Gina's Platform

Your SUPER-powered WP Engine Blog

Hair Care

Byrdie | 22 Hairstyles for Dirty Hair (Because Washing Isn’t Always an Option)

by Leave a Comment

We’re all for adding an extra day or two in between shampooing. It frees up our mornings, adds a cool second-day grit to our hair, and even helps hold certain styles in place better than clean hair. The only issue is, after a day too many (depending on your hair), things start to look a little less effortless and a little more, well, greasy. But here’s the silver lining: There are cool, on-trend styles that look better with dirty hair and disguise the fact that you’ve forgone a wash entirely. Lazy girls, rejoice.

“I never say disguise your hair; I say optimize your look,” says Gina Rivera, celebrity hairstylist and founder of Phenix Salon Suites. “The second day of wear is a great time to use hair accessories such as scarfs, hats, barrettes, and yes, even wigs. Wigs can be super fun if you want to really get out of your box!” Gina shared that with the right tools, accessories, and inspiration up your sleeve, you can create an elevated look that complements your unwashed hair.

And for future record: Second-day hair doesn’t have to be a problem. If you struggle to go a day without washing your hair, it may be time to break that habit. If you wash your hair more frequently your scalp will produce more sebum (oil) because it is being stripped of its natural oils. Cutting back on washing frequency can help your scalp relax into a more natural sebum-producing cycle. Try switching to an every-other-day washing schedule for happier, healthier hair. This will make day-two hair less of a problem in the future.

Keep reading to find the 22 most covetable styles and why they’re perfect for second (or third-day) hair.

Prose | Claw Clip Hairstyles for Thick Hair

by Leave a Comment

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!

Gina Rivera’s Tip of the Week: How to Style Using a Claw Clip

by Leave a Comment

Accessories are great for summer and one of my favorites is the Claw Clip. Here’s my recommendation for using a Claw Clip when getting ready for your next outing:⁠
⁠

  • Try different styles with the Claw Clip by pulling the hair back in sections. A favorite of mine is half up and half down.⁠
    ⁠
  • Consider creating a French twist and securing with a Claw Clip. Allow the hair at the top of the clip to cascade over the clip creating a fun and messy look.⁠
    ⁠
  • Pony tails can be a great option for the claw clip. Just pull the hair together at the nape of the neck and twist twice. Then, cover the twist and allow the ponytail to flow out of the top of the claw clip⁠
    ⁠
  • Never pull the hair overly tight when using a Claw Clip because the stress placed on the hair may result in breakage.⁠
    ⁠
  • Always use a good wet line to ensure the hair is hydrated when using accessories.

When Should You Retouch Your Hair Color and Roots?

by Leave a Comment

Retouch Hair

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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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

by Leave a Comment

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!