A reversed-angle, grey, shaggy bob

 

Tired of colouring my hair, I decided that lockdown was the perfect opportunity to grow the dye out and enhance the grey. After all, it is bang on-trend.

I was happy that the condition of my hair had radically improved. Years of colouring had taken its toll on my locks. They looked and felt like a lump of straw.

 

Before

                                                                       
 

As I had loved my own natural hair colour (a gorgeous black/brown) finding a colourist who could actually achieve a good result was a no mean feat. I ended up with it being either too dark, too warm, too light or too dense. The colour fading, especially in the summer, was another problem. There were only a couple of colourists who got it right.

I was liking the natural hues coming through.The same cannot be said for the old dye which had now turned rather brassy. Thank goodness for hats and hairbands.

So it was with great relief, after almost five months, that I got an appointment with my beloved snipper, Michael Charalambous, based in London’s Sloane Square.

Like a lot of people, I felt it was time to try a new look. Michael already had a plan of action. I love the fact that he never lets me fall into a hair rut. He is constantly changing my image. He was the man who finally persuaded me to ditch the dye. 

 

 

A reversed-angle. shaggy bob

 

 

He set to work with his adept skills to create a reversed-angle, shaggy bob. “I am going to add layers to create lift and volume,” he said.

He softly curved the front adding soft pieces to frame my face. “You can part your hair in the centre or on the side,” he added.

After blow-drying, he razor-cut the ends to enhance my hair’s texture and movement. “This style will look great messy so it will be easy for you to maintain,” he pointed out.

Not having to spend hours on end styling my hair sounded like music to my ears.

 

 

A short, sassy cut

 

This was the first time in my life that I ever had a short, sassy cut. As I looked in the mirror, I felt like a completely different person. The silver complemented my complexion. It worked well with the style that Michael had created. His genius never ceases to amaze me.

I guess the effects of lockdown and the pandemic have changed most of us in some way.  So embracing a new look is the perfect way to start a new chapter.

On the way home, I bumped into a couple of neighbours who remarked on how great my hair looked.

The most telling remark was from a friend who had balked when I told him I was going to go au naturel. He retorted it would make me look older.

“It makes you look 10 years younger!” he exclaimed on seeing the final result.

By Daralyn Danns

 

For inspiration visit nyumbasalon.com or follow on instagram.com/nyumbasalon 

Making the transition from brunette to silver

 

It is now been 10 months since I stopped colouring my hair. The good news is that the condition has radically improved. Soft and silky has replaced the straw-like texture.

I have been able to let it dry naturally (thanks to my wonderful hairdresser Michael Charalambus and his fabulous cuts) so it goes into curls and waves helping to disguise the mix of hues.

Two months since my last cut, I am now back with Michael sitting with faded ends. “It needs cleaning up,” he says.

 

 

 

Michael adds more layers for more body and shapes the sides to get rid of those non-flattering reddish bits at the ends.

“I am going to blow-dry your hair straight so I can check the cut. You should let it dry curly and, this time, wear it behind your ears,” says the hair god.

He goes on to tell me that since lockdown, more and more people are embracing their natural texture. Many turned to straighteners and curling tongs to help them handle their hair when hairdressers were closed. The result was damaged, dry, brittle hair. 

 

 

 

 

 

“Another mistake people make at home is using the hairdryer on too high temperature. You should keep it on a medium setting and keep the dryer at least 15cm (6 inches) away from your hair,” he adds.

He also suggests wrapping it in a towel for no more than 20 minutes to get rid of excess moisture before you start blow-drying. Always use a heat protectant.

In no time at all I was transformed with another new look. I am not going to pretend that the transition period is easy. But Michael’s creative styling has made it much easier. The old and the new colour now seem to blend harmoniously.

As I have come to expect from a cut from the maestro, I leave yet again looking glamourous.

And the verdict from friends has been a thumbs up!

 

Happy holidays!

 

By Daralyn Danns

 

For inspiration visit nyumbasalon.com or follow on instagram.com/nyumbasalon 

Embracing your grey hair

 

 

I never thought that I could look glamorous whilst in the process of growing out coloured hair and embracing my greys. But my amazing hairdresser Michael Charalambous proved me wrong.

It has been eight months since I stopped colouring my hair. The good news is that the silver coming through is a great shade and also my strands are in a lot better condition that the rest of it. Overall, my hair is a lot softer and less brittle than it was after lockdown. I have also noticed that it is less frizzy.

 

 

 

 

 

“We need to add more layers at the back to get rid of that rigid line,” said Michael on inspecting my hair. “The grey strands will blend in better with the colour and it will bring out your natural curl making it easier for you to style. We are also going to change the parting from the side to the centre. It’s more modern and will look better with the colour.”

Michael set to work weaving his magic with the scissors and before long I had the most fabulous cut and blow-dry. As I have so much baby hair I also had a fringe which Michael tells me is bang on-trend. 

 

 

 

 

More shaped and shorter than I had been for a long time, I actually left the salon feeling fabulous. No mean feat when you are going through a transition of going grey from dyed hair.

What is more I received a lot of compliments on the new look (even one from a complete stranger in a shop) ranging from "you look five years younger" to "what a beautiful colour your grey is".

It feels liberating not having to go to the salon every seven weeks and having to use powders in between – I preferred them to the sprays which always made my hair look too matt and heavy – to cover up the roots.

The coloured strands fading over time will be an issue that l will have to deal with but, hopefully, as my hair grows fast it will not be too much of a problem. I also have the advantage of having Michael Charalambous as my hairdresser. He seems to have the solution for all my hair-related problems.

 

By Daralyn Danns

 

For inspiration visit nyumbasalon.com or follow on instagram.com/nyumbasalon