Life in the Fast Lane

No...We're not talking about getting Pole Position in the Salon to get your haircut first!

We know how life can be.  You have to pick up the kids from school at 3:15, you've booked a hair appointment for 2:00 and you are just not sure if you are going to make it in time, what with all the incredible treatments, head massage at Shampoo, and browsing of products you like to do when you are in the Salon.  It should feel like a pampering, indulgent experience.  Not the last sprint of the London Marathon towards the finish line!

Welcome to the Fast Lane.  Here at Tommy's we understand that sometimes taking your time simply isn't practical, and as one of our previous posts said, we never 'squeeze' anybody in.  So what's the solution?  

We Fast Lane your appointment!  Simply arrive ten minutes before your appointment time.  We will take your bill, book your next appointment and send you over for consultation with your Stylist.  So that when your appointment time comes along you have already had that incredible head massage, had a quick peek at the retail that you want to take home to keep your hair in it's best condition, and you can fly out the door confident in the fact that you have had exactly the same level of service but with a 10-15 minute head start!

Want to save even more time?  If your time is limited and you can only visit us on a certain day at a certain time, then we will schedule you in for that day and time at your chosen interval!  Stress free hairdressing!

To take advantage, simply phone your nearest Salon ( visit www.tommyshaircompany.com to find your nearest one!) and ask them to fast lane your appointment!

Got suggestions of how we can continue to improve our service for you? Please visit the website and get in contact to let us know!

Would you clean your hotel room before the maid came?

Should I wash my hair before coming to the Salon?

We don't want to be gross or anything but we love dirty hair. Ok, there is a cut off point of  how many days you can go without shampooing, but you should NEVER (except one instance!) shampoo your hair before you come to the salon.

Coming for your colour done? Always come with dry hair (Professional Tip!) it saves time if you want to be out on time, and means that it won't need to be blow dried before hand!  Dirty hair (second...even third day hair is ok) makes it easier for the technician to place foils.  Oils secreted by your hair also form a type of protection against possible irritation by the colour!

With a haircut...Well having a dry cut is like going to McDonalds for a Salad.  You want the burger but you've cheated yourself out of it, and it costs exactly the same!  You have come to the professionals and it costs no more or less to sit back in our shiatsu massage chairs, and feel the stress of every day life melt away with every knot that is kneaded out of your back by the chair. Pair that with the KILLER head ritual that is done during your shampoo and you will wonder why you cheated yourself out of this experience for so long!

But you should come with your hair styled the way you normally wear it.  Makes it easier for the Stylists to see what you do with your hair, and see what kind of effort and/or style you put in yourself.

Hair Up and Curling appointments should always be washed and dried the day before, then just left.  No styling products...no oils...just your hair. Okay...Maybe a volumising cream such as Forme Fatale or Lift Vertige from Kerastase but nothing else!  It gives a great base for doing hair up and curling, and if we need to change the texture for any reason then we can always do that in the chair :)

And that exception when you should wash your hair....Chlorine.  Always wash your hair after being in a swimming pool...Chlorine reacts with colour, and the results can be...how shall we say...Interesting?  Also if you have put any lightening products such as SUN-IN or other type of thing, let your stylist know!  The results of that with foils and lifting agents can be very serious!

So if you haven't washed your hair when you visit us...Don't worry, it's going to happen anyway.  It's like cleaning the hotel room before the maid comes!

Grey or Nay?

image courtesy of ridingwiththetopdown.blogspot.com

It will happen to us all at some stage, and everyone is pretty divided on it!

When you find that first grey hair you suddenly decide which way you are going to go... Are you going to embrace the grey or are you going to sell your soul to make sure nobody can ever find out that you are a silver siren underneath that hair colour? Similar to the way you pull the curtain across to hide that mark on the wall.

Whichever choice you make, there are ways of making sure it's done properly.  Do you want the science behind it?  As we age your hair stops producing melanin which gives the hair it's colour, this in turn means that your hair colour fades.  Nobody as yet knows why our bodies do it, but it's genetic and everyone has a predetermined stage when they will, or won't start turning grey.

That's not to say outside influences don't have an affect.  Diet, toxins, pollution, stress, and environment can all add to going grey sooner rather than later.

But there is good news!!!  I sit on the grey side of the fence.  Since I was about 21 I couldn't wait to go grey. I wanted to have the George Clooney silver fox thing going on.  Unfortunately without the rest of his features, and there are things you can do if you decide to embrace your natural highlights to enhance them and make it look healthy, and even youthful.

A lot of deciding to go grey or not depends on your skin tone.  Pink, olive and darker toned skin tend to really carry off grey quite well.  If you are of a paler complexion, sometimes the grey can add to making you look a little washed out.  Kaz our creative Colourist loves working with grey hair '' There are a thousand options for people with grey hair, lots of people seem to think that they just leave it and their stuck with it, and that simply isn't the case''   we broke it all down into three sections

Condition and Care, Colour, Complimenting

Condition & Care

Your hair texture changes as it changes colour, look towards moisturising shampoo's and conditioners that are  also high in vitamins and moisture.  Substantif from Kerastase has anti oxidant ingredients which don't weigh down the hair.  Conditioners from Substantif  or the Nutrive range in Kerastase are fantastic for giving your hair an instant kick of moisture.

Colour    

If you are going to hide your grey then think about whether you want to compliment, enhance, or hide your grey.  To compliment it you can think about highlights to break up your natural colour and will mix in, giving it a brighter and more youthful appearance.  To accentuate it, think about more subtle full heads of colour which can change the tone of your hair to make it more towards the soft blondes and ivories, or go the opposite way and have ice blue colours to help brighten and gloss your hair.  If you are thinking of hiding it, and you are starting to go grey, (salt and pepper as it's called) then think about having rich browns or multi tones put through to help keep your hair looking rich, and tonal as if to say 'I'm going grey gracefully'.  If you want to hide it then be prepared for the up keep, with visits every 4-6 weeks for darker colours, but if you have foils put through to gently blend out your natural colour then this will help reduce the amount of visits needed and will help you along the way to grey (without the badger stripe on the top of your head!)



Complimenting

 Silver Shampoo is an amazing shampoo not just for blonde people but also for our Grey Goddesses.  It looks like ink, but one shampoo with this product and grey hair instantly looks brighter, and healthier with an amazing tone.  it's enhanced with silver pigments that help enhance the hair and reduce warmer tones.  Also think about your make up, have some professional advice on how your hair and colour can be enhanced by the colour and style of make up you choose.