Summer is that time of year that everyone longs for with idyllic dreams of sun, sand and sangria.

However after those lazy days working on your tan, clients often spend their summer nights with frazzled hair that is dry, brittle and just dull, dull, dull.

Whatever your hair type, the summer sun will have a damaging effect on your hair in the same way it does on your skin. For those that have colour, the effects can be much worse.

Everyone is extremely cautious about protecting you skin from the harmful rays of the sun but why shouldn’t you protect your hair as well?

The Kerastase Soleil range must be an essential part of your toiletry bag and we are here to help you to choose the right products for your hair.

Whilst your skin is darkening, your hair is lightening, both signs of damage.
Protect with either ‘Crème UV Defense Active’ if you’re a swimmer, a multi- protection cream with a shine polymer and two UV filters for reinforced sun protection.

Alternatively you can use New Voile Protecteur, a fine spray formula which actively protects hair against the damaging effects of sun, sea and chlorine.

Use ’ Bain Apres- Soleil’ a hair bath specially formulated to act as a fast and effective refresher which is designed for frequent shampooing and will eliminate the build up of salt, sand and chlorine to repair and moisten.

Then Treat with ‘Masque UV Defense Active’ an after- sun treatment to intelligently repair the most damaged sections. Think of this as your after- sun skin care cream.

Hot Tip: Ensure you shampoo your hair immediately after it’s been exposed to chlorine or salt water as it will become more damaging once it dries into the hair, causing lightening of colour and playing havoc with hairs’ elasticity.

And remember these products aren’t just for your two week holiday period, they’re a must all summer long.

For more information contact our styling team on 01592 201212 or book your appointment now by visiting www.migeleexperience.com

It’s at this time of year I’m reminded of how important the ‘Little Things ‘are.

We recruited 6 new trainees last week and are still teaching them how to give a great shampoo and head massage, because we recognise that for a lot of our clients it’s a process that they really enjoy when carried out correctly.

Here are some tips that I’m certain you’ll find useful when shampooing at home.

Removing Tangles
Firstly before a drop of water makes contact with your hair you must ensure that you’ve removed all tangles. Failure to do so will make it much more difficult when it’s wet.

Use a flat brush as opposed to a round one then start brushing out from points to roots to avoid a build up of tangles on the ends of the hair.

Before you apply any shampoo you should ensure that you spend time drenching your hair with water, a simple rule of thumb is ‘Maximum water, Minimum shampoo.’

You should ‘Work for the lather’ by spending time massaging scalp and hair rather than getting an instant lather which indicates you’ve either used too much shampoo or it’s a cheap , high detergent product.

Is using too much shampoo harmful? No it’s simply a waste.Use the tips of your fingers as opposed to your finger nails when massaging as the scalp is rather delicate and apart from that it’s much more pleasant using the fingertips.

We’ve found that most clients enjoy a firm shampoo rather than a tickle, that’s why we teach our trainees to always ask the question “That’s not too firm , is it?”

One or Two Shampoos?
It depends on when you last shampooed and what activities you’ve been involved in since you last shampooed, for example if you shampoo every day one is probably enough, alternatively if you spent a day working in the garden, then you may need two applications.

A good indicator is how well it lathers on that first shampoo.Whatever you require one or two it’s important that you finish the way you began with lot’s of water to ensure you remove every morsel of shampoo.

In my next blog I’ll explain the difference between great and inferior shampoos.

Have a great hair day.

Dom

Its been too long since I last blogged about hair related thoughts. Anyway it will be more regular from now on, I promise. I will be making my hair thoughts external at least weekly.

My thoughts today bring me to the subject of HAIR GROWTH.

I have spoken to hairdressers on many occasions and asked them how much hair grows in a month and each time I receive different answers either in metric or otherwise.

Why should hairdressers know the answer to this bit of General knowledge?

Simply because if hairdressers don’t know the correct answer- who does?

In our salon I ensure that each stylist knows that hair grows on average half an inch a month.

The reason that’s so important is that you have to know when your haircut comes to an end and needs attention.

There are some exceptions to the rule such as long hair, that may be extended to, say every 8 to 10 weeks, otherwise it should be every 5 to 6 weeks in order to keep the hair in shape. Your hairdresser should always make it easy for you to rebook your next appointment that way your hair will always look good and do exactly what you want it to.

If you have longer hair, your regular cut is important to ensure that the ends are kept in check and in good condition, especially when you think that if hair grows ½ inch a month then that’s 6 inches in a year.

But it’s got to be quality growth and if you simply leave your hair to grow without being cut, your ends will be weaker and more susceptible to breakage. Therefore you must have it cut regularly and when you do visit your salon there will be no need to cut too much off.

“Nothing lasts forever - certainly not your haircut.”

If you want to find out a bit more on how to choose a good hairdresser and what you should expect from them why not call our 24-hour free phone information line on our 0800-031-7991

In the meantime please visit your favourite hairdresser and never leave without making your next appointment.

I visited a salon this week to deliver one of my ’in house’ Retail courses and the great thing is that every time I teach, I learn something new about hairdressers and about the hairdressing business.

You may assume that by teaching hairdressers to retail I’m teaching them to sell and that you, the client, are then pressured in to buying things that you don’t need.

The opposite is true.

Hairdressers generally don’t want to talk to clients about products because THEY assume the client will either reject them because they are being sold to or worse that YOU can’t afford products.

Well I don’t know how you feel about that but if someone assumed I couldn’t afford something I’d be insulted!

That would mean that when hairdressers assume someone is wealthy they give them advice on solutions for their hair, because in essence that’s what products are.

But if you look like you can’t afford it, they simply give you a haircut without any advice on how to look after it at home, then you leave the salon having to fend for yourself as you wander into the wilderness that is your local chemist or supermarket to be faced with more hair care ranges than you could shake a stick at, AAArgh!

What do you choose?

What’s the right product for your hair type?

What’s the right styling product for your hair?

Did you receive a ‘Full Service’ at that salon?

I don’t think so.

Anyway you make your way to find a shop assistant, because that’s what they are. Not a hair expert.

And you choose something because it was advertised on TV or because it’s on offer or because the colour suits your bathroom. Wouldn’t it be better to have a scalp and hair analysis, products prescribed and written down so that you have the choice to buy on the day?

Please, please please ask your hairdresser for hair and scalp advice or visit any of our two salons even if it’s simply to get a FREE prescription.

Meanwhile if you want more advice visit our website www.migeleexperience.com or call our 24 hr information line on 0800- 031- 7991

Hair fashion is forever changing, therefore your needs for dealing with your hair at home also change.

How many people, both men and women, use flat irons on their hair?

I don’t know the actual figures but there must be lots. Lots of people who are addicted to frying their hair.

Imagine you’ve just bought an expensive silk blouse or shirt, would you treat it with such carelessness?

I doubt it.

Am I asking you to stop using this potentially damaging tool?
Not really.

However you must PROTECT your investment.
Your hair.

Check out a great NEW Kerastase product — Ciment Thermique.

Apply it approximately once a week and it will give you the required protection for the next 4 or 5 shampoos. It makes it easier and it makes sense.

We’ve never had such a fast selling product in years. Why?

Because it’s easy to use and it works!

If you can afford a pair of flat irons you can’t afford not to protect your hair.

For more info on this product or a FREE scalp and hair analysis, please visit us in one of our two Kirkcaldy salons - 7-11 Tolbooth Street or Whytehouse Avenue.

Monday 10th September was a great night for the ‘Migele Experience’ Team.
A night to be proud of.

We had been a finalist for the ‘ Customer Care’ award at the ‘British Hairdressing Business’ awards the previous year (2006) and here we were again in 2007, one of six nominees in that category.

We’d been a finalist for ‘Retail Salon of the Year’ 5 times and won it twice but decided to miss a year of entering that particular category to focus on ‘Customer Care’.

Now I’m usually pretty positive about these events but on this occasion having checked out the other nominees and having been unfairly critical about our own entry, I wasn’t too confident that we would be successful.

I hadn’t even prepared a speech, and if I had it would certainly have been brief, as having to be subjected to listening to long drawn out efforts has never been a pleasure for me personally. Enough to thank those who sponsor the award and acknowledging those who have helped in achieving the victory — The team.

The Customer Care category was the first to be announced and after an introduction by the celebrated host of the evening, Sir Trevor Macdonald, the excitement and nervous energy kicked in.

When they finally announced that “the winner in this category is——- Migele Experience”, I was dumbfounded, as was Amber Bell, who accompanied me.

I wished at that moment that we had brought more of the team with us because it was their award.

I made my way through the mass of tables still in shock and was presented with the award by Sir Trevor, Jane Lewis Orr of the Hairdressers Journal and Terry Sierocki of Sabre, the sponsors of the award. Then said a few words, acknowledging the sponsors and the team.

It was a great night and I offer my congratulations not only to the winners of each award but also to everyone who was short listed because I know the amount of work involved in entering, but the benefits that one gains from putting their business under the microscope is incredible.

I had already decided after completing our entry that the next twelve months we would be reviewing every step of the client experience and improving it and winning the award was evidence to us that we are already heading in the right direction.

So if you would like to sample the UK’s best in customer care just book your appointment now at www.migeleexperience.com

We’re looking forward to 2008 – The year of the new Experience!

A few years ago I attended a business seminar by an American salon consultant.

The alternative is that you leave feeling robbed of your hair and mad because rather than you being the most important person you were just another number and someone has had the audacity to take from you something they had no right to.