Excuse Me Ma'am, But May I Have Your Hair?

If you had a choice to choose any hair in the world, would you change what you have?

I honestly can say my hair is the ONE thing I wouldn't swap for anyone else. Body.....well I would love to swap that with Evengeline Lily ....maybe with a little more hips and booty.... But I could definitely work with that.And I could actually AFFORD to eat a few Twinkies without guilt, ahhhhhh forget it, I would trash that body too.Ill just make do with with my fluffy body.

Everyone wants what they cant have. People with straight hair getting perms, people with curly hair getting straighteners, changing color, thinning hair, putting in extensions to make it longer, thicker and fuller, will it ever end?

Long before plastic surgery, women changed their hair and makeup to enhance their looks.

Now you can get fat sucked out of your body and formed into a Brazilian butt!

You would think that the options would be limitless by now on what you can do with your hair, but alas we are limited truly by mother nature in this aspect of beauty.

The closest thing to a real change is to have your own hair moved from one location to another, but its the same hair just in a different place.

I have a little poll on Erryns Health And Beauty Home Page titled May Fun Beauty Poll

So check it out and put your vote in!

I'm hoping against all hope that maybe some of you will realize, the hair you fight with and curse every day, is probably envied by someone else!

Clip In Hair Pieces

All the celebs out there wear extensions of one kind or another.A great alternative for permanent expensive extensions are clip in extension.Branded by Jessica Simpson and Paris Hilton and even Dr.Boogie from Shear Genius can run you a good $100 or more.


But what do you do when you cant find the right texture,color or length to match your hair? Or maybe you just cant justify the price in your mind.

Make your own! You can purchase all the item you need at your local Sally Beauty Supply or other public beauty supply.The costs are minimal, usually under $40 or so.
A few things you want to keep in mind when looking for hair wefts.You want to buy the best hair you can for the money. 100% remy human hair is important.
Also look for cuticle correct hair.This means all the cuticles on the hair shaft are facing the right direction like hair grows naturally.Cuticle correct hair will have more shine, wear better, provide easier brushing and styling.

Here is a great video on how to DIY your hair pieces.

You can dye your hair pieces with whatever color you are using for a perfect match as well.Cutting your extensions to match can be done by your stylist or at home yourself. When you want to cut your extensions you want them to look as natural as possible.Hair naturally thins out as you get closer to the ends of your hair.Using a pair of thinning shears start about 1 " down from the top of the extension and thin about 10% of the hair out.Then go half way down the hair shaft and thin another 10% out.Take a final 10% out of the bottom few inches of the hair.This will help the cut look more natural.

Stay away from acrylic, artificial hair.They wont last long and wear terribly.You cant use any type of heat on it at all.So no washing and drying, no curling or flat ironing...they just turn into an old ratty mess and will be in the trash before long.Not to mention the shed factor.A good set of extensions made with good hair can last 6 months or more with every day wear.

You want to wash them only when needed, let them dry naturally and style to match your hair.

A great fun project for teens as well! They can have that bright purple streak you've been fighting with them over with no commitment.

Does Hair Care Packaging Affect Your Buying Habits?

Hair care lines are infamous for the old packaging switch-a-roo.If a product line isn't performing up to certain standards or sales are slumping, they will add a splash of new color or slightly change the package on the same old product to make it look new and fresh.Somehow this must work marketing wise, or they wouldn't invest in the changes.So how much do these package changes influence your buying decisions? Probably more than you realize sadly enough.

TIGI is probably the king of all packaging marketing.From the boldly white pink and silver S-Factor line to the unique shapes,colors and names of the Bed Head line as well as their new Rockaholic products,TIGI screams "I'm unique and new".Appealing to your sense of fun both with packaging and fruity scents that you can smell before you open the bottle.What's not to love? Their product lines are diverse and unique as well.And they keep adding to their product lines without axing 10 other products to make room for a new one.The unique packing makes it easy for you to find the product you love at a glance without reading 10 similar bottles to find the right one. I think alot of manufacturers should take a que from TIGI as far as that goes.

The down side? So many products makes each salon pick and choose what they can carry according to shelving space.The items don't shelve neatly and closely and are not ideal for "product per inch" issues.This can cause salons to opt not to carry a product based on the fact that a short, wide bottle containing a wonderful product takes up more space than a tall slender decent product in the same price range.So your choices may be limited and unpredictable.Also with SOME TIGI products I have noticed a lack of quality with sprayers and nozzles etc.Are they spreading themselves too thin to provide quality product, quality packaging and fair prices?

In total opposition to TIGI is lines like Paul Mitchell.Back in the day Paul Mitchell built its brand line and reputation by using stark black and white bottles.This screamed "We care more about our product than fancy packaging".So in a way by stripping their bottles down to basic black and white, in a time where fancy pretty bottles were all the rage, put the focus on their line as "superior". Other lines followed suit with the back to basics method of marketing. Brands like Artec Textureline also became known for their black and white packaging techniques.Even lines like and Kenra, Nioxin,Biosilk and Joico keep minimalistic approaches to the every day glitz and glam choosing to keep their all their products in virtually the same bottles.Joico does have some range of color in their bottles but overall the packaging does not change much. These bottles are great for display generally due to the fact they are easy to keep neatly lined up and look clean and sleek.The problem lies when the customer (you) approaches an overwhelming sea of bottles that all look the same.You can never find exactly the right item easily without spending forever reading each and every bottle.OH, and the fine print as well.You see a can of hair spray that LOOKS like the right one only to get home and figure out the can of firm hold hair spray you were wanting is actually a soft hold that does nothing for your hair.Why do they do this to us? Paul Mitchell has over the last few years finally figured out that maybe the solid black and white bottles aren't ideal for customer selection and has been color coding their products that go together with a flashy lime green or vivid purple accent.Fancy nozzles added makes selections even easier.Paul Mitchell has not followed the black and white trends with their other line Modern Elixirs but the Tea Tree line has virtually the same dull drama as the black and white bottles.

Personally I love the packaging on Redken.You know when you go in that green is curls, golden bottles are for softness etc.They try
to make their line user friendly as well as appealing to the eye without gimmicky adverts.Sleek and sophisticated and great products
as well.For a mid priced salon product I really have nothing negative to say about Redken at all. The number system on their styling products is ingenious.If properly displayed, you can find your product by number easily without having to read each bottle.Every item is unique in what it does.Theres no XX product in 4 formulations for you to decide upon.They do branch out from time to time with mini lines like Urban Experiment but those are easy to shop as well with unique bottle shapes and catchy names that are easy to remember.

Then there are the faux organics lines in every salon.

The ones that scream " LOOK I'M NATURAL".Matrix Biolage was one of the first lines to try this approach out on the public and it worked beautifully.Matrix was originally known for its big black VAVOOM can of
spray .The Biolage flew off the shelves and suddenly everyone wanted botanical herbs and extracts on their hair.NEXXUS changed all their
products slightly and marketed it as Phyto Organics attempting to catch on the "all natural" wave.The problem is, they changed all the old favorites and put the original packaging in stores like Costco! So what incentive do customers have to buy a different version of their old favorite when their original favorite was even more readily available? So are you drawn to the product with the picture of a flower because it just seems better? Or are you really interested in organic hair products and natural herbs and extracts. I have a news flash for you, virtually every hair care product has some sort of herb or extract in it.Read the label dont let an advertisement do the reading for you.Organic while good for the earth, is still a gimmick to get you to buy a product. There are still chemicals in organic products. Your not washing your hair with 100 % pure organic dandelion juice.

Graham Webb's Back To Basics line is also one of these "lets put a flower on it" lines. A revamp of the line with more colorful packaging has brought some life back to the Back To Basics Products.It amazes me that Back To Basics is still alive and doing well.I mean no doubt there are some good products in the line, but when you compare it to other GWI lines it pales in comparison.They have made some incredible products that have been discontinued to make way for a new "flowered" product that I consider sub-par at best.
Then there are the ever changing chameleons of products.Famous for their ever changing product lines, formulations and packages are Sebastian and Graham Webb.While these lines keep their basics the same generally they revamp and redo their side lines.Discontinuing products like mad trying to find new lines to catch on and make the fast cash. This has lead to the rise and fall of many great lines like XTah, Nolita, Head Games and many many more.Sebastian has recently been repackaging even old standards like Shaper hairspray! SOS, different bottle.I imagine this new packaging of Sebastian will not last long either due to some major issues with the design elements of the bottles.It seems they tried to make the new bottles look sleeker and unique by a different shape and texture of plastic.The new bottles have a grit almost like a rubber which make the bottles very hard to keep dust free.They also made them smaller at the
bottom and larger at the top so when you slightly bump into one they all fall like Domino's.GENIUS ! People are not going to want
to walk within 10 feet of a Sebastian display after the first time they knock 50 bottles off the shelf.Never mind the issues this will present in the shower! Mark my words, Ive seen enough product line changes to know when something is going to flop.They will be making revisions as soon as they finish putting this packaging out so don't get too comfortable.The new line isn't overly welcoming in appearance either.I think a refining of the old product packaging or making a whole new line would have been better than taking the same exact product that people buy because they are comfortable with, putting it in a new stuffy , attemptingly sleek package, raising prices and marketing it as NEW! Sebastian is a great product line, and I think they feel their issues are with visual marketing.Maybe they are right and the US will catch on to what most European countries already know about this great line!

Let us not forget "elitism".Product lines that gear themselves to be only for elite salons for special people.Pureology was one of these lines until the Loreal buyout and is now becoming more main stream.Aveda products are touted as "exclusive" and are only available through Aveda salons.Many private lines like Bumble and Bumble, Peter Coppola and more began in private salons and are now more and more readily available to the masses.Are these private labels better than other lines simply because they are seemingly "exclusive"? As these lines eventually are bought out and marketed to more and more people do they suddenly become not as good as before?

There are alot of smaller manufacturers out there that carry good products as well but are marketed in a totally different way.Alot of
companies like KMS, Kenra, Aquage, RUSK and Joico have chosen to market mainly to the professional.Pushing their product lines on
stylist by way of classes that preach "WE ARE THE BEST SELL US" and giving away masses of stylist samples to get us to use their
products. Making deals with salons to carry their lines and preaching a holier than thou attitude toward other lines. These
companies count on the stylist to sell them which is a much cheaper, but more difficult sales tactic but a sales tactic all the same.

And of course the bonus for all you readers who muddled through all these ramblings, SEX. Who knew all along that all you needed to spice up your love life was good hair! Bottles that make you think....where did you say I put this? Sexy people performing experiments in urban settings, and bottles that just come out and say "HEY I'M SEXY LOOK AT ME" So when you walk into a salon is your eye automatically drawn to the monochromatic bottles that say nothing, or the bottle that looks like it came from an adult bookstore?

So what do I think is the best line overall through all the BS that is marketing?I have never found one line that I feel has the all the best of the best.I don't believe in using anything because it looks fun or smells good, is elite, is pushed on me,looks more professional, looks like a good time or is readily available in every single salon. What works for me, may not work for you.Mixing and matching is half the fun anyway! As always don't buy ANYTHING you don't know how to use.I do believe in trying something new from time to time.I believe in old favorites. I believe in testing similar products. Don't say "Oh I only use XX line". Test hair spray against hairspray, shampoo against shampoo. Superior products exist in almost every hair care line so don't fall for all the hype.

Blogger Partnership Contest Coming In May

We will be sponsoring a contest with one of our favorite beauty bloggers,Gail at Oogle Makeup in May. We will be donating over $100 in prizes and a $50 gift certificate for purchases in our store so don't miss out on your chance to score BIG! Gail will be adding some neat gifts to the pot as well .
We are still working out all the details but it will definitely be an event worth a look!
Check back here for more details coming soon!

Erryns Health And Beauty Testimonials

Let everyone know how your experience with us has been!
We strive for 100% customer satisfaction at all times so please let us know how were doing.
We also would love to know what we can do to make your shopping experience more pleasant.

Got A BFF? Have A Swap!

I have a best friend of about 15 years and I adore her taste in just about everything.We usually shop together or if one of us is out shopping we will call the other for verification of our purchases.I.E. I will call her and say " OK I'm looking at a black dress, do I have to much black or should I look at some color?" or "do you have any red patent heels to go with a retro 50's style dress?"

About 10 years ago when our kids were little and we were both poor as dirt, we came up with this great tradition.We would pool all our clothes we wore a few times or that didn't quite fit perfect.We wear the same size but she is 5 foot 10 inches and I'm 5 foot 1 inches so if it didn't fit one of us it may fit the other.We get together and try on each others clothes, shoes and makeup and trade oodles of things.

We do this 2 or 3 times a year and its just a blast.Its like having a personal shopper bring you tons of stuff to try on.Whatever just isn't working for either of us will go in a pile and we will decide who of our friends would look good in what.Then we go give it all away and some of our friends give us things back in exchange that didn't work for them and we get to fight over it!

Another great thing we do is when we go shopping together and we both love the same thing, we buy it for "mutual" usage.We will trade it back and forth or she will buy one color and I will buy another so we can swap colors after a while.

Right now we live 1.8 miles apart so it is easy to do.We even did this though when I moved to Florida and she was in Ohio for 2 years.We visited each other at least 3 times a year and we would pack a suitcase of things for the other person and trade up wherever we were.

We both are makeup addicts too so when I moved to Florida I started buying empty makeup pots with sifters ( let me know if you want to know where to get some I know a great website) We would buy stuff and split it in half and send the other a little box of new makeup.

We both have 13 year old daughters that are 3 weeks apart in age and now they do the same thing! It saves us both a ton of money on the girls and it is just plain ol' fun to do.

I kind of have a rule that if I haven't worn it in 6 months, it goes in the trade pile.Sometimes Ill get traded back the same thing I bought a year ago, but somehow forgetting about it makes it seem new and I remember why I bought it in the first place! But when it is sitting there staring at me and I want to wear something new it looks like the most boring thing Ive ever seen.

The Big Bad Blunt Bangs

Maybe its just being a child of the early 90's that makes me so critical of bangs.But I really do find alot of bangs I love out there.But there are more factors to consider in selecting a bang than how long you want them.Nothing can make or break a look like the hair framing your face.

If you have a large cranium why on earth would you accentuate the largeness of your head by starting your bangs half way to the back of your head?

To avoid looking like your bangs are eating your face alive take your head shape into consideration just like you would take your facial features into consideration.If you have a shorter forehead and delicate features then go for the bangs starting farther back.But if you have a large head, please I beg you, choose a bang that starts closer to the front of your hairline .If you have a head that is wide across the forehead area go for a more side swept version of the blunt bang or a softer look.

On the other hand make sure your bangs don't look like your mom took you to get a good short bang trim at the local great clips for $5.I hate the totally disconnected short bangs that don't flow with everything else.Putting a bang just doesn't look good with every single hair cut.You don't have to "blend" the bang but make sure the look of the bang flows with the overall look.

Trust me, I know all too well, bad bangs will haunt you forever!

A "REAL" Pet Peeve

I have some little pet peeves that just irritate the poo outta me so I thought I would vent a little.

One of my biggest pet peeves is people asking "is that real?"

Here are some things I've heard asked and my natural sarcastic responses:

Are those your real nails?(I paid for them so yes they are mine)

Is that your real hair?(yes I've been asked this, I had no clue what to say and I said yes...nothing witty )

Are those your real breasts?(really?is it any of your business?)

Is that a real tan?( no your eyes are just full of dirt I'm really pale)

Is that your real natural hair color?(I'm a hairdresser, what do you think?)

Is that a real diamond?(I have no clue what your talking about... are you imagining things?)

Are those your real eyelashes?(seriously, you should see someone about those hallucinations, I have no eyelashes.)

Is that a real (enter designer name here)?(If you cant tell them im not tellin)

I mean seriously where does the line end? I don't mind a close friend asking but I've been asked these questions by complete strangers and slight acquaintances. Is anything really real? I mean no one asks questions like:

Are you really that size or are you hiding fat rolls inside your spanx?

Does your hair really grow into that style or do you get it cut like that?

Do your toenails naturally grow bright red or is that paint?

Do you really naturally smell like flowers or do you have wear deodorant and shower?

Are your eyelids really that lovely shade of blue?

The whole point in getting faux anything is to give the illusion that it is real and give the illusion of perfection.

The first definition of the word "real" is

existing or happening as or in fact; actual, true, etc.; not merely seeming, pretended, imagined, fictitious, nominal, or ostensible

So next time someone asks you if something is "real" you can refer back to that definition and say "YES" with confidence and not be lying. After all if it exists it is real !

Just a silly rambling

Magic Mom

Being a mom of 3 and owning my own business keeps me hoppin all the time.Fortunately my wonderful hubby of 15 years works with me.I don't know if I would be able to keep it all going without him!

I think being a mom is so different now from our parents generations because most moms work and are presented with new challenges and we need new strategies for being super moms!Its hard to take time for yourself some days when you ave everyone else to think about and spend time on.

Here are a few things I do to make it all happen.

• Pedicures all around.I make it an event for me and my girls to do together.Quality time meets pampering.
  


• Outfit planning.Sounds silly but we will hang everything that goes together on one hanger like pants, shirt, jewelry etc. This way when its time to go everyone is ready and looking spiffy and no drama looking for what goes with what.And its a fun time for the kids.They get to be creative and discover self expression.This helps alot for my son who is color blind too.

• Cooking together.Ive done this since my kids were babies.They love to cook now and eat just about anything.They love to show off whatever they make themselves even if its spinach and broccoli.Now that my kids are getting older this has proved to be a real investment.It actually saves me time in the kitchen by designating who does what and we all get in on the action,get it done,and have time to sit down and enjoy our creations.Here is Xane showing off his very first perfect egg over easy made 100% by himself.
  
  





• Accepting help.This was a really difficult thing for me to do.I always felt inadequate when I had to ask someone to help me or take the kids so I could have a break.A mom should be able to do it all, right? WRONG! Over the past 2 years I've been learning to accept that I don't have to be perfect to be a good mom. I just do my best and let other people fill in the gaps. You cant be everything to everyone all the time.

What do you do to make the momma magic happen?

My Makeup Bag

I swap out my makeup frequently (and carry a fairly hefty makeup kit everyplace) but here is what I am carrying right now.

Bed Head Glamma Whipped Foundation in Shade 1 (love it makes my skin feel like silk)
Bare Escentuals ID Weather Everything Liner Sealer/Pods/Brush
Bare Escentuals ID Soft Black Liner Shadow
Bed Head Splurge Metallic Martini Waterproof Cream Eyeshadow
Bed Head Cyberoptics Eyeshadow In Green
My Conair Little Mini Shaver Thingy
ELF Cosmetics Lip Gloss In Caramel and Fairy
OPI Lip Sheers Lip Gloss In Sheer Heaven
Lola Cosmetics Eyeshadow In Trainwreck
Anastasia Perfect Brow Pencil In Brunette
Imju Fiberwig Paint On False Eyelashes In Black
Bibo Cosmetics Eyeshadow In Desire
Bibo Cosmetics Lipgloss In Groove
Tarte Seal The Deal Lipstick Sealer And Gloss(great stuff keeps lipgloss on for HOURS)
Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil In Cruella
Rimmel Lipgloss in 400 Smooch
Rimmel Lipgloss in 200 Rebel Rebel
Sephora Pro Lip Brush (retractable and no lid to loose and you don't get junk in it )
Bare Escentuals ID Tinted Mineral Veil
Bare Escentuals ID Hydrating Mineral Veil (NEW STUFF ALERT)
Cricket Pink Tweezers
10X Magnification Mirror
Avon Powder Brush (I broke my retractable one so I need a new one )
Bibo Cream Blush In Undone Parfait
Some random makeup sponges and eyeshadow applicators too of course.
It all fits in my nifty 2 pocket makeup bag which was a sample gift with purchase from Paul Mitchell.
Whats in your bag?

Natural Remedies For Dry Itchy Skin

Chronic problems with dry itchy skin can drive you crazy! Dry weather, poor diet, cleaning products, soaps and ageing are a few of the culprits of the problem.

Diet plays an important role in every part of your body. Make sure your drinking enough water.Keeping your body hydrated helps every part of your body including the largest organ in your body, the skin.Eating foods high in Omega 3 and essential fatty acids, like fresh fish and flax seed have shown to improve skin's appearance and texture as well.Also take Vitamin E for an added boost of natural oils to combat the dryness.

Externally Vitamin E is the only vitamin proven to improve the skin so look for skin care products that are high in Vitamin E oils.You can even use Vitamin E capsules and break one open and apply it directly to your worst areas.

Stay away from creams that contain ingredients that are made to break down the skin for a chemical exfoliation.Instead of removing dead dry skin they can actually cause your skin to dry out even more.These are ingredients like Retinol, Alpha and Beta Hydroxyl Acids and Alpha Lipoic Acids.If you experience dryness or redness after using these products, look for a product without or with a lower concentration of these ingredients.Look for ingredients that are natural like natural oils derived from plants, beeswax, herbal extracts, water and glycerin.

When you first get out of the shower, apply baby oil or mineral oil all over to seal in moisture.Moisturize your skin every day with a lotion as well.

Avoid long hot showers which can dry your skin as well as harsh soaps. If your soap leaves your skin feeling tight and dry, then it is too strong for you. Your skin should feel soft and supple after cleansing so experiment with milder cleansers. Antibacterial cleansers contain high levels of alcohol as well so limit usage to when you really need them.

Use a humidifier in your home to keep the moisture levels in the air at a comfortable level.Even if you just keep a humidifier in your bedroom, you should notice a big difference in time.

Choose clothing made from natural cotton or silk fibers that allow your skin to breath. Avoid fibers that irritate like wool and artificial fibers that don't allow sufficient air flow.

Sometimes an overload of chemicals and irritants can actually cause dry skin issues.Stay as close to natural as possible in your ingredients and be kind to your skin.

Stylist Choice Award 2009

OK SO ITS VOTING TIME AGAIN!

Check out BTC and vote for your fav products RIGHT NOW!

When you vote you get a $10 gift code for purchase at behind the chair BTC Bookstore

Click Here To Put Your Vote In

Poll results for the 9th annual awards will be available June 7th so check back here for the scoop!

We will be stocking all of the new 2009 stylist choice awards products into our store as soon as we find out what they are !

Here are some of 2008's star winning products!

Favorite Shampoo:

Pureology Hydrate

Favorite Conditioner:

Redken All Soft Conditioner

Favorite Styling Product:

Paul Mitchell Sculpting Foam

Favorite Hair Spray:

Kenra 25 Volume Spray

Favorite Specialty Styling Product:
TIGI Bed Head Manipulator

Favorite Volumizing Product:
Big Sexy Hair Root Pump

Favorite Flat Iron:
Farouk Systems CHI Ceramic

Favorite Overall Professional Products Company:
Redken (winner for the last seven consecutive years)

Can You Mix Hair Products?

Most hair care lines want you to of course to buy all and use only their products so there isn't much info around about what products you can or cant mix.

Mixing hair care products is generally safe as long as you aren't mixing certain chemicals.

These chemicals are in products like perms, relaxers, hair color, peroxide and other chemical enhancement products.These products need to be applied strictly according to manufacturers directions.

Otherwise products like shampoo and conditioner are perfectly safe to mix and match.In fact you may even achieve better results by mixing and matching until you find your perfect combination.Combining your shampoo and conditioner and applying them at the same time can cause you to loose the effectiveness of the conditioner.But you can use XX shampoo and then use YY conditioner and get great results.

The exception to this rule is medicated shampoo and conditioner.If you are using a medicated product that contains an ingredient like pyrithicone zinc for dandruff or other scalp conditions it is ideal that you use the full product line.While there is no danger in mixing products like these with other shampoo/conditioner you may find you loose some of the effectiveness of the medication.If you have to choose either shampoo or conditioner, choose the medicated conditioner.This keeps you from washing away the benefits of the product through a second rinsing.You can even use a different conditioner on your ends and your medicated product on your roots and scalp.

Mixing styling products is fine as well.Some products however just will not mix leaving you with a globby or watery mess. To avoid this problem, read the ingredients list. Products that list water as a main ingredient will mix well with other products that have water as an ingredient.Products without water will not mix with products that contain water. Products with water contain emulsifiers to bind the ingredients.Without these emulsifiers weird globby messes can occur.Common bad mixtures of this sort are shine serums and gels. Gels and conditioning styling creams don't mix too well either.The conditioning agents in the styling creams contain ingredients that can interact with gels and you loose the effectiveness of both products.Hair sprays that are designed for finishing dry hair will not interact with products you put into your hair when it is wet so no worries there.

The best way to check and see if you can mix 2 products effectively is to combine the products in your hand and see if something weird happens.If you see products breaking down and separating into liquid and lumps then it is best to avoid mixing those on your hair as well.

Removing Artificial Nails Safely

When your ready to remove artificial nails the absolute worst thing you can do is just tear them off.The acrylic is bonded to your actual nail and you can rip holes straight through your nail exposing your nail bed which can be horrible painful.

Your nail bed will already be extra sensitive upon removal of the artificial nail because it has not been exposed to the normal everyday wear and tear that desensitizes the nails. You need to try to keep the trauma on the nail bed to a minimum to prevent further and possibly permanent damage.

You will need pure acetone to remove the acrylic.You can usually find this just about anyplace from a drug store to a home improvement store.

You can soak cotton balls in acetone and wrap the moistened cotton ball around the nail allowing it to soften the acrylic.Stick your whole hand inside a plastic bag and apply a heating pad to speed up the process of melting the acrylic.

A wonderful alternative to cotton balls and heating pads are little finger soak off pods!

You fill each "pod" with acetone and insert your finger.The heat from your fingers heats up the acetone for speedy removal.They also are alot less messy and less waste .

You can find these at online retailers or your local beauty supply may carry them as well.

Once the acrylic has softened some use an orangewood stick to gently roll away loose acrylic.It should peel away easily and not pull on your nail at all.Don't try to pry off half loose acrylic.Just re soak your fingers and repeat until all of the acrylic has melted enough to scrape away easily.

After you get all the acrylic off it is vital to use a conditioning oil on your cuticles and finger tips.Acetone severely dries skin out but unfortunately it is the only thing that melts acrylics.

Your nails may feel thin and brittle after the whole process.You will need to keep your nails short and trimmed until they have grown out.Any snags or weak spots in your nails caused during the application and removal of acrylics will catch and tear easily.

While there is no way to repair the natural nail there are ways to help the grow out process be less painful.

Using a strengthening clear coat will not actually strengthen the nail itself.The strength is in the product so keep a coat or two on your nails constantly until they have grown completely out.Taking a vitamin that helps with hair and nail growth may help your nails grow back faster and stronger.

You may be able to find a product like Essie Sensitivity which works much like the toothpaste that desensitizes teeth.This is great if your nails feel like they are fire and every bump or hot water touching your nails is unbearable.

Condition, condition, condition.Your finger tips have been through enough trauma so avoid over filing and buffing and keep the cuticle treatment with you at all times.

Stylist Or High Pressure Salesperson?

Does your stylist try to push a ton of products on you that you just don't need or want?


If you have ever walked away from a salon visit and feel like you've been pushed into buying products you didn't want or need, your not alone.


So why does it seem stylist now a days are turning into car salesmen pushing you to buy more, more, more?


Alot of salons now a days REQUIRE stylist to sell a minimum percentage of their service total in retail up to 50%.So if a client comes in and gets a $200 service the stylist is expected to sell them $100 of product.Now alot of people just wont do that so when one client says no the stylist has to make up their missing percentage on another client.So you may actually be being pushed into buying things not because you need it, but because your making up for a sale that another customer refused!


Stylist actually get fired if they do not sell retail at their specified service to retail ratio.This brings the problem back to the salon the stylist is at.Salons train their employees now a days with high pressure sales tactics.

Manufactures also offer incentives to stylist who sell the most of their latest product.So you may be buying something that isn't the absolute best product for your hair just so your stylist can win a blow dryer or flat iron.

Tipping your stylist more to make up for the lost comissions on retail does not make up for either of these issues.The stylist still has to make that sale someplace else!Tip more only if you want to tip more, not out of guilt.

So what can you do about this?

• If you don't want something don't buy it! Sounds simple enough but seriously stick to your guns.
• Tell your stylist if something isn't in your budget.If she has a choice between a 10% commission on a retail sale and a 50% commission on your service total and she knows you only have XX amount of $$ to spend, shes going to put that money where it makes her the most money.
• If your need shampoo only buy shampoo don't be forced into buying the whole product line.
• If you don't know exactly what a product is and exactly how to use it.....you probably don't need it and wont use it anyway.
• You have the option of just not buying anything! If your stylist knows your the kind of person that never buys anything, maybe she will quit nagging you.
• Tell your stylist your all set on products and if you need anything next time you ll ask them for it.
• Or you can say "Oh that sounds great but I want to use up what I already have at home first, can you write these product recommendations down for me and Ill buy them as I need new product" This takes the pressure off you and gives your stylist hope of a future sale.
• You can walk into any salon and just buy what you want or need, you don't have to support the salon that is forcing your stylist to resort to sneaky sales tactics.You can also compare prices this way both in salons and at online retailers and get the best bang for you buck.
• If your stylist is annoyingly pushy and you dread the sales pitches every time you go in, find a new stylist.Its supposed to be a fun relaxing experience and stylist are a dime a dozen.

There are lots of great stylist out there and if you do decide to find a new one, read our blog article titled "Interview With A Stylist" for ideas on how to find a really great stylist and salon.