HairSmith

Happy New Year and a huge "Thank you !" to all my wonderful clients who have supported me over the past year. It has been a delight to spend time with you. Not everyone can say they look forward to going to work but for me it's true: I feel truly blessed that my work is my passion, my vocation and my inspiration and it's made all the better being able to share it with all you lovely people!
2023 has had its challenges but has ultimately been exciting and motivating. New ventures for 2024 will soon be announced and I look forward to taking you all along with me.
Looking forward to seeing you all in the New Year. And remember, whatever life gives you - find your fabulous!

HairSmith Find your fabulous.

Holibobs hair coming soon.....!

Proudly presenting hairsmith.co.uk. Check it out and let me know what you think! via

HairSmith Find your fabulous.

My favourite brief lately was given to me by my delightful A Capella choir leader, the uber talented and super lovely Helen. The aim: a manageable cut and funky colour that suited Helen's hectic schedule and quirky style.

Helens previous cut and colour was long grown out and faded. Her hair lacked shape and purpose and had become difficult to style and manage. The colour (although Helen liked the faded look) had lost its identity and her ends were dry. Helen was definitely up for a reboot.

For colour, we decided upon a sizzling pink which we knew would fade and soften as it transformed from deep hot fuchsia through pink shades to a warm blonde.

Helen was open to me using my experience. eye and knowledge of her acquired over time and a thorough consultation to decide upon how to approach the cut. This year, the Italian bob has made a breakthrough. What sets it apart from the traditional French bob is that it is generally worn longer and has internal layering to give support while still maintaining the outward appearance of being essentially one length. The layering, if done correctly, is adapted according to the hair density to either remove bulk or to give support to finer hair when scrunching, waving or curling for a more casual look.

The first stage was to remove a lot of the length from Helen's hair to reveal how much of the faded colour we were left with. This would direct the subsequent prelightening stage which is necessary to provide the base for the colour application. Taking away excess length also assists with manageability as I cut in the style.

Then to the colour. Step one to achieving the desired shade was to prelighten the hair using a foilyage backcomb weave and backcomb slice technique to give adequate lift to the hair to enable it to accept the pink shade we had chosen. This would result in full coverage at the mid lengths and ends and a soft natural shattered regrowth. As some of the lengths had retained the previous lightening, care had to taken to ensure that the condition of the ends was maintained by adding oil and and protein additive to the bleach, using a gentle peroxide for long, slow lift.

Once the hair had reached the required depth, it was thoroughly washed and the pink tone applied. After rinsing and drying, the hair the cut was perfected and personalised.

And tadaaaaaa! A wonderful new do. And best of all, Helen's fiercest (and I'm sure, only) critics, the family, heartily approved!

Thank you Helen for allowing me to be creative and exercise comtemporary cutting and being open to advanced colour techniques and brave colour choices. You own it!

I've been working on my new website, www.HairSmith.co.uk . IT was never my strongpoint but in for a penny, in for a pound. I've added a Blog. Here's my first entry. Creating it was a bit like cooking a Christmas dinner: it takes hours to do (possibly months if you include putting the sprouts on to boil sometime mid-October) and is demolished in minutes. But I do hope you enjoy reading it. x

I'm so excited! (And I just can't hide it!) It's been a funny old year so far and it's whizzing by. After a brief flirtation as a senior stylist in a luxury salon I returned to what I love best - visiting clients in the relaxed atmosphere of their own homes. They ...

A huge THANK YOU!!! to all my lovely ladies and gentlemen who have contributed to my Facebook and Website Gallery. Check out my "Happy Clients" album on this page and the Gallery on my new website www.HairSmith.co.uk to see if you are there.
As a small token of my gratitude, each contributor to the album or Gallery will receive 10% off their next service.

If you would like to feature your photograph and receive a discount, please remind me to take before and after shots when I next visit you.

HairSmith Find your fabulous.

Proudly presenting hairsmith.co.uk. Check it out and let me know what you think! via

http://hairsmith.co.uk

This weekend I faced my first teen challenge of the year: how to transform a truculent 12yrs old going on 16 Terminator 2 John Connor lookalike into a grown up, sauve young man.

Charlie's hair was an outgrown skater boy look. The back and sides previously had been severely cropped and disconnected from the long foppish top section which was worn down or tied up.

Charlie requested a style that "goes all over like this". Hmmmmm.

I first sectioned off the top area then used clippers to closely crop the back and sides. Then using scissors I blended this vertically into the top section. The top was then box layer cut removing a good inch in length taking care not to shorten the front to much as Charlie has a wicked cows lick in the hairline. The transition into the back and sides was then softened with round layers and deep point cutting.

To finish, bodifying get cream was applied to dry hair.

Charlie declared himself to be "well pleased"!😊

Children up to the age if 16 enjoy a 30% discount on all services.

Please ping me a message for all your enquiries.

Another week and another pick of the pops!
(Crikey I'm showing my age 🙈😄.)

Yesterday the lovely Michelle came to.me with an interesting proposition:
to transform her outgrown, colour-faded, chemically and heat damaged hair into a sleek, vibrant, colourful new do while removing as little length and as possible and avoid layering her unruly curly hair with the aim of growing her previously short asymmetrical undercut into a long versatile style which she can put up into a pony or plaits for work. 🤔

Following consultation it was decided that two quasi/demi permanent tints would be a good compromise to achieve the desired colours with some degree of permanency on Michelle's very porous hair. We selected a rich, deep chocolate brown for the roots blending into a bright orange on the lengths.

The first stage was to remove the colour build up and lighten the base tone ready for Michelle's chosen hue of bright orange. It was important yo do this as gently as possible to avoid further damage to Michelle's fragile hair. Having not handled her hair before and not knowing what previous treatments had been applied I felt it best to be cautious and so this was done with two gentle bleach bath treatments rather than one harsher treatment.

The demi colors were then applied using foils to prevent excessive bleeding of the darker shade into the lengths.

A good trim was required to remove the previously damaged hair. Although Michelle was reluctant to lose much length I explained that it was counterproductive not to cut away the damaged hair: the broken ends would creep up the hair shaft like a ladder in tights weakening the whole hair shaft. In effect the hair would not appear to grow as growth occurring at the roots would be offset by breakage at the ends. Furthermore her hair would not look sleek but frizzy owing to the damage.

Once cut, Michelles naturally waving/curly hair was blown dried and straightened using a blow dry protector and a heat protector spray. I recommended at trim every 12 weeks at most to remove dry ends, prevent breakage and hence capitalise on growth at the roots. To maintain the colour a non-oxidising direct dye can be applied to the hair to enhance the colour and at no risk of further chemical damage.

And here we have it! Michelle is delighted with her new colour and sleek cut.

Thank you Michelle for your custom. 😊

If you are fancying a new do this New Year please message me for a free consultation and if booked during January, 10% off any service you require. Colour corrective services are priced on consultation.