Hello everyone... I've gotten a TON of comments & questions, both positive & negative, on the thought process behind my decisions & where my head's at with our constantly evolving "new normal," especially when it comes to the salon. What better place to address all this then here?!

Where do I even begin?

As I'm sure you've already heard or assumed, the salon is closed & will be reopening as soon as possible. Trust me... no-one misses it more then me!

@beautylaunchpad

Scrolling through social media it's becoming really apparent how important a hairstylist's contributions are to society. I mean honestly... short of toilet paper it seems like the only other thing people really want right now is there hair done!

And here we are making the difficult decision not to do it.

It's hard for sure. You're disappointing people & who feels like doing that, especially in an industry where we're trained to & love making people happy. And to be honest I miss the connections I have with coworkers, clients & my income. Of course I'd love to be in the salon.

But this goes way beyond missed connections or finances.

It's about the common good of society... a surrender from the "me" to the "we." And beyond the great communities that I have the pleasure to work & live in I have older parents that would be more compromised. And as you all know my niece is my sunshine & she deals with some allergies & asthma that also puts her at a higher risk. So obviously it would be a no brainer for me to stop working for the meantime.

Not to mention in a salon as large & busy as Jolie there are many, many more than ten or fifty people in & out of our doors at any given moment. And in this industry it's so hard to work from home or even begin to keep six feet of social distance with a client. If you've ever had your hair done by me you know I'm all up in ya' business... both physically & personally! That's part of what makes the experience so fun!

So in short... do I want to be closed... of course not. But should we be... absolutely.

@ghd

But it's not all negative! Let's mention some positives about a small salon break.

You're giving your hair a chance to rest & breathe a little. This would be the perfect time to do at the clarifying or conditioning treatment you've always meant to do but never actually find the time.

Are you shampooing your hair every single day because of exercise or work but you wish you were one of those ladies who didn't have to? Well guess what... now's the time to experiment a little & see how that would go for you! Better to look a hot mess figuring it out now then when you're back to work.

If you're a product junkie like most of my clients then chances are your hair could probably use a little product detox & break from all those dry shampoos & volume powder sprays. That's never a bad thing.

And most importantly this would be the absolutely perfect time to give your hair a break form the heat! Put down those hot tools & just let your hair breathe for a week or two.

Now for what I'm realizing is everyone's biggest concern... your roots!

@behindthechair

Some of the easiest ways to deal with it is to just embrace the fact that you're not seeing many people & we're all in the same boat! That's what I'm doing!

If that's a no-go then try one of these little hacks.

Switch up your part to the side that hopefully contains less gray. Try a top knot, a loose braid or a low pony to try to hide your roots depending on where they come in the strongest. Throw on a trendy headband or hat to hide your roots & if you're a blonde try a purple shampoo to give your hair a glazed effect.

I've saved the biggest & best hack of all for last. Become best friends with your root concealer. My personal fave is by Style Edit. To read my review of the product click here & to see my personal experience with it you can click here.

Now if you don't have any or can't get your hands on some right now a little eye shadow can even do the trick in the meantime.

When the salon reopens lets match up your hair to one of the available shades & then you can promptly go home, put it into your emergency arsenal for the future & calm down knowing you're not gonna get left in the lurch again!

And let's try to keep things in perspective, remember this is a small sacrifice to make compared to others.

@behindthechair

That's what I'm trying to do even though it's easier said then done.

I had no idea just how much of my identity was tied into my career... who am I kidding... yes I did! But I kinda didn't realize just how much. It had gotten almost to the point where the only other role I really cherished just as much as that of a hairstylist was that of an uncle.

@behindthechair

So this has become a big learning lesson for me... to pump the brakes, breathe, reconnect, practice a little self care & most importantly remember to find a little balance. To make some room for the other roles in my life to grow & breathe a little.

Now don't be getting nervous. I'm not doing anything crazy. As soon as the salon reopens I'll be there ready to get you all back in... to get all caught up on your lives, dish the dirt & get your hair back on track.

In the meantime stay safe & stay healthy.

See you soon!

Cheers - Hal