By Lena Gidwani and Joseph Fernandes
Joan Crawford is right. Your hairstylist may be a magician, but psychic they are not. In the imperfect real world that we live in, we walk into a hair salon, all dressed up and living in a fantasy to look a certain way, and then often leave frustrated at our hairdresser, wishing he or she had a bit more knowledge to make you look the way you want. But whose fault is it really?
Joseph Fernandes, owner and stylist at Joseph Fernandes Hair Studio, works in both Guangzhou and Dongguan, and has plenty of experience with non-Asian hair, which often tends to suffer more in the weather we have here. A Brazilian native, Joseph was kind enough to share what hairstylists wish you knew before you walked through the door and sat down in their chairs. Prepare to be (re)educated, folks. Here’s to a more fashionable you.
1) Stylists cannot read your mind. If you want to change what has been happening, then talk to them. Show photos, and tell them what you want. Remember that while you may not get exactly what any picture shows, they are infinitely helpful in guiding the stylist. Just don't keep quiet because you're afraid to voice your opinion. This is your head, and a stylist's end goal is for you to be happy.
2) If you're not protecting your hair at home, you're making your life harder than it should be. Stylists want you to use a hydrating hair mask (either store-bought or even homemade) once a week. This is especially true if you're planning an extreme shift, such as from black to blonde. Apply your mask of choice to towel-dried hair three inches down from the roots, then work through to the ends and leave it on for 20 minutes. Voila.
3) Using permanent dye does not mean that your hair color will be brighter, last longer, or stay in better than it would with semi-permanent dye. Permanent color lifts and takes out original hair color and deposits new color in. Semi-permanent dye does not lift out color – it only adds/deposits new color. Both dye types fade equally fast. For pre-colored ends, you don't need permanent dye, because the natural color has already been lifted out. Only use permanent dye on roots and grays. Use semi-permanent dye to freshen up all-over color. It is less damaging, lasts longer, and is way shinier. And your stylist will be happy, because you won't walk in with a home hair dye disaster.
4) If you have dark brown or black hair, and want to go silver or pastel, it's going to take a lot of love and a lot of work. If you have ever dyed your hair dark, even if it was years ago, the ends are not untouched hair. If you have dyed it more than once, you have layers of color that need to come off. Don't be scared if the first two layers of bleaching result in a yellow-looking funk. Be patient. It's a process.
The main point Joseph stresses here is that people in the PRD, especially if they are new to the city and not used to hairstylists and the way they work in China, should be prepared for how long certain things might take, what the costs may be and what maintenance will entail. Do a little research so that you have realistic expectations.
If you want to get your hair cut and styled by Joseph, add him on WeChat: josephdongguan
