Healthy Summer Hair can be yours – postpartum or not!

Wanting golden locks to glisten on the beach, and dazzle on the dance floor? Or maybe shiny raven tresses that simply beg to be flipped? Maybe you’re looking to make that drastic change for this holiday season? Or maybe you just need your mane to be pepped up a bit, ready for all the social soires this summer? Or maybe postpartum hormones got your like, “whoa”. Whatever your reason, everyone loves having healthy, shiny holiday hair, right? So if you’re looking to get your hair-freak on, then read on, lovelies! Ps. Im not trying to blow my own trumpet, but I am blowing someone else’s!;)

So for anyone who knows me, they’d know that I just cant take a compliment. (Yes, I’m working on that!) I’d invariably, as someone pointed out to me, smoothly dismiss whatever complemetor said and turn it into a compliment for that person instead. By the way,I was actually completely unaware of that tactic of mine. In fact, I more felt I just went all awkward and made low grade geeky jokes to distract you. HOWEVER, that being said, if there is one situation that I’ve learnt to just accept the compliment, it’s when someone compliments me on my hair.

And I only do so, because I know I had absolutely no hand in it…it is purely the product of the amazing work of one Hair Genius, Ismail Leech.

Now, don’t get it twisted, I don’t think my hair is all that, in fact I am possibly the worst at pampering my locks, but judging from the fact that every single time Ish has done my hair, I am physically stopped in the street, in the mall, in the restaurant, in the public bathrooms, wherever, by random people to either
a) tell me how great my hair looks and/or
b) ask me where I’ve had it done, and how’d they did it
I think they just appreciate fine workmanship.

As I mentioned before, I honestly suck at the whole beauty regime thing– I definitely do try, but, personally, it’s a lot of “work” for me just thinking about it, as I genuinely have very, very busy days. (that’s morning through night till I collapse in a heap) Ish knows this all too well about me, and yet he can still make drastic changes to my hair, knowing that I don’t have time for any fancy footwork in the aftercare, and still leave my hair in a beautiful state.

He is so well- informed about hair and the mechanics of it all, it really is so reassuring when sitting in that chair of his, knowing that whatever happens, when he’s done with you, your hair is going to be fabulous, and in a better state than what you arrived in. My hair has known him for nine years now, and the only regrets I’ve ever had in those nine years, have been the times I’ve tried special treatments at other salons.

Case in point,I once made the mistake of going to another salon for a hair colour postpartum. You know, maternity leave was ending and I wanted a refresh on my post-partum hair, so that I could arrive back in office, looking like I at least took care of myself, and showered often. But alas, all I was left with was bleached out little strings of hair, that took my already sad post-partum hair to new lows, and just generally felt like steelwool to the touch.

Eventually about a year later, I found my way back to Ish, where he once more worked his magic on my mop. He first sat me down, in the dramatic and fabulous way that only he can, and educated me on post-partum hair, and how to better care for it.

Not only did I have post-partum hair loss and thinning, along with poor quality salon bleaching, but my hair also drastically changed texture. No longer did I have straight silky hair, instead, thanks to the massive shift in hormones (age and children), my hair curled when wet. (not a bad thing altogether, but I have no idea how to manage it)And since not all my mop was affected by this change – I still have bits that are straight, others that are wavy, and the rest all curly- I don’t actually get the cool and sexy affect most curly heads get. I mostly just get like this wild, crazy, Ive-just-been-dragged-through-the-bushes effect.
That is, until, Ish got a hold of it.

This is what I looked like going in.

If you can, try to block out the awkwardness of my selfie, and just focus on my hair (seriously, how do women take such awesome selfies without looking all deer in the headlights and slightly suspicious)

The middle bit was particularly fabulous, am I right? Fabulous as far as school lunch wrap goes! (all that foil and cling wrap, yo!) 🙂

And then this…

From black to blonde – boom. That’s a pretty huge change to make in just one treatment. But Ish knows just how.

There’s no damaging bleaching in between. Just your hair to whatever colour you desire. Yip. That’s right. NO BLEACHING necessary! Sound impossible?

Well then let me introduce you to Olaplex.

In a word, it is dynamite! I may not be a professional, but it’s effects on my hair were too obvious to ignore, and has clearly taken the world by storm. I had never heard of Olaplex up until a year ago, but when Ish talks hair stuff, I sit up and listen! As I was told, The Worx Hair Studio was apparently the first stockist of this little magic potion in South Africa some time back already. And if you look at some of the incredible work that has been done over here on their facebook page, you’d see why so many people are raving about it.

In short, the way Olaplex works: The only way to deposit colour to lighten hair, is to break the bonds that hold in your natural colour. Therefore, the lighter you go, the more damage is done to these bonds in your hair. However, this is where Olaplex, which is a bond multiplier, comes in and preserves those bonds and actually rebuilds them. Yes, actually rebuilds them!! (This was immediately obvious to me after my very first colour with Olaplex by Ish.)

Thereafter, the Olaplex Bond Perfector is applied to assist in the linking of broken bonds, which in turn makes the hair stronger and healthier. In other words, it took all the damage that hormones and inferior hair colouring methods did to my strands and made it better. No more steelwool.

And since, as I said before Ish gets me and my lifestyle so well, he knows I probably won’t make it back to him as regularly as I should, so he colours my hair in a way that makes my regrowth look pretty much en-vogue.

This was after my second trip back to Ish, later last year:

Even post beach, its still half- decent.

Ish also sends me packing with just the right products to keep his handy work up!

To keep preserve my blonde and avoid the dreaded orange tint coming it, I use this puppy over here.

I used to use another awesome system(which I still love), but this shampoo here is apparently one of the best shampoos for blonde or naturally or coloured grey hair.

Warning, however, it can be drying, so I balance it off with Agadir Argan Oil shampoo and conditioner.

My hair is honestly thicker and healthier now (despite all drastic colouring), than it was about two years ago (especially postpartum).

Ish takes his work seriously, and each head of hair that he works on, is a work of art if you ask me. This is probably why you’ll end up paying big bucks for him. But, I can honestly tell you now, that he is worth every single penny. And that crowning glory of yours darling? It’s worth investing in!

So if its luscious healthy hair that you’re looking for, or whether you’re in postpartum looking to save or preserve your locks; Needing to get some me time and freshen up your locks, or maybe you’re looking for drastic change without the damage, or if you’re just a woman (or a man!) looking for excellent service and first class quality care for your locks, then Ishmail Leech is the name you need in your life.

So, where will you find Ishmail?
He does have a portfolio of long standing and selected personal clients, that have been with him for almost a decade, in his own capacity, however, The Worx Hair & Beauty studio out in Claremont is your safest bet to secure your place in that coveted seat of his.

Where: Cavendish Cottage, which is just off Cavendish Street, opposite Cavendish Square. (they have moved from their old spot on Vineyard Road)

Telephone: 021 683 0552 (correct at the time of publishing)
Trading hours: 9am – 5pm
Website: The Worx Hair & Beauty Studio (www.theworxsalon.co.za)

Here’s to healthy hair we can all flip around! X