Recently my assistant Lottie told me that she noticed a few questions and comments had been sent to the salon's email address in addition to the usual blog postings. I asked her to bring them in so I could read them. She asked me where to put the emails. Naively, I said "Lottie, leave them on my desk." I should have sensed something was up when Lottie said, "Are you sure?" I impatiently said "yes" as I went to greet my next client.

When I had I finished my clients for the day, long forgetting about the emails, I went downstairs to my office. As I stood in the doorway, I looked at my desk in shock. It was barely visible. Stacks of emails where piled high. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. I decided to just start reading your questions one at a time.


I love when you make over women of color. It is so exciting to see all the options that are available to ethnic women like me. I always wanted to highlight my hair. I ran to the drugstore and bought a highlighting kit after I saw you lighten the hair of a woman whose hair texture was similar to mine. What a disaster! The highlights came out too light and most of the highlighted hairs broke off within two weeks. What did I do wrong? -Janelle

African American hair is much more delicate than Caucasian or Asian hair. It reacts to color in five to fifteen minutes and even faster if the hair has been permed or relaxed. Timing is key. To prevent breakage, it is important to use only the gentlest and most buffered products. Bleach should never be used to lighten hair. All coloring should be done with tints and low-volume developers.



II just graduated from college and my hair is long, straight and bleached blond. I have long roots and my hair is fried. It looked great at school but now that I'm looking for a job, it just doesn't look right. My natural color is dirty blond. I would like a more natural look. How do I make my white blond hair believable? -Mary

First things first, Mary. Now is the time to try a new hair cut. Cut off as much as you can bear. This will eliminate some of the bleached blond color and your fried hair. The next step is to start to add highlights on your roots. After the first touch-up, your hair might still look a little darker at the roots. Not to worry! A few touch-ups later you will look like a natural blond who has spent time at the beach.

 

II love your redhead makeovers. My natural color is medium brown. I have olive skin and brown eyes. I always wanted to be a redhead. Would red hair be a good choice for me? -Jen


Yes Jen, you can be a redhead. You must pick a red shade that is right for your complexion. Women with olive skin should pick darker reds or auburn shades. A lighter red will make your complexion appear sallow.


Need some Hairapy?  Send in your photos and questions to contact@louislicari.com. I will post them periodically with my beauty suggestions. This should be a great learning experience for all of us. You can have your questions answered and I will gain insights into your beauty needs. All pictures sent in become the property of iVillage and Louis Licari.

It's that time again. Time to answer your questions. What a learning experience this has been for me! In a few short sentences I become aware of your interests and concerns. Every now and then I hit a nerve and feel the anger of your rebellion. Apparently many women believe that scrunchies and banana clips are acceptable accessories for hair. Sorry ladies! I still believe they only should be worn at home along with your sweat pants. As I dodge your occasional barbs, I happily answer more of your beauty questions.


I always had red hair until the birth of my first child three years ago. My hair was auburn but people definitely identified me as a redhead. Every year it gets darker and darker with some grey mixed in. I tried having it colored at the salon twice and both times the color looked BLOOD RED or PURPLE! I do not want to be stuck with brown and grey hair forever. Please tell me there is hope for me! -Jennifer


Yes Jennifer, there is hope for you as a redhead! I would guess you have more than a few grey hairs. I'm sure that the blood red or purple hue you see is strongest where your hair is grey. When hair is grey and you are going red, it can easily pick up the base of your new color. This is an easy problem to remedy. The color formula should include a neutral brown shade. The more grey hair you have, the more brown color should be added to your formula. This will prevent any unwanted results.



I I was wondering if you color your hair, do you need to color your eyebrows? -Angela



My answer: The first thing I have to say about coloring eyebrows is be careful! After years of applying hair color to thousands of heads, I can tell you from personal experience that even the tiniest drop of color in the eye stings. Blinking is the best remedy if hair color should wind up in your eye. Blinking will flush and clean the color from your eye. Please note that eyebrow coloring is forbidden in some states by law.


Now that you know the downside of coloring your brows, I'll tell you the do's and don'ts of coloring them.

• Never make them as light as your hair. If you make your eyebrows too light, they will disappear and give you a blank look.
• Making dark brows too light can make them orange. This will play havoc with your skin color.
• Making excessively dark brows a pinch lighter can make your new hair color look more natural.
• There is nothing more annoying than one or two grey hairs in your brow. Use a disposable mascara applicator to apply tint where needed.

I was reading a comment posted on last week's blog, "No More Drama," and the proverbial light bulb went on. The post read, "Hi Louis. I am going to cut my hair this week. I have been growing it out for years but it's damaged and I need a change. I have thin, fine hair and I think I need bangs because I have a high, wide forehead. I would really love it if I could send you a picture and get your advice on a haircut. I have never been to New York and don't know any other way I'd get your advice. I think if anyone could steer me in the right direction, it would be you. Please help! -Michelle."

I love this idea. What better way would there be for me to answer your questions than to look at your pictures? So here's the deal. Send in your photos and questions to contact@louislicari.com. I will post them periodically with my beauty suggestions. This should be a great learning experience for all of us. You can have your questions answered and I will gain insights into your beauty needs. All pictures sent in become the property of iVillage and Louis Licari.

In the meantime, check out the latest Hairapy Q&A:

I have naturally dark brown hair, but I recently went blond, a golden yellow color. I don't think the color looks good because I have light skin and dark eyes. I am not sure what color to go. I was thinking of platinum blond. Should I go back to my dark hue?  -Mela


Sounds like your newly acquired blond hair is washing out your complexion. Remember your hair color should always provide contrast to your skin color. I would suggest that you start to make your hair slightly darker at the roots. You will immediately notice your skin color looking more alive. This will also add depth and dimension to your hair.



I have curly/wavy hair but I fight it and flat iron it. I would like to accept it. I have read that I need to use shampoos that do not lather on my hair. Can you give me names of products that I need to use that will help me? Thank you!  -Lisa


You probably have the perfect product in your shower right now. It's your conditioner! Using your conditioner as a shampoo will keep your curls calm and avoid unnecessary dryness. Use a heavily conditioning shampoo only when absolutely necessary.

The other day I found my self looking up the archives of my blog "Hair and There" to look at some of the subject matter I have discussed. Much to my surprise, I realized I have been blogging for two years. To my bigger surprise, I realized that many of you have sent in questions, most of them still unanswered. The comment "Should we put Louis's picture on a milk bottle?" said it all. I was delinquent and for this I apologize. I must admit that once I post each entry I check to see that it is posted, look at the art work chosen to illustrate it and read it again to be sure it's coherent.

I am still a bit insecure about my writing. You must understand I came to New York after finishing my degree in art from Syracuse University. After a few struggling years as a painter, I stumbled into my career as a hair colorist. I never went to journalism school. No one is more amazed than I am that I have the opportunity to write this blog!

Unfortunately, I do not have the time to answer every question that has been posted. In the future, I will dedicate a bi-monthly blog to answer your inquiries. Please send in any questions you have about haircuts, color, condition, trends or anything else you need to know. I'll be happy to answer your questions.


"I have dark hair, basically black, and I really want to put light brown and red highlights in my hair. I want to do this using store-bought dye, but I've never done this before. Am I just supposed to follow the instructions on the box or will the colors not come out right because my hair is too dark?"  -Ann Marie


There are highlighting kits available for dark-haired women. They are clearly labeled as highlights for brunettes. If you are ever in doubt about your shade choice, look on the box for a color chart. It will clearly state "not recommended" if it is not the right product for your shade of hair. Natural black hair can be highlighted successfully if you choose highlights in the brown family. I would avoid red highlights on dark or black hair. They can easily turn orange and brassy.



"My hair was auburn. I have been coloring my hair a dark, warm blond for years. I have liked it even though I have olive skin and brown eyes. I have always used light ash blond to achieve my color. My husband wanted me to go lighter, so I added two powder packets in the box. My hair is now bright yellow/orange. It looks horrible. What can I do? Help!"  -Ann


Call your hair salon for an emergency appointment right now! The powder packets you used are bleach activators to color hair blond like Madonna's or Marilyn Monroe's. It will take a skilled professional to properly tone your hair back to a believable color. The lesson learned here is always read instructions thoroughly before you begin any at-home coloring process.