Downloading the Scalp Clinic Insights

Downloading the Rene Furturer Scalp Clinic Insights

A few weeks ago, we had the good fortune of being joined in-salon by Rene Furterer education expert Shirley Tokuda. (Maybe you caught it on Twitch??) Shirley walked our clients through the clearest analysis of their scalp’s health that can be had, using a proprietary tool called a capilloscope, and then helped each person understand what products would solve their unique scalp problems. We want to share some of the general take-aways from the day, in case it applies to you as well.

Understanding your scalp

The key to healthy hair is a healthy scalp. But before you try to heal your scalp, it’s best to know what’s wrong with it! Shirley laid it out for us:

• Oily = If you see oil before the end of the day/after waking up after washing, your scalp is oily. Complexe 5, which you can read more about below, helps clean the slate and work towards a more regulated scalp. Additionally, Curbicia purifying clay shampoo as a once a week treatment, provides more of a deep clean than the regular shampoo. 
  

• Oily prone = If you see oil a day after washing, you have what’s called “oily prone” scalp. A regulating shampoo, such as RF’s Curbicia Lightness Regulating shampoo, is highly recommend. A regulated scalp is one that needs to be shampooed less frequently, which is better for the overall health of your hair. The Curbicia line is formulated to help minimize the need to shampoo with ongoing use. 
  

• Regular = Seeing oil after 2-3 days is considered “regular” (there is no normal!). For you, RF has the gentle cleansing line, Naturia, for all hair types. The Naturia gentle balancing shampoo is great for leaving the hair soft, shiny, and bouncy, while still protecting the scalp’s moisture. Another great option here is the 5Sens line which is formulated for all hair types and leaves hair soft and shiny.
  

• Dry = If your scalp is consistently dry but not overly itchy, this is a sign that the Complexe 5 oil treatment might be good for you. This pre-shampoo treatment is perfect for those in need of a good scalp detox. Using orange and lavender essential oils, Complexe 5 is specially formulated to cleanse, stimulate, and refresh your scalp.
  

• Sensitive / severely dry = if your scalp is sensitive itchy or prone to eczema or the like, Shirley recommends you steer towards soothing products like RF’s Astera Freshness Fluid, which instantly soothes and cools irritated and itchy scalps while reducing inflammation. Astera incorporates Echinacea extract, which reduces inflammation and soothes the scalp, mint and eucalyptus essential oils to cool and calm your scalp while deeply cleaning, Vitamin A to encourages regeneration of cell tissue to promote healing and Vitamins E and F to protect the scalp. Following it up with regular use of Astera shampoo and conditioner helps your scalp work maintain less sensitivity overall.
  

• Hair Loss = Did you know that addressing hair loss begins with the scalp? There are two kinds of hair loss: sudden (related to illness, childbirth, or high stress), and progressive (which tends to be hereditary). RF has products that address both of these, including a new line called Triphasic to address progressive loss. Check out the video below to see how it works.

Now what?

Knowledge is power. Find yourself on this spectrum and start towards healthier hair and scalp today. If you’ve read this far, you have earned a surprise 10% off discount code on any of our Rene Furterer products from now until December 15th. Simply mention the HEALTHYSCALPBLOG promo code when you check out, or call the salon to place a special order.

Morphic joins live-streaming site Twitch

“Welcome to a community where millions of people and thousands of interests collide in a beautiful explosion of video games, pop culture, and conversation. With chat built into every stream, you don’t just watch on Twitch, you’re a part of the show. From classic tv show marathons to e-sports tournaments, if you can imagine it, it’s probably live on Twitch right now.”

Morphic is excitedly joining the masses on the latest Internet craze: Twitch. When Amazon bought the company in 2014, on the strength of its user base, most of the activity was people watching each other play video games. Gaming is still its primary activity, but creative (music, painting, sculpture and more) and IRL (in-real-life) communities have sprung up like wildfire.

Given that we love community, creativity and exploring the forward edges of culture, Twitch is a no-brainer for us. Morphic will go live a few times a week, sharing strategies and technique, and giving you a more regular glimpse into the salon you love. One of Twitch’s best features is the live chat room alongside the live video feed. You can ask questions, share ideas and be part of the conversation while the stream is happening.

Tune in to see: techniques for caring for your hair, proper blow drying for different kinds of hair, balayage strokes and processing, product reviews, educational how-to-care-for-your-hair moments, or just watch our talented stylists in action.

Find us here: twitch.tv/morphicbeauty
You can watch anytime, but if you want to interact you’ll need to create an account.

If you’re on Twitch too, comment below with your handle and we’ll follow you!

Rene Furterer Gives Back: The Pierre Fabre Foundation

We work hard to bring you products you can believe in. Yes, that means bringing you great hair, but it also means supporting social and political issues we care about. We are always in awe of the work by The Pierre Fabre Foundation—the French pharmaceutical company behind Rene Furterer. Check out their latest work supporting Dr. Denis Mukwege in the Democratic Republic of Congo:

Dr. Denis Mukwege and Pierre-Yves Revol,
Fondation Pierre Fabre's president

"The South Kivu region in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been a conflict zone since 1999, where many armed groups are employing violent tactics with near impunity against the civilian population, particularly against women, using rape as a weapon of war. Dr Denis Mukwege, the founder of a centrally located hospital in this region, has devoted his life to saving female victims and denouncing sexual violence. The Fondation Pierre Fabre is going to support his work.

Dr Denis Mukwege is a surgical gynaecologist who is internationally renowned for his work in reconstructive surgery for victims of sexual violence in the DRC, a commitment that earned him the moniker “The Man Who Repairs Women”. In 1999, to provide treatment for the victims of sexual violence, he founded the Panzi Hospital in Bukavu that offers a full range of services (a holistic model or “one-stop treatment centre”), including medical, psychological, socio-economic and legal intervention. Since the hospital opened, it has treated nearly 50,000 victims of sexual violence.

A militant activist for women’s rights and the eradication of rape as a weapon of war, Dr Mukwege has received a plethora of international awards, including the United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights, the 2013 Fondation Chirac Prize for Conflict Prevention and the European Parliament’s Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought.

Replicating the Panzi treatment model in a rural hospital in Bulenga

On 6 December 2017, before the Fondation Pierre Fabre Board of Directors, Dr Mukwege presented a project to replicate his model for comprehensive victim care at the hospital in Bulenga. This facility, located 165 kilometres from Panzi in another area affected by the conflict, has 62 beds and currently sees 1,800 patients a year, but lacks the human and material resources it needs. The Fondation Pierre Fabre will fund all activities related to providing medical care to the victims at this hospital for the next two years and will work with Dr Mukwege’s team to assess how this structure can be sustained.

The Fondation Pierre Fabre is proud to support the work of Dr Denis Mukwege in his daily fight to care for these female victims of violence. This project is another way in which the Foundation is taking action in accordance with its mission, which includes improving access to healthcare for populations embroiled in serious crises."

(quoted from Fondation Pierre Fabre)

Meet the newest Morphic team member: Annie!

You know we're looking to grow here at Morphic, and we are very choosy about who we bring in. The stars aligned and we found our new Salon Coordinator, Annie. Annie Bacon is a songwriter musician in the SF Bay Area (www.anniebacon.me). She aches for a more empathic humanity + her creativity orbits around this. She is also a long-time client and Morphic evangelist. We're so glad to have her on board. We know she'll help keep Morphic in tip-top shape while making you feel right at home. So, without further adieu, let's get to know our beloved Annie! 

Tell us about your personal style. 
I use these three questions in determining what to buy or wear:

1. Would I wear this in New York?
2. Is it a little bit rock n roll?
3. Am I a little bit emotionally uncomfortable (thus pushing the boundaries of my stylistically conservative upbringing)?

What’s a current fashion trend that you’re over?
Uggs. I don’t know how “in” they still are but my very fashionable 6-year-old son loves them and I’d really rather they disappeared.

How long have you lived in SF? How’d you get here.  
17 years in the Bay Area, 13 of that in SF. My best friend invited me to come with her after we graduated college in upstate New York. I wasn’t ready to make plans. My long-deceased grandfather came to me in a dream and said, “Go to California.” So I came.

Tell us your favorite things in SF.
There are too many to great restaurants to name! Emmy’s Spaghetti Shack stands out. Golden Gate Park, Twin Peaks, Bernal Hill, McLaren Park. SF MoMA. Music at Piano Fight & Bottom of the Hill.

How would you describe SF to someone new?
San Francisco is an epicurean delight, a bastion of culture, and the most beautiful city in America. For a long time, it’s been a place where anything feels possible. The promised land. The City also has a lot of vulnerable populations right now who suffer in the midst of massive disparity. Extraordinary times require extraordinary actions, so I challenge newcomers to think about how they can give back to the city—whether it’s time, money, ideas, energy, creativity, or art.

Tell us about your hair. What’s your current inspiration?
For a long time it was a cross between Yolandi Vi$$er and young Jane Fonda - the result of which was a punk-rock mullet. I’m still feeling the short bangs, but the undercut has taken over and I’m enjoying being able to present vastly different styles of my hair depending on my up or down do.

Air dry or blow dry?
Air dry always.

What’s your current hair routine? Favorite products?
Wash every 2-3 days. Currently using Rene Furterer Okara light-activating leave in fluid since I recently started going blonde again. Comb daily. That’s it!

What’s your best hair tip?
Don’t cut it yourself! The price you pay at a salon like Morphic gives you not only a haircut that will continue to look incredible for weeks or months after as it grows out, but will also give you an infusion of confidence and nourish your sense of best self.

You’re a musician. Tell us how that started.
Music started from the very beginning. I would listen in awe as my huge Irish-American family would burst into song with multiple harmonies and everyone knowing all the words. The feeling of that connection has stayed with me forever and I knew I wanted to create music that brought people together like that.

Who are your biggest musical influences?
Nina Simone, Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen, Tracy Chapman, Joni Mitchell, Jeff Buckley, Pink Floyd, and 70’s soft rock.

What’s your biggest wish when people hear your music?
That they find something of themselves in the music - something that helps them feel seen/heard, a little less alone—or that they learn through the music to care about someone else in a way they didn’t before.

Best thing about this year?
After some deep work and a business model boot camp with my partner, I started to have a clearer sense of my music’s true purpose. When purpose and passion align, great things can happen! Morphic is a beautiful example of this, which is why I’m so happy to be working here.

Proudest moment recently?
My six-year-old son is developing a beautiful capacity for empathy. Watching him navigate the world over the last few months has made me so proud.

Best way to decompress?
Hot tub soak and a massage. But those are rare treats these days. Otherwise it’s music and sleep!

Favorite word?
Isaiah. I don’t know why but I get a sense of peacefulness saying this name over and over. I don’t even know anyone with the name!

Favorite curse word?
Fuck!

Coolest thing you own?
A beautiful sunburst Les Paul guitar.

Last trip you took?
Nashville! I get there every couple of months for some music hustle.

Favorite place to visit in the world?
Although I love warm, sunny, beaches, I think if I could pick only one more trip in my life it would be to go back to Paris and wander the streets late at night in the rain.

Last music show you’ve attended?
Lots in the past few weeks! Geographer, Emily Afton, and Langhorne Slim stand out.

Thanks, Annie! It's always such a pleasure! 

Is Your Scalp Looking Like a Winter Wonderland?

Is your scalp feeling dry, itchy, and sensitive? Do you notice your partner scratching their head or leaving snowflakes on the pillow? Fear not! I’m here with solutions!

First—why does this happen when the weather changes? Maybe we’re spending too much time indoors, or drinking too many hot beverages without enough water to hydrate. Maybe it’s the stress of the holidays and year-end affecting our circulatory system. Who knows?

To calm my irritated scalp, I use Astera Fluid and Astera Serum from Rene Furterer, and it works! In fact, I’ve started giving myself a little more scalp love by doing my Astera treatments twice a week. To do this I base my dry scalp with the oil and do light brushing with a gentle boar bristle brush and let it sit overnight. The manufacturer recommends to leave it in for 5-10 mins, but it doesn't hurt the scalp to leave in longer. But no matter what - don’t forget to rinse and shampoo! (There's also an Astera shampoo.)

While the oil helps to treat the problem and rebalance the scalp, sometimes you just need something more. This is where the the Astera serum comes in. It actually cools down the area you apply it to by 4 degrees! It’s a spot treatment to address the symptoms before they’re made worse by scratching and inflaming the area even more.

The name Astera actually comes from the word "Asteraceae", which is the scientific name for Echinacea. The active ingredient in the line, asteraceae extract, helps to reduce inflammation and soothe the scalp. Other pure essential oils included are mint and eucalyptus, giving the products a clean, cooling feeling. You can practically hear your scalp give a sigh of relief!

So if you’re scalp has the winter blues, come in and see me. Book online for an in-person consultation or text or email us to schedule a time to stop by for a complimentary demonstration of what you need and what to do. You can also book for a professional scalp treatment which includes manual exfoliation (brushing with a gentle scalp brush) and massage as a stand-alone treatment (with a shampoo and blowout) or an add-on to a service like a haircut. (Note: scalp treatments are not recommended 2 days before or after any color service.)

I hope this helps you or someone you know out!  Show you care, share the hair!

Questions/Comments? Email info@morphicbeauty.com or text 415-789-6682.

Thanks, and may you and your scalp be well.