never underestimate the power of clean hair

Lois Alter Mark in college
Circa 1976. Can you smell the Love’s Baby Soft in the air? Apparently, I can’t stop playing with my soft, shiny, young (uncolored) hair. Let’s not even talk about the typewriter.

I used to wash my hair every day.

When I was much younger, I could dry it quickly and it would come out naturally straight and silky. It made me feel so good, it acted almost like a superhero cape, giving me the super power of confidence. I loved running my fingers through it and, if I take a deep breath now, I can still get a whiff of my beloved Herbal Essence shampoo.

To get that same straight, silky hair now, I – well, I can’t. Not by myself.

My hairdresser, Laura Pruden, who I love dearly, can get it for me but it takes time, her professional touch with the flat iron and the right combination of product. Because, unfortunately, she doesn’t live with me and I don’t have the patience or talent to do what she does, I usually throw my hair into a ponytail and forget about it.

I only wash it every few days because, unless Laura is working her magic on it, my hair actually looks better “dirty” now. What is that about?

It takes forever to blow it dry so I end up with half of it dry, half of it wet and none of it looking particularly good.

I’ve noticed lately that a lot of blow dry bars are opening around my neighborhood. This is kind of reassuring because it means I’m not the only one who can’t do it herself. I was dying to try one but was having trouble rationalizing the $35 and the feeling that I was somehow cheating on Laura. So when Blo sent me an invitation for a free blo-out to celebrate their new Carlsbad location, I immediately made an appointment.

You're not cheating on your hairdresser

Blo is North America’s original blow dry bar. They created the whole no cuts, no color, just “Wash. Blow. Go.” concept and have been around since 2007. This is their 31st location, and they’re probably coming to your city soon if they’re not there already.

To really put them to the test, I decided to go right after Jazzercise when my hair was a birds nest-y, frizzy, sweaty mess. Usually, I just go on with my day like that and if I run into people I know, I laughingly apologize for my hair while I’m hugging them although, the truth is, I’m only sorry that I don’t care more about making it presentable.

Samantha, my stylist, was unfazed. She washed my hair – if I could give myself a scalp massage that felt as good as the pros do, I just might keep washing my hair every day – and got to work.

Stylists at Blo

Blo features a really cute Hair Menu so you can choose a style that’s sleek and edgy or dripping with curls. This would be a great place to go before a big event and, in fact, they even offer a Blo On The Go service, where they’ll come to you instead. I basically gave Samantha carte blanche and settled in to my cushy chair to take in the vibe.

Blo has a nice feel to it, with music in the background, chick flicks playing on the TV and lots of hot pink and white everywhere.

They laid out quite a spread, which didn’t influence my opinion at all because I stuck to my Jenny Craig and didn’t even take a bite of any of these gorgeous-looking treats. I did bring home a beautiful box of toffee from The Toffee Box, which my husband assured me was delicious. The empty box in my kitchen cabinet proves he’s telling the truth.

Snacks at Blo I left Blo with hair that felt so much better – literally. It fell vertically instead of spreading out horizontally, and even had a That Girl kind of flip gracing my shoulders that gave me a little bounce in my step. The texture was smooth and soft, and my bangs were combed to the side, taking a point of view rather than hanging haphazardly. Best part? When I ran into a friend later that afternoon, instead of feeling the need to say, “Sorry,” I was given an opportunity to say, “Thank you.”

Lois Alter Mark before her Blo experience
Before.
Lois Alter Mark after her Blo experience
After my Blo dry.

 

36 thoughts on “never underestimate the power of clean hair

  1. You look wonderful! My hair is super short now, but going to the salon and getting a blow dry was always a treat! My hair never looked as good as walking out of a salon.

  2. I’ve never heard of a place like that… but I can totally see my daughter loving it – she has really long hair that can sometimes be a pain but she doesn’t want to cut it. She loves the wash/blow out that she gets at the hairdresser though.. hopefully Blo will open a location in Charleston. SC someday 🙂

  3. I took my curly haired granddaughter to one. First time she ever had stick straight hair. She wore it for one day and then didn’t feel like herself and didn’t want to go to school with straight so she washed it and those magical curls came back.

  4. I first went to blow dry bar when I was visiting Beverly Hills (ooh la la!) about 5 years ago; it’s a great way to pamper yourself. Lois, I love the way your hair came out!

    1. Thank you! I think the closest one to you is in Manhattan but you can check their website. New ones popping up all the time!

    1. Thank you! There’s one on East 64 Street in the city and one on Glen Cove Road in Greenvale. You hair always looks great, though!

  5. /Users/ellywynia/Desktop/1003363_10151829463627220_731254802_n.jpg

    Can u see this photo! This is from my local hairdressers shop! I LOVE this idea. When I turned 49 I decided to enter my 50’s with no more highlighting my hair. I am not used to the darkness as the grey is not full tilt but it is still fun to be oh naturale. I LOVE when people straighten my hair and professionals always blow me better:)) xo

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