Recession-Friendly Hair Tips

No matter where you turn, people are tightening their belts. Sadly, this fact has worked its way into beauty.

We all want to look and feel our best, but we have to be realistic: Cutting back on expenses is going to include our hair. Of course, that’s not to say we can’t STILL look as hot as always.

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We consulted Jamie Bushman, owner of The Circle Salon and top Chicago stylist, and came up with some great ways to have a great head of hair – and money left for dinner.

1. Using tinted color shampoo and conditioner (like Davines’ Alchemic series) will freshen up old color so that you can keep your color from looking drab and faded. It comes in a variety of shades, like silver, gold, tobacco, copper, red and chocolate. Using this once a week will allow you to go weeks longer than usual between touch ups.

2. When gray roots are the issue, try a temporary color at the root. There are many options to choose from at beauty supply stores, but Bumble and Bumble makes a spray on tint that will cover gray roots in between touch up appointments. It is easy to use and washes out with water, so it won’t permanently affect your hair color.

3. Consider switching from an all over color to a demi-permanent instead of a permanent tint. Demi permanent is not a temporary color that will not last in the hair, but it does fade a bit more than the permanents which allows the line of demarcation to look more diffused as your hair grows. Without the hard, permanent line that grows out, you can usually push you touch ups back a couple of weeks.

4. With dimensional color, ask your stylist for softer techniques that will grow out nicer between visits. “I have been doing a lot more highlighting underneath the part, and painting on soft pieces that don’t go all the way to the roots so that they don’t need to be redone each visit,” Jamie says. It’s amazing how artfully placed foils can save you a few weeks in between visits.

5. In addition to tinted shampoos and conditioners, you will end up saving much more if you invest in high quality salon hair care products as opposed to over the counter brands. Believe it or not, when your hair is getting the nourishment that it needs, it will maintain a color and overall strength much better than unhealthy hair will, which means fewer salon visits for color and cuts. Also, salon products are highly concentrated, so shampoos and conditioners usually last at least two times as long as an over the counter brand.

6. Along those lines, a good haircut should grow in, not out. “I know that most of my clients rave about the fact that my haircuts grow in so well that they don’t feel like they need to get their haircut cut nearly as often as they did in the past,” Jamie says. You may be spending a bit more for quality, but getting a customized, precision haircut means that you will spend much more time that the average person enjoying your hair as it grows in verses fighting with it as it grows out.

7. And don’t forget, any salon of quality offers complimentary bang trims and neck trims between visits. So you can always schedule a little “clean up” appointment if you want to go longer between salon visits.

8. Go back to the basics with home remedies. If your hair desperately needs a deep conditioning treatment, but you want to save money, try using olive oil and mayonnaise. Olive oil is perfect for an intensive moisturizing treatment. Mayonnaise is good for strengthening and smoothing. If your hair needs both, try mixing them both together for the perfect combo.

Thanks so much to Jamie Bushman for helping us with these fabulous tips! I know I’ll be using a lot of them this summer, and beyond!