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In the Chair - Real People Real Hair - Polly

January 15, 2026

In the Chair - Real People Real Hair - Polly

One haircut – many looks

Polly’s hair looked quite fine at first sight. But as soon as I ran my hands through, could feel that it was so much thicker than it appeared. An unbalanced previous haircut left the ends thin and broken, and the lack of colour at the roots encouraged it to lay flatter. I wanted to bring the key visuals of the shape higher up to meet the still too short fringe area, and highlight Polly’s strong cheek bones and wide blue eyes.

I’ll walk you through why Polly struggled with her hair and what we did. Four things conspired to keep Polly’s hair flat and straight, or return it to straight soon after tonging.

1. Polly’s hair is naturally quite straight.
That doesn’t mean it couldn’t bend with styling as the natural hair was quite flexible.

2. The outline of the haircut was A-Line down to a longer front.
This encouraged the hair to hang straight and flat.

3. The hair was one-length with chunked step-layers.
The lack of proper layering meant the ends would struggle to hold a bend.

4. The ends were extremely dry from overprocessed colour.
This made them brittle and inflexible. Even if a bend was put in with hot tongs it was difficult for the hair to hold onto the wave.

1. Cut

The haircut is the most important part of your hairstyle and should do most of the work. When it’s cut well it’s so much easier and you can choose lots of styles. Polly’s had hair hung heavy around her face. Her A-Line one-length outline made it difficult to work and the style didn’t last.

The Diamond Dry Cut™ is my signature technique and a natural method of sculpting. We cut hair dry to see the shape evolve in much the same way as Michelangelo would approach a marble bust. I graduated the front of Polly’s hair slightly and layered the back a little to balance out the step layers and support the grown-out fringe. Then I softened the tips with a steep point-cut up to two inches into the hair. This changed the fall and texture of the hair helping it to bend more easily. Polly’s hair can now move fluidly and fall effortlessly back into place.

2. Condition

The original haircut was extremely dry at the ends from overprocessed colour and excessive heat styling. When hair becomes this dry and decayed its more difficult to manage and styles don’t last long. We gave Polly a LifeSaver Prewash Treatment. Nothing injects moisture, elasticity and shine quite like this. Polly will now continue at home with this unique system of Healthcare for Hair®. Read… The Facts of LifeSaver®


3. Styling

With a great cut, colour and better condition you get to choose from lots of style options. From natural finger dry to large tongs.

4. Colour

Using a combination of highlights and balayage, more blonde was added a few days later to give a stronger brighter look.

For Polly’s hair we used LifeSaver Prewash Treatment to rehydrate, then Cashmere Protein UV Protective Shampoo and Conditioner. A little Thicker Quicker blowdry spray gave lift and body. Then after tonging a little Ten Second Transformation to feed and smooth the hair giving a little shine and texture too.

“From start to finish I had such a lovely experience at Michael Van Clarke - the salon is stunning and it was such a treat to have an extensive food & drinks menu! Above all though, I’ve never had haircut with as much attention to detail and precision as Michael’s. I had quite damaged, broken hair combined with a grown out fringe, which I’m sure wasn’t very easy to work with! But I left with it looking SO much thicker and healthier. At home it has been an absolute dream to style and I really feel like my best self again.” - Polly

Prep

Styling

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Email: reception@vanclarke.com

 Michael Van Clarke

 



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