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We'll keep the memories, August can keep the dry ends...
Late August always feels like a little bit of an in-between season here in Western Mass.
It’s still summer. It’s still hot. We’re not quite ready to talk about leaves and sweaters yet. But the mornings start getting cooler, school is starting back up, fall weddings are right around the corner and before we know it, we’ll be heading to The Big E.
It’s also around this time that a lot of us start noticing summer souvenirs we didn't ask for on our hair, scalp and even our skin.
Sun, sweat, sunscreen, swimming, humidity, vacations and days spent outside can all add up. Your hair might feel drier. Your scalp might feel like it needs a really good wash no matter how recently you shampooed. Your color may look lighter or warmer than it did in June.
So before we head into fall, August is a really good time to reset.
Start With Your Scalp
We talk a lot about healthy hair, but healthy hair starts with the scalp it’s growing from.
Summer can mean more sweat, sunscreen around the hairline, dry shampoo, styling products and sometimes longer stretches between washes. If you’re swimming, you can add chlorine or minerals to the mix too.
By the end of summer, you might notice your scalp feeling oily, itchy, flaky or just a little more congested than normal.
Sometimes all you need is a good clarifying shampoo and a lesson on how to use it. 90% of our clients who are clarifying are doing it incorrectly and wondering why its not working. Clarifying shampoo needs to touch your scalp, mids AND ends to be effective. Other times, especially if you’ve spent a lot of time in a pool or have mineral-heavy water at home, we may recommend an in salon Chelating Treatment if your home clarifying isn't doing the job.
This is also a great time to book a Scalp Facial. We can give your scalp a really thorough cleanse while incorporating massage, warm towels and all of those cozy little Fern Hollow details. It gives us a clean foundation going into a new season—and gives you a little time to shut your brain off while we do the work.
Give Your Hair Some Moisture Back
By August, your ends have usually seen some things.
Sun. Chlorine. Salt water. Ponytails. Messy buns. Humidity. Silicone based serums to fight frizz. Maybe a few more hot-tool days than usual.
If your hair suddenly feels rougher, tangles more easily or doesn’t seem to be responding to your normal conditioner, it may simply need more moisture than you’re giving it at home.
A deep-conditioning treatment paired with a trim can make a surprisingly big difference without taking off a ton of length.
For our curly and wavy clients, this is especially important. Buildup and dehydration can both affect how your curl pattern behaves. If your curls suddenly aren’t curling the way they normally do, it doesn’t necessarily mean your texture has changed. Sometimes we need to do a Curl Detox and Steam Deep Conditioning Treatment to revive your bouncy texture.
What Happened to My Hair Color This Summer?
The sun is really good at creating its own version of highlights.
Sometimes we love them. Sometimes… not so much.
Brunettes may notice more warmth coming through. Blondes can start feeling a little too bright or lose their tone. Dimensional colors may have lightened around the face and ends. And if you’re covering or blending gray, you may notice your color looking softer or more faded than usual.
That doesn’t necessarily mean we need to completely redo your color for fall.
Sometimes a gloss or toner is enough. Maybe we refresh your gray coverage and leave your sun-kissed ends alone. Maybe we add a little pops of richness or dimension back in and let that fading be free highlights (Justine's favorite). Or maybe you actually love where your summer color landed and we build your next appointment around it.
One of the things we talk about often at Fern Hollow is creating hair that works with your lifestyle. Your color maintenance should work that way too.
Your Skin Might Need a Reset Too
Your face has been outside all summer right along with your hair.
Even when we’re being good about SPF—and please keep wearing your SPF—summer means more sweat, sunscreen, heat and environmental exposure sitting on the skin.
Late summer is a great time to focus on cleansing and hydration as we start transitioning into cooler, drier weather.
Our Bambu Mini Facials are designed to cleanse, soften, moisturize and plump the skin. They’re intentionally simple and can be booked on their own or added to most hair appointments.
I especially love adding them during a color service. You’re already sitting there while your color processes. We might as well take care of your face too.
And Just Like That, It’s Fair Season and time to pick apples!
September gets busy quickly in Western Mass.
Labor Day weekend brings the Three County Fair in Northampton and the Blandford Fair. The Franklin County Fair in Greenfield follows September 10–13, and then The Big E in West Springfield kicks off September 18 and runs through October 4. The Belchertown Fair rounds out the month September 25–27.
Add in back-to-school schedules, fall sports, weddings, apple picking and everything else we try to squeeze into these beautiful few weeks, and September weekends disappear pretty quickly.
So if you’ve been thinking, I’ll deal with my hair in the fall, this is your reminder that fall is basically already knocking.
What Does Your Hair Actually Need?
A seasonal reset doesn’t mean you need to book five different services.
Maybe it’s a haircut and a really good conditioning treatment.
Maybe your scalp is telling you it needs more attention.
Maybe you’re ready to refresh your organic hair color or gray coverage.
Maybe your curls need to be clarified and reshaped.
Maybe your skin is feeling dry and you’d like to add a Bambu Mini Facial while you’re already here.
And if you genuinely don’t know what you need, that’s okay too. That’s what consultations are for.
At Fern Hollow Holistic Hair in Southwick, MA, we look at your hair and scalp as a whole before deciding what makes sense. Sometimes the answer is adding something. Sometimes it’s actually doing less.
Late summer is a good checkpoint.
Clear away what summer left behind, put back some of the moisture we’ve lost, refresh what needs refreshing and head into fall feeling a little more put together.
Because fair food and September weekends are waiting for us.
-Justine Therese
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