Even Salon Owners Read This Blog for Hair Color Assistance

Salon owners & Colorists across the country are sneaking around behind close doors reading the Killerstrands Blog....I receive plenty of emails from them asking little bits of info that gives away who they are to me! This Blog continues to approach Salon customers, Stylists and introduce Salon quality hair color and tricks I have learned along the way which many can learn to do to themselves at home. We carry the same lines of Hair color that are carried at the best Salons in the world.

'Many of their clients state they read the Blog and then wonder if I have, say many Stylists.....which leads them to look up the Killerstrands Blog” a New York colorist moaned. Considering Crib Coloring is less than what many women tip their hair colorists, more and more women are starting to give it a try. And for good reason.

Killerstrands answer for superb quality hair color

I am Killerstrands head colorist and know that mass-made boxed hair color is a disaster for just about everyone. I have crafted the directions and the theories behind how to reach a successful hair color -- using the precise formula you will best attain each of your goals.
High-quality ingredients and pigments go into professional hair color, which allows superior gray coverage, along with rich, long-lasting, healthy and most importantly SHINY hair color.

The personalized hair color formulas that you can learn very easily how to come up with can be as little as under $20. That’s a far cry from the $100-$200 plus you’d pay at a salon!

I'm so proud of the 5000 + per day readers we have and how proud of the service we provide for women across the country from small towns where they have no decent Salon's at all to the big cities where the price of a single color becomes both prohibitive and ridiculous sometimes. 
We teach those women how to achieve that specialized color and give them access to purchasing top quality pigments, as so many have wished for!

­

Everyone Needs to Try 

Customized color truly makes a difference. It even comes with a tint brush, measuring cup & gloves. 

 KC 

 

Don't Ever Try To Write a 2 - Part Series

New Basics Today - 20 Basics earlier This Week

which this stupid Windows Live Writer Program eliminated. . . . sorry . . . . This is the 2nd part of the 2 part 40 Statement POST.

I GIVE UP . . ..

Roll with Crib Colorist Artists; taking note of the next 20 Basics

1. Always - ALWAYS run a test strand. Especially when trying out any of Killer Strands Ideas. Many think if you use public hair color( Sally's Beauty & the like) and imitate my techniques, the results will come out the same - nothing could be further from the truth. When I began this blog, I was also under that false impression - so I understand you thinking so. After many complaints - which led me to testing of the products -- I myself learned the difference between the 2. The difference is remarkable, therefore any Posts I have written in the first year of this Blog - need to be amended - all those suggestions: of using certain "public brands" need to be eliminated. Until I get time to do that all of that, please NOTE this recommendation.
2. When doing a 2 process color (bleach & tone), lift 1/2 to 1 full level, lighter than your desired color to ensure desired results.
3. When you are lightening hair color, you are not actually dealing with brown, you are dealing with the underlying remaining pigment, which is usually red, orange, gold or yellow.

4. Warmth is released when you begin to lighten hair. Red and Yellow tones will dominate, because the first pigment to leave during lightening is blue.

5. Fillers used on both depositing and high lifting. I "will" be going over this in detail - soon.
6. Never use HEAT with hair color, Stylists use heat to "buy time", I cannot think of one hair color whose directions require heat.
7. When choosing your next hair color, try not to rush into things, consider your lifestyle - consider your economic status - most importantly - consider your hair type & health. If really not sure, you can always purchase a HHCC Home Hair Color Consultation, which basically costs you $15.00 for my help.
8. For the best results use premium Developer, with professional hair color comes a much higher quality developer.
9. Mix together small amounts of color at a time. Pro Hair Color has a "freshness" factor, once the developer & the tint are mixed together - the faster you get it applied, the better. Use enough product, but do not waste.

10. Re-mixing is a better course to take than mixing all at once and having to throwing away excess. Hair Color to Professionals is the number 1 expense, so learning to work thrifty with it, is advantageous to them - I would think the same would affect everyone.
11. Permanent Tint is the most effective way to color hair.
12. Neat, small accurate applications make for successful coverage and contrary to what some might think, actually take less time + allow more control.
13. Precise parting & sectioning will help, when it comes to both application and coverage, so practice - practice - practice.
14. Extra peroxide or a 2:1 ratio increases lifting ability of any volume.
15. 80% of problems in Hair Color come from misjudging the base or existing level.
16. To make a missing Level ......... mix (roughly) 2 parts of the lighter level color with 1 part of the darker level. For example, say you need a Level 7 N......... in the cupboard you have a tube of 8N and 6N. Add ..............2 parts of 8N with 1 part of 6N = the result will be a perfect 7N.
17. Foil work is an art and should be treated as such. Precision work requires practice-practice -practice.

18. Discard all mixed product not used.
19. Level 7, by the way, is the most difficult Level to get past, hence the difficulties with brassy colors.
20. There are 4 types of hair color: Temporary, Semi Permanent, Demi Permanent, Permanent Hair Color.

Killer Chemist

On Your Mark Get Set Color ! Begin Hair Color Formulating

Know why this is a good tool?

Once you realize what you have to consider to color your hair (correctly) it will prevent you from making mistakes (I hope).

Begin with answers to these questions:

1. What Level of color ARE YOU ?


2. What Level of color do you DESIRE to be?


3. What TONE or color do you want . . . Lordie,. . . . I forgot Tones ???! I am soooo sorry. This is so hard - every single company has different tones....but they are important. Like do you want an ASH Brown or a RED Brown > those are tones and are completely opposite colors and are very important.OK, I'll have to take one last hiccup and spend one full post on TONES /SHADES, that is the "key" to have a Chocolate Brown versus a Caramel Brown,it probably doesn't sound that different. It is. I swear. We've come this far, we must finish the race...correctly. What an Idiot. Well, now you know me...Space Case UNLIMITED. I'm sorry. Lets finish this.


4. Do you need a base ( first 1 inch of hair) Are you dealing with Grey hair (at all) how much?


5. Fine, medium or coarse hair?


6. What's the previous damage...?
7. The single most important question . . . . What type of artificial hair color do you have on your hair already? What was it and when ? Be completely honest about this answer please.

OK...get the answers to these down. If you aren't coloring your hair now, then make-up something you want to try in the future. Color the neighbors hair. Just play around, get familiar with 'Levels'. Be able to answer the questions easily. Tomorrow I'll zip over tones and shades. . . . so we will be complete...sort of! Thank you for hanging in there.
For those of you serious about learning and practicing home HAIR COLORING The Pro way... You will want to pick a line or two of color that you will use. There is a couple ways to go... I have been scoping out what you are able to purchase without a cosmetology license...its a whole different world. I have put the public lines of hair color thru a number of tests and I cannot find one that I would recommend - therefore I have made available to you the professional lines of hair color that will knock your socks off. Just send the store an email with ORDER in the Subject and I will get back to you Killerstrands@gmail.com.

The idea is to get AWAY from using a kit that only has ONE Volume of developer in the box. You need much more leeway in deciding which Volume of developer to use on your hair.

If a

• - - Red head
• - - a Blonde and a
• - - African American (black hair)

all go into a store to purchase a box of color to become a LEVEL 6 chocolate brunette - those boxed kits will lead you to believe that all 3 of you can purchase the same box to get that color. I hope you can see - simply from common sense that would not be true.
As a Top Colorist in LA I want you to know if everyone in those 3 groups - purchases that box of Color to become a Level 6 chocolate Brown.... NONE OF THEM will get the right result. Did you notice which category I left out?
Brunettes.
That is the only group that I could guess "might" get good results.

It has to do with which VOLUME of developer is IN that box.... and all the variables I have reviewed and will review with you - - of your hair . Its simple insane to think you can get the proper answers in 1 tiny box without considering all the variables to make a correct decision.

Life Is A Bleach ! Enjoying Blonds and Experiencing Lighteners

This is how you play with TONERS, my passion. The 3 gentlemen bleached to pale yellow... toned by "muting" down vivid CRAZY COLORS.

All dark haired women lighten to a pale yellow level and toned.

Beige Toner

Platinum Toner

I added quite a bit to yesterdays post... be sure to review it. At this point I feel its necessary to let you see what bleach and what lighteners can do.There is a tremendous amount of animosity to the word "bleach" out there in the non-professional hair world.When I try to remember back before I knew all of this, I am sure I had the same feelings .

"Bleach" makes you think of that hideous smelling liquid you throw in with clothing + the washing machine... or the "bleach" in many of today's Cleaners...which is strong and chokes you if your sensitive in the least.

Try to dump that tendency to relate hair bleach to clothing bleach....they are so totally different...... do you know that when I hear I will be doing a bleaching for the day ( they just don't happen as often as I wish - and never have) . . . that one piece of news will turn my whole day into a joyful...skip to my Lou day . . I am on top of the world...because I know that I will be soon in my element....Turning hair from one color to the opposite is very satisfying...to ALL COLORISTS...because it is a difficult procedure and to master it and nail it every time is fulfilling and fun.

So when I hear the hesitation in the publics' voice about hair bleaching and lightening.....just know that when it is done correctly you too can look like Gwen Stefani for years & years AND YEARS . . .once you master the art of the HOME HAIR COLORIST SERIES by the killer chemist.

Learn to LOVE LIGHTENING

LOVE THE REACH FOR BLEACH

Hair Color Toys. . . I Mean Tools

You will need everything displayed on this page to do Home Hair Coloring . . .The "bottle" method does not work with the consistency of the newer hair colors..but that's OK the newer colors are thicker and heavier which translates into richer bolder colors that last longer and are much more vivid.

foil : a small roll will be $4 or $5.00,

latex gloves - you can buy them single-y from behind the counter.

pro Large Hair Clips

Tint Brush

Timer - important

Measuring Cup for Peroxide - also important

Developer, Developer, Oh Which Developer Shall We Use???

TEXTURE

Hair texture is determined by the diameter of the individual hair strand. Large,medium, and small diameter hair strands translate into coarse, medium and fine hair textures, respectively. Melanin is distributed differently within the different textures. The melanin granules in fine hair are grouped more tightly, so the hair takes color faster and can look darker. Medium textured hair has an average response to hair color product and finally coarse-textured hair has a larger diameter and can take longer to process. 

                        Therefore............
FINE HAIR: takes color faster
MEDIUM HAIR: takes color at an average amount of time
COARSE HAIR: takes longer to penetrate so therefore color's slower 













DENSITYAnother aspect that plays a role in hair coloring/developer, you must remember is density, which is the numbers of hair per square inch which can range from thick to thin. Density matters as it affects 'proper coverage'. If your hair is dense that means it is difficult for that liquid (hair color & developer combined) to weave its way through the individual hairs. 

Remember all our recent conversations about using a Tint Brush versus a Bottle?  { WELL THIS IS EXACTLY THE REASON FOR THAT ! }. But dense hair needs a brush ALWAYS!. You would always want to use the lowest Volume of Developer possible [ that works for your procedure of course...] and there are "lighter or more liquidy developers which I would suggest if you do have super dense hair. For those with average to thin hair I still would advise to use the developer with the most conditioners, the most moisturizers ,etc.. as possible.



POROSITY
Porosity is the ability to absorb liquid, porous hair accepts hair color faster and permits darker color than less porous hair. There are different degrees of porosity.....


low porosity: the cuticle is tight>the hair is resistant. which means it is difficult for moisture or chemicals to penetrate & requires a longer processing time. an example of resistant hair ? Gray hair.
average porosity: cuticle is slightly raised, hair is normal and processes in average time.
high porosity: cuticle is lifted;hair is over porous and the hair takes color very quickly <> color also fades quickly

OK... that is now every little tiny bit of info that I was going to have to mention or bring up...in order to explain to explain the world of professional Hair color. Hallelujah!
Whoops it just hit me............
one more day of this.....I need to go Over lighteners.....lighteners such as BLEACH and High Lift Blondes. I love bleaches...as a colourist...I look for the tools that create the most radical change in the hair....that take the hair from black to WHITE.....or from white to black...because to accomplish that well can only be done by handful of people. Its a terrific sense of accomplishment to be the tops in your field.


So stay tuned...I may finish this off today or bounce back to Frizz-FREE FRIDAY....

WHAT'S....YOUR.....IDEAL.....HIGHLIGHT......HUE ?

 

These are merely suggestions for highlights and lowlights.... I have had this chart for over 15 years, which shows you that Hair color may seem to change dramatically to you, but in all actuality it simply goes through phases, exactly the same as "fashion" does.

A new client called the Lab today and asked if we knew anyone that does that "NEW LOOK" of bleached white-blond hair with bright pink highlights surrounding the face...sound familiar? Its been done a lot....what we have to do and as a good hair stylist we 'should' do is come up with "new' ways of presenting the same thing.
Which we do - year in and year out.

http://killerstrands.myshopify.com/