RIP, Jim Rocco.

This week I was saddened to hear that Jim "Vincenzo" Rocco had died last June. Jim was a huge influence on me, and some of the most important lessons I learned, things that literally shaped the course and direction of my career, were things I learned working in his salons.

I first met Jim as a new Pittsburgh Beauty Academy graduate (back in the day when being a PBA grad was a Big Deal and something to be proud of.) Jim hired me for my first post-school job, working as an assistant in his "Hairporte" salon in Century III Mall. He was also opening another location in the newly built One Oxford Center in downtown Pittsburgh. The building was so beautiful and elegant, and boasted some of the coolest shopping in the city; there was a Ralph Lauren, the fabulous K.Barchetti, (fantastic for designer shoes) and my favorite store of all time, Emphatics. I once quite happily spent an entire month's pay on a gorgeous eggshell-white Norma Kamali dress at Emphatics. *sigh*

Anyway, Jim opened a beautiful salon in the fabulous, brand-new building, with state-of-the-art furnishings and decor, and named it "James Rocco Hair Designs". I split my work week between the Oxford salon and the Century III location. I was a young hotshot, completely unaware of just how much there really was for me to learn. See, PBA had a way of impressing upon its students that once they graduated, all the world's best salons would be tripping over each other as they fought to be first at your door, each with a better offer in hand.

Reality is a harsh mo-fo, as my friend likes to say. Not that my job choices were bad or that there weren't plenty to choose from. But, as it turns out, most of the better salons had the infinite wisdom to resist my obvious charm and appeal, offering entry-level jobs where ongoing training would be part of my benefits package. I was, of course, highly offended by this. I went to PBA! Did they not recognize that I was destined to be the greatest hairstylist in the world?? What were they thinking? But, lacking any serious offers to become the styling director of a major salon, I chose to work with Jim Rocco at the Hairporte. Jim's trainee program included classes a few nights a week, during which senior stylists taught new assistants cutting and styling techniques, color theory and application skills, among other things. I wholeheartedly resisted this entire process. In my haze of youthful ego and ignorance, I resented the time I had to spend on the process, I resented being treated like a newbie, and I really resented being corrected. For anything. (yes, I was insufferably arrogant.) Finally, in exasperation, Jim sat down to talk to me about why I was resisting the training. I honestly do not remember what I said, but I will never forget what he said to me:

"Shari, I know you know what you know. Nobody is taking that away from you. I just want you to know what I know, too."

I don't know what it was about that sentence that finally got through to me, but it did. It completely changed my attitude about his program and about improving my technical skills. And not only has it stayed with me as part of my career-long thirst for learning new things, but it also helped me immensely, and often, as a trainer of hair colorists later in my career. 

Later on during my tenure with Jim's salons, I had another learning experience that has stayed with me throughout my career. I had been promoted to a stylist, finally, and was able to actually work on clients. One day a woman and her husband came to the Oxford salon. He explained that she spoke very little English, but she wanted platinum highlights in her naturally very dark brown hair. I thought it would be a big mistake, and tried to explain why, but he wouldn't listen; just do the highlights, please.

I will spare the arduous retelling of various technical and judgement errors I made that day, and just say  those details have also served me well when comforting a new stylist on my staff who, through her tears, sobbed that she would never understand hair color. I said yes, she would, and she sniffed and said "YOU never had a goof up like this." I laughed (a lot) and said "oh, yes... yes I have. Let me tell you about the highlight I did at Oxford Center."

The end result of the various poor decisions was that the woman's hair was, literally, smoking when I checked it. It was a disaster of legendary proportion, and she, lacking appropriate English skills, cursed me mightily in at least three other languages. I have never since, thankfully, seen hair actually have smoke rising from it (not steam, no- this was smoke). My more experienced coworkers stepped in to help, and did everything they could to repair the damage and soothe the furious client. After she left, with a bag of free products and follow up appointments for deep conditioner treatments, we decided as a team that we'd just sort of keep this quiet and not tell Jim. No sense upsetting him; he'd just be mad and it was handled and everything was fine. I was relieved.

Then the following week I happened to be at the desk at Century III when the phone rang. I answered it, and it was Jim, calling from Oxford. "Hi Shari, I just met your client from last week. Mrs. Smith?" (name changed, obviously) "Oh." (long pause, while my heart kind of fell into my feet.) "so.... yeah. Am I fired?" I responded.
"No, you're not fired. But let's talk about this for a bit. What did you learn from this?"

And so, we had a long conversation about the choices I had made in formulating and processing the color, the disastrous end result, and how the situation was handled. Everything, from the customer's experience to my coworkers' and mine- what was done correctly and how I could have made different choices. He never once berated me or made me feel stupid, never scolded me or expressed any anger. His entire conversation was about making sure that I took away something valuable and would be able to make better choices next time. And you know what? I did. And that compassion, that empathy, that passion for making me a better hairdresser has stayed with me my entire career. It not only made me a better colorist, it made me a better trainer, and gave me a role model to emulate when it was my turn to teach others. It gave me a template to use when dealing with young staff members of my own who made mistakes, and I hope I was able to show them the same degree of compassion and instill the same passion for hair that Jim Rocco gave me.

I ran into Jim a few years ago at a local supply store. It was nice to see him. I knew he opened a small salon in Pittsburgh's Oakland, and meant to stop in, but never managed to get there. I wish I had known of his passing; I would have paid my respects. I've been fortunate to have some terrific people in my career who helped to shape the adult I was becoming. I never fully expressed to Jim how important the things I learned from him were, or how much his influence changed my life, and for this I am profoundly sad.

Rest well, Jim. You were a great hairdresser, and an even greater mentor. You helped me become the professional I am today. You gave me a wonderful example to follow, and I am forever grateful. Thank you.

How to Stop Beating Your Hair Up.

I really wanted to title this post "How to Not <insert your personal favorite off-color slang word for "ruin"> Up Your Hair, Again and Again. However, considering this is a new blog, I opted instead for the safer, less controversial title above. Still, the message is the same: How you can stop repeatedly doing damage to your hair.

We all do things, every day, that do not always result in healthy, shiny hair. The good news is, there are a few little things that you can either do, or stop doing, that will make a difference.

BLOT WITH THE TOWEL, DON'T  SCRUB
 When you get out of the shower, don't scrub at your head with the towel as if you hate it. This causes unnecessary abrasion on your hair. It raises the cuticle (the outer layer of your hair) and causes more tangles. Try blotting gently, then wrap damp hair in the towel, like a turban, to let the towel do its job and absorb as much extra moisture as possible.

COMB WET HAIR, DON'T BRUSH
Even if your hair tangles like crazy, even after carefully blotting with the towel, please resist the temptation to rip through those snarls with the nearest brush. Wet hair is weak hair, and every time you snap a hair, a tiny hair fairy screams in agony. When your hair is wet, it stretches more than it's supposed to. And, if your hair is chemically altered (color, perm, straightener, etc) it may not always snap back, and you'll be left with thin, noodly hair with no elasticity. Instead, before trying to remove tangles, use a leave-in conditioner or strengthening product first. Isle of You Hair Color Studio favorites are No.4  Super Comb Prep & Protect, Pearatin Fortifying Repairative Serum, and Moroccan Oil Treatment (original or light, depending on hair texture) . Apply the product to damp, un-combed tangles. Then, using a wide-toothed comb, gently work from the bottom up to loosen tangles without yanking or forcing the comb through. Take the extra few minutes required to get through, especially if your hair is fine or  fragile. Thicker hair takes a lot longer, I know, but if you want it to stay thick and healthy, and don't want to see those little flyaway ends popping through, it's worth the time. And the hair fairies will thank you.

PROTECT YOUR HAIR IN HARSH WEATHER CONDITIONS
When you're out in extreme weather, your hair can take a serious beating. Are you a skier? In my misspent youth, I wouldn't be caught dead wearing a hat on the slopes. In fact, once, during a girls-only Colorado ski trip, my two friends and I were taking a break from the Winterpark slopes when a man walked past the table and paused to ask if we had just gotten there. We replied that no, we had been out all morning tearing it up. He marveled that our hair- all of us- looked perfect. (All of us were hairstylists, and in our "fashion-before-function" mindset, we made sure that hair wouldn't move no matter how hard we skied.) BUT- that kind of effort isn't always the best idea for hair, especially fragile hair. Extreme cold  can make hair brittle.Use a leave-in conditioner, one of those mentioned previously or your stylist's favorite, before going out into the cold. Covering your hair (yes, with a HAT) will protect it from harsh wind, and will also keep you warm. The good news? There are some really fun hats out there now. Something for everybody.

WET YOUR HAIR BEFORE YOU SWIM
Chlorine is, hands-down, one of the harshest things we humans expose our hair to. Also, nearly impossible to remove once it's in there. There is a distinct feel to chlorine-damaged hair; it feels rough; "skritchy" is my favorite word for it. On any type of hair, it's unpleasant; on fragile or curly hair that tends to be dry anyway, it can be devastating. If you swim only in your own pool, it's easy to either adjust the chlorine levels so it's not so harsh, or use other sanitizers that don't damage hair and skin. But if you swim in a public pool; a gym, school, or the local park, you can't do anything about what they use or how much. And frankly, when there are lots of people using the same pool, chlorine is a good choice to keep everyone healthy. But there are things you can do to protect your hair. The easiest is to simply wet your hair down - thoroughly saturate with tap water first, before going in the pool. Even if you are required to wear a bathing cap, this is a good practice. The cap is usually not going to keep your hair dry anyway, so this shouldn't add much to your time getting ready to go later. Doing this simply prevents your hair from absorbing the chlorinated water. Think of a sponge; if the sponge is soaked full of water, you can't use it to absorb more water. Same idea with your hair. To make this idea even better, take the time to add a conditioner to your tap water-wet hair too, before swimming. The best for this would be a thicker, "rinse-out" type conditioner instead of a leave-in, though leave-ins will work in a pinch. The thicker cream base of a traditional conditioner formula will create a little more barrier to keep your hair from absorbing the chlorine. Keep in mind, though, that many public pools frown on wearing anything into the pool, like body lotions or hair products, that can make the water cloudy. So be a good citizen and cover your hair before swimming if you use this tip.


USE THE SUN TO HELP CONDITION YOUR HAIR
Going to a beach for a warm-weather escape this winter? (as I'm writing this, winter is in full force and out my window the snow is accumulating; my mother has already called to warn me to wear a hat.) If you're getting away from all this, and are going to be sitting on a beach somewhere, let the warmth of the sun help condition your hair. Pack along a good, deep conditioner. Ask your stylist for suggestions; Isle of You Hair Color Studio likes Keune's Color Care Treatment, Moroccan Oil's  Intense Hydrating Mask and Wella's Brilliance Treatment (for fine or thick hair). Shampoo first, then load on the deep conditioner of your choice before you go claim your spot on the beach. Relax, and let the sunshine help all the nutrients and nourishing goodness penetrate into your hair while you sip margaritas and ogle the cabana boy/girl.

Stay tuned; subscribe for future discussions of healthy hair, great products, and various other fascinating topics. And maybe even pictures of puppies.

Are professional salon products really better than drugstore products?

If you've ever had your hair cut in a salon, undoubtedly you've had, at one point or another, a stylist recommend professional hair care products for your hair. There are lots of mixed opinions out there, on both sides of "the chair." Some folks feel pressured and uncomfortable when a stylist suggests products for them, others realize the benefit of having personalized, professional recommendation. On the other hand, some stylists are uncomfortable suggesting home care products and feel that they don't want to be "pushy," while others feel that making home-care recommendations is part of the professional service.

And on either side is the debate; are professional products really so different?

Honestly, in my professional opinion, yes, they are. Not that the "over the counter" products are bad, necessarily. In fact, there are plenty of high quality products out there that are value priced, widely available in large retailers (drug, grocery and department stores) and are perfectly able to adequately care for your hair. So what are the differences? I mean, shampoo is shampoo, right? How different can it be?
Think of it this way. Ever have a great loaf of home-made bread? Or a really great, fresh loaf of Mancini's Italian bread? Or even an art bread from a local bakery or Panera? Think of the texture, the taste, the aroma. Intoxicating, right?

Now, picture your favorite loaf of bargain bread from the grocery store. Wonder, or even a generic brand. No comparison to the carefully baked specialty bread. So what's the difference? Bread is bread. It all has the same stuff in it- flour, yeast, salt... uh... whatever else goes in bread. (I am clearly not a baker.) All the same ingredients, more or less. So why are some breads so much different?Ingredients and process.

It's the same with hair care products. Sure, shampoo is shampoo is shampoo, but professional brands use the highest quality ingredients, cutting edge technology and a more refined process, producing a product that is simply a better version.

And, the best reason I can give in favor of salon products is the personalized, professional recommendation of your stylist. Your hairstylist knows your hair, and knows the products on the shelf. Your stylist will be able to suggest exactly the right combination of products to achieve what ever results you are looking for- everything from routine maintenance to dealing with oily or dry/fragile hair. Also, if you are having professional color done, it makes sense to protect your investment with a good quality home care regimen designed to make your color last longer and protect the integrity of your hair.

So next time you're in the salon chair, listen to the suggestions your stylist makes for your hair. If your stylist doesn't make suggestions, ask!!

This article originally appeared on the Pittsburgh Examiner website, May 10, 2009.

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