If your hair needs a boost after our cold and dry winter, hope springs eternal at Ten Friends Blow Dry & Style House! Artistic Director Lindsay Zito is like a walking encyclopedia of all things fashionable and healthy for your hair, so I booked an appointment for some expert advice and treatments to revive my tired, thirsty tresses.
First of all, Lindsay says 70% of people’s first impressions are based on the look of your hair. (uh-oh!) And when she started our visit by asking about my hair care, I confessed that there are many days when I leave the house without even stopping to look in the mirror. (With three kids to get dressed and ready for school, my hair is always an afterthought.) So my Ten Friends visit was a HUGE step in the right direction and there were three highlights that have set me back on a course toward healthier hair…
The Experience
While Ten Friends’ goal is to make your hair look amazing, much of their focus is improving how you feel on the inside. Founder and owner Cathleen Stoelting says this is central to Ten Friends’ mission. “Whether you’re a working mom or a stay-at-home-mom or a businesswoman, we work on giving women confidence to feel good about their hair and feel good about themselves.” That’s why they treat each visit like it’s a trip to the spa. When you book a Ten Friends treatment, they start by offering your choice of beverage, including a selection of wines, and bring a tray with an assortment of mixed nuts and a candle to set a relaxing mood.
Ten Friends offers amazing blowouts for $40, but you can add prescriptive healing and nourishing treatments during the shampoo and styling process to deep condition, detoxify and hydrate your hair. They shampoo twice for a super clean surface to start and explain the purpose of each treatment and styling technique so you can achieve the same results at home.
“If you don’t love your hair, it’s often because you haven’t been taught how to properly style or work with it using the best products and tools to be successful,” Lindsay says. “We’re here to help show you how to love the hair you have.”
Having seen how Lindsay’s styling transformed the look of my hair, I’m hooked and have already booked my next blowout.
The Products
For me, there is one product that has been central to my morning hair routine and it’s called “the ponytail holder”. Not anymore! Lindsay hooked me up with some amazing products, based on my hair’s specific needs. During my treatment, she used several products to replump, condition, moisturize, smooth and shine my hair and the combination worked wonders, without weighing my hair down.
All Ten Friends’ products are from the Davines line, made from naturally derived ingredients sourced from farms in Italy. Lindsay says they’re sulfate-free, paraben-free, gluten-free, soy-free and most are vegan. “There are so many weird chemicals you can pick up in a bottle of shampoo or product from the drug store. I love that all of our products are sustainable and naturally derived. Just like with food, it’s good to know what you’re putting in and on your body. Good products make all the difference in the world.”
And I trust Lindsay on that. (Her hair looks amazing!) She drinks a gallon of water a day to keep her hair and skin looking healthy. But it also helps that she’s always trying Ten Friends’ latest and greatest products, like the new Davines Dry Texturizer, which sold out in a day before they replenished their supply. “It gives you light hold, but it also gives you volume and texture and a ton of body so it takes my hair from its soft curl and gives it almost like that Victoria’s Secret big, sexy curl. It just amps up your hair without a ton of spray and teasing. I keep it in my purse, it’s awesome and our clients are loving it!”
The Customized Care
The third highlight from my trip to Ten Friends was the way Lindsay customized the experience for my specific hair needs. “We have treatment regimens that you can mix and match for any type of hair and scalp anomaly,” Lindsay says. If your scalp is on the oily, dry or sensitive side, if your hair is fragile or thinning, if your hair has lost its shine and luster due to over-processing, product build-up or the elements, Ten Friends has a solution! “Just like with skincare, we’ll find a regimen that works for everybody’s individual needs.”
At the end of my visit, my hair was on the rebound, with new shine, a smoother texture and a fresh style that put a pep in my step. The products I purchased smell great and are already making a difference in the look and feel of my hair. “You’re not going to see results overnight,” Lindsay says. “But by continuously using the products and getting regular treatments, you’re going to see such a change in your hair.”
Now I’ll drink (a gallon of water a day) to that! Cheers to healthy hair for spring & summer and thank you, Ten Friends, for helping make it happen.
You’ll find Ten Friends by the gazebo at Deer Park Town Center (20530 N. Rand Road). Appointments are a breeze to make and may be easily booked online or by calling 224-677-6909. For more information about the area’s newest blow dry & style house, Click here to find Ten Friends on Facebook or visit Ten-Friends.com.