EDI T OR'S NO T E
When I was a freshman in college, I
completely fried my hair. I mistakenly trusted
someone who didn't know what they were
doing to bleach my full head of hair in pursuit
of the golden "bronde" color Carrie Bradshaw
had during the third season of Sex and the
City. What resulted was something I can
only describe as Winnie-the-Pooh yellow.
(Yet another reason why we need more hair
professionals like you who are passionate
about their careers!) I was completely
embarrassed by the resulting color,
immediately going to a salon to dye it back to
a dark brown the next day. is is why very
few people know this hair blunder happened
to me (except, of course, all of you currently
reading this letter).
I learned a few important lessons that
week: (1) Carrie Bradshaw achieved her
hair color through many visits to the salon;
(2) Not all hairstylists are the same; (3) At-
home, deep conditioning treatments are
vital to repairing color damage. For months
after that appointment, I treated my hair
with love and care. I nursed it back to health,
repairing the damage slowly but intentionally.
More than a decade later, I'm doing the
same thing. I know my hair health could be
compromised at any moment, so I lather it up
with heat protectant and oils every day and
do a deep conditioning treatment weekly.
ese pages contain essential information
about hair health, from knowledge about
scalp health as an extension of skin care
(page 38) to a guide about helping clients
on their natural hair journey (page 52) to
pro tips for cultivating healthy facial hair
(page 60). For those interested in trendy hair
ingredients, you can read about probiotics
on page 28 and hair bonding on page 46.
Your clients deserve to leave your
chair with healthy hair they can maintain
between appointments. Qualifi ed and caring
professionals like you are the lifeline for your
clients. No one—and I mean no one—should
leave feeling like Winnie-the-Pooh when
they want to feel like Carrie Bradshaw.
JEN ANDERSON, Editor janderson@ahphair.com @editedbyjen
JEN ANDERSON
facebook.com/ahphair
@ahphair
CURRENT INSPIRATION
Here are a few of the looks and
trends I've been loving in 2024:
Pink hair speaks to my soul.
Photo by Shellie Vega
(@shell.vega)
Mullets in 2024 are all party,
no business.
Photo by Yoshi Okabe
(@styles.by.yoshi)
Why ombré one
nail when you
can have a
gradient across
the entire hand?
Photo by The
Nest Nail Spa
(@thenestnailspa)
