Killer Strands Hair Clinic

Color Your Hair Correctly: By Answering The Following 'Killer 10' Questions

2012-01-29T14:00:00.000-08:00

The TRUTHFUL answers to these questions....will give YOU, the beginnings to a beautiful head of hair !

The Killer 10 Questions

Just today I had one of our newbies ask about the Killer8 and which questions they were to answer. For months I have been wanting to revamp them to the KILLER10 as the last 2 questions truly are imperative for a proper answer.

We are looking for a New employee here at Killerstrands....if any of you are in the area (I'm always surprised that we have a teeny amount of Californians, for unknown reasons )

The Killer 10:

Do you have previous haircolor on your hair? Which includes : Crazy Colors, Henna,Temporary or any form of altering to the hair. This is the most important question and all of you need to dig down and be 100% honest to yourself. I had many a person be dishonest, that sat in my chair. If you are not honest the results will be horrendous. I never realized this until I was IN THE SALON and have this happen a LOT! Then they blame you! I finally got enough experience under my belt....to be able to pick out when they were fibbing! It was a terrible position to be put in. Be honest to me & honest to yourself.
The Hair on a persons Head, is one of the most treasured items on a persons body...as a Colorist/Stylist it is your job to care for it truthfully and sometimes it takes a painfully honest method to care for it so they ARE happy, secure, & pleased when you are finished.
(V) What is your VIRGIN (God-given) hair color level & tone ?
(I) What IS your present Hair Color level & Tone ?
(D) What is your DESIRED hair color Level & Tone ? ...when we ask for the VID answers
What is your percentage of Gray? Is it Resistant? ( which means is it stubborn to hold hair color)
What is your DURP? Slight to Strong....DOMINANT... UNDERLYING.... REMAINING... PIGMENT analyze what each one of those words mean – one-at-a-time. It is an acronym and needs to be analyzed word by word ?? The most common? Is Brass....but there are many other colors..
What is your texture?
What is the Porosity? Along with the Condition ??, many times the two of them go hand in hand….be clear on both, please
What is your length and thickness?

1 ADDITIONAL QUESTION THAT someone felt I MUST

ADD TO THIS LIST.... IS AS FOLLOWS:

#??.) Please point out if you have a darker tint on top of either all-over highlights or all-over bleach & tone blond??? ... an important piece of info that MUST be pointed out when asking for help within Group.- - - which really goes with Question #1

**** I will try to post this once per month so its easier to find.

But I encourage everyone to begin trial and error on the "SEARCHING" techniques on BLOGGER. They are run by GOOGLE so very "User-Friendly" and find things very well on the BLOG...Remember this BLOG is 4 years old, I used to be healthier so could do DEMO's and would write a lot more frequently, it has become more difficult for me in the last 6 months to write Posts, I want you to know I try my hardest.

_______________________________________________________________________________

At that point you will then know the base color if it is not clearly marked in the Swatch Book as most Swatch Books do not clearly define a hair-color's true base color, which I feel is because the chemists that design the hair color do not truly understand how to properly color human hair strands. What they do understand is how to make hair color. That is the HUGE gap in the world of hair color

Which is why if you stick with me, you will finally have found that person that closes that gap between Chemist and Colorist

Killer Chemist

The Star Shape Technique : Add Glowing pieces To Hair w/ 1 Easy Technique

2012-01-27T13:00:00.000-08:00

I want to demonstrate a very easy technique that is called the : STAR SHAPE technique.

This coloring Technique is called the Shining Star.

This is a single shape of a STAR section of hair parted away at the top of the head and that shape is colored and nothing else.

Please see the demonstration below . .

The outcome is demonstrated by using copper on top of a blond base on this model

This one has used the opposite affect which I really adore....she has used a dark rich chocolate cashmere Star on top of Blond.

They both look divine, but it shows you how 1 simple technique can get you some contrasting color. This technique is so simple it can be done at home ( find some assisting hands husband /girlfriend/mother - to just help you get the parting and applying color out of the way... or print this out and take it to your stylist

Here is Lola .........Lola says NO TO HIGHLIGHTS > but dislikes her long stringy dark hair

I personally tried to talk her into staying with her length ....but she was ready for a change to the StarTechnique

Now in these other 2 photos is the Color

. There are many different variations, with this being the easiest. What a difference a cut makes... huh? even on Lola's stone cold face ! ! !
a complete demo for you to see how its done a simpler method of jazzing up your hair, without using the dreaded "highlights" button all the time . . . A STAR is parted away on top of the head....It can be a 5-6-7 point STAR. YOUR choice...This was a 7 pointer. Whether you do it to yourself, have your stylist do it, you now can see how its done. See these clips? They are the strongest clips I have ever used....they last almost 2 years with a very BUSY Hair Colorist/Stylists' routine ...imagine how long they would last for you !!! Here's the link to purchase them or at least take a peek http://killerstrands.myshopify.com/products/sectioning-clips
Maybe, your friend does it on your hair - whichever way it works for you....I bet you will adore it.

Then you "mask" it off. Like painting. Using Color Block like you see here, or barrier bream of some sort , we also have the Repelle bar which works great. Why you are doing this is to cover the hair that you do NOT want to color....Leaving the "star" shape clean and ready to lighten.

Masked off ready to go.

See the star? This is a perfect photo of what it looks like when you are ready to color. DO NOT THINK you have to get the parting exactly perfect because you do NOT...look how goofy mine is...

You may use either bleach ( I would go for the Oil Bleach Kit near the scalp and powder bleach on the lengths (ends)

In addition I will show 3 variations on the same technique, so with each touch-up you can change it up for variety and spice. This also grows "out" beautifully , quite naturally it grows into paint drips ! Many (typical) Stylists, don't promote these types of techniques, then the client isn't coming back for constant touch-ups..or if you are too busy (I was) - you rely on your talent... more should. See the start shaped hair with only bleach on it...? leave on for 90 minutes.... Then rinse and shampoo & apply Intensive for at least 3 hours...........truthfully I would apply it for the 8 hours I recommend.

would welcome this type of technique..only because it is beautiful and all those others worries are just put to rest.

Here she is shampooed and rinsed and wet headed......I forgot to take one shot of me applying the toner... You see right from the bleach, the color is a Yellowish blond (which is completely normal)

So first you must bring the pH balance back to normal....how do you do this????
Come on boys and girls..... ? ? ? after the Rinse....one must apply "INTENSIVE" - which is my personal secret trick for all my clients walking out my door and coming back to here again. Which is why I teach YOU to follow in my footsteps....so you will have the wonderful results THEY did.

I applied the Violet Beige Toner from the X. Factor Demi-Permanent SOFT http://killerstrands.myshopify.com/products/x-factor-hair-color-permanent-pro it is one of the most beautiful toners for brass that I have seen for a long time..

here is the results......... See the beautiful shape and color...I really love it and she was on top of the world....Which is the best thing about achieving the perfect color for clients or YOURSELF, too!

See how the shape of the star formed and how the color ended up and no one ended up the points can be moved all around for different looks.!

Try this look with various colors....think about it........and come up with you own combinations.

Thank You for your support.

Killer Chemist

America's Newest Haircare Lines Chosen Exclusively by KC for Killerstranders!

2012-01-20T23:47:00.000-08:00

Well, its a new year and I am on a mission now.....I got a tad lazy and now that I have more help... I can go back to searching out 'new' products to bring to you. When I look for new lines, I always comb the "ingredient list" of every product to be sure they pass "my" requirements for a product to be carried by Killerstrands. I was so busy with keeping up with employees, I lost sight of caring for the KS product lines. We have gotten some new help that is assisting me so wonderfully ... that now I can get back to carrying a 100% properly formulated quality line of shampoos, conditioners, styling products and conditioners. To date....we have found a minimum of 12 entirely NEW product lines that we will be bringing into the store, over the next couple months. We all are very excited at Killerstrands home office for this new and innovative update we are making to our Store & Blog.

For our very 1st ""NEW" line we are introducing the Sojourn line - a Hi Quality line of hair products that we sought out because of their commitment to using only hi quality, and SLS-free ingredients. You cannot imagine the surprise when I discovered this line was created by Elan Sassoon, son of hair legend Vidal Sassoon and many others that were involved in the Creative whirl-wind of Sassoon. This entire line boasts what they are most proud of is ... what is "NOT IN" the products ! NO: sulfates, alcohol, gluten...etc...etc...

Also - - FINALLY a line that states its pH Level right on the bottle, its something SOOO easy (yet important), "if" you have the proper pH stated inside that bottle . Why does pH of a hair product matter? Your hair reacts and acts correctly if the pH of any hair products is within the 4.5 - 5.5 level area( natural)... The entire line is right there. It really is not that tricky to make a dynamite line of hair products "if" you follow a some simple rules. SOJOURN has accomplished that and we are thrilled to introduce the 1st of our 12 new lines.

You will NOT be disappointed......

Thank you soooo much for being a Killerstrander and following our Blog, Store and Group.....

Killer Chemist

There Is Something About Hair Products You Must Pay AttentionTo...

2012-01-05T16:28:00.000-08:00

I try hard in life NOT TO BE A NEGATIVE person,

I promise I do,

I am hoping it doesn't seem like the opposite to the Killerstranders Gang

Like in any field there is the "behind the scenes" stories and then what is on 'the surface'.... What I am doing for Killerstranders is giving you the "behind-the-scenes" from the hair industry.
If it affects the health of your hair, then I feel it is YOUR BUSINESS

The large hair manufacturing companies may not believe that is the case, but that is why the INTERNET was invented, wasn't it? In America we have many organizations regulating all sorts of things the IRS, the FTB, the NRA, Social Security, and on and on.

As I am sure you have seen, the War on Terror which is supposed to be at the forefront is lagging so poorly we cannot even get "Homeland Security" to do their job efficiently, so regulating and keeping an eye on Hair and Beauty products seems rather insignificant in comparison when you think about it.

First of all, what is the name of the industry that regulates hair and beauty products?
Do we all know? Guess.......
Got it ??????????
The United Beauty Administration ???????
NOPE ?
In the good ole US of A its what's called > the FOOD & DRUG Administration. The FDA.
Wow, but where are the words beauty or hair or health???
NOWHERE to be found.....why?
So the Food industry regulates hair and beauty????...........or better yet..........the DRUG industry????....you mean medicines-prescriptions and shit???
YEP! That's them.....
What could either Category have to do with the beauty industry??
They are the ones that are regulating beauty products?
More specifically > Hair products?
YEP, boys & girls,yep!
How?...................Why? ..................Are you kidding?.........................Nope!
So that is your first blow and the first HUGE HUGE mistake .

Basically there is no one regulating the hair industry.
If any industry is watched it is Skin Care and that is ONLY because the "drug" industry does NOT WANT any skin care products DIPPING into the "Drug" ARENA ...AT ALL. You should see the big wall and restrictions they have put up to PREVENT that from happening.

The FDA would have to bring home all the troops from Iraq to enforce the rules they have "JUST FOR THE SKIN CARE PRODUCTS to be enforced!!
So you can forget the hair Industry following any rules AT ALL!

Exactly "where' does "hair" fit in to either FOOD or DRUGS?
Absolutely NOWHERE
So basically the hair industry gets away with murder, I envision Hair CEO'S laughing all the way to the bank
I can see them at their meetings, planning their stategies and just laughing at the fact that no one will even be checking on the way they execute their next plan,
& what a breeze this industry is....FA LA LA LA LA

For example, and the reason for this post......
about 6-7 years ago?? I forget 'when' exactly, the new big thing was to have shampoo that was "COLOR-Safe".
Remember, when that first hit? Coloring hair had become such a huge HUGE industry and those of us that cared about our clients color "lasting" sent them out in search for "COLOR-SAFE" shampoos. There were those nim-rod Stylists that felt if their clients "didn't" use a color-safe shampoo then they would have to return for more frequent visits (help).
Now if you had Cosmetic Chemistry training...or had conducted your own tests then you knew that the ingredient that was the enemy was the "sulfates" SLS/ALS or any of the cousins.

But what the executives at L'Oreal....& many of the drug store shampoos {whose sales by the way are in the 'Billions" of dollars range} did was >>
> they simply stamped "COLOR- SAFE "on the bottle of the same shampoo !
They did not change the formula...
not one change....not one alteration.........NOTHING!

I don't know, but I would imagine they didn't even think twice about it

The really horrible part?
They are perfectly legal doing it
--- legal 'yes'
--- morally ???

Do most of you think they probably laughed all the way to the bank? Or am I being mean spirited? I figured this out about 8 years ago when I delved into the world of Cosmetic Chemistry.
Before that, our worlds did NOT collide

{Chemists don't get along with Stylists

Stylists don't get a long with Chemists

Hair Product manufacturer CEO's don't get along with Chemists or Stylists

Then a Trichologist ( which we do NOT HAVE HERE in the USA, and I sure wish we did) is a whole other rock to throw into the spokes of the turning wheel of HAIR + Hair Health + Hair Colour.

Even though we have no Trichology training here in the USA, I am prepared to take the TEST when we do.
Which is what I mean about how they sit at their meetings just rubbing their hands at how they are 'allowed' to get away with MURDER because NO ONE IS WATCHING and there are no rules in place.

There could be battery acid in those bottles and technically they could NOT get in trouble for that. We have no regulations as to "what" a shampoo is,
what a conditioner "is" what's in them what can be,
what cannot be

Can you believe that in this day and age?
The Europeans have a whole entity set up regulating this industry.
I'm the last person to OVER-regulate things - I swear, but in this instance it makes my neck hairs curl!

What those cheap brands use as their ingredients...is discussed heavily and often in our trade magazines for Cosmetic Chemists.
My vision of this industry changed so much once I got the education as a cosmetic chemist, enlightened my whole world into "HOW products are made"... and what each and every ingredient "IS"
It was a wonderful addition to the education and knowledge I already had.

Please, every time one of those hair commercials comes on..........be VERY very careful....what you get out of them...

So - at least - I got this subject off my chest..... remember it...every time you pick up any hair or skin product....you MUST begin to learn to protect yourself, you must begin to pay attention to ingredients in cosmetics/hair products the same way you do in food.

It will seem hard at first, jot down the names of chemicals you have heard to be bad... just keep reading and paying attention.... because no one is doing it for you.

KillerChemist

OMBRE HairColor Technique (Paint Drips) - Brief Demo

2011-12-19T19:00:00.000-08:00

This is a photo by photo display of how to accomplish the OMBRE technique, which I can now see is not going to be nearly as easy as I thought to describe & teach on the Web.

Depending on the level you are and the level you want the color to be...will determine the volume of developer you use with either the bleach or tint. Here is another example where "bleach" comes to the rescue. Bleach goes in the foils to lighten the pieces, do NOT worry about it, its only a small portion of the hair. Remember your new mantra: " I Must Learn To Love Bleach "...." I must learn to love Bleach"...!!

Part of the specialty of this technique is "blending" them and "placing" them so it looks natural and fun.

Here is the front large Paint Drip....parted away from rest of hair, then applied bleach & 40 volume ( the hair on this mannequin is pretty dark

Fold up the Foil and seal . . . the heat that is generated from being folded up - helps the bleach work faster/better/etc. on a real person the heat from the scalp helps

Look at the paint drips on the beautiful girl above.... That look is very easy to get and very fashion forward

See how I part away the hair. Being sure to keep the hair you do NOT WANT COLORED, away from the foil. You are using the foil to keep together the hair and the bleach, so it may work together. Separated from the rest of the hair, is what creates a lot of the cool looks in hair, I hope to show you that in stages this week.

I am showing this for one reason only, (stubborn hair only).... generally the rule is to NOT use heat with foils and bleach.....The rule is NO > Do not use heat on bleach.
I will be perfectly honest and admit there are just times when you will need to mildly ( NOTICE THE WORD MILDLY ! )warm-up the foil.....especially in the cool of the winter!

There is stubborn hair, there is hair that is so resistant not only heat won't work -- sandpaper won't either!
As in everything there are exceptions to the rule... and that is exactly how it is with hair....

REAL human heads with real human hair are not like that, unless there is artificial color on it you are trying to remove. Normally you will watch the hair turn very fast, no heat needed ...Just open the foils, smooth the bleach off with your finger and look at the color of the hair. Yes, this takes experience but, you might as well start now. Be sure to Re-Apply the Lightener on wear you scraped it off....

Experiment with one small piece of hair underneath all of your hair, to just see how it works. There will be no harm done on one little piece of hair that can be covered up, if need be.
Stay tuned!

Happy Holiday's from Us All ....Alex, Haley, Betty, Adem, Nikki & KC

TOP 10 HABITS THAT DESTROY HAIR

2011-12-16T20:00:00.000-08:00

I had a plaque with these words on it in the 90's right next to the mirror in my Salon....it truly would shock people into not even talking sometime.

Hard words to say.....Harder even to realize.......

Proven these to myself over years and multitudes of clients... it really is common sense....

the sooner you stop ... the more hair you will keep

its in your hands now, I'm not here to judge, just help, educate & inspire

head to our Store.....

join our group....

we try to be the best access to decent hair education on the web

We have a Free Shipping offer happening now.....go check it out

Best Hair Conditioner on Planet Earth...

2011-12-01T22:26:00.001-08:00

I just have to relay this wonderfully classic statement about THRIVEN (Killerstrands conditioner)

by a young woman on a web site I had not yet heard of ....

" Thriven is the best thing ever....you can sleep with it on, you can use it as a styling creme. I plan to be buried in a vat of it. It's not cheap, but a tub last 6 months and my hair is like silk. "

Killerstrands' Thriven

Mirror-Mirror on the Wall....Please Remove Frizzy Hair from ALL .

2011-11-27T17:06:00.000-08:00

Lookie Lookie ... what the Lord Almighty has bestowed upon us. Now I am sure many of you think how in the world could someone in sunny California possibly need a product like this???

Well, static hair is everyone's problem and the fact they put "Winter RX Solution" as its Title, really has me puzzled. Just today we had one of our notorious SANTA ANA WIND Days that haunt us in Sept.,Oct.,Nov., & Dec. - 1/4 of the year. The Static here is so horrendous it amazes me that every single person's hair is not sticking straight up towards the SUN ! Its blazing hot AND we have hurricane winds. It truly sucks.

This is the most wonderful little line.... I've always wondered what people saw in the Alterna Line...but I have picked up some of their wonderful products...You must check up on them all. It is a tiny bit more expensive line, but as I have always found in more expensive lines??? You need to use a much smaller portion size to deliver 2 - 3 times the benefits. If you think about that...that one point actually makes the product less expensive...think about it.

With the Alterna Spray is a weightless sheer mist that instantly eliminates static. It works its magic by Sealing and soothing the hair cuticle to smooth fly aways.

Anti-Static Spray soothe's stressed-out tresses and eliminates static with two essentials for smooth, hydrated hair during the year.

Features

Instantly eliminates static
Weightless finishing spray
Seals hair cuticle
Provides light hold
Removes static cling

Directions

Shake well. Spray 6-8 inches from dry hair.

Below now is the suggestion I used to advise people on dealing w/ Static...which comes from 6-7 years ago.

>> The eternal problem of flyaway hairs. Little stubbly hairs sticking up all over the head and if its the winter and hats need to be worn. . . well you can.... for-ged-a-bout-it!

Most stylists I cavort with use the combo of "STATIC GUARD" bought at any Target, its used for clothing I'm sure there are other brands but this one works wonderfully,and a spray silicone.

#1 Version:Take your brush or comb, spray once over with the Guard and smooth the hair with it.
#2 Version: the most used combo is using a combination of Static Guard, Gleam and one of the zillion silicone serums out there, although it must be one that does not have any denatured alcohol in it or you will be adding fuel to the fire.

The Alterna is the ultimate answer and you need hardly any ! !

There, you all should be flyaway FREE

Killer Chemist

Sulfate-Free Shampoo & Why All the Uproar ? ?

2011-11-14T01:00:00.000-08:00

The Health of Your Body.......Shows Up In Your Hair.

In other words, if your hair is thin lifeless, shedding ... many times it can be a sign of another serious illness. So always rule that out, prior to working on my hair care techniques. Please. Rarely is that the sign of something serious, but I have spoken to numerous physicians about this, and they all concur that there are zillions of diseases that begin with hair loss. It is SOOO preventable within the walss of Killerstrands, especially if you follow 10,000 HEADS.

The one and only type of shampoo you should ever use is :

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate-FREE or
SLS-Free
also 

ALS-Free 

SLS   or  Sodium Lauryl Sulfate:is a Surfactant

What SLS is...in layman's terms?

There is an ingredient is every shampoo and every "cleaning" agent whether it be for the body, for the hair, for the garage, for the bathroom, for the face,etc., called the "SURFACTANT". The surfactant in shampoos are surface active ingredients, meaning they can interact with a surface. The chemical nature of a surfactant allows it to surround and trap oily materials from surfaces. One portion of the molecule is oil compatible soluble while the other is water soluble.

In other words the surfactant is the detergent - or the "cleaning portion" of the formula.

The surfactant is the portion of the formula that can have the harshness of the formula beCAUSE it is the detergent. Detergents CAN be harsh, but they can also be 'gentle'. For the past 20 years almost every shampoo has used the surfactant: Sodium Lauryl Sulfate SLS or Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate ALS, why? they are super - super cheap AND they make lots and lots of foam and bubbles.

People expect a lot from shampoos, its funny a product like that - which you use frequently .... we really... know nothing about.

Unfortunately, it is not easy to tell a good shampoo from a poor one. Cost, fragrance, and lots of foam is what most people look for in shampoo products. Lather and foam does absolutely nothing to make a shampoo a good one, but they often get the most attention.This is something I am trying to re-teach America:
Lots of bubbles has zero to do with the quality of shampoo - you must let that one thing 'go' - please.

Foaming occurs when surfactant molecules gather around air instead of oil. The result is millions of tiny bubbles. Obviously, the air bubbles are using the surfactants that should be removing dirt and oil. We have all seen shampoo advertisements showing happy, beautiful people taking showers with their heads heaped high with mounds of lather. These images have taught the public to associate lather with cleansing ability.

The truth is, lots of foamy lather only means too much shampoo was used.
Excess foam equals waste.
Sebum and other oils quickly destroy foam.
Ideally, the head should have just enough lather to lubricate the scalp and hair. This will help your fingers massage the shampoo more effectively into the hair.
Fragrances and foaming qualities are not good ways to evaluate shampoos.

Here is a common Formula to make a Simple Shampoo

Ingredient
Part A
SodiumCocoyl Isethionate ................20% (look for Surfactant above & below .. I love all qualities)
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate..........13%
Crodasinic LS-30 ............................11%
PEG 150 Distearate
Glycol Stearate
PEG 7 Glyceryl Cocoate
Calendula Extract (oil soluble)
Part B
GuarSilk
Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Dl Panthenol
Water................................60-77%...........water is the majority of all shampoos, but the combination is what will give you the best
Part C
Liquid Germall Plus
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate and Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate are easy to use and provide excellent foam and cleansing with mildness but that is where the substitution would be -- the SLS or the ALS would be plugged in there in other formulas. So you can see HOW MUCH of the formula is this harsh ingredient. It may not seem like a lot to you .......but I promise it is. In formulating all the products you use, we use 2-3-4% of the TOTAL and that is a significant amount.

GuarSilk provides superior conditioning and additional viscosity. C12-15 alkyl benzoate provides sheen and improves wet combing. Panthenol & wheat protein for strength and conditioning.

Why did companies use SLS?

SLS & ALS both create huge bubbles and are super cheap to use... and for years no one was looking "into" ingredients that are in cosmetics. The times are changing though. I was one of the first out here in wacky California - even my mentor didn't quite understand why I cared about it so much!

There are many manufacturers that use that exact same SLS as the main surfactant in garage cleaners, engine degreasers and the horrendous list goes on and on....the last place those ingredients should be > is in your hair.Try to remember the names, jot them down - put the list in your wallet, be sure not to purchase any hair products with those names in them. I'm not one of those fanatics, I promise you, I feel if you are fanatical about anything, it will drive you crazy. . . so crazy that avoiding whatever it is you were trying to, would be detrimental to having a balanced life.

My reason for avoiding SLS & ALS?
I began to notice that I was starting to have 18 year olds sit in my chair that had hair thinning and hair loss. Something I had never seen before. Of course, I had 30 (very few) - 40-50 - 60 year olds with the beginnings of this problem. As you age, your hair thins. . . of course in men, but the problem began to become super predominant in women PLUS it began to become a problem in youth. . . so I began reading.

This is when I started my journey into cosmetic chemistry.... so it took a full year of reading and joining a couple different groups, ordering huge textbooks and reading them /ALL OF THEM! learning how EXACTLY the hair follicle/hair strand worked. How and why certain things happened that had to do with the growing cycle....then I began to look into some of the ingredients in some of the products that we used. I am not a rocket scientist by any means.....BUT what I do have is : COMMON SENSE .

Therefore to me, I wanted to find a common bond. What did the 16-17 year old girl sitting in my chair use that the 67 year old man did as well??? It took me almost a full year. No one would help me, no one cared but me....But the 16-17 year old girl sure did.

Finally it hit me.....shampoo....they both used shampoo. It was so simple and I missed it for a long time.

Then I had to decipher and learn what each ingredient was and what was its capacity within shampoo???

Long Story - - - SHORT . . . I started to focus on SLS and ALS. . . and then I got my first microscope. I ordered my first tub of SLS ( a powder).

I opened the jar and the caustic smell of it burnt the inside of my nose and nearly knocked me over. I could NOT believe how rough and how horrifically strong - - JUST THE SCENT - - of this product was.

I knew right then and there that this one ingredient was the cause of all the problems.
It also cost pennies, so the whole thing started to make more and more sense to me.
Super cheap . . . so the profits would be huge.
Super bubbles, which the public had been trained to love from the commercials.
Easy to work with.

I had been looking for a common denominator as to why all these people were having thinning hair & hair loss and this was it. All of these people used shampoos with SLS in them
- - we all did, we didn't know any better - this was years ago when we didn't question this type of thing.

So, after a lot of studying - researching and trials and errors with my clients. . . I discovered once we switched numerous people off of the SLS- shampoo's their hair thinning/loss after 2-4-6-8 months - - slowly improved. It worked for both men and women, which I didn't think was going to be the case. This was about 12-13 years ago . . . so steadily since then I have been writing letters, talking to labs and trying to bark up the right tree in hopes of getting the word out there. I feel 2008 was the first year the movement officially started, we still have a long way to go but at least it is opened up and now in 2011 I can proudly say I truly feel I had a lot to do with almost every company having a Sulfate-free shampoo.

PLEASE - PLEASE, get yourself an SLS or ALS-FREE Shampoo. . . .You WILL notice the difference when you quit using them and for the long term, you will be grateful.

I'm very proud of the shampoos in our store. We are the only site/store that carries 100% Sulfate-Free Shampoos. I just feel strongly about them for all of you and your hair's health.

"The Health Of Your Body;

           Shows Up In Your Hair" 

I brought the previous comments up from a different post at a different time...but the same topic

Hairoin : Grow Baby Grow - Die Baby Die

2011-11-08T00:30:00.000-08:00

The Hair Concept that Teaches You How to have Healthier Hair + Hair that Stays ON Your Head

Hair magnetized 400x

Your hairs are considered "Terminal", in other words: they die & shed

Every hair on your head has a 2-5 year life span which means:

Each and every hair grows for 2-5 years ... dies off <> sheds <> then rests, then............. begins to grow all over again.

I feel if you understand that particular concept, you will then understand why some people have very long healthy hair, and others do not. Think about it.

Hair thinning is a result of the hair not re-growing after having been at rest for 3-12 weeks

Killer Chemist

ABC'S OF THE HAIR COLOR "LEVEL SYSTEM"

2011-11-01T13:02:00.000-07:00

HOW THE TERM "VIRGIN" FITS IN THE WORLD OF HAIRCOLOR

There is a term that for some reason brings the hairs on the back of mens heads up.....

That term is : VIRGIN

How we use that term : VIRGIN in the world of hair color and Hair generally is following:

The hair color you were born with > is termed "virgin" hair - within the walls of Hair color & the hair education world.

Becoming familiar with the "Natural Levels Color Chart" will help you in explaining to your stylist what you want and understanding your hair better if you are a home hair colorist

Become familiar with the chart

will help now and in the future with determining

your hair color , while talking to me for a Consultation....and in determining the colors you will need to use to properly color your hair

(or to fix your present color.)

Here is a simplified example of how a Colourist calculates

your formula to colour your hair: She is a VIRGIN Level 7 and would like to be lighter - lets say the goal is a Level 9

so....go up the chart - which is 2 levels.......

which peroxide lifts 2-3 Levels ?

30 Volume is the ANSWER !

The end formula will be to mix a tube of Level 10 + plus 30/40 volume peroxide (ash/neutral tone - your choice)

What level are you?

What level would you like to be?

how would you get there?

Now the biggest issue I find with most of my inquiries is...............???? The fact that very few of you have VIRGIN HAIR. And THAT issue presents a completely different problem.

Color does not lift color. Remember that and PLEASE read my posts on that subject before attempting any sort of "guess" coloring project.

Top 10 Habits That Destroy Your Hair

2011-10-27T14:48:00.000-07:00

These are very dynamic accusations to make (which I do realize), but from my clients whom many agreed to experiment with my guidance and whom all listened to the directions I gave them. We all ( at the time) decided we had nothing to lose by my theories about hair loss. Some tried cutting down on whatever of the items, they felt (not I) were their target-problems. I gave them a list of 30 and the list was narrowed to the "Top 10" contributors toward unwanted hair loss ( of which there are various types). We did not go into that.

Please

think about them

--consider them ..If you are experiencing hair loss and you would like to turn it around, I promise you I have seen miracles slow the process down by eliminating which ever of these 10 points just happens to be something you use on a daily or frequently used pattern.

MY best suggestion is to purchase THRIVE'N & Gleam

http://killerstrands.myshopify.com/products/thriven

(which includes instructions and 'names' the SS: Secret Supplement, which also give directions to properly using for the health of new growth hair.)

Yes there are more radical methods, like transplants and Lazer Technology....but both of them are ridiculously over-priced. I know because I checked into them both - I thought of adding them to my services the year before I was diagnosed. But honestly after I thoroughly educated myself on all sides of hair thinning and loss..............

..........I ( and YOU) should choose "Prevention" which is this list ABOVE

Happy Fall to all ............KC

Where For Art Thou...Gray EyeBROW!

2011-10-24T00:30:00.000-07:00

Where For Art' Thou Gray Eyebrow ?
Brow Hair fades so light they fade into the skin ?

An eyebrow formula that you can do at home in a very short time and skip the costly, time consuming appointments. May sound weird to some of you, but personally I would be lost without this trick.

A couple weeks ago one of my long time clients had just come from an appointment she made with the who's who of eyebrow aficionado's here in the Land of the Lovelies.... $400.00 she charged her for a shaping and and a tint. Sometimes I feel like I missed a couple generations with the prices of how much things cost anymore.

Fast-Forward to Killerstrands....... we have solved this problem for you. . . .in a very convenient and laid out fashion. I cannot claim I was the FIRST originating this tricky little formula for tinting eyebrows . . . but I can claim tinting the eyebrows of thousands of women walking around has been one of the proudest additions to my services while doing hair.

For about 6 weeks we offered Tinting the 'brows' and "down-below" with the Facialist .... which I called "COLOR BOX" !! It got so much attention (16-17 years ago!) a magazine showed up and our door....we started doing leopard print, heart shaped and tint, Zebra....and on and on. I can't say it wasn't a lot of fun...but it started to steam roll and that just wasn't the business I wanted to be in.

So we now offer the 2 different kits - the only thing you have to tell me when placing the order is: What Level is your hair. That is what I go by when choosing the color. So include that with your order - I personally will choose the colors for each individual order.

Many of you don't have gray hairs, but have super thin....or a hole in them - or there are a million and 1 reason for needing to tint eyebrows. What happens if you don't have brow-hair where the brows are...........you put the tint on the face and you know those little hairs on your face, the tint colors that so it gives the impression your brows are perfect. You purchase 2 tubes and it lasts forever!

Remember 'guys' this is for you two !

http://killerstrands.myshopify.com/products/eyebrow-tinting-kit

http://killerstrands.myshopify.com/products/killerstrands-color-and-eyebrow-grooming-kit-combo

Parting The Red Sea: Sectioning The Hair

2011-10-14T00:00:00.000-07:00

Parting -- Sectioning -- Tools

Here is a mandatory Post - for everyone that wants to color their hair. These are basics to accomplishing just about anything done to the hair. I'm sure most of you would refer this to "parting" the hair, but in the professional hair world it is called Sectioning. They both mean the same thing.

In most Cosmo Schools they do not teach this basic to the extent we were taught. I'm not sure why? Because when you get thrown in a Salon - -you sure better know how to look professional at the very beginning doing the very first thing you do to your client. I was taught to master the art of 'Sectioning' and you Crib Colorists should too. If you understand the art of Sectioning.........I'm telling you: Coloring your hair & Styling your hair will be soooooo much easier! . That is how important it is and I know it and I invite you all to listen, learn and practice this. In preparation to Color, to Cut, to trim your Fringe ( bangs), to Straighten, & to Blow Dry . . . the art of Preparation is about the most important step you will take in the entire process. Please don't discount it. I know so many like to crack open those bottles and pile on the color, while asking questions later. So many of you try that, only to come back to me with your tail between your legs and defeated. I honestly wish from the bottom of my heart that you could all avoid that step, which was the purpose of this site to begin with, so try to absorb this and at best . . . practice it a few times.

Hair Preparation includes Hair consultation which is what we tackle in the GROUP and I just wrote a very intricate post ON how to do a Consultation on yourself ( honestly) on the road to getting your Color Formulation correct..

Basic Tools for Hair Color. Within the Academy they give you an arms length list that you are required to purchase, as you cannot take the State Board Test without all of those tools. So many are outdated and still sit at the bottom of a Hair Case, so you will learn the ones you NEED & use constantly - the Bare Basics.

We are preparing to become good Crib Colorists, and to color our hair correctly - - - so you could begin with the list of what I would suggest.

Cutting Comb #11

Tail Comb

Paddle Brush

Clips - Strong quality

Water bottle

Clean Touch - skin color remover

Color Block.........we have a kit including both of this and the one above

Cape/ Old T-shirt

Gloves - Latex
Tint Bowl
Tint Brush

All of these products can be purchased in our store

Cutting Comb: When I first got in this gig, I was shocked that people actually used combs. Seemed so archaic to me, then I learned they become your best friend. So cozy up and get a couple of these, the photo is of a very typical one, and I always have 20 - 25 of these ready to go, 2-3 will be sufficient for you. They are great for cutting hair - especially your fringe ( bangs) .

Tail Comb: This bugger is handy, for anything and everything (getting lettuce out of your teeth, even) Parting is its main mission and sectioning comes in second. Guess what many of the older Stylists use it for ? . . . highlights... Remember: highlights are history. Many many uses for this, get the best one you can. Maybe get one $5. - $10.00 and 1-2 for $1.00. ?

Paddle Brush: My favorite all around brush. At Sassoon we use an old England stand-by..Denman brushes. Another point of contention for me when I began this adventure. The paddle brush looks up-to-date, but you should see some of their others. They do look like they are out of the 19th century hair vaults, but one more time -- they rock. There isn't a Denman brush I wouldn't use, and they are super reasonably priced. The paddle brush you see here is under $15.00. The 9-row is the best blow-drying brush around, although that does come along with the funny technique we teach...once I introduce it to you I imagine you will be a sucker for it as well. We will be posting a Demo for using the other Denman's we carry, so you do not need a round brush ............... upcoming!

Clips: they must be strong like mine, or you will spend more money on replacing them than the cheap ones are worth. Remember - - NO metal if you ever plan on using blonde....the lighteners (bleach, etc...) we use has a bad reaction to metal..... We have 2 prices of clips I promise you the higher ones will last you forever AND they really hold up hair.! The are completely amazing. A Must.

Clean Touch: This product is only necessary for Level 7 and darker....as this is for cleaning the haircolor off of the hairline.I have a Matrix one here for the photo... there are many brands and I have never found the professional version of any brand to be better than the other.
So I have chosen "Clean--Touch"
Obviously blonde will not stain the skin, but if you use anything darker than a Level 8 in your hair - or plan to, I would highly suggest the big bottle which will last a lifetime ( works on clothes, the carpeting) .
Neat workspace = Neat work. Take the extra minutes to clean up as you go.

Color Block: A very handy little tool that I use in a few different ways. One of our Killerstranders is in love with the product she uses it while dyeing her lace wigs. Its a rich thick cream that keeps hair color from 'creeping'. Works well with super tricky hair color tricks, as well as coating for the hairline ... to keep the color off the skin. Yep, a double shot way of keeping that damn color OFF-THE SKIN. Block it and Clean Touch it. As a hi-brow Colorist, you never EVER want one drop of Color on a clients forehead...I just don't think it should be done. Try to incorporate my standards into your practice, on yourself.

PARTING

Sectioning and Parting must be mastered. Otherwise you will spend hours of time with piles of hair in the wrong place and things will not come out near as easy or as organized as you might have hoped.

Every time you get ready to do something to your hair, you must part & section it first, every single last time. The first thing you should do when getting ready to do anything INCLUDING BLOWDRYING, is to reach for that comb and part & section the hair, period. this should be the end of your "where do I start"? questions.

For a quick trick to memorize:
NOSE TO NECK . . . . . . . . . . . EAR TO EAR

Use your tail comb, & practice this method of sectioning at least 20 times. I'M SERIOUS. The thing is, its easy to do when the hair is wet, but 90% of hair color is begun on dry hair. So practice getting that part straight on dry hair - which is not easy -it is important to be able to master it and for it...& to be done in the right spot. Directly in the middle of your nose and all the way back to the top of your spine. (a good time to have those rear-view mirrors installed in your bathroom)ort unless you have achieved access to the ultimate tool and that is a hair color partner. This can be a fun event, I hear it all the time now. Remember we are the founding fathers of a brand new American hobby -- Hair Color. I say, why the Hell not?

Now check out the top of the head here, there should be a criss-cross exactly in the middle of the head. Don't disregard this process please...parting affects how the hair color is applied and if we want to begin a new hobby we might as well use the business model from the most successful and reputable Hair Academy in the world. They are fanatic parting practitioners, I used to get very fed up.

This parting will work for a basic hair cut, something else I want to go into, and any basic hair color application. You now have 4 quadrants, that need to be looked at as their own unique individual sections. Applying the color to each quadrant needs to be purposeful and quick. I believe if you look at just getting through 1 quadrant at a time, it will be a lot easier on you. I encourage you all to attempt the Tint Brush and bowl method of application, once you practice with it you will learn that in the end it is not only easier, the haircolor saturates the strands of hair much better. Its important to use lots of color product on the brush and to brush it into the hair on applying. I truly do not think that can be handled with a bottle the way it needs to be.

No one expects you to be "HELENA HAIR COLOR" right off the bat.

NO one, so neither should you.

Give yourself some practice I still think investing in a doll head and clamp is a worthy investment. I live alone and love it, so I never think of every other person out there who most likely lives with others...I guess you all could just sit your daughter, husband or dog down on the Sofa and ask that they let you practice on their hair. Trade them for something, most people love having their head played with, it relaxes them.

This is Part 1 of Prepping hair for a haircoloring OR cutting........the more you practice the better....the results..

Stay tuned for additional info on this subject . .

thank you......

Killer Chemist

2011-10-12T15:05:00.000-07:00

Hello Crib Colorists,

I am so glad that you have been following me for so long on this journey with me. Today, we at Killer Strands Hair Clinic are proud to announce the official opening of our Facebook page. You can find it at www.facebook.com/KillerStrandsHairClinic and as a opening promotion we are offering 10% off of your order for liking our page and sharing all of our hard work with your network of friends.

At the Facebook page, you will find an integrated blog and shop and if you like us you will be kept up to date with Facebook only promotions! Keep checking back as we are now working on video demos on hair techniques. We love you and we love that you love your hair!

-Killer Strands Staff

Heat, Pray, BLOND !

2011-10-12T00:21:00.001-07:00

Fun New Appliance to Assist All Crib Colorist “Blonds”’

Wow what a great surprise for all blonds out there that color your own hair. Using any of the high-lift Blonds we carry is the perfect recipe for using this little – well-priced product with your next base touch-up or even if you are considering using any of high-lift blonds we carry.
The reason??? -- it can be used with virtually ANY size hair dryer....on LOW....to warm up any areas you apply w/ High-Lift Hair Color - - - this little bit of heat…that is “ DIFFUSED “ applied for a couple minutes 3-4 times within the processing time can really help your hair reach a yummy blond. Remember to apply the flexible diffuser on the end of your dryer ( not tightly but loosely) use the dryer on medium heat and HIGH WIND……and this little brilliant contraption.....DIFFUSES it.....so it is 'like' natural warmth.

Also, for those of you wanting waves and that "natural" look - which I will never get tired of pushing, it helps curls dry when in a rush and you can't let them dry on their own. There are many uses for this little contraption, heating up THRIVEN, warming up the hair after a Gleam application and the one I use it the most for..........warming up high-lift Blond when an extra 1/2 to 1 level of lift is needed. Finally, to warm the air around your strands if you live in a super cold climate.
This is an ultra light diffuser that prevents heat damage and gives you better overall diffusion. Perfect for salon, home, and travel! Diffuser is made of soft, flexible lightweight foam. Its unique design gives you better overall diffusion. It can be carried in purse or pocket. So easy to travel with - takes up almost no space at all and weighs only ounces.

Gone are the days of heavy, bulky attachments. It won't fly off the end of the dryer and minimizes dryer overheating.
Also, if you want want waves and that "natural" look - which I will never get tired of pushing. Remember your hair is "made" to go one way, and the more you fight it

Features………beside what we spoke of above….

Perfect for permed, naturally curly, or wavy hair.
Keeps hair looking healthy... prevents heat damage and control frizz.
Great for quick-drying roller sets.
Good for salon, travel, or home use.
Fits virtually every size blow dryers.

Directions

Slip over the blow dryer nozzle, and should extend 2 to 3 inches beyond the end of the dryer.
We offer you 3 different models, each one offers different colors, I promise the color doesn’t matter!
Killer Chemist

http://killerstrands.myshopify.com/products/dryer-sock-diffuser

http://killerstrands.myshopify.com/products/soft-mitt-diffuser

Only 1 Way to Color Thy Hair Correctly ??

2011-10-10T02:47:00.001-07:00

The First and Most Important Factor, and Don’t Laugh . . .

Be truthful with yourself (or to your hairstylist) & I said ‘don’t laugh’ ! Answer these questions with the God's Honest Truth !

Use the Killerstrands Blog as your guide, and be completely honest with yourself. If you can’t do that then you will not have successful hair color….so in my eyes - - why even try? As a professional Stylist the absolute most important part of the appointment? Is the Consultation. You know how so very many of you end up here because your Stylist ruined your hair and you want to take control of it back, to YOURSELF? 8 out of ten of those mishaps are because those people did not do a proper consultation.
You know in our Forum of over 3000 people I have asked what most people would like to see me do? You know, to jazz up the BLOG-Store & Forum. The top 3 answers were

Videos – do Videos and/or come up w/ a U-Tube Killerstrands channel, I’m ordering all the bits and pieces for this….I don’t know about a channel…but am willing to try a few videos……
FACEBOOK business page. ( I thought the Forum was enough but apparently not) so its being built as we speak…about 1 week and we should be ready with this one.
TWITTER …….I don’t see this helping my MISSION to be perfectly honest. I find the most questions on all 3 sites is the same: “HOW TO FORMULATE your OWN COLOR FORMULA to get what you DESIRE…Right?????”

With that being the main issue I am not to sure how having me zipping through an 8- minute movie on certain topics will help ???? when I truly feel you need the most help with (the boring part) how to prepare the color to apply. Or in Colorist terms: Calculating the proper formula in which to apply to reach your DESIRED result.
Lets review a couple points that the V. SASSOON Academy reviewed over and over in order to make us all the best Colorists in the world. This is quite different than teaching a classroom of eager students….but many of you seem just as anxious to learn as well. This is the part that is truly the most useful….Don’t worry VIDEO’S are coming soon enough.
This is the very beginning of figuring out the color you are going to use, I know its boring and not as exciting as the hair and the foils, but I promise you once this “clicks” in your head then you will be able to be any color you DESIRE…..and still have HEALTHY - - SHINY - - - HAIR
Here are the questions I want you to answer to yourself before you ever even purchase that tube of color from us (DON’T LIE):

The #1 QUESTION: is there previous hair color on your strands. I cannot tell you the amount of people that will sit in my chair and lie right to my face. Well-trained Colorists can tell if Color of any kind has been on hair ever. If it has been applied within a year prior to this application the formula would have to be different, altered somewhat
What is your desired look ? ( cut out and paste a few photos of hair color that YOU like - - - see its ARTS & CRAFTS that’s not so bad !! )
If you are using color, you need to upgrade the shampoo & products you use, it may sound dumb to some of you but I promise you it isn’t ! SLS-FREE Shampoos & spray detanglers are the most gentle products and will keep the color new & fresh looking.
If you have old haircolor on your strands, it must be removed. Not with Bleach or Lighteners of any type, we only endorse VANISH. It reverses the manner in which the color went into the hair molecularly – therefore NO damage is done.
Do you want a temporary change or a permanent one?Do you wish a subtle change or more dramatic??? Read The online
High or Low Maintenance color? Some its advised that you Tone it once a week every week……..some it just shampoos out gently…
Do you Swim? Use any type of Hot Tubs??? Chlorine is terrible for almost all haircolor -- please take that into consideration as well.
Work Environment??? – Conservative or Liberal? ? ?
Sun Exposure….where you live??? are you an “outdoor” person or “indoor”??
One of my tricks was to make a HairColor Portfolio…Giant Notebook that was created adding photo tear-outs from magazines that I adored….if you are on the path to becoming a great Crib Colorist, I would start one of these…they are fun to use if you change your hair colors with the “Seasons” as many people do. Include photos of your own haircolor for fun.
Check the percentage of gray
Hairs Texture?
Hair’s Porosity? In my opinion is a VERY VERY- Important Question, as it changes the processing time!
Do you take any medicines that your Dr. may have warned you about
Are you an allergic-type person??? If so run a PATCH Test ( apply on forearm – underneath – covered w/ bandage for 24 hours)
Has the hair EVER been treated with Metallic DYES or HENNA? ? ? If so, do NOT apply hair color or anything to your head until it is removed….Ask Adem (one of the managers in the store ask him his story with it…. Also - - that’s an IDEA for a POST.. you listening Adem? ? ? ?) !.

I do not believe in Coloring the hair when the hair is super dirty. That is a BIZARRE trick some goofball made up…….I mean “”chemistry-wise“ nor ‘’Beauty-wise’’ it makes no sense at all. The cuticle is open on the hair, why wouldn’t you want good things to enter the hair strand? ? ? ?
I believe in coloring : fresh – clean- dry - hair w/ 3-4-5 squirts of GLEAM on the hair (mostly on ends!) for at least…1 hour prior to applying the haircolor. NOW that’s the way to shiny healthy hair…..
KC
Killer Chemist

JPLP HAIR COLOR CONSULTATIONS - 1 on 1

2011-10-05T13:49:00.000-07:00

A new experimental concept at Killerstrands:

the "JPLP" Consultation

JAM-PACKED / LOW-PRICED.........Hair Color Consultation w/ KC ... a 15 min. phone call to arrive at the proper formula you need to reach your desired Hair Color?

I have been helping people lately using the 'Phone Call' Method and found it to be a lot more helpful to YOU the "consumer"

For the last month of Color I want to try out this New IDEA of consultation....if this works comfortably for you, I would like to keep it going...

What you will do is:

purchase 2 .... 3 or 4 tubes of color ... PLUS ONLY $ 20.00 : for my fee
purchase other items if you need them at the same time ( addional tubes of color ).......... put them all in your Shopping Cart. ( this week you will receive a tint bowl, tint brush and pin tail comb complimentary.)
as with all Web Businesses we cannot combine items you think of later. Therefore, be prepared.
learn the Level System prior to Consultation time as that is the system you need to be aware of during.... it is a very simple system of measuring the lightness / darkness of a persons hair color.
be sure to email Killerstrandsat : Killertrinity3@AOL.com - - - -your name, 4-digit order number & answers to the KILLER 9 Questions...You don't have to do it ahead of time. You can give them to her at the beginning of the consult.
the first 10 Consultations will be done every hour, ON-THE-HOUR : Wed. afternoon from 3-6: 3PM, 4PM, 5PM & 6PM & Saturday : 11AM, 12PM, 1PM, 2PM, 3PM, 4PM.
You will also receive phone number with confirmation of receiving the KILLER 9 the number of the store (on Home page) and also come w/ confirmation of Killer9 Questions' Answers from you.
The Killer9 questions are the exact same I review on each & every person that sits in my chair.

In the note section after your purchase, please put your (1st) first, (2nd)second and (3rd) third choices for the date and time slot you would like. We will email the time with your confirmation with the phone number.

Book your consultation now before all of the time slots get filled up!

Slices of Blond on Brown Hair 'DEMO' - "HOW -TO- DO"

2011-10-03T11:00:00.000-07:00

October is COLOR MONTH for Killerstrands, we have specials, DEMO's, soon we will have VIDEOS to demonstrate although I feel everyone should take a look at this version of "Slices" so you understand what a SLICE is compared to a HIGHLIGHT! Now, the way they are done in this DEMO is not how I would suggest doing them. I wanted to show an exaggerated version to show you the 'technique'.

Now, in Jenifer Anniston's hair, she has dozens of these only much thinner.... If I were to show that it would be hard to see.

Highlights are History - the Sequel

DEMO

6 FOILS + BLEACH = using SLICES

We will call her Holly.

Holly needs to deal with how much gas costs, and the fact that she lives in a town that has no good Colorists. She is tired of the brown she tinted her hair own hair with, so she will not be going to the Salon, not with Killer Strands to help. She saw, that the professional Creme Bleach in the Killerstrands Store was on Special...... bleach In the Killer COLOR CLINIC, there are conditioners and lipids added to creme bleach - she read, which sounds a lot more forgiving...added to that the moisturizers and conditioners that will come with the developer that comes with. This way my hair will be in the best condition possible when done. I can do it............. it cannot be that hard.

We will only be doing the one side of the head as we did the other side with another Demo a while ago.

I tried very hard to make this parting look exactly like a piece of apple pie, that should be your trick. She told me to make sure I parted the triangle all the way to the very back of my head and in the exact middle. That way I can put one of my slices of light in the back, on both sides, . . . . it will be in the back of my head and I should be able to do it myself with my rear-view mirror's I have set up on my walls. I've tried it once before and it worked pretty easy. The piece in the back is really skinny so its easy.

This is the Creme bleach I bought and saw on Killerstrands Color Clinic http://killerstrands.myshopify.com/products/cream-bleach-lightener-by-wella, I want to do all I can to protect my hair and its condition, I have been pretty bad to my hair in the past couple years.......... I need to make up for that (ssh!)

OK - here are the foils I bought too, I didn't care about the color, I cared about the fact that they were embossed and that made them not slip and being as I don't know what I am doing I wanted to take away "that" from the difficulty of doing foils for me. You can ask for a few foils when you buy the Creme Bleach. They were so much easier to use than most. Now, you absolutely MUST make the edge that I am showing you. Fold it once and then again....a very thin fold as you can see... that fold helps the color from leaking out.

The very first parting needs to be made to part OFF the hair surrounding the face so that it is left out. Leaving it the color the hair is , in my case I wanted it to be brown so I didn't have a weird light blond stripe right against my face. That would look funny I thought, when you see me at the end you can decide.

See how super thin the very first slice of hair I take is??? I had a hard time taking the picture and showing you at the same time but I think you can see. Its less than 1/8 of an inch ! I place that first foil very close to the slice of hair, notice that so when you do it you will do it the same. I had bought a mannequin and practiced on her for a while, it was fun so... I didn't care -- I wish they would have taught us this when we were in school.

Remember when we had HOME EC.? I think we should have sewing, cooking and hair color. Why Not I wonder? More people I know would rather color their hair, than cook.

Maybe it should be the other way around. . . >>but it isn't !

Notice where I place the foil and where i begin to paint the creme bleach...Do not put the lightener ON the fold - - - and why do I do this? I learned my lesson, all bleaches and all hair colors ...."swell" when they are processing, which means they grow and the last thing you want is the bleach leaking out of the end ...as it will make FUGLY spots on the hair that you will not like .... so be very careful how far "in' you put the color.

This is too close - I wanted you to see what is too close....just a tiny bit on the right side> see it??...so I took the foil off and re-did it...but I didn't photograph the re-do . . .

Just be aware that happens ...

if its too close to the fold then re-do it....but that's a lot harder to maneuver so try very hard to be very careful at the fold.

Finally I have the first foil done and am closing it up. Fold it in half - - first. Then fold the sides in....

Now am leaving "that much" of the hair OUT OF THE FOIL >>>> about 3/4 " so there is some of the brown in between each foil . One of the biggest problems I see is Stylists who just won't leave the natural color out of the foils.... so there is variation.

The same very thin parting. . . which is the "SLICE" of hair...appropriately named once I figured out what I was doing.

The same pattern is repeated basically all the way up this side of the hair. Now something she taught me that I did not pick up on myself... when I am using bleach, I can time it so it all ends up 'done' at the same time. Like here for example... if you are not fast, mix one small amount of bleach for this side....and mixed the creme bleach with 20 Volume { another good part of ordering from Killer Color Clinic - you can ask for whatever volume of developer you want - i got 1/2 -- 20 Volume & 1/2 -- 40 Volume} . Now to make it so the 2 sides end up "done" at the same time...[like making a big dinner!]

I mixed up another small batch of Creme bleach with 40 Volume for the other side. Remember 40 Volume work twice as FAST as 20 Volume - - it is NOT twice as strong - it is all the same the only difference is "TIME"....so doing the other side with 40 Volume - makes it so both sides are at the same lightness at the same time - it was perfect !

This was also too close, and I took a DRY Q-Tip and wiped this one off on the fold....so it wouldn't leak. I used a bigger brush and had a harder time!

Again, see how thin the hair is for the slice? Remember that, thinness is perfectness in SLICES

Another slice to be made. . as my trip up the side of the head continues. Make my partings clean and straight its important

Another Slice of light . . .

Applying the bleach and 20 Volume . . . . .

Closing the 3 foils up and continue on . . .

As you go up the side - - see how the width of the slice narrows? ? The last one is not even 1 inch wide!

Refresh the bleach midway up by taking a small squirt of 20 Volume and mixing it in to the mixture

Be sure you keep the angle of each foil correct so that your foils sit like this and end up over the eyeball, if your foils end up any other direction at all then something is wrong. Be sure to check

Now, if the room is cold or there is a draft and its not at least 75-80 degrees in the room where you are. . . then heat up your foils for a minute or three, like I had to. Killerstrands Store has a great one , very inexpensive....http://killerstrands.myshopify.com/products/dryer-sock-diffuser

This is how I do it at home..... and everyone should have a hair dryer of some sort.

The diffuser just fits over the end and slows down the wind of the dryer....Diffuses it I guess you could say. ha ha! They are super inexpensive and very handy.

>> When the foils are done and that is so individual, you will have to determine "how long" yourselves.

>> Take the foils out, and rinse completely untill all traces of the bleach are gone....

>> Lightly shampoo with SLS-Free Shampoo -- Rinse -- towel dry hair....The method of

>> Apply an equalizer ( we have a new one on the way!) let set on hair for 5-50 minutes

>> Rinse & apply Detangler or THRIVEN or whatever your regimen is

I always apply THRIVEN after using Bleach, it is the single best conditioner and after-treatment in addition to our new Equalizer coming out. You never know you colored your hair when you follow up with THRIVEN.

*** Then Blow Dry

Well, this is your results . . . after 6 Foils - - - Creme Bleach + 20 Volume and 40 Volume and is called Slices of Light.I wanted you to see how to use foils that was easy and works with straight hair. This is not how you should apply foils with curly hair....the pattern would be wrong.

See the 1/2 inch of brown that was left out right next to the face that I chose.

You can change it , I just wanted to point out what I was doing. See how its brown next to my face then - - next to that - - there is a blond slice? I think it looks too fake to have the blond right on my face.

Here is what it looks like on the top of my head, so you can see what it looks like with just 6 foils and bleach. I think you really get your money worth, what about you?

In my opinion ( remember this is just me) I don't like the stripey look, but if I was to blend the colors you would not see how the color in the foils came out. Now if you used various colors, and a couple more foils you would have the colors of someone named "ANNISTON" !

Here is the side I wanted you to see the "6" Slices . . . see the tiny one - - in the back which is why you do not need to do the back of your hair, it is taken care of with the front parting - - how perfect is that? ?!?

Here's the "BEFORE and "AFTER" . .photos for you to see. . . I did the same thing they do in all the big magazines. . . I did the blow dry all cool when I had the hair color I liked!

"Isn't it weird and cool all at the same time how much difference I made with just 6 foils! Its not highlights and KILLER CHEMIST says she is not exactly fond of this technique ( using just 1 color) either but I think it rocks . . ."

that's the good part about taste - - we all have it and its all 'different"

she can use multiple colors - - that's hard for me

FINAL VIEW of the look is pretty gorgeous. . . what do you think?

Holly and her 6 Foil Transition using Slices of Lights

Remember a BlowDry can change things more than a color, more than a shampoo

( WEN (BS) Shampoo's with conditioner (YUK) - look at the ingredients of his product ............a blo-dry sells his product!!! )

3 Free Hair Color Tools for 1 Week w/ Purchase

2011-10-02T03:33:00.001-07:00

1 Free Tint Bowl

1 Free Tint Brush

& 1 Free Tail Comb

w/ purchase of at least 1 haircolor (any)- 1 week only

http://killerstrands.myshopify.com/

3 of the most important tools for beginning Crib Colorists

There is a reason I stress these 3

Once you begin to put down the bottle, the cap and whatever other silly tools you are using. with these you will have professional looking color. Many have “helping hands” & don’t have to apply their color…using these will help the person helping you. Doing it yourself? We have plenty of women that figured it out & discovered the better application results. FYI - - - I’m doing my own hair now, and I have had to get used to applying to myself as well. I promise, its not at all the same as applying to a client sitting in a chair that goes up & down!

Killer Chemist

6 Crucial Factors Affecting Your Hair Color Result

2011-09-30T22:39:00.001-07:00

How To Evaluate those Factors at Home

This is the area I know many of you struggle with. I’ve stressed these factors individually but now I am going to review them all together. Now if you are trying to assess your hair in preparation for YOU to color it for the first time …this is the article for you.

6 Imperative Factors to Know Before, ANY Hair Color Procedure

Existing Hair Color
Virgin Base Level
Percentage of Gray
Ethnic Background
Porosity
Texture

The results of your haircoloring, I promise you, will only be as good as your analysis of these 6 points. Hair Colorists who do this day in and day out…should be held to that same rule. If your hair colorings continue to come out wrong. Always revert back to this page. Print it out. Keep it in your cupboard where you have stored your hair color tools. If you don’t have any, get them ! Don’t do hair color with home products, when your goal now is to have your hair look professional. Its not hard to do a good analysis, you just have to know what to look for.

I’m telling you, it would be so simple to print this page out….or simplify to how it makes sense to you (keeping the important parts). Each time you go to “change your hair color” you use the sheet. Answer all 6 questions.

1.) Existing Hair Color >? I have found in our Group ( http://groups.google.com/group/killerstrands) that this is the most misunderstood step. You need to answer honestly to yourself whether you have put hair color on your hair is the last 12-18 months. If you have it alters what you can do profoundly. Don’t lie to yourself. Hundreds of people everyday sit in chairs and lie to hairstylists. . . they don’t think we can tell and we can. We want to see if you are going to be honest or not. So remember this. Once you have applied any type of hair color that uses developer to your hair there are so many options that become impossible to do. So think about this the nest time you feel like running out to the drugstore and applying, quickly, some boxed haircolor , because those are the worlds hardest colors to get out. Don’t do it, if you ever want to have nice hair color. If you do have hair color determine what level that color is.There are different plans to think about if your present hair color is

lighter…………than your ‘desired’…you will pre-pigment or fill
the same level as your ‘desired’…...this is easy – smile
darker ……….than your ‘desired’…..you will remove color (Vanish)

2.) Virgin Hair Level – Determine Your Virgin Level by parting the top of the hair down the middle. Doing it to yourself? Use bathroom so you can look up close take the end of a tail comb (tail comb) take a copy of any 1 of the 2 dozen Level Charts on this Blog I have given you, with you. Pull the hair up near the part, gauge it from there. NEVER THE ENDS. If your not sure ask a partner, ask a family member, ask a friend.

3.) Determine the % of gray – Gray hair is basically hair with no pigment. Haircolor looks different on gray hair than on any other color. The reason? If gray has 0 pigment

Level 10 blonde - 10% pigment
Level 9 blonde - 20% pigment
Level 8 blonde - 30% pigment
Level 7 dark blond - 40% pigment
Level 6 Light brown – 50%pigment
and on down the line till you reach Level 1 – with 100% pigment

Gray is not on that chart at all. It has “0” pigment. With no pigment it has nothing the hair color can latch onto, so therefore when you color without using the tricks to covering gray….it will cover but in 1-2-3 weeks the gray will begin to show its ugly head!

When you have gray you must come up with an estimate of how much gray you have, this can be a little tricky at the beginning. So let me give you a couple tricks. 10% gray means one in every ten hairs is gray. Many times it is the first impression that makes me decide. Remember all of these factors go back to number 1 – do you have color on the hair already. If so, you are doing this estimating on the “base” (roots) ……….. {roots is such a God-awful word they came up ‘base’ –much more appealing…try to use it}. So there are many different situations you may find yourself in. Close your eyes……….open them, does your hair look more gray than natural? Than you are over 50%….and vice versa. If you are coloring your own hair you will be able to play with this..as a professional I feel you should know exacts before you ever start hair on clients.

Below in the picture of a chart on the right hand side….it shows 25% gray – 50% Gray & 75% Gray…………..

With this color Series I am going to go through coloring all the way. Not leaving things out with hopes of a book. That will never happen, so now you will get the entire color Instruction and in order. You will be taught the Sassoon method of how to cover gray, and everything else.

4.) Ethnic background – I put this in here because I feel most publications (and my training left it out as a distinct category. It is deeply studied in the European part of the world and they have magazines and books that deal only with ethnic hair.

> Afro American hair tends to be very curly and darker and coarser, on average, than Caucasian. > Asian hair tens to be coarse , very resistant , very dark and straight.

So those….. and I have written a wonderful post about ethnicities & their hair but all hair on all people has most of the same properties. The properties from one ethnicity to another will most definitely be different so that subject does not really affect this post.

5.) Porosity – Resistant hair is slower to accept haircolor. It’s funny out of all these steps……I have found both in the group –and- in all of the Consultations I have done . . . everyone knows whether or not their hair “takes’’ color well or not. Isn’t that funny?? I think that is super unusual. Every single hairstylist out there must be saying to themselves as they takes the foils out or I have always scratched the color off with my fingernail to see if the color is taking fast or not – that every single one of you KNOWS the answer to that question !!! Well, THAT is the porosity of your hair. You were born with it.

Overporous hair processes quickly and may require more warmth in the formula and a weaker developer ( and possibly ‘filling’ or they used to call it pre-pigmenting).

Then there is normal porosity….means a slightly raised cuticle – just barely lifted. No adjustments need to be made and most of you have this porosity.

I feel porosity affects a lot more than most give it credit for… you will see in following posts.

6). Texture of Hair – Most people have medium texture so no special considerations are needed.

For extremely fine and “might'” have to pay attention to…. the “quote goes 9 out of ten people are medium texture” so most people don’t have to worry. I find that quote a little off with all the ethnicities here now and with all the cross marriages…lots of beautiful new textures are popping up.

What you will want to be careful of is the fine hair around the face some people have. If that is you ….there are a couple tricks …but I will give you the 2 easiest. Because to me there are 2 kinds of face frame hair….one is super find one is medium fine. The only difference is in timing – I was this picky – maybe you don’t want to be.

Super fine….3-5 minutes before end of processing time (save a bowl of color – always) apply color. Rinse that part last.
Medium fine … just apply color on whole head then apply last ( this way it has 20-25 minutes.!)

Killer Chemist

Hair Color Basics From The Boss

2011-09-28T00:11:00.001-07:00

Messages from Members Motivate Me : Time To Review Hair Color Basics

In speaking with many of you lately, and just this morning someone in the group, made me feel some Posts on the BASIC OF HAIR COLOR were due. Everything has been written about on this Blog in years past but, like you, I get tired of looking back & through years of Posts on Blogs I read – so I get it.

First I want to talk to you about the different categories of Hair Color. I am going to put in my 2 cents to the very boring and bland manner in which this topic is normally discussed, so hang on to your hat!

The lines between the categories of color used to be sharp now they are not only foggy, they don’t really mean much to well-trained Colorists. We can almost always find a way around the way the color is supposed to be used. I feel it takes more than 1 term to describe the hair color products of today.

For decades the 4 basic categories were:

Temporary (the oldest) - shampoos out, here today/gone tomorrow. Rinses, Roux, Root Touch-up mascaras/wands, color shampoo, etc,
Semi-Permanent- lasts haircut to haircut (meaning 4 weeks). A diminishing category sadly. I feel there is a lot of room for expansion here, provided category is used properly NO DEVELOPER. Large color manufacturers have mislead public putting: ”Semi-Permanent” on boxes of hair color that included developer : which is completely WRONG and misleading. The minute Developer is used, it changes the manner in which hair color works, it then imparts that line of demarcation something not achieved when using a ‘true’ Semi Permanent Haircolor. This category is wonderful for refreshing color it emparts more shine than any other category, but sadly the large manufacturers feel we don’t need this – when WE DO!
Demi-Permanent (the newest) – 1/2 way between Semi & Permanent is what they aim for Demi to be. Various companies define it differently, Deposit-only, very Gentle on strands, for the Killerstrands gang : the perfect hair color application is to apply Permanent haircolor on the roots/new growth…Demi-Permanent on the lengths. Demi imparts VIVID color results, a knock-out for shine, covers mild gray (under 25%), refreshes Permanent color,deposits Tonal changes, corrective coloring and reverse-highlighting.
Permanent – Oxidized haircolor. This is the Grandaddy category for some reason. You have the choice of 10 Volume thru 40 Volume developer and everything in between. Developer (hydrogen peroxide) is mixed w/ haircolor and remains in strands till new growth of hair. Used for covering gray (#1),lightening, matching previous hair color. The 1 & only color that performs the complete magical act of Lifting color and Depositing color at the same time. Think about that! All companies ‘claim’ this category of their hair color is permanent. When in fact it is not. All HAIR COLOR FADES except Bleach / Lightener / Oil Lightener. Please read on for those of you weary of this category…I have a surprize for you….

Lets look at the definition of “Permanent”: existing perpetually; everlasting, especially without significant change, long-lasting or non-fading(!)

Had a good laugh? I’ve applied Permanent haircolor on over 10,000 Heads, not 1 of them had the same haircolor 5-8 weeks later & these are folks that all used Sulfate-free shampoos and the finest hair products in the land (my Salon was in Malibu) and followed 10,000 HEADS really really well..

Many of you are freaked out by the sound “Permanent Color”, I really would like everyone to get over that. If you don’t believe me, ask your relatives-friends-moms-daughters-boyfriends….there experience with “permanent haircolor”. Remember I am talking properly applied professional haircolor in colors lighter than Level 2. The only color you don’t want to be permanent is the only one that is…Level 1 black. It takes at least 4 boxes of VANISH to fade Black….no one wants to have black hair for very long. Its harsh & not flattering on anyone’s complexion.

Every single haircolor fades......permanent, semi-permanent, temporary and
anything else anyone has made up.
WHY?
Its the nature of the beast. If you have ever had permanent hair color – I already know where it comes from. Applying boxed hair color on top of itself about 20 times – then its permanent. It also looks like dull-dry-ugly SHOE POLISH with that method. I am glad there is no “technically-permanent” haircolor, the only people who wish there was are clients with lots of Gray although there is a problem with that idea. The new gray roots will always be there, we cannot do anything about your new growth and you wouldn’t want us to.

Embrace permanent color, because - - - as long as you are using any hair color with a developer @ any Volume level you deal with the same issues and I promise there is across the board flexibility (same with every single haircolor brand).

Scientists are funny. They sit in their labs at these Color
Giants.....and they develop hair color.....so they figure out 1 hair
color and if it goes through a couple washes it is almost the exact
same color. Think about this........they are MEN. Now did everyone
laugh???
Have you ever asked your "man" - - if he loves your new hair
color??? 9 out of 10 don't know if you went form blonde to black.
When women would be in my chair and they would be nervous about their man’s approval in changing haircolors that "they" wanted and I agreed would look
outstanding....
I would ALWAYS tell them, "he will never even notice"......not
once in 15 years did I have someone come back and tell me their man
was mad.......
why?
they really don't care what color our hair is.
So that is why I really don't think much of the "MEN" who sit in these
labs.
They are still men

As long as I have been doing hair I have never run into one haircolor
that truly was permanent, as I said…I think they are ALL misnamed and the Permanent should be Demi and so on
down the line....
Bleach/Oil-Bleach Lightener is truly the one & only color process
that is permanent.

Yes they look good for 1-2-3 weeks but after that well it goes out the
window....I still feel FUDGE COLOR'S are OVER AND ABOVE the best Krazy
Kolors on the market.....MANIC PANIC & the 3 brands you speak of ARE
SOLD IN THE MALL....anyone and their mother can buy them..Haircolor
has different levels of quality...
which is why you can buy haircolor in Sallys and you might as well
pour that out the window as you drive home.
Again haircolor is made by men....and I don't want anyone to get me
wrong, I love MEN, they are my favorite hobby...
BUT
Men should NOT be making haircolor for all of these companies.
To make haircolor you must be a Cosmetic Chemist...........that
society has about 98% MEN. Now you know why haircolor is not “more permanent than it is, why there aren’t more colors to choose from. All in a nutshell.
So, you young women out there...now you know what occupation needs
help... take it from me, it is a blast as well. We need women in the industry in all facets. One needs a degree in Science, then a Degree in Cosmetic Chemistry.

I’ll be waiting for you….

KC Killer Chemist

Hair's Anatomy - Understand Those Hair Strands

2011-09-11T05:04:00.000-07:00

THair Anatomy

This is something I should have discussed a long time ago, but hey, who knew I would still be going. I'm also going to wrench it up a notch with this discussion and start going into a bit more of the scientific angle, I am finding a lot of you are interested in the more technical talk and the more specific answers - so this will be a little more in-depth explanation of how the hair on your head is formed. I use these words so frequently, maybe if you understood them more completely it would help you relate what I am saying.

Hair is composed of protein that grows of cells originating within the hair follicle (why I stress the importance of protein in your daily diet). This is where the hair shaft begins.

As soon as these living cells form, they begin their journey upward through the hair follicle. They mature in a process called keratinization. As these newly formed cells mature, they fill up with a fibrous protein called keratin, then move upward, lose their nucleus and die. You will see many products use that buzz word - keratin. I have performed many experiments with pure keratin, and truly did not notice any difference when it is added to the hair strand itself. Compared to the tests with any oil by nature....the hair loves and adores anything oil based.. I even found some oil-based keratin from New Zealand that I played around for a few months and had a little luck, the problem ended up being if I wanted to use it in a product, it would cost me a fortune to get it delivered from New Zealand, so I had to scratch that idea. I tell you all this so you can watch for certain names in the thousands of hair products out there.

By the time the hair shaft emerges from the scalp, the cells of the hair are completely keratinized and are no longer living, but the root is still alive or it wouldn't grow. The hair shaft that emerges from the scalp is a non-living fiber composed of keratinized protein. Hair is a cylinder of impacted keratinized cells, I have included a simplified model of a single hair shaft (photo) and other various close-ups for you to refer to for the discussion of hair anatomy. A cross section of the hair shaft shows you the 3 major structures of a fully mature and keratinized hair. The central-most layer is the medulla, the next layer is the cortex and the outer layer is the cuticle.

MEDULLA - this section of the hair contains melanin granules and is present only in very thick terminal hair - generally only thick coarse hair contains a medulla( all male beard hair contains one) its quite common for very fine and blond hair to entirely lack a medulla. Notice the medulla is very deep and the very inside core of the hair, it is also the least important as far as hair care.

CORTEX - a fibrous protein core formed by elongated cells containing melanin pigment, about 90% of weight comes from the cortex. The elasticity and the hairs natural color begin here. Most of the changes to the hair shaft - such as those related to permanent color (oxidative coloring), semi permanent, chemical straightening, curling hair, permanent waving all occur in the cortex of the hair, the major component of the hair shaft. The cortex consists of elongated cells containing monofilament rich in cystine, this composition gives hair its great tensile strength.

CUTICLE - the integrity of the hair shaft is maintained by the cuticle. The cuticle consists of flattened cells along the hair shaft arranged like shingles on a roof. The overlapping is extremely tight, preventing damage to the underlying cortex. This is the part of the hair I refer to the most, I hope you can remember these scales, they are important in many references I will make over time. When the cuticle is intact, the scales are smooth, reflect light, and provide a shiny, healthy look to the hair!

A healthy intact cuticle is the hair's primary defense against damage and this is the layer that really takes the most abuse. Lets just say > your cuticle hates your flat iron.

Hair is approximately 91 percent protein. 91% ! Now when I stress that PROTEIN -- PROTEIN -- PROTEIN must be burned into the back of your brain every time you go to eat, you can now see a hint of "why". The protein is made up of long chains of amino acids, which in turn are made up of elements. The elements that make up human hair are carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, and sulfur. These five elements are also the major elements found in skin and nails (remember > I find so many similarities in skin and hair - my basis for how THRIVEN was conceived) are often referred to as the COHNS elements. Table 8-1 shows the % of each element in normal hair.

The amino acids, the units of structure in protein, are linked together end to end like Mardi Gras beads. the chemical bond that joins amino acids to each other is called a peptide bond . A long chain of amino acids linked by peptide bonds is called a polypeptide chain. Polypeptide chains intertwine around each other in a spiral shape called a helix.
The 4 most important hair characteristics that affect its function and appearance are density, elasticity, porosity and texture. Which is an entire Department or D-E-P-T its initials.

DENSITY : measures the number of individual hair strands on one square inch. It indicates how many hairs there are on a persons head. Hair density can be classified as low, medium, or high ( or thin, medium, or thick-dense). Hair density is different from hair texture in that different individuals with the same hair texture can have different densities and vice-versa. Some individuals may have coarse hair texture (each hair has a large diameter), but low hair density ( a low number of hairs on the head). Others may have fine hair texture (each hair has a small diameter) but high hair density ( a high number of hairs on the head). Hope that isn't too confusing, this is an important fact for those of you working with me on hair color consultations. The more info like this that you can break down and explain to me the more "right-on" we will get with your own personal hair color formulation.

The average hair density on 1 head > about 2,200 hairs per square inch. Hair w/ high density ( thick or dense hair) has more hairs per square inch. The average head of hair contains about 100,000 individual hair strands. the number of hairs on the head generally varies with the color of hair. Blondes usually has the highest density and redheads ( boo-hoo) have the lowest.

POROSITY: If only I could stress the importance of this characteristic, I would be able to assess some of your hair so much easier. Porosity is the ability of the hair to absorb moisture. The degree of porosity is directly related to the condition of the cuticle layer therefore healthy hair with a compact cuticle layer is naturally resistant to penetration. Porous hair has a raised cuticle layer that easily absorbs water.

Hair with low porosity is considered resistant (see photo) . Chemical services performed on hair with low porosity require a more alkaline solution than those on hair with high porosity. Alkaline solutions raise the cuticle and permit uniform saturation and processing.

Hair with average porosity is considered normal (see photo) . Chemical services performed on this type of hair will usually process as expected, according to texture, which is why if I know this about your hair I can gauge more accurately your outcome, so I encourage all of you to figure each of these characteristics out about your own hair, its good information to have for life, I feel.

Hair with high porosity is considered overly porous and is the results of previous over processing (see photo).Over porous hair is damaged, dry, fragile and brittle. Chemical services performed on overly porous hair require less alkaline solutions with a lower pH. This will help over processing.(Yes, I realize we need to go into the whole entire pH story, which we will very very soon - it is hard to decide whether to start with the chicken or the egg in explaining this - its ALL necessary).

The Texture of the hair is not an indication of its porosity. Different degrees of porosity can be found in all hair textures. Although coarse hair normally has a low porosity and is resistant to chemical services, coarse hair can also have high porosity as the result of previous chemical services.

Here is a nifty trick . . you can check porosity on dry hair by taking a strand of several hairs from 4 different areas of the head ( the front hairline, the temple, the crown, and the nape). Hold the strand securely with one hand while sliding the thumb and forefinger of the other hand from the end to the scalp. If the hair feels smooth and the cuticle is compact, dense and hard, it is considered resistant. If you can feel a slight roughness, it is considered porous. If the hair feels rough, dry or breaks it is considered overly porous.

ELASTICITY Is the ability of the hair to stretch and return to its original length without breaking. Hair Elasticity is an indication of the strength of the side bonds that hold the hair's individual fibers in place. Wet hair with normal elasticity will stretch up to 50% of its original length and return to that length without breaking. Hair with normal elasticity holds the curl from wet sets and permanent waves without excessive relaxing.

Hair with low elasticity is brittle and breaks easily. Hair with low elasticity may not be able to hold the curl from wet setting, thermal styling ( curling irons ) or perms. Hair with low elasticity is the result of weak side bonds that usually result from over processing. Chemical services performed on hair with low elasticity require a milder solution with a lower pH, that solution minimizes damage and helps prevent additional over processing.

Check elasticity on wet hair by taking an individual strand from four different areas of the head ( the front hairline, the temple, the crown, and the nape). Hold a single strand of wet hair securely and try to pull it apart ( see photo - elasticity). If the hair stretches and returns to its original shape without breaking, it has normal elasticity. If the hair breaks easily or fails to return to it original length then it has low elasticity.

TEXTURE is the thickness of diameter of the individual hair strand. Hair texture can be be classified as coarse, medium, or fine and differs from individual to individual (see all photos). Hair can also vary from strand to strand on the same person's head! It is not uncommon for hair from different areas of the head to have different textures. Hair from the nape (back of the neck), crown, temples, and front hairline of the same person may all have different textures - just to confuse matters even more.

Coarse hair texture has the largest diameter. It is stronger than fine hair, for the same reason that a thick rope is stronger than a thin rope. Coarse hair also has a stronger structure. It usually requires more processing than medium or fine hair and may also be more resistant to that processing. It is usually more difficult for hair lighteners, hair colors, permanent waving solutions, and chemical hair relaxers to penetrate coarse hair, so that is why this subject is relevant in the overall scheme of hair .

Medium hair texture is the most common and it is the standard to which other hair is compared. Medium hair is considered normal and does not pose any special problems or concerns.

Fine hair has the smallest diameter and is more fragile, easier to process, and more susceptible to damage from chemical services than coarse or medium hair. Finer hair is hair that one should choose the least amount of time for chemical services possible, as a safeguard. With bleach you will be leaving it on quite a bit less than coarse hair. See why these characteristics are so very very important ? If you figure them out about your hair you can take them into account when coloring your hair the first time and therefore you can avoid any disasters from happening.

Hair Texture can be determined by feeling a single dry strand between the fingers. Take an individual strand from 4 different areas of the head -- the front hairline, the temple, the crown, and the nape -- and hold the strand securely with one hand while feeling it with the thumb and forefinger of the other hand. With a little practice you will be able to to feel the difference between coarse, medium and fine hair diameters.

These 4 major characteristics of the hair shaft, Density, Elasticity, Porosity & Texture (dept.) -- will affect the overall permeability of hair to chemicals and liquids of all type.Therefore how shampoo affects it as well.

Texture and Porosity are judged together in determining the processing time. Although porosity is more significant, texture is also important. Fine hair, having a small diameter, will become saturated with wave lotion more than hair with a large diameter if both are equally porous. Coarse hair that is very porous, however will process faster than fine hair that is not porous. The hair texture will also contribute to its elasticity. The stronger the hair shaft, the greater its elasticity.

Whew! that was a mouthful and page full but its something I have wanted to get said. So I am glad it finally is. This is just the beginning of how the hair structure pertains to shampoos,color and hair care products, which is all forth coming so just hang on.

Killer Chemist

High Def Color Hits Hair and Explodes

2011-08-13T14:19:00.000-07:00

OK my PAINT DRIPS...have now become universal. . . . and no one is happier to see this than myself!
They are every color under the sun.....they are Krazy Kolors and dark with light on the top they are every variation and it just makes me wish I was back in the Salon or on a shoot doing my own take on the trend.

I will say Pink is my favorite.........but I haven't seen all the colors yet.

What I would like to say is.........many of you purchase our Pravana Krazy Kolors....which I have warned people about and they continue to purchase those over our FUDGE COLORS so I wanted to do one of my TEST projects and Photograph it for you. . . to demonstrate the quality of FUDGE. The reason I don''t like Pravana? 2 SOLID AND VALID REASONS

You cannot make PASTEL's out of them ( which I don't know why?)
They do not come out with VANISH or ANYTHING BUT BLEACH and lots of bleach -- but usually scissors is the only way
You have to cut them out of your hair ( according to many emails I have received) They are more than PERMANENT. THEY are forEVER. I can tell you from my point of view that is the last thing you want in any hair color.........why? EVERY single hair client I have ever had :changes their mind and wants something new or even a minor tweak on their formula. If you have a Krazy Kolor that does not even come out with VANISH or cleansing shampoo or Malibu 200 Color Correct packs... that is a major problem. I would never EVER use Pravana and I don't want any of YOU using it either.

They are popping up everywhere now . . . in ad's , editorial's and even mail order catalogs. When that happens I truly feel its invaded the general public and no longer is termed "weird'or crazy - - everything can be ramped 'up' or ramped down. The best feature of this technique is it lasts only about 10 - 30 days depending on 5 very important things:

Porosity
When applying the color cover with foils and use mild heat ONLY ( our Blow Dryer Hair Dryer Bonnet Drying System Blow-dryer-deep-hair-conditioning-system on K/S store for only $18. which works perfectly) process for 60 minutes....I ran a test strip leaving on much longer & it only extended how long the color lasted.
Shampoo frequency - if you only want it to last a week shampoo every day....and vice-versa
Shampoo quality - must be Sulfate-free and well made ( any of our shampoos qualify)
finishing technique with a pH balancing application that also LOCKS IN COLOR......... ( such as In-TENSIVE) which helps more than you will realize.....it locks-in color.

I call these Pastel or Ice Cream Drips. The colors are so yummy you want to eat them.
The latest Urban Outfitters catalog they had a model that just made me yearn to be back in the studio/salon to be one of the Stylists coming up with the next greatest and most innovative color technique. I just love this look &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp; wish I had someone in my chair - tomorrow - whom I could either duplicate or produce my own variation on the technique. It must have been 15 years ago that I was bleaching men clients -hair - white ....then painting on this white background......various tattoos with either black or various Krazy Kolors and a paint brush. I remember doing four leaf clovers for an Irish fellow, flames for a gentlemen that wanted them to match the flames on his car. . . and so on.
I know this probably seems crazy and yes I am from Los Angeles and well aware of the rest of the country's strange look at us...but when I see what makes me excited as far as style-design &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp; taste I don't think I could have been raised in any other state and been as happy as I have been most of my life.

What is completely funny - is the timing of it. . . as I just brought you the new "Universal Terminology" that has been declared on this type of technique as "OMBRE". Ombre is french for melting darker into light or vice versa.

We had the TV on "accidentally AFTER our morning show we leave on for news and new fads, trends etc.... and this lady who was about 50 and the LEAD on the show had a couple NAVY BLUE Flashes of Color on the ends of her hair.... OMG it looked unbelievable. Very - "ON - Trend" . I hope to see this more on more.

I challenge all of you to try it. Just use Fudge and the colors can come out quickly if you worry about that. They also can stay in Longer, you will get a tip sheet for my tips on how to achieve all these tricks - they are easy I promise!

This Group of photos were from the latest URBAN OUTFITTERS Catalog . . . .I just love the ICE CREAM Colors

Love this Coral number, this is the mixture of 3 of the Paintbox colors. If you are interested in mixing and applying any CUSTOME COLORS such as this pale CORAL .... Now with all orders of the FUDGE COLORS from our store just as for KC's personal directions on How to make YOUR color. They will be included with your order. To make Coral just buy 3 tubes of Color and submit your Request Color in the "NOTES" section at Check-Out.

Styling tips:
which you can mellow out if you so please

See how her Front fringe area is sticking almost straight up and is staying there? I do this with HEMPZ Haute Mess Dry Shampoo ( or their Dry Conditioner) - use our new teasing brush to 'tease" - - yep we are back doing that again...first, then using the largest round brush your hair will handle and spraying it with either Aquage hair Spray or Shaper Hair Spray....lightly.

These are just FLASHES of Color and you will want to bleach the area first ( if you have super dark area such as the model below you will want to bleach the area first.........you may request up to 8 FOILS (FREE) per tube of color you Purchase

Checkout the Leopard print applied to a shaved hair, what will they think of next? Above is Leopard Print on top of a Flash of Bleach. Amazing. Simply Amazing

These pretty much speak for themselves...............

Repeats of photos I have showed before but they fit this POST....I was trying to show as many as I could to inspire you all !

Cotton Candy!

Flash of Lavender

BLOCKING...........

Hair Color Trends Follow Celebs - Like it or Not

Especially crazy Rock-stars

You can thank.... LADY GAGA...........KATY PERRY............and NICKI MINAJ ....to start with ....for these latest trends although to be perfectly honest I have been applying both Renbow Krazy Kolors AND FUDGE PAINTBOX CRAZY COLORS since I was in HAIR ACADEMY - 18 years ago ! I've had every color in the pallet on my own head....always just a Flash ( 1 or 2 thin FLASHES of color that peeks out.... At that time we hadn't thought of this method of application ( Drips and the pastel colors). These colors were BRAND new back then and were considered really TRULY CRAZY !

So what once was thought a passing FAD, now has made its way into the recurring Hair Color Classic Hair Color technique's

Seen on European CATWALK

Japanese VOGUE Last month

This is my favorite of them all . . . it uses 3 ( maybe even 4!) techniques in 1

the "Ombre" technique (dark root to light ....then to darker again - - on top of it all !
along with the dark root display ...........
along with the most beautiful display of Candy / Ice Cream PASTEL Crazy Colors I have seen yet.............gorgeous

Oh, did I mention she is Pixie Geldof ........one of the richest kids in all of Europe - maybe even all of the world....look how the rich get to roll in Europe - - boy are we stuffy ( her father actually is an amazing man - wonderful philanthropist).

the reason I brought that up? I was trying to figure out how much that Salon bill must have cost . . . my guess......

Close to $1500 . . .maybe even $2,000. Look how dark her hair is.

Took at least 2 days

at least

Many of you are purchasing Pravana Crazy Colors because of Rhianna, she is using Red right now and for that.............many people are thinking they are copying her. Remember, she wears "weaves"......that hair is not her own. So when she is tired of that color she just buys new weaves and will not suffer the major problems that happen along with the use of Pravana color.

People started complaining......so, I did some research and am going to discontinue the line. i WANT TO SWITCH EVERYONE OVER TO fudge.... THE COLORS I KNOW,

Following is link to FUDGE and we will be discontinuing the Pravana line - slowly (Remember you have to CUT IT OUT of your hair......Vanish does not work on it, harsh shampoos don't about the only thing that sometimes works is........multiple applications of bleach....I am told. I will not use it. Also, it does not make pastels. I find no redeeming qualities about it...

Look below I finally did some "TEST SAMPLES" of 3 of the FUDGE COLORS on some of my virgin hair samples I had....look below if you want to see IF they get bright or not..............

http://killerstrands.myshopify.com/products/fudge-paint-box-crazy-colors

My Goal with these photos and test strands was to show you how vivid &amp;amp; bright the colors of the FUDGE brand...are....

My photography really sucks for the first time..... and I DO apologize... But I hope you get the idea.

I like to use the darker colors.... like I used Purple haze here as opposed to the "Whiter Shade of PALE" which is a light Lavender...why??? You can make it last longer and you can use it dark AND light...the light one you can ONLY use it Light. I promise you in person it really is a beautiful color

I just realized there was no color chart on the FUDGE Page........HOLY MOLY BATMAN!

Thank you,
KILLER CHEMIST

Thank You & Our Sympathies Go Out To All Members of the Military

2011-08-07T09:49:00.000-07:00

We here at Killerstrands want to offer our sincere sympathies to the families and loved ones of the 38 soldiers - - - including: 6 of the magnificent 'Navy Seals' (that were involved in capturing & eliminating Osama bin Laudin, btw) that were included in killed in Afghanistan yesterday.

This accident brought me to tears and also straight back to the day I lost one of my best friends in a rotor-wing accident. I personally am just so very sorry that this has happened to you. Helicopter accidents are very rare . . . so this must be a freak accident. I really respect the military, and everything they do . . I believe the last 10 years must have been just the hardest and most unique hardship there is. I see some new benefits and help going your way lately but they are a long way from giving you ALL that you deserve.

I feel it is a crime that you are not paid and treated better. I would like to do my (very) little part to help you out from my specialty - "HAIR" . We have shipped many a package to Afghanistan, Germany and Iraq....and all sorts of military bases stationed all over the world.

I love that you are continuing to take care of your hair in 115 degree weather in the middle of the desert ! You ROCK! What I would like to offer is some substantial discounts on your entire order as well as the shipping charges will be eliminated......What I need from 1,2,3 or 4 of you. . .. is a way I can distinguish if people are legitimately in the military or not, then you will be given a code name/number that will entitle you to a substantial discount - - ALL YEAR LONG. I'm sure there is some way to establish this correctly.....so members from all the branches. . . ( Navy, Army, Marines, etc...) if you will please email us - - so we can get this started - - - I can feel a teeny tiny bit like I am helping you out in my own little way.

Please email to Killerstrands staff with your suggestion on how we can distinguish ACTUAL military members for your unique and permanent SAVINGS as long as you are in the service.

Please email:

KillerTrinity3@aol.com

Put in the Subject line : Military Member: Solution

Include some manner in which we can distinguish military members from the public.

I'm sure there is some form of Identification/number that you must have (right???) THANK YOU and I realize it is a very sma cv

Blondevous: From Platinum to Honey Blonde & How To Nail It

2011-07-27T16:10:00.001-07:00

Level 12 to Level 8 : A Look at the Road to Honey Blond From Platinum White – Safely, At Home, and With A Couple Actual Formula’s To Use!

There has been a lot of talk lately from many people in our group who took the big step of going all the way to Platinum and want to tip-toe back into the ‘little-bit’ darker tones. The main goal I hear is wanting to still be blonde, just a bit darker and warmer so approximately a Level 8 ( I hear 9 as well but you can pretty much kiss that one good bye) …. I have a quote I came up with a long time ago . . . and had a sign made up for my wall at the Salon . . . . .

‘not all hair . . . can be all colors’

People do not like to hear this. A select few would get upset and even angry when I say it and when they saw the sign. Its funny in President Obama’s speech last night he quoted Thomas Jefferson saying “ every man cannot have his way in all things”. .I laughed….sounded soooo similar to my ‘quote’! Like him, I’m not trying to ruin anyone’s parade I swear. . . I’m trying to be realistic and there are a million and a half hair stylists who won’t tell you the truth, and will try to guess and perform what is basically an “experiment” on your hair and will end up destroying your hair. How do I know this? All the emails we get from you! They will try to make you any color you ask for….even if it is literally and scientifically impossible. Hair Color is a science and it is NOT guess work. There are rules and reasons why some things work and some things DON’T. So many of the hair stylists out there I am hearing just do not understand the Level System and how developer and the Level System work together. (I would stress to most of you trying to learn this system to purchase both a color wheel and a peroxide wheel . . they are wonderful in helping you to fully understand how the system works.

Most hair stylists whom do not understand how the Level system works just want your butt in their chair….for the income ( that ought to make a lot of them madder than Hell) . The goal of this Blog/Group/Store is to educate you… as if you all had the advantages of a complete Cosmetology course education – out in the open – free to research on. Why?? I want hair stylists ( which we have many that read this Blog) out there to read what YOU all are saying – what I truly hope for…. is for them to study this BLOG if they are rusty in certain areas or even better would be for them to take continuing education classes in hair color.

Call Sassoon in Santa Monica, California and take either their 2-3-5-7 or 30 day Advanced Coloring Classes which are designed for advance education for existing Stylists. Pricey yes…but…They are worth every penny, I used to assist in those classes and would watch people who had been stylists for years - - “not know” how to color properly. Way back then when I was Assisting in Education I wondered why so many of the students didn’t know or understand how to properly color hair. Its so funny this many years later - - it ALL makes sense now. With so many people they were so happy to learn that there was a system. The problems stems from having very UNQUALIFIED Cosmetology schools spread across the United States. Sassoon (which really has nothing to do with the man) is what everyone refers to as the “Harvard” of Hair Schools. This British couple : Annie Humphries & Tim Hartley bought it years ago . . he is probably the worlds best “cutter” and she the worlds queen of “color” – both Brits they run it like a boot camp – very strict – no bullshit – anyone goofing around was kicked out…Cash up front ( and lots of it) NO financing at all… at first I didn’t think I would make it. Then I realized the “quality” and “brilliance” they were turning out of there…. and I straightened up and could not get enough. I mean I didn’t realize it at the time because I had just come from 15 years as one of the top Stuntwomen in the country…but Angus Mitchell was in my class -- PAUL MITCHELL’s son & Whoopie Goldberg’s daughter both were in my class….but I was immune to celebrities…. I didn’t realize the impact of where I was till I was out in the Salon world – and I saw how little most of them knew. I was the biggest hit in Malibu…it was a complete surprise to me though.

After 4 years on this Blog what I have discovered is….there are so many of you who have tried every Stylist in your town…..and what you have ended up with is damaged – improperly colored hair. I just feel so bad, and there isn’t a whole lot one person in LA can do for Suzie in North Carolina or Kristy in Florida. So my Blog makes more and more sense to me on a daily basis. I just hope and pray most of you who end up here will spend some time doing research on back posts to solve your problems. Then supporting us by making your purchase in our store, we carry all sorts of weird and hard to find hair color, scalp, skin, scents and hair health products.

Now many of you have spent years having your hair color screwed-up and you are tired of it…what I am hopin’ to offer here is a well educated Hair Blog so you can take your hair color back into your own hands. MAKE IT A HOBBY! If cooking can become a hobby then hair color can. . . . and you know what? The satisfaction I hear from people who have learned that there is a system to coloring your hair and an exact science…is rewarding as Hell, and it is what has kept me going all these years!

Who cares about your hair more than you?

No one, I promise you…

Everything is here, all the basics - - if its not . . . you can join our group and do more research and figure it out. There is very little we do not talk about here.

Now back to the goal of this post….Platinum hair wanting to go back to a Level 8 – Natural Blonde. That may ‘seem’ like a easy transition . . . but it is not. When I would have a client in my chair who decided to take that plunge in the first place….I would always explain the various ramifications of going Platinum so there were no surprises. That being said ‘going platinum’ ‘was’ and ‘is’ my favorite hair color procedure to do. I love changing hair in the most radical way that is possible, and doing it so it is healthy and shiny is always the main goal - - - when I first changed an Asian’s hair from black to white – many years ago – I then realized how this occupation was going to satisfy this damn ‘artistic gene’ I have running through my blood. It was a thrill and each and every time since… it was…but when trying to keep a loyal and beloved clientele - - so they keep coming back and send all their friends…it really is best to be up-front and totally honest.

Level 12 ………….to a……………. Level 8

Turning the hair Platinum removes every single trace of “tone” and “warmth” the hair possesses – check out the 2 photos – on the left is Level12 on the right is a Level 8 – BOTH ARE BLONDE!. See the tonal quality & warmth in the photo on the right ??? They are 2 completely different looks and personally I adore both and love to do both when in my coloring mode. Of course the platinum is and always has been my number 1 choice the many times I have been asked…so don’t ever think you shouldn’t choose a future hair color switcheroo based on this post. 90% of people when returning back from a period of Platinum hair . . will go to their own darker hair color . . a Level 7 or darker. . .and that is a very ‘set’ procedure and it works very well (Fill the hair first and then re-color the darker color). But just wanting to go 3-4 Levels darker is the big trick.

LEVEL 7…or darker………….Level 6

Now to be a Level 8 is a whole different ball game. Check out the level 8 up above . . see how light it is? ? The problem comes from when there is normally a 2 level procedure when coming back from platinum to a Level 7 or darker…The process is called “filling” the hair. Many of you have heard about this. . . Filling means you are doing a 2-step procedure, in order to get the proper color and have it stick….otherwise because platinum hair has NO color nor NO Tone in it….the color will just shampoo out at the first application. So what good is it? I CAN make any hair color for a Photo shoot…I mean any hair color. I did this many many times to models, and I swear I would go home and have the biggest cloud hanging over my head on the ones I knew that it would just shampoo out the next day and their hair would be screwed. So many of the high fashion shoots are this way….those were very-very hard for me. I felt much better being honest and doing hair in the Salon world where it was my decision as to what color the hair would be!

I want to say one thing before I give you the directions to coming back from Platinum hair. . . but still remaining blond. This method will work on 8 out of 10 people . . . that’s pretty good. But there are some of you with very porous hair, probably those that did not use our Oil-Bleach Kit - - which would make your hair super porous and therefore damaged and hard to re-color – in which case these directions will not work for you. The only clue I can give you as to “who” those 2 people are that this re-coloring method won’t work for is that…..If you have not used our Oil-Bleach Kit.. http://killerstrands.myshopify.com then you will most-likely have ‘re-coloring’ issues and you should begin a THRIVEN and GLEAM re-moisturizing mission. You truly ‘can’ repair thrashed over-processed hair. . . but it will take a little “regular” effort. But so many of you do not think that it is possible….I receive multiple e-mails daily.. from ‘seasoned’ readers who have begun 10,000 HEADS and have repaired their damaged hair. If that is you…..get on it! Gleam was formulated to actually replace the lipids missing in your hair - - and I promise you - - it works, it really truly does. You must be religious about applying it every-single-day – twice a day ( good part> you only need a few little drops).

So for reaching a LEVEL 8 you must color your hair twice. Yep….twice! If you try to work around this, it will just not work. I cannot satisfy your every wish . . . but I CAN solve this problem for those of trying to accomplish this. I’m going to give you 3 different formula’s……..none are fast, none are easy and none are cheap. What they are is effective, proper and the best part? ? ? None will damage your hair (that is the only way I roll).

This first formula is the one I have done, I really don’t recommend it. . . its time-consuming and can get costly . . . but it does work!

Color Prep with Malibu 2000 first.
Run a strand test, which you may request a free one with your order OR if order is over $50.00 ( adjust accordingly)
#1: Wella – Koleston Perfect 9/38GP(80% of total) +8/7B (20%of total) + equal parts of 10Volume
Apply every 10 days until it sticks {could take couple months – depends on porosity & MUST MUST MUST apply IN-TENSIVE afterwards for a minimum of 50 minutes} …shampooing only 2X per week with Sulfate-free ‘shampoo. THRIVEN & GLEAM. This is how Celebs hair looks healthy – shiny & wonderful all the time.

this was something I did for a number of Celebs. . . . making that change

The following is what I recommend for you. Now the necessity of this method is needing a Level 9 or 10 Gold/Red, X-Factor is the only brand with the perfect color – it is one of the many & main reasons I brought X.Factor to you.(Wella used to have one)…. In first applying a gold/red you are doing what’s called “filling” the hair. Filling the hair with the warmth it is missing by being so light. . . .I still believe Wella makes the best “browns” “honey browns” – so we then switch to that line. These exact formulas need to be used. . . .

#2. Color Prep with Malibu 2000 – first
Run a strand Test
Apply either 10.04… in X.Factor with 10 Volume for 30 minutes.
Rinse well , apply In-Tensive 30 minutes(min)
Apply Wella Koleston Perfect 9.38 (40%) + 8.7(20%) + 9.0 (40%) – process 50-60 minutes. I always go conservative with the first attempt. If this ends up too light or washes out too soon change the percentages accordingly. You always must add twice the lighter colors in relation to the darker ones - - for it to be even. ( that is a HUGE secret barely anyone knows) keep reading that over and over if it is confusing.

Now for the very last formula . . .this will be a little darker. . . maybe a 7.5…I’ve always felt the level system has way too few levels I think it should be about 25 LEVELS…as I see so many more levels than they offer. But that’s just me I suppose.

#3. Color Prep with Malibu 2000 packet first. Rinse very well & use IN-Tensive for 15 minutes.
Run a strand test.
Apply 9.43 in X. Factor….with 10 Volume for 30 minutes….
Rinse well, apply In-TENSIVE 30 minutes…Rinse
Apply Wella Color Touch in 9.73BG (40%)+ 8.71BA(25%)+(35%)9/0N – mix the 3 colors FIRST! Then add 2X times the developer in 13 Volume. If math is not your thing – everyone has a friend or relative where that is their love…and they will be happy to help. I know – cuz many people have told me stories. I promise its not that difficult. You can tell them there are little lines on the tube of color that mark off 1/2 oz. – 1oz. – 1 1/2oz….that helps some people.Process 50 minutes
Clean hair line with Clean Touch..( request complimentary small sample which is enough for 2 haircolors with color order)
Rinse well, Follow up with IN-Tensive for as long as possible. Thriven overnight . . . I always ask my clients to NOT shampoo for 48-72 hours that way the color really gets locked in.

So finally I have addressed this issue for may of you. You may not like the extensive formula it takes but it is the one and only way this particular hair color change works. Remember short cuts only will bring tears . . .

Killer Chemist

"OMBRE" HAIR COLOR TECHNIQUE

2011-07-09T13:42:00.000-07:00

"OMBRE" HAIR COLOR TECHNIQUE

I was just flabbergasted to see this photo in this months "FITNESS" magazine, with an explanation of how this is the newest and most gorgeous hair color technique!

Well, as much as I adore this color, our local name for the technique for the past 6-7 years is/was Paint Drips, my name is always just "Drips". I feel hair technique 'names' should coincide with the ACTUAL application. Look at the color. . . doesn't it look as though someone has dipped the ends of her hair in a very VERY light shade of blond Paint ?

Apparently in France, the word "ombre" means : 'gradual color change from darker to lighter' or 'lighter to darker' ! For some reason their terminology has been universally accepted and this is the new "proper name" terminology now. So I will be changing my wording to go along with this. . . being as I speak about this technique a lot and have numerous inquiries about it....just wanted to clarify the switch so we are all on the same page !

Its so funny............ about 5 years ago and even today . . . many people think this look is just someone who has not taken care of their roots for 8 months, and its just outgrown hair.

The wonderful part is that the hair color industry continues to change and attempts to come up with new and innovative color techniques for everyone to enjoy. I truly hope I have had something to do with that, although it honestly doesn't really matter...just as long as they keep their eyes and tint brushes OPEN to new techniques. . . I'm happy!

ALSO our biggest deal for month of July: FREE Shipping on all orders over $100.00 (for all customers in lower 48 States) in USA.

Foreign Orders is a Maximum RATE of $25.00 on any order. Customers will receive a refund for any additional $$ after calculated through USPS.

Happy Summer & watch out for the KC 2 day free consultation advice in July - - its always a surprize ( You must know the Level System to get the help - - like a POP Quiz

Killer Chemist 

Blonderexia : Our addiction to lighter hair

2011-06-07T13:30:00.001-07:00

Every Month Killerstrands Highlights a Topic - June is LIGHTENERS month

I’m sure every colorist would agree with me that the number 1 service we are asked for is lightening some part/to all of the hair. Its an interesting subject as to “why” we feel lightening the hair is more attractive or “sexier’…but what I DO KNOW, is that we definitely do. Women of all ages and types would always tell me that heads would turn and eyes would light up when they would walk into the room with their newly blond hair. Especially when they went from their virgin hair color to all over platinum ( as you see on Marilyn above).

So from years of reports like that I can be 100% positive that going Blond changes a person. Personally I’m a redhead so I cannot ever be blond and will never have the personal experience….but the number one haircolor sold on the Killerstrands Store is blond…….the number 1 color of hair asked for in the Salon is Blond and the number 1 color of hair color purchased in stores in the state of California ( not sure about the rest of the country) is blond.

A very common question in blonding asked of me lately . . . is……….. how to go to a level 12 Platinum Blond: The one and only method I would ever recommend is to use an Oil-Bleach-Kit, it is the one and only method that is moisturizing enough and will not damage the hair - - do not use straight bleach and highlift blond will not get light enough either ( promise), The link to the one and only oil-bleach kit on the marketplace……http://killerstrands.myshopify.com/products/oil-bleach-kit

This is the blond that attracts the most attention. Not sure ‘why’, but it does.This is the blond most of you want to be, if you haven’t at some point in your life it really seems as though every person needs to be platinum at least ONCE in their lifetime, if for no other reason than to get it out of your system. I feel everyone should try it - - - once if you are a Level 5 and above. If you’ve never been platinum. and you are darker than a level 5, you need to do a lot of research before you decide to go forward - - read every post I’ve written on going blond, including all the DEMO's on hair color procedures http://killerstrands.blogspot.com/search/label/Demo%20Hair%20Color%3A%20Step-By-Step . They will open your eyes to the time and effort that goes into having your hair lightened so many levels lighter than your virgin color. Going Platinum is what we refer to as the most “high maintenance” hair color. But again, it also can be life changing.

Turning someone platinum as opposed to applying blond “slices” as you see in this photo. .

. . was probably my favorite procedure to do. Why??? Because it is changing the hair SOOOOO much….. and it is an ‘art’ getting the hair platinum and not brassy or yellow-y at all. My clients never EVER left my chair without being completely brass-free! I also adored giving them a wide range of platinum toners . . . from lightest soft pink . . . to lightest soft coral, to lightest soft silver to lightest soft platinum. Just so much fun . . . truly. . .You, too - - can go platinum and not be brassy, it just takes a little more work.

But, what we do offer is the one and only OIL BLEACH KIT . . as every company discontinued theirs - - so I “HAD” to come up with one. Each kit contains the complete ingredients for 2 applications. Once you are platinum - - 1 Kit should last you about 3 months . The hardest part is the first time becoming platinum all over. There is plenty written about how to do in previous posts, so be sure to review them FIRST, to make sure you want to take the project on. I will say there is a reason they call it the most “high maintenance” hair color there is.

Platinum comes in all looks and works for every age and type of person as you see here…….from Marilyn Monroe to Punk rockers and everything in-between … as you can see by these photos…

Mad MAY MASSACRE Sale - 30% THRIVEN & GLEAM Killerstrands Own #1 & #2 Selling Products

2011-05-24T21:30:00.000-07:00

5 Day Memorial Day Massacre Sale

Killerstrands # 1 and # 2 Selling Products

30% OFF both THRIVEN & GLEAM

30% OFF - 1st Time EVER

GLEAM

THRIVEN & Secret Supplement Info

http://killerstrands.myshopify.com/products/gleam-hair-oil

ALL ORDERS OVER $70.00 - receive free bath bomb or bath Mallow from BOMB COSMETICS, they really make the bath special, fragrant, and pretty all at the same time . . .

The Little Hair Color That Could – Krazy Kolors Reappear in Every Hair Magazine this Month

2011-05-16T17:32:00.001-07:00

We Have Added The Best Krazy Kolor Line of Hair Color This Week: FUDGE

The trend that I absolutely will never tire of and am so happy to see everywhere in this months Hair trade magazines – across the board – was the Krazy Kolor application. You know…. those bright – almost comical – bold hair colors that have been around for over 20 years. The first time they came out was right when I was winding my way through Sassoon Hair Academy, all the instructors were just giddy about using them - - as was I. I would have bet a lot of money they would only be around for a little while. See what I know ? ? ? Nothing. I actually love the unique-ness of the color – and the many various methods of application as you can see by the enclosed photos (from this months MODERN SALON mag)

I can’t say I would ever use this exact technique as so many Stylists try “too hard” and “FOR ME” that method can be deadly. I feel you want to see the individual Kolors to make it an effective application. . .but art is a funny thing….there really is no “right”……………and no “wrong”. The interpretation is in the observer. . . . just like a painting on the wall. In hair the Interpretation is in the Client and the Colorist’s Point of View – if that is the case – Again………there is no RIGHT and no WRONG. Only opinions. Now, what do you all think of this Krazy Kolor application? Please submit your feelings on this below on the suggestion areas.To me, this is a desperate attempt to “be different” the girl looks like a person who would never wear Krazy Kolors to begin with . . therefore, setting that one issue aside the application to me does not ‘flow’. There is a unique method of applying K.K.’s so they blend & don’t look as though your 5 year old applied it. It depends on the length of hair, the color, the cut, and how crazy one wants the look to be. There are 2 ways to use Krazy Kolors ………….either bleach out the hair pieces you want to color first, that way the base is white….having the base white…..will make any of the krazy kolors you choose to use so vivid you need sunglasses!

In the photo above my bet is they have applied the KK on top of pre-colored hair as it is not SUPER bright. It also depends on the brand. Which is what I would also like to point out. . .I made a huge mistake and was carrying Paul Mitchells line of Krazy Kolors . . called INKWORKS . . . UNTIL>……… I finally broke a couple out to test them on our Staffer Cassy and was just floored at how poor they worked. . . Within 24 hours I had trashed all of them and returned to the best line next to Renbow. . . and that line is FUDGE. Some of the lines I want to carry are just not very easy to acquire. . . usually they are from a foreign country - - for some reason the Europeans & Aussies are ahead of the USA’s technology and produce a better product. To me the extra effort is worth the quality.

I have to apologize, I finally had a chance to use the Paul Mitchell KRAZY KOLORS we were carrying and I MUST be honest and tell you I had never tried them. Renbow had been discontinued - and my mentor ( from Vidal Sassoon) had moved to Paul Mitchell and was designing their new color line. I truly felt they would be fine, as she was my mentor and she had taught me everything I knew about Krazy Kolors.. She was the head of color for Sassoon those last 2 years….But, sadly that was a serious mistake. I recently tried them on a staffer and was horrified. Absolutely horrified. They just didn’t have any color to them . . . they were a waste of time to apply and that is not what we are about here at Killerstrands. I like to think we are about perfection and the best of the best. Now that we have FUDGE ‘s Krazy Kolor Line called PAINT BOX I can sleep much more peacefully.

Pravanas line is pretty much PERMANENT Crazy Colors and the thought of that still makes my skin crawl.... So it hit me. . . what was I using when I was forced to retire? ........FUDGE. After a lot of calls - - I had found a *USA distributor , and can proudly say they are now available to you... for information on the trick to making PASTELS, just enter your request in the box at check out.

Fudge Paintbox - Go hard or go home for a total color transformation. Paintbox Semi-Permanent Hair Color electrifies dull, boring hair that lasts for 3 to 30 washes.

Fudge Paintbox provides vibrant, dramatic results on pre-lightened hair
Fudge Paintbox provides more subtle tones on natural hair
Fudge Paintbox conditions as it colors, giving the hair increased shine and luster
No ammonia, no peroxide, no lift. Make a statement with Fudge Paintbox.

So, with these ideas. . . and lots more posted about 10 Posts ago . . . come up with a way of just applying a whisp of Pink or a block of Green as you see here. . .How gorgeous are these and they DO wash out . . . there is a simple trick for removing them completely ( no not VANISH – VANISH is made ONLY for oxidative hair color – which means PERMANENT hair color)……….With your order, ON REQUEST we will enclose the slip of KC Directions which include 3 of her secrets . . . .

the Best way to make PASTEL Krazy Kolors out of FUDGE Paint Box Krazy Kolors (not possible with Pravana)
how to remove Fudge Paint Box Krazy Kolors – clean,clear and healthy method
how to apply FUDGE Krazy Kolors using the best and most healthy for the hair method

here is the link to our new line:

http://killerstrands.myshopify.com/products/fudge-paint-box-crazy-colors

which I am proud to present . . . and I want those of you that have never ever had a little whisp of a Krazy Kolor to consider applying one to yourself. I mean for a very reasonable price you can purchase the color & Kit to apply to your own hair. Just put a bit of purple whisp in your fringe(bangs) – or Green if you have dark hair…..how much fun would that be? I don’t care if you live in po-dunk Iowa or Washington DC . . . it doesn’t matter. Liberate yourself. . . so many of you have gotten tattoos I feel this is even a better method of artwork on the human body. Nothing could be more personal than your hair. The best part about this artwork? It comes completely out and you can change your color AND design as many times as you want. So go ahead give it a shot. You have nothing to lose and everything - - EVERYTHING to gain . . .

Be sure to use IN-TENSIVE after every application of FUDGE PAINT BOX COLORS.

Killer Chemist

Why the New FOAM Hair Color Will Be Disastrous

2011-05-14T18:57:00.001-07:00

Its Not As Easy As The Hair Color Manufacturers Make It Sound

The ads – the commercials – the celebrities they use to dupe you into thinking if you use the new FOAM hair color that I have been seeing everywhere you will look like a gorgeous model. It seems the newest “wave” of boxed hair color is to offer you all this screwy “foam” application. Anything, to make it “seem” easier – quicker—& simpler to color your hair, the problem with that theory - - is that in my lifetime I have always found that taking short-cuts when trying to accomplish good quality results - - NEVER WORKS. Anything done well and done professionally takes time, takes training and takes education. The theory of hair color application and formulation is no exception.

Just this past month I had a couple clients that came to me with boxed hair color on their hair and they wanted “out”. They felt their hair never looked shiny except for about 1 week after application, which would always compel them to want to color more frequently (sound familiar?). Can you see why that color is not advisable? With Professional Hair color, the color remains pretty much the same for 5-8 weeks depending on % of gray – porosity and the proper formulation that you mix up prior to applying ( which is why you can learn all of that in previous Posts all logged here on Killerstrands Blog).

Its why I have written this Blog, there are lessons on how to formulate your color, how to apply the color properly, how to care for the hair immediately after applying the color so that it lasts a very long time and looks as though it was professionally done. Its really not that hard. I have written this so that all of my readers can become educated on the professional method of hair coloring, please take advantage of it. The 2 girls that came to me would do what these FOAM applications are showing . . . applying your Re-touch to the entire head of hair. That is the complete WRONG way to apply a Re-touch. What is the difference you ask?

If you have never applied hair color to your hair, you have what we call VIRGIN HAIR. Nice name , huh? Once you decide to color your hair that very first time, you will lose that term being applied to your hair ever again….unless of course you were to stop coloring and/or have the colored part of your hair cut off. Please do not look at that as a bad thing. I honestly and truly feel that using the hair color of todays technology (professional color only I’m referring to) your hair will be in better condition, will feel and style ‘better’ than VIRGIN hair and last but not least will give your color the boost it needs to look rich, healthy, and gorgeous. I had so many of my clients that would have me tint their hair the color it was, just to get those extra features I describe. Even I color my hair the color it is, and I am one of those rare birds that has no gray at all. I do it for the advantages today’s color brings hair. Remember though, you will NOT HAVE this great experience from Boxed Hair Color. Especially when they promote you apply the hair color to the entire head of hair at each application, which for many of you is about every 4-6 weeks.

To educate new Cosmetologists we teach the different types of hair color:

Temporary Color
Semi-Permanent Color
Demi-Permanent Hair Color
Permanent Hair Color

Lighteners or bleaches is really a hair color process that defies these 4 categories… which should really be taught that way and it isn’t. Many people (including many licensed hair stylists) think that going Blond or Lighter is an actual Hair Color – when in fact it is the diffusion of the natural color pigment, you already have, from the hair.

Now from talking to many of you ‘out there’, the number one mistake I think these kits mislead you with is that every time you color your hair they make it seem as though you should color ALL of the hair. When, in fact, you should only be re-tinting the “new growth”. There couldn’t be a bigger mistake, and that rule holds true for both those of you going “lighter” as in High-lift blonding, going darker and covering gray. The goal when touching up your color for the month should be to color the NEW GROWTH….ONLY!

Coloring the entire head of hair with hair color is wrong, so if that is the case then how could those foam hair color kits possibly work, correctly? They are applied in a manner such as shampoo, which is what they are trying to entice you with “ just shampoo the foam into your hair and POOF your hair color is done. Yet, if the proper method is to only color the “new-growth” – how could you possibly do that with a big bowl of FOAM?

If you are going blond and using bleach <> that would be just disastrous . . which is why most of you with highlights have ended up with an entire head of blond. Instead of just touching up the new growth . . . a large majority of hair stylists will apply bleach to the entire head of hair so there is a large amount of “overlapping” involved. Once you have lightened strands with bleach, lightening them repeatedly will bring one thing - - - BREAK-AGE ! ! The thought of how many of you get duped into that scenario really makes my blood pressure rise . . . I want to empower you with the knowledge of how and why this should not be done so you can understand the concepts and ask questions of your Colorist, or even better color your own hair so YOU have control of your own haircolor.

If you do go to a Colorist, there is not one thing wrong with asking how they plan on applying your re-touch. Ask them, make them answer you so you understand. Come armed with the knowledge that there is no reason for them to apply foils on top of foils when your hair is already very very blond….. be clear and tell them you only want the base colored (or roots) nothing else.

There are 2 reasons they want to give you an entire head of foils. . . and they do not want to just do a few random set of foils on the base ONLY:

Money ………they get the most money out of doing a “full-set” of foils
Skill………….They do not even understand what I am explaining to you here. This is more common than one would think.

So, my goal here is to educate as many of you as I can so that you will be armed with the proper haircolor formulation knowledge possible - - that way you can exit out of any mistakes you may have now . . . and begin coloring your own hair to the level you want it. I promise it is very very possible, and not even that hard . . . just begin reading the BLOG from the very first day --- forward . . . You will be surprized at how smart you will become. I have watched many a person become a Crib Colorist of epic proportions . . . look at all of my managers . . . they amaze me.

Hairway to Heaven : Removing Old Hair Color

2011-04-26T15:47:00.001-07:00

Spring is the Time of the Year When Everyone comes out wanting to start anew with hair color and cut. Remember, VANISH is the

one & only Hair Color Remover that does not damage the hair!

Having noticed a huge increase in VANISH sales of late - - which always happens in the SPRING of every year….it seemed a good time to revisit the process and some of the finer points. While I realize many of you may fear the procedure…I am always so happy to see that many of you are ‘going for it’ and are giving it a try. Let me assure you that I do not sell any products in our store that I feel need any type of super-duper special education to properly apply. I just would not and will not - - ever do that to any of you… or your hair.

Once I got into writing this BLOG and analyzing some of the procedures we do as professional Hair stylists: I began realizing how so much of what we do is just plain simple and how it runs very close to cooking recipes which is Chemistry as well. Having always thought of the close comparison to cooking/baking, hair coloring also has you follow a recipe and have a good outcome or a poor one – how good the outcome is, always depends on “how well you have followed the recipe/directions”. Yes, its true there can be bad recipes -- although before the Internet surfaced there were basically all ‘good’ recipes -- they had to be in order to make it into a BOOK!

Yes, I guess with so many of you having such poor experiences with bad Hair Stylists you could have some doubts when you first find us……..But last week on April 15 was our 4 year ANNIVERSARY ! ! ! I doubt we would be around that long if I was a poor Stylist or more importantly a poor teacher… I try very hard in listening to as many of your requests as I can and responding in teaching accordingly. So just know that.

! Same with hair, which is why I do encourage you to purchase all options with us that include directions. . . I have gone in and added my own personal instruction sheets with each color line that does not have their own. Framesi, LAKME and the new X-Factor Line – all have great directions included, the one and only complaint I have with every single line that is out there - - - wait for it……………………they never suggest a “long enough processing time! Remember? It should be 65- 85 minutes for blonding and 45-55 minutes for any color darker.

I’m very happy that many of you are taking the proper steps to properly color your hair. VANISH is the one and only hair color remover that works without damaging the hair. The manner in which it works > > still fascinates me. . . as it truly reverses the way in which the hair color gets into your hair in the first place. No bleaches, no peroxide………….it’s a bizarre process to explain but hopefully as you repeatedly read about it, will begin to sink in.

Having just applied 6 applications of VANISH to one of our staffers, I was freshly reminded of the persistence one needs to approach hair color removal. Even yesterday I had the clerk at the supply house ask me what did she do wrong when she just applied Vanish and then her hair turn dark again. What I wanted to be sure to point out to you, was - - some of the steps I feel may be overlooked.The procedure is not a breeze, so I don’t want to mislead anyone. The good part? It’s not complicated, The Bad? (once you read directions)…….it IS ‘time-consuming’. The longer you perform each step on my direction sheet the more successful your outcome. Just like anything in LIFE, ‘precisely navigating the steps as long as you are going to take the procedure ‘on’ you might as well do the best you can.

I mean not only did we have to apply 6 (common) separate applications – a step I worry many of you may be short-ing yourself on – (remember there are 2 applications per box). Our staffer – Cassy - - had what is a very common issue I bet many of you are dealing with. She had highlights under her Level 2-3 & 4 DARK BROWN haircolor… Black! basically. Now, that type of situation will many times take a minimum of 2 boxes, 3 is more likely and 4 is not out of the question…just FYI. The reason I want you to know is hopefully you will only perform this procedure of hair color removal ONCE in your life. Now. . . after this you will have read through the BLOG, learned 10,000HEADS :14 STEPS and studied your color wheel and the Level System. So you will learn clearly how to care for your hair in a new and unique method.

The number 1 mistake most people make in removing their color is: they do not apply enough applications of VANISH. I don’t think in all these years I have ever gotten all the color out in 1 application… it would be nice if you could…but almost always people are trying to get BOXED hair color out of their hair which is this ‘thicky syrupy gunk’. Professional hair color comes out of the the hair much faster/easier than boxed color. Why? because it is not made to color ANY type or color of hair. Formulating is done by the professional (or you) so the color that was used was the “proper” color for the situation. Boxed hair color is made so it works on any hair without any formulating knowledge necessary.Otherwise why would they be selling it every store in America to A N Y O N E that wants to purchase it. The color in boxed color kits….uses the E X A C T same coloring process and formula that professional hair color does. There is not one hair color formulation for boxed hair color and another for professional hair color….they are the exact same process. The difference? You (or your stylist) is taking the answers to the KILLER 8 and calculating the proper color to use. When that is done…the color process is done correctly and therefore REVERSING the process works flawlessly. Most people that are looking to remove color here @ Killerstrands, I find, are boxed hair color removal. Which I am very sorry to say is going to be minimum of 4 applications. . . . and upwards of 8 or 10. I had Cassy our staffer, working on the Shampoo Train and using the COLOR PREP and COLOR CORRECTOR packets every couple days (by Malibu 2000) for 5 weeks prior to our 2 days of VANISH applications. . .which completely helped. . .we would have had to do at least 8 apps. if we had not done that…. as it was we did “5” !! I know - - I know, just keep in mind: this is a one time project….hopefully to never be done again. She had highlights underneath ( which btw she neglected to mention until about 1/2 way through) – I was really becoming puzzled by the fact that the procedure was not working very well {after 10 million of these, you truly get a feel for how they should work}. then I asked her, “ did you have any blond underneath this black? The truth came out about her wanting to get rid of the highlights so she got a box of color from Target and slapped it on, then she did it again and again and again for a year… She will never do that again, and neither should you!

ONE BIG TIP HERE: When applying new color ( of any type) you must only color the “NEW GROWTH”……the “ROOTS”………..the “BASE” – coloring over the lengths that have already been colored will do nothing but damage the hair, whether going lighter, the same Level and especially going DARKER…. see this photo . . . the color is applied on the root area and the “lengths” are left out….that way you are not coloring on top of color….it IS NOT NECESSARY, & I promise you is one of the biggest mistakes hair stylists make.

How does hair color get in the hair and stay there >>>??? The molecules of “color’ shrink, then they go in the hair strand through the cuticle…then they EXPAND while in there - - which locks them in there – they can’t leave because they grow and become too large to get out the way they came ‘in’.. Thus, the hair is now the color of those color molecules. VANISH works by reversing that process. VANISH shrinks those molecules that are locked into those hair strands The reason we have a VANISH KIT versus just the VANISH Box?? You need 7 odd little things to complete the application properly plus my personal directions assure you of a perfect application.

The single most important fact of beginning and ending the VANISHING technique? Making sure the old color is all the way out. With the Kit comes the one trick of a way of checking if all the color is out of the hair or not, that way you will KNOW - - you will have a gauge of when you can stop and be assured that all the color is out.

Now in our little Vanishing escapade… I discovered 2 new wonder-products we recently added to the store I thought I’d point out to you…. (the new Portable Bonnet Cap BLOW dryer system - - that I was completely impressed with, btw) she had been using it all month long with the COLOR PREP and COLOR CORRECTION packets. What she forgot to tell me was how well it worked. I guess I thought the dryer would blow-up . . . WRONG…. or that it would either be too hot or too cold….WRONG again!. She brought it back and we put it on her ends as we had put pastel colors in her drips for EASTER… OK – YES, it looks goofy, but who cares… it works so well, that just doesn’t matter…..I mean don’t look at yourself. . . . and the price is sooooooo reasonable. Ours are black, is the only difference. The most goofy looking new tool - - - and the most EFFECTIVE….LOVE IT!

LOVE IT

The second great discovery is…………really silly but supremely effective and I wished I would’ve had for my entire career. Truly. I’ve already had it posted in the store but getting these posts on here are getting harder and harder for me…I try - - I promise you - - I try. This little item is an applicator sponge….and as goofy as that sounds…let me explain…….

http://killerstrands.myshopify.com/products/applicator-sponge-unique-design

Above is a shot of the little devil . . . One of the problems with VANISH, Malibu 2000 Packets and all those types of products . . . is, the product itself is expensive….even to me VANISH is expensive. So we all want to use every last drop of the product, which is why all Colorists use tube “keys” - - to get every last drop out of the tube. Same with VANISH…every little drop of liquid should be used. Over the years I have tried 3 different types of applicators: make-up sponges, kitchen sponges…and most lately I had found these sponge “cloths”… I cut them up and thought that was my final answer to the issue. NOPE! I don’t know why but it must be the density of this particular foam that its absorption and application of the liquid was just awesome. You see if you have not used Vanish before: there are 2 bottles inside, Bottle 1 and Bottle 2 - -To look in each bottle you would think you were looking at water. When you get ready to use, you mix 1/2 the bottle of #1 and 1/2 the bottle of #2 for 1 application. Then tighten both bottles immediately – tight. Use a spoon to mix thoroughly, at this point you would reach for this handy dandy applicator brush. Not even expecting a thing I decided to give this new little contraption a go . . . now our staffer has hair a couple inches past her shoulders – so long-ish. Her hair was completely drenched after applying only 1/2 of the total VANISH liquid..in the bowl….( or 1/4 of the total liquid in 1 box ). That would have never happened using all my other contraptions I had been experimenting with. Plus with VANISH the more you douse the hair with the liquid, the better. This little wonder – brush wins my vote for “Tool – of -- the- month” - - if not the year. But…..this little sponge for some reason holds the right amount of liquid and then disperses every last drop onto the hair strands….why? I have no idea - - but I was just star struck. Cassy kept making fun of me and my enthusiasm for something so silly. . .But I love finding a GREAT tool . . .especially at a great price .

That’s probably why Killerstrands has turned into the success it has. . . because I DO care about every little product I bring you . Once again - - thank you for your support .

KillerChemist

‘Sulfate-free’ Shampoo. . .the latest “buzz” word?

2011-03-17T17:33:00.001-07:00

My adventures in trying to find new products to carry in Killerstrands “the store” this past week, were pretty much comical.

I called the Rep.of a certain line of hair care products I had my eye for some time, but was concerned with the ingredient list of the shampoos. I knew I liked the styling products - - - but was concerned with them not putting the ingredient list of their shampoos on the bottle. I do now and will always . . . put a lot of effort into finding just the right products to carry in the Killerstrands Store. From the very beginning of this whole whirlwind named “Killerstrands”… I have ALWAYS… sold and recommended products that I myself use and recommend to my clients. I know the gluttony of products out there and I receive many emails about trying to figure out which ones to purchase for each of your different issues with your hair.

Its not easy, and at best - - it is very confusing - - to know which one you should pick. That was something I truly wanted to address with the products we offer in our store…I aimed for having the first online store with exclusively SULFATE-FREE Shampoos…because that is how much I believe in them.I began my testing of that ingredient nearly 10 years ago - - and proved whole heartedly to myself and my clients that was an ingredient that should NOT be in any product you put on your hair. I could carry the newest - - hippest line of products to make more $$$, but I want you to know THAT is not what is the most important thing to me. Integrity in an online store? Yes - - so far!

I also don’t carry Flat Irons… ( when I could make a decent chunk of change carrying them) … because I want to express how harmful that Styling Tool is. Think of how that Tool works, you place a section of dry hair between two scalding hot plates ( most are 400-450 degrees ) PRESS them hard together and then slide the hair down and through. Then, most of you will do it again immediately following that. Have you ever burned 1 hair, smelled that smell . . . or accidentally lit your eyebrows/lashes on fire…heat is the single worst application that can be applied to the hair and I do my best to try to teach you how to care for your hair with as little as possible.

If you look at a hair strand magnified, you will see the cuticle which looks like scales almost… when this strand is flat ironed the process smoothes down those scales which then makes the hair straight and shiny - - but when it is done repeatedly, you actually fry those scales so they will no longer lie flat they actually become frazzled and makes the ability to lie flat ( which makes for shiny hair) - - impossible.

Blow Dryers are the best tool for straightening/ styling the hair. Its the fact that the heat is dispersed with ”Air” - - that makes it less harmful for the hair. I mean, NO HEAT is the best solution. But I found I couldn’t expect all of my clients to just walk out their front door with ZERO options for styling the curly/frizzy/unstylish hair they were born with. That just wasn’t fair. So what I do now is offer up as many tools and tricks I have found that are just coming on the market place that will deal with a Blow dryer . A round brush and a blow dryer is a million times better than a Flat Iron, and yes I know it is harder to manipulate… but again - - what about the HEALTH –OF--YOUR—HAIR? ? Another option? in exchange for Flat Irons . . is our Thermo-straightening brush (used with a blow dryer) – and now we have a brand new brush that a couple of staffers “ LOVE”…

Maybe none of you really understand my whole theory of how to get and “keep” a healthy – strong – and shiny head of hair. But it really is summarized by the 14 steps of 10,000HEADS which is listed on the front page of the store. Everyone “can” have a great head of hair, yes, it takes work . . . but in my opinion all things wonderful do take work to achieve.

There are many lines I could carry, but I always want to keep the quality of products we carry – high. I research and test potential lines completely before they ever show up on the Killerstrands online store. I am very picky in the products I recommend, there are a zillion and one hair care lines out there to choose from, and finding the proper line to offer you all can be tricky. Many times I wonder what in the world possesses someone to want to start one more hair care line in such a cluttered category

... At times I will suspect it has to do with big headed hair stylists who think once they make a name for themselves – to plaster that across a shampoo bottle . . . and then POOF they are millionaire's. Again my concern comes from no one caring enough to really watch over the ingredient lists in their new product line. It just surprises me that I have been talking bad about this one ingredient ( SLS ) for nearly a decade now, and finally people are listening. Why didn’t anyone else figure this out ? You know how I did? When the youth of Malibu began sitting in my chair and complaining of hair loss. . . I really began to pay attention. Why? Because they were so young. . .so I had to figure out a common denominator that both young and middle and old were using that caused everyone to have hair loss. It took about a year to come to the conclusion and test my theory about Sulfates.

When I contacted this Rep this week about carrying his line of products. . I asked about Sulfates in the shampoos. He tells me . . .” oh, that is just a buzz word right now. . . that will go away soon” . I was stunned - - then he says, “ our chemist tells us that Sodium Lauryl Sulfates are fine and it is just a fad word flying around right now. As stunned as I was, I said, “ tell me, how many heads of hair does your chemist do on a daily basis ??? There was complete silence on the other end….complete silence. Chemists deal with chemicals, they do not deal with “people”. Ever met a chemist ? They are a different breed, and I can tell you they do not get into chemistry to be around people. . . . quite the opposite. They run their tests on a group of “test subjects” . . that they see for a day - - or maybe for a week. But certainly not on an ongoing basis and frequently like I see hundreds of clients that I see repeatedly. So I just do not think they have the experience with the amount of heads of hair that I do. Cosmetic Chemist – Hair Stylist is what you need to make decisions about the Ingredient List of your products.

Just know that every product you purchase with us has been combed over and through to make sure it has the most healthy and “good-for-your-hair “ ingredient list possible.

Killer Chemist

Hairy Carry for New Hair

2011-03-06T23:48:00.001-08:00

Wouldn’t You Just DIE to get a New Hair Style?

Checking out the new colors and cuts for Spring, I just had to bring you some of the ones I felt were inspirational. These are always ahead of their time, but I hope many of you will consider changing your style, changing your color - - “change” can be so good for the soul. Try it.

Probably my favorite category is this first section that shows
flashes of Pastel Krazy Kolors:

Pastel Pink Slices in the Underside Application

Lavender Paint Drips applied Asymmetrically

Another take on the “Paint Drip” Technique – I just adore all of these and wish I was back in the Salon so I could do my own take on this theme. I sure miss that end, I did one of the K/S Staff members hair this past weekend, so it got my juices rolling again. We are using VANISH to remove a couple years of Boxed Hair color that turned her hair / & more specifically her ends… black. I was explaining to her that (she’s new with us) switching from doing hair in a Salon atmosphere in a “hands-on” fashion versus doing hair over the Internet where it is all in words using descriptions and explanations…was a very strange & scary experience.

At first I thought it could not be accomplished correctly, but then I had a few die-hard Crib Colorists prove to me it could very well work….as long as you, the public, would take a little time in learning the LEVEL System of Hair Color Formulation.

So now, there are many “new” people to Killerstrands and for those of you who are…my best suggestion to you and to everyone is to skim/read the entire BLOG. Begin on April 15 2007, and read every post that interests you. . .and pertains to your hair. Marking the Posts that you will want to come back to and re-read. If you do this you will learn how to formulate and take care of your own hair color like a pro. I have watched hundreds – maybe even thousands of people - - learn to properly color their hair and the thrill that comes with that knowledge is electric. Its terrible that I have become a bit immune to the success stories, but I promise I read every single one and cherish them all.

This Tip Drip technique of Color really has been revitalized by Nicky Minaj and a little by Lady Gaga, which is how hair trends get started.

In the UK where the art of hair is the highest and the most well respected, they refer to that piece of hair across your forehead as the “FRINGE” ….and NOT BANGS. I trained an entire arsenal of clients in Malibu to use the term as I will try to train all of you . . . Regardless , isn’t the Fringe in the above Photo just completely awesome? Having a Fringe this spring and summer will be the one sure thing.

Reds can be smashing, and with todays technology they can last a super long time, you can always help them along a little by ordering GLIMMER from our store. Glimmer is a Custom-made colored Conditioner for you. You may request just about any color of the rainbow, so far no one has stumped me ( although there is always a first time). You receive 8 oz of your particular requested color, which is helpful in 2 aspects. . . to either fight off the annoying DURP you may have….(like using a violet-tinted Glimmer to correct brassiness) OR to enrich your present color. You may order a Copper-Red….which would enrich the above 2 heads of hair in Fresh-As-New-Color. Reds tend to fade easier than other colors. In this instance you would be using GLIMMER to enhance your existing color. This trick can be done with virtually ANY color of the rainbow. I’m a “color-a-holic” always have been - - so I just thoroughly enjoy the art of color in hair - - in art, in anything.

This is where ART Imitates Life. . .This new style is coined the “BALLERINE BUN” and is taken from the movie – BLACK SWAN. You will be seeing Buns on everything from the Boardwalk, to the Runway, to the ____________

Ballerina Buns are very hip and who doesn’t like this to be “in” and “cool” ! Its so easy to do and can be accomplished with a lot of different hair lengths.

Look for the next hair trends in Music, Movie’s, Museums and Movie Stars was 1 part of a sign I had over my Stations in the Salon…. the other one said: “ Not All Hair Can Be All Colors ”. I had that there for people to learn a couple solid HONEST principals to watch out for throughout their lifetime in the hair world. Education is the key to most facets of life you encounter, I completely believe in taking the extra time it takes to learn about a subject “such as hair” than to just try to Bullshit your way through. For one thing, in the Hair universe. . . . you WILL destroy your hair. Many of you are here because that is where you are today. I also believe:

ALL HAIR CAN BE RESTORED TO HEALTHY, STRONG SHINY HAIR . . . if you follow 10,000 HEADS - 86% of you will see tremendous, shocking, positive results within 90 days. Again, provided you follow and live by the 14 Steps. In 180 days you will become transformed and will begin to believe me, my rules and my suggestions. This protocol did not begin with the beginning of this Blog 4 years ago. . . it began in the Salon over 15 years ago.

I have been looking for a couple new lines to carry for the store, but with my criteria concerning “INGREDIENT LISTS” – it just does give a large selection…..but I have found a couple hopefuls . . . we are testing them as I speak. Fingers crossed.

Here is Nicki Manaj and her various hair colors and styles over the last year………and here - - - is what the result is from her putting on that array of hair colors. . . .

Killer Chemist