Once upon a time, a long time ago in the month of June in the state of Pennsylvania, the county of Lancaster reopened after a 15 week long shutdown. And the long awaited day arrived – Salon Enso was once again open for business. Many of you were joyful when we called to reschedule your missed appointment(s). Most of you waited with trepidation for the day you would be beckoned back into our chairs….and ALL of you giggled at the question, “did you perform any services on your hair yourself?”
This wasn’t a question to shame you, but rather to prepare us for exactly what would be walking through the doors after 15 weeks left to your own devices. And it isn’t just a pandemic that prompted us to ask. Your hair history is as important to your stylist as medical history is to a doctor. Knowing everything (and I put an emphasis on EVERYTHING) that has happened to your main offer the course of its lifetime helps us to better diagnose and formulate to help give you the hair of your dreams.
Think about it like this. Your doctor relies on your medical history. They need to know about surgeries, pregnancies, cancer treatments, shots, vaccines, vitamins, cholesterol levels, and pre-existing conditions. This is all so they can best prescribe proper treatment for you. Hair history works in the same way. If you used a drugstore/over the counter hair dye two years ago and have hair down below your shoulders that drugstore dye is STILL in your tresses. Hair grows on average between ¼” to ½” (give or take) per month – so 6” per year. If your hair is about 18 inches long, that box color from two years ago is still in the last six inches of your hair. Crazy, right? But so, so true.
The same can be said for previous highlights that have been colored over. Both the highlights AND the color are still in your hair. Permanent color (and bleach or lightner is included in this category) permanently alters the hair strand (we will get into fashion colors a bit later). And that fleeting desire you had to be a redhead but then colored over it brown? ALL STILL THERE. This is especially critical to keep in mind if you want a major color change. Reason one is color cannot lift color. The second reason is ALL COLOR lifts warm and the third reason is that it is rare for fashion shades (blue, pink, mint) to cleanly remove from the hair. Even if you are not forthcoming with your past artistic dabblings, I can guarantee WE WILL FIND OUT. Any pervious color on the hair directly impacts what can be done to the hair at present. The best way to know if any of these apply to you and to divulge your lengthy hair history (ha…pun) and find out if a new look is feasible is to schedule a consultation.
Consultations are a complimentary service that allows us to discuss your hair dreams as well as its torrid past. It is especially recommended if you are looking at making a big hair change or if you are a new guest to the salon. Consultations are mandatory for all of Salon Enso’s guests under the age of 18. We have all been in the bathroom a friend’s house doing things to our hair that mom and dad expressly said “NO” to (or was that just me?). Therefore we need frank discussion before anything can be changed. A consultation with full hair history involved allows us to establish how may appointments it will take to achieve your new look, the price for appointment and understand that we cannot make any guarantees with hair colored at home. Knowing helps us accurately access and address your hair with our superior skill and knowledge. Medical school may not have been in our repertoire but our ability to diagnose and create your dream hair is.
