Blondes Beware!!!

Social Media is both a blessing and a curse in our lives, especially for all of our clients with Blonde Hair Goals.

This post is to advise you to be cautious when searching social media for inspiration photos. The use of filters and lighting have a significant impact on how a client’s finished look photographs, and sometimes the inspiration photos you find can deceive you and your expectations.

Going blonde, especially platinum or silver, is almost always a multi-step process that requires extensive maintenance to prevent undesirable hues of color. Because we prioritize the health of your hair, it can be impossible to know how many sessions it will take to help you achieve your goals and the in-between services can sometimes include working through shades of color that you aren’t in love with. Remember: when going blonde, we are not CHANGING your color, we are REMOVING all color from your hair. It’s chemistry! Furthermore, you must use the recommended products at home to stay on track with your stylist’s game plan. That’s the part they usually don’t tell you about on social media…

To show you what we mean, this photo shows the exact same client at the exact same time under two different types of lighting…

Color by Deniece

When you book your blonde service, make sure you start with a consultation and bring your patience with you! 

What it Takes to be a Curl Specialist

We receive calls every day from curly clients who are seeking a stylist who can finally cut their curls to perfection. It seems that every curly girl has a salon story of leaving with awkward triangle shapes, undefined curls, and years of having to blow-dry their hair straight just to get a trim because – what other option is there?

As a salon that specializes in curls, our team has received extensive training and continues their education monthly to make sure we are doing the best possible service for our clients and their curls! But why is it so difficult to find a salon home when you have curly hair? We’re helping solve the mystery!

1.    Cosmetology training is based on straight textures. When future stylists learn how to cut hair in their cosmetology programs, which includes everything from sectioning hair to body position and hand directions, unfortunately the curriculum does not address how to adapt cutting methods for curls. To understand the special needs and techniques for working with curls, stylists must invest in additional training, tools, and product knowledge, which can often extend into the thousands of dollars. 

2.    Adaptation is Key. When working with curly hair, everything that stylists are taught about cutting hair must be adapted to work with curls, and this often means having to unlearn-and-relearn the techniques that stylists have become proficient in when working with straight hair. Even after receiving training and becoming certified as our stylists do, we find that it takes up to a year for stylists to become completely comfortable using adaptations to suit the unique curl pattern and client needs they are faced with. Practice is essential for mastering the art of working with curls.

3.    Education Never Ends. When you’re a stylist, continuing education is essential to maintain to become comfortable with the ever-changing industry trends and the consistent flow of new products entering the market. We try new curl products and cocktails of our favorites all the time to determine how we can get the absolute best results each time with consideration to the hair history, hair health, and unique curls of each client. Not only do we have to consider what a product might do for a head of curls in the short-term, but we also must be mindful of the long-term effects of products used. Some of our clients’ favorite curl products work well to curate curls, but they result in severe dryness. Using top-quality products that provide amazing short-term and long-term results is a priority of ours.

4.    You must think long-term. Curly hair has additional needs for moisture and product that clients with straight hair don’t have. Lucky them… It must be understood that curl perfection often takes time and a consistent regimen of treatments to restore your hair to its optimum healthy state. Clients who have been straightening their hair, wearing protective styles, or have extensive color damage may require several months of dedication to treatments, using the right products, and refraining from styling that impacts curls in a negative way like blowouts. We must train our curls to behave – they often have minds of their own! For some clients, their curls shine like gold after their very first service with us, but we find that more often than not, a curly client will need to undo some of the years of neglect on their curls before we can promise curated, defined tresses. For this, we ask that you TRUST US! 

Colorful Curls 101

We bet you didn’t realize it, but coloring curly hair is an entirely different animal from a stylist’s point-of-view!

Coloring or Highlighting your hair is done to accentuate the texture of your cut, add dimension to your style, and cooperate with the natural fall and movement of your hair. Moreso, when we use color chemicals on curly hair, additional stress is put on the hair that can affect your curl pattern – and not in a good way! Curlistas already need to add extra moisture to their routine to address the natural dryness of curly textured hair, and coloring only increases the importance of hydration for your tresses. Our curly hair experts use specific techniques and protective treatments that enhance the finished look while protecting your curls!

What are Pintura Highlights?

This hand-painted technique optimizes your color service by allowing the stylists to color curl-by-curl, highlighting the bounciest curls. By highlighting freehand with the use of foils, your color service becomes completely customized based on what will work best with your unique texture and shape. This helps to create texture and color definition that matches your curl definition instead of “patchy” or “streaky” results.

 Because this color service is hand-painted and entirely customized, clients can expect anywhere from 3-6 hours for this service!

BEFORE

DURING

AFTER

Scroll through the gallery below for more Curly Color Inspiration!

4C Hair Chicks - This One Is For You...

Despite many misconceptions, tightly coiled hair is quite fine and fragile. It is wiry, and delicate, and by nature each strand usually has a zig-zag pattern. 4-type is the driest hair type, thus it is more prone to breakage and requires a gentle touch. A misconception exists that 4C curls do not grow. These locks grow at the same rate as other textures, however if not treated properly, the hair breaks more than other textures. With our treatment program at Versus we can get your curls to the right porosity and fullest curl potential possible!

4A hair has a defined “S” shape curl pattern. It retains moisture fairly well than the other 4-types, but it is still prone to dryness. It has very few cuticle layers compared to other hair types, thus breaking easily due to its poor natural protection. It has a very high density which make it appears darker. This curl type is ideal for wash and go’s!

4B hair has a “Z” shape pattern and has a more fluffy cottony appearance. Due to the bends and curves in the hair strand it is highly susceptible to dryness and breakage. 4B hair type shrinks up to 70% so without stretching out the hair it will appear shorter than it actually is. 

4C hair looks similar to 4B hair type; only it is more tightly coiled. In its raw state (no products added and freshly washed) it does not have a defined curl pattern. Coils have to be defined by twisting, braiding, or shingling through the strands.  

Many 4C naturals have shrinkage up to 70% or more. So while your hair may be 10 inches long, it may appear like you only have 3 inches of hair if you do not stretch your hair out. It is the most fragile hair type. If your desire is to grow your hair, long protective styles like twist sets, braid outs etc. should be your go to style choice! These styles do not require daily manipulation (combing/brushing), giving hair less chance to break off. You can then wear your hair out (wash’n’go) for a couple of days in a low manipulation style and then repeat the cycle for a balanced routine.

With any curl pattern consistency and patience is the key.We at Versus have been dedicated for the last seven years dedicated to understanding, treating and nourishing your curls. Come visit our curl specialist to get your curl plan routine and see your curls flourish!