Extensions: Do you color your hair while they are in? Or should you take them out, then color? These are questions I am constantly asked…

There are many different types of extensions out there, but the same rules apply to most. If you are keeping your color the same, it doesn’t really matter if you color your hair with them in or out. If you’re changing your color, I would suggest taking them out, getting the color done right and then matching the extensions to your new color. Even though the hair is human and can be colored, extensions take differently to color than the hair growing out of your head.

Differences can be:
* Texture
* They most likely have been treated and colored already (and you don’t know how many times)
* They will react differently to color

I also would suggest giving your hair a break from extensions every few months and getting a conditioning treatment, as you don’t want your natural hair to get weak from having these in all the time. As an alternative, you can always switch to clip-on for in-between, so you don’t have to go sans extensions. I find that most people tend to get used to having extensions and all this thick hair, but it is not natural to have all that hair! Don’t get caught up in the thought that your hair is not good enough. With a great haircut and color, you can have beautiful looking hair that is your own!

xx, Rita Hazen

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Your natural hair texture and the way you color your hair go hand-in-hand. Different hair textures take to color differently, and sometimes it’s not possible to achieve the exact look your going for. For example, if you have medium dark brown, curly hair and want to have bright blonde hair with no warmth, it’s not possible. Reason is, curly hair is much more fragile than fine, straight hair and before it gets to be the blonde that you want it to be, it will become very damaged. Also, fine, straight hair may not hold the color you want very long; it tends to wash out faster.

I suggest that when choosing a color, apply the same concept as you would to a style-try to find pictures of hair that is close to your texture. This way you will have gorgeous-looking hair all the time, not only when it’s professionally blown out and styled. Also, look for products that will help keep your hair hydrated long enough to look healthy and shiny for hours on end. Hair shouldn’t be high maintenance-who wants to spend an hour every morning doing their hair?

As far as highlighting goes, color thicker chunks of curly hair, because the curls bind together differently every day and you want to be able to see your highlights, where as straight, fine hair needs to be a little finer so its not too streaky.

xx, Rita Hazan

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With so many products out there, how does anyone know what to buy? For shampoo and conditioner, if you color your hair, I would suggest only using products for color-treated hair as these tend to have ingredients in them that help hydrate and moisturize the hair. A good shampoo and conditioner is important because it serves as a foundation for how you style your hair and what you use as styling. I feel like there are so many products out there, it can be overwhelming and confusing. The way I choose my products is by thinking what problem do I want to tackle? It seems every month/season, it’s something different - sometimes I look for anti-frizz, sometimes for curl. So I think you should first determine what problem you want to tackle and look for a product that says so on the bottle!

xx, Rita Hazan

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Dramatic changes are always fun, but I always tell women before they go extreme with the change is to think it through thoroughly and make sure they really want to do it. If the answer is yes, here goes.

Going from light to dark is the least damaging. You can use a semi permanent gloss; this will help you have a shiny glossy color without peroxide, which adds damage.

Now going from dark to light is hard and can be damaging to the hair. Especially if you have black hair and want to go lighter. You have to strip the hair, and there are many different ways to do this. I suggest you spend the money and go to someone who is very skilled and reputable for this huge change. It’s not easy, and you can end up with a color you don’t like. Also know that it takes time up to 6 months to get the perfect color that you want so be patient. Especially if you do it the healthy way and take your time each month, going a little lighter during each salon visit until you achieve your desired color. Also always remember to do a conditioning treatment - either in the salon or at home - once or twice a week during the transformation process. You have to keep your hair hydrated to keep it healthy.

Redheads are a bit trickier. If you want to change to a redhead, know that they wash out easy so require more maintenance to keep the red bright not washed out. But when you want to change from red, it’s the most difficult color to remove. It takes time and if you want to go blonde, you will be a strawberry blonde first.

I have to say, as a colorist, changing hair color and doing corrective color is my all-time favorite thing to do. I love the challenges and the dramatic changes, and I believe that you should have fun with your color and change it. But I don’t think you should change it every month or even every two or three months. This can be damaging. If you crave a change, sometimes a shade or two from your current color will do the trick and is something you can do seasonally to keep things different.”

xx, Rita Hazan

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What are the different kinds of highlights available?
There are many different techniques, varying names and ways to do highlights. You have baliage, foil, painting, cap (but no one does that anymore - I hope!), full head, half head, chunking, fine, low lights and framing your face…..

What’s the difference? Which one is better? What should you choose?
These are all questions I hear all the time. I will try and help clarify what all these words mean for you.

Baliage and painting are basically the same thing in different words. It just means there is no foil involved and your colorist paints on highlights freehand. Because there is no foil involved you must use a higher volume peroxide and if not done correctly by a pro, can be very damaging to the hair. We all know what the cap is and I hope no one uses that anymore. Its painful and you have no creative control over the placement of highlights. All the rest are done with foil and are just different techniques and looks - it all really depends on what you’re going for. Half head or full head just really depends on how you like your hair. It’s a personal choice and framing the face is just a few highlights around your hairline and/or crown area. Also, I’d advise against “chunking” as it’s outdated and looks very harsh - it was very popular in the 90’s.
All these are different options and it all depends on the color and look you are going for.

So what’s in now for highlights? It’s all about tone on tone highlights, not fine or chunky but somewhere in the middle. It’s just to give dimension to the hair using many different tones in the same color family. That way hair doesn’t look solid or dense and always go for warmer tones, more golden than ash - it’s more youthful. Highlights should be fun not scary; they add contrast and spice up your color!

xx, Rita Hazan

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Highlights are meant to accent a pretty color, they are not meant to be your color. The example I use is if you read a book you only highlight the important parts, if you highlight the whole book it doesn’t make sense… If you are just looking to keep your natural color but want to liven it up a little, you should put a few highlights in around your hairline and crown area. If you find that you have to highlight every 6 weeks, you now need a base color. Your natural color changes over time and your hair might be getting darker, so you would have to start to lighten up your natural color a shade or two, and then add highlights. The good thing about coloring your base is that you can highlight less often and it ends up being much healthier for your hair. So you can do your base 2x, which will be almost 3 months and then you highlight. The less bleach you use, the better your hair will feel. You can always try doing your base and if you don’t like it you can always go back to just highlighting.

xx, Rita Hazan

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Your 20’s:

When you’re in your 20’s, your skin tone is in the best shape. It’s young and vibrant, so this allows you to wear any hair color. If you want really dark, black hair or very light, like Platinum, go for it! Even most cuts can compliment your face during this time. Have fun and be playful with your hair - color and cut!

Your 30’s:

You’re still young and your skin tone is still healthy and rosy. You can’t wear dramatic colors anymore and your focus should be more on sophisticated color instead of bleach blonde. In this case, you should tone it down a shade or two to golden blonde. Choose rich tones to keep you looking like you’re in your 20’s.

Your 40’s:

Now that you’re beginning to lose pigment in your skin tone, you start to develop gray hairs that may need to be covered. You have to compensate for the loss of pigment in your hair and skin, therefore extreme dark or light color doesn’t work anymore. You now have to wear colors that match your new skin tone and lifestyle. Usually warm rich colors add a nice glow to skin, so try to pick colors that have the word “gold” in them and stay away from ash, as this will make you look older. Golden tones are more youthful and happy, no matter what age you are. I suggest picking colors that make you feel and look young - that’s the best advice!

xx, Rita Hazan

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**Photos Courtesy of iStockPhoto**

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I love everything about it, including the heat and escaping out of the city to a different place. This year I will be going to Hotel Les Mouettes in Corsica; it has gorgeous beaches and the people are beautiful - I find a lot of inspiration there.

Because it’s really hot and the sun is strong, I will have to protect my hair as I made it a little blonder for the summer. My favorite product is Phyto Sun Veil, it’s a great SPF for the hair and helps keep your color, without being greasy.

I also always keep a mask with me in my beach bag. Every time I go in / out of the ocean or pool I always put the mask in my hair - it offers two-fold protection:

1) The sun acts as heat, which allows the mask to really penetrate the hair, giving me a treatment all day.

2) It keeps my hair from getting frizzy on the beach, and that is a big issue for us woman. Any mask will do the trick!

I’m also loving ‘Bermuda Shorts’ by Essie - this nail color is bright but not obnoxious. It’s a great summer color, a deep, rich, pink/purple. It’s a fun, playful color to sport this summer, works with all skin tones and perfect for any age.

Please remember to use a high SPF all over your body, I like to apply it before I put my bathing suit on (so I don’t get weird lines) - also you should reapply a few times a day.

I love White Sand Lotion (I even sell it now at my salon) - it smells great and moisturizes your skin at the same time.

Enjoy your Summer!!!

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Looking for ways to keep your colored hair vibrant and healthy? Know that there are a few things you should keep in mind when caring for colored hair:

Always tell your colorist if you have had any of the following applied to your hair:

• A perm,
• Japanese or Brazilian relaxers,
• Any anti-curl treatments,
• or color that washes out in six washes

Be honest to your colorist about any chemical used within the last 3 years on your hair. This is how you ensure bad chemical reactions WILL NOT happen. Any type of chemical that you might have used in the passed 3 years matters to the outcome of your hair. Our hair takes a lot of abuse between the curling and flat irons, blow-drying and styling - which I think are more harmful to the hair than actual color, and when combined cause extra damage (I know this from my own personal experiences). To keep your hair in the best shape it can be, do a deep conditioning treatment once or twice a week, and get a professional treatment every time you color. Ask specifically for a treatment, as this will not change your color at all, it will only help it last longer. Healthy hair holds color in! Also, whenever using a blow-dryer or anything with heat (i.e. hot rollers, flat irons, ect.), always apply a product that has heat protection in it before using any tools. The product acts like a shield, as the intense heat will burn the product before your hair - they really do make a difference and will save the integrity of your hair.

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**Photos Courtesy of iStock**

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