Winter Hair Survival Guide

The holiday season may be over, but the long winter months loom ahead—along with their relentless assault on hair, skin and nails. This time of year, salon clients need their stylists and colorists more than ever for practical solutions for everything from flaky scalps to static electricity to hat hair. And just as important to them is the psychological boost a great new haircolor or deep-shine infuser can provide. Here, the experts at King Research offer a handful of mood-lifting, hair-beautifying remedies to help you protect your clients from winter's assault on their hair. (Think of it as a little "coif medicine.")

WINTER WARMERS

If your clients' haircolor sends chills down their spines as it fades, offer them a warm color moisturizing treatment to add brightness and shine. The heat in the haircolor gently opens the cuticles so that the color penetrates more deeply and lasts longer. You can even promote special seasonal colors, such as hot chocolate for brunettes, lemon and honey for blondes, flaming embers for redheads. It's a real treat on a cold day.



FIGHTING THE FLAKES

Snow isn't the only thing falling in winter; dry, flaky scalps are a sure sign cold weather has arrived. Try treating your clients to a professional service with a prescriptive treatment, such as King Research's Dandriclean Shampoo and Rinse, to clear away flakes, unclog hair follicles and leave hair soft and silky. Both products contain soothing aloe vera and can be retailed for use at home.

EMERGENCY KIT

Here's an easy little boost to your retail bottom line: Offer your clients special "emergency kits" to use every time they take off their hats, with purse-size bottles of curl rejuvenators or leave-in conditioning treatments. You could sell these kits after a perm service along with a deep conditioner, or with a round brush and a volumizing product after a simple cut and blow-dry.

SHINING STAR

One of the hardest things to achieve in winter is shiny hair, so offer your clients tip cards filled with information they can use to keep their coifs aglow, such as how to blow-dry their hair all in one direction to keep the cuticles smooth, or using an oil-based pomade instead of gel. In addition, offer a shine-boosting treatment in the salon.

For more information, visit www.kingresearch.com . —M.N.