An exciting New Year experiment for you:  place a gold swatch and then a silver swatch next to your face.  Which suits you more?  If gold does, you're generally a 'warm' season.  If silver is best, then you're generally a 'cool' season.  What is the next step in choosing a hair color? If you look good with gold next to your skin, your haircolor will work in the warm tones -- copper reds, auburns, caramel browns, honeys, golden blondes -- all the fall and spring shades.  If you look good with silver next to your skin, your haircolor will work in the cool tones -- true crimson reds, mahoganies, chestnut browns, or platinum or ash blondes -- all the bright, clear winter and summer shades.

So should you go blonde? Should you go dark? If you're naturally lighter haired, stay lighter. If you are dark haired, going too light is not preferred. A rule of thumb is to always stay within 2-3 shades of your natural color, and you'll usually win.

What does it mean to look 'washed out'? How can you avoid this? 'Washed out' means to have fair skin and hair that is too light - or too dark - in color. If you're fairer, you'll like some rich tone to your haircolor to enhance and enrich your skin. Hair that lacks pigment - like an ash blonde or grey, for example - will 'wash you out' if you're really fair. Also, hair that's really dark will make you look pale if you're fair. Tanned skin usually can take more risks with haircolor.  

Who can pull off black hair? What about platinum? Black hair is truly for women who already had or have naturally dark brown or black hair - or for young gals in their teens or 20s. As we get into our 30s and up, we generally can't go super dark. It's just too unnatural. Platinum blonde works for women who are naturally lighter-haired, and for women with cooler skin tones and ice blue eyes. Any yellow or green in the eyes suggests that a warmer blonde will work best.  

Can you color at home? How? Home haircoloring is very tricky. Brunettes staying brown usually win at home coloring. Reds and blondes usually fail. With browns, you can sometimes get lucky with a shade that suits you - so if you find it, stick with it. The challenge during application is not to keep pulling the color through the ends of your hair every time, as this will make the hair too dark, and possibly damage it. It's always a good idea to check in with a professional haircolorist.  If you absolutely must color at home, follow the manufacturer's instructions always.  Check out www.marcopelusi.com and search for Marco Pelusi Hair Studio Inc. on Facebook and become a fan!  Grazie!

As a colorist, I notice clients over the years (both men and women) experience different changes with the structure and strength of their hair - one of which is hair loss. Hair loss can occur for a number of reasons. If it's become a real problem for you, the very best thing - the single most important thing to do - is to set an appointment with a dermatologist who specializes in hair loss in your vicinity. Should you need a recommendation from my studio for an L.A. derm, contact us.  As a colorist, I know that sometimes too much color, overprocessing, overblonding, and other repeated chemical treatments such as relaxers can cause some hair loss. The need for strengthening with protein - and collagen (available in Marco product) is extremely important in this situation, as over time, you can actually rebuild some of your hair's strength with protein. I have a reconstructor which works miraculously to accomplish this purpose. Also, moisturizing conditioners are necessary to compliment the protein as well.

Secondly, hair breakage during or after pregnancy - and how the texture can completely change - is often a concern. Often times pregnant women experience hair loss as well. There are differing doctors' opinions. Of course I recommend you to connect with your physician to see what he/she says, but generally, I recommend you nurse your hair as much as possible, avoid heavy heat styling, and simply give in and try to adjust and work with what you have. Give it time - I have seen women's hair return to normal when the baby is born. I also have seen women’s hair change a bit even after the birth. Just give it time!

Finally, thyroid problems can cause hair loss and weakness; and replacement of thyroid hormone can often replenish hair growth. Ask for a complete thyroid panel at your next doctor's blood test if you're losing unusual amounts of hair. Just be sure. There are also other hormonal issues which an endocrinologist can check for you. If you don't like what your general practitioner says to you, get an endocrinologist. To summarize, generally speaking, it is best to get a total check from a dermatologist to ascertain your scalp and growth patterns, as well as your physician's expert opinion, and of course, smart suggestions from your hairdresser who knows your hair. The moral of this story is to become your own physician; your own supporter of your own health - including your hair's health. No one else will step up and do it for you. Don't be afraid to ask questions to the right people - the folks who are informed and educated. Become your best advocate, especially when dealing with your precious head of hair! If you have any further product usage questions, please feel free to connect with us at www.marcopelusi.com. Happy holidays! Be good to yourselves!

My hair is really thin and color treated. Shampoos and conditioners made for color-treated hair make it feel heavier and volumizing products make it look even drier. HELP!

Are you ‘suffering’ from really thin hair that is color treated?  Do shampoos and conditioners formulated for color-treated hair ‘weigh it down’ or make it feel heavy?  Do volumizing products make it look and feel really dry?  I can most certainly understand where you're coming from. 

The combination of color treated hair, along with very fine hair, is a bit of a dilemma.  It’s estimated that approximately 50% of all women anywhere either have fine hair – or believe they have fine hair.  Also, in my experience, as we add on a few years, and as we color our locks more often to cover or ‘blend’ the grey hair, we feel our hair BECOMES finer than it ever was before (which may indeed be a fact). Then, when we color, we need to preserve the life of the haircolor as long as possible.

But the biggest complaint from women with fine, color treated hair is that products formulated to preserve color often weigh the hair down -- which is exactly the opposite of what you want!  It’s important to recognize the ‘issues’ you experience with your own hair – and to find easy ways to solve these issues. 

The answer for a fine, color-treated-haired woman is somewhere in the middle.  I recommend shampooing more often – so as to increase the volume in the hair -- but you absolutely must use a product that is 'color safe” when doing so.  If you shampoo a lot with a product that is not compatible with color-treated hair, but gives you body, you will release the color very rapidly. I would recommend ALTERNATING shampoos -- one day please go ahead and use a bodifying or a volumizing shampoo -- and the next day use more of a moisturizing shampoo, or a shampoo specifically formulated for color-treated hair. 

This set-up will even out the potential for either drying the hair out, or weighing it down.  The answer is to mix it up -- and the answer is really in the shampoo you use -- volume will either begin or end with a shampoo.  That's the best place to start.  Your hair will not get used to one product this way, and you won’t have any problems with drying your hair out from overuse of one particular type of product. 

Of course, you know I'm going to recommend Marco Color Bodifying Shampoo with Collagen Color Guard, as I specifically formulated it JUST for women with fine color-treated hair.  It's a slightly higher pH than my moisturizing shampoo, but still maintains the life of the color. Then, it’s important to utilize volumizing or bodifying conditioners and styling products.  Just make sure you’re not using anything that will dry your hair too much – specifically plan to avoid styling products that contain alcohol.  The only exception to this rule is your hairspray, in which case some alcohol may be needed for it to work effectively.  Just don’t overdo it with the hairspray either.  I hope these tips are a good place for you to start bodifying your fine color treated hair, while maintaining the color at the same time!