Emmanuel's Tour With René Furterer

As one of their leading retailers in the U.S., René Furterer invited Emmanuel to visit their facilities in France. It was a whirlwind tour in late September from Paris to Toulouse, visiting key places in the world of René Furterer.

Day 1: Arriving, Food, Booze and Rest

"Actually, the rest came first," Emmanuel says. "They picked us up at the airport, took us to the hotel, and I went straight to bed for a few hours. Once everyone was ready, we went to visit the René Furterer Institute."

This is where our own Charles worked before coming to San Francisco. In addition to standard hair and color services, they offer the full range of treatments created by René Furterer to benefit the hair and scalp. Recently renovated, the setting is that of a spa, with private cabins for guests to enjoy their services in.

The guests and members of the RF team standing of the René Furterer Institute in Paris.

An interesting side note: In France, René Furterer products are only available at the Institut or from a pharmacist. While you don't need a prescription, it isn't like going to a Walgreen's here. A French pharmacist is medically trained, and consults with you before recommending products.

These obligatory pictures of the Eiffel Tower are brought to you only because this is where everyone met to launch into a dinner cruise on the Seine. This was followed by drinks at Buddhabar (except for old man Emmanuel who opted for the extra hours of sleep. "Plus I've been to the Buddhabar a thousand times before. I don't need to go again.").




Day 2: Mondial Coiffure Beauté, René Furterer Gala and Dinner
Mondial Coiffure Beauté is an international beauty trade show. In the past it has been one of the biggest ones in the world."This year was actually a little weird," Emmanuel reports. "Major players like L'Oréal were not in attendance. So the event felt empty compared to times I've gone in the past. René Furterer did have a truly beautiful installation, though. It featured artwork and photography highlighting the development of an ethical Shea Butter supply branch in Toussiana [located in Burkina Faso, near Ghana and Cote D'Ivoire]."

Shea Butter is a key ingredient in RF's Karite line of products. RF has partnered with SOTOKACC (Société Toussiana Karité Comestibles & Cosmétiques), a local Shea producing organization founded by Nathalie Ouattara. This relationshiop with SOTOKACC is fair trade at its most intimate.  René Furterer guarantees high quality Shea butter, produced pure, solvent-free and additive-free; the women of the organizatoin gain a supportive and accountable long term relationship with a business which extends their reach.

René Furterer's Mondial exhibition included paintings and bios for some of the local Toussiana women, photography by Titouan Lamazou, and an exhibition of African-inspired hair styles by RF Art Director Philippe Tapprest. Shots of the exhibition are below. There are also a few samplings from the Alexandre de Paris exhibition.

Mondial Coiffure Beaute

After the Mondial Expo another rest period, and then the René Furterer Gala and Dinner held to introduce the new Artistic Director Marisol Suarez. Marisol showcased hairstyles that extended the themes of the Mondial exhibition.

We'll have to show more from Marisol's portfolio in another post, as she has done some pretty amazing work!

Day 3: Toulouse, René Furterer Facilities
The group left Paris, went to Toulouse. The day was spent touring René Furterer facilities. These included the Cauquillous, shown below. The Cauquillous is named for it's shell-like architecture. "The only complex we didn't get to see, " Emmanuel says, "was the Oncopole de Toulouse, a cancer research center operated by Pierre Fabre, RF's parent company. We got to see it from the air, and heard a lot about it, but there wasn't time to visit."

Cauquillous and Toulouse

Day 4: Botanical Conservatory of Pierre Fabre
Pierre Fabre devotes much of its property, and 20% of its proceeds, to research. The same knowledge directed towards areas such as cancer treatment is also put towards creating effective, botanically-sourced René Furterer products. Their botanical conservatory houses plants from all over the globe. They serve as a presentation of all the plants and flowers which are used in René Furterer products and  studied for their healing qualities.

After lunching at Mr. Pierre Fabre's beautifully appointed home, the group visited the Vitrine Pierre Fabre, a product display museum showing René Furterer history from inception to present.

Day 5: Return home
"A great trip!" Emmanuel says. "Not really a vacation, since I didn't sleep a lot, but we were well-fed and they took good care of us. The René Furterer team were gracious hosts. It was interesting to spend time with owners from other salons across the States. Very refreshing, actually."

Guest List

WEST COAST
Emmanuel Noel of Atelier Emmanuel, San Francisco, CA
Dawn Michelle Ellinwood of Ubunto San Diego, CA
Sophie Carrie Noel of The Cutting Edge Ontario, CA
Iida Lahidji of Salon 1757, Kensington, CA
Cara Hellings of Robert Leonard Salon & Spa, Seattle, WA
Rebecca Lynn Stordahl of Robert Leonard Salon & Spa, Seattle, WA

EAST COAST
Badrie Negaran Shahbodaghloo of Tanaz Bethesda, Md
Heath Ryan Trefethen of Studio One Westbrook, ME
John Jerry Vella of Izzazu Salon Wexford, PA
Young Hee of Young Hee Salon New York, NY
Salvatore Minardi of Salvatore Minardi Salon Madison, NJ
Tracey Pearson of Soda Salon Atlanta, GA
Rhonda Jean Bailey of Studio 135 Bargersville, IN

Halloween 2012

From the team that brought you these fine two ladies

Comes 2012's batch of style purveyors

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!*

*Ali and Edgar ask that we add "Go Giants!"

New Stylist, Adrien Flammier

(Another) French Colorist Expert and Master Stylist Joins Atelier Emmanuel!

We actually recruited Adrien over a year ago, when he visited us from Paris. Coming from France it can take a while, of course, to get everything in order. Lots of immigration paperwork, retaking licensing exams on this side, etc... Tenacity pays off, however; Adrien and his family are settled in San Francisco and he is officially in place at Atelier Emmanuel!

Adrien has over 10 years of experience in the world of French haute coiffure, serving as hairdresser, manager and trainer at many big name salons like Jean Louis David, Franck Provost and Dessange Paris. He knows the full breadth of styling and coloring techniques. He has served as Lead Stylist and Manager and has participated in fashion runway shows and photoshoots.



What appeals to you about hairstyling?
The appeal of hairstyling was there by the time I was 18, just after finishing my general studies. I was attracted to women and feminine beauty, their unfolding through clothing, makeup and hair.

However a woman is, it fascinates me how we can transform her self-regard and therefore how she shows up with others. A hair style, color or a cut tremendously affect a woman's appearance. That's always the goal, and it's a new challenge every time. So I like that. I like that hair fashions change, and we have to constantly reconsider what we are doing and learn new things. I like learning it, and also teaching it to other stylists.

Of course, all this holds true for men, as well. But women were my first inspiration!

If I sit in your chair, what should I expect?
I enjoy what I do, so even above my professionalism, that's what shows: someone who's interested in understanding what you are looking for, and does it with good humor.

What do you value in hairstyling?
"Ce travail de mise en beauté de la personne." I'm not quite sure the best way to say that in English? It basically means bringing out the beauty of a person...

How do you describe your hairstyling?
Chic, glamorous. Extroverted: cuts and colors that are slightly de-structured without being too asymmetrical or extravagant.

How do you describe your personal style?
Like my hairstyling, I like things which are beautiful, and slightly out of the ordinary. I like fashion, dressing up just a bit avantgarde. My day to day style definitely shifts with the occasion and my moods, rather than having just one look. I'm pretty curious, like to look at people, get ideas from what they are wearing and blend them with my look.

What is one of your strengths as a stylist?
I'm very good with Balayage. I like working with blond in all its shades, tones and levels. Painting and playing with contrasts, creating shadows and light in hair is pretty fascinating!

If you weren’t a hairstylist what would you do?
Professional athlete!

Your Neck: Bridge to Health

By Margarita Camarena, CMT

Bridge to Health

The neck holds intrinsic muscles that if tight, swollen or stressed, can really deteriorate the harmony of our proprioception, sense mechanisms and affect our clear thinking.

A pain in the neck doesn’t just hurt, it impacts a lot of our day-to-day functioning.

Home to the thyroid gland, major arteries, nerves, lymph channels and nodes, the esophagus, vocal cords and specialized vertebrae, the neck is a narrow but vital bridge between the head and the rest of the body that receives a lot of strain and stress. Being a narrow but busy thoroughfare in the body, the neck is especially susceptible to kinks and these kinks are more likely to impact other functioning. However unpleasant a tight arm muscle might be, it won’t affect your cognition, grace, and health the way a tight neck muscle will!


Given this, it’s amazing how often I receive clients who report that our session is the first that has included any detailed neck work in it! For me the neck is one of my favorite places to work, precisely because it can translate into so much benefit. A healthy, relaxed neck keeps the bridge clear for respiration, blood, and craniosacral fluids. This helps the thyroid, lymph nodes and brain work optimally. A nourished brain means a clear mind. The converse is that blood and oxygen deficiency can cause headaches and muscle pain.

Why is Therapeutic Massage Important for the Neck?
Having read this far, you probably don’t even need an answer to that question: you’re likely just craving a massage, aren’t you? The neck is really one of those areas of the body that can get the most benefit from bodywork as it gets some of the least respite of any body areas. Being so packed with functions, relaxing the neck stands to create a slew of positive benefits like getting rid of tension headaches, congestion, sinus pressure, vertigo, and increasing memory, clear mindedness, happiness and a sense of liberation.

It is extraordinary to discover how many nerves and arteries run through a space already taken up with vertebrae, thyroid glands, the esophagus, and layers of muscle.  On top of all that, the neck serves as a base and cradle for the brain. Further, the neck muscles are responsible for micromovements that stabilize our vision and ground our sense of proprioception (which helps us locate ourselves in space).

As you can imagine, there are a lot of aspects of the neck to work with, in a massage session. Below I am going to mention a few muscle areas, to show how they benefit overall well-being.

The Scalenes
Does that picture to the right look like anyone you know? Someone at work or in a café? Maybe yourself? Working in front of a computer quickly compromises the posture of most people. The slumped posture common to most people while they type and work creates tight pectorals and intercostal muscles. The forward head and neck posture also foreshortens the scalenes, creating strain to the neck, upper-back, and shoulders. Left uncorrected, this can contribute to serious medical conditions such as arthritis, osteoporosis and other chronic disorders. This is why Massage Therapy is your best friend! Therapeutic work in the scalene triangle can feel intense at the time; but it helps your nervous, cardiovascular, and respiratory systems. In some cases people see benefits with their thyroid as well, and higher levels of energy.

The scalenes run beneath the sternocleidomastoid (that big long muscle on the side of the neck) and help flex the head from side to side. They are famous for referring pain and symptoms to other parts of the body — including the hands: some cases of "Carpal Tunnel Syndrome" are actually the result of trigger points in the scalenes. On top of moving and stabilizing the head, they also help in breathing.

The Sub-Occipital Muscles

The Sub-Occipital Muscles are a conglomerate of muscles in the back of the neck. Run a hand over the base of your cranium to where it meets the neck, and you can easily find them. These muscles allow us to nod and perform micro-movements that help keep our vision aligned instead of going on wild rides as we bounce away with every step we take. This magical seat is also the connection to many major muscle groups that extend to the rest of our back. Working with sub-occipital muscles we also indirectly work with deeper structure located within the cranium. Releasing them invariably leads to relaxation for clients.

Another Reason to Receive a Neck Massage
I find that through the neck, I am able to release muscle and myofascia that has been constricted throughout the body, even all the way to the feet. So maintaining your neck nice and open can translate into benefit across the body.

* How can working on the neck affect something all the way at my feet? This is actually a great topic that I will write about in a coming article. For now, I will quickly say that it is due to myofascia, that magnificent structure keeping us upright, wrapped up and connected. In the bodywork world, we more properly call it the "Syntegrity Matrix."A fancy sounding phrase, it refers to the way that myofascia is functionally a three dimensional webbing system, wrapped around all our tissues and bones. Pulling on one part of the web affects other, sometimes unexpected, parts of the web. Enough of that for now, though!

Get frequent focused therapeutic massages.
If your time and finances are short, make it a 30-minute bi-weekly therapeutic massage. You will see great benefits from this ritual of self-care. Later on you can switch to a full body massage here and there as your body requests it. The nice thing about having frequent massage, is that you learn more about your own body and you begin to sense when it is starting to go out of balance. This will empower you to shift and modify habits. Massage Therapy, if you choose it to be, can be a place where you can learn more about your body’s well being.

Just as your neck can be a bridge to health, I hope to be as well. I look forward to our next massage session. As always, if you want more details, please comment below!

Margarita Camarena offers Swedish, Trigger Point Therapy, Deep Tissue, Craniosacral, Stretching, Mobilization Work and Reiki at Atelier Emmanuel. She uses multiple modalities to reach the goals desired by her clients. 

Academy Photoshoot | Edgar

Atelier Emmanuel runs an Academy for our apprentices, a sort of post-graduate training in the Old World style. Before we took a Summer break, we decided it would be fun to organize a photoshoot for them. The apprentices were given little guidance, other than that the shoot would be indoors with a basic backdrop. We supplied the photographer. They came up with the concept, model, wardrobe, makeup and, most importantly, the hairstyle.

Edgar: I wanted to create a vintage style, like a 40's or 50's pin-up. I went with barrel curls for the bang and on the side temple areas. The toughest part of this hair style is to get the right proportions between the front and side curls. The sides have to be balanced to the bang, and all three curls have to fit the model's head. 

I was the first of the apprentices to turn in his idea and secure a model (I 'cheated' and used Meredith, our receptionist). Because of that I was able to schedule to be first to shoot. This gave me time to do a second look while the other shoots were going on. I pulled down the curls from the pinup look and created a finger wave that was still pinup, but also modern. This second look really played well with the highlights we had added to the Meredith's hair.

Overall an easy shoot. Meredith is good to collaborate with. She takes directions well and understands how to move with the camera. Because we work together, I was able to practice the style a couple of times beforehand so that on the day of shoot, styling went smoothly. Time management is key: I find that a big element to a successful session.

For a next photoshoot, I want to style both a male and female model for a couple's shoot. Probably still in a vintage style.

Hairstyling: Edgar Carubio
Makeup: Clifford Hashimoto
Photography: Tara Arrowood
Model: Meredith Harris

Edgar was a student of biochemistry, who realized his real calling as a hairstylist. He graduated from Skyline College of Cosmetology two years ago then began with a front desk position at our salon to get his foot in the door. Now a full time apprentice, Edgar is building his menu offerings for clients.

As part of the Academy programme, Edgar trains every Monday on cut, color, style and other hair services. To be a model, please contact us.

Academy Photoshoot | Anthony

Atelier Emmanuel runs an Academy for our apprentices, a sort of post-graduate training in the Old World style. Before we took a Summer break, we decided it would be fun to organize a photoshoot for them. The apprentices were given little guidance, other than that the shoot would be indoors with a basic backdrop. We supplied the photographer. They came up with the concept, model, wardrobe, makeup and, most importantly, the hairstyle.

Anthony:  Yes, that's me fixing the model's hair. It's a recurring thing in photoshoots: some of the best expressions happen while we're primping the hair. It must be because the model is unguarded in those moments.

As far as the shoot goes, I was happy with the results.

The texture came out really well and suited the model's personality — once we got her into it, and a bit more sassy and flirty. This is a style I would do again, without isolating the technique. Instead of the entire head being done, I would like to see the curls patterns in smaller areas with other textures, and even colors, thrown in to create a different overall effect.

I would probably have chosen a different top for her to wear, too. We weren't really planning on having it show in the shots. But to crop the top out, would throw the image off-balance.

Overall, though, I loved doing it in this environment and was very happy to work with my model.

The shots we picked here play off a sort of doll-like, mannequin look. It wasn't necessarily what we'd been shooting for, but it's an unintended result that I love. 

We let the hair get looser and crazier as we went on. With a blank setting, the hair ends up being its own background.

Styling: Anthony Tanno

Makeup: Clifford Hashimoto

Photography: Tara Arrowood

Model: Jordan, with Look Model Agency

A graduate of the Cinta Aveda Institute, Anthony is happy to be with us and living his dream of being a stylist. 

Academy Photoshoot | Nicole

Atelier Emmanuel runs an Academy for our apprentices, a sort of post-graduate training in the Old World style. Before we took a Summer break, we decided it would be fun to organize a photoshoot for them. The apprentices were given little guidance, other than that the shoot would be indoors with a basic backdrop. We supplied the photographer. They came up with the concept, model, wardrobe, makeup and, most importantly, the hairstyle.

Nicole: I immediately knew I wanted to focus on bridal and special occasion updo’s for this photoshoot. I love doing updo’s, and I believe that styling for weddings and special events is a part of the market that AE should tap more into. As we build this part of our business, I want to grow with it and be the go-to stylist that people want for their special occasion.

I'm happy with the results of the shoot. I feel it shows my skills in updos, and conveys my interpretation of wedding hair: timeless and elegant, yet playful and modern.

Having never done a photoshoot before, it was an interesting experience — especially because I had my sister as a model.  Directing her was hard. We're just used to smiling for photos, so it didn't come easy for her to make different expressions and give different looks. I also wasn’t used to how the model’s wardrobe looks completely different on camera than in real life. Next time I would pick outfits that have a little more flair. The plain white dress I chose didn't really work. We ended up getting rid of it and just using the sheer material seen in the pictures. 

All in all, the photo shoot was a great experience. For the next I want to focus on hair color, doing something which expresses seasonal trends.

Styling: Nicole Siri

Makeup: Clifford Hashimoto

Photography: Tara Arrowood

Model: Gina Siri

After graduating from Cal Poly in 2009, Nicole decided to follow her passion for hair. She enrolled and completed the cosmetology program at College of San Mateo. Nicole was licensed in fall of 2010 and immediately pursued Atelier Emmanuel for an apprenticeship. After 18 months of apprenticing, Nicole is now a Junior Stylist.

Academy Photoshoot | Audrey

Atelier Emmanuel runs an Academy for our apprentices, a sort of post-graduate training in the Old World style. Before we took a Summer break, we decided it would be fun to organize a photoshoot for them. The apprentices were given little guidance, other than that the shoot would be indoors with a basic backdrop. We supplied the photographer. They came up with the concept, model, wardrobe, makeup and, most importantly, the hairstyle.

                               

Audrey: For this shoot, I intended to create a dreamy state of mythical power — both the beauty and strength of feminine nature.

The original inspiration was a handful of fennel I picked on a walk. As it dried, it retained it's beautiful lace-like shape and I decided to spray paint it gold and use it as a necklace. It also became the inspiration for this photo shoot. I went and gathered more fennel and some other plants with interesting textures. 


I asked Nehara, a fellow dancer, to be my model because her hair is a mass of lace-like tiny curls that created the textural foundation and voluminous form that I wanted for my backdrop. I used a tiger eye necklace for structure to bring in round shapes and a warm tone.

I thoroughly enjoyed the process of arranging this photoshoot. The salon transformed into a performance arena with the buzz of creativity I live for. 

The most challenging, fun, and difficult part of shooting for me is the amount of details that need to be seen and dealt with all at the same time — is the hair working, is the makeup in place? Is the dress making the right shape, does the lighting produce the feel I intended? Is the model moving in a way that conveys the right story? Is she coming up with a better story? Sometimes the pressure cooker of a shoot creates something better than expected, sometimes not so much. 



In the shot to the left, Nahara has a great posture, in-between vulnerable inquisitiveness and primal ferocity. Though it's harder to see the details in the hair, the overall story is great. You can see how this shoot would have fit well in an outdoor setting.

Because five of us were shooting that day, there wasn't enough time to do an outfit change.  I would also have liked to put up the hair that was on her neck to create an alternate look. And, originally, she had a flare of dry fennel along the top of the dress covering her décolletage; depending on the angle and her position, it served as a sort of screen from behind which she looked at the camera. Unfortunately in practice it didn't work, so we removed it. 

You start a photoshoot with an idea, and then you have to let it be molded by the actual circumstances...

And, you have to remember that there will be other photoshoots!


In that spirit, here are few ideas I look forward to shooting:

Using the story of the red shoes that dance a person to death.
A model with red hair and a blue velvet dress contrasted with a low color urban setting.
Shooting in Union Square when the iceskating rink is there.

Hair and Makeup: Audrey Kral

Photography: Tara Arrowood

Model: Nahara Kelev

Audrey Kral joined us in Spring of 2012, coming from the Cinta Aveda Institute training program. "What people always ask me is how I ended up in hair from a background in dance, interior design and oil painting. To me, they all work with the same elements: structure, form and transformation. Like dance and interior design, I get to work in collaboration. Like oil painting, we play with color and texture. In this case, the transformation happens in one sitting. A nice change of pace for me!" 

Academy Photoshoot | Paul

Atelier Emmanuel runs an Academy for our apprentices, a sort of post-graduate training in the Old World style. Before we took a Summer break, we decided it would be fun to organize a photoshoot for them. The apprentices were given little guidance, other than that the shoot would be indoors with a basic backdrop. We supplied the photographer. They came up with the concept, model, wardrobe, makeup and, most importantly, the hairstyle.

Paul: I got this concept from an image I saw for a hairstyling how-to called the "twisted sister." In it I noticed that each section of hair fed into another to become a solid form. Taking that idea, I made a bun as my foundation and slowly began twisting large pieces of hair and incorporating it into my base. The result was amazing and I was really impressed with myself. The finished form was intricate in detail and maintained a messy but still eloquent look.

Styling: Paul Pu

Makeup: Clifford Hashimoto

Photography: Tara Arrowood

Model: Alice K, with Look Model Agency

Native of Hawai'i, Paul has been bringing his positive energy and happy mood to our salon for over 4 years. Paul received his education from The San Francisco Institute of Esthetics and Cosmetology. Then, after over 80 individual training sessions with Emmanuel, nearly 3,000 hours of observation, assistance and apprenticeship with senior stylists, Paul finally qualified to become a Junior Stylist with Atelier Emmanuel in May of 2011.

Free Moroccan Oil Event

Virginie Delplanque, Manager

Free Moroccan Oil Event: Tuesday, August 14 from 3p to 6p

My co-worker was chiding me because I wanted to draw an association between MoroccanOil products and summer. "You're just writing that because it's an obvious way to advertise the event", he claimed.

Actually, that's not true. The smell of MoroccanOil does remind me of summers in the South of France. I'm not sure what products my mom used back then, but the smell of MoroccanOil evokes long summer days for me. And trips to Morocco (and North of Africa) are an easy summer getaway for French people: it's sunny, exotic, affordable and easy to get to, when you live in France! 

When I say "evokes," this is NOT what I mean...

Now, it's worth mentioning that MoroccanOil is first and foremost a moisturizing treatment line that acts as a powerful antioxidant and UV protector — so it is ideal for summer when, your hair is exposed to more environmental factors like sun, sea salt, bleach and wind. It will go a long way towards taking care of any damage your summer activities might have caused your hair.

"If you're hair is getting a little damaged, our MoroccanOil event is for you"

On Tuesday, August 14, from 3p to 6p, our stylists will offer complimentary Moroccan Oil services and a you will have a chance to win a beautiful Moroccan Oil give away basket.

The services will include restorative or hydrating treatment masks, that penetrate deep into the hair to restore elasticity and rebuild strength. A perfect cocktail of vegetable proteins that will hydrate your hair and leave it moisturized and shiny.

We will also introduce you to Moroccan Oil scalp treatments. These treatments have been developed by Moroccan Oil for about a year, but few clients actually know them. Two specific treatments have been formulated by MoroccanOil: one for oily and the other for dry scalp.

It is simple and free: you just need to show up and we will take care of you!

RSVP Recommended - Please call 415.362.8063 or send an email to ae.appointments@gmail.com and our receptionists will add your name to our attendee list.

To find out more about MoroccanOil, check out these previous articles:
Moroccan Oil Tidbits
MoroccanOil Travel Kits

IBS Las Vegas 2012

by Nell Hayes

Beauty Industry Mecca in the Desert
With over 300 booths, 160 workshops and on-going demonstrations on multiple stages,  International Beauty Show  Las Vegas was quite stupendous. One of the fastest growing beauty events in the country, it boasts over 19,000 attendees. New tools, products, technology and education: It's heaven for a stylist — as long as you don't get overwhelmed.

So. Where to begin?

DAY 1
I started at the main stage, where Michael O'Rourke was holding a presentation. He was demonstrating some very avant-garde hair cutting techniques, I was enthralled. Michael is an amazing presenter, full of life, with an amazing story; as my first experience at the show, it motivated me to soak up as much as I could in the two days I would be here.



This is a clip of Michael O'Rourke at another show.  My shots didn't turn out well, unfortunately, as you can see below...

After Michael O'Rourke's presentation, I weaved through all the booths and made my way to the workshops. It's great to shop around and see all the products and gizmos, but workshops are the bread and butter of trade shows.

My first workshop was called "Booked Solid". Booked Solid focused on how to increase and retain clients. The speaker, Paul Digrigoli is a hair stylist/entrepreneur, who shares his rags to riches process, which centers on forming a long term plan of action. This class was interesting though I learned that I'm implementing most of his techniques already—nice to know I'm on the right track!

After lunch, I attended "Red Carpet Radiance," a demonstration on updo's and elegant hair styling. I LOVED IT! They demonstrated five extremely elegant hair styles that could effortlessly be done in less than an hour. I learned a bunch of new tips and I'm very excited to implement them. By the end of Red Carpet Radiance the show was over for the day. I headed out to people watch on the Strip.

Day 2
For day 2, I wanted to attend one more workshop before I headed out to the main floor to get lost in those hundreds of booths.

I picked "The Art of Highlighting - Go Fresco". This workshop was very interesting to me as I love hair color and I will not pass up an opportunity to learn new techniques. The class didn't disappoint: I learned new placements to achieve soft natural color and highlights and some new tips on how to utilize hair color. They were good at offering suggestions on how to save time while still creating smooth flowing color transitions.

(Yes, these are very interesting, when you are a colorist!)

Next, the showroom floor!

The showroom at the Las Vegas Convention Center is huge and a bit daunting, but all you can do is jump in. There were rows and rows of booths selling everything beauty related from make-up, nail adornments, hair products, blinged out accessories, self-tanning booths, to miracle diet products. The truth is that a lot of it is...  kitschy. A lot of people are peddling products that don't fit an upscale, professional style. But it's still fun to window shop. I tried to go through the aisles in an organized fashion but the buzz at some booths would suck me in.

One of my favorite booths was the Nick Arrojo booth. I actually got see Nick Arrojo demonstrate a hair cut, He had a mellow, approachable presence. For this demo he used no scissors, only a razor. I have to say I enjoyed that very much. You can hear him talking about razor cutting here to get a sense of his work.

Another booth that was really popular was the Dinair booth, where they were demonstrating their airbrush makeup system, really cool! For the rest of the day I milled around the booths testing sheers, trying to avoid overly ambitious sales people, learning about new products. I have to say this trade show was very worth my time and I wish I had attended all three days and next year I will!


Nell started her career as a hair stylist in Honolulu and relocated to San Francisco in early 2012, joining Atelier Emmanuel at its new location. She enjoys working on a variety of hair textures and types and creating new looks through color and cutting. Nell has a fashion forward style: her work ranges from funky hip to chic and sophisticated.

Understanding Tissue Memory & Emotional Release

By Margarita Camarena, CMT

What is an emotional release?
While getting a massage, you might experience an unexpected welling up of emotion. It may be a sense of sadness or happiness, or some other emotion. It might be like a flashback, tied to a memory, or just the feeling. It might be linked to a part of the body, but it might also be the result of a certain posture. It can occur as much from a gentle touch as because of intense work on a trigger point. An accumulated emotion resurfaces after being unconscious and stored in some part of the body. This is an emotional release. It comes up without prodding, and often leads to a change in the quality of the tissue that is deeper than what just the bodywork would have achieved. What was chronically tight, relaxes. In massage parlance, we say that a "repatterning" happening. You could also say that a de-patterning has happened.

It is a not uncommon phenomenon in bodywork. Common enough, in fact, that inevitably most bodyworkers learn some way of working with it. If you get massage regularly, it’s very possible that you have already experienced an emotional release. 

"An emotional release can lead to a reduction of chronic tension in the body" 

Tissue Memory
An emotional release occurs because an emotion was stored in the first place. Tissues have memory. In fact, our bodies are incredible recording devices. You often hear of “muscle memory” in relation to athletics and the movement arts. We are accustomed to the idea that the body remembers actions; we might be less familiar with the idea that it also remembers feelings. A held emotion can lead to a holding in the body. The opposite is true, too: a tension in the body can lead to holding onto an emotion. It follows from this that releasing tension in the body might release an emotion, and that this emotional release can lead to greater openness in the body—as well as preventing a return to a state of tension.

Emotional stress creates physical tension, and vise versa. Just recall the last time you were nervous about an upcoming event to see how emotions affect the body. To experience the converse—how physical tensions affects emotion—put a small rock in your shoe, walk around with it all day, and see how hard it becomes to stay good humored as you go about a busy day! Usually this cross-traffic between emotions and the body are transient. Below we look at more at those cases when they become lasting.

Fascia
The main mechanism of tissue memory seems to occur in fascia.

Like an interconnecting web, fascia is a continuous sheet that wraps around all the parts of our body — our muscles, bones, organs, nerves, arteries, spine... Fascia moves with the body, and indeed makes the symphony of all our movements possible. Consequently restriction introduced into fascia by trauma will lead to a decrease in function in the tissues. To learn more about fascia, you can read a nice summary by my teacher John Barnes here. 

As Barnes notes, our common concepts of the body and the way it handles emotions and memory are sorely out-dated. There is a gap between common expressions like “heartbreak” and “butterflies in the tummy” and the fact that there actually is an emotion happening “there." Not making that connection, we don't realize that it can become stuck and show up as chronic physical tension. That's why emotional releases so often seem to come out of the blue.

Normally our emotions and body are in an ongoing exchange. This is natural as long as it remains fluid. The problem starts when there is a sufficient shock to either our emotional experience or our bodies. At that point, that traumatic experience can become locked in our tissues. It becomes a kink, interrupting that natural back and forth communication.

Such trauma doesn't just come from blunt force to the body. It also happens when the body seizes up due to a strong emotional experience, and then never quite relaxes back down. Chronic postures can also create a tension in the fascia that becomes associated with a certain state of being. The classic example of this is the slouched posture of a depressed person. The posture itself exacerbates depression (for example by limiting a full breath) and can maintain that depressed state even when the person doesn't 'feel' depressed.

Fascia stores our experiences, our movement, and the interruption of our movement. I leave it to someone else to provide more details about how this happens. The truth is that we don't fully understand how that relationship between mind, body, and emotions works. But as I mentioned above, as a bodyworker, I witness it all the time and have learned how to work with it.

This is what I will get into next!

"An emotional release cannot be planned" 

Experiencing an emotional release
Nicole Cutler writes that “Bodyworkers can utilize massage therapy techniques to unlock and free trauma, but only if the body is prepared for its release." There are many massage modalities that can help release trauma. I have found myofascial release to be particularly effective.

It is important to emphasize that you can't force an emotional release. It can only happen of its own accord, when the body, mind and the heart are ready. If one does occur, it should not be stopped or discouraged. On the contrary, what an amazing healing opportunity, to be able to go that deep and find the root cause of a chronic issue and finally work THROUGH it, not around it, and release it once and for all. It can be a powerful experience, but I never see become one that a client can't manage.

So how might an emotional release show up?

Take someone who has been in a car accident. The sounds and the impact are very intense. The crash of metal, the disorientation, the fear... all that stimulation puts the person into a heightened state of arousal. The moment is recorded like a snapshot. It might be recorded in the posture this person was in during the accident. Or it might be in the right hip, say, which suffered injury. Forward to years later. This person is getting a massage and out of the blue she is recalling the scents, sounds, temperature, and tastes of that accident. She feels that intense confusion and fear from back then and asks herself “What just happened? I haven't felt any of that in years!" 

“You can think of body memory as ‘long term memory,’" writes Paul Ingraham. "If you have a fierce, passing craving for a chocolate bar or a wave of sadness as you’re watching the news, it probably doesn’t get stored in your muscles. The stuff that gets stored tends to be either chronic or intense.” 

Here are some possible reasons this client's body stored the experience of the car accident:

• the intensity of the accident overwhelmed her capacity to digest it at the time
• the physical trauma was never fully resolved
• she was unable to fully digest some aspect at the time — for example her sense of fear had to be pushed aside to deal with the insurance company logistics 
• the experience became associated with a body part

She probably didn't realize this had happened. However ever since there might have been some chronic tension that never seemed to go away, even with a great massage.  

I should be clear that it gets more nuanced than this. But those nuances would turn a simple post into a much longer paper! After working with a lot of people having emotional releases, I can say that these experiences are profound and healing. This is the main thing I would like to convey. Emotional releases happen, there's no need to fear them and, in fact, they should be welcomed. As a therapist I continue to develop the skill to guide people through the process as deeply as they are comfortable going. “At the subconscious level, Fred Krazeise explains, "this [pain and sensations] is what your body has been feeling all along. In order to fully heal, these sensations must be fully felt so that they can be released.” 

So what do you do if you unexpectedly find an emotion come up while receiving a massage?

Encourage your body to go through it, feeling the emotion and following it to the area of the body that it connects to. Communicate with your massage therapist so they can guide you accordingly. Do not try to overanalyze the emotion. As one of my teachers says, “Don’t beat the puppy, it will not learn to sit that way.” Don’t beat yourself up if you start crying, screaming, getting angry, or simply start laughing like crazy. That is a great sign that some good healing is about to happen. Be gentle, let it happen at its own pace. During and afterwards, do not try to make a story of it.

"Don't analyze, experience." 

Be with the sensations of the experience as much as you are comfortable doing.And don't worry: you are more in control of the release than you might think. If it gets overwhelming, a good deep breath or a shift in posture will be enough to come out of it. It's okay to ask the massage therapist to pause. I usually switch gears into a different type of massage; this quickly brings things under control if needed. I also like to integrate Reiki into the session to help the physical and the subtle body integrate the emotional release. 

Don’t get in the way of your own healing. Allow yourself to go “there.”
I will be walking next to you.

Margarita Camarena offers Swedish, Trigger Point Therapy, Deep Tissue, Craniosacral, Stretching, Mobilization Work and Reiki at Atelier Emmanuel. She uses multiple modalities to reach the goals desired by her clients.