“Why are black hairs mixed in with my blonde extensions?” This is one of the common complaints we hear from stylists that use other hair extension companies. Here’s the answer: Although it happens to all types of hair, the black hair problem is most prevalent with Indian hair. The reason is because within the last few years, Indian women have started using a product on their hair that has substantial amounts of coconut oils.

Over the years, while growing their hair to 18,” and sometimes much longer, the coconut oils have a lasting effect on the hair. It would only be considered a negative effect to manufacturers like ourselves, because it makes the coloring process much more tedious and difficult.

The coconut oil creates a seal or repellent inside the cuticle, not allowing the hair shaft to take new color deposits. Another reason for black hair in your extensions is the black hair strands are synthetic. You might ask how those synthetic strands made their way into your 100% human hair package. I’ll answer that question in another blog.

Even if that black hair does not burn or shrivel up when using a flat iron or curling iron, does not mean it is human hair. There are now new synthetic fibers on the market that are heat resistant. Also a topic worthy of it’s own blog. Another reason for black hair mixed in with your blonde extensions is the hair donor had damaged or old hair.

Damaged from previous hair color. Woman coloring their own hair before selling/donating it, is much more common in China than it is in India. Bleaching hair in China has become very trendy. It used to be only in the larger coastal cities that women would bleach their hair. But because of T.V. and media, even in the rural western cities, which is where most raw hair comes from, women are bleaching their hair. As we all know, bleach damages the hair and makes it more difficult for us to further lift and deposit colors.

Why do Donna Bella hair extensions not have this black hair mixed with the other colors? Donna Bella has always prided itself on the fact that we buy and process our own hair. Besides Great Lengths, Socap, Hair Dreams etc., most hair extension companies buy their hair already packaged. They have no idea where the hair came from or how it was processed. The manufacturers may tell them it is Indian or European hair, but they have no idea because they don’t spend time in India and China quality controlling their products. Donna Bella Inc. does. If any of that poor quality or synthetic hair makes it into our raw hair, it is always sorted and taken out before it goes into the final package.

A very long explanation, but now you know why some hair extension companies have black hair mixed in with their other colors - and knowing is half the battle.

It’s that time of year, when the hair and salon industry’s biggest and best do’s are shown off in Vegas. This year’s award ceremony promises not to dissapoint and the following stylists have been announced. The event will be held at the Mandalay Bay, in Las Vegas Nevada on July 13th.

From all over North America, talented stylists have been selected to compete in 12 categories. There are 60 finalists, entered from over 600 entries, and the judges have admitted that these are some of the best entries to date.

Editorial Stylist of the Year
Michael Albor (The Loft Salon + Day Spa, Boston, MA)
John Donato (Donato Salon and Spa, Toronto, ON)
Nicholas French (Matrix Global Academy, New York, NY)
Charlie Price (Click Salon, Denver, CO)
Maryl Velbeck (Trend Wave Studios, Los Angeles, CA)

Make-Up Artist
Raquel Atienza (Toronto, ON)
Giancarlo Intini (Aurora, ON)
Janell Geason (Eden Prairie, MN)
Angelia Senevisai (Minneapolis, MN)
Tatoulian Sevan (St. Laurent, QC)

Master Stylist of the Year
Edwin Johnston (The Cutting Room Creative, Nanaimo, BC)
Alain Pereque (Salon Pure, Montreal, Quebec)
Charlie Price (Click Salon, Denver, CO)
Ruth Roche (RARE, New York, NY)
Brian & Sandra Smith (Dahon, GA)

Student Hairstylist of the Year
AbBear Blasi (Eric Fisher Academy, Wichita, KS)
Daniella Bowman (Aveda Fredric’s Institute, Cincinnati, OH)
Denise Joyce (Eric Fisher Academy, Wichita, KS)
Whitney Vallee (Inpure, Montreal, Quebec)
Chelsea Vittorio (Aveda Fredric’s Institute, Indianapolis, IN)

Salon Team
Deborah Gavin (Fresh Hair Studio, South Hampton, PA)
Daniel Holzberger (Van Michael Salons, Atlanta, GA)
Suzanne Martin (Three Small Rooms, Barrie, ON)
Tony Ricci (Ricci Hair Co., Edmonton, AB)
Ryan Teal (Capello Salon, Milwaukie, OR)

Hairstylist of the Year
Maureen Anlauf (Juut Salon Spa, St. Paul, MN)
Marjorie Clarke (The Hair Force, Paradise, Newfoundland)
Daniel Holzberger (Van Michael Salons, Atlanta, GA)
Charlie Price (Click Salon, Denver, CO)
Dimitrios Tsioumas (HiLites Hair Salon, Fulton, MD)

Haircolor
Rene Antonio (Salon Gregories, Balboa, CA)
Dana Lyseng (Supernova Salon, North Vancouver, BC)
Lisa McAuliffe (Afif Salon, Toronto, ON)
John Simpson (Lewis Salon, McDonald, Pennsylvania)
Chisun Tsang (Blushes, Ottawa, ON)

Fashion Forward
Maureen Anlauf (Juut Salon Spa, St. Paul, MN)
Lucie Doughty (A.T. Tramps, Venice, CA)
Shirley Gordon (Strands Hair Studios, Weaton, MD)
Ryan Teal (Capello Salon, Milwaukie, OR)
Lisa Vann (Etherea Salon Spa, Seattle, WA)

Salon Design
Scott Cole (Paul Mitchell the School, Carefree, AZ)
Van Council (Van Michael Salon, Atlanta, GA)
Eric Fisher (Eric Fisher Salon, Wichita, KS)
Bruce Osgood (Osgood-O’Neil Salon, Dallas, TX)
David Wagner (Juut Salon and Spa, Edina, MN)

Contemporary Classic
Maureen Anlauf (Juut Salon Spa, St. Paul, MN)
Chrystofer Benson (Logics, New York, NY)
Marjorie Clarke (The Hair Force, Paradise, Newfoundland)
Steve Elias (Elixir Salon Spa, Berkeley, CA)
Matt Swinney (Evolution, Minneapolis, MN)

Texture
Maureen Anlauf (Juut Salon Spa, St. Paul, MN)
Nicholas French (Matrix Global Academy, New York, NY)
Shirley Gordon (Strands Hair Studios, Weaton, MD)
Charlie Price (ClicMaureen Anlaufk Salon, Denver, CO)
John & Rebecca Sentell & Morris-Hele (Fresh Hair Studio, South Hampton, PA)

Avant Garde
Martin Alarie (Pure Salon, Montreal, QB)
E. Darian Bishop (Toni & Guy, Dallas, TX)
Nicholas French (Matrix Global Academy, New York, NY)
Daniel Holzberger (Van Michael Salons, Atlanta, GA)
Janine Jarman (Hairroin Salon, Los Angeles, CA)

NAHA 19 will start with a Red Carpet Reception at 6:30pm followed by the Awards Ceremony at 8:00pm. The event will be emcee’d by the witty and beautiful Victoria Jackson (of Saturday Night Live fame). Additionally, special artistic presentations by NAHA 2007 Fashion Forward winner Veronica Bessey, sponsored in part by TIGI, and NAHA 2006 Master Stylist winner Heather Wenman will end the evening.

For tickets, visit www.probeauty.org/naha or by calling 800-630-3603. NAHA is held in partnership with Cosmoprof North America, visit www.cosmoprofnorthamerica.com for more information. Article tip courtesy of Behind the Chair.

In a great article over at She Knows, celebrity hair stylist Nick Chavez discusses some of the upcoming summer trends for this summer and beyond.

On current styles that are coming back, Chavez noted “One of the greatest trends that is coming back is the classic styles — the Sophia Loren kind of feeling. The great part of it was that hairstyle was always messy, but now it’s going into a glam-rock kind of thing,” says Chavez. “Mixing rock n’ roll with a couture dress — it’s amazing.”

He also pointed out the frequent use of the classic, and easy going, ponytail, “The easiest thing to do, and the trend is coming back in a big way. For women, time is of the essence. Women barely have time for themselves. You don’t want to be married to your hair, make-up or nails,” Chavez quipped.

Not to be left out of the hair mix, Chavez highlighted the importance of color, and some that we’re now seeing, “You know what? You’re starting see the reds out there. They’re really pretty. Julianne Moore, for one, is just beautiful — her latest color. You’re starting to see those reddish tones within brunettes now, too,” Chavez said.

“It’s a red ginger. It’s got gold highlights,” Chavez said of Ashlee Simpson’s crimson blush. “That is such a pretty color. It’s an easy color for taking a woman from blond to that red because you can always come back to blond easier.”

For the full interview, and for more hair gossip, check out the article here.

The Washington Post is reporting, along with a number of other publications, the confirmed report that popular hair dyes used extensively in the early 1970’s are linked to bladder cancer. The authors of the new report on hair dye, have said the findings confirm what was first suspected back in the 1970s — that hair dyes appear to increase the risk of cancer. Thankfully, the coloring agents in question were discontinued in the 1970s when it was discovered they tested positive for cancer in lab rodents.

Dr. Michael J. Thun, head of epidemiological research at the American Cancer Society stated “This report updates an earlier review done in the 1990s, which called the evidence inadequate to determine the risk of cancer.” This leaves the debate open, somewhat, as to whether or not the same cancer risk is connected with hair dyes and chemicals still in use today in salon’s worldwide.

“These studies were done over years, and cancer takes years to develop. So the relevant exposures would have been in the past, and the products have changed,” Thun said. “So this report doesn’t provide any evidence about the risk of current exposure.”

The findings of the new study are being published in the April issue of The Lancet Oncology.

For more information on cancer and hair dyes, visit U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Spring is on its way, and the fashion industry and beauty industry alike are gearing up to give us some pointers on what’s sure to be hot in 2008. All signs point to “natural” hacolors - especially when it comes to the color of our hair. Most fashion know-it-alls are claiming it’s in-vogue to have natural-looking hair, whatever that means (for those of us who’ve not strayed far from the look we were born with).

This month’s feature article in BSB magazine is all about this very subject, and more specifically how salon owners and stylists can start offering coloring services in the most effective way.

Here’s a clip of the article:

If there’s good news for beauty stores these days, it’s that “natural-looking” hair color is back in vogue. Usually defined as one or two levels away from unadulterated color, natural hair coloring simplifies product selection and minimizes snafus. However, this time around, natural hardly means plain. With bobs in abundance, stronger, more vibrant color is a natural companion to smooth, shiny surfaces. Additionally, with panels and streaks giving way to strategically placed highlights, the color itself is what packs the punch.

If your salon has always put an emphasis on hair health, leaving hair in good condition despite treatments, you’re in a good position; this will be a year for focusing on the self, detoxing and restoring that natural beauty that fashionista’s of years past have told us to curl up and dye.

For the full article, click here.

Dear customers, SPECIAL ALERT!!! Donna Bella Milan has slashed its Grade B Human hair pricing down to $8.95 / pack! Grade B hair is 100% human REMY hair. Each packs contains 10 strand with each strand weighing 0.50 grams. This is a special valid only for the month of October. Please visit this link: http://www.donnabellahair.com/shop/html/Category-6-0.html for a list of available colors and terms and conditions. Thanks for your continued business! Best regards, The Donna Bella Milan Hair Team 888.HAIR.KIT www.DonnaBellaHair.com

This month’s article by Beauty Store Business online wants to make sure you’re stocking the latest and greatest hair-color products on the market. The article highlights (pun intended) the important nature of information, citing that it’s critical for employees to in a position to give advice and insight to various products. Make sure your shelves are stocked and your employees are prepared to offer haircolor products and advice on demand.

Here’s a bit of the article by Victoria Wurdinger

In a year when the mature beauty market is showing slow growth, hair color remains a beacon to the market. This is doubly true for stores because more than half of women who color their hair either do it at home or visit a salon sometimes and do their own color other times. Fortunately for beauty supply stores, the latter group needs help selecting the right retouch formula to match their current color.

Not only do OTCs carry broader color selections, they can also provide advice other beauty products channels can’t. For instance, with color lines that go permanent or the equivalent of semipermanent—depending on the developer volume—the savvy store employee can teach anyone to do a retouch and refresh her roots to near perfection. Additionally, by displaying mannequin heads with differently colored quadrants, beauty stores can easily provide visual replies to that age-old question: How will the color in the bottle look on my hair? This is particularly important for brunettes for three reasons: One, they represent the largest percentage of the general market population. Two, they represent almost all of the fast-growing multicultural populations. And three, it’s hardest for them to visualize how any shade will look when applied to their dark hair color. It’s no wonder that both fashion trends and new haircolor products increase their option.

Click here for the full article.

Beauty Launchpad’s article of the month has a great story on the upcoming Spring styles that are sure to please, turn heads, and help you and your clients to look their best. Here’s a bit of the article by Jeryl E. Spear:

Spring hair ignites with style and color.

Flirty, girly and filled with feminine wiles, spring hair calls for coquettish to classic updos, big waves and loads of smooth hair. Say goodbye to the Rapunzel-length locks. Spring styles are shorter and have a planned mussiness that still retains shape and form.

Pops of color are giving way to subtle, multitonal designs that draw inspirations from lifestyles, nature and fashion. The latest techniques enrich the base color without garnering too much attention, resulting in blondes with light touches of platinum or glints of gold; multihued brunettes; and shimmering reds with flecks of warm strawberry blonde and cool auburn.

Read the full article here.

It is official…As posted on the Redken site, Redken has received seven outstanding wins for Behindthechair.com’s 2006 Stylist Choice Awards…Again. They managed to beat all other manufacturers in the number of wins (sounds fishy doesn’t it) and their awards include Favorite Overall Professional Products Company for the sixth consecutive year. I have to admit, that when a company wins hands down like this so many years in a row, blowing any and all competetion out of the water, there’s a hint of favoritism in the air. Don’t get me wrong, Redken makes great products, but it’s funny that not a single other company broke out to take one of the awards away. The awards are as follows:

Favorite Overall Professional Products CoMPANY: Redken 5th Avenue

Favorite New Shampoo or Conditioner: Blonde Glam

Favorite New Product for Color, Color Enhancement or Color Protection: Color Extend

Favorite Permanent Color Line: Color Fusion

Favorite Demi-Permanent Color Line: Shades EQ

Favorite Manufacturer-Sponsored Event: Redken Symposium

Favorite Advanced Academy: Redken Exchange

Paula Kent Meehan, founder of industry giant Redken Laboratories, will be honored by Intercoiffure America/Canada on June 10, 2007 at its annual Spring Educational Symposium at The Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas. President Lois Christie will present Meehan with Intercoiffure’s “Visionary of the Year” Award, in recognition of her seminal influence in the beauty industry.

The “Visionary of the Year” Award recognizes extraordinary individual achievements in influencing business or creative trends in the beauty industry. “This award is presented by the best and most successful salon owners in America and Canada,” says Christie. “It honors individuals who helped to change and raise the standards in the industry as a whole.”

Paula Kent Meehan pioneered the “Scientific Approach to Beauty,” developing products compatible with the basic chemistry of hair and skin. Under her leadership, Redken trained hairdressers in the chemistry of hair and introduced them to the benefits of retailing professional products in their salons, at the time a break-through in distribution channels.

In 1993 Meehan sold Redken Laboratories to L’Oreal, who moved the company from its California roots to its current home on Fifth Avenue in New York. Today Redken remains a global leader in professional haircare products and services. Redken products are now available in professional beauty salons in more than 50 countries.

The presentation of the Award to an influential figure in the color industry coincides with the launch of Intercoiffure’s newly formed Hair Color Council, to be headed by creative director Gina Khan. Notes President Lois Christie, “For the first time Intercoiffure colorists will be able to pool their talents and share knowledge with the industry. We will promote the business of hair color and set trends in techniques and products. We will combine our creative vision with a mission to mentor hairdressers who want a career in hair color.”

Intercoiffure is the most exclusive organization of independent salon owners in the world. Intercoiffure America/Canada represents more than 300 of the best salons in North America and is part of Intercoiffure Mondial, the only global beauty association, representing 44 countries and 3,300 members worldwide.