November 29th, 2010
Tips to take care of your hair
When I arrived to Buenos Aires, my hair was short and as everyone else, I needed to have a haircut. So I asked to the locals and they recommended me a place (that since I don’t like to say bad things I will not mention the name unless you ask me ☺) and it was a total disaster. They cut my hair so much that I end up with holes, and they dye my hair with an orange color because they wanted to make some highlights … total disaster!!!
So, few weeks later and being totally depress I decided to try another hairdresser, so one of my friends recommended me to go to “Studio Lamensa” with someone called Margarita … so that’s what I did. When she saw me she immediately sends me to the color area to dye my hair to a darker color and then she analyzed my case and her exacts words were: “Is winter, the best for you is wear a hat!” Imagine how I felt, if she couldn’t do anything … who else could??? So I followed her advice, and every month I came back to see if she could do something else with my hair, but the only thing to do was to wait for my hair to grow. Today after five years of having Margarita as my hairdresser, I can say that I have a great, long and shinny hair, thanks to her!
I am telling you this story, because I want you to understand why I decided to interview Margarita. Thanks to her I have my hair again, and because of her every month I spend many hours in the hairdresser knowing that I am in good hands with a team leading by Sergio Lamensa (well known hairdresser here in Argentina) and that Margarita being the second in charge will care of my hair as it was hers!
Margarita started as a hairdresser 25 years ago and from the very beginning she stood out in her work and had the chance to work in recognized beauty salons. She is in charge of many local and international celebrities’ hairstyle like Natalia Oreiro, Dolores Barreiro, Pampita, María Vazquez and Rebeca de Alba (Mexican presenter). She is constantly working in photography sessions for magazines and runways productions. She is specialist in bridal hairstyle and hair extensions.
Seating in Studio Lamensa I asked her the following:
1. Which factor do you consider to make the perfect cut in each person?
M: Obviously the first factor is the face shape and then the likes and desire of the client. We try to balance the face by not emphasizing any part, for example the ears. I always negotiate with the client so she get the best option and leave happy from here. I will never do anything to drastic with in a haircut it is a nonsense risk.
2. And what do you consider to define the color?
M: It also has to be based on each person, for example, if the client has darker skin, is not the best to be blond. But here in Argentina, everybody loves to be blond so what I do is create a balance that will look good, but it is always based on negotiation. My work has a lot of psychology, you have to be very careful in how you say things, never give a bad critic just like that, always negotiate, because the point is to make the client looks better and be happy.
3. How can we have a healthy and shinny hair?
M: Taking care of it, there is not other way. Here in Buenos Aires we have a lot of hair products so it is not that difficult, you have to try many to see which one is better for your hair. You always have to take care of it using good products, avoiding the use of the iron daily and not putting so much hot on it, if not there is no product that will help. Always use conditioner. The best method to have a healthy hair is to rotate products, try to have 2 or 3 shampoos and rotate them, don’t use always the same so the hair will not get use to it.
4. How often do we have to cut out hair? It is true that if you cut it will grow faster?
M: The best is to cut it at least 2 to 3 times per year, if not every one and a half month or every two months if you have a specific cut to maintain. It is true that if you cut your hair it will grow faster, because you help it to get renewed, it is not a myth.
5. How often can we dye our hair?
M: If you have white hair, you have to dye it at least every month; some people come every two weeks. If you just do highlights, it is ok to dye it every 3 to 4 months just to maintain the roots.
6. Since one of your specialties is the hair extension, can you tell us little more about it? In which cases do you recommend them? How often do we have to change them?
M: Usually the people come here to ask for extensions in three cases: they have a terrible haircut and they want their hair back, they love to have a lot of hair and they just want more even though they already have hair or they really don’t have hair and they want more. I think everybody can use hair extensions, I only don’t recommend it when a person has alopecia, and it will not help them. The hair extension that I use are the best for the hair, there are some that use silicone but that end up cutting the hair. The other method is using staples, it is faster to get it on, but again at the end it will cut the hair and it is very uncomfortable to sleep it damages the scalp. What I use is a hair curtain that is sewed to a French braid with needle and thread, it is a lot or work but the person will not feel it and it will not damage the scalp or the hair. The maintenance has to be every 2 months approximately.
7. What is your advice to always have a nice hairstyle?
M: You should come to the hairdresser (laughs). First you have to get a good haircut, then you have to take care of it but usually if you have a nice haircut it is going to be easier to get a hairdo. You can also use hair accessories as flowers, bandanas, etc. I don’t recommend to use spay because it will only help with those little hairs that just can stay down, but in general it is better to use a product to help the ends to look healthy.
8. How bad is to use the hair iron every day? What do you think about the permanent hair straightening?
M: I don’t recommend it because at the end it will damage the hair. I believe the permanent hair straightening is for the one who just can not stand her hair, it’s good because you will always have a hairdo, but I don’t recommend it if you don’t have very curly hair. If you just have some slight curl is better to have a brushing done. But what can I say, people like to do the permanent hair straightening.
9. What is the best hairstyle for a wedding?
M: It depends in many different variables, you have to see the dress, the bride hair, her likes … it will never be two brides that looks the same. The hair can be up or down, there is no rule, all depends on the dress and if the bride has nice hair always tell them to show it, but … honestly at the end everybody just pull up her hair after dancing.
10. Let’s finish with some myths: True or False
It is bad for the hair to wash it daily – M: FALSE. Honestly is not necessary to wash it every day but nothing will happen if you do it. Just use a neutral shampoo so it will not get dry or greasy.
If you pull out a white hair you will have 7 more – M: FALSE. That is a lie, because every hair has just one bulb so it is just impossible.
And before we end …
How do you define the style in a woman? Which things define it?
M: The hair and the shoes are key, because you can wear a perfect dress of a great designer and if your shoes and your hair are disaster, your look will be bad. The dress is the less important thing, of course it is fundamental, but what I mean is that it will not look, as it should if your hair and shoes are bad.
Can you give an advice to all the entrepreneurs that are just starting?
M: First of all, you should like what you do. Being a hairdresser implies a lot of passion about working with hair, taking your time and never rush, it is our working material. I don’t understand those people, who just cut and cut hair with out caring about the client, we should respect the hair it is our working tool.
Anything else you would like to add …
M: When you are looking for a change, ask for many opinions; don’t just go with the first one. Get advice for different hairdressers and go with the one that like you more and make you feel more comfortable. Usually, people that are going through a difficult stage in their lives come to us and ask for a drastic change in their hair. That is the worst thing to do, is better if you go first to a shrink fix your problem, and then come to us. If not it is very probable that after a drastic change in your hair, you will still have your problem and also a depression due to a bad haircut.
Ups! This last advice gets into me; because I have done that … do you?
If you live in Buenos Aires and you want to have a haircut with Margarita, here is where to find her “Estudio Lamensa” phone 48164990.
See you soon!
Fabiola
Note: The pictures included are from productions done by Studio Lamensa. I didn’t include a picture from Margarita because she doesn’t like to have a public image.