Whoever said those with thick hair can’t use claw clips have never met the right claw clip hairstyles for thick hair. The hairstyling staple can tame any mane—most notably fuller, thicker hair types—with a simple gather and grasp. But there are a few things to keep in mind when reaching for the accessory, so we enlisted the help of Gina Rivera, Phenix founder and celebrity stylist, for a few claw clip lessons, including a trio of easy-to-follow tutorials to achieve the look at home. Read on here for a crash course on your new favorite hair clips!
Lifestyle
When Should You Retouch Your Hair Color and Roots?
There are few things in life that are as confidence-boosting as a dazzling new hair color. When you walk out of the salon, the parking lot becomes your runway, the passersby paparazzi, and your vehicle a limousine.
Alas, it doesn’t take long for your natural hair color to start peeking through your luscious locks. The contrast of your natural roots to your dyed ends creates an entirely new flavor of cool, but if you want to keep that color going strong, it’s important to touch up your roots within the right time frame.
Here’s when science and Gina’s Platform Pros says to touch up your roots for optimally enchanting hair color.
When should I touch up my roots?
Most people do retouch roots every 4 to 6 weeks, and it’s a good rule of thumb to make sure you don’t go more than 8 weeks between sessions. This is because you want to make sure that your roots don’t get any longer than an inch, and according to All Things Hair, hair grows about half an inch every month. Staying within those guidelines will ensure that your color touchup is even.
Why should I see my stylist every 4 to 6 weeks?
Did you know it is actually more expensive to wait longer between root touch ups? Hair color develops faster near the scalp because the heat trapped there speeds up the chemical process.
Developer lightens your hair to prepare it for color. Your hair develops more quickly near the scalp because the heat trapped there quickens the chemical process. That means that if your roots are longer than an inch, the color application will be inconsistent, since it will be lighter at the scalp than it is anywhere else on your head.
Depending on the severity of the inconsistency, your stylist may need to do color balancing to make the shading look similar from root to tip. This means they’ll apply color to all of your hair rather than just applying it to your roots, and the cost of that extra product can quickly add up.
The kind of dye your stylist uses may make a difference in how often to touch up roots. Semi-permanent dye fades more quickly than permanent dye, so while vibrant color may make your roots less noticeable, your bad hair roots may be more visible against color that’s been washed out.
No matter how long you go between touch ups, it’s important to try and see the same stylist that did your original color. Their product, mix, and technique will stay more or less the same each session, making your touch ups even more seamless.
Gina’s 5 Secrets to Vibrant Color That Lasts
While seeing your stylist is the most important thing to do to keep your color looking fresh, here are five things you can do to keep your color bright between appointments:
- Wait a few days after dying to wash it. After a color treatment, the cuticle layer of your hair takes 72 hours to close. After that, it’s harder to wash dye out, making your color last longer.
- Cool it on showering for a bit. The more often you wash your hair, the faster your color will fade. Keep your hair covered in the shower, and when you do wash it, make sure to rinse it with cool water.
- Use color-protecting shampoo and conditioner. Color-protecting shampoos conditioners typically don’t contain sulfates, which can make hair color dull. Ask your stylist what products they recommend, and check out this list of products recommended by Gina.
- Cover up for fun in the sun. Too much exposure to sunlight can lighten hair, as can submersion in water. On your next park date or beach getaway, wear a hat and try to keep your head above water.
- Use temporary root touchup products. When you’re in a pinch and need to cover your roots quickly, there are products that can temporarily mask your roots. Before your next photoshoot or boardroom presentation, look into InStyle’s pro/con list of root touchup products.
Root Touchup FAQs:
When should you get a root retouch?
Within 4 to 6 weeks of your last color treatment is best. Definitely don’t wait longer than 8 weeks.
How long should roots be before retouching?
Roots should be no longer than an inch when you touch them up, since the heat of your scalp causes color to develop faster in that area.
Do I need a root touch up or all-over color?
It depends on how long your roots are when you see your stylist. Roots under an inch long can be touched up, but roots longer than that may require color balancing with the rest of your hair.
How often should you dye your gray roots?
For gray roots, we recommend the same timeframe of 4 to 6 weeks between hair treatments.
Do root touch ups damage hair?
The hair-lightening process can damage hair, which is why it’s extremely important to get your hair done by a trained professional. Their years of schooling have taught them how to make your hair pop without it popping off of your head!
How often to dye your roots is ultimately a personal choice. If you’d like for your hair color to match, staying within the 4 to 6 week window is probably best. But whether you sport a monochromatic ‘do or have a Billie Eilish-esque, deep-rooted thing going on, staying tight with your stylist is the best way to keep your hair healthy and hot.
Need a consult to help you decide? Make an appointment with a pro.
Mane Addicts | Which Hair Products to Pack When You Are Headed Out on a Beach Vacation
The only part about a beach vacation that isn’t fun? Packing. As veteran travelers, we know the struggle is real, especially when faced with the dreaded carry-on-only travel. So, we’re taking the stress out of your next trip by having 20 pros give us their favorite products to pack when they skip town. Keep reading for the best hair products to pack for a beach vacation!
The Top 10 Types of Massages for Ultimate Health Benefits
We know that getting a massage feels good—whether you’re at home or at the spa, a good back rub helps you stand taller, both because your muscles are loose and because it improves your mood. But is that a placebo effect, or are massages really good for your health?
It turns out that massage is an ancient art for a reason. Research shows that massage therapy has many surprising health benefits, and there are many kinds of massage therapies that target different parts of the body and brain.
We wanted to know exactly what makes massage therapy so great, so we polled the experts on Gina’s Platform across ten types of massage that are bookable on our platform.
The Most Healing Benefits of Massage Therapy
Common conditions targeted by massage therapy include:
- Stress
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Chronic pain
- Stiffness
- Trouble focusing
However, you may be surprised by some of the ailments that massage therapy can alleviate. For instance, The American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) recommends the use of massage therapy for chemotherapy-induced nausea. According to the Mayo Clinic, massage therapy may alleviate symptoms of digestive disorders, migraines, and insomnia. It’s even said to have an immune-boosting effect. So in addition to soothing sore muscles and melting stress away, massage therapy has some really useful benefits to your health.
Massage Therapy and Mental Health
Though it is an embodied practice, massage’s health benefits extend beyond the physical form. The National Institute of Health (NIH) has published multiple studies that document the positive impact massage therapy can have on mental health.
You have heard—or experienced firsthand—how getting a massage relieves stress. The dimmed lights, soft music, warmth, and good smells are certainly a nice contrast to the chaos of daily life. However, when you leave the massage table, does your dreamy bubble burst, or do your stress levels stay lower than they were before?
The data shows that receiving a massage actually changes your neurochemistry to be more positive. In other words, after a massage, you can go back to your life not just with looser shoulders, but also with an altered outlook on life.
This is because massage therapy is shown to reduce the production of cortisol—the hormone that induces feelings of stress—by about 30%. In addition to that, it increases production of serotonin and dopamine—two chemicals that create feelings of happiness and ease. That could be why massage therapy is said to be good for people with depression and anxiety.
In fact, the positive impact of massage therapy on anxiety is backed by science. The NIH published a study in which 68 people with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) received massage therapy for 12 weeks. All participants saw a significant reduction in symptoms—around 50%—by the end of the 12-week period.
When the researchers followed up with participants 6 months later, they found that participants in the study had maintained the reduction in their symptoms, despite no longer receiving massage therapy. So, according to science, getting a massage can have both short and long term health benefits, regardless of whether you continue with massage therapy.
The Top 10 Massage Experiences Offered on Gina’s Platform
Different types of massage therapies target different ailments, so what type of massage might be good for you? Here are the top ten massage specialities offered by the professionals on Gina’s platform:
- Aromatherapy: The perfect blend of neuroscience and massage. Give your limbic system a treat with the smell of soothing essential oils. Aromatherapy massage is an unparalleled sensory delight.
- Chair massage: Get all of the regular massage benefits with your clothes on and your head up. Chair massage targets the muscles in the back that keep your neck and shoulders tight.
- Deep tissue: The ultimate massage for health and wellness. For pain caused by chronic conditions, deep tissue massages hit all your hard-to-reach spots.
- Express massage: Nothing tightens your shoulders like a packed schedule. Don’t have time for an hour-long massage? Express massage offers all of the benefits of a massage therapy session in half the time.
- Hot stones: Connect with yourself and the earth with a hot stone massage. Basalt—a type of volcanic rock—comes from deep below the earth’s crust. Though not as hot as the lava that made them, these stones warm you from the inside out.
- Neuromuscular therapy: Neuromuscular massage cuts the nonsense and gets to the point; in neuromuscular massage therapy, practitioners target one small area, known as a trigger point, to treat pain in other parts of the body.
- Physical therapy: Yes, physical therapists use massage too! Though not as relaxing as a spa treatment, massage in physical therapy—known as soft-tissue mobilization, or STM—can be used to treat neurological conditions and injuries and is complemented by the use of other treatment modalities.
- Pregnancy massage: Say goodbye to lower back pain and realign your tired spine with the help of a trained professional. Whether prenatal or postpartum, a massage may be just what you need to relieve your pregnancy pangs.
- Reflexology: Another highly targeted type of massage. Reflexology is said to heal ailments in the organs by touching pressure points on the feet and hands.
- Swedish: Through a combination of rubbing and tapping muscles and joints, Swedish massage is a great way to relax as well as treat pain.
Massage FAQs:
Are massages worth it?
Massages are a refreshing, restorative remedy for aches and pains of all kinds. In other words, they’re totally worth it! When performed by a trained professional, massages are a safe way to improve your health and wellness.
Why are massages good for you?
Massage therapists know how to reach painful, stiff muscles that are deep beneath the surface of the skin, which may be causing pain elsewhere in your body. Getting massaged can alleviate pain, improve circulation, lower stress, and increase feelings of happiness and ease.
Is a monthly massage healthy?
For most, a monthly massage is a great way to improve and maintain the health of your body and mind. If you have an injury, infection, or condition related to the bones or blood, make sure to talk to your doctor before booking your next appointment.
What happens to your body when you have a massage?
During a massage, your heart rate and blood pressure go down, your muscles relax, and your brain produces higher levels of dopamine and serotonin, all of which make you healthier and happier.
Why are you so tired after a massage?
Getting a massage increases the production of serotonin in your brain, which can be converted into melatonin—a hormone that makes you sleepy. And the soft lighting, lying down, and listening to peaceful music definitely creates an optimal nap time atmosphere.
What should you not do after a massage?
Avoid drinking caffeine and alcohol after a massage as you want to make sure to stay hydrated. You may also want to wait a moment before showering so that your skin can absorb all of the healing oils that your massage therapist curated just for you.
What should I do after a massage?
Following a massage, make sure to drink plenty of fluids and engage in light, low-level activity. This can help prolong the benefits of the increased circulation that massage creates. And if your massage therapist gives you homework, make sure to do it!
On Gina’s Platform, you can quickly and easily book an appointment with an expert massage therapist in your area. The professionals on our site have a wide variety of specialities, so whether you’re looking for pain relief or pampering, you’ve come to the right place.
Ready to book? The massage therapists on Gina’s Platform are here to get you in peak health!
Gina Rivera
Beauty Icon and Expert
Gina Rivera skyrocketed to success when the company she founded in 2007, Phenix Salon Suites, became the fastest-growing salon suite company in the beauty industry. With more than 300 locations nationally and international expansion occurring in the UK, Entrepreneur Magazine named Phenix Salon Suites a Top 500 Franchise list seven years running.
Women’s Wear Daily | The 20 Best Flat Irons for Every Hair Type
Good hair days can make a person feel prepped, poised, and polished. While we love natural hair textures and think messy-pretty hair is always in, the fact is that we all have moments when we long for a styled-looking hairdo. This is why heated hair tools are essential — especially on days when your locks misbehave. Maybe you fell asleep with your hair wet and want to tame some unruly waves, or you simply want to style your hair straight for added shine and uniformity. Perhaps achieving ultra-straightness will just be the first step in styling a sleek, slicked-back pony. With countless reasons why you might want to straighten your hair on a given day, the flat iron is an essential within the realm of the best hairstyling tools. These heated straighteners are more versatile than you think and can be used to achieve different looks from glossy straight down ‘dos to beachy waves — and beyond. Read on here for these tips and recommendations!
SheFinds | Hair Stylists Explain The 3 Biggest No-No’s When It Comes To Coloring Hair
Hair dye has the power to transform your appearance this summer— for the better, or for worse. Read on for tips and suggestions from Gina Rivera, celebrity hair stylist and founder of Phenix Salon Suites for 3 common dye and color mistakes to avoid over 40 to prevent adding years onto your look.