Strands Hair & Skin Treatment Centre-Salon page 2

Although Strands is mostly about hair, it's also about skin and nails, and all our skin care products are also pure, healthy, botanic. Skincare products are an exquisite blend of essential oils (blended especially for each client after a consultation to determine exactly what's appropriate) that cleanse, nourish, and maintain healthy, beautiful skin. As with hair, we don't believe in hiding problems; rather we prefer to zero in and fix whatever's wrong. For example, we don't use harsh cleansers or anything that will strip the skin if you have oily skin; instead we'll actually soothe the over-active oil glands that are causing the problem.

"Unlike what a lot of the ads imply," says Urs, "people aren't snakes." Harsh products that destroy the upper layers of skin aren't good for you; the key is to nourish and build up healthy skin and remove dead skin cells. Strands products and in-house blends don't contain harsh hydroxy acids and other stripping elements. These only irritate and hurt skin.

Skin is our largest organ and it deserves to be kept moisturized, taut, and strong. So all our products are designed to build up your skin cells and the underlying structures; maintain skin's natural elasticity and strength; and botanically extend its natural life. Furthermore, this allows your skin to withstand environmental pressures, like pollution and sun.

Aesthetic services at Strands include manicures and pedicures, makeup application, and facials. waxing, hand and foot treatments. These range from the purely botanic: products we mix on the spot using essential oils and fruits and vegetables (at Strands you can have a facial so pure you could eat it!) to aromatherapy and massage.

Esthetic Services

Dermatologist or esthetician? Sometimes it’s difficult to know what level of care a skin problem requires.

A dermatologist is a doctor who specializes in skin disorders. In other words, an MD who’s also done a residency in skin. You need a doctor if you have serious skin problems, suspect skin cancer, or suspect that your skin problems are caused by an internal problem æ not all skin lesions or disorders are "external": some are caused by viruses or even auto-immune conditions (psoriasis, for example).

Don’t underrate esthetic services though. A good esthetician is a problem-solver. If you have pimples (blackheads, whiteheads), too-dry or too-oily skin, an esthetician can help. In fact, regular facials and the appropriate regimen of essential oil therapy can help prevent skin problems and ward off or soothe and reduce dermatitis.

Esthetic services at Strands include:

Depilation and waxing;
Manicures and pedicures (available as a botanic treatment or non-);
Eyelash and eyebrow tinting with government-approved dyes;
Aromatherapy;
Massage,
Facials (also available as botanic treatments using essential oils and plant products or not

Pedicure

"Don’t think of a pedicure as a luxury," says Lina, uber-pedicurist at Strands. Feet are subjected to daily indignities and strains, and keeping feet healthy is the least we can do in return. Dry cracking heels and built-up calluses are more than merely uncomfortable: they can cause long-term problems.

In Europe, Lina’s pedicure would be called a "medical pedicure", but there’s no such categorization in Canada. But if you’ve never had one of these treatments before, the European-trained Lina is amazing in her ability to solve foot problems.

"People think that if they use a file now and then their feet will smooth out," says Lina. Not true. You need serious upkeep, particularly if you’ve had a lot of blisters or worn the wrong shoes for any length of time (like most women).

What’s the most common comment Lina hears? People are surprised, she says. They had no idea a pedicure could be such a painstaking, wonderful procedure and that feet could look and feel so smooth and healthy afterwards.

Men, incidentally, should consider regular pedicures too. They may not damage their feet with high heels, but the male of the species also puts his feet through a lot of torture: from baking them in runners to ignoring signs of a fungal infection. Men, says Lina, often have more calluses and cracks than women do.

Aromatherapy

When Strands entered the aromatherapy realm in the mid-1990’s, few people in North America even knew the term. Now everyone’s doing it, but now it’s buyer-beware: there are a lot of so-called experts using essential oils without knowing enough about them or using diluted, cheaply-produced versions of the real thing

At Strands aromatherapy is used in deep conditioning treatments and facials; skin and hair care products. But the key to it all is the individual. Aromatherapy must be tailored to the person: there’s no such thing as one size fits all.

Plus, our essential oils are the best. Lavender from France. Tea tree oil from Australia. Sandalwood from India. We buy oils grown naturally and without pesticides whenever possible.

True essential oils are pure and, as the name suggests, the "essence" of the flower or plant. Which means that by definition they’re going to be expensive; since they’re difficult to make. But, used appropriately, they go a long way. Anyone who sells you a bottle of lavender for five dollars is "watering" it down with a carrier oil.

Strand also carries books on aromatherapy and you can also ask for our own brochure, outlining essential oils and their uses.

Strands stays up-to-date on aromatherapy. Urs attended the 1999 International Aromatherapists and Tutors Association Conference in Toronto. There he hung out with a like-minded aromatherapy practitioners. This group isn’t too keen on some of the outrageous claims being made for aromatherapy. "Sure, there’s a lot of value in it," says Urs, "but it can’t cure everything." As a complementary therapy essential oils help with many conditions and also help to reduce stress, pep you up, or soothe. Some essential oils are anti-bacterial, others can help with skin and scalp problems. Plus, best of all, essential oils are pure, they’re natural, and, usually, they smell good.

Computer Imaging System

Ever wonder what you’d look like blonde? Or if you got a really short cut? Wonder no more.

The Strands computer imaging system is a powerful computer that can show you what you’d look like with various styles, colors, and cuts. A photo is taken of you, with your hair pulled back; that’s scanned into the computer. Then the magic begins.

Get as silly or as outrageous as you like; it’s only on screen. When you find what you like, we’ll save it on to disk and when the session’s over you get a photograph of your four best looks to take away. No more relying in guesswork to find the perfect look. And the stylist will work with you to advise on which looks work best with your hair and face.

Hair Color

"Does she or doesn’t she?", that famous phrase coined for Clairol nearly forty years ago has become irrelevant today when most of the time she does. And so does he. Hair color is safer, faster, more versatile than it’s ever been. And whether you want outrageous or natural, it’s all possible.

At Strands we know the nuances of tinting hair through and through. We know the range of choices available today in hair color (unknown even a decade ago). Whether you want to cover the gray or just go for a new look, hair colors today can layer, highlight, and add shine. For both men and women. There are male clients whose gray has been touched up so gently that even he forgets that he does. We call it "reverse highlighting" and it’s so subtle it’s invisible. (Of course we can also do the most outré and outrageous if that’s what you’re looking for!)

As with everything else, hair color at Strands is as safe, botanic, and gentle as possible. Ammonia-free.

Those highly-advertised mass-market products may seem good on television, but they leave hair flat, monochrome and dry. Our colors cost a bit more , and take time. As a rule, the more botanic the colour, the longer it takes. But, on the plus side, your hair stays healthy and strong. Our colors are actually good for your hair: people with very fine hair, for example, will find that coloring adds volume and texture and makes styling easier.

Hair Care Products

Hair and Scalp Treatments

Strands offers a range of deep-conditioning treatments for the hair and scalp. (It’s not possible to have healthy hair if your scalp is unhealthy.) One of our most popular (and most effective) is our own, in-house botanic deep conditioning treatment that we mix for you, on the spot, using essential oils and a combination of (usually organic) fruits and vegetables. This nourishing treatment returns moisture back to dry hair and metaphorically "feeds" the hair shaft and cuticle as well as the scalp.

Like most natural solutions, these take time and you’ll need to sit for half an hour or more, under the Climazone heat lamp so that the essential oils can penetrate.

hair loss;
dandruff;
oily scalp and hair;
oily scalp/dry hair;
stressed-out hair and scalp;
environmentally-damaged hair and scalp;
chemically-damaged hair (for example an excess of perming, coloring, or relaxers can leave your hair limp and dry and feeling like straw);
health and other related kinds of damage like chemotherapy or a chronic illness;
and a really common problem these days: red, itchy scalp.

Makeup

Erika Heitz is Strands’ own makeup line, formulated and produced in New York. The latest colors in eye makeup, blush, nail polish, lipstick … Erika Heitz cosmetics come at a reasonable price and are top quality.

New colors each season. Erika Heitz cosmetics are used when we apply make-up in the salon or you can buy your own. The EH line also has excellent creams and moisturizers and a popular and versatile Vitamin E stick that we can barely keep in stock.

René Furterer

Skin Care Products

Special Events

We love weddings! And if you’re planning a large one, we’d sure like to hear about it in advance. That way you and your wedding party can come in for a dress rehearsal; we can work out your hair and makeup and figure out exactly what the right look will be before the big day.

We’re also tops at preparing models and anyone else who’s going to be photographed. Dorothee, one of our makeup artists also works in the movie industry and she’s worked on a lot of famous faces. Either she or another esthetician can ensure the camera loves you too – from any angle.

Skin Care