July 19, 2012

Every Once In a While a Comment Just Means So Much . . . .








I receive many comments from people throughout the world. Most Thank me for writing this Blog & all the education I provide for the public. Secondly - for Killerstrands own product line. Every single one I read : makes my day better, I read them all and absorb them all - so please never stop. But on an especially hard day for me - this one just hit the right minute.... it  tickles me when someone masters the Level System of Hair Color, on their own.   Touche. . . whomever you are . . .

KC






























 










 I have ordered from your site and still love my Thriven. Keeping my hair healthy, minimizing thinning and coloring. I currently use wella, but am interested in your Lanza line. Your site has taught me so much about hair and has enabled me to finally find a great stylist (Sassoon trained) that made such a difference in my hair. I have also learned about the level system which is invaluable. Thank you for your site and your store, my hair is in better shape than it has ever been, now to work on my skin ..........  unknown  - - Hudson, NH  . . . .  KC






















July 17, 2012

KillerStrands Most Powerful Step : After Every Time You Color Your Hair...


Colour After-Treatment Process 
Throughout these posts you may find my views different from the norm, that would stem from specializing in 3 fields instead of one. More often than not I eliminate useless steps and tasks purely developed for tacking on a few extra bucks to a bill or invoice. That just was never me. I work on the theory: the better the job I do, the more people will flock to me, that theory has worked well in life for me.


No sooner said....I am asking you to add a step to your regimen you most likely have never heard of. I would be surprised if many stylists use this step routinely it adds 'time constraints' to an already overcrowded day usually, it is just as important as a neutralizer is with a perm, in my opinion....basically its the same thing.

This is something every person with $150 - $350. highlights should be aware of. Choose your words carefully when trying to find out if your stylist does the step. Be nice!


An after-treatment is absolutely necessary for oxidative hair colour treatment ( which is any color with peroxide). Only with these after-treatments can residues of hydrogen peroxide, alkali or perusulfate's (bleach) be removed. When you put your hair through the coloring process you are shaking up the pH level. After a color, perm, straightening or any chemical process is complete the hair goes into a type of 'mini-shock' and the single best way to 'un-shock' and restore & relax your hair to its original pH level is to apply one of these 'post'-treatment's for 10-20-30 minutes.Depending on the procedure I would even consider wearing IN-TENSIVE overnight to really keep the hair in a stage of BLISS ....Just try it once, it truly is the most remarkable of all my discoveries I feel.


Its really very simple after your last rinse you apply the product to hair, comb thru, leave on: 10-20-30 minutes and rinse. That's it, you're ready to go and your hair is one happy damn camper!


Effects of an after-treatment:
Removes hydrogen peroxide, alkali, and peroxide residues.
Closes the cuticle layer and give the hair shine
Stabilises colour for longer durability of the colour
Protects from creeping oxidation
Makes the hair easier to comb
The trick here is using the right product..it must have the correct ingredients to accomplish the process. There are hundreds of lines of colour...Matrix, Redken, Clairol, Framesi,  each one makes an after-treatment product. Its just not one of those "glitzy" packages or marketing wonders that drown our universe. But a very necessary part of the process for healthy hair. We now make our own product we call IN.TENSIVE that is our number 1 seller here at Killerstrands. Here is the link, as this product works so many wonders you are going to wonder how you eve survived without it.
Take me to IN.TENSIVE in KS store . . .

Killer Strands is located in the heart of L.A. so we have access to many wonderful sources. But, my goal for this site is ...I'd like this site to work for everyone, across the country.
                                 See The Peek-A-Boo Strands of Light Bronze under the dark midnite color so many things can be done to hair now a days it truly is this giant Canvas with a million different brushes to choose from. . . .

So now we have put this after-treatment product together for you - - so everyone is able to have the most fan-tab-u-lous After-Color Treatment in the world  - -  at their very own home.
This little trick of mine, using a "post-color treatment after every single hair coloring will keep your hair strong shiny and undamaged....it truly is, one of the best kept secrets on the hair planet!
This is an excellent After-Treatment, it deals with the pH level better than anything I have found.

Remember, having your hair at the proper pH level (slightly acidic - 4.5 to 5.5) produces shiny-healthy-happy hair.
KC
Killer Chemist
July 15, 2012

Lets Talk Hair Color Categories <> Beginning w/ Demi-Permanent


595779-001There are a four hair color categories in the world of hair color:
  • Temporary Hair Color
  • Semi-Permanent Hair Color
  • Demi-Permanent Hair Color 
  • Permanent Hair Color
At this particular time, ALL OF YOU....want to know ALL ABOUT: Demi-Permanent Hair color... 

It lasts longer than semi-permanent, is great for first timers, great for when that first grey hits your temples, is perfect for men/women wanting to color their grey at home with top quality hair color.


I developed a love and deep affection for the newest category of hair color many years ago, as soon as the category was announced, now, nearly every single line has a demi-permanent line of hair color. 

When I began in the hair business, Demi Permanent Hair color did not exist. this new category added a whole new plethora of hair coloring ideas and options that are endless.
  • great choices for Hair Color "first timers"
  • clients 'new' to Gray hair
  • even "teen" Hair Color benefits from new class of hair color
  • men, perfect for men's hair color 
  • let alone all tricks we use it for in Hair Shows + Editorial Shoots 

 We use multiple Demi Permanent brands of Hair Color here at KillerStrands

 Demi is used on almost all Hair Color & Shampoo photo shoots. . . for any & all the boxed hair color brands . I'm sorry to say we don't use the product that is inside the box, we use the most expensive and BEST LINE of Hair Color that exists. What people want and look for is:  ? ? ? ? Shine - SHINE - SHINE - SHINE, and awesome condition. I mean besides the obvious "Photo Shop--ping" and silicone shine serums we have used since the 1990's if you can believe that ! We hi-jacked the silicone serums from the ethnic hair care companies...who found them to help with their FRIZZ 20 years ago which is pretty funny if you think about it.. that's how I found them 15 years ago!  We used to keep our photography secrets - hidden and away from the public. 

A while ago on the front page of the Los Angeles Times were 2 photos of a model  . . . both were in Color ....

The entire page was devoted to explaining in detail how the PHOTO SHOP program works and how almost every single actor, model and even sports celebrities have PHOTO SHOP Editing rights on every Photo taken of them - prior to publishing. The reason this article was in there? Seems one of the Kardashian sisters (who live near here)  had a photo taken of her and published 'accidentally'  PRE- PHOTO SHOPPING procedure. Turns out the young lady is a lot heftier than we see, think or believe her to be. Boy did that news spread, (operative word being 'spread')  - -lawsuits were threatened, yelling and screaming ensued we could hear all the way in my city 20 miles away ( not really but sounds good- - -  right?) all sorts of important things like that were flung from email to email.!! The result? The article on the front page of the Los Angeles Times, when I saw that initially I just laughed and laughed. It actually was a relief and I couldn't wait to not be restricted by that "silent" code of conduct.... 

Hallelujah! I could finally talk about it all openly and not have to worry I was the one blowing the whistle on the whole process. I WANT all the info out there, so young girls know the truth about these models that they look up to. I want them to see and hear how much work we go to, to make them look perfect , its something they can never achieve and it took me  a lot of years to comes to Terms with myself.....
The 2 photos of the model ( which were huge) showed the difference in very explicate detail, the photo on the left was the "Before" Shot.....the photo on the "right" was this woman "Photo Shop-ped" and 'After'. The article was a good one, I didn't even need to read it, I knew exactly what it said.... but when you have based a huge portion of your career on the deception we call advertising.... 

Well ---> It was as if I had been holding my breath for years, and I finally could let it out . That is what that article and those photos did to me and I'm sure every single other artist that works on advertising & photos and in that genre, from make-up people, to hair, to production, to P R, to Publicists, Agents, to the Celebs themselves. The truth finally out there.. OMG, don't you just LOVE the Internet..... here are the photos:
0000148398788 

This is what young girls strive to make themselves like. . . something that just isn't even real. Please educate your daughters and yourself on this deception.... that is very carefully crafted.

Now, let me get back to Demi-permanent Hair Color.The newest classification of hair color which is called Demi Permanent is deposit only and referred to as 'semi' permanent by some manufacturers, it is very similar to semi, but more long lasting.  Some of the European companies have chosen to use super low volume peroxides to differentiate the semi from the demi lines. But if you read the first post, which I hope you do/did . . . “True” Semi-Permanent hair color is not mixed with any sort of developer or catalyst and that is how I feel it needs to stay. I teach you all this, in the hopes honestly, it depends on the manufacturer, the Colorist or the school as to how it is defined. My education is Vidal Sassoon based which is known as the "Harvard of Hair Schools" so I think you'll be safe using my criteria.
White_palette.jpgFirst of all it helps if you understand a little bit about the technical side of how hair dyes work. Semi-permanent color consists of tiny molecules that enter through the cuticle but they don’t affect the natural pigmentation of the hair. Because these molecules are so small they can be washed out after only half a dozen washes.This is the one and only hair color that does not change your own hair color at all. The rest do, which I know is odd to many of you. But there are no rules in hair color, there is no one single HAIR GOD that regulates how the hair color system works.  The hair color manufacturers make it up as they go along.
 DROP GOES THE JAW of most of you!

I have seen "Semi-Permanent Haircolor Boxes" where they provide developer in the box. That is a major hair color company going AGAINST the rules of haircoloring in order to sell a product to you. As you can see a semi-permanent hair color Can not and Should not COME with DEVELOPER. Maybe if I put this here, people that come to visit here,  will begin to learn and someday some of you will begin getting mad, when your hair color has been destroyed due to that fact. You must start writing .... start turning those companies IN.   Where do you turn them in? start with your local congressional Rep (Google it) and then CC the Food and Drug Administration (Google it).



Demi-permanent color also enters through the cuticle but it combines with other molecules in your hair to make it larger molecules and these take longer to wash out....Demi permanent color is used with any developer 3 Volume all the way to 18 Volume. So many of you get all in a fluff when I tell you 15 Volume is Demi the same as 10Volume ...the same as 6 Volume ... all of which we carry.  Hair color is a scientific science it is not an Artistic painting. If you follow the rules of the science that I try to teach ........you will have successful color. It also involves color theory from the artistic world though so you cannot just be a Cosmetic Chemist. When that web site online that claims to be all Cosmetic Chemists and they answer all your questions and they claim" they don't work for anyone". Ask yourself ........who do you know who works all day on a business does it for free??? My answer to you........No one.  The Cosmetic Chemists  HAD to get together with the hair artists in order to make the hair color chemistry work correctly, because they did not understand color theory at all.


....which brings us to Permanent hair dyes, these react after entering your hair because they use ammonia and peroxide which shrinks as the molecules of color go in the hair strands and then makes the color molecules EXPAND so they cannot get out once inside.... it makes the molecules much too big to be washed back out of the hair. If you keep this information about molecules in mind when deciding which hair dye to use then it will stop you from choosing the wrong product. stephanie-comb
Always make sure that you do a strand test before dying your hair, this makes sure that you have the color you want and that you don’t react to the dye, remember different dyes from different makers have different chemicals in them. There is no UNIVERSAL SYSTEM over-seeing the hair color business . . . that implements these rules/laws .  Its up to each hair color company to follow what we hope is this universal LEVEL System I talk about so much.
 Remember . . . You may ALWAYS request a Free Strand Test with your purchase, I do that to show you how much I believe in them.
  If you have long hair make sure that you cover it properly with the color in any of the categories.... otherwise you will end up with streaks you don’t want and make sure that your hair is clean and damp before applying the dye.  For the absolute best application I would ALWAYS suggest applying one of our Malibu2000 COLOR PREP Applications.  Make sure that your bathroom or wherever else you dye your hair has plenty of fresh air - its just great for the lungs and health...don’t use hair conditioner for a day or so before putting on the hair dye but you should shampoo your hair to makes sure that it’s clean. 
 When using Level 7 and darker I would suggest using a Barrier Cream       which you apply around the hairline....it keeps the color OFF the skin, at the end of the process with darker colors. On the flip side there is also color-OFF that is used when the procedure is done and you didn't get it all off the skin.
If you stain your skin when dyeing your hair then rub a little stain remover. You will lose some hair when dying it but to keep this to a minimum after you have dyed it rinse it with cold or lukewarm water.



I like to think of Demi Perm Colors as any color line that uses above 5 Volume and below 19 Volume Developer, which makes this the perfect category to be used on men's, the first grays and up to 20 -25% Gray.


I use Demi Permanent Hair color on almost everyone EXCEPT if you want to go LIGHTER, that is the BIGGEST difference....in Demi-permanent color and Permanent color. The only action that will happen is Deposit of color - no lift <> no lightening......so remember that. There is no SUCH THING as a Semi-Permanent Blond no such thing as Demi Permanent blond. Those words make absolutely NO SENSE. If its a Level 9 blond that means it is a TONER .....remember why? because the developer is 10 or 13 Volume and that means its deposit only.  
I am of the belief that depositing color in the hair strands of either gray, white, or simply middle-aged (weak) hair can add:
  • strength
  • shine
  • illusion of thickness
  • reduce frizz & tangles 
This formula generally imparts vivid color results, and is ideal for covering un-pigmented hair, refreshing faded permanent color, depositing tonal changes without lift, corrective coloring and low-lighting.
 First of all it helps if you understand a little bit about the technical side of how hair dyes work. Semi-permanent color consists of tiny molecules that enter through the cuticle but they don’t affect the natural pigmentation of the hair. Because these molecules are so small they can be washed out after only half a dozen washes. Demi-permanent color also enters through the cuticle but it combines with other molecules in your hair to give larger molecules and these take longer to wash out, which brings us to Permanent hair dyes, these react after entering your hair because they use ammonia and peroxide and this makes the molecules much too big to be washed back out of the hair. If you keep this information about molecules in mind when deciding which hair dye to use then it will stop you from choosing the wrong product.  

Always make sure that you do a strand test before dying your hair, this makes sure that you have the color you want and that you don’t react to the dye, remember different dyes from different makers have different chemicals in them. If you have long hair make sure that you cover it properly with the dye otherwise you will end up with streaks you don’t want and make sure that your hair is clean and damp before applying the dye. I feel using our product that is a pH BALANCER  and is called INTENSIVE....helps with the shine and the longevity of the color on the strands...83463998


By their very nature, demi's or deposit-only hair colors darken the natural hair color when applied. They cause little or no damage to the hair and are generally positioned as gentle and mild due to their low ammonia or no ammonia content. In recent years, many top  colorists will apply demi to the 'lengths' of the hair while permanent is applied to the roots. That is how the true color application should be applied.
Apply Permanent color to the base and Demi Permanent ot the ends to refresh the color if you are just trying to stay the same color.
This fights the build-up effect that can occur on previously colored hair and is also less aggressive, resulting in less damage.
Demi-Permanent Hair ColorBF0146-001
  • contains no ammonia
  • is mixed with an activator, such as peroxide
  • activator lifts cuticle slightly so color sits in and under the cuticle
  • lasts 18 to 20 shampoos
  • fades gradually and then washes out to the original color of the hair
  • used for toning, changing tone, filling in highlights, and going darker
  • good way to temporarily change hair color to try something new
  • also recommended to color hair that is already significantly damaged or over processed
Demi-permanent hair color is, in fact, permanent hair dye mixed with low volume (usually a 5,10 up to 15 Volume) developer that blows off the ammonia from the permanent tube so that only color molecules penetrate the hair shaft.


Demi-permanents are much more effective at covering gray hair than semi-permanents, but less so than permanents.


200474281-001
However, demi-permanent hair colors must be used with caution because they are, in essence, permanent color and the darker shades in particular may persist longer than indicated on the box.
The two best lines in this category are:
  • Wella Professional meaning Koleston Perfect, Illumina, Color Touch,Blondor, MAGMA
  • Schwarzkopf : Igora Royal, Vibrance, BlondME
to date I have tested most every line and am still headstrong about these brands: its results & quality are top-of-the-line
d

July 10, 2012

Shhaarroonnn - America's Got Talent Judges' Hair Color Formula . . .

Sharon Osbourne has held a soft place in my heart since she first appeared on what was one of the very first Reality Shows on MTV... 20 years ago. . . . . .

I never knew who Ozzy was and when I found out by watching this show I became a lifelong fan . The whole thing was just a crazy - crack-up, funny - funny show and the best part is .. it truly was Real. That was before they came up with the idea to manufacturer reality shows... But, its nice to see this family remained intact throughout the whole debacle. It seems they have calmed down and now seem soooo non-radical what with Jack developing MS and having a baby all at once it seems.

 I have colored many a woman's hair Sharron's color... it has always been this great Violet Red....in the coloring world we refer to it as VRV or the Violet-Red-Violet Tone. So, without going into too much of the Killerstrands Teaching Song & Dance ... I am going to give you a few simple rules before you tackle this formula on YOUR hair..... that must be followed.

Sharon has the most incredible head of hair - ever - she has enough hair for 6 people ....which I honestly feel makes her hair just look like an illuminated Crown..

She like so many of my former clients has a Salon built right in her home......so 'we' go to them..... she doesn't have to leave the house to have her bi-monthly toners applied to refresh the boldness this particular color demands to look like it does on-camera.

So there is 'what' you need to be aware of...... but nowadays, its easy to get a colored shampoo We make a Red Violet one or a Red or a Violet Tinted Shampoo its called - Bleeding Heart in  BURST  that will keep it fresh and shiny  and they have been super popular hear in California........

Its what we call a Violet Red Violet  VRV.......... So remember what you have on your hair to begin with.....AFFECTS EVERYTHING IN your Hair Color Results.
If your hair color currently is Darker than the below formula - - you MUST VANISH out the color FIRST.
Vanish is the one and only safe - peroxide-free and bleach-free product that truly removes hair color with not one little tiny ounce of damage....which is music to my ears....
Remember, the most important trick in the world for me doing hair the "Killerstrands way".....is to have it end up as healthy "after" the coloring as it was "before" the coloring

Assuming your hair is  a level 5 or "lighter' the following formula will nail it....
with grey:

5.0 + 55/46V + 44/65RV   + 20 Volume

without grey:

5V + 4RV + 20V  ( 30 Volume only if you are a lot darker and have virgin hair)
Killerstrands Store = Koleston perfect has had the reputation for years for having the best RED + the best RED/VIOLETS

Its funny before I saw these photos I would have sworn you should use more of the Violet Tone than the RV tone.... now I take that back, she looks more Red than Violet.... but Reds are a funny thing, they can completely change a full level in either tone or Level with just one shampoo and you have yourself a complete new hair color each & every day.

Or you can work at it like Sharon does and give yourself toners of those same colors.... only with the Translucent Developer or the Demi.... and poof you have it all in a nutshell.
July 1, 2012

The Typical Journey a "BOX" of Haircolor Puts You Through

This week was very heavy with emails from those of you - who are caught up in the cycle of using boxed hair color, you want out....but you claim price and knowledge of  'how-to-become' a Crib Colorist'...seems over your head. You think you can't learn a few rules and make the switch -  you think you might as well just go buy one more box-o-crap as I like to refer to it....

So for fun I drew up a little graphic to show you the cycle of how much chaos & $$ that one little box will cost you in :
  • stress
  • money
  • hair health 
  • oh and did I mention 'stress' ?






I would imagine many of you are laughing right now??
Or crying maybe ... ??
Well I made this so hopefully it will rattle you a little, and get you to spend a little time with us here at Killerstrands, working out your hair color formula with one of our two lines of hair color. I know it may seem over whelming but we are here to help with this. We have the KILLER 9 Questions and if you answer those and send them in with your order I will send you the answer to your hair color solutions - we will soon have some kits up as I iron out the details of how exactly to do that for those of you who don't take my offer up of sending in your Killer 9 with your order - any order....in which I will then return your Consultation results.
I am prepping a series on : 'Simple & Clear Hair Coloring' that will get rid of all the big explanations and will condense it right back down to the basics of the process.

You will need to sign up for the new Newsletter sign-up box.

hope
this
helps

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