Basic Hair Care

Designer clothing, perfectly applied makeup, and fine jewelry are all wasted if your hair looks greasy, dull, or messy. Fortunately, no one needs a hair salon or expensive hair products to have hair that looks professionally cared for and styled. With the right techniques for shampooing, drying, and styling your hair, it can be among your most attractive features.

We'll provide some useful hair-care tips in this article, starting with the basics.

Basic Hair Care

• To minimize breakage, make sure that your hair is thoroughly wet before applying shampoo. Use no more than a quarter-size dollop, and rub the shampoo between your palms first. Lather for no more than 30 seconds.
• After shampooing, rinse your hair with cool water to seal moisture in the hair shafts.
• To distribute the natural oils in your hair, bend over and brush your scalp and hair from back to front until the scalp tingles; then massage the scalp with your fingertips.
• Towel-dry your hair thoroughly before using a blow dryer. You'll save time and avoid damaging your hair with too much heat.
• To cut down on static electricity, dampen your hairbrush before brushing.
• Avoid using a brush on wet hair because it is subject to breakage. Comb out snarls.
• If you suffer from a flaky scalp, try the following treatment every 2 weeks: Section your hair and rub the scalp with a cotton pad saturated with plain rubbing alcohol. Let the alcohol dry, then brush your hair and rinse thoroughly with warm water but don't shampoo.
• To perk up permed hair between shampoos, lightly mist your hair with fresh water and push the curls into place with your fingers.
• Dull, lifeless hair can be a sign of a poor diet. Try cutting down on cholesterol and fats.
• Wait at least 48 hours after coloring hair to shampoo it. Every time you wet hair you open the cuticle -- so give hair time to seal in the color.
• Beer can remove residue from your hair. Add 6 tablespoons beer to 1 cup warm water and pour it over your hair as a final rinse.
• If your hair is prone to buildup from conditioners, styling gel, or hair spray, mix 1 tablespoon baking soda with your regular shampoo once a week. Rinse and dry as usual.

• Use pomade sparingly to remove static, control flyaway ends, and add a glossy sheen to either straight or curly hair. Apply a very small amount to one hand, and liquefy it between your palms. Then run your hands through the hair. If braiding, apply before braiding and use it for small touch-ups.
• Use gel after a braid is finished to smooth down loose or uncontrolled hairs. Apply it to your fingertip or to the end of a hairpin, directing it on top of the stray hairs to encourage them back into the braided pattern.
• Use hair spray to hold the finished design in place. If you want a soft finish but need to control the hair, spray into the palm of your hand and then smooth over the surface of the hair to control flyaway strands.
• Use a coated rubber band or a soft hair tie to secure ponytails and the ends of a braid to reduce the stress on the hair.
• Use gel to control hair when you want a "wet" affect. Apply gel sparingly to your hair once styled. To use for braiding, apply it to all of the hair before you braid, or when you want a clean, off-the-face effect, you can apply it to the perimeter hairline where lengths tend to be shorter.

Highlights from Last Year's Event: Gemmette's Kick Off to Breast Cancer Awareness Month

There are many ways to make a difference in the fight against breast cancer so we were very excited when sponsors like Wacoal, LA Fitness, The Comfort Diner,  Casa Espana, Tuscan Sun Grill, La Bella Tans, Metro Ink and The Bake Shoppe were as motivated as we were to help kick off our fund raising efforts for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation last year.

With your support, we are hoping to surpass last year's success. No matter how you give, every bit helps support the Komen global mission of ending breast cancer.

On October 15, 2011 Gemmette Hair Studio will once again be in full arrays of pink. Wacoal will properly fit women from their beautiful bra collection and our studio will once more be a vibrant environment filled with energy and hope for a cure against this disease that has affected so many of us.

We hope to see you there!

5 New Things to Do With Your Hair

In a hair rut? Here are 5 new, easy things to do with your hair this fall. Good hair day? Try, good hair season!

Can't-Decide Chic

Can't decide if you want a braid or not? Do like Blake Lively, and have it both ways. The normally polished star gave her look a boho feel by pulling a messy pony to one side and weaving a braid in the center. Make it blend in by using thin, see-through elastics rather than thick, colored hair-ties.

Body Builder

If tight curls leave you feeling like you booked a one-way ticket on the Soul Train, get control by pulling them back and to the side. We love full, voluminous body, like Eva Longoria's, but think it's more formal-appropriate to tame bouncy strands with a low, side ponytail. Fight all-over frizz by coating fly-aways with curl-control serum.

Fashionably Frazzled

A messy ponytail, like Sienna Miller's, works well for dirty hair, since clean strands don't have as much hold. Get extra texture, before putting your hair up, by spritzing roots with an aerosol spray dry shampoo and dispersing product evenly through hair with a boar bristle brush. Then, bend at the waist and pull your hair into a ponytail, letting gravity give you extra height at the crown. For added oomph, tease hair around your face and on the underside of your head.

Side-Tracked

Glossy curls tossed over one shoulder are effortlessly glam and were seen up and down the red carpet on stars, like Liv Tyler, this year. Starting with a full head of curls, use a large paddle brush to guide hair over one shoulder (the brush will help disperse oil and shine). The trick to making strands stay is using small pins to strategically keep shorter pieces in place and coating locks lightly with a anti-humidity hairspray.

Bravo, Bun!

J. Lo's perfected what we like to think of as the mullet of the bun world (a good thing!): All business in the front with sleek strands, and party in the back with a tousled updo! Achieve this look by starting with a secure, tight ponytail. Then go at it with U-shaped hair pins, haphazardly twisting and pinning pieces around the base of the pony. Just remember to pack extra bobby pins.

Best Guy Hair

From eye-catching feathered locks to sexy slicked-back surfer waves, see how the hottest male celebrities are rocking the latest hairstyle trends.

David Beckham's swanky combed-back style shows off his frosty highlights (and arched brow). We’d say the famous soccer player is just as smitten with this haircut as we are, judging by his smirk.

Alexander Skarsgard elongates his gorgeous mug with this strategic cut. Trimmed sides show off his Nordic cheekbones, while the longer pieces at the crown minimize the size of his forehead.

Brad Pitt skips the beard in favor of this less-scruffy-than-usual look. The father of six keeps the focus on his chiseled features and (handsome) sun-kissed skin.

See...We have love for the men who visit our studio too! 

DIY: How to Style Hair Secret

Dirty hair is easier to style. Stylists prefer if you don't wash hair the morning of an updo. Don't be surprised if they sprinkle dry shampoo on your hair. 

These help create the perfect texture for an updo. Keep this tip in mind when creating your own updos. 

You can also soak up extra oils using baby powder, which creates the same texture as dry shampoo but at a fraction of the cost.

Fact or Fiction: Can split ends be reversed?

Fiction. Unfortunately, once split ends happen, the only way to get rid of them is by getting a haircut. The good news is that the right hair products can definitely make them less noticeable. Try  Enjoy, Moroccan Oil or Paul Mitchell, all available in our Studio. Try to also limit the use of heated tools and appliances (hair dryers, flat irons, etc) for shinier, healthier locks.

12 Tips for Getting Out of Hair Hell

Save yourself the added stress of a bad hair day, and read up on these easy tips for troubleshooting your "mane" nightmares.

1) Fight Frizz Like a Pro

Frizz happens when the cuticle layer (the outer layer) of the hair opens, moisture gets inside, and the hair swells up. It's made worse when your strands are pushed against each other, due to weather, tool damage, or even rubbing wet hair with a towel. Prevent a frizzy mane during warmer months, and cut back on your flatiron and blow-dryer use to every other day, or every third day.

2) Work with Your Curls

Fighting your hair's texture in humid climates will only lead to more frizz and breakage. Instead, apply a flexible-hold gel on wet hair and twist coils or waves in the natural direction of the curls to eliminate friction. This will add definition to your do.

3) Hands Off!

Mandate a "no touching" rule for your strands on hot, muggy days, no matter your hair type. Roughing up or scrunching curls with a towel or your hands can pull your hair out of place and cause more frizz. Finer textures are prone to greasy scalps (oils from your hands move down straighter strands faster), meaning limp locks later.

4) Slick Back Shorter Styles

Keep cropped cuts off of your face (the shorter pieces are more likely to cling to sweaty foreheads and cheeks), by taking a page out of Hayden's book. Instead of blow-drying hair to fall along your natural part, coat wet hair with a light gel and mold pieces back and away from your face for a simple and chic 9-to-5 look.

5) Troubleshoot with Braids

Wispies are cute for daytime picnics, but they don't always translate to the office or post-work plans. Tame the halo around your head, and weave face-framing pieces into small braids. This style also works well for women with layers, who want to keep all of their hair off their neck and mug.

6) Be A Seasonal Swapper

Just as with skin-care products, trade in your cold-weather regimen for formulas better suited for heat-related hair stressors. If you have fine hair, avoid styling oils and creams, because these heavier mixtures can weigh down hair. Opt for water- or alcohol-based volumizers to add a oomph to damp strands. Conversely, thicker hair types need more moisture during warmer months.

7) Get Some Clarity...

...In the form of a quick hair rinse. After swimming in a pool or pond, immediately cleanse hair with a clarifying shampoo. Non-salt water can contain hard metals and chlorine that will oxidize dyed strands, making the color look brassy or even, green.

8) Go Retro!

Old school swim caps are not just vintage throwbacks. These rubber caps are the most effective means to blocking chemicals and rays from burning your scalp, drying out ends, and altering your salon-perfected shade.

9) Soak Your Strands

Because your hair is like a sponge and can only absorb so much water, saturate your strands with bottled or filtered water before going swimming and pull it into a bun. That way, your hair will be unable to soak up any hue-altering properties."

10) Be Sun Savvy

The sun acts as a catalyst and oxidizes newly highlighted or lightened strands to bring out unwanted warmer shades. Beach-dwelling blondes and brunettes should look for shampoos that contain blue or violet pigments to counteract yellow, red, and orange tones. 

11) Add Mega Amounts of Moisture

Environmental factors, like pollution and water type, will all determine what adjustments you need to make to your hair-care routine as the mercury rises. Women with coarse, curly hair should use styling formulas high in glycerin to attract moisture into your strands and combat dryness.

12) Baby Treated Hair

Women with relaxed hair need to apply their moisturizing hair dress more often than usual. Also, try to keep your body temperature as cool as possible. Any excessive perspiration on your neck or scalp will revert your straighter hair back to a frizzier state. A sky-high sleek ponytail can help beat the heat.

We hope you find these tips helpful.