We love it when a client decides to make a colour change whether it’s a striking fashion statement or a move to embrace their grey.

It’s our kind of “good problem” that has to be solved creatively, collaboratively and scientifically. There are times however when we have to say “no”.

A lot of thought and effort has been placed in creating the ultimate client experience at Crown Hair. The experience though extends much further than the time spent in the salon and why, as Colour Director, Kathy Gilbert explains, we can’t always give a client what they want.

“I’m always really clear with clients that we will create whatever they want, as best we can, but we’re never going to destroy the hair in the process. 

Instant gratification that is not backed up with long term satisfaction, as in healthy and beautiful hair, is simply not what we are about”.

The good news is hair science is at such an advanced level that there is so much more hairdressers can do. The ground breaking treatment Olaplex for example has allowed a freedom to push out from previously “fixed” boundaries without risking of irreversible hair damage.

Earlier this year at Hair Expo Kathy saw internationally acclaimed colourists Guy Tang and Rebecca Taylor present some amazing colour work using Olaplex.

“I didn’t know much about Rebecca but Guy is well known for his eye popping colour and long hair balayage techniques like rainbow hair. Their stage work was just as striking, Rebecca’s creative placement was really inspired and Guy was as impressive as his reputation.  

It was great to see them together because they’re really good colourists who know their stuff but they are also excellent educators that work so well together as one peer to another.

These two have made a fantastic career out of being global educators but as far as making a clientele out of what they present on stage well it’s not realistic and they were very happy to disclose that. Some of the work we were seeing had taken over 14 hours to achieve.

The point they were making, with remarkable demonstration, was how with Olaplex we can do so much more to hair while protecting it, which is completely our experience of Olaplex too.

This product has taken the possibilities of what we can do to a whole new level because we can reinstate the stability of the hair over and over as we do more.

Of course there is always a breaking point and even Olaplex states it’s not a “magical cure all” but it certainly gives you confidence to play a little harder.

Something else that really stuck with me, mainly because it is something I have always believed is that products must process for their full time to get a proper result.

I’ve spent a long time playing with colour. It’s my favourite thing to do but I never mess with what I don’t understand.

I didn’t make these products; scientists did through trial and error in laboratories. Every minute of the processing time is there for a reason and each element has a purpose. I respect that.  

We at Crown have been using Olyplex for almost a year now and we’ve seen the results not just from using it in the salon but also from the condition of a client’s hair when they come back.

That’s what speaks volumes, the results that the clients are seeing plus the fact that Olyplex as a take home product is walking out the door”.