Finally Grow Long Hair!

How to finally grow long hair!

Grow Long HairWe have so many clients ask us about how to grow long hair – often thinking that it’s not possible – that we decided to write about it and share some tips on how to grow long hair on your own and with the help of your Cedar Ridge Salon stylist.

If you’ve ever wanted to grow long hair and have only dreamed of long, beautiful locks, follow these tips, set an appointment with your Cedar Ridge Salon stylist to discuss your plan and get those locks growing!

Although it seems counter-intuitive, the first thing you need to do is get a trim. Why? Because split ends break. You’ve probably heard the old wives tale, “Cutting your hair makes your hair grow faster”. That’s not necessarily true, but it DOES prevent further breakage which is what can prevent you from being able to grow long hair. Start with a trim and then return to your Cedar Ridge Salon stylist every 10 weeks for a dusting or feathering trim, removing a bare minimum off the ends.

The right diet can help you grow long hair

A proper diet is very important for the health of your hair – and your ability to grow long hair. Be sure to eat plenty of protein (healthy hair requires protein to become – and to stay –  strong), leafy greens, nuts, seeds and coconut oil are all beneficial to growing healthy, long locks – and nails. Biotin (also known as Vitamin H) is often recommended as a supplement for healthy hair and nail growth.

On the flip side, ingesting these items in excess can hinder your process to grow long hair: Sugar, caffeine, alcohol and smoking breaks down our collagen which leads to hair breakage. Maybe wanting to grow long hair can be the excuse you needed to quit one or more bad habits?

Well??

Washing your hair with well water can be very damaging to your hair. Washing your hair with the proper shampoo can lessen the side effects from damaging minerals found in well water. These pesky minerals can cause brittleness, breakage and even discoloration. You may not even know that your home is using water from a well – especially if you recently moved from a more urban area where well water is more rare.

Aside from using bottled water to wash your hair or washing it at the gym, we recommend certain shampoos and conditioners that are formulated for hard water. There are also weekly at-home treatments available that will strip the damaging minerals from your hair shafts. Cedar Ridge Salon also offers professional salon treatments for the removal of well water minerals.

How often should you wash your hair?

First of all you want to be using a high-quality, sulfate-free, paraben-free shampoo and conditioner. We use and recommend Unite Products and are happy to consult with you to choose which formulation is best. You can wash your hair when it’s dirty or every other day, but be aware that over washing your hair can strip the natural oils that are needed for healthy hair, hindering your plan to grow long hair.

Excessive heat harms your hair!

Do not use excessive heat when drying or styling your hair or when showering. A cool water rinse not only prevents damage but also adds shine to your hair strands by closing the cuticle down.

Comb your hair only when it’s wet and show your Cedar Ridge Salon stylist your hair brush to make sure it’s not another damaging factor.

With the advice of your stylist, perform at-home treatments periodically and professional treatments every 6 weeks or so to keep up the health of your hair. Everyone’s hair has different needs. Some hair needs more moisture, some hair needs more protein and some hair needs a balance of the two.

New treatments offered by Cedar Ridge Salon

A fairly new (and miraculous) treatment is Olaplex. Olaplex actually restructures the sulfur bonds that break in our hair shaft and stops and prevents breakage – helping you to finally grow long hair. The most common statement clients make about Olaplex is that they notice how quickly their hair is growing. Cedar Ridge Salon offers Olaplex treatments and additive to color services.

Grow Long Hair

 

Always have color done professionally!

In addition to the above commitments to growing your hair long we recommend these products which offer your hair protection and moisture:

• Unite’s 7 Second Detangler is an awesome product that contains UVA and UVB sunscreens.

Unite’s U Argan Oil is a high-moisturizing protectant that adds shine. It’s the best on the market!

Get started today!

Call your Cedar Ridge Salon stylist today and set an appointment for an initial consultation to start your plan to grow long hair: (530) 272-2557

How to Fix Dry Hair This Winter

How do you fix dry, damaged hair?

Cedar Ridge Salon has the answers that will rehydrate, repair and protect your hair during harsh weather conditions. As a Unite Diamond Salon, we have many incredible products from the amazing Unite line to help bring your hair back to life and protect it throughout the winter months.

Can you relate?

Can you relate?

Damaging weather, central heat and wearing hats can take their toll during winter months, leaving your hair dull, frizzed, crunchy and filled with static. Sound familiar? You probably know how hard dry hair is to control. It won’t hold curls, you can’t seem to get any shine and generally speaking it’s FRUSTRATING!

Don’t worry, we’ll set you on the path to healthy winter hair and get you loving your hair again.

  1. The first thing to do is to ask your stylist at Cedar Ridge Salon to do a deep conditioning treatment when you are in for your next appointment.
  2. Protect your hair! Come into the salon and pick up some Unite 7 Seconds Leave-In Conditioner. This will keep your color vibrant and will prevent hot hair tools from damaging your hair.
  3. Use Unite Moisturizing Treatment for deep conditioning and hydration. This will repair and reduce breakage by 80%, using a paraben-free vegetable protein blend.
  4. Try to limit the use of hot hair tools like curling irons, flat irons or blow dryers. If you have to use them, use the aforementioned Unite 7 Seconds Leave-In Conditioner which provides UV and Thermal protection for your hair.
  5. Don’t get yourself in hot water! Use warm to cool water to wash your hair instead of scalding hot water. Hot water can dry out your hair, fade color and even dry out your skin.
  6. Make regular appointments with your Cedar Ridge Salon stylist! Every 6-8 weeks, you should trim your hair, preventing split ends that make your dry hair frizzy.
  7. Put Unite Lazer Straight Relaxing Fluid into your wet hair, smoothing and taming wavy/curly or frizzed hair.
  8. Less washing! A lot of women don’t realize how shampooing too often can actually strip moisture from their hair. Use Unite 7 Seconds Dry Shampoo to remove excess oil, increase hair volume – essentially refreshing your hair – without leaving a powder residue.

If you have anymore questions about your dry and/or damaged hair, call us for more information. We are here to help!

Cedar Ridge Salon – A Unite Diamond Salon
(530) 272-2557

The Many Benefits of a Professional Massage

When was the last time you had a massage?

Massage therapy has benefits that have stood the test of time. People are constantly searching for new ways to slow down and relieve the stress of today’s busy schedules and demanding careers. The advantages of receiving regular massages go beyond a luxurious relaxation treatment; regular massages help boost your health and wellness.

Here are just a few of the many benefits massage has to offer:

Stress Relief: It is found that 90% of disease is stress related. Massage can help increase blood circulation, allowing more oxygen and nutrients it reach your body’s tissues. Which can lead to lower heart rates, blood pressure and overall health? It also helps reduce stress and anxiety by relaxing the mind and body. It can create a feeling of wellbeing and higher self-esteem.

Postural Stress Relief: Most individuals are dealing from some sort of postural stress from long lengths of sitting. Desk workers most commonly experience this. It can show up as pain or weakness in the low back and hips.

Improved Sleep: Massage can encourage restful sleep and helps those who are unable to comfortably sleep. 

Immunity Boost: Regular massage may help to strengthen the immune system by stimulating the Lymphatic system, the defender of the immune system.

Skin Benefits: Massage improves blood circulation, increases cell nutrition and encourages cell regeneration. It also improves elasticity of the skin.

Save $10 Off Your First Massage!

Call Cedar Ridge today at (530) 272-2557 to book your first hour and a half massage and get an instant $10 discount!

team-mary

Mary Fox, Professional Massage Therapist

Professional Massage Therapist

Mary Fox is offering both light and deep tissue style massage at the Cedar Ridge Salon. She has been practicing for eighteen years from beach side getaways in Mexico to luxury resorts in Tahoe, and one of her favorite places, Sierra Hot Springs. Mary has also taught yoga for ten years. She enjoys helping clients feel relaxed and rejuvenated.

How to Use Thermal Styling Tools Without Damaging Your Hair

We all wish we could leave our house every morning looking like we do when we leave our stylist’s chair! Aside from the professional skills and training they have, your stylist also follows certain industry guidelines when it comes to quality and temperature setting of their tools. We’ll give you some tips and advice on how to keep from damaging your hair when using over-the-counter (or even salon quality) hair products and tools.

Watch That Heat!

damaged-hairHair styling tools don’t need to cost a fortune but they do need to have some basic features. Some of the inexpensive tools have one temperature setting or are “plated” with materials that can damage your hair. Heat settings can range from 175 to 410 degrees. NEVER use a heat setting of 400 or higher!

That much heat should only be used by professionals for certain services and are rarely used in the salon at that. 400 degrees or above can damage or break the hair beyond repair. The temperature you should use with flat or curling irons on your hair is determined by your hair texture, (fine, medium, coarse) and the condition that your hair is in.

A good rule of thumb is that fine, chemically treated or damaged hair should never be ironed above 300 degrees. Normal hair can be ironed at 300-360 degrees and thick, coarse or curly hair can be ironed at 350-390. Start a lower temperature and increase as needed.

Use Protection

Another helpful tip is ALWAYS use a protective product to protect your hair from the heat of the styling tool. We recommend and carry Unite Shina Liquid to protect from flat-ironing and Unite U Oil to protect from curling irons or blowdryers. We always start all services with Unite 7 Seconds Detangler to add protection, sunscreens and detangle the hair when wet. 

As far as purchasing irons, solid ceramic, titanium or tourmaline irons are you best bet. They all emit negative ions. When you put negative ions into the hair, they neutralize positive ions that are caused by chemical damage, heat damage and static electricity. Be sure to buy solid and not “plated” to avoid a thin plate that wears off and exposes the cheap plastic or metals underneath that can damage your hair. 

Blowdryers can be confusing as well. We recommend that – regardless of your hair type – you use an ionic dryer for the negative ion properties. Look for blowdryers with air concentrate nozzles so you can focus the air right where it needs to go.

Fine Hair

Fine hair does best with a low-wattage dryer with minimal heat and pressure.  For fine hair blow-dry products we recommend Unite Boosta volumizing spray, Blow and Set, or Lazer Straight depending on the result you are going for.

Coarse Hair

Coarse hair needs some serious power, so look for a high heat and strong airflow to tame the unruliness, straighten and keep frizz down. Look for a dryer with a cool shot button to finish your blowout which help to lay the cuticle down and add shine.

For Coarse hair we recommend Unite Blow and Set, Lazer Straight or Moisture and Shine to help deliver the results you desire.  Medium hair benefits from a powerful flow and gentle heat. Medium hair should also use a cool shot button.

Medium Hair

Medium hair can benefit from any of the above mentioned products.

For more information or a consultation to find out what products and tools are best for your hair type, call us at (530) 272-2557

Spring Hair Color Trends

Have you ever heard the saying, “A picture paints a thousand words”?

In today’s world of hair coloring, that is the truth. Feel free to bring pictures when changing your hair color!

There are so many techniques that have subtle differences. What’s trending right now in transitioning from winter to spring are Balayage, Ombré and Underlighting techniques. Here is a description of the difference of each technique:

Ombre2Ombré

Ombré is still quite popular. Ombré is a French word that means having colors or shades that fade into each other; from light to dark or dark to light. It can be used to describe hair color, fabric, painting or anything else. Ombré hair typically fades into somewhat of a straight faded line in hair color unlike with Balayage which looks more natural or sunkissed.

Balayage3Balayage

Balayage is a hair coloring technique which is designed to create very natural looking Highlights which typically grow out without developing a noticeable grow out line at your roots. Balayage is hand painted, lightly along the hair line to give some bright Highlights around the face and heavier at the tip of the hair. It’s a more natural looking Highlight, and by natural we mean, you look like you’ve spent long days at the river or surfing in the ocean. Balayage is very similar to a new technique being describe as Underlighting.

UnderlightingUnderlighting

Underlighting has a similar technique to Balayage in that the colorist still hand paints the highlights where they want to place them, but avoids highlighting the crown at all with the exception of right along the hairline.  Highlights are placed under the top crown layer of hair starting in the temples so that your hair still has bright highlights but no grow out in the crown part at all.

When considering these hair coloring techniques, you should always discuss with your colorist the level of grey coverage you need. These techniques work for everyone, however if you’re covering grey, you may benefit from more traditional highlighting techniques or be ready to schedule regular root touch ups.

Give us a call today so we can help you find what works best for you and your hair: (530) 272-2557

Why A Straight Razor Shave?

Straight Razor Shaving

Barbering expert Glenda provides a hot towel and a close razor shave.

Barbering expert Glenda provides a hot towel and a close razor shave.

Whether you want to look your best for a job interview or you just want to impress the ladies, a clean shave is one way to show off that you’re a professional, attractive man who cares about your appearance. A great shave performed by your tonsorial is a relaxing experience. But why bother paying for a traditional, old-fashioned straight razor shave over using your regular razor at home? Let’s start with the experience of a traditional shave.

When you opt for a Traditional Hot lather shave, you have countless options as to how you want it shaped, and exactly what you want shaved. It’s a totally custom process, and your barber has the skills to pull it off. By selecting a traditional, straight-blade razor shave that your barber at the Cedar Ridge Salon offers, you will get a smooth shave that you can’t get from the typical disposable razors that you use at home.

A straight blade shave begins with softening your whiskers. Your barber will press a hot towel against your face to accomplish this feat (you’ll find this surprisingly relaxing). A layer of shaving cream will then be applied, and this cream is not like the green or blue goop that you slop on your face at home. Instead, it uses advanced ingredients that smell fresh and manly, and it will help to reduce redness and irritation.

After the tonsorial applies the shaving cream, she will then begin to shave you. Because of the type of razor that the barber uses, you will get a clean shave that is more accurate and closer to the skin than the razors that you may use at home. You’ll find that this type of shave takes a bit longer than when you shave at home. This is because a wet shave is done gradually, rather than hacking all of the hair off at once.

Some guys choose to do the old-school shave before major events like weddings or job interviews, but others know the value of a great old-fashioned shave and treat themselves on a regular basis. The end result is your face looking younger, cleaner and smoother. You get to be clean-shaven without unsightly in-grown hairs and razor rash, and you will have a shave that lasts longer than the shaves you give yourself at home.

A traditional hot lather shave with a straight razor is an experience every man should have at least once in their lives, if not regularly. You work hard. You’ve earned it.

How Omega 3’s Are Essential To Your Hair Health

HAIR SCIENCE: OMEGA 3’S
While almost everyone at this point knows that essential fatty acids such as omega 3 are important to maintain your health…what you might NOT know is why!

WHAT OMEGA 3 DOES
While hair is composed primarily of keratin protein, omega 3 fatty acids are essential to nourish the all-important follicles, encouraging healthy hair growth that is both strong and shiny from the outset. They may also help prevent inflammation that can lead to hair loss, dandruff and other scalp conditions.

OMEGA 3 DEFICINECY
A deficiency in omega 3 is said to be dry, lackluster and brittle hair and nails. Over time, a deficiency in omega 3 fatty acids can even lead to hair loss. Recent studies have further shown that conditions such as dandruff and eczema of the scalp may also be related to a lack of omega 3 fats. As important as strong and shiny hair may be to us, it is actually pretty low down on the body’s list of priorities. Well before the visible signs of deficiency are seen, key areas of the body such as brain function, cell formation and inflammation prevention have already been comprised as they all rely on omega 3’s fatty acids.

THE PRESCRIPTION
Every Alfaparf Milano Semi Di Lino product is loaded with Flax Seed Extract, which not only infuses hair and scalp with essential omega 3’s, but also omega 6 & 9, proteins and linoleic acid! The result? Healthier, shinier and well-nourished hair.