Michelle Obama Learns Never say Never

 Photo Credit:  People Magazine, January 27, 2014 edition, Michelle Obama, First Lady of the United States turns 50 years old this month.  In the past, I have written articles on my blog about Mrs. Obama's hair based on magazine photos.  I've seen it in its healthy stages as well as its recovery stages.  In the past, FLOTUS' voice echoed that she would never wear hair extensions, wigs, nor commercial hair enhancement pieces.   So in her interview with Sandra Sobieraj Westfall, I had to laugh at FLOTUS' response to her philosophy on plastic surgery, Botox, fillers.

She states "Women should have the freedom to do whatever they need to do to feel good about themselves.  Right now, I don't imagine that I would go that route, but I've also learned to never say never."

Enough said.  Extensions, wigs, commercial hair enhancements can be a "life saver" when you want to look good for public events.  We can not control the weather so we can not control our hair.  So why not have a little "hair insurance" to make sure that we are constantly looking our best regardless of the environmental conditions around us.

So if there is anyone out there still thinking that Michelle Obama would not wear any form of commercial hair enhancement,  then we all now know that she is open to wigs, hair extensions, etc.  The pressure to look "polished" continues on.

2013 Inauguration Hair: Is it a Wig?

Photo credit:  Hollywood Life.  First of all, for all of us experienced wig wearers, we know that wigs are constructed to look more and more natural.  I know no one wants to say it out loud, but many of us are thinking . . . Michelle Obama was wearing a wig for Inauguration 2013.  There is nothing wrong with wearing a wig; it's protective styling and a no fuss way to look beautiful despite one's hectic pace.

So why do I think that it is a wig?
1) When the wind blew, only the ends moved with the wind. The bang area and the core circle in the top and crown stayed in place.  Her hair classically would have blown all over evenly in the 2009 inauguration.

2) The parting down the center plus the perfectly symmetric sides are not typical for her.  Usually, her fresh haircuts are never perfectly even on both sides.  They always look nice and flowing, but not perfectly even.

3) The color(s) and texture were not consistent with what we are used to for her.  It looked great, but it was not her normal.

4) When interviewing her hairstylist Johnny Wright this week, he said that he could not discuss the "particulars" about Michelle Obama's hair.  However, for years, he has always been very vocal that Michelle Obama does NOT wear any hair extensions, etc.  So now, he is being "hush-hush."  So that's a giveaway that First Lady Michelle Obama is open to protective styling options.

I am going to guess that the wig is 100% human hair because she apparently wore it without the curls a few days prior, but it was curled on Inauguration Day.

Michelle Obama does not have to answer to anyone about her hair.  Actually, no woman has to answer to her decision to enhance or protect their own beautiful hair.  Beauty starts within!  First Lady Michelle Obama is definitely a  beautiful, fashion leader.

Now, there, I said it.  Now, let's move on to the next order of business:  Moving Forward Together!

Feb 2013 update:  I found a few pictures of Michelle Obama with bangs that look like her hair without any hair enhancements.  The thickness, color, and layers coincide more with her previous photos in the picture below.  So she did get some bangs cut.  Pictures from www.huffingtonpost.com

Hairstyling and the Adult Moving Target

 So how do you know if your new client wants "conservative curls" (Halle Berry above) or "spicy spikes" (Halle Berry below)???

Should the hairstylist just ask or just guess?  Or is it the client's responsibility to mention the look to achieve for that salon visit?

I think Halle Berry looks great in both of these looks, but  there will always be a client to come in that wants spicy, and the stylist delivers conservative.  Or the client wants conservative and the stylist delivers spicy.

Some clients are okay with styling spritz and gel and others just want dry holding (aerosol) spray.  Some hair texture only need some molding paste and fingering.  Others need hot curls and special "piecing" of the hair.

 Above, Taraji P. Henson rocks a "disconnected" bob.   Longer pieces are hanging in the front and a shorter regular connected bob is cut into the remainder of the style.  Below, Michelle Obama has a classic bob haircut which is a traditional "connected" approach to haircutting.

So if you are a client who likes a disconnected flair to your hair, then you have to partner with your stylist to achieve and maintain that direction for your hair.  Otherwise, most haircuts are based off everything staying layered and/or connected such as the Michelle Obama bob pictured here.

In order for every client to achieve their individual hair goals, I think that clients and hairstylists both have to start viewing each hair appointment like a doctor's appointment versus the "drive-thru" lane.

In the doctor's office, you make time for it, and you pay a "nice sum" for your personalized visit.  With the drive-thru, you "order it your way" and get through as fast as you can as an affordable cost.

Hairstylists who charge higher prices should know to deliver personalized service especially when there are plenty of cheaper salon deals being advertised.

Also, I hate the "bait and switch" when it comes to hair.  Why tell a client a low price over the phone with the intention of upselling a conditioning treatment, trim, and retail product?  So what happens when the client only wants to pay the lower price quoted?  Do you further damage the client's hair because the "standard" conditioner is inadequate for their hair type?

Hairstylists should set their prices based on their retirement needs along with their industry experience and let faith do the rest.

It is post 2008, and a lot of passionate hairstylists are trying to plan for retirement knowing that their revenues may never return to what it was before the economy nose dived in 2008.  If women stop investing in the progressive stylist who is constantly trying to stay educated, then we may all wake up one day to find only the big chain hair salons such as Hair Cuttery, Regis, and SuperCuts are all that is left.  Please try to support small businesses.  Communication is key.  True professionalism is defined when things go wrong; not when things go right.

Also, if you have a special side part or styling preference, it never hurts to remind the hairstylist.  That will be one less thing that he or she has to brainstorm to remember.

First Lady Michelle Obama: Six months later!

So it's almost six months ago that I posted an article discussing First Lady Michelle Obama's hair! I must say that she must have read that article because her hair looks like she is back on track!!!! Yay!

Pictured are the covers of Parenting magazine (August 2012) and Ladies' Home Journal (September 2012). Neither magazine give any "hair credits." However, it looks like based on the August cover; she received a nice, fresh haircut by the September cover.

After studying curl patterns (please see a separate article on this blog about curl pattern review), I have concluded that First Lady Michelle Obama has a type 4a or type 4b curl pattern. She is definitely NOT a type 4c.

As you know the Democratic National Convention is being hosted by Charlotte, NC during September 3rd - 7th. I have some hope that she will grace me with her presence while she is in vicinity of Applebaum Hair headquarters. Smile. If she does make it, I will let you all know!

Salon hoppers: Words of Wisdom

Recently, I ran into a hairstylist originally from Tennessee. She said that she likes living in the metro Charlotte, NC area, but as far as hair was concerned -- there are a lot of "salon hoppers." I had to laugh because she is right. People just hop, hop, hop from one chair to the next. It is frustrating to many hairstylists. Many single, professional hairstylists who want to enjoy some of the finer things in life have moved on to larger cities where there is more of a "social butterfly" demand plus more disposable income.

The seasoned salon owners know that our beauty industry has been in a decline for a solid five years or more. Smart salon owners with a large overhead sold their salons about three to five years ago nationwide.

Hair is a practice just like a doctor, attorney, and dentist. A client can go to a celebrity hairstylist and pay $500 for a relaxer service, but if the stylist does not perform relaxer services on a regular basis then the client may find that she could have gone to the "hood" and got the same look for $50.

This does not mean that the celebrity stylist is not good. It just means that stylist and the client were not a good match. Just like all doctors are not a good match. Lawyers are not all a good match. You get the picture.

Also, on a separate note, loyalty is important. Oprah has stuck with the same hairstylist through thick and thin. We all have seen Oprah's hair go through some highs and lows. Michelle Obama is sticking with her hairstylist as well and you know even she has had some high and lows as far as hair.

Clients looking solely for great "style"-they need to find someone who has the same style that they are looking for and the same hair texture and go to that hairstylist for that particular style.

Otherwise, if a client is looking for a hairstylist that cares about her individual hair texture, and the stylist goes to continuing education classes voluntarily to constantly improve their practice, then that is when you find a hair stylist that is a partner.

I have never met a perfect hairstylist. Those who are too closed minded to learn from others are the scariest hairstylists to me.

Also, as a seasoned stylist, I have learned if you talk negative about another hairstylist then you cast doubt on the whole hair profession. We all have the same state issued hair license. When I hear bad things about a hair stylist, I can usually figure out what happened without talking to the stylist. If the stylist is overworked or hungry, then they/we may make a mistake. They/we are human.

If you do not want a sleepy doctor performing surgery on you, then you do not want to be the last person of a 15 hour work day if you need a hair chemical. Mistakes will happen. Stylists must learn to schedule breaks even if it means charging more and booking less clients. I could go on and on about the hair industry, but the real salon scoop is to get to know the hairstylist beliefs, respect her pricing, understand loyalty, and give feedback. See if you can work with the stylist. Most of my clients have their own practice or business - they know that I work to find solutions and all I Do is hair and write about hair.

Finding the right hairstylist can be as simple as going to a "safe" "hole in the wall" establishment.

I have included a quick chart comparing hairdressers to doctors and attorneys. We all are regulated by a state Board. We all are in a practice where practice make perfect. We all can concentrate on a specialty such as colorist and haircuts.

Where hairdressers differ from doctors is that we typically do not accept insurance and there is no co-pay. It is totally out of pocket. Also, many clients expect hairdressers to "nail" it on the first visit; where doctors just keep you coming back for a new prescriptions until they find something that works.

Where hairdressers differ from attorneys/lawyers is that we typically do not clear a six figure salary. We can not raise pricing without losing some clientele.

Most medical and dental procedures have had multiple price increases. Hair service pricing in general have stayed the same for the last 20 years. Yet, beauty supplies have gone up. Gasoline has gone up. Housing and transportation has gone up.

For hairstylists, the passion keeps them in business. I just noticed another local salon/spa was running a flier promoting everything from "weight loss" plans to facials to "waxing" to "botox" to "massage" to "laser hair removal." "Haircuts" were the least mentioned service. No color service nor nail services were mentioned at all. I was totally blown away. This particular salon was known as a full service salon/spa/boutique. It now seems to be steering toward more "beauty and wellness." Probably a good idea. "Styling" can be so visually "subjective." Facials and massages are a "feel good" or not opinion.

Also, on a separate note, a few years ago, the Ratner company sold all of the hair salons in SC and NC to the Regis Corporation. Remember the "Hair Cuttery" turned into "Famous Hair?" Also, Salon Cielo also sold their NC and SC hair salons to Regis Corporation.

Between salon hoppers and the "family focused" lifestyle of the South, the hair industry in the South will continue to be lower paying than the more metropolitan areas of the United States of America.

Hair Review: First Lady Michelle Obama

Photo credit: More magazine October 2008 (Historical photos and flipped hairstyle)

Clearly, the beautiful, First Lady Michelle Obama has a type 4 curl pattern judging by her beautiful afro in her graduation picture. (source: More, October 2008)

Clearly, during the months surrounding the Inauguration of her husband, she wore her hair very sleek, straight, and with a lot of movement. The ionic flat iron was more than likely used to achieve these looks of uninhibited movement. (source: People magazine, Special Oscar Guide 2009 Inauguration Trendsetter photos)

However, at what cost? As my followers know, I am totally against the ionic flat irons because of the long term damage that they cause. I had been following Michelle Obama's hairstyles for years because I knew that if she continued the flat iron hairstyling that she would be continuously fighting breakage and potential shedding. Photo credit: Flipped hairstyle photo came from More magazine, October 2008.

Photo credit: People magazine March 9, 2009 (Pink outfit), Better Homes and Gardens magazine August 2011 (yellow sweater), Ladies Home Journal magazine September 2010 (bluegreen dress), More Magazine February 2012 (red outfit).

She can select updos and other protective styling to allow the hair to grow out, but ultimately, as long as she continues to be styled with an ionic flat iron, she will not stabilize past her current length which looks to be chin length at the side burns area.

During the late 2008 and early 2009 timeframe, her side burns area was below chin length and in a bob hairstyle.




The length of her hair in bluegreen dress (September 2010) is the same or possibly longer than her length in February 2012 (More magazine) in red attire. In summary, a year or more later and her hair is the same length or shorter and possibly thinner. It looks to be layered more than her traditional bob hairstyle. Layers can give thinner hair more body.

Many people do not want to believe that the ionic flat iron is causing damage because it takes potentially years for the damage to show up.

Also, the flat iron manufacturers market the flat irons for shine, smoothness, and repair. However, when the damage from extended flat ironing over the years finally presents itself, it will be an on-going fight until the damaged hair is trimmed away and the ionic flat irons are no longer used on the hair that is not as damaged.

Michelle Obama's hairstyle is neat and beautiful, but clearly she has been losing length. This may be on purpose or possibly not. I am offering food for thought. Pictures are worth a thousand words.

Photo credits: Entertainment Weekly magazine Special Oscars Guide 2009 (Inauguration year photos), More magazine October 2008 (Historical photos and flipped hairstyle) , People magazine March 9, 2009 (Pink outfit), Better Homes and Gardens magazine August 2011 (yellow sweater), Ladies Home Journal magazine September 2010 (bluegreen dress), More Magazine February 2012 (red outfit)

August 2011 Hair Show: Johnny Wright

I just came back from the Bronner Brothers International Hair Show full of new tricks!

The Soft Sheen Carson presentation was lead by Celebrity Hair Artist Johnny Wright. He is most known as First Lady Michelle Obama's hair stylist. He introduced Housewives of Atlanta reality tv show star Cynthia Bailey. Photography by Benita Blocker.

He showed us how to do Michelle Obama's updo as well as his celebrity toolkit for editorial photo shoots. Guess what was in his toolkit? Two different partial wigs in two different colors. They were "clip-in" units. I had to laugh because if you don't have time to start with a shampoo service on a model . . . it is better to commercially integrate a hairpiece to make the model look voluminous!

This is the first of a series of articles surrounding this hair show. So stay tuned for feather extensions, new Geodesic cutting, Soft Sheen Carson's new smart lye relaxer system and more!

Michelle Obama: The Healthy, Sleek hair Look!

First Lady Michelle Obama is looking great from head to toe! This sleek style can be achieved from having your stylist use the stove and marcel flat iron. It can be acheived with the hair being roller set in large rollers first then use the marcel flat iron to relax the roller set parts. If using magnetic rollers, try the purple or gray sizes. Use of a light foam as a setting agent will eliminate any challenges with weight and/or movement.

The blow dry service is still an option as well. However, sitting clients with fine and/or relaxed hair under a pre-heated dryer on medium setting for about 5 to 10 minutes with their ends clipped up will assist in pre-drying some of the ends. The ends are usually the weakest part of the hair strand. With African American hair, I still believe that women with extremely curly hair need the roots blown dry with some wetness in it. If they have a fresh relaxer, then the roots should be straight. Choosing the marcel flat iron over the electric ionic/ceramic flat iron is safer for those desiring to keep their length.

I have grown my clients' hair out to mid-back lengths within two year time period using these expensive ionic flat irons, but I have found that continued use of the ionic/infrared heated flat irons seem to cause permanent damage in the internal structure of the hair. This internal damage to the hair shaft eventually shows up "one day" out of the unexpected. Race of the client does not matter. Natural hair versus relaxed hair does not matter. Curl pattern does not matter. The results of continued use of ceramic/ionic flat irons will show up one day. It may take a year, a year and a half, or even three years. Depending on the heat protection products that being used, how often the hair is being flat iron per week, and the fineness of the hair will determine how soon the damage will show up. The hair will typically start showing signs of minor breakage before the excessive breaking begins. Again, your race does not matter.

I have had new Caucausian/White clients come in requesting hair extension service because of excessive breakage from ionic flat iron use at home. Returning back to the original electric curling irons and bulky electric flat irons for home use will be best for the hair when heat styling is needed. Please see separate articles on flat irons for "old school tools." Also, read your tool instruction manuals under "temperature settings." Some warnings are printed there.

I have been asked a lot lately about whether or not the heat damaged hair will curl back up for those who were naturally curly prior to their hair starting to go straight from the heat. My answer is maybe, but do not count on it. For coarser hair, the hair strand has more medulla, and the curl may return after a few months. However, if the hair stays straight after it is thoroughly saturated in water (i.e. shampooed), then it is less likely to return to its original curl pattern. That straight hair may either break off eventually or it may need to be trimmed away over the year. Either way, your new growth is your new focus. No more ceramic/ionic/infrared flat irons at home nor in the salon. Promise.?

Black Celebrity Hairstyles - The Good and the Bad!

I just saw Pauletta Washington on the tv program "Good Works" on yesterday. She is Denzel Washington's wife. I was very impressed with her credentials and her interview, but her hair screamed "cheap wig!"

I noticed Michelle Obama on the cover of "Good Housekeeping" magazine. Her hair screamed "I am getting shorter and shorter!"

If I had to gamble, I am willing to bet that both of these ladies have Type 4/tightly coiled hair. There has not been enough research and development on maintaining the health of this type of hair. This type of hair is not considered the "model hair" type.

I even tried researching African websites for answers to tightly coiled hair. They have been dealing with their tightly coiled hair longer than Black American women, but they are still trying to figure it out too!

The challenge is that the tighter the hair is naturally coiled, then the bandwidth between the natural texture and a completely straight texture is very wide. Just like hair color -- jumping from Black/Brunette to Blonde in one step is not a long-term healthy move. It can be done safely, but hair has to be constantly nurtured to avoid breakage in the long run.

So if you have tightly coiled hair and you use a chemical relaxer, then it will weaken the coils if completed too often, which will cause breakage. However, celebrities need styling control.

Black female celebrities that seem to have the greatest control of their hair include comedienne Monique and entertainer Janet Jackson.

The best tips for tightly coiled/kinky hair:

1) use sulfate-free shampoos such as Pureology,
2) use conditioners tailored to the weather you are going to be in,
3) consider investing in synthetic lace front wigs that do not require adhesive to hold it such as the brand "It's a Wig" which has a very natural look. You can get up to two weeks use out of it and then get another one. This brand costs around $40 to $80 a piece, but for camera and spotlights -- it can be worth it to avoid so many chemicals and heat to the natural hair. Please see my other articles for how to cut the lace front wigs.