When I provide a hair service for you in the salon, I have access to and have been educated about much higher quality products than you would find at the pharmacy or grocery store. This all started 30 years ago at the reputable Minuteman Technical Vocational High School in Lexington Massachusetts.
The requirements are quite extensive to obtain a Massachusetts Cosmetology license which includes 1,000 clock hours of instruction. Once the certificate program was completed successfully, I then went in front of the State Board of Cosmetology and took the licensing exam. The mastery didn’t end there. I have had continuous education and experience the entire span of my career.
As a trained colorist, I know all about the color wheel, levels of lightness, different strengths of developers and the customization of the individual pigments to formulate the perfect color. It’s not a matter of opening a container and then directly applying to the hair; there’s science involved. Most importantly, I know how to approach hair that has been previously chemically treated. If the uneducated at-home practitioner chooses an inappropriate product to use on chemically treated hair, the results will be disastrous most likely resulting in a correction at the salon that is more costly than having the original treatment done professionally in the first place.
Color correction and/or touching up after box color has been previously used is an unpleasant undertaking due to the fact that these products typically contain high amounts of ammonia, metallic salts, and even unclean henna etc. These are harsh chemicals that can be extremely damaging to the hair as well as cause reactions to sensitive skin, allergies and unwanted reactions with potential subsequent chemical services. Because of the presence of some of these certain chemicals, any additional chemical treatments are highly discouraged by a licensed cosmetologist (Professional products do not contain these ingredients). They are also progressive dyes. This means that each time you use it, the pigment will build onto itself and get darker each time you apply the color. This can give that appearance of lighter at the roots and darker on the ends. Also, any overlapping which may cause hair breakage is a common result for at-home color because it is a difficult procedure either by one-self or asking an untrained friend to achieve precise application. Along with all of the chemistry involved, I have also learned the techniques needed to properly apply hair color.
The knowledge I have of the chemicals and experience with application techniques is all very important in regards to a color service, but the most rewarding aspect of the salon visit is the one-on-one interaction and relationships created between me and my clients.
