Transform to a new you this fall with a little color, snip of the shears or minutes of massaging touch.

FACIALS & WRAPS

If you want to turn back the clock, grab some time for yourself, and put your best face forward this fall — schedule a facial.

Amy Kelly, esthetician at Visions Hair Studio and Day Spa said clients come to her seeking relaxation and to target problem areas such as lines, acne and uneven skin pigmentation, among others.

“Even one session can make a difference,” Kelly said.

While there is a laundry list of different facials out there, with names that will send you drifting away, the basics of the facial hold true. It is a cosmetic treatment of the face, commonly involving steam, exfoliation, extraction, creams, lotions, masks, peels, and massage.

Kelly’s personal favorite is Vision’s Repechage Four-Layer Facial that uses layer upon layer of botanicals and extracts.

“It’s been mentioned in a number of magazines for its ability to tone, tighten and hydrate,” she said.

When deciding what salon or spa to schedule your facial at, Kelly suggests looking at a number of factors to make your decision.

Consider the products that salon uses — Dermalogica and Physicians Choice are among the leaders and they’re offered by a number of shops here in town.

Make sure that even if it’s a standard facial package, the esthetician caters to the needs of your skin.

“Even a treatment that is supposed to be good for everyone could do your skin more harm than good if it’s not right for your skin,” Kelly said.

Lastly, get to know your esthetician and the knowledge and technique they bring to your face.

If you want to pamper more than just your face, you could decide to wrap yourself with rejuvenation.

Kelly said body wraps can help a person with detoxification, inch loss, water retention and firm the skin. While wraps aren’t a cure all, Kelly said when combined with proper diet and exercise, they can make a vast difference in your health and appearance.

“Everyone who leaves this spa room tells us how wonderful and relaxing their time here was,” said Mesha Fain, a stylist at Visions. “It makes them feel like a whole new person.”

HAIRCUTS

A time honored tradition for most youngsters is getting that “back to school” haircut, but the need for a new look doesn’t have to be limited to the school-aged.

Today, people use their head of hair as yet another form of self-expression. Thanks to the always advancing hair design field, your head of hair offers endless expression.

“Even simply adding bangs can make someone look totally new,” said Carla Dozier, owner of Carla’s Shear Inspiration.

Look around any salon or barber shop and see the stylists using all the tools of their trade: traditional shears, feather blade

razor cutting, and other snipping and texturing tools.

Haircuts, even slight length adjustments, can transform a person’s look.

“When someone is interested in getting a new look communication is key,” advises Dozier.

From the first call to the salon, make it clear that you are a new client or want a change in your current hair style.

“That way the salon can schedule time for a thorough consultation and evaluation of which style would be best for them,” she said.

When you sit down in the chair, and before that first snip, your stylist will consider factors such as facial structure, height, how much time you want to spend on your style, the color of your hair, how much hair you have and which way it grows.

But Dozier — who has 40 years in the industry, with more than 30 years spent right here in Oak Harbor — suggests people be realistic when picking a desired cut.

“The haircut you want may be the hottest trend but if your hair isn’t thick enough or doesn’t match what would work with that style, then that’s not the haircut for you,” she said. “It’s not going to look the way you want it.”

To get the most out of your haircut — no matter what it is — your stylist should recommend stylist product to achieve your look.

“It’s not going to look the way you want if you don’t have the proper tools,” Dozier said.

And to get you even closer to your desired look, come prepared.

“Pictures help a lot,” dozier said. “Someone can describe it all they want, but until you see that picture you might not know what they mean.”

Depending on where you go in town, price tag for that new cut could cost you anywhere from under $20 to closer to $50 if you want a cut, style and all the works.

How do you know where to go with all the stylists in town? That’s easy.

“Word of mouth is the best way,” Dozier said. “If you ask people who does their hair and you get the same answer atleast three times, that’s who you should go see.”

The average persons hair grows half an inch a month, Dozier said, so you should keep maintenance in mind for any style, but shorter ones in particular.

“It’s exciting to see people getting excited about hair,” Dozier said. “Because it’s not just a haircut, it’s about feeling good about yourself.”

COLOR

If you’re not ready to cut your locks, but long for a change, color could be your way to go.

More often than not, Gallery Salon & Day Spa owner Robin Dowling said her customers want to color their hair to help cover grey.

“Color can also enhance a haircut, transform your look if you go drastically lighter or darker, or just make you happy with a fresh new look,” she said.

Dowling estimates 8 out of 10 women color their hair in one way or another.

Which isn’t surprising when you consider all the different techniques that help achieve a variety of coloring effects: all over color, partial and full foiling, cap frosting, and even ballayage (hand painted highlights). It’s an always evolving field with continuous education for stylists.

“People like to reinvent themselves,” Dowling said. “We just try to keep up with all the trends.”

The Gallery Salon stylists agree that blonde highights are always popular, no matter what the season. They’re having more and more requests for vibrant reds.

And hair coloring is not just for women anymore, as more men are choosing to add hue to their hair.

Typical coloring costs range from $60 for an all-over color to $100 for full foil. Many salons offer specials with some of their newer stylists to help them build clientele, so be on the look out for those.

When you sit down in your stylist’s chair, get comfy and expect to be in the chair for a while, especially if it’s a full foil or complicated coloring.

And don’t expect coloring to be a one time deal

“Once you color your hair there is maintenance to keep the look,” Dowling said.

Before you leave, have your stylist recommend a shampoo designed for color treated hair.

“It’ll help lock in your color longer and keep your hair healthy,” Dowling said.

No matter how desperate you are to take your look to that new direction, the biggest coloring mistake someone could make is to do it themselves, Dowling said.

“Box color is so unpredictable,” she said. “I never comes out the way it looks on the box. Leave the color to professionals.”