Dear Rhonda,

I’m going to be a bridesmaid in a friend’s wedding next month. The bride has asked that we all have “up do’s” that day. I won’t have time to schedule a hair appointment before the ceremony. What’s the best (and easiest) up-do for a bridesmaid in a hurry?

Dear Up-do,

I would say the best and easiest up-do would be a curly pony tail. You can diffuse the hair to get great curls and then pull it up in a high pony tail allowing the curls to cascade down. It’s also a great idea to add some hair “bling”, like rhinestone clips or bows. (Pictured at right are a few flower rhinestone hair pins that might be a good choice for a wedding.)

Another idea is to twist your hair up in the back pulling the ends upward, then place a large jaw clamp into the twisted part. You can either curl the ends or let them fall free. Always pull a few “wispy” pieces around your face. Good luck!

Dear Rhonda

I’ve read that the darker one’s hair is, the greater the tendency to pull red when going lighter. While it may not be advisable for the health of one’s hair, is it possible for one who colors her salt and pepper gray hair a dark shade to go very blonde? Can the red tones be overcome by a professional so that a pretty blonde is achieved? Thank you so much. Signed, “Blondie Wannabe”

Dear Blondie Wannabe,

First of all, thanks for such a great question! You’re absolutely correct. The darker the hair, the more red you’ll see as the natural color is lifted out. Of course, the more the color is lifted, the color will change from red to orange to yellow-orange to yellow and so on. I cannot stress enough that this is why it’s so important that you have a professional do your highlighting. Yes, hair coloring is very forgiving and, most of the time, it can be fixed. But the laws of color will only allow so much!

Now, let’s talk about your quest to be blonde. It really depends on the type of color you’ve been using on your natural color. Any red tones can be neutralized by adding toner after highlighting, but if you have had permanent color applied to make your natural color darker, (I mean really, really dark), your desire to be a blonde may be out of reach for several reasons. First, permanent color is difficult to remove and still achieve a pretty result. You see, not only are you dealing with your natural hair’s undertones, you must first lift the permanent color. You can see why this is a much more lengthy process. As permanent color is lifted with either bleach or with a color remover, it’s anyone’s guess as to the exact color you’ll become. If anyone tells you that you will be a blonde in one process, RUN!!! You may not have any hair left afterward! (I’m not kidding.)

My suggestion is to have your stylist do a “test run”. Simply allow him or her to foil in highlights, maybe even in an inconspicuous place on your head, like in the nape area. The colorist should try using different volumes of peroxide to lift out your color. This will allow the stylist to actually see how long to leave it on as well as which volume will give you the best results. Talk to your colorist and explain your hair goals for the future.

The short answer to your question is YES! The red tones CAN be overcome by a professional so that a pretty blonde is achieved. Just have patience and understand that Rome was not built in a day and taking hair from extremely dark to extremely light will not happen in one visit, especially when you’re serious about keeping your hair healthy. Let me know what you decide to do and how it turns out for you.

Dear Rhonda,

I was in the salon a few days ago and noticed that the person next to me was getting her hair colored and highlighted. The poor girl looked extremely frightened while the colorist haphazardly slapped on the color and foiled in several more colors. Her head was jerking around as it was being pulled by the comb and, worst of all, she had color running down the side of her face! It was from the corner of her eye back to her ear. I was mortified as the colorist just worked away chatting and laughing while this poor girl’s face was being color-stained for life! Is there something I should have done? Didn’t the colorist even see what I was seeing?

Dear Color Crazed,

WOW! All I can say is…..WOW! That’s totally unacceptable in mine or anyone’s book! If I were that person, I would NEVER go back to that salon. And I mean NEVER! It’s never okay for anyone to sit with color or anything else on their skin – EVER! Color not only stains the skin but some of the chemicals may cause irritation as well. It’s unsanitary and just plain disrespectful to the client. Each and every person coming into the salon should be treated as a “guest”. No one would ever treat a guest this way in public or otherwise.

Honestly, the client having color applied to her hair should have spoken up and demanded that she be cleaned up immediately. For some reason, people are often afraid to speak up and tell their stylist exactly what they want done and how they want it done. Please remember, ladies, that the stylist may have experience and knowledge but the power is still yours. And it’s YOUR money and it’s YOUR hair. Never forget that. This is a universal truth I feel passionate about. Power to the people!

Rhonda Moulder is a mama to two beautiful daughters and is also a stylist at Blue Door & Co. in downtown Bentonville. E-mail her a hair question at mamas@nwaMotherlode.com or call for an appointment at the salon at 479-273-4433. Have a happy hair day.