Ashley Valentin Hair

My Extension Journey~

This is a super vulnerable and scars out post.

We all know life happens; stress, being too busy, lack of sleep, and sometimes life hits you really hard.

My hair 6 years ago was at its peak of amazing. Everything was amazing in my life; work, stress minimal, happily married, great balance, and physically healthy. Then the universe laughed at me.

I had a big loss, ended up with health issues, grief so heavy, and my health last on my list. I ended up with gallbladder stones and needing my gallbladder removed. I joke all the time they took it from me. The reality is that when you suffer a great loss and grief takes over; your body just begins to hate you.

I was put under for surgery 3x in a 2 week period, 6 months later again, and then 6 months after that again for the last time. You can imagine the toll it took on my body and my hair.

I lost a lot of hair; i felt bald. I clearly wasn’t but my hair had never been that thin in my life. I felt insecure, i joked that i looked like a naked mole rat, and the worst part was it wasn’t growing back.

I wanted to tell this story; show you my before and after of my extension journey. They changed the way i felt, how i looked, and more importantly it helped me to feel better about myself overall. It helped me mentally to feel better internally which in turn helped my grief and depression.

Beyond Lightener: The Strategic Power of Lifting Crème

Stop reaching for lightener every time you see a dark canvas. Intentionality starts with your tool selection.

When my client came in wanting natural, sun-kissed dimension on her previously colored curls, I didn’t reach for bleach. I reached for Kenra Color Permanent Lifting Crème.
Why? Because traditional lightener is designed to strip pigment; Lifting Crème is designed to evolve it. Think of Lifting Crème as “White” on your palette—it provides a softer, warmer, and more controlled lift.
• The Lifting Power: On its own, Lifting Crème can achieve up to 3 levels of lift. For this client, that was the “sweet spot” to shift her base without over-processing.
• Controlled Warmth: For a natural brunette highlight, warmth is your friend. This exposes the underlying pigment in a way that looks “sun-drenched” rather than “bleached.”

Lifting Crème is the most versatile tube in my dispensary. Here is how I use it:
1. The Brownout: Perfect for decolorizing color buildup without the aggression of a full lightener.
2. Increased Insurance: Add it into your permanent color formulation for an additional 1/2 to 1 level of lift.
3. The Corrective Shampoo: Acts like a “Soap Cap” for a subtle tonality lift—less aggressive than a bleach wash, more effective for refining over-toned ends.
4. The Vibrant Booster: Mix with Red or Violet boosters for “Ultra Violet” results with serious longevity.
5. Resistant Gray Coverage: Use it for Deluxe Pigment Loading to ensure even the most stubborn grays take the color.

Lifting Crème and Lightener both have a seat at the table—it’s knowing when to pull which lever. Professionalism is choosing the tool that guarantees the most ‘insurance’ for the hair’s health and long-term integrity.

Is your Lifting Crème sitting in the back of the cabinet, or is it a staple in your corrective strategy? I’ve listed 5 specific ways I use this behind the chair—let’s talk more about these 5 ways in the comments! 👇

The Skip Slice: Where Impact Meets Diffusion

Stop choosing between a bold slice and a diffused weave. The Skip Slice is the bridge.

When we want maximum brightness, we usually reach for a slice. When we want maximum diffusion, we weave. But the Kenra Color’s Skip Slice allows you to deliver high-impact color without the “harsh” regrowth lines that often come with solid slicing. Don’t put this technique in a ‘blonde box.’ The Skip Slice is just as powerful for creating rich, dimensional brunettes or vibrant coppers. It’s about the balance of weight, not just the level of lift.

The “Why” Behind The Skip Slice
• Mechanical Diffusion: By “skipping” a thin veil of hair between your slices, you are building internal negative space into your section.
• The Technical Result: This prevents the lightener from “stacking” into a solid wall of color. Instead, the “skipped” hair acts as a natural buffer, diffusing the light and creating a soft, blurred effect at the root while maintaining bold saturation through the ends.

The “How” (The Educator Strategy):
1. The Slice: Take a clean thin slice
2. The Skip: Drop a piece in the middle. This is your “negative space.”
3. The Application: Saturate the remaining hair in your foil.
4. The Kenra Edge: In this video, I’m using Kenra Simply Blonde Beyond Bond lightener. Because the skip slice creates a bolder look, you want a product with high-definition lift.

Pro-Tip: If you’re working on a client with fine hair, keep your “skips” very thin. If they have high density, you can take a larger skip to ensure the dimension doesn’t get lost.
Pro-Tip for “Skips”: You can brick lay the skip slices; don’t be scared to move your “skips” off-center to either side this can create more impact depending on your placement.
Pro-Tip for Brunettes: When using the Skip Slice on darker levels, your ‘skip’ is your safety net. It ensures that your lowlight or highlight doesn’t look like a ‘stripe’ against the natural hair.

Stylist-to-Stylist: Are you team for your lived-in looks, or do you still do traditional weaves? Let’s talk efficiency and impact in the comments! 👇

✨ COLOR MAINTENANCE GUIDE ✨
Healthy, long-lasting color comes down to proper at-home care and consistency. Toning, treatments, heat protection, and daily habits all help keep your hair fresh, glossy, and healthy

Your hair goals don’t stop after your appointment—they continue at home 🤍

Full refresh with a heavy highlight + cut ✂️✨
Lifted her to a brighter blonde while maintaining dimension and softness 🤍
The cut adds shape, bounce, and that effortless finish

EffortlessStyle HairInspo

Mood: Sultry Sangria. The perfect blend of deep mahogany and vibrant crimson for a look that’s as bold as it is beautiful.

My last entry for

As always using all products!

Inspired by Kenra Professional’s 2026 Artistic Collection Sands of the Earth. I used The Dunes placement to create this Sultry Sangria! Using zig-zag partings and utilizing babylights, medium weaves and slices while keeping medium density between foils to create ripples of crimson.

Prepping her with Luxe Shine Shampoo and Conditioner. Layering her with Blow Dry Spray, Volume Mousse, and Perfect Blowout. Finishing her with Heat Block Spray and Volume Spray 25.
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