Beauty Buzz: Downtown Hair

My hair has always been a simple enough piece of my life.  I curl it, I straighten it, I tie it up in a knotted ballerina bun. Whatever. But lately, the thought of my hair has given me anxiety beyond words.  Drab color, fallen volume & frizz took over my normally flippy haired winters, making those ballerina buns more often than not the solution to many failed stylings.  After being fed up, and doing my research, my 1-2 punch was right under my nose: Downtown NYC.

Sally Hershberger Downtown

First stop, a cut. Sally Hershberger, a featured contributor in nearly every major magazine, and stylist to celebs like Blake Lively, Sandra Bullock & Julia Roberts to name a few, she’s a guru for all things follicle related. Having made an appointment in MePa at Sally Hershberger Downtown, I trudged through the snow for a warm place to literally lay my head. Walking in to the swank second floor spot, my stylist James sat me down and just kind of stared for a second. ‘I know… I KNOWWWW it’s awful. HELP ME!‘ Hairs were everywhere – some curly, some dried out, all in need of love.  He quickly whisked me off, with a look of intention & purpose, to get my hair washed, and after a head-massage that nearly put me in to a coma, quickly I returned to his chair for plan of attack. He explained that the shape & cut of my hair wasn’t wrong for me, at all. He understood I was bored – but what he could supply for me to get an easy vamp up, without totally changing my look (which I’m actually kind of happy with) was a trim, some extra strategic shaping, some of their newest Plump UP spray to protect from heat damage. My ends were becoming dry & un-salvageable before their time, but with this protection, I’ve been golden for weeks.  Between gossiping about him smuggling hair spray from his native England back to the states because it’s ‘just better’, and our mutual love for the standstill that IS NYC during a snowstorm – before I knew it,  I was hot. And I mean, hot. My hair had all sorts of shape, volume & shine that didn’t fall even in the torrential downpours & snowstorms that enveloped in NYC that night. Weeks out, I still see how his vision has helped my hair grow out  in to a cohesive look, without an uneven bit in sight. I don’t understand how he did it – but I love every single bit of it. Call Sally Hershberger Downtown. Schedule with James. I’m begging you.

Lasio Studios

Next stop, Keratin.  Having tried my first Keratin treatment at Lasio Studios end of Summer ’10, I was hooked the moment I touched my head, post process. The wash-out, totally safe treatment (none of that Japanese Straightening or Brazilian Blowout nonsense that makes you grow 24 arms) creates a head environment clear of frizz, fuss & curl.  I found that about 2 months after the treatment, I liked my hair so much. I’d washed out a wee bit of the product, so my hair had a little bit of my natural wave back without having lost the shine & frizz-free texture.  WHAM, within months, Lasio Studios props themselves right at the head of the beautiful hair treatment pack with The Keratin Tropic, which is 100% formaldehyde-free. I nearly passed out with delight. My girl Mahesha is a smokin’ hot stylist who defies all laws of gravity by constantly dressing in spiked leggings & shoulderpad-clad blazers while cutting hair with the greatest of ease. She also happens to have the sweetest heart you’d ever expect to find on E 7th St, all while modestly being a KILLER hair stylist, specializing in everything from cut, color & consults – but her way with those Keratin Treatments make her stand out in my mind more than those spikes stand out from her thigh-high boots.  Mahesha began to comb through my hair & we went to town.  She explained, while we washed & caught up on life, that the new Keratin Tropic treatment removes only 30-60% of the natural curl, while removing 100% of the frizz. Exactly what I was looking for – that 2-month-post-keratin-treatment hair I so desired. I was treated, blow dried & primped, noticing much more volume in my strands than heavier Keratin Treatment of 2010, perfect for white girls like me, who want the look of a deep conditioner each & every day. The process lasts 2-ish hours, depending on how much hair you have, with a price tag of $250.  Results will last 3-6 months, lasting longer the less you wash, especially if you prep by stocking your shower with sodium chloride free shampoos & conditioners, and by keeping you blowdryer & straightener handy for touch-ups within the 1 day before you can wash again.