Although it may seem insignificant to many people, hair’s anatomy is very important to stylists. A lot of what stylists do have an impact on hair structure. How can you help someone achieve their best hair colour if you don’t know what it is? It is also important to understand hair anatomy to help client achieve the most healthy hair.

Each service we provide as stylists can affect the hair structure. It can be very harmful to colour your hair. We have to make sure that our clients understand the importance of taking good care of their hair. Although it’s easy to see it as just hair and not much else, it is an integral part of a person’s identity. Bad hair experiences can be very traumatizing.

While some things are beyond our control, pointing people in the right directions can save their hair. This will allow us to do our best to preserve the hair’s integrity and offer advice in all possible situations. We can build more trust with our clients the more we know about the hair anatomy.

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THE ANATOMY OF YOUR HAIR

It is important to understand hair structure and anatomy and how different services can affect the hair health of clients. It is very important to provide services with the ultimate objective to keep clients’ hair healthy.

To begin, the hair follicle is what anchors hairs into the skin. This is why it is important to consider scalp health and hair follicle health. If someone has a very dry or excessively oily scalp, the chances are that their hair follicles will be affected. Hair health can be affected by many factors, including medications, hormone imbalances, products, minerals, and medications.

The hair bulb is located at the base and contains living cells. These cells divide and grow the hair shaft. The blood vessels that nourish and supply hormones for hair growth are the hair bulb. One strand of hair growth takes a lot of efforts and we can see the health impact when someone’s hair isn’t growing well.

Hair shaft is mainly made from protein keratin and is composed of three layers: the cuticle, medulla, and the cortex. The cortex is where most of the hairs’ pigment is located.

TIPS FOR STYLISTS – HOW TO KEEP YOUR HAIR HEALTHY

1. PRACTICE SAFE LIFTING

In many ways, lightener can be used to break down hair structure. Lightener opens the cuticle to remove hair colour from the cortex because most of the hair’s pigment can be found there. This weakens the cuticle, leaving hair more fragile than it was before.

There are two types of lifting when it comes to maintaining the strength and integrity of the cuticle: safe lifting and unsafe lifting. Stylists are responsible for determining where this line is.

2. MAINTAIN YOUR HAIR’S INTERGRITY

Yellow is the protein that gives hair strength. This information will explain why lifting hair beyond pale yellow is unacceptable. Even at this stage, hair is still fragile and should be supported by moisturizing products. There is higher risk of causing damage to the hair shaft if the client’s hair is lifted past pale yellow.

3. USE THE RIGHT PRODUCTS

Shampoos, conditioners and hair products should contain natural protein-based ingredients within the first three ingredients. These products will preserve the hair’s strength. 

Products alone cannot repair damage, but they can help to prevent future ones. If the client is suffering from too much hair damage, a haircut to trim the unhealthy lengths of hair may be the best option to restore your hair health.

4. STOP BREAKAGE

Although frequent trims may not make hair grow faster as there are people believe they do, frequent haircuts can help keep hair healthy and prevent it from breaking. A healthy scalp is essential for hair growth. The hair ends do not have an impact on this. However, hair that isn’t well-maintained at the ends can continue to cause hair breakage and the illusion of hair not growing.

5. CLIENT EDUCATION

Properly hair lightening can only be attained if the client’s hair is healthy and able to be lifted. Stylists should always consider this a top priority. If you don’t feel comfortable lifting someone else’s hair, or you are afraid of causing further damage, it’s OK to say so and explain why. You can give them advice about strengthening and improve their hair conditions to make it easier for you to perform the service again in the future.

HAIR HEALTHY, HAPPY CLIENTS

Stylists can overlook the underlying anatomy and structure, but it is a fact that every service we provide has an impact on the hair.

You need to understand the characteristics of healthy hair. However, you must also be able and able to assess the health on each canvas you are working on. This is why it’s important to do a thorough consultation on hair with all clients that come into your chair. With this knowledge, all hairstylists can devise a plan to achieve beautiful hair and happy clients.