DON’T PANIC — LEARNING FROM MISTAKES

don’t

The truth is most common errors can be corrected, if you have the knowhow. Here, two top hairdressers give us the heads-up on how to make good when you get it wrong.

IT'S OK! STAY POSITIVE

As hairdressers, education never stops. Mistakes will happen and you will learn from them. Here we look at some of the common mishaps that can occur, how to avoid them and how to put things right if you do slip up.

@jakeunger

JAKE UNGER

Head of Education, HOB Academy

Bobs are back and continue to be a key trend for 2022. One of the most common mistakes when cutting a bob is to create uneven side lengths, as is accidentally creating a hole on the outline where the ear protrudes.

There are ways to avoid either of these mistakes happening, and also ways to correct them.

1To avoid creating uneven sides make sure your fingers or comb, sections and scissor blades are parallel to each other and working in unison. Keep the angle of your sections symmetrical on both sides. Work both sides at the same time and keep regularly checking the shape of your outline, either in the mirror or by stepping back from your client by a couple of meters to get the best view.

2Don’t move on to the sides until you are certain the back is symmetrical. This way, if you do end up cutting one of the sides longer than the other, it will always be a quick and easy fix.

3The main reason a hole is sometimes created on the outline around the ear is that the stylist doesn’t take into account the natural fall of the hair when sectioning the back and sides, and ends up cutting hair that belongs to the sides in the back area. Consequently, the hair will shrink more and the flow of the outline is spoilt.

4To avoid this, I recommend cutting the sides with minimal tension, using the comb, keeping the hair as close as possible to the neck and releasing the tension on the hair.

5Once the hair has been blow-dried, if you find you have a hole on your line, you could potentially change the angle of the line slightly to make up for the missing hair so the flow of the line stays intact. Another solution would be to texturise the outline to visually disguise the hole.

“Stay calm as this will help you to think clearly”

@michelledavieshair

MICHELLE SUMMERS-DAVIES

Owner Michelle Davies Hair, Goodwick, Pembrokeshire and Matrix Artist Ambassador

When colouring hair, you can end up with results that are too warm. There are many reasons why hair colour can develop too warm — an incorrect formula choice, developer strength, tone of colour and the level chosen will all affect the end result. To avoid hot or glowing roots we need to consider the NUP (natural underlying pigment) we are working with in order to make the right formulation choice.

1As colourists, we like to refer to the colour wheel. This is a very useful tool to have laminated in your toolbox for a quick reference to help solve problems like this one.

2When you first see those hot or glowing roots it can be scary, but stay calm as this will help you to think clearly about what you need to do next. But there are ways to resolve the issue. First establish what level of warmth you are seeing. 3 Check out the colour wheel for the opposite tone for neutralising — primary, secondary or tertiary, whichever you need to counteract that glow using the right level when choosing your formula. Always consider if you need to be adding base or tone or both to correct the glow.

4Apply a toner such as Matrix SoColor Sync semi-permanent as this will deposit without lifting, with a minimal processing time of 10-20 minutes. Keep an eye on it as it develops as this can deposit quickly and may not need the full time required.

5Offer homecare like Matrix or Biolage Purple Shampoo as this will help maintain tone and control any unwanted warmth.

“As hairdressers, education never stops”