by The Jogging Barbie a.k.a. The Hair Color Virgin.
Confession: this blogger is a hair color virgin. The reactions I get at salons are pretty amusing…. “Come touch her hair–THIS girl’s never had color put on it!” Nope, never even highlights. That said, my best friend is naturally dirty blonde, so going without color isn’t an option in her book. She’s certainly not shy about altering her locks, which is why she had the all-the-rage Ombre technique applied last spring. It looked a-m-azing. For those of you unfamiliar, the Ombre technique (French-named) involves coloring the hair in a varying degradation of dark to light shades—the darkest shades beginning at the roots, and the lightest at the ends. It does seem like the perfect highlight to transition summer to fall, doesn’t it?
So, Charlotte readers, we’re curious—we know the celebs can do it, but can “regular” folk pull off Ombre hair color? We think absolutely yes. For pointers, we called on Modern Salon & Spa Metropolitan stylist Jessie Beddow Frye to give us the skinny on adding chic shades to our plain old strands.
Scoopcharlotte: What are some things to consider before getting Ombre hair?
Jessie Beddow Frye: Do you currently have color on your hair? It may be an additional cost for a stylist to first remove another color and then the cost for the ombre service.
Is your hair healthy enough to recieve an ombre service? Overprocessed and/or damaged hair may not be strong enough to recieve the ombre hair color. An experienced stylist will be able to test the elasticity,porosity, and health of the hair to make this judgement.
How often are you willing to maintain the ombre hair color? Because ombre color “melts” from darker to lighter a guest can come into the salon less often to maintain ombre as compared to other color/hilighting services. So, it is great for a lower maintenance guest, but it still does require some upkeep as it grows out.
sc: Any products you suggest to care for the color?
JBF: I highly recommend Aveda Color Conserve shampoo and conditioner, as well as a daily leave in treatment by Aveda – Color Conserve Daily Color Protect. The color conserve line from Aveda both strengthens the hair as well as protects the color from fading.
sc: How can someone keep her hair healthy after coloring?
JBF: Using a recommended color shampoo and conditioner, and receiving deep conditioning treatments not only keep hair healthy but can prolong visits to the salon by keeping color from fading. Also, be mindful of the amount of heat you are using when styling hair. Too much heat concentrated in one area can cause damage as well as excessive swelling of the hair cuticle which will accelerate color fading.
sc: How often should she visit the salon for upkeep?
JBF: The maintenance a guest can expect needs to be discussed with the stylist before performing the service. If ombre is placed higher up in the hair shaft it will probably need to be retouched every 4-6 weeks. If the ombre is places lower on the mid length-ends, it will probably need to be touched up every 6-8 weeks. And finally, if the ombre is placed farther down the hair and mainly on ends it can go longer at 8-10 weeks (however the tone may need to be updated with a gloss in this case).
sc: Is there an ideal hairstyle to complement Ombre hair?
JBF: Ombre is most often seen on hair that is shoulder length and longer. However, your stylist may be able to creatively “melt” in an ombre section into a longer fringe or bang.
sc: Is there an ideal hair type for Ombre hair?
JBF: Ombre can be done on all hair types as long as the stylist considers proper color formulation and placement depending on if hair is straight, wavy, or curly.
sc: Can you suggest Ombre shade options by skin type?
JBF: Fair skin can look great in strawberry blonde, buttery blondes, and beige blondes
Golden skin looks great in warm reds, butterscotch blondes, and milk chocolate browns
Olive skin glows with rich caramel light browns-blondes, rich auburns, and dark chocolates
Dark skin shines with neutral/wheat colored light browns, deep plums, and vibrant splashes of reds, as well as burgundy browns.
sc: And the cost at Modern?
JBF: Price at Modern Salon and Spa vary widely depending on level of stylist and amount of ombre desired. Consultations are complimentary, and detailed price options are given for guests to choose what fits their personal style and budget.
sc: Pros of Ombre?
JBF: Ombre can be a great introduction to hair color. The sky is the limit on color options and placement. Can be low maintenance if placed just on mid lengths to ends.
sc: Cons of Ombre?
JBF: Ombre can be expensive to reverse back to a darker level if the difference in contrasting light to dark is too extreme.
Visit the Modern Salon and Spa website for more information on styling, treatments, and products or to schedule an appointment at one on Modern’s five salons in the area.
