I have an update:

I'm sure you are very much aware that California and  San Francisco County will be lifting universal mask requirements for most indoor public settings beginning Wednesday, February 16, for vaccinated individuals.

The state continues to require that people who haven't gotten their vaccinations wear masks in certain indoor public settings (see the guidance linked below for the notable exceptions). 

This means that if you are not vaccinated and you come in to the salon, the state says you must wear a face covering.

This also means that I may ask you for proof of vaccination to determine whether you should wear a mask. 

While all of us stylists working in the salon are vaccinated some may choose to still wear a face covering.  You also have this choice.

From the beginning, I have been committed to creating a space that not only is safe, but also feels safe for all of us.

I am looking forward to seeing your smiling face.

- Brian ✂️


Guidance for the Use of Face Masks

​Find out which smoothing treatment is the best.

A smoothing treatment can be a worthwhile investment for anyone with frizz-prone hair. So while salon services like a Brazilian blowout or a keratin treatment can set you back $250 on average, they'll give you smooth, shiny hair that'll last for months.

Both treatments will spare you the time you've been wasting styling your hair with frizz-fighting products that never quite seem to work. So, what's the difference between the two, and which one should you get? InStyle turned to Christina B. of New York City's Rita Hazan Salon to spell it out.

What's the Difference Between Brazilian Blowouts and Keratin Treatments?

Brazilian blowouts and keratin treatments essentially have the same effect on hair: both eliminate frizz and boost shine. They're safe for all hair types and can be done on color-treated hair. However, Brazilian blowouts are more customizable.

"Since the market is so saturated with keratin treatments you could spend hours googling what you think would be best for the look you're after, but the Brazilian blowout can be adjusted for different hair textures," explains Christina B. "The stylist can flat iron the hair at different temperatures and achieve different looks."

What this means is that if you don't want your hair completely straight, your stylist can tailor the treatment so that your natural hair texture isn't completely lost. They'll still seal the treatment with a 450 degree flat iron, and you'll still have smooth, voluminous waves when they're all done.

The other way the treatments vary is in their downtime. Following a keratin treatment, it's recommended that you don't tie your hair up and you can't wash it for three or four days. As for a Brazilian blowout, you can go about your regular styling routine.
 
What Should I Know About What's In These Smoothing Treatments?

Although a Brazilian blowout has its benefits, the treatment can't be mentioned without addressing the controversy surrounding it. There has been concern about the formaldehyde in its formula.

"I find that if they're done properly and in well ventilated areas they are not harmful at all," says Christina B. "But you can find formaldehyde-free versions if you are worried about that."
​
Whichever treatment you do choose, research salons in your area that offer the service to find one that's reputable. You'll get the results you want without sacrificing the health of your hair.

He might not be a household name, but you’ll certainly be familiar with the hairstyles he’s created over the decades for the catwalk, magazine covers and ad campaigns. Guido Palau, the man behind some of the most influential hair in fashion, was showing off his form again in London last week – on the front of British Vogue, with the unconventional 54-year-old supermodel Kristen McMenamy, and at a Jack Kerouac-inspired Dior men’s show.

The 59-year-old Dorset-born, Anglo-Iberian Palau also published #Hairtests, a spiral-bound book that captures the presentation of hair, or relative relaxation of it, over the course of the pandemic amid broad re-negotiations around gender and diversity.

“We all manage to curate something we’re interested in, flowers or animals or whatever, on Instagram,” Palau – known in the fashion world simply as “Guido” – told the Observer on his way to a test for the show at Kensington’s Olympia last week. “I just happen to be into hair.”

Palau, who is known to execute dozens of shows and can have 100 producers and hairstylists under his direction at each, is a protege of Vidal Sassoon and was a close collaborator of the late Alexander McQueen. He is also one of the key figures to bring the grungy, anti-perfection and individualistic movement of British fashion in the early 90s to the wider world.

It may be that, as philosophy and politics falter, it will again be up to hairdressers to provide clues to what women often know and men less easily grasp: that among exterior clues to the interior life, hair can be the most instructive.

“I’m being informed the whole time. Most people have hair on their head – though a lot of people don’t – so the way hair is worn, intentionally or not, interests me. Combed, brushed or dyed, put up or down in their own way, it’s all something I pick up on.”

The images in the book document hairstyles in profile and without makeup, taken on an iPhone, and later posted online. They are an impression, in a sense, of what was – and still is – happening, in a vulnerable time.

“Young people are looking at the 90s again and [are] inspired by that time. We see it in the individualism of the models, but [also] in a more diverse, inclusive way. When there’s a reaction in fashion that sticks, it’s always something to do with the world changing because fashion and beauty reflect the times.”

For one, the changes beauty currently reflects are less gendered. “Masculine and feminine seem kind of old now, so I try to look at their profile, see what fits. It’s more fluid. I’ve always been interested in an ambiguous kind of sexuality, and always wanted hair to be slightly questionable.”

Fashion, of course, has taken its share of recent criticism for lapses in approach and sensitivity to issues of social justice. “There’s a new awareness to how people feel or have felt in the past, and rightfully so,” he says.

Palau’s craft, then, is to take from the street, interpret, place in a fashion show or magazine and filter back. It is, by definition, a highly mutable process. “I can’t really tell. People might see it in a different way, and then take it back, consciously or unconsciously, or it’s just in the zeitgeist. People are more aware now, because there’s so much more information out there than when I started, when we didn’t know where references came from.”

Instagram is affecting the changes, in part because visual information is being posted and absorbed, as Palau says, all day long. “Beauty trends are coming into our home, or into our hand, all the time.”

There was a moment early in the pandemic when the beauty business, for reasons of social distance, effectively ceased to function, returning people to do-it-yourself, make-do-and-mend. To Palau, Covid has given people time to reflect on self-presentation, and that, in turn, has propelled a return to individualism.

“If a woman wants to go out with damp hair because she’s just washed it, nonchalantly cool, it should be completely acceptable. Wet hair always looks sexy, and hair in fashion is what people wear anyway. So it’s about realness or reality. No one should feel they have to look a certain way for anyone bar themselves, and the idea of social acceptability is hopefully breaking down. The way your hair looks should be your idea of it.”

That, in a sense, is a throwback to the 90s. But even the most maligned decades, like the 80s, came with cool looks as sub-cults, from goths to New Wave to New Romantics, proliferated alongside the glamour dos of Dallas or the yuppies. “Fashion takes from the past but it never really goes back. If you do, it’s a pastiche.”

Palau is not of any particular church, though friends joke that he’s never seen a pudding bowl he doesn’t love. “Hair is important to everyone. Women love to talk about it, men love to talk about it. Sometimes it gets a bit of a short straw and people don’t realise how difficult it is to do well. It is psychologically impactful as it changes the way people feel and look. When you look back, it’s amazing how it’s changed and how it defines social aspects of life.”

Mistake #1: Ultra-Length

​Many of us have had very long hair at some point— and experienced the trials and tribulations that come with brushing and detangling it daily.

As we age, our hair naturally thins out, Abdullah explains, so having long, one-length fine hair won't emphasize your timeless beauty like a shorter, more layered cut can. 

"As you get older and your hair gets thinner, long hair isn't what it once was, says Abdullah. "It can age you because your once full locks are now less so, and it shows." 

Instead, Abdullah recommends a "lob" style, or a "long bob" to keep as much length as possible if you want it— while importantly not weighing your face down.

"Lobs— bobs that fall in the neck area or above the shoulders— soften angles that come out in your face with age," says Abdullah. "Make sure your stylist adds a little layering to keep your lob from falling flat."

For textured hair, Abdullah says to avoid  "a short haircut that's the same length all around." She notes that "three-inch afros are a thing of the past" and aren't as youthful-looking as other styles could be.

"Grow your hair at least five inches and fade it around the sides and back or put it in a puff at the top of your head," Abdullah says, noting both looks use your curls to hide a thinning crown.

"If you have thinning in the front, but your features are up for it, try a buzz cut," she says. "Buzz cuts are the thing for all hair textures and you can use them to play around with temporary colors and try a new look every month."

#2: Outdated, Rounded Haircuts

​Some haircuts that once ruled the 1980s, like mullets and shags, have come back to the forefront to some degree, but there are others (think rounded, flipped ends) that are more outdated in comparison. 

"Okay, so the mullet came back for a while," says Abdullah, "That doesn't mean you should rush out and get one to feel young again." She adds that doing this could "have the opposite effect," making you look and feel like a "throwback." 

Another "outdated" look to avoid, Abdullah says, are bangs that are cut straight across with round volume. "This is another outdated trend that will put too much emphasis wherever the bangs lay," adds Abdullah. "In addition, the rounded poof look just belongs somewhere in the 80s." 

Instead, Abdullah suggests going for fringe styles cut in short, angular snips. "Give them more volume and thickness by pulling more hair in from the center of your head, if it's possible," she adds. 

One quick tip before heading the salon, Abdullah says, is to "try one of the many hair makeover apps available on mobile devices." These can help you get the perfect on-trend cut, style and color that suits you, Abdullah says. "Just show the stylist the picture of your new look when you're ready."

#3: Super Short Bangs 

Bangs are timeless, versatile and work with any hair color and texture. There's a reason why they'll forever be the go-to, stylish cut for many people. Bang trends also vary— from curtain to parted to micro fringe.

If you wish to create an anti-aging effect with your hair style, Abdullah says to avoid micro, baby or mini bangs. "Wherever your bangs fall, that is the feature they will emphasize the most," says Abdullah.

"You don't want short bangs that fall right in the middle of your forehead where you might have a few lines," Abdullah continues. Instead, she recommends bringing your bangs down to your eyebrows "to emphasize your eyes." instead.

She also adds that curtain bangs, or longer fringe parted down the middle of your head, can be "romantic" and youthful as well. 

#4: Layerless Bobs

​If you want to create movement and volume with your haircut, a one-length style will not have that effect. Layers that frame your face have the power to highlight your facial features while also adding the look of more hair if it's thinning and aging. 

"Layers can do so much to hide thinning hair," Abdullah says. She notes that women who want to look younger should avoid one specific type of one-length hairstyle— a short cut that's "the same length all over and barrel-curled close to the scalp." 

To prevent this cut, Abdullah advises to bring your stylist pictures of pixie cuts "where some of the hair is cut shorter than other parts and swirled to cover thinning." She adds that this looks "fantastic at any age." 

So, if you're heading to the salon any time soon and want to go out with the old hairstyle and in with the new, you now have trendy pointers to try and a list of ones to avoid.

The main factors to look out for when wanting your hair to look more youthful is adding layers to create movement and volume, having eyebrow length fringe if you do want bangs, avoiding too-long styles and being receptive to change!

Aging hair is still beautiful at every stage, and you know yourself and what style makes you feel the best more than anyone else. 

1. Your hair versus that goal pic.
“Okay so you got your hair inspo from Insta and Pinterest which is FAB, but making sure you have realistic expectations when it comes to those images are important. Your starting canvas, previous hair history, and having an honest conversation about how much upkeep you are willing to invest in your hair determines whether it’s realistic or not (stylists, it’s our job to help educate why it may not be achievable in one session or ever).”

2. If you want long hair, you have to cut it.
“Say it with me beauties, TRIMS! if you feel like your ends are split, dead or thin, you need a haircut. This in turn helps your hair grow longer because it is not splitting or breaking off! Trust us, please!”

3. Color doesn’t lift color.
“Using a lighter brown color on your dark brown hair will not make it lighter. The only way we can lighten your previously colored hair is with lightener (highlights, blonding, balayage). A single process color (one all-over color) versus blonding is a price difference!”

4. You get what you pay for.
“Time, education, experience. Finding the stylist that is up to date on trends, styles and new techniques comes with a price! If they are investing thousands of dollars in their education to better serve you, it’s worth putting in the extra money to go to a salon that furthers their education!”

5. If you love your experience, say something.
“So now that the anxiety is gone, and you are loving your new hair, it’s the perfect time to leave some feedback! Us hairdressers love to hear that you are enjoying your new hair and promise we will adore you even more! Tell your friends, leave a review, spread the word. We appreciate you!”