Salons Reopening

Our resident hair expert Dylan Bradshaw has some advice on how to prepare for your first salon visit.

With the easing of restrictions in sight, and the reopening of salons approaching, it’s time to get ready for that first visit with your hairdresser. After long months of root touch up sprays, purple shampoo and maybe even some home colour, making sure your hair is the best it can be for that return visit will be beneficial for you and your stylist.

While the salons were closed it is understandable that many customers turned to purple shampoo to help keep blonde hair looking fresh and of course touch up sprays or powders were a godsend while masking those roots. However, as we near your return to the salon now is the time to give them a break.

Purple shampoo is a great way to maintain your blonde as it neutralises those unwanted yellow tones. We don’t recommend you use it every time you wash your hair as you can get a build up of pigment which can have the opposite effect. Instead of giving your blonde a brighter, cleaner look, it can actually make it appear dull. You should only use a shampoo like this once a week or even once every two weeks. Now with a salon visit on the cards it would be much better to stop using purple shampoo completely until you get to see your colourist. This will make sure that your hairdresser has a clean palette to work from and there isn’t any buildup of pigment on the hair.

Root touch ups have been a saviour helping to hide regrowth for Zoom meetings or in case you bump into anyone when walking or grocery shopping. To be honest it might just be simply just so you don’t catch a glimpse of yourself as you pass a mirror. Most of these products easily wash out of the hair with a gentle shampoo. Some of you might reach for a little touch-up on the day you have your colour appointment, especially as you are likely to see other people out and about, but I would strongly advise not doing so or washing your hair to get rid of any residue. Although colour can sometimes develop over a root touch up, the result cannot always be guaranteed. Your colour could take unevenly or not at all. It is also best for your colourist to see exactly what your hair is like so they know what they are working with. Having a root touch up spray hiding your regrowth will leave your colourist having to guess or assume what your hair is like underneath.

If you have used any home colours in the last few months then you need to let your hairdresser know what you used and how often. Honesty is key when it comes to discussing the condition your hair is in, what you would like to achieve and the best possible outcome of the colour service. If you have used a store-bought home colour, it is unlikely that the colour was applied without it being overlapped onto previously coloured hair. Which is why your colourist should know all the details. It can really make a difference in terms of you achieving your desired result. As home colours are not professional colours, they cannot be removed from the hair easily, they can be damaging to the hair and they can react to professional colour being applied over them.

If you are going for a big change, and many I suspect will want to after nearly five months of lockdown, then make sure you do so without compromising the health of your hair. There are so many ways you can keep your hair in the best possible condition while you change things up. Drastic colour changes can be done gently and slower to keep the hair healthy. In-salon treatments like Kerastase Fusio-Dose or SmartBond can be used during the colour service and an at-home routine can make sure the bonds within the hair remain strong, keeping your hair healthy. Consider high quality, salon professional products as part of your big change. Make sure you are using products that are right for you and will also help preserve the integrity of the hair.

For any haircare advise please don’t be afraid to reach out to me on Instagram @dylanbradshawdb @dylanbradshawsalon or through the salon on 01 671 9353 or email reception@dylanbradshaw.com.