Revved-Up Red

The coveted Autumn hair update is all we’re talking about at the salon these days! Temps outside are dropping and leaves are falling. This time of year is a new beginning. With a record-breaking hot and humid summer, Minnesotans’ tresses are thirsty for moisture and a makeover! Get ready to let down the ponytail, unravel the braid, and wear a more polished frizz-free fall style.

My latest consultation quest was with Parents magazine columnist Berit Thorkelson. Berit was referred to Root Salon by MNMO‘s very own Katie Dohman, a fellow Wella-tinted redhead. Berit confided in her friend about her newfound hair challenges and was ready for the tried-and-true advice from a pro. I was delighted to meet her and listen to her and her family’s needs.

Berit and husband Clint recently welcomed a second child to their family. As parents of an infant and a toddler, they are extremely busy. But after giving birth, Berit noticed a significant shift in her hair color and texture. With more grays popping through, dryness and brittle ends have become more apparent. And with hours of outdoor activities under the Minnesota sun, her once copper-honey highlights turned brassy and lackluster. Her before picture is above, right.

One of the many conversations that we had during the consultation process was figuring out Berit’s comfortability with gray. This is a huge talking point amongst women because most of my clients over the age of 30 are working with (or against!) some pesky pigment-less hairs. (Fun fact: gray or silver is essentially the result of natural hair that has lost all pigmentation. Once the shift in color has occured, the unpigmented hair is usually more coarse and accepts less moisture than its colored cohorts.) Berit was looking for an easy maintenance plan. We decided an appointment every 8 weeks was perfectly doable. She doesn’t mind seeing a few grays throughout her coif, but she still desired her child-like color; warm hues of auburn with soft, sunkissed dimension. In the past, her stylist had been placing only highlights in her hair, leaving a clash of cool-toned mousey ash roots with warm-toned golden-coppery pieces and ends. Although Berit’s wish was for an easy grow-in process, the tonality clash was pretty chaotic. 

The wheels were turning quickly in my head as we continued to talk about her lifestyle, morning and workout routine, blowdry and airdry options along with her product stash. Really, her only non-negotible was a ponytail. I promised I would keep her ends grazing her collarbone and that I could pop her eyes and sculpt her cheekbones in less than two hours. I informed Berit of this fall’s trending color look of a deeper shadowed root area and multi-dimensional painted ends. For her skin tone and eye color I chose a few different hues that shimmered in cinnamon, mahogany brown, and butternut. My solution for the gray? I used a Wella’s demi-permanent haircolor for a minimal line of demarcation for easy regrowth, with soft and natural gray blending. This way, her grays were disguised to look like lighter, warm highlights. Armed with a genius product and a full conversation arsenal, we let the magic begin! 

Below are Berit’s gorgeous after photos. On her way out we set up appointments for her husband and son to each see a haircut specialist that would design the appropriate male haircut for their needs. What fun to see the entire family! From the Root family to yours Berit, here’s to great fall hair!