Hair secrets and tips, Olaplex and Pravana.

Hello and for a while now everyone has been asking me about my hair. I am always bleaching it to add a new fun color and a lot of people ask me how I manage to keep it so long, hence the question is my hair real or fake? My hair is real I don't have any extensions. I have used extensions in the passed. I had the hot heads which attach using a medical grade tape and can be reused they don't have the same bulky heavy feel that clip in or the old style braided and threaded in extensions have. I can't do the threaded in ones they are so heavy on my head and I suffer from migraines so not good for me. 

I also have had the glue in kind but never really liked any of them longer then a few weeks. Its fun to add length when you have shorter hair and want to have it long quick. I use clip in pieces for special events or if I have a style I want to wear that I need added length but not often. My hair is all mine. I recently committed to not cutting it off for four years about two years ago. I had cut it short and regretted it so I decided I would let it grow out. I still get tempted to cut side bangs or layer it but my hair lady knows not to listen to me for another couple years lol. 

My hair colors are all done in the salon, I use to color my own hair for many years before Pravana became really popular in the salons because it was hard to find salons that carried the colors I wanted. Now you can find them in almost every salon. I use Pravana dye and then I touch up my roots once every 3-4 months. I use a technique they call Balyage, where the stylist paints the highlights on with a brush versus using foils so you don't have the bad re growth and it doesn't need to be touched up every few weeks. I like a natural look on my blonde because I was born blonde. I change my blonde often lighter in the summer, more golden or honey in the fall and more of a strawberry blonde in the spring. I love ombré I don't have it in me to dye my entire head one color. I get bored with hair color very quick and it is a lot easier to only have to strip the ends and underneath versus my entire head. I also like my natural color to frame my face because I think it looks best with my complexion, there is a reason we are born with it. I always like my lighter blonde shades right around the front framing my face.

Okay so the next question I always get is how do you keep your hair looking so healthy when you strip it and bleach it so often. Before a year and a half ago, it was always using a clear coat and developer to strip my hair instead of bleach. I still don't use bleach to strip my hair but when using the pravana colors usually the stylist is well trained in what procedures work best to remove the bright colors without damaging the hair.

Also I have never been one for shampooing my hair a lot. I don't use shampoo first off I use a cream cleanser with no sulfate or harsh soaps. I only wash it once a week, between washing I use dry shampoo, or baby powder lightly to absorb any grease or oils. For a year I used the Wen products but got costly and wasn't loving them. Matrix makes a similar product that smells amazing but u actually use my own concoction that I created. It has aloe, olive oil, keratin, and coconut oil in it and then I use a cream cleanser that conditions and cleanses at the same time. 

       //My Best Hair Secret: Olaplex//

Olaplex three step system for protecting hair. 

I don't use any styling products in my hair. No gel, hair spray, mousse nothing. I use the Wet Brush to de tangle and then every other week I do a deep condition treatment in my hair. My true secret for the last year and a half is Olaplex. I have mentioned it in previous posts and on my social media. It is an amazing product that came out around the time I started using it and they mix it with the products when stripping your color or lifting (bleaching) and then my stylist also uses after she dyes my hair, then I have step 3 for at home use. I don't over use it cause to much of a good thing can always be bad eventually, but if used just right it is amazing. I don't have to cut inches off my hair every time I change my color because the Olaplex saves it every time. My hair usually looks healthier after my color is done then it did before. 

I am so addicted to Olaplex that I don't use anything else and refuse to color my hair without. It's my secret weapon. Yes, I trim my hair every 2-3 months when I touch up my color to remove split ends. I only wash once a week, try not to use hot tools like flat iron, curling iron or blow dryer. When I do use hot tools I have a spray in protector for my hair, I also use Miracle 10 leave in spray in my hair after every wash. Also when using hot tools I let my hair air dry then right before it is fully dry I use cool air from my hair dryer to fully dry it and then hot air to smooth it. I don't use styling products because they usually make my hair greasy or cause build up which would make me have to wash it more often. 

When I shower I wear a towel wrapped around my hair or a shower cap, my shower cap is scented so it makes my hair smell yummy after I get out of the shower. I have a silk pillow case so my hair doesn't crease when sleeping or get messed up. I could go on for hours with hair tips. I always have loved to style hair and color hair, all my friends come to my house for blow dry or to have their hair curled. 

//Google before and after photos of hair that Olaplex has been used on for some amazing results you can see for yourself. I have been using it for awhile so I don't have before and after shots of my own, then before Olaplex I have used Keratin and usually get my hair blown out after my color so it almost always looks healthy and amazing when I leave the salon, but Olaplex has changed my hair for the better for sure, and made my crazy coloring even more possible because now I have Olaplex to protect my hair from future damage. //

When I use the flat iron I only go over the top by my roots or crown of my head because that is the only area that looks wavy usually. Then when using a curling iron I start with the hair closest to my scalp and curl then gradually pull down to bring in the ends and hold that area the least amount of time so it doesn't get damaged. We all know that the ends of our hair are the most damaged so as long as you keep long exposure to heat off the ends it is all good. 

//Biolage Matrix makes this amazing cream cleanser for the hair that doesn't strip natural oils from your hair and it smells amazing. //

When I have fly aways or need something to smooth my hair I will use Bio Silk oil or Redken frizz dismiss but only a tiny amount and try to stay away from your roots and only use on your ends to avoid greasy or oily hair. Another great tip is using clips instead of hair bands when wearing your hair up, that way you don't get a line or crease in your hair. If you do get a crease you can use the flat iron quick to smooth it out. 

               Redken Frizz Dismiss

Hope this helped with some of the questions I always get asked about my hair. My ombré is done similar to my roots with the balyage style application of color. I color the underneath of my hair using the lighter shade closest to my roots since that lifts the lightest then going darker as it gets to the ends. Then on the middle and top layer I have blonde roots with the color going from lighter to darker, darkest part being on the ends. Also remember that the color will bleed when washing so you have to use dark towels, and be prepared for some bleeding on your linens, bedding and clothes. I use shout to remove from my clothing and hot water removes any dye from my pillow cases. If the hair is wet and it bleeds that color will not come out that is why I recommend gray or black towels for your hair when using Pravana colors. My orange and coral has not bled at all but when I had my purple and magenta colors those bled big time. I had purple on everything and I have white bedding lol. 

//My personal collection of favorites for leave in, frizz smoother and brushes.//

So be sure if you are bleaching, stripping and dying your hair to ask your stylist about Olaplex. In use the 3 step treatment that you can at any salon supply store but have to have your license or your stylist purchase. Step 1 is used when lifting or bleaching, step 2 is used after rinsing color before drying, then step 3 you take home a small bottle to use after washing. It is amazing and my favorite hair product ever. 

//Hope the photos of my hair curly and straight then below some other colors help show the health, length and then how vibrant the Pravana colors are. Above photo was taken today and my color was done the first week of July. It's still as vibrant as the day I got it done just need to do my roots soon. Love the Balyage style high lighting because it doesn't go all the way to the root on each section so it doesn't show regrowth right away like regular highlights tend to.//

Then if you are washing your hair daily or multiple times a week try cutting back to 2-3 days a week, or as little as you can. Also try using a cream cleanser, sulphate free shampoo and products. Then remember the less styling products you use the less oil and grease or build up from styling products you will have in your hair so you won't need to wash as often. Grab a bottle of dry shampoo, even suave makes an inexpensive dry shampoo that works amazing. It's basically powder in a can. I used baby powder for years before the dry shampoo came out. I admit I am lucky I don't have thin hair I have thick curly hair so my hair doesn't get greasy quick. I can a week or longer without washing it but I don't like how it feels. Sometimes I will just rinse it and use conditioner to scrub my scalp then rinse to make it feel clean, specially when I am going to the gym or over the summer when I sweat more. 

If you have hair that tangles or is hard to comb after washing you need a Wet brush I have three in my house and we all love them. I also use a wide tooth comb, if I don't have time to dry my hair before bed, I towel dry, spray in my miracle ten and brush out with a wide tooth comb then braid it loosely. The next morning I take out the braid and sometimes wear it wavy using a salt water spray for that beach wave or I just lightly dry using cool air then hot to smooth it down. 

Above are some photos of my favorite products and I have also posted about Olaplex, Pravana and other faves for my hair in the passed so check back some previous posts for more details. 

     

  

A few photos of my old hair colors top one is the most recent with the coral and orange ombré. All colors are Pravana. 

Any questions you have feel free to leave a comment below and I will do my best to answer for you. Also if I left anything out feel free to let me know. Xoxo❤️✌️