Red Union Hair Salon – San Francisco

Yesterday, I wore a sundress, sandals and a sunhat to keep the heat and sun off my face and body. Today, it is thigh-high boots, sweater, hat, scarf and a wool coat—wishing I had brought my gloves, and no sun in sight. You’re probably thinking that I must be traveling the globe. Oh no! This is just summer in San Francisco.

Every year I write a blog post about our unique summers here. For many folks, hair is a real problem! Red Union Salon likes to carry and keep abreast of the best hair products. Privé is how we deal with freezing high winds and rolling fog in the San Francisco summer.

Privé just launched a brand new product called Concept Vert Volumizing Froth, perfect for fine hair. It is a revolutionary non-aerosol mouse that provides incredible body, volume and definition, leaving your hair soft shiny and full of body. Go ahead blow in the volume!

For ultimate curls, mix 3 parts Leave-In Treatment to one part Shine Serum and apply on the shaft and ends. Layer hair with Foaming Styler and Curl Activating Cream from scalp to ends. Either blow dry with diffuser or dry naturally, scrunching it to create soft, defined curls.

When it comes to great curls I say product, product, product!

Edgy texture for short styles is best achieved by mixing a pea-sized amount of Extended Texture Clay with a quarter-sized amount of Foaming Styler, then apply to short hair. Style as desired. For amazing shine spray Flash Brilliance lightly to the finished style.

So here you have it! Call us if you’d like to make an appointment to come in and have your hair styled with these amazing new products. We’ll show you how it’s done in person.

Happy styling!

Tags: Concept Vert Volumizing Froth, Curl Activating Cream, Extended Texture Clay, Flash Brilliance, Foaming Styler, hair, hair salon san francisco, Leave-In Treatment, Privé, Shine Serum, Summer Hair

Many women who have been dying their hair for years wonder if the battle is worth it. Some clients even wonder if they are already completely gray, but because they have been dying their hair for so long, they have no idea what their real hair color looks like.

Usually by this time, women are getting their roots touched up every 2-1/2 to 3 weeks. Their question is whether or not we can simply dye your hair gray and be done with it.

Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as all that. The simple answer is, no. You cannot dye your hair gray. Gray hair is due to loss of pigment in your hair.

Hair that has lost pigment is technically translucent hair, meaning it has no color in the shaft. That is why as your hair continues to gray, it goes from looking somewhat silver (due to the fact that you still have a number of hairs that have pigment in them) to white, which is when all shafts of hair have lost pigment.

For those of you who may want to consider “going gray” naturally, you could consider slowly lightening your hair to a pale blonde color. This way you could go a little bit longer between colorings, and gradually grow into your new hair color.

What you’re trying to do is to transition from the permanent tint that has been applied to your hair so far, and using a temporary or semi-permanent formulation to continue covering the gray as the original permanent color grows out.

Temporary color washes out after a single shampoo. The nice thing about the semi-permanent color is that it only adheres to the outside of the shaft of hair with a little bit of the dye penetrating the hair shaft and then washes out after a certain number of shampoos. This technique works best for women who have adopted a shorter hair style. This will give you more time between applications.

Most women will either gently adapt to their natural gray color in this way, or they will decide that they would prefer to continue to show a younger look to the world, and return to coloring their hair. Most women find that going a little bit lighter matches the look of their skin complexion better. As we age, we do need to adjust the colors we wear in our make-up, our clothing, and our hair.

Tags: Advice, Dye, Gray Hair, Grey Hair, hair, San Francisco, style

Emily began her career in the Haight-Ashbury during the busy dot-com boom of the late 1990s, where she soon began to show her talents as a colorist, excelling in various highlighting and corrective color techniques.

Her desire to be at the leading edge of hair design led her to enroll at the Vidal Sassoon Academy in Santa Monica, California, where she studied classic and innovative cutting, coloring and creative techniques with industry pioneers.

Experience in the world of fashion shows and photo shoots led Emily to study cutting and styling techniques with both Toni & Guy in Los Angeles and Bumble & Bumble in New York, where she became certified as a Network Educator, qualifying to teach new styling techniques to other industry professionals in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Because her approach to styling is that of a consummate student, Emily is always looking for new ways to expand her repertoire of cutting and coloring techniques. At the same time, she constantly searches for new sources of inspiration inside and outside the world of hair and fashion in order to best serve her clientele.

Comments or questions are welcome.

Tags: Bumble & Bumble, California, Coloring, Emily Winters, fashion, Haight-Ashbury, hair, New York, Santa Monica, Toni & Guy, Vidal Sassoon Academy

Red Union Salon is seeking talented stylists for an awesome upscale Union Street location. We are looking for highly skilled, motivated and reliable individuals. You need to “rock” at color and cutting techniques. Have at least two years of experience, some clientele and be a motivated self starter.

We provide you with:
– full time reception
– 24/7 booking service
– back bar
– towel service
– beverages for your clients….

Your work station is very large with lots of natural sun light great for color. We are located on the second floor overlooking Union Street.

We share all walk-ins.

This is a very fun environment! We joke, play great music and are passionate about doing “amazing hair for our clients”. If you are passionate about hair and life check us out. Please call Erika at 415-332-5450 for interview.

Tags: barber, barbers, hair, hairdressers, Hairstylist Wanted, jobs, Now Hiring, salon, San Francisco, Union Street

Red Union Salon uses organic hair products as well as botanical hair products as well as aromatherapy where optimal results can be achieved. Red Union Salon is proud to carry the best hair products by Phyto, Logics for Matrix, Redken, and Goldwell.

Be sure to check out these hair product reviews

Tags: aromatherapy, botanical, botanical hair products, Goldwell, hair, hair product reviews, herbs, Logics for Matrix, organic, organic hair products, phyto, plants, Redken, roots, salon

Red Union specializes in hair, including haircuts, hair coloring, highlights, extensions, and various hairstyles:

Haircuts – men & women: $65 – $85
Includes luxury shampoo and conditioner, a cut perfectly tailored to your personal style, as well as styling/blow dry and finished with suitable styling product.

Highlights: $85+

Lowlights: $85+

Face Framing Touch Up: $15
Good old-fashioned bang/fringe trims to refresh your looks.

Blow Dry starting at: $45
Shampoo, condition, blow dry and fresh styling.

Flat Iron: $45-$65
Shampoo, condition, blow dry, followed with a flat iron and finishing product.

Up-Do’s/Set Styles/Twists: $75/hour
For any special occasion or just added flair. Let your imagination and our creativity shine.

Color techniques starting at: $65
We specialize in Semi-Permanent Color, Permanent Color, New Growth Touch Ups, Multi-Tone Creative Color and Corrective Color.

Party styles & weddings starting at: $65

Relaxers: $85+

Permanent Waves: $100+

Extensions, Perms, Bleaching, Highlights: Prices quoted upon consultation.

Red Union Salon accepts major credit cards, including Visa, Master Card, Discover, and American Express.

Tags: bangs, bleaching, blow dry, condition, cut, extensions, flat iron, fringe, hair, hair coloring, hair styling, haircut, highlights, highlightsweddings, lowlights, party styles, permanent color, permanent waves, perms, relaxers, salon, semi-permanent color, shampoo, style, touch ups

I love it here at Red Union Salon and can’t wait to serve you! My favorite technique is to use the razor and I excel at cutting thick, straight, coarse hair which responds so well to that treatment.

For curly hair, undercutting is the key technique to free the client from excessive weight. I also stay current on the trendiest short haircuts like the millennium bob, spikes, and short layers!

Now that you know my specialties, do not hesitate to make an appointment to come in, even if it is just to talk with me. I am confident that you will leave with a smile and new look!

Carlo Martini’s personal recommendation:
LookingGlassSurgery.com

Carlo Martini is very passionate about his dog Blanca:
samoyed.org

Comments or questions are welcome.

Tags: barber, Carlo Martini, coarse hair, curly hair, hair, hair salon san francisco, hair treatment, haircut san francisco, hairdresser, millennium bob, salon, short layers, spikes, straight hair, thick hair

Erika Redding, also known as Hairika, is the founder and owner of Red Union Salon, and loves running a dynamic hair salon on fashionable Union Street. Erika opened Red Union Salon to merge hair, fashion, and art all into one space. Now this vision has come true, and Red Union Salon frequently hosts art openings and continually displays new artwork in the salon.

Her hair and fashion expertise has included work both in front and behind the camera as a hair designer, fashion designer, makeup artist, model, set and wardrobe designer. Her advanced international training by Martin Parson, Redken, Matrix and Vidal-Sassoon has enabled her to educate other stylist at hair shows across North America. She has even modeled and designed hair backstage at Prêt-à-Porter, the famous international fashion event in Paris. Her closest friends and clients include many actors, actresses, athletes, artists, models, and fashion designers here in the United States as well as back in her native land of Germany and throughout Europe.

Erika has been called the “Zen” hairstylist for her grounding, calming effect, on her clients, and takes you from “Zen” to “Ten!” With her expert haircutting and hair coloring techniques, she is a true artist at work that loves designing a breathtaking new look for you!

Comments or questions are welcome.

Tags: actors, actresses, art, artist, athletes, barber, Erika, fashion designer, Germany, hair, hair designer, hair salon san francisco, haircut san francisco, hairdresser, Hairika, makeup artist, Martin Parson, Matrix, model, models, Prêt-à-Porter, Redken, salon, set designer, wardrobe designer, ZenVidal-Sassoon

Red Union Salon was founded in October of 2003. When you visit, we want you to feel at home, where you can be spoiled.

Our stylists are very passionate about your hair and about pleasing you. So relax, have a beverage and trust us to make beauty happen!

Our current stylists include: Erika Redding, Carlo Martini, Jonathan DeNardo, Elena Goodson, Jessica Russo, and Emily Winters.

Tags: beauty, Carlo Martini, Daniel Simms, Emily Winters, Erika Redding, hair, Jessica Russo, stylists

Imagine a haircolor that not only  covers grey and creates amazing shades but also provides non-stop conditioning.  MATRIX SOCOLOR RECRAFTED features Cera Oil conditioning complex, which continuously conditions the hair for up to 30 shampoos.  ”The polymers and ceramides condition the hair stand during the color process making it smooth, resilient and healthy looking. I have been using and loving Socolor for years and I did not think they could improve upon it.  Wow, did they ever!  With a ColorGrip Dye Technology that stops color from fading, keeps it true to its original tone and covers grey 100 % it is a true miracle.  A light floral scent  is another improvement over very overpowering chemical smell that usually is a trademark of permanent color and all just in  time for your Fall hair and Fall color!

Tags: Cera Oil, ceramides, ColorGrip Dye, condition, fading hair, Fall 2009, gray, grey, hair, hair color, haircolor, MATRIX SOCOLOR RECRAFTE, permanent color, polymers