Beauty shop

You’d be hard-pressed to find someone not particular about their hair. I, for instance, will only let one hairdresser touch my locks as I’ve been traumatized no end in the past. I’ve had situations where I’ve come out with hair as blonde as Barbie’s or as black as Morticia’s. With skin as fair as mine, neither end of the color spectrum works well with my skin tone and I’ve looked so awful, there were instances I couldn’t bear to look at myself in the mirror until the color had grown out.

Also burned badly by horrendous butchering hairdressers, I’ve learned the hard way that, once you find someone you can trust and understands your personal style, it’s best to stick with him through thick and thin, else you'll end up exiting the salon in tears.

I suppose that’s why most women let makeup artists work their magic more often than hairdressers. If you’re not pleased with your makeup, you can easily scrub it off. But a terrible hairdo lasts for what can sometimes seem like eternity. Instead of playing around with styles for my hair (mine dithers between straight and wavy, and stays utterly boring), I experiment with products and treatments. Even in this field I’m still a picky consumer. Justifiably so, as healthy hair is highly visible and can easily make an impression.

A beauty junkie, my bathroom is filled to the brim with products (Sephora is my turf and Allure, my bible). I like to test out products on my own and come up with my own personal testimonial, as not everything works well on everyone. One brand that’s a staple in my shower is Kerastase, the créme de la créme in haircare.

A brand that has been around for more than 40 years, and available in over 40 countries, L’Oreal-owned Kerastase is at the forefront of haircare technology, offering beauty rituals done in salons by ambassadors, and home-care kits that are easy to use (and smell wonderful).

With the temperatures rising, and beachgoers basking in the shining sun, I’ve changed my haircare routine for the summer months to include Kerastase’s Soleil line. As hair and scalps are exposed to the harsh UV rays of the sun, protection is key, or hair will frizz out and scalps will dry up, causing foul flaking. Why risk looking like something the cat dragged in when preventable measures are all it takes to keep hair looking shiny and silky? The Soleil line includes Voile Protector, an invisible, non-greasy hair spray that protects your mane from the drying effects of harsh elements. UV filters protect the hair shaft whether you are lying on the beach, swimming in the water, or even strolling along city streets. The Bain Apres Soleil is a rehydrating, vitamin-charged after-sun shampoo that replenishes much needed moisture to the hair and scalp, while rinsing away salt and chlorine. Follow it up with Créme Richesse, a deep-conditioning treatment that soothes sun and sea-stressed tresses. It’s also ideal for color-treated hair.

Highlights, lowlights, single process. There are so many methods to hair color these days. Color trends change over time but people getting dye jobs remain. Why dole out cash for fabulous color, and then not treat it properly? Caring for colored hair is vital to lasting color and shine. You can have your cake and eat it too with Kerastase’s Reflection line. Designed specifically for sensitized, colored hair, the Bain Mirror shampoo gently washes away residue while boosting shine and radiance.

Housed in hot pink candy-colored bottles and tubes,the conditioning step offers two choices, a leave-in treatment or one that can be rinsed out. Both options polish hair fibers, protect them from environmental aggressors, and also seal in color.

At the end of the day, of utmost importance to me is actual hair. I’m so paranoid about losing my hair that I will do anything short of a transplant. With heredity, stress, pollution, hormonal fluctuations, and seasonal changes all influencing hair loss, I’m not alone in fearing baldness (two out of three people claim to have thinning hair). Options are limited once the hair falls out. The best way to combat hair loss is to treat it before the damage is done. Supple collagen fibers surround the roots of our hair and when the collagen stiffens, the necessary nutrients can’t reach the root, causing the follicle to suffer from premature aging. Yikes!

Kerastase Specifique offers a stimulating in-salon ritual to combat collagen hardening by massaging Aminexil, a patented hairloss prevention molecule that keeps collagen supple, into the scalp. Cleansing at home with the Bain Prevention shampoo maintains a healthy scalp, which preps up the follicles for the vials of Aminexil that should be applied for six weeks. Just do as you’re told and, voila, you’ve got a mane to be desired.

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Comments? E-mail me at jcantonio@gmail.com.