My hair has had a tough time over the last 20 years. Poor thing. It’s not that I don’t love it, it’s just that it’s a little neglected. As a teenager, I’d play colourist and spray it with Sun-In – bleach in a bottle – and then dry it out in the sun. When I went travelling around Europe at the age of 18, I decided I wanted to become a brunette. Again, I coloured it myself and instead of the rich brown colour I’d imagined, it turned khaki (apparently it’s not that simple going from blonde to brunette). I backpacked around the Greek islands with khaki hair – not quite the look I was going for. Last year on Valentine’s Day, I accidently dyed my hair pink...
Seriously. I spent hours in the salon the following week trying to get the dye out (note to self: read the label properly). I’m not a natural blonde and I still remember as a teenager being told by a hairdresser that my hair colour was “mouse brown”. I’ve been dying my hair ever since. And it’s starting to show. My hair needs some love. It’s dry, brittle and most days, I bunch it up in a bun and ignore it. It needs some pampering. It needs some conditioning. It needs hydration. Luckily, late last year, hope for my hair came in the form of an invitation to experience Wella’s new System Professional care collection and in-salon treatment service. An indulgent, personal, in-salon experience, which will leave you floating (the long head massage is done in the chair rather than at the sink and was easily one of the best I’ve ever had). I’d also heard my best friend and System Professional Ambassador, Poppy Delevingne, raving about it: “The results were immediate, I could feel my hair almost instantly re-energised, like it hadn’t been in years. System Professional has finally helped me tame the Delevingne,” she said. Ok, we’re not even friends, but if I can get hair that looks even remotely as glossy as Poppy’s, I’m in. The new System Professional treatments vary from express leave-ins, to rinse-out care to indulgent rituals and there are infinite combinations to meet each individual’s hair care needs.
So what’s the concept behind the new System Professional? Well for starters, no two people have the same hair. Every person’s hair and scalp is very unique, which is why every treatment begins with an in-depth, individual ‘EnergyCodeTM’ Mapping. What is ‘Mapping’? Basically, it’s a method of professional hair and scalp diagnosis – performed by a System Professional hair care consultant. Essentially, it’s a highly personalised system with a bespoke system for you – and there are over 174 million possible care combinations (yes, you read that correctly). It takes around 5-10 minutes and during the EnergyCodeTM Mapping, I use the System Professional App where I’m asked a series of questions about my hair (you can do this in a System Professional salon). How do I feel about my scalp? Does it feel dry or sensitive? Am I experiencing hair loss? How often do I colour my hair? Is my hair damaged? How thick is my hair? How often do I wash it? It’s sort of like going to the doctor for your hair and then being given the solution to fix it. I receive a ‘treatment prescription’ – my personal EnergyCodeTM – and my consultant then takes me through the products she’ll be using for my treatment (there are a multitude of different treatments available depending on your hair’s needs). I meet System Professional hair stylist and salon owner, Mia De Vries, of The Fox & The Hair when I’m having my treatment. “It’s exciting to have a personalised hair care system that prioritises individual hair care needs,” she says. “System Professional’s bespoke consultation service allows me to really understand my clients hair and scalp concerns so I can prescribe a hair care system that’s totally unique to them. Having been EnergyCoded myself, I can attest to the quality of System Professional – my hair looks and feels better than ever and I can’t wait for my clients to try it for themselves.” The treatment is heavenly and after it’s finished, my hair looks and feels phenomenal. I couldn’t stop touching it. Can it really feel this soft? I’m given a bag of products from the System Professional line to take home and use – all which have been selected personally for me based on my unique code. I’m given two shampoos – a Repair Shampoo and a Colour Save shampoo (the second shampoo I’m to use only every two weeks). I’ve never been given two shampoos before – you can tell this isn’t your usual hair care routine. This is a salon service with a difference. It’s personal, indulgent and also works – your hair will thank you for the love. I’ll be reporting back on the condition of my hair in the coming weeks so stay tuned. In association with Wella | The new System Professional treatments, EnergyCode™ Mapping, hair and scalp diagnosis and at-home product range with EnergyCodeTM Complex are available exclusively in System Professional salons across Australia and New Zealand now. Prices start from AUD $42, per product. For stockist enquiries please contact: 1300 885 002 or to find your nearest System Professional salon, visit www.systemprofessional.com Photograph: Julie Adams