At Home Beauty Do’s and Don’ts

This is the year for establishing good habits, and shaking the bad ones! Last year we saw how crucial hairstylists were, and we’re sure quite a few people fell victim to at-home hairstyling. Let’s talk about what should be saved for a trip to the salon, and what habits you should be building at home!

The Beauty Don’ts

1. Box Dye

Let’s start with the worst offender! Our first thought? “Nooo!” As if there weren’t enough reasons to talk about why you shouldn’t be using box dye, hair coloring should always be left to the professionals. Box dye can commonly contain high levels of ammonia, which is a very strong chemical that can strip your hair of its natural pH balance. When you use box dye, these chemicals can often be permanent as well, and won’t go away until you get a haircut. Not to mention, if you go to a salon to attempt to have the color fixed, the color correction process is going to be much lengthier, which also means more expensive. In the long run, skip the box dye, see a professional, and save yourself a lot of time and money fixing it!

2. Haircuts

If you were on social media at all in 2020, you’re bound to have seen what can come of an at-home haircut! From chopping bangs, attempting layers, and failed undercuts, we saw it all. If you can’t see the back of your head, you probably shouldn’t be attempting to cut the hair back there. Hairstylists spend anywhere from 1500-2000+ hours in school, all to learn how to cut and style hair. If it takes them that long just to graduate, watching a YouTube tutorial is probably not going to prepare you to cut your own hair. The students in our student salon have spent hundreds of hours practicing to cut hair under the supervision of their instructors. We would be more than happy to help you achieve the haircut you’ve been dreaming of!

3. Perms

If you really want to talk about chemicals, let’s talk about perms. The ingredients used in a perm are made to alter the chemical balance of your hair to add waves or curls. When it comes to chemicals, those should always be left in the hands of a professional. In our cosmetology program, our students can learn more about chemical hair treatments, and how to perform them safely and without damaging a client’s hair.

The Beauty Do’s

So, what’s safe to do at home? There are plenty of treatments and self-care practices you can do at home to maintain your look and have fun while doing it! Here’s what you start trying today:

1. Establish a Skincare Routine

Skincare has never been more popular! Thanks to the internet, there is an abundance of information pertaining to skincare and what could work for you. We’ve loved watching the numbers grow on the subreddit /skincareaddiction/, with over 1 million subscribers! We’ve also watched various beauty brands grow and establish footholds in the industry by offering everything from cruelty-free products, fair trade sourcing, and recyclable packaging.

If you’re wondering where to get started, this guide can walk you through various treatments and the order you should be applying them. If you’re overwhelmed, don’t worry! We can’t recommend a good cleanser and moisturizer enough to get started, and you can always build from there.

2. Keep Your Hair Healthy

When you have professionally treated hair, you’ll need the products to keep it in good shape! Every winter we recommend a few steps to keep your hair shiny and strong:

• 1. Use a deep-conditioning treatment once or twice a week
• 2. Invest in an argan oil-infused treatment for split ends
• 3. Rinse your hair with cool water in the shower
• 4. Never go outside with wet hair

By combining a deep-conditioning treatment and argan oil for your ends, you can help your hair retain as much moisture as possible and prevent drying out in the frigid winter air. If your hair is color-treated, rinsing with cold water will help maintain your color and keep it from washing out as quickly. Finally, try to never go outside with wet hair. When your hair is wet, the strands of your hair are more delicate, and the cold temperatures can expand water molecules and make it more likely to break!

3. Watch Tutorials & Start Experimenting!

Let’s have some fun this winter! With cold temperatures and fewer activities to draw us out, now is the perfect time to stay home, find out favorite beauty influencers, and try a new look. It can be therapeutic to practice some self-care, and you might learn something new! Be sure to tag us in the looks you’re proud of on Instagram so we can see!

Get Started With Us

If you’ve always wanted to learn more about how to style hair (and safely!) learn more about our cosmetology program. As a smaller school, we are able to offer our students more one-on-one attention while learning and hands-on experience in our student salon. Contact us to find out more about how you could get started at Don Roberts School of Hair Design!