Don’t use bleach on your hair. When it comes to trimming bangs, take care. Do it yourself dyes need to be handled with caution. And hair gel covers a multitude of sins.
So says Pam Aie, the longtime owner of Revelations hair salon in Ashcroft. She has been a professional hairdresser for more than 35 years, and with hair salons closed she’s seeing more and more people who have taken their hair care into their own hands, often with less than ideal results.
Asked what her number one “don’t” is when it comes to DIY hairdressing, Aie says that colouring your hair when you usually have it done by a stylist is something best left to professionals.
“What I really don’t want to see is people colouring their hair themselves. Cutting your own or someone else’s hair is one thing; I can fix a cut. But if you use a boxed [colouring] product, trying to fix it afterward is a nightmare.
“If you get your hair professionally coloured with foils, or if you are a regular at a salon [for colouring], it’s best to use some kind of touch-up product, not something permanent, to put on your roots to cover the grey until you can get back to someone who can do your hair. That won’t screw it up in the long run.”
Aie says that there are a number of products out there that will wash out, such as crayons, powders, coloured mousses, and different types of spray. “Lots of people use these in the interim anyway, if they’re going on holiday or just in case they can’t get to a salon. They wash out when you wash your hair, so they’re not too permanent.”
The problem with using something more permanent, she notes, is that it can be a “nightmare”, especially if you pick the wrong colour. “People go to the store and see a colour on the shelf and they like it, but you can’t do colour on colour. One colour doesn’t remove another, and it won’t mix with the colour that’s there, and then we have to go over top of that.
“When you buy a boxed colour, there’s just one kind of peroxide in there. We don’t put the same colour on the roots as on the ends. And you have to use bleach to take a colour out.”
Which brings her to the advice about bleaching your own hair, with the advice being “Don’t.”
“Do not use bleach on your hair. People’s hair is literally falling out. Especially don’t do it if you’re not the type of person who normally does that type of thing yourself. It causes a mess. But people have nothing but time on their hands, so they watch a video and think ‘Oh, that looks easy’.”
Trimming bangs is something else a lot of people are trying at home, with mixed results. Aie says it can be done, but has some pro tips for anyone wanting to take their bangs into their own hands.
“Start long, and don’t raise your eyebrows. As soon you do that, you’ll make your bangs shorter than what you want them to be.”
Aie recommends closing your eyes as the best way to avoid starting off with your bangs too short. “And hold your fingers at nose level, not at your eyebrows, so you don’t pull [your bangs] up.” If you haven’t trimmed enough off, you can have a second try. “You can always cut more off, but you can’t put it back on.”
She also recommends using the sharpest scissors you can find, and says there’s no need to use a big pair. “Some people are using honking great scissors and almost sawing through their hair. Don’t use anything too big, so you don’t cut your eyebrows off as well.”
People frustrated with their bangs is something she is hearing a lot about, mainly because when bangs are too long they really get on people’s nerves. However, she points out that it’s only been about five weeks since salons shut down, and hair grows an average of half-an-inch a month, so if you had your hair cut relatively close to when hairdressers shut down things shouldn’t be too bad.
“If your hair is long then you can put it up, or put curls in it, or put it in a pony tail. Most women can get away with putting their hair up, or you can get a scrunchy with hair on it and put it around your own natural hair, which makes a natural-looking messy bun.
“I see these videos online about how to cut your own hair, and it’s unbelievable. One side is too short, and then you cut the other side and it gets worse and worse. Don’t cut it, just put it up. It can take forever to grow out [a bad cut].”
It might not be fair, but Aie says that “guys have it pretty good” when it comes to maintaining their hair.
“They can just take a pair of clippers and clip it. The style right now is longer on top and shaved on the sides, so as long as it’s shaved on the sides they can do whatever they want, and we can fix it for them later. From what I’m seeing online and from the pictures people are sending me, men aren’t doing too badly. As long as they have a pair of clippers with a guard they’re okay. And hair gel hides a lot of sins.”
Although Revelations is closed, Aie says she is still able to supply people with product if they contact her and let her know what they need. “If people want product I can get it, and I can order things in, although non-essential products are taking a while.”
While styling products, scrunchies, and shampoo and conditioner are doing well, Aie says that a lot of people are asking for lotion. “People are washing their hands so much and they’re really dry.” The shop is also still selling helium balloons for birthdays and special gatherings, and they’re looking at possibly have “sidewalk sales” on a Thursday, at the same time as the Ashcroft Bakery, for people who are coming into town to pick things up on that day.
Looking ahead to when they can reopen, Aie says that it will be all hands on deck to cope with the expected rush of customers looking for some hair help.
“There will be four of us working, and we’ll be open longer hours to meet the rush. It could be another month yet, but we’re definitely thinking about that.”
editorial@accjournal.ca
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