SUMMER HAIR COLOR TIPS FOR GUYS AND GALS

hair color

It’s summertime, and most of you like to wear a brighter color in your hair – even you guys out there may wish to go a bit lighter.  Oftentimes a lighter coppery red or reddish tone is a great choice to add into your color during summertime.  A color change such as adding red or lighter colors sometimes seems to fade more quickly than the regular blonde or brunette color that has already been done.  As a general note, any kind of red color is the first to fade, because red contains the largest dye molecules.  Whether you’re a redhead, blonde or brunette, if you are going even a bit lighter/redder, you should always ask your stylist/colorist what he/she could do to prevent hair from premature color fade.  This may include leaving the color on a bit longer or mixing up separate formulas for the base, mid-shaft and ends.  Be sure to ask if he/she is doing a typical “pull through” or using a fresh color formula.  Ask if the formula will be on the mid-shaft and ends and for how long.  Then you need to evaluate which haircare products you’re using at home and you need to make sure that your products are specifically formulated to repair and moisturize, as well as prevent hair from premature color fade.  Lastly, as a general rule, you don’t need to shampoo as often which will help retain your haircolor for a longer period of time.

Along the same lines, when you guys and gals go lighter and/or redder during summertime, many of you have eyebrow tone or eyelash tone that needs to be adjusted to match the new color.  It is definitely possible to tint either or both, and this is a procedure I recommend for a total look of beauty.  Eyebrow and eyelash tinting is very easy to do but I do recommend going to a salon rather than doing it yourself to ensure that your color is in sync and to ensure safety.  For eyebrows, it’s about a 15-20 minute process.  For eyelashes, again, it’s an easy procedure that takes approximately 20 minutes.  The color lasts between three and four weeks and fades gradually on-tone.

During summer, should you choose to lighten your previously color treated hair, you need to prevent your hair from becoming dry, especially at the ends.  The longer the hair is, the older the hair is, the more dimensions/levels of color/chemicals are on the hair, and longer hair doesn’t have the benefit of sebum or hair oils produced at the scalp that keep the hair shaft healthy and shiny.  It is a matter of using really good restorative products, which is why I specifically designed the Marco™ Collagen Color Guard™ HairCare System.  The first and only complete collagen system exclusively developed for color and chemically treated hair, the Marco Collagen Color Guard HairCare System is specifically formulated to prevent premature color fade and create the most positive, therapeutic environment for the hair and scalp.  Always remember that shampoo is for the scalp and conditioning is for the ends.  When you condition, you need to allow time with the conditioner on the ends of your hair.  The concept is just like moisturizing your skin.  It’s important to not over shampoo the hair because it dries out the hair shaft.  All you really need to do is shampoo your scalp and let the shampoo rinse down the ends.

These are just a few tips for you all to think about for the warmer season, and to maintain the quality and intergrity of your hair while doing so. Happy Summer!

Brighten Up Your Appearance for Summer with Haircolor!

Hey guys and gals.  Been feeling like your appearance – perhaps your haircolor – is a bit dull lately?  Not enough spark in general?  Or if you already color your hair, is your haircolor growing out too fast?  Are the ends of your hair darker than the roots?  Or are you maybe just needing to blend away some unwanted gray hair?  Whenever I run a few highlights through just about anyone’s color – guys and gals alike – he/she will usually feel better about most of these scenarios!

It’s all about feeling good.  In the end, isn’t that what we all want?  Anyone can get a few highlights placed throughout his/her hair in order to brighten up the color – and that’s what it’s really about – a simple BRIGHTENING of the color – it doesn’t even have to be too far from your natural color.  As a matter of fact, going drastically lighter than your natural or base color is not recommended – because then the opposite happens – and you will look washed out.

Many of you men and women might stray to the grocery store – especially in this economy – and attempt to do highlights on your own and place color directly on your scalp – the problem is the unwanted orange or ‘brassy’ tones that usually result from home haircolor.  Ask your haircolorist/stylist – or find a good one in your area – for some natural looking highlights – maybe 2-4 levels lighter than your natural color.  If you are a dark blonde, you can have slightly lighter blonde shades placed strategically throughout your hair.  If you are dark-haired, you can ask for simply lighter brown or very dark blonde highlights.  If you are a redhead – even redhead haircolor can dull with age – you can have some natural looking strawberry or dark blonde highlights placed throughout to zip up your color.

Placement of the highlights is very important, if not crucial, to your end result.  You are not looking for highlights at the back of your neck.  No one has lighter hair there.  Natural hair – especially from the sun – especially when we were kids and we spent more time outside – lightens easily on the top of the head.  So ask your haircolorist for a partial highlight service – you don’t need a full head of highlights – definitely not all the time.  What I recommend is simply a partial – top and sides only.  It’s more natural for the nape of the neck to be darker – just like natural hair.

Also, if you have some gray hair – as many of us guys and gals do nowadays – highlights can be a great solution for you!  Almost any guy or gal at any age in the country who has any shade of brown or dark blonde hair, with a percentage of gray hair, will enjoy a few highlights.  An overall color laid directly on the scalp can definitely cover all your gray hair, but then you are left with the regrowth in no less than four to six weeks and be forced to do it again right away, or you will see the line of demarcation quickly.  With a partial highlighting, you can possibly extend the life of your haircolor up to a few months perhaps, depending of course on how gray you are, and hopefully if you keep the highlights not too much lighter than your natural or base color.  The line of demarcation blends away with some highlighting.  The gray hair blends in with the highlights.  Actually a naturally dark blonde haired person is the luckiest of all of us – because highlights are such an easy solution – rather than having to use a color laid directly on the scalp.

The consultation is truly THE MOST IMPORTANT step when getting any hair service, especially color done at a salon.  Challenge your haircolorist to determine which tone will suit and flatter your skin and eyes and lifestyle.  Do your homework also – know what will suit you best.  If you are very pale you may look best with cooler color highlights.  If you have freckles and are tan you may look best with warmer highlights.  You can discuss this with your stylist.  You can ask to see shades of haircolor to guide your decision making process.  The consultation should be built in as part of your service, even if you have been going to your same hairstylist for years, you still deserve that beautifully fresh conversation.  And don’t forget that the process doesn’t end at the salon.  You need to use products specifically formulated to prevent premature color fade and create the most positive, therapeutic environment for the hair and scalp.  I feel so passionate about color, that I created and recently launched the Marco Collagen Color Guard HairCare System – the first and only complete collagen system for color and chemically treated hair.  For more information, please visit my Web site at www.marcopelusi.com.

You deserve the option to change, guys and gals.  Why not just try it like we all do here in Hollywood?

Introduction of our new guest author, Marco Pelusi

Good morning everyone!  We thought we would mix things up a bit for you…and expand a little…to hair care.
I just wanted to give a brief intro to my friend and my favorite hair colorist, Marco Pelusi.  He’s won award after award – his celebrity clients are box office gold and we are lucky enough to have him as our guest writer!  

I met Marco about 5 years ago now and he has transformed my over-processed, over-colored, dry, split-end mess into a healthy, shiny, strong with a great cut and color hair.  I get compliments on my color ALL the time.  Thank you Marco!!!  I love this man dearly.  Oh, and his products…are AMAZING!  He has developed his own haircare line.  It’s absolutely to die for, and you know what the most amazing thing is?  His products actually WORK.  You have to give it a try.  http://www.MarcoPelusi.com