Step-by-Step Guide:

•  Product Application

Product application has endless possibilities.  We all have good hair days and bad hair days that may determine which products we choose.  Use the shampoo and conditioner that best compliments your hair’s needs.  Volume, style, smoothing, and hydration, etc.  Every other product you add is contributing to the structure.  Make a plan for your style by thinking of how each product can build on to this structure.   Combinations can be layered or cocktailed. Consider the product’s use to determine where it should be applied on the section of the hair.  Conserve your products by using them strategically along the strands of hair as well.  For example, keep volumizers near the roots, polishes near the ends and styling products throughout the midstrand.  This is generally speaking, of course.  I have learned that some fine hair can use a finishing hairspray during a blow dry for a root lift.  Try blow-drying a finishing polish into that frizzy part of the hairline that won’t calm down.  Necessity is the mother of invention.  You might be surprised at how many ways you can use your average product.

•  Sectioning

1.  Breakdown the head into five major sections.
2. Start with the top of the head and create a section centered around the part.  This should be no wider than the brush you are using and it will be the last and most important section you do.
3. Divide the rest of the head into four major sections.  Blow-dry using subsections that are not larger than the brush you are using.
   

   The Finale of Your Own Blow-out

4. Start at the bottom and work your way towards the top and the front of the head.  When you are blow-drying the bottom section, just pay close attention to setting the ends since the rest of your hair covers the roots.

• Setting

1.  Set the hair by thoroughly cooling each section with your dryer after it is heated dry.
2. As it is cooling, set down your blow dryer (in a secure place where it won’t fall off the counter) and brush through the section several times while maintaining the shape.  By doing this, you “freeze” that shape of the brush into the section.  That what we call setting the hair.
3. Repeat this all around the head and run a cool dryer once over using your hands to separate the section lines that may still show.
4. Apply your favorite finishing products and celebrate a job well done…or another practice session survived.

I always welcome new clients for blow-dry sets and for my Round Brush Techniques Class.  You can find me at Urban Betty Salon, Monday – Friday and our front desk staff is available all week to answer questions about my services and classes.

Fast forward to the last couple of years and you have the reverse bob haircut (also known as the inverted bob). It quickly became one of 2008′s most popular hairstyles. The look first showed up on Victoria Beckham, and was immediately a fashion standard in New York and Los Angeles. It then morphed into the Posh spice bob and women of every generation began requesting it.

So, here you have a cute, fun, and trendy short haircut. So what’s the big deal you ask? Well, being a cutting specialist, I have not only had a chance to cut this bob, many times, I have also had the difficult job of trying to help women grow it out. There were so many clients coming to me when the craze was over, wanting to know what their grow-out options were. I was asked how to make the transition from short to long hair in the best way. One of the most challenging things is having to explain to my clients the painstaking task of growing it out. Most of them were in disbelief, and still are today, when I would tell them what was in store for them and their hair. I became obsessed with trying to explain how to grow out this cut. I’ll never forget the one night I came home from the salon and told my boyfriend how I wanted to create some sort of diagram or 3-d chart to let the clients see this haircut the way I did. Meaning, if I could explain it with geometry, an architectural approach to it, then they would see what I was talking about. After all, that’s really what haircuts are. They are shapes, all dependent on proportion. I never made the diagram, but still today find myself, on almost a daily basis, trying to explain and help people move on from this haircut. Now that I have a public forum on the Urban Betty page, I can take this opportunity to help clients understand more about this cut and how to grow it out. I used to and still joke around that this haircut was so difficult to grow out, the client should sign a waiver form. Don’t get me wrong; it’s a great haircut for many reasons. The upside of it would be that it keeps its shape and doesn’t take a lot of styling, with the right hair type. Whether you wore it smooth and polished or even curly, the cut was the shape itself. It’s definitely a 6-week haircut, max, so it would require consistency on the client’s part. But now, here we are, ready to grow it out, hence the name of this blog.

The good news is, it can be done. I have seen it and worked with clients over the last few years to make it happen. The bad new is, out of all the haircuts, in my opinion, it is indeed the most difficult to grow out. And here is why. A graduated bob is all about the proportion and angles, like most cuts, except this one would be considered on the extreme side. The back of the hair, starting at the nape of the neck is cut at a 45 degree angle and builds weight as it goes up the head, mostly all the way to the crown. Meaning each section of hair is dependent upon the section before it, creating a wedge like shape. Then when you get to the top of the head, the hair is left long and most of the time blended into an ‘all one length’ style. An A-Line bob would be when the short back connects to the long front, creating an ‘A-line’ shape. Any way you wore it, you had hair that was super short in back and long in the front. And herein lies the painful task of growing it out.

People have come to me in the beginning stages and sadly I would have to tell them there was nothing I could do until the back was grown out more, the hardest but most important part. Then there is what happens when this hair does start growing out. It turns into the old, 1990’s Jennifer Aniston ‘friends’ cut. Without getting into that, let’s just say most people are not happy about having to sport that do again. But because of the proportions, this is exactly what this haircut turns into. So what do you do? I tell my clients that the first thing is they have to let the back grow out. There is no short cut to this and it can be quite unflattering, for lack of a better term. Then, regular visits to the salon to do what I call ‘reversing the proportions’ comes next, after you have enough hair in the back to work with. You see, it’s all about letting the back grow out, that’s where your length comes from, and shortening up the front and sides. This is a gradual and slow process that takes months, but it can be done and if you are reading this right now, wanting to grow out your graduated bob, just know, you have to commit to the decision to do it. A lot of people get halfway there and give up, because of all the different stages your hair has to go through to get this shape out of you head. However, it can be done. It just requires patience, commitment and regular trips to a stylist who will work with you on this hair plan. Don’t make the mistake of having someone keep cutting on it in the wrong areas. That will just set you back each time. It’s knowing when and where to cut, and when and where NOT to. I hope this blog helps those out there who are looking for answers and support in taking on this task. And like I always say, when you know WHY hair is doing certain things, then you know what you can do about it.

For most ladies, year round, there is always an occasion calling for an updo.  Events could include weddings, holiday parties, or any of Austin’s endless parade of fashion soirées.  We can help by inventing fresh ideas that keep you ahead of the trends and on top of the red carpet.  Here are a few tips from the professionals at Urban Betty Salon to ensure you have the best up-do rather than an up-don’t.

Rule number one, please make sure that your hair is at least shoulder length.  If it is not, the use of temporary extensions is going to be your best bet.  These can be easily pinned into the updo and come in a wide variety of colors that will match your hair perfectly.  Next, make sure that you have given yourself a great blow out prior to the appointment.  This is especially important for curly and frizzy hair.  However, DO NOT use a flat iron before getting a updo.  That can make it hard to hold curl and stay pinned in place.  Please leave the flat ironing to your stylist on the day of the event.  Another great rule is to arrive to your appointment early and with DRY hair. This allows time to look thru magazines and have a proper consultation, while cutting out unnecessary time for hair drying.  The night before your appointment, make sure not to over condition or apply a mask to your tresses.  This can result in hair that is too soft and weighed down.

Last but not least, the weeks prior to your appointment are crucial. Freshly highlighted and colored hair is a must.  New growth (dark roots) can show up dramatically in an updo andcan sometimes be even more emphasized by certain cameras and show up exaggerated in pictures.  Going an extra shade lighter can help your hair look perfect and camera ready.  Having the ends of your hair trimmed neatly also keeps the finished product smooth and impeccable.  The final important tip is to wear a button down shirt to your appointment on the day of the event.  This will keep you from damaging your beautiful new do when you are trying to get dressed later in the day.