Category: Health

May 28, 2020 Health

Covid-19 Health And Safety Protocol

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, we will be following strict guidelines in order to protect the safety of our clients and employees. Please keep in mind that these guidelines will be in effect during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic and may be adjusted as necessary, and they will be reduced when it is safe to do so.

Temperature checks - In order to maintain a safe environment each client entering the salon will have their temperature taken using an infrared thermometer.

Any client who has a temperature above 37.8°C will be sent home immediately and not allowed to return to the salon until they have no fever and no evidence of COVID-19 symptoms.
Symptom Check - Before carrying out any services, all clients entering the salon will be asked the following questions:

  • Have you had the recent onset of a new continuous cough?
  • Do you have a high temperature?
  • Have you noticed a loss of, or change in, normal sense of taste or smell?
If you have experienced any of these symptoms, however mild, we kindly ask that you stay at home and reschedule your appointment.
Before carrying out any service a member of our staff will ask you to sign a digital waiver. This is to ensure you understand that whilst we are taking all precautionary measures to help limit the risk is of infection you may be exposed on your way to the salon.
Limit people in the salon – In order to practice social distancing, we will accept clients by appointment only. We will be running our schedule by telephonic or online scheduling only. We will limit the number of persons in the waiting area in the salon. It is recommended that clients wait outside the salon until the Hairdresser is ready to serve them. We kindly ask that clients respect appointment times and we apologise in advance if we experience any delays. Please rest assured that any delay will be communicated in advance by phone. It is recommended that persons not being serviced in the salon wait outside the salon.
Maintain social distancing at all times! Spacing between persons in the salon should be at least 2 metres, except when one member of staff is servicing a client.
Personal Protective Gear:
  • Wearing masks – Clients should wear face masks to the extent possible while receiving services.
  • Shoe covers – The salon will provide shoe covers for all clients. Clients will be expected to put these on when entering the salon.
To limit the amount of people at the desk, all payments will be taken the day before the appointment. We will be operating a strict cancellation policy and 100% of fee will be charged for no show.
Hand sanitisers will be provided for you to use upon entering the salon.
To limit the risk of infection there will be no kitchen service. Please bring your own drink.
To limit the risk of infection there will be no cloakroom service. Plastic bags will be provided for you to safeguard your belongings.
To limit the risk of infection there will be no magazines or newspapers available.
Clients will be expected to follow floor stickers and signage to practice safe social distancing.
We kindly ask clients not to touch any retail products unless they have the intention of buying.
We kindly ask that all client refrain from handshakes or hugging.
February 8, 2019 Health

The long and short of it

Long hair seems to have eternal appeal – Perhaps it’s because our childhood fairy tales were full of longhaired princesses, or perhaps it something more evolutionary. Either way, the trend for long, luscious hair is going nowhere. But if you wonder why some people can grow their hair to their waist, while yours struggles to pass your shoulders, the answer lies partly in your DNA - The speed our hair grows is genetically determined.

For most people this is a quarter to half an inch a month. And though there’s not much you can do to speed this up, you can take steps to ensure your strands are growing at their optimal rate and not snapping or falling out before they should. Here are my tips for being a modern Rapunzel!

TRY SKINCARE FOR HAIR Our hair grows from our scalp, so looking after it is a must if you want yours to be long and strong! Skincare for hair is a big trend right now. I love Hair Rituel by Sisley Revitalizing Fortifying Serum for the Scalp, £135, Kerastase Initialiste Advanced Scalp and Hair Concentrate, £44.70, and Redken Recovery Sheet Mask Cap, £12.
EAT WELL A healthy diet is as important for your hair as it is your skin. Eating protein and complex carbohydrates (like brown rice, chickpeas and sweet potato), maintains a good hair growth cycle. Consume these at breakfast and lunch when our energy expenditure is greatest.
CONSIDER SUPPLEMENTATION Ensuring your body has healthy levels of certain minerals encourages hair growth and helps prevent breakage. Biotin, part of the Vitamin B family, plays an important role in hair health and has transformed my hair. Fulvic acid is also proven to provide significant improvement in hair thickness and condition, while iron deficiencies affect 15% of the world’s population and can suppress hair growth too.
SHOWER RIGHT It horrifies me how many women skip conditioner – The worst thing you can do when growing your hair. Conditioner helps replace the lipids and proteins inside the hair shaft, as well as sealing the cuticle to prevent moisture loss, snags and heat damage. In reality it’s shampooing that you should skip when possible. Here's why: Shampoo washes away not just dirt and product build-up, but also the natural oils that keep our strands soft and healthy. Reduce the days you shampoo, and do a cold rinse after you do - This smooths and protects the hair cuticle as above.
TRY TREATMENTS Hair can't get long if it keeps snapping off, so invest in products that strengthen it. To minimise breakage I recommend a weekly pre-shampoo treatment like Oribe Gold Lust Pre Shampoo Intensive Treatment, £62 to plump the hair shaft with moisture, improving elasticity and strength. Or try our Kerastase Extentioniste in-salon treatment, £45. It helps reduce the appearance of split ends and minimises breakage to promote sublime lengths.
BE SCISSOR HAPPY Having an invisible trim whereby your hair tips are skimmed without removing length doesn't make your hair grow faster, but does prevent the split ends that cause breakage. Our in-salon hot scissor cuts are great too. Heated scissor blades round off and seal the hair tip to lock in moisture and minimise the damage caused by pollution, sunlight and heat styling.
BRUSH RIGHT Never brush your hair from the roots as this causes friction and damages the hair shaft. Instead start at the ends and work your way up.
QUIT PONY CLUB If you have bleached, dry, or fine hair wear it down when your can. Ponytails break off hair where the elastic holds the tail in place. Instead twist your hair into a bun and clip it with a claw clip or pin. Slip Silk Skinnies Hair Ties, £39 and Popbands, £8 are gentler on hair than traditional ties too.
April 29, 2020 Health

Mental Health during Lockdown

Mental Health during Lockdown

With another several more weeks of isolation ahead of us, potentially more, I thought that this was the perfect opportunity to share some of the coping strategies I use daily to keep a positive mindset.

PLAN AHEAD

Despite the difficulty of juggling work and home schooling, I’ve promised myself to try and stick to a routine. Every day I get up and get dressed before planning my day ahead. Working towards long term goals, helps me overcome the daily angst of the uncertainty that surrounds us.

MOVE

Being an active person who works out on most days and spends a vast amount of time walking around the salon, moving my body is indispensable and has been an invaluable copping mechanism these past weeks. I’m so grateful for social media and Zoom, which have enabled me to continue doing gentle workouts with my PT Dino and Pilates with Francesca the Method. There are also, some other great alternatives to PT available. KXU have just started to offer FREE IG live classes Tuesday to Sunday. Other gyms, like Flex are offering virtual classes, which is another great way to keep your mind and body in sync.

NURTURE

Your mind body and soul. During this isolation I’ve been tempted to swap a nutritious lunch for half a pot of Nutella (my favourite) but I think that during these times succumbing to unhealthy habits can have a more detrimental effect on your morale. Nurturing means to care and protect, which is why I’m taking this time to treat my body with all the respect it deserves. My advice is: use this time for you and feed your mind and soul by doing the things you’ve been meaning to do. Whether it’s pick up that book you’ve been dying to read, plant some seeds in your garden, or find yourself a penchant for watercolours, it’s important to find something that will trigger positive emotions. What you choose to do doesn’t necessarily require you to be creative.

CONNECT

This surreal time at home doesn’t and shouldn’t be all doom and gloom. There are so many things we can be grateful for. I for one am thoroughly enjoying the amount of time I get to spend with my son. Spending this much time with him as enabled us to connect in a different way, we’d usually get the chance to. Connecting and catching up with friends and family has been very rewarding. Being there for others too has played wonders for my wellbeing.

It is normal to want to check out and to experience a down day. The important thing to do right now is to protect your mental health and remember we will come out of this eventually.

Hoping you and yours stay safe.

Love,

Elena

January 18, 2019 Health

Sleeping Beauty

My resolution this year is to go back to basics and be better at the simple things - sleeping, eating and moving. I truly believe that this can make us happier, healthier and more able to achieve our greatest desires.

Terrifyingly, two thirds of adults claim that they are sleep deprived and experts say regularly getting less than seven hours a night can seriously affect our health, concentration, productivity, and appearance. The health and beauty of our hair and skin, of course, relies on good sleep too.

Here are my top ten tips for sleeping better so you can look and feel fabulously refreshed and alert.

Stop all tech-related activity 60 minutes before bed, especially using devices that omit stimulating blue light. Oh and absolutely never take them to bed! The bedroom is for sleeping reading and romance.
Deep sleep or REM, which makes up about 20 percent of our time in bed, is very beneficial for our health. Sadly not everyone achieves it. Lowering stress levels, avoiding alcohol, snoring partners (!), uncomfortable beds and overheated bedrooms will help.
90 minutes before bed start lowering the lights – Quiet and darkness stimulate the sleep hormone melatonin.
Establish a sleep routine and repeat it every day – These habits tell our brains and bodies that it’s time to turn off. I personally take a bath, wash my face, brush and floss my teeth, and do some reading. Meditation helps many people too.
Stop drinking caffeine after 3pm and always avoid alcohol in the hour before bed.
Our bodies like habit - Try to keep your bed and wake up times the same every day where possible. It’s tempting to sleep more at the weekend but don't. This upsets our body clocks and will actually make you feel less rested.
Regular exercise promotes good sleep. We were built to move but many of our modern jobs involve sitting for hours, so making extra effort is essential. My office is at the top of 8 flights of stairs and I often have to run up and down them (usually in heels) many times a day. I love pilates and yoga and have a very energetic little boy who I chase after a lot.
Breathing properly can reduce stress, improve sleep quality and enhance our physical and mental health. Download Pranayama and Headspace apps to try it.
Visualisation helps clear and calm the mind. Imagine a shining light and beginning at the top of your head envision it scanning down your body to your toes where negativity departs through your feet.
Essential oils are one of the most powerful and proven natural remedies to help aid sleep. I spray This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray, £18 onto my pillow at night. It's a powerful blend of Lavender, Vetiver and Wild Camomile.

Shop my favourite bedtime treats here: