Modern Salon - September 2007 - (Page 80)

ASK THE EXPERTS You asked: back-to-school bugs and basing a relaxer When should I “base” a client for a relaxer? While using a petroleum product to “base,” to protect the scalp from a relaxer seems old-school, Carmine Minardi, co-owner of the Minardi Salon in New York City and the Beauty Focus seminars, says that the procedure does have a purpose in modern chemical services. “When you’re using sodium hydroxide relaxers, basing allows you to keep the relaxer on the hair for as long as needed without causing chemical burns or irritation to the surrounding skin or scalp,” he says. Minardi, who has taught classes in contemporary relaxing techniques for the past 15 years, says that he uses a petroleum product to shield the hairline, nape and ears of every chemical relaxer client. But whether he chooses to base depends largely on the client’s ethnicity. For very curly-haired Caucasian clients, Minardi prefers the effectiveness of sodium hydroxide relaxers over the more traditional thioglycolate formulations, and these are the clients for whom he adjusts his technique. “I’ve been using sodium hydroxide relaxers off-scalp, about a quarter of an inch away from the skin,” he says. Why? He wants the hair to retain a minute lift at the scalp to prevent it from looking unnaturally flat. The bonus is that keeping the relaxer off the scalp enables him to avoid burning while allowing maximum development time for the desired results. “This gives me more control, instead of having the scalp dictate when the product must be removed,” he says. On his African-American clients, Minardi gets closer to the scalp, an eighth of an inch nearer. “These clients may be accustomed to having a relaxer done right to the scalp, for maximum benefit and flatness,” he says. “For them, it is essential that you base each and every part of the scalp.” Approach basing as meticulously as you do relaxer application, Minardi advises. “Petroleum basing can create problems if it is applied in a sloppy or thick manner,” he says. “You run the risk of some of the protection getting on the hair that needs to be relaxed and the results may be Carmine Minardi is a fan of sodium hydroxide uneven because the relaxer chemical relaxing for both Caucasian and will not alter the protected African-American clients. hair.” Finally, Minardi recommended doing a close read of relaxer instructions. “A proliferation of ‘non-hydroxide’ relaxers have been introduced over the past several years,” he says, “formulated with much lower levels of alkaline and many without sodium hydroxide. Basing may not be required because the product won’t have the strength to affect the scalp or skin.” Bottom line: Read the label and do a strand test. WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO TALK TO CLIENTS ABOUT BACK-TO-SCHOOL HEAD LICE? Eleanor Keare, president and CEO of Circle of Friends, a child-centered professional hair care line, cites a study done at the University of Florida that showed head lice are most commonly transmitted at the beginning of the school year. Failure of inspection and prevention in August to November can lead to widespread infestations by December and January,” she notes, and to six to 12 million cases per year. “You can talk to your clients about prevention and assure them that head lice has nothing to do with hygiene or cleanliness,” says Keare. The best method of dealing with head lice is to prevent infestations. Some tips for your clients: • As soon as you get any correspondence from your child’s school about head lice check your child and start using a lice- prevent- ing shampoo and conditioner. • Coat hair in a fine mist of leave-in conditioner so that the lice can’t cling. The presence of products repels lice. • For girls with longer hair, put the hair into braids or ponytails. This gives the lice less surface area to jump onto. • Make sure to tell children not to share brushes, hairclips, rubberStopping head lice before they bands etc. spread is easier than fighting them, says Eleanor Keare. Finally, says Keare, during lice season you should use lice prevention products on kid clients and recommend the same products for take-home use. CLICK! Get Carmine’s relaxer reference chart at ModernSalon.com and click on Color & Texture under Beauty Zones. 80 SEPTEMBER 2007 www.modernsalon.com http://www.modernsalon.com http://www.modernsalon.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Modern Salon - September 2007

Contents Behind the Cover Notebook Contributors Your Turn @ModernSalon.com New-Now-Next Modern Portfolio Modern Reports For the Chemical Specialist News and Trends Ask Beth Your Makeovers Color Clients Ask the Experts Collective Thinking Global Chic Hair of the Century Short with Shine Modern Update The Goods Personal Style Memo

Modern Salon - September 2007

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