*I was treated to a free service in exchange for my opinion of MY SALON Suite and my experience. All opinions are 100% my own, and you can definitely tell my the “after” photos.
I really like long hair. You know, the kind that lays nicely way below your shoulders – oh, like 4 – 5 inches below. It’s got a natural wavy texture to it, and has great color and body. Then I look in the mirror and I see my hair. It’s longer than its been in ages and I am super glad about that fact BUT the ends look a little sad (maybe a little more than a little sad…). When I blow it dry, I add some argan oil to the ends in hopes to make them look healthier.
I have very fine hair, and fine hair and long hair, unless you have a lot of it, don’t really mesh well. I’ve held back cutting my hair short for two reasons:
- My husband loves long hair. Don’t give me lip here – I know I am my own person and make my own decisions about my hair, but as I mentioned above – I do like long hair too!
- Short hair is harder to do than long hair. At least with long hair, if you’re having a bad hair day then you can just put it in a bun. (Which happens to be what I do 75% of the time, if not more.) With short hair I feel like you have to do it every day – that or wear a baseball cap. I once got a pixie-ish cut. It lasted as long as it took to grow it out.
Finally, I took it upon myself to let the dream of long hair go. I’d rather have healthy hair that looks great than the straggly hair I held on to for so long. I was invited to try out My Salon in Palm Beach Gardens and figured what better time than the present to make a change than now!
I know what you’re thinking, “Dana’s going to a stylist for the very first time and she’s going to get a drastically different cut than her usual…she’s nuts.” At first I was a little hesitant but I was told I would love Rachel, and I am thankful I took that advice. More on that later…
I expressed how I did really like long hair, and Rachel explained that you have to style your hair in the way it looks good – don’t hold on to something that doesn’t work!
5 Super Important Healthy Hair Tips
- Always use a heat protectant when using tools like blow dryers, flat irons, curling irons and wands.
- Product is key – it protects your hair and also helps to give it body when needed, holds it in place, and makes it look fabulous!
- Practice using a new tool with the tool OFF. Get used to holding the tool, turning and twirling it and then turn it on! (I wish I met Rachel a few months ago before I tried to curl my hair and instead accidentally smacked myself in the face with the curling iron. Lesson learned.)
- Try to first rough dry your hair until it’s about 30% dry and then finish blow drying with a brush to create smoothness.
- If you’re going to invest money in your haircare, invest a little more to get better quality tools and products.
BEFORE & AFTER
Now that I’ve looked at the before and after photos, I can’t believe that I didn’t do this sooner. I also can’t believe that I am showing you the before pictures – why didn’t anyone tell me that my hair looked like this!? Obviously I do my hair when I go out in public and this is my hair fresh out of a ponytail and post pilates but…
Before
After
Rachel took the time to show me how to achieve this beachy wave look and I will be sure to practice with the flat iron OFF first. What do you think? I am super happy with the final results, totally appreciate Rachel’s time and honestly, and would definitely go back. She also does color, which she loves to do! You can check out her Instagram page HERE and her Facebook page HERE.
ABOUT MY SALON SUITE
When I arrived at MY SALON Suite, Rachel gave me a tour of the facility. It’s such a cool concept. There are suites throughout the building and each suite houses a different stylist. There were a lot of hair stylists, but there were also estheticians, eyelash extension experts, nail technicians and more. Rachel used to work in a salon but wanted to own her own business, and MY SALON Suite was a perfect fit. She is in charge of her own destiny, per say. She makes her hours, takes care of her suite and has been loving it for about a year now!
candy says
Practicing with the proper tools is so important. Hair dresser has practiced for years so why not us.
Dana says
Cansy, you are so right! I need to get some practice in!
Doria says
Your hair looks fabulous! I’m insanely picky about my difficult hair so I definitely invest a lot in products/tools 🙂
Dana says
Thank you Doria! Any products or tools you would recommend?
Nancy L. says
Your haircut looks great! The beachy waves look awesome and I’m sure it is a lot easier to manage than long hair. Love it!
Dana says
Thank you so much Nancy! I’ll tell you how it all works out when I try to do it myself tomorrow 😉 I have a video to look back on, so that is good!
Jenn @ EngineerMommy says
Your hair looks great. It’s so important to take good care of the hair. I try not to overuse heating tools and I try to condition regularly.
Dana says
Thank you Jenn! It sounds like you are on the right track to healthy hair.
Cat says
I am embarrassed to admit how long it took me to realize I needed to rough dry my hair before learning to style it with a blowdryer and brush haha!! Great tips!
Dana says
Cat, you are SO not alone here. It took me a long time, and damaged hair to realize 🙂
CourtneyLynne says
omg so many great tips!!! taking care of your hair is so important if you want it to grow out and be healthily looking
Dana says
You are so right! You have gorgeous hair – any tips for my readers?
Destany says
I’m almost positive that my hair hates me. It’s so finicky! I have to get into a routine and be prepared to change it up at a moments notice 🙂
Dana says
LOLOL Destany, I used to feel the same way – hence days upon days of buns and ponytails!
Kathy Myers says
Wow you hair looks so healthy now and cute! I need to do this. I love the after hair-do. Great job!
Dana says
Thanks Kathy, I am so happy with the new haircut!
Heather says
I agree with you about the difference between short and long hair. I think it also just really depends on your hair texture. Like you I have very fine hair and you see oil build up instantly. It looks terrible, so I aske d my brother in law for a loose wave perm. Its worked wonders and I feel better about my hair now…the only problem with a perm is that it can give you lots of breaks in your hair and when you finally outgrow your perm it needs a lot of work and all the broken ends are magnified.
Dana says
Interesting, Heather! Do you have to go frequently to get permed?
Sarah says
your hair looks great! the best part is you found someone who both listened to you and gave an honest and professional opinion. that has been difficult for me to find.
Dana says
Thank you Sarah! Yes, Rachel really listened and gave her honest opinion, which I greatly appreciated!
Mommy Levy says
Its been a while since I last visited salon, I think I need to pay them a visit soon. My hair is so dry because the weather is changing now.
Dana says
The weather can totally do it!
Mary Edwards says
I second the heat protectant idea. I wish I had used heat protectant when I was younger. Now i use it all the time and make sure my daughter uses it with all her straightening
Dana says
What is your favorite heat protectant? I’m looking for one 🙂
Amanda Love says
I love taking care of my hair and it’s important for me to find the right products to do just that. These are helpful tips! That sure sounds like a great salon to go to!
Susan says
That sounds very interesting something I would like to try
rika says
Thanks for sharing the hair tips! Very useful! Your hair look amazing! Love the beach wave.
Dana says
Thank you Rika!!
Mary Barham says
I have got to get some hair products to protect my hair from the heat I use…. I constantly use hair dryers and curling irons!! Maybe that’s why my hair is a mess 🙁
Dana says
LOL Mary – there are a lot of different products out there that are GREAT!
Lisa Grooms says
Practicing with the tool OFF is such a good idea! I chopped my hair off after I had my daughter, it’s about your length now, and it was the best decision I ever made! Loved this post!
Dana says
I’m so glad the tips will help out Lisa, and thank you about my hair. I am loving the length!
Amanda says
It can be hard to let go of long hair, but when done to help your hair get healthy again, it’s worth it. Your hair looks great! And thanks for the tips–I never thought of practicing with a tool off before. I usually just dive in with it hot and mess up my hair lol.
Dana says
Thank you Amanda! I also was super excited when I learned the tip about trying out a tool off before going full speed ahead. In the past I ended up with a burn on my cheek and singed hair!
Naya says
Heat protectant is SO important, so are using good quality heat tools. These are awesome tips and your hair looks so healthy and gorgeous!
Dana says
Thank you Naya! I did some crazy damage to my hair before realizing that there are products out there to protect it!
tineke - workingmommyabroad says
I love it!!! Looks great girl!
Dana says
Thank you!!
Carrie Letlow says
Great tip with the hair protectant. I am going to add it to my hair dryer guide.
Zala Hair says
The hair transformation is amazing! Beachy waves look great!
Dana says
Thanks! I love beachy waves!