Why is my Philosophy Different About Cutting Hair? 

When you’ve been in hairdressing as long as I have, you begin to notice the way that cuts and styles ebb and flow. Whilst change is a constant in this business, there’s a steady shift that’s been ongoing for the past two decades. This is a shift from cutting as a service to styling as an art form, with power moving to the hands of the clients.

How and why has Hairdressing Changed?

I started hairdressing back in 1998 and worked through to the early 2000s. Then revisited hairdressing in 2008. 

During that early era, the common thing to be done was a client would look for a magazine when they came into the salon. They’d find a picture of a style that they liked, or they’d bring a newspaper cutting in, and we’d make a variation of it to suit them. Hair cutting was very much in the hairdressers hands back then. 

After my second stint in hairdressing, things started to change dramatically. The Digital Age dawned, and people came in more clued up than before, as they did their own research on the latest trends and techniques. 

Social media and the internet gave us things like Pinterest or Instagram, which played a huge role in how people wanted their hair done. This was great, because it gave us a whole new world of content. However, it also meant that clients were coming in with high expectations, hoping to achieve the same trendy hair as seen in edited Instagram pictures. 

The power has now shifted into the hands of the clients, who are more up to date than ever on hair trends. 

What this Meant for Hairdressers 

What we found was there was a massive swing from funky haircuts to colouring techniques. Particularly, from dip dye into balayage and ombre, creating that perfect colour blend. From a cutter’s point of view this was interesting, but a little unoriginal at the same time. In a way, the stylist is given far less creative freedom because people were coming in wanting long, straight hair.

From a technical point of view, hairdressers gave up on cutting in a sense. This is where we think it’s a bit of a lost art.

The standard of hairdressing throughout the world really dropped from a cutting point of view. This was because hairdressers were more focused on colour, and clients didn’t really notice whether their hair was an inch and a half longer on one side than the other. This let some hairdressers get away with murder. A good haircut just became harder to find.

I’m grateful for the fact that I managed to learn my craft in a time where hair cutting was prevalent and respected. In the 10 years following, colourers gained a lot of this respect and attention instead!

Hairdressing and Covid

When lockdown came, people stuck at home grew bored and wanted to change up their look. Many grew out their hair since they didn’t know how to cut it themselves, or thought a long period alone was the perfect time to grow. Lots of people chose to accept their natural colour and embrace the grey. And of course, we all know people who chose to completely change their hair colour with box dye (to varying levels of success).

People also had a go at cutting their own hair at home, and particularly their own fringes. I think we can agree that after this period of DIY styles, hair cutting became a little bit more respected. Since we’ve come back from lockdown, we found that cutting hair is an essential- especially hairdressers who are knowledgeable enough to achieve perfection, and this is the level that we perform at NOCO hair.

The NOCO Philosophy

At NOCO, we’ve created our own philosophy, because we understand the power of a good haircut. If your hair looks great, you stand a little taller. You’re more confident, and you breed more success. When you feel bad about your hair, it has the reverse effect. It can make you feel drab, down and you might want to hide yourself away.

We have the formula to make you feel fabulous. There are two things we have to look at before we give you an amazing style; the fixed analysis, and the variable.

The first thing we look at is our fixed analysis. These are all things that we can’t change. This might be a person’s proportions, their nose, their eyes, their mouth, a scar, hair loss, the texture that they’ve got, the thickness of each hair, and the amount of strands on the scalp. 

And then we also look at the variable analysis. The variable analysis is things that we can change, such as choice of length, the products that we use, the colours we apply, and the chosen technique. Should we raise the head, use a blanket, or chip into their hair? What size of comb do we use? All these variables make a massive difference to our haircuts, and our stylists have the experience and know-how to make the right choices every time.

The Art of Haircutting

But it’s more than just a one size fits all formula. We like to experiment to find the very best, and that’s why we’ve designed our two original haircuts. These are the enigmatic Vitality Cut and the Clifton Cut. 

The Clifton cut is designed to give you volume around the crown and maintain weights around the external shape. You’ll find that it actually makes you feel like you’ve got more hair than when you started! 

Then we designed the Vitality cut. This one is a super versatile haircut that can be worn with or without fringe, curly or straight. The cut reduces weight around the face, giving you a framing look and more volume, more shine. Our aim is to give you hair that looks and feels healthier, whilst still being easy to maintain. 

Experience the art of hairdressing with NOCO 

The utmost point of our philosophies in life is that we want to change the world. We want to inspire and educate hairdressers, and empower them to have the skills to be able to go out and make real change for somebody. We think it’s an amazing thing to be able to make a person feel great about themselves by doing their hair.

The power of a haircut is amazing. And we would love to offer out a complimentary consultation for anybody who has any concerns or would like us to really look in depth about finding the perfect style for you. We would love to see you and create something really special together, so please don’t hesitate to book in.

If your hair feels good – You Feel Good

The idea came from when stylist Noel visited one of his oldest clients to cut her hair after she had moved into a St Monica Trust care home following being diagnosed with a pancreatic cancer.

“After I cut Megan’s hair I gave her a head massage. In that moment something special happened. I didn’t realise it at the time, but as I gave her a massage and her daughter sat on the bed with a tear in her eye, there was a moment of calm and peace,” says Noel. “Megan looked and felt so relaxed, the energy in the room had shifted. It was like for that moment all the pain had gone. There is something so special about the human touch.

“At first, I thought it was sad as it had turned out to be Megan’s last haircut. But then it came to me that this was a really beautiful thing and a huge honour to be able to give someone their last haircut along with a moment of calm and gentle release.

“This led me to think about the fantastic work that hairdressers do on a day-to-day basis. We can literally turn someone for feeling terrible to fantastic. We can do something that doctors or no medicine can’t. This needs to be celebrated and sometimes hairdressers need reminding that we can literally change the world by changing somebody’s world.

“So we have set up Care With Hair with the aim of inspiring hairdressers to go out of their way to make someone feel amazing and to raise some cash for charity.”

The stylists from Noco Hair then teamed up with cancer charity Penny Brohn UK in Pill, who use complimentary treatments, yoga and massage as a healing and relaxing tool for people with cancer. We also believe that having your hair done is one of the best complimentary therapies and the power hairdressers hold is incredible.

Together they recently hosted a Christmas fundraiser evening which included swing dancing, makeovers, hairstyling, and a raffle which raised £154 for the local charity.

In 2020, the team at Noco plan to host more charity initiatives and Noel will be running the London marathon on behalf of Penny Brohn.

NOCO Hair in Bristol celebrated its third anniversary this month, with owners Noel Halligan and Corey Taylor putting on their gladrags for a special evening with their team.

The duo, who have picked up a host of awards since launching in 2018 including Independent Business Newcomer, Best Salon and Customer Service of the Year, set out their plans for the coming years and welcomed new members onto the team.

The partners launched the business in Clifton only a year before the pandemic and during lockdown, redesigned the salon to create more space, took part in a myriad of online courses and looked to the wider business world for inspiration. They also took lockdowns as an opportunity to re-evaluate their business and lay down the foundations for expansion.

Director Noel revealed their latest venture – their second salon in nearby Wells. “We have had an incredible three years, we’ve worked hard, taken risks and closed because of lockdowns. However, we have lots of exciting things planned and we can’t wait to get going,” he said. “Our team have been amazing and adapted to everything that the last 18 months have thrown at them. Creative Director Corey added; “Now, with a brand new salon on board, we are looking forward to taking new adventures and journeys!”

Website: www.nocohair.com
Instagram: @nocohair

Official COVID regulations have now been lifted across the country. Freedom is definitely in the air, and it tastes so sweet! While it’s not a legal requirement for businesses to enforce regulations, we want to protect our customers and our staff as much as possible. We really miss getting to see your full beautiful faces when you come in, and really are eagerly anticipating the day we can all hug again – but we don’t feel this day is quite here yet. For now, we have decided on keeping the following safety procedures for our salon:

• We are encouraging but not enforcing masks and are happy for guests to remove their masks during colour appointments when they are waiting for their colour to develop when they are not in close contact with a team member.
• All other policies are in place when i comes to cleaning, social distancing where possible, Perspex screens, hand washing upon entry and regular use of hand sanitiser.

We are planning on reopening on the 12th of April, if the government restrictions don’t change again.

Our COVID safe promises

• Our salon layout adheres to social distancing rules. We have partition dividers between each styling station, backwash and at reception.
• All our staff will be wearing appropriate PPE based on government guidelines.
• All styling station and tools will be thoroughly cleaned down between guests, with high traffic areas being regularly disinfected.
• All guests must wear a mask at all times in the salon with the exception of people who are exempt.

What you can expect from your appointment

• If reception is busy and you cannot social distance inside, please wait outside.
• Please do not arrive more than 5 minutes prior to your appointment, this way we can control the number of people in the salon at any time and maintain social distancing.
• Contactless payment is preferred to limit handling of cash.
• Please refrain from shaking hands or giving hugs ☹️ as much as we would love to!

We’ve had a few lovely guests getting in touch with the Clifton hairdressers at NOCO Hair in recent weeks, asking for advice on how to maintain clean shiny hair in lockdown despite our hair salon being temporarily closed.

So, we thought we’d share our top tips here on the best ways to keep your hair in awesome condition, despite the restrictions in place during the Covid-19 lockdown across Bristol.

Here at NOCO Hair on Whiteladies Road, our hair care experts focus on the science behind maintaining healthy hair to give our guests the very best hair.

We always ask our guests to think of each single strand of hair as containing two critical elements that need nourishing and protecting:

1. The Cortex – the main body of the hair strand, that holds all the bonds and the part that defines how strong hair will be.
2. The Cuticle – this is the hairs’ protective layer, and sits on top of the cortex like roof tiles on a house.

Here are our top six tips on maintaining silky, shiny, healthy, clean hair from root to tip. The cleansing stage is absolutely vital for boosting hair integrity.

Cleanse (shampoo)

• Our top tip is to clean the hair twice. The first shampoo cleanse opens up the cuticle and lifts dirt out, whilst the second shampoo thoroughly cleans the hair.

• To get the best results, soak hair down with warm water, apply shampoo at the root and work in slow circular motions. Rinse and repeat this process.

Tone (conditioner)

• This is one of the best-kept secrets of all Clifton hairdressers – thank us later, when we next see you in the salon! Towel dry your hair before adding conditioner. This is the key to shiny hair.

• If the cuticle is open and full of moisture, you’ll simply dilute the conditioner and wash it down the sink. The conditioner’s job is to close the hair cuticles and protect the cortex.

• After shampooing, rinse your hair, ring it out, towel dry it and place conditioner on the mid-lengths and ends then working up to about two inches from the roots. The cuticle is already strong at the root, so needs help to be closed.

• It’s the mid-lengths and ends that need the most help with conditioning. For a standard conditioner, our Clifton hair care team suggest leaving it on for at least two minutes, and from 10-15 minutes for a hair masque. Then rinse.

Cold Rinse

• Is the cold rinse a myth? We say no. Warm water will open up the cuticles, whilst cold water will; help close them down. It’s not essential in the Winter, but a cold rinse will certainly go a long way to giving your hair a good shine.

Moisturise (leave-in conditioner)

• After shampooing, thoroughly rinse and towel dry the hair. With any product, when the hair is 100% dry, the product can deliver 100% hold.

• Wet hair dilutes products, whilst hair that’s too dry can leave the hair heavy or oily. Our Whiteladies Road hairstylists recommend towel dry at the roots with a dabbing motion first, as the hair holds here. Get the hair about 75% dry.

• Apply leave-in conditioner to the mid-lengths and ends, then work the conditioner up the hair carefully. For some guests, a spray works better.

Blow Dry

• This is entirely up to each individual, but please avoid wild drying and lots of hair swishing if you do blow dry. Our Clifton hair salon often see examples of damaged hair through overly-vigorous blow drying.

• If you’ve spent time opening up and closing down the cuticles, they need to remain closed. By keeping the hair dryer above the head with a nozzle diffuser on pointing down the hair shaft (away from the head) you’ll smooth out the cuticles, and start to see a shine appear.

• Here’s an amazing YouTube Demo from Stylist Liz on how to create a smooth blow-dry.

Seal it with a serum

• Seal the hair with a serum, to help close down the cuticles. Use also on the mid-lengths and ends to deliver stunning clean shiny hair – even in lockdown.

After taking the above steps, it’s possible to curl or wave hair knowing that it will be looking superb and in great condition.

It’s up to each individual how often hair is washed, and our Clifton hairstyling team advise washing hair as often as necessary to promote a healthy space for your hair to grow thicker and quicker.

Don’t worry if you’re losing hair in lockdown, either – it’s normal to lose between 100-150 hairs per day, irrespective of the stresses of Covid-19.

Visit the NOCO Hair Inspiration Hub here to find out more about clean hair, as well as examples of stunning, happy, healthy hair.

To find out about our latest Bristol hair salon News, please visit here.

We love all types of hair at NOCO: straight and sleek, voluminous curls, glossy waves… but frizz isn’t a good look for anyone, and it can be a problem for almost all hair types.

Frizz occurs when your hair doesn’t have enough moisture and the cuticle on individual hairs becomes rough. It can make your hair feel dry, brittle and difficult to style. Introduce any humidity (which we have plenty of in the UK) and your moisture-starved hair absorbs it, causing it the strands to swell, crinkle and generally spoil your look.

Why is my hair frizzing?

 There are lots of things that might make your hair more prone to frizz: frequently using hair products with sulphates, towel drying, and using heated tools without protection to name a few. You may also notice it more if you dye your hair or have naturally dry or fine hair.

Whatever the reason, if you find yourself with frizz you just can’t get under control, we’ve got a treatment you’ll love.

Phrizzy-o-therapy

 It’s our new favourite anti-frizz product! Here’s just a few headlines to help you understand why

• It only needs to be applied once every 10-12 weeks
• It’s designed for all hair types and textures
• It turns your frizz into smooth, shiny, soft, moisturised loveliness
• Not only that, but it’s progressive – so every time you use it, you can expect better results!

Like a keratin blow-dry, Phrizzy-o-therapy is semi-permanent, so a small effort every two-three months is enough to give you great hair every day.  The treatment process is also really easy.

How Do I Use it

First, your hair is washed using the pre-treatment cleansing shampoo. Next, your hair is towel dried and the product combed in. Leave for 30 minutes (50 if you have natural hair) and you’re ready to rinse and blow-dry. That’s it!

While some de-frizzing products can feel heavy or oily, Phrizzy-o-therapy leaves your hair feeling weightless and has a fresh, citrus scent. It uses professional-grade ingredients including keratin, plant extracts, and organic amino acids to add strength and shine.

Where can I find this treatment?

 We love Phrizzy-o-therapy so much at NOCO that we’ve recently begun to offer it in both our Bristol salon. Prices start from £80 per treatment in our Wells branch.

Book an appointment today to banish frizz and enjoy shinier, stronger hair.

A keratin blow dry can do beautiful things for your hair…

Since we offer them in our Bristol salon, we thought we’d take you through just a few of the benefits. Spoilers! They include making your hair shinier, healthier, and frizz free.

Brighter Shine

Keratin is a protein naturally found in your hair, skin and nails. Your hair can lose shine when its outer layers become broken or porous.

Keratin helps to smooth and mend these layers. The treatment can even make split ends seem to disappear by temporarily bonding the hair back together.

A smoother finish means shiny, glossy hair that can attract some serious attention.

Strength and Length

 Not only does the keratin protein repair any existing damage to your hair, it also protects it from UV rays!

With your hair strengthened through the power of keratin, it will be less prone to breakage. This means that you can look forward to hair which can grow longer, healthier.

Goodbye Frizz

 Your hair becomes frizzy when it looses moisture or the surface layers are damaged. By repairing the outer layers of your hair, keratin blow dries seal in the moisture. This banishes frizz from your style, even on drizzly or humid days.

Keratin also makes your hair much more manageable as a whole – taming curls and softening coarse hair. If you’ve spent years fighting your hair into submission every morning, this treatment might just be a life saver.

Long-Lasting

Keratin doesn’t permanently change the structure of your hair like some chemical relaxers, but it can still last between 2 and 6 months.

This saves you styling and blow drying time every day and means your hair won’t be exposed to regular heat.

Colour Lock

 If you’ve recently coloured your hair, or if you’re planning to, here’s a secret: keratin blow dries can keep your hair much more vibrant for longer!

Dye escapes your hair when the cuticle opens or becomes damaged, leading to disappointing colour fade. Keratin prevents this by strengthening the surface of your hair and sealing in the colour.

Heated tools and UV rays are also damaging to coloured hair. However, you’ll have little reason to reach for the straighteners after a treatment! By coating the surface of each hair, keratin can also provide some protection from the sun.

You’ll also find that many of the gentler, sulphate-free hair products needed for coloured hair are keratin-friendly too.

What else to consider…

 There are a few things to bear in mind before getting a keratin treatment. A major one is that your hair will need some special care for some time after the treatment, so make sure you’re ready to give it. This often includes keeping your hair dry and wearing it down for three days.

It also isn’t recommended that you colour or bleach your hair too soon after a keratin treatment, although you can do this beforehand.

Something else to think about is whether this treatment is suitable for your situation and hair type. If you have fine or frequently processed hair, you might be recommended an alternative hair-taming treatment such as Phrizzy-o-therapy. You should also check in with your stylist if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding.

Ready for your hair glow-up?

Great! We’re excited to help you to soft, manageable hair that looks gorgeous from the moment you wake up.

You can book a keratin blow dry at our Bristol salon. Prices start at £130 in Wells, £145 in Bristol. We’re looking forward to seeing you!

Dyed hair is a fabulous way to express your colourful personality, so it can be disappointing when it fades too quickly.

In this post, we’ll be exploring why your vibrant locks might be turning muted and what you can do to help your coloured hair to stay bright for weeks on end.

Why does dyed hair fade?

As you probably know, all coloured hair fades eventually if you go long enough without refreshing it. But why?

When you use permanent or semi-permanent colour in your style, it’s not just staining the outside of each hair. In most dyes, ammonia or MEA are used to swell and lift the cuticle (the protective outside layer of a hair) so the colour can get inside your hair cortex, where your natural pigment is usually found. The cuticle will then close again, trapping the colour inside.

However, activities like washing your hair or using heated tools can cause the cuticle to open again or become damaged, allowing some of the colour to escape.

But water and hair products aren’t the only culprit. Annoyingly, UV rays from the sun don’t only fade the dye, but tend to expose what remains of the natural pigment in your hair, muddying your chosen colour.

Why do some colours fade more quickly than others?

Red famously fades quicker than many other dye colours. This is partially due to the size of the molecules in this dye and partly because red dyes often include high levels of Pheomelanin, which is particularly light sensitive.

You might also find that light or unnatural colours – like pastel blue or purple – fade faster than you are expecting. For these colours to show up in your hair in the first place, it is often necessary to bleach it thoroughly beforehand. This process can make your hair more porous, meaning it’s easier for the dye to come out.

Browns usually go the longest without fading, but this can depend on your natural hair colour and type. If you’re considering a new colour but aren’t sure how long it’s likely to last in your hair, you can always talk to your stylist before you make the leap.

Whatever colour you choose, there’s a few time-trusted ways to save it from a premature fade…

1. Wash it Less

Over-washing is the enemy of vibrant hair, particularly if you’re using hot water. While permanent dye won’t wash off the surface of your hair the way temporary dye might, hot water and hair products can cause the cuticles in your hair to open, allowing the dye to escape or dissolve in the wash.

Try to only wash your hair every two or three days if possible, using scalp massages and colour-safe dry shampoo to tide you over between washes.

2. Hydration, hydration, hydration

Yeah, I know we just said to wash less, but there’s lots of other ways to get a good level of moisture into your locks.

The chemicals used to colour your hair can dry it out or make it more difficult for each strand to absorb moisture. Not only does this mean that your hair won’t look as shiny, but dry, porous hair might also loose its colour more quickly, as the cuticle won’t be effectively sealing the pigment inside.

A few ways to restore it include oil treatments, hair masks (we like the ones from kerastase) and maintaining a healthy diet.

3. Turn Down the Heat

As we just talked about, coloured hair is prone to some dryness anyway, so it can be easily damaged by hot tools like straighteners and curling wands. Even hairdryers can take their toll.

If you don’t want to ditch your straighteners entirely, at least try to limit your use or experiment with lower heat settings. You might also see some good results by complimenting your heat routine with conditioner or heat protection cream.

4.  Review your Products

To keep your hair in peak condition, it’s important to use colour-safe products, particularly when it comes to shampoo. Since shampoo is made to remove oil and deposits from your hair, it often removes some dye along with everything else.

Colour protecting products are much less harsh than regular shampoo and prevent your cuticle from lifting. They also often include additional moisturising ingredients.

If you’re unable to attain colour-protecting products, gentler shampoos will also ease the strain on your colour. Something to avoid at all costs are products containing alcohol or sulphates, as these can quickly strip the dye from your hair.

5. Shield from UV

Have you seen how sunlight fades photographs and soft furnishings? It does the same thing to your hair!

Not only that, but UV rays can also bring out your natural colour more, which can change the overall effect of your hair dye.

On the other hand, spending some time out in the sun is also beneficial for your wellbeing and producing vitamin D. So what to do?

If you’re planning to spend lots of time out in bright sunlight, you might just choose to protect your hair and make headscarves and hats part of your style next summer.

If you want to go for something a bit more subtle, you could invest in hair sunscreen. These can come as sprays, oils and creams and aim to protect your hair from UV rays. Some of these products even additionally protect from chlorine and salt water in case you fancy a swim.

Still have questions?

 If you’re ever unsure about how to care for coloured hair, the stylists at NOCO are happy to help.

Our free hair consultations give you the chance to ask all the questions you want about your new colour before your appointment. We will always give honest advice to help you choose a style and colour that makes you feel like every day’s a great hair day.

If you’ve ever been into one of our salons, you’ll know that every session comes with a scalp massage. We love pampering our guests like this, but not just because it feels good. Head massages have a whole host of benefits for physical and mental wellbeing.

The history of head massages can be tracked through European cave paintings, ancient Chinese texts, and traditional Indian medicine. Some even think it dates all the way back to primate grooming practices. It seems that people have always intrinsically known the benefits of this kind of touch, but it’s only over the last few decades that modern science has begun to prove its tangible benefits.

Hair Growth

Hair increasing in thickness due to regular scalp massages was once thought to be an old wives’ tale. Recently, however, several scientific studies from Japan and the US and have indicated that it makes a real difference.

Obviously, we have an interest in hair health, so this is quite an exciting development, although there’s definitely more research to be done. It’s thought that the reason for the positive results seen so far could be due to massages increasing blood circulation in the scalp and stretching the dermal papilla (cells which regulate hair nutrition and growth).

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Lowers Blood Pressure

Its also thought that head massages could play a role in lowering blood pressure.

We all know how relaxed and loose a good massage can make you feel. This is partially due to the masseuse working the tension out of your muscles and partially because simply the act of being touched can reduce stress, particularly in areas of the body with more sensitivity.

Moving into this more relaxed state can lower your heart rate, reducing blood pressure. Easing muscle tension also has the added benefit of increasing the flow of blood that may have been restricted by clenched muscles.

Head massages can also enhance the circulation in your scalp as the pressure from the masseuse’s fingers push blood through congested areas, allowing new, oxygen-rich blood to flow in.

Balances Nervous System

To put the technical stuff simply: your nervous system is divided into two branches: the sympathetic (which activates your fight-or-flight response) and the parasympathetic (which controls your relaxation response).

Usually, these two work to balance each other out pretty well. However, they’re more built to handle stressors like “There’s a wild animal you need to run away from.” which can be quickly resolved rather than long-term problems like a stressful job or problems at home.

When faced with a high-stress problem that remains unresolved (and who doesn’t have a few of those in their life?) your nervous system can become unbalanced.

When the branches come out of balance, the stress hormones can continue to flow unabated. This can cause high blood pressure, reduced brain function and a variety of other problems.

Massages have been shown to help turn the sympathetic nervous system off and activate the parasympathetic nervous system. This encourages anti-stress hormones to flow through your body. Over time, it’s thought that massages can also strengthen the parasympathetic system, making it easier to switch yourself to relaxed mode in your day-to-day life.

Headache Relief

We’re all familiar with headaches, unfortunately! Whether from a little too much wine the night before or too much screen time, you’re probably a little too familiar with these unwelcome aches. There are so many possible causes for headaches: muscle tension, eye strain, inflamed sinuses, lack of sleep, and constricted blood vessels to name a few.

Head massages can’t help to ease all these conditions, but they are often recommended for those suffering specifically from tension headaches, migraines, or headaches caused by neck injuries.

A head massage works to increase the blood flow to your scalp, which can soothe symptoms by flushing our toxins and giving that area of your body a boost of oxygen and nutrients. Massaging strained muscles can also encourage repair (in the case of an injury) and release tension, helping to soothe headache symptoms or sometimes wipe them out entirely,

Positive Vibes

Remember those anti-stress hormones we mentioned? They’re not just relaxing in the moment. Studies have shown that the release or hormones such as serotonin and endorphins during a massage can have some real benefits on your mental health in the long haul.

People struggling with mental health disorders often show particularly high levels of cortisol (a stress-related hormone) and low levels of endorphins (which are released during times of relaxation and happiness). Massages can help to guide the body to address this and increase levels of endorphins. Several studies have now pointed towards frequent massages significantly relieving the symptoms of both anxiety and depression.

Massages also fulfil a need for physical touch which is just very good for all humans. When someone touches you skin-on-skin, your body releases oxytocin, which is sometimes known as the love hormone. It can produce feelings of trust and stability and increase your self-esteem. No wonder you come out of a head massage with that glowing sensation!

Do it yourself?

Head massages can be just a little bit addictive, and the great news is that you can do them yourself at home!

If you’re massaging an injured area or applying pressure around your spinal cord, you should seek professional guidance before trying at home. You may also find that you simply feel more benefits from investing in a professional massage.

However, many people find giving themselves or loved ones head massages at home can be an enriching experience that helps with feelings of peace and relaxation.

There’s also a number of options on how to do this. You could try rubbing an essential oil in circular motions around the scalp, applying light finger strokes to the side of the head or using a tool.

You’ve probably seen the scalp-massaging contractions that look a bit like a wire helmet, but there are other options like silicon brushes and electric massagers.

What’s the verdict?

We give head massages a big thumbs up, which is why they’re a standard part of the service at NOCO.

It’s good for your hair, good for your body and good for the soul, and we know that our clients deserve the very best care.

Everyone’s hair is so different, from strand density, volume of strands and strand type. It’s no wonder that we all face a huge variety of hair issues! Especially once we throw in heat styling and hair lightening treatments. Here’s our tips to keep your hair in the best condition and fight off those bad hair days that always show up at the worst possible time.

How to wash your hair

Oh yeah, we aren’t joking! Bet you haven’t even stopped twice; let alone once to even re-consider how you’ve been washing your hair since you were… well old enough to wash your hair! But you know that feeling when you leave the hairdresser, and your hair is just so extra silky? It’s smooth, and you’re guaranteed a GREAT hair day for the next three days. While products make a different to your post-salon feel hair, it’s also to do with the technique we use to wash your hair. So, listen up to the science of why you may have been washing your hair wrong your whole life!

1. Shampoo
2. Rinse
3. Condition
4. Rinse

…Right?

Wrong! Get to know…

1. Shampoo
2. Rinse
3. Shampoo, again!
4. Rinse
5. Ring hair out and lightly towel dry
6. Condition
7. Rinse

Well, huh? Shampoo twice? What is this!

We promise we’re not crazy – listen to the science. Shampoo opens and raises the cuticle in your hair, which allows for your hair to be cleansed. When your hair cuticles are raised, they are weaker, fragile, and more prone to breakage. Luckily, conditioner smoothes and closes your hair follicles.

If you shampoo twice instead of once, you not only just open the cuticle but once it’s open you can truly cleanse your hair. The difference is that once you then condition your hair and close the cuticle, your hair will be silky, soft, and smooth while also closing more fully due to being so clean inside.

Now let’s talk conditioning. Why is it so important to ring out your hair and dry it a little? We recommend giving your hair a quick towel dry before conditioning as this can make such a big difference to your post-wash hair. It stops the water in your hair from diluting the goodness, richness, and hydration that the conditioner is providing you with.

Next time you wash your hair, give it a go! You’ll see and feel the difference yourself. Now everyday can be a great hair day.

How to add volume to thin hair while maintaining shine and silkiness

Sometimes the products you’ve been adding to your hair to try and get volume actually cause build up, making your hair sit flat as it’s weighed down. Our top tips for battling flat hair are following our washing tips and making sure you have a haircut and style that works with your hair type. Haircuts aren’t a one size fits all situation and unfortunately picking a style that works on someone else and trying to replicate it on yourself may not necessarily work. Our signature styles can be tailored specifically to your hair type, helping to add texture and volume around the areas that will look best on you.  Check out our guide on how to choose a hairstyle that suits you, for more information.

The best conditioning treatments

We might be a little biased on this, but Kerastase products are the best out there. You can get a truly customised product to solve your hair problems. With Kerastase it is really, really, important to ensure that you are using the right product. If you’re worried about the condition of your hair but aren’t certain what product will give you the results, we do free consultations to make sure your hair is fabulous and back to its best self! Book a beautiful you consultation.

Battling the breakages

Did we mention Kerastase? The range of products really are exceptional and 100% backed by science. If you’re experiencing a lot of breakages, it’s likely due to the levels of protein in your hair. When we lack protein in our hair strands, they go stretchy, almost like chewing gum. This really weakens the structure and makes it super prone to breakages. To tackle this, it’s important to get the ends of your hair that are the most damaged removed and then to treat your hair with a product that’s got high levels of proteins and amino acids is to strengthen your hair and bring back those silky smooth and strong locks!

Fighting the frizz

Humidity is one of the biggest culprits for frizzing your hair and frizzy hair is one of the biggest hair complaints we hear! In fact, we even offer a Phrizzy-o-therapy to combat unruly hair, which is really popular. But there’s also a few things you can do yourself, at home, to help keep the frizz at bay.

• Use a tangle teaser to be gentle on your hair
• Turn down the heat on your styling tools to prevent unnecessary damage
• Use the best products for your hair type – we can help with this
• Cut off the most damaged ends (not yourself though, make sure you see a trained stylist, yes even for trims!)