1 Year Anniversary!

 January 11, 2013 marks the 1 year anniversary of Xcentric's new location.  Although we didn't move far (a few blocks down and around the corner), the new location has become a fresh start for us and a positive, motivating change. 

If you've been to our previous location and seen our new spot as well, then you can probably imagine why we moved.  There is really no comparison as far as the space itself, and with the combination of the aging building and question of it even existing in a few years, Lisa jumped at the chance to own the new commercial unit in the 42 Loft .  Considering the business was taken over by her from a previous owner, this was her chance to make it all her own.

With the help of award winning salon designer Sandra from Fiore + Greco Design Inc. , Lisa created a modern space that is unique to the city in the 'eco-chic' building. 

Outside of the building, from Peppler St.

 

The view from, and into the waiting area

 

Custom made light fixtures and ottoman

 

The use of mirrors, light colours and mixed metals gives the space an open 'lofty' feel

 

Adjustable sinks with foot rests

 The past year has flown by in our new location!  We have grown as a team and become more motivated than ever, being surrounded by such beautiful design and atmosphere.  We thank all of our clients for joining us here and always welcome new clients to come check us out too.

Happy New Year!

Bye Bye Bieber

If there's one trend that we (and every mother of a teenage boy) were happy to see end, it's the Bieber cut.  Complete with the trademark head flipping, it was a style only a tween could love.

We're thinking that when Bieber himself ditched the look, that the herd of bielebers were sure to follow and thankfully there has been a variety of awesome teeny bopper makeovers!

Here are some new trends for young men that have come out of our salon:

By Carrie

By Lisa

 

 

Much fresher than the Bieber cut, don't you think?? 

 

 

p.s. go like our Facebook page! there will be giveaways :)



What's The Difference?

This time of year, with the changing weather and furnaces full blast, our scalps can freak out on us.  Unfortunately, Head & Shoulders has revolved their marketing schemes around making you believe that any type of flake from your scalp is dandruff.  Totally not the case, in fact, dandruff is pretty uncommon.  The funny thing is that Head & Shoulders doesn't even cure dandruff, but since it helps with dandruff symptoms, they can claim that the product is 'for' dandruff.

Dry Scalp:
-Caused by dehydration, much like the skin on your body.  When your body is dehydrated, it can show in your skin and scalp. Drink lots of water!!  The scalp may flake more than your skin because it combines with your scalp's oils.
-Using a cheap shampoo can irritate your scalp (and hair) with it's harsh sulfates.  A sulfate free shampoo like any of Pureology's will be much more gentle on the scalp and even preserve your hair colour.  Specifically, Pureology's Purify shampoo can soothe a dry scalp with it's tea tree oil and chamomile.

-Dry scalp can be described as flakes in the hair, near the scalp.  It tends to feel like how dry skin would, tight and itchy, but usually not found in significant patches. Washing your hair with cooler water and less often can help relieve the symptoms.
-Avoiding hair products with a high alcohol content, especially cheap hairsprays, can help to prevent dry scalp.


Dandruff:
-Categorized by greasy or waxy flakes, itchiness, stinging and 'chunkier' flakes. You can tell the difference between dandruff and dry scalp because dandruff doesn't feel dry at all, yet still produces flaking.
-Caused by Seborrheic Dermatitis which is actually a fungal/yeast condition of the skin.  It can occur in all areas of the body and can even spread if not treated.
-Dandruff can be brought on by infrequent shampooing, stress, weather extremes, excessive use of high alcohol content products and a general blockage or build up on the scalp.
-Using Pureology's Purify shampoo can provide some relief to dandruff due to it's anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties (tea tree oil).  However, the dandruff needs to be cleared up with a medicated shampoo like Nizoral which is different from Head & Shoulders because it contains ketoconazole, the medication that treats the fungus.

Hopefully this info helps to clear up exactly what the difference is between dry scalp and dandruff.  We often see an overreaction to flakes and usually a few flakes are not a big deal.  
Since there are other scalp conditions associated with flakes (psoriasis, eczema), it's best to consult your doctor for a diagnosis before treating a scalp issue.  As hairstylists, we can certainly provide our professional opinion based on a scalp analysis but a proper diagnosis is best left to a medical professional.

Celebrity Hair: The Truth

Most of the time when clients bring a photo into the salon of a hairstyle or colour they want to achieve, it's a celebrity's pic.  As hairstylists, we love when our clients bring in some visuals of what they're after for their own look and celebrities tend to have the very best hair!
But....their hair is often shrouded in mystery, in the form of extensions, wigs, hair pieces and sometimes their hair is even airbrushed in print to change the colour or add fullness. 

What does this high level of hair fraud mean to us regular women?  We can feel better about our own hair (or lack of) because seriously, throw some clip-ins on or a lace front and we're suddenly just as luscious in the locks department as Lindsay Lohan (no thank you).

Let's investigate:

 Jennifer Lopez

Without extensions and with them...enough said.

This haircut on Nicole Richie was very popular when she first showed up on the red carpet with it years ago.  I guess her hair couldn't handle all the bleaching to get her that blonde because she's actually wearing hair extensions here.  Yes, even with that short of hair cut!  Could you imagine what it looks like without them? If you look closely, you can see beading at the root of her hair.  Thats where the fake hair is fused to her own, even in her bangs.

Here's another highly sought after celebrity haircut.  This was from when bangs were at the height of popularity a few years ago, and these were the bangs to have!  The rest of Reese's hair, however, is a mix of real and fake.  The lighter sections on the bottom are likely clip in extensions and you can see the darker, shorter, fuzzier piece of hair falling alongside her neck which is definitely the real deal.

Going back to the days when the angled bob was worn by about a third of the female population, one of the biggest complaints was that there was simply not enough fullness around the front to acheive a solid angle.  Victoria Beckham has that problem solved with the addition of extensions just around the face.  You can tell by the bluntness of the ends and the mis-matched colour that it's not natural.

Here is a dead give-away that someone is wearing extensions  (and these are the REALLY expensive ones that are fused to the root, tiny section by tiny section).  The stringy ends just scream 'i don't grow out of the scalp!!!' and in fact, you can see how each section is individual.  Blake Lively usually has a wonderful head of hair, but this set of falsies is not ok.

Some celebrities look really unbe-weave-able with their hair augmentations but some actually need it to fix past hair mistakes or fill in holes. Acting/singing talent doesn't mean they were also born with perfect locks so like other tweaks and procedures they have done, their hair is no exception.

Holiday Hair

With the holidays fast approaching, our calendars are filling up with parties and events to attend.  While some are informal family get-togethers, there is usually that one party every year that you get all dolled up for.  We've compiled several ideas for how to wear your hair this holiday season if you want to compliment your holiday best with a sweet updo!

(this hair was not done by Xcentric)

 

 

Come in to the salon for your holiday hairstyles! We even have a wash and style package on sale right now for half price :)

Introducing: Our Blog!!!

If you've ever been to Xcentric Hair Studio, you likely noticed right away that hair isn't our only interest.  While it is our main obsession, it's ONE of the many aspects of art and design and there is so much more that inspires us!

We've decided to start this blog as an outlet to share our love for all things inspiring, to give tips and advice on hair, discuss trends and pretty much anything we feel is relevant :)

We will try to update the blog as frequently as we can, but for now you can check out our facebook and instagram pages by clicking on logo buttons on the right side.  Follow/Like us and you'll be kept up to date and even be eligible to win prizes!