Words from a real life convert. Not a rep trying to make a sale. .
Written by Emerging Stylist and Salon Manager, Siobhan.
When I first started seeing Julia for my hair back around 2016 I did not take care of my hair. I used to joke with Julia about my ‘Bi-annual haircut’. I was working as a nurse in aged care and my hair was a long way down the priority list. I used supermarket shampoos and conditioners and by the way, what’s heat protector??
I honestly thought that the concept of salon quality products was just a gimmick and a brand, nothing more. I’ve never been interested in brand label clothing in my life and I believed that brand label shampoos were the same. Just a label and a marketing ploy to trick people into spending more money needlessly. I didn’t see the value in purchasing products that cost more for a smaller bottle.
However, I decided to be open minded about doing things differently; and the results speak for themselves. Since joining the hairdressing industry, I have learned a lot about hair care. But you don’t need to be a hairdresser to know what I know now. I want to share some things with you…
· Supermarket products are watered down. It feels like value for money, but the reality is you use four times as much so it’s not lasting as long as you think. Professional products are super concentrated so even if you have very thick hair, you will get months out of one bottle.
· Supermarket products are full of nasties like silicon, sulphates and parabens which coat your hair in plastic and can even produce horrible chemical reactions when combined with professional colour and lightener. The silicon makes your hair feel soft and silky but it’s only giving the illusion of health meanwhile the reality is that your hair is actually not in good shape at all. Your hair is likely to need washing more often as well.
· Supermarket products are not colour safe. Your colour will rapidly fade and you’re literally washing your $200+ colour down the drain. They are made with harsh detergents that strip colour and everything else out of your hair, nutrients and all.
These days the fact that I even have hair at all I attribute to good quality products like Kevin Murphy and K18. Many people recognise me in the salon for my platinum blonde pixie cut which I achieve by lightening the daylights out of my natural hair colour on a regular basis. Mousy brown is just not my thing..
My hair is actually in way better condition than it was back then despite only attacking it with lightener twice a year as opposed to every 8 weeks or so.
My takeaway – find a hairdresser you can trust, listen to them and use the products they recommend for you. I promise you’ll feel and see the difference. I’m walking proof.
