“Your hair is in good condition,” said mane man Michael
Charalambous whose salon in London’s Sloane Square attracts clients from all
over the globe. “I will only take a centimetre off the length,” he said when I
went for my regular trim.
All the care I have taken with my locks in between salon
visits has paid off. Not too many heated appliances, not overdoing the brushing
and plenty of conditioning treatments.
“Clients with the worst hair are usually frequenting
blow-dry bars too often,” says Michael. “You can see hair that has been ripped
and damaged by people who have hardly any formal hairdressing training. They
use bad brushes. Many over dry the top layer, which is the most fragile, and
often leave the bottom layer damp which will cause frizz.”
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| Hair in good condition |
Michael also points out that as the prices of these blow-dry
bars tend to be cheaper than going to a proper salon, clients go more often
and, therefore, subject their tresses to more heat damage which is
irreversible, so clients have to have it cut shorter. They also have a limited
range of styles that they can do. They may not work to your individual needs.
“Another problem is hygiene,” says Michael. “Brushes and
combs may not be cleaned regularly. In nail bars, you have to be even more
careful, it is all too easy to pick up a fungal infection from instruments that
have not been cleaned properly.”
Because of the business model that some blow-dry bars use, they aim to get as many people in and out
as possible. So you may not get the care and attention that you want.
Manicures at Michael's
salon start from £30. He
advocates it is better to go for quality rather than quantity. In other words
go to a better place less often. Your hair and nails will thank you.
If you want to have your hair blow-dried regularly, then you
could go to a stylist less senior than the one who cuts your hair. They will
obviously be trained by the salon who has standards they have to uphold.
So, next time you are tempted to stop off at a nail bar or
visit a blow-dry bar, think twice.
By Daralyn Danns
For more information visit www.nyumbasalon.com or
follow on instagram.com/nyumbasalon
