through for the time being. 

Attempting to color your hair at home

If your dyed color is lighter than your natural try to avoid doing it yourself, especially if you don’t understand the color wheel.  Without proper formulation and toning you can easily end up turning orange.  If there’s anything worse than fading color, it’s unintentional orange hair!  If you find your blonde starting to fade or turn warm, turn to a purple shampoo.  You can learn all about purple shampoo in our blog (purple blog link here).

If you absolutely MUST resort to a box dye, try to stay as close as possible to your natural hair color.  If you are unsure then go lighter, you can always make a dye-job darker, but going from too dark back to light will be extremely difficult. 

Our suggestion:  Don’t bother dying it.  Leave it to the professionals.  We are all going to be super eager to help once salons reopen!

Take advantage of the down time!

Now is the time to put away the hot tools and embrace your natural hair!  Give your hair a break.  Try styles without heat. For example: braids.  Braids are a great way to tame your hair for the day, while giving it a break from the harsh styling tools you usually use.  Also, lay off the dry shampoo. Let your pores take a break to unclog.  

Who’s going to notice your hair is oily when you’re in quarantine? 

Need quick tips for easy styling?  Check out our blog about on-the-go mom hair styles! 

Try a hair mask or treatment

Take time to do a 20-minute at home hair mask.  We both know you have the time to kill! 

Coconut oil & Honey hair mask: to repair the hair

The combination of the two will help your hair to retain moisture, remain soft, and bring back any lost shine. 

-       1 tablespoon Coconut oil

-       1 tablespoon honey

Mix the two together and heat until melted.  Apply all over hair and let it sit for 15-20 minutes.  Rinse. 

Egg & Lemon hair mask: for oily hair

The eggs contain protein and fatty acids, which help with shine.  The lemon’s acidity absorbs excess oil and to clean the hair. 

-       1 egg

-       ½ lemon

Separate the egg white from the yolk.  Squeeze the lemon in a bowl and mix with egg white.  Apply all over hair and let sit for 30 minutes.  Shampoo, Condition, Rinse. 

Brown sugar & Olive Oil hair mask:  For dry hair

Brown sugar helps to exfoliate residue and dead skin cells on the scalp. Olive oil is used as a natural conditioner and adds moisture to the scalp. 

-       2 tablespoons brown sugar

-       1 tablespoon olive oil

Mix two ingredients together and apply all over the hair.  Let sit for 20 minutes.  Rinse. 

As inconvenient as things are at the moment, try and embrace the time you have to yourself.  Take the time to repair the damage from everyday hair wear and tear, relax, and come out of quarantine fresh and ready to go!

Make sure to follow our blog each month for new tips and style tricks during this time while were all uniting together to fight Corona! 

Follow us on Facebook too for all the latest product launches and specials!!

5 Hottest Hair Color Trends for 2020

Time for a Color Change?

As far as hair color trends go it's important to stay up to date on what's new, and what works best for your coloring. As we head into a new decade we have compiled a list of some new looks which are popular right now but also stylish and easy to maintain. From Chunky Highlights to Red hues... we have you covered!

1. Two Tone

This look gives you lots of dimension and edge, It’s for the adventurous person who’s not afraid to make a statement!

2. Orchard Red

This look is fierce & requires maintenance ... The dye molecules found in red hair color are typically larger than that of other hues. Since those oversized molecules can't penetrate the hair shaft as deeply, by 3 or 4 weeks your red hair can tend to fade.

3. Cabernet Red

This beautiful shade of red is extremely popular this year and many celebrities can be seen rocking it. Although this look requires a great deal of maintenance, the vibrant color is a statement piece in itself. 

4. Chunkier Highlights

If you’re a natural brunette, chances are at some point you’ve thought about dressing up your brown hair with some blonde highlights. Whether you embraced the frosted blonde styles of the ’90s or super chunky highlights of the early ’00s, you’ve probably noticed how different modern blonde highlights look. 

5. Buttery Blonde 

Whether or not it’s summer, you can take the sun with you everywhere thanks to beach hair. This combination of light blonde tones reminds you of a sunny day at the beach anytime.

We would love to help you achieve your hair goals this Spring, whether you're going for something bold and new or maintaining a look you really love, we are here for you!

Give us a call to schedule an in person consultation with one of our color experts and we can help map out the best plan for your 2020 hair look.

Make sure to follow us on FACEBOOK to stay up to date on all the latest product launches and events happening @ UBU!

Hair Loss & How to PREVENT It!

We, men and women, are all accustomed to small amounts of hair falling out each day.  Tiny clumps when you shower or brush your hair is totally normal.  According to the American Academy of Dermatology, we lose about 50-100 hairs each day.  EACH DAY!  

But....... what happens when you start losing large amounts of hair and it’s not regenerating?  What about when your thick tresses start to grow thinner and thinner?  Don’t stress too much (that causes hair loss too), because we’re going to dive into what might be causing your hair loss and ways to treat it!

What’s causing my hair to fall out and start thinning?

The main factors that aide in hair loss are diet, genetics, deficiencies, and hormones.  While you can’t do anything about your genes, there is plenty you can alter when it comes to diet, hormones, and nutrient deficiencies.     

Proper nutrients are essential to maintain healthy hair.  Not only can poor diet effect hair loss; it can also make your hair become brittle, dry, dull, and flakey.  In correlation to diet, deficiencies of nutrients such as vitamin D and Iron can become a factor when you are losing your hair. 

Stress and hormones also play an important role in the consistency of your hair.  Age is something inevitable that will effect your hormones.  When we start to reach about 50 years old, it is common for your hair to start thinning or for you to start balding.  For us women, pregnancy and menopause can also be big factors in the changing of your hair. 

Stress is a big one.  Stress can cause a condition called telogen effluvium, a disorder in which hair enters the telogen (resting) phase and causes thinning and shedding.  TE is the 2^nd most common form of hair loss. 

Good thing for us, though, is that there are plenty of solutions to our thinning problems. 

Medications

There are a couple medications that are meant to stop hair loss and help achieve regrowth.  Minoxidil is a medication that is applied topically.  This can be prescribed, or found in many over-the-counter hair treatments, such as Rogaine.  Minoxidil takes about 6-12 months to have noticeable affect and is something that would have to be used continuously throughout your life.  When you stop using products like Minoxidil, hair tends to fall out or start thinning again. 

Finasteride is a prescription only medication that is taken orally.  People that use finasteride have already tried products with minoxidil and have been unsuccessful. 

Home remedies

Home remedies are easy and convenient.  These remedies usually have no scientific backing to whether they will work or not; however, definitely will not hurt you. 

Alter your diet to contain the proteins, fats, and nutrients you need to help hair regrowth.  Foods like eggs, brazil nuts, fatty fish, and walnuts are all good examples. 

Vitamin deficiencies like lack of vitamin D and Iron can be regulated with simple things like sun exposure (don’t forget your sunscreen!) and supplements. 

Add essential oils into your routine.  Oils such as rosemary oil, peppermint oil, cedarwood, lavender oil, and tulsi oil may help give your hair a little boost in growth.  Remember, though, when using essential oils to always use a carrier oil, like coconut or jojoba, to combat skin irritation. 

Also remember to keep your hair hydrated.  Don’t skip conditioner!

Laser and Transplant therapy

Lastly, you have laser or transplant therapy.  There is a laser therapy, known as low level laser therapy, that improves the density of your hair with the application of red and near infa-red light.  LLLT stimulates the follicles to induce thicker, fuller hair.  This is a non-invasive and pain free procedure.

Alternative to laser therapy, you have transplant therapy.  Transplant therapy can be expensive and painful and cause bleeding and scarring.  A plastic surgeon or dermatologist removes small patches of hair from the back or side of the head, somewhere unnoticeable, and implants it to the bald spots near the top and front of the head. 

Whatever the case, do not freak.  There are plenty of ways to get your hair back to normal and get you the growth and thickness you deserve!

Come visit us at UBU and let us bring your hair dreams to LIFE!

Book your appointment today!