Beauty on the steps of the State Capitol: 4/27/09

This Monday, April 27, 2009, Angela, Gina & Tony from Emerald City Hair Studio will lend their talents to the Professional Beauty Federation of California at the California State Capitol. Some of the areas top salons, beauty companies & professionals gather at the south steps of the Capitol offering complimentary neck-and-shoulder massages, manicures, haircuts, make-up to help California politicians ‘de-stress' at day's end and remind them of what we do every day. The event is called "Wecome to Our World." We're very excited to have been invited to this event and we'll post pics as soon as we get them.

Cutting your hair will make it grow...???

Will cutting the tips of hair encourage their growth.
No.

Hair is not a plant - it does not grow by its tip but from its root.


It is the hair follicle that determines the speed of growth. Once hair has grown out of the follicle (essentially grown out of the head) it is no longer "alive" and can not receive any nutrients from the follicle. Therefore, cutting the hair or its tips has no effect on this follicle (root) and cannot stimulate growth.
On the other hand, the tip of a hair is its oldest part. Since hair grows on average 1/3"-1/2" per month; over the years, they will have become damaged and damaged ends ruin the appearance of the whole head of hair. Cutting the tips of the hair can therefore give it a cleaner and more beautiful appearance. If, however, you are careful with your hair (using good hair care products with heat & environmental protection & reparative treatments) you may not need to cut your hair so often.

Here are my hair cut recommendations:

Very short styles (like buzz cuts) may need to be cleaned up every 2-3 weeks.

Short hair that will grow out and change shape quickly may need to be cut at 3-5 weeks (1/3"-1/2" of growth).

Medium styles from the ears to the nape may not need to be cut but every 8-10 weeks (2/3"-1 1/4" of growth.

Long styles (typically classified as shoulder length to 3" below) may not need to be cut until 12-14 weeks.

Very Long Hair: I don't suggest going any longer than 6 months without a hair cut. At 6 months, normal hair growth would be 2"-3" (trimming 1/2" would still allow for hair lengths to grow, while still looking healthy)
--Gina

Bridal Event this Saturday! 1/31/09

Hi everyone. We were recently contacted by Bride Magazine to be featured at the Alfred Angelo Bridal Store's Grand Opening on 1/31/09 in Roseville, CA. Alfred Angelo and Brides Magazine are both celebrating their 75th Anniversary and Emerald City Hair Studio is going to be there consulting on hair styles, skin care, and nail recommendations for Brides, Grooms, and the wedding party. Hope to see you there from 10-5pm.

2008 Holiday Party

Our Holiday Party will be Dec. 6, 2008 from 4pm-7pm...hope you can make it!
Watch for the Holiday Party Pass in your mail and be sure to fill out the raffle ticket for prizes, promotions, and services (msut be present to win)
There have been a lot of changes here in Emerald City and we thank you for being a part of our community! Come celebrate with us on Dec. 6th.

let's be friends... Be our Fan!

Emerald City Hair is now listed as a page on FaceBook... if you are on FaceBook be sure to become a fan here at (our page on Facebook)

Healthy Hair & Skin Evolution...

Lately I've been watching a lot of Documentaries. One show in particular that's caught my eye lately is the History Channel's Evolve.
(yes, this does pertain to skin and hair! I promise!!)
In Evolve: episode SKIN, I was excited to see the scientists talk about the building blocks of skin and hair (in all animals): Keratin & Lipids. In the episode, they explain how the combination of Keratin and Lipids form a water-tight seal that protect moisture loss caused by from evaporation.
There was one test in particular where they compared the skin-sheds of 2 snakes pulled taught over test-tubes filled with water. The snakes are close cousins Copperhead (land only snake) and the Cottonmouth (land/water snake). Both snakes have the same amount of keratin in their skin, but have different amounts of lipids.
After a week's time, the land-snake (more lipids) had lost virtually no moisture through the skin, while the land/water (less lipids) snake had lost most of the moisture to evaporation.
This test spoke volumes to me because we at Emerald City know the importance of taking good care of skin and hair means replacing the lost lipids... we also know that with all of the havoc we (people) wreck on our hair and skin on a daily basis, we loose keratin, lipids and vital minerals that keep our hair and skin healthy and protected...however, sometimes it's difficult to explain to clients the importance of taking care of their skin and hair...and how to do it.
Recently, as I'm sure you've noticed, we've brought in a new line of hair products: L'anza Healing Haircare because of their healing properties. We also carry GM Collin Clinical Skin Care products which are very high in lipids (especially the products: Lipiad and Ceramide Comfort.)
L’ANZA Healing Haircare understands the importance of the high Keratin, Lipid, and Moisture retaining minerals inside EVERY product!  We are excited to have offer H'ANZA Healing Haircare and Healing Color our clients. With these products, we know we are giving our clients a healthy hair guarantee. L'ANZA's catch phrase is "Heal, Seal, and Protect" and after watching this Evolve episode, I fully understand why! -Gina Rodriguez

(this video has been removed from YouTube... too bad, it was a good one.)

Head Lice... 'tis the season. (yikes!)

School is here and its THAT time of year again... let's face it, kids will be kids, and little girls like to hug... those little critters spread like...well, lice.
So, here's the most obvious sign to watch for:
Scratching behind the ears and neck area (these are the "hot spots")

Cleanliness is NOT the issue here. (like some might think) The issue is being around other kids that have been exposed. 
Here's what you have to do:

watch your kids and explain to them that sharing brushes, combs, barrettes, etc, is not good; perform frequent checks... little girls are more likely to get lice--they typically have longer hair (easier to hide), and they generate more heat (lice LOVE heat). 

RID is one brand... there are others that are available over the counter. Follow the directions on the package and wash all of the clothing they have come into contact with... including bedding, & stuffed animals... it is also advisable to treat  everyone in the house (including yourself!).

Note: We at the salon CANNOT treat anyone with lice...infact, by law, we must close our doors and disinfect ourselves and our stations & tools immediately as soon as we find one louse or nit (egg).
--Angela