Shoutout to the client who taught me about product buildup the hard way

I was at my station in Sal's Salon in Pittsburgh last Tuesday when a regular sat down and said her hair felt like straw. I had been using the same clarifying shampoo for months and swore it was fine. But after a deep look under the lamp, I realized she had a thick layer of buildup from silicone-heavy conditioners she used at home. I had to do a double cleanse with apple cider vinegar rinse and a chelating treatment just to reset her hair. It took 45 extra minutes and threw off my whole schedule. Has anyone else dealt with a buildup situation that snuck up on you like that?”

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jennifer_west2mo ago

Wait, you had been using a clarifying shampoo and it still wasn't working? That is wild to me. A good clarifying shampoo should be stripping away buildup like nobody's business. Something is off with that product or your water at the shop maybe. I have clients come in all the time with crunchy hair from hard water and product gunk, but I always start with a sulfate shampoo first. The fact that a clarifying shampoo let that much silicone buildup slip through is honestly kind of scary. Apple cider vinegar rinse is a lifesaver though, I keep a bottle at my station for emergencies just like that. You basically had to rebuild her hair from scratch with that double cleanse and chelation, which is a total nightmare for the schedule.

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markl752mo ago

A Malibu C hard water treatment saved my ass one time when a client's hair felt like straw even after two clarifying washes, same exact situation you described. I've learned to just skip straight to chelation when I see that mineral crust, no point wasting time on shampoo alone.

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