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In the Chair - Real People Real Hair - Saffy

February 16, 2024

In the Chair - Real People Real Hair - Saffy

People with curly hair suffer more with frizz. It’s the nature of the texture, but what many people don’t realise is how frizziness can be exaggerated by the haircut and the drying process. Shelf-like step layers make frizz much worse as the ends do not connect properly into blended layers, so stick out and look frizzy. Knowing which products to use and the right drying techniques also reduces frizz massively.

1. The haircut 

Saffy wanted to keep her hair long for her wedding in nine months but her current haircut was all wrong especially for curly hair.

Like most people, Saffy had no layers. Just a one-length outline which created too much width at the bottom and flatness around the eye level. And a shelf-like step cut in about 5 inches above the A-line base which made the shape look disjointed and frizzier. Saffy compared the hacked layers she'd had in the past to the cartoon outline of a Christmas tree. I'd not heard that comparison before but thought it very apt. Stylists can disguise clunky steps easier on straight hair but get found out on curls which is why most hairdressers don't like cutting wavy hair. They are not trained for it and so struggle to get the best results.

I wanted to inject life and movement into the hair and for this we needed proper shaping followed by some cleverly placed colour to give tonal depth to the whole effect. Using our signature Diamond Dry Cut™ method, I took a graduated outline and sculpted face-framing layers through to the back. We then moved onto colour

2. Colour

Saffy's hair was overcoloured to start with and she wanted to reclaim some depth and tonal variation. Berni used a minimal amount of colour to achieve a more natural brunette base with some lights running through. A combination of fine foil highlights and balayage gave a natural effect and a final toner eliminated the harsh orange from the previous colour. The contrast created by the textured weave also helps to reduce frizziness in the finished look. 

3. Condition

A key product for Saffy’s hair is LifeSaver Pre-wash Treatment. This a not an oil-based treatment and you cannot overuse LifeSaver®. It feeds, hydrates and strengthens hair without weighing it down and gives vibrancy to all hair types. Particularly on curly hair it smooths and controls whilst feeding goodness into the hair. Used with Cashmere Protein UV Protective Shampoo and Conditioner, the hair is nourished and protected. In fact, nothing we’ve come across keeps colour better than this trio of hero products.

4. Styling

LifeSaver UV Leave-in Styling Treatment is perfect for eliminating frizz and defining Saffy’s curls and waves. Mixed with a little Volumising Mousse, it gives extra smoothness and hold. Then finally a little Ten Second Transformation mixed with Magic Oilhelps feed and smooth the ends of the hair giving a little shine and texture too.

“I’ve been avoiding having my natural curls for years as until now I’ve not found a hairdresser that can cut my curly hair ‘right’ so it sits well and doesn’t look misshapen and blocky.

Since Michael cut my hair it has sat beautifully and there are no obvious ‘step-layers’ so I don’t look like a Christmas Tree, which is amazing. I’ve had SO many compliments on my hair since the cut and colour, it’s been really lovely.

My colour looks amazing too, again I can find with my naturally curly hair that my colour can look unnatural, but it looks so shiny and healthy and you can hardly notice my greys which is amazing.

I love that there is depth of colour in my hair too, as it can look very dull otherwise, especially as curly hair is naturally on the dry side. I’ve been using the MVC products for a while now and my hair feels very soft and shiny, it also smells delightful. I'm continuing to use these products and can't wait to reach my hair goals!“- Saffy

Preparation
We used the LifeSaver Pre-wash Treatment and washed with Cashmere Protein UV Protective Shampoo and Cashmere Protein UV Protective Conditioner.

Styling
A little LifeSaver UV calms and defines the waves and treats the hair at the same time. We also used a little Volumising Mousse, Magic Oil and Ten Second Transformation.


Michael Van Clarke

 

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