Transitioning from foil to foam strips

[NightinEv]

Hi!

I'm a beginner stylist but used to have some confidence in my highlighting ability as I used to do them to relatives, even in school I nevet had any issues and was always fast. Well, it's gone, because I'm now in a salon that only uses those foam strip things - I told my manager I didn't have experience in it so she gave me a doll head and so far I've tried it twice.

The first time I was so terrified of bleeding that I left a grown-out look, the second time I tried to suck it up and get to the roots: lots of spotting, and I know I never even approached the roots of the highlights with a brush full of product, I tried to gradually get the product up. Unfortunately they slip and I find them very bothersome and bulky, but I've no choice and I have to fix this quick. Does anyone with experience in both maybe give me some tips? I'm desperate.

Thanks in advance

 

[TheOracle]

I use them on occasions, mainly on long hair, that I'm slicing rather than weaving.

I can't imagine a half head of woven lights with it as they're relatively thick and inflexible.

I think you need to ask the salon for techniques as they are very different from foil.

Good luck

 

[NightinEv]

I had used them in cosmo school as well for "statement highlights".

Thank you for confirming this, my manager is acting as though I lied about my ability with foil but it's extremely different: they never fully close even if the product makes contact on both "pages" and the full head on the mannequin was a nightmare because they are so wide that you end up with little space for weaving at times. This foil ban was apparently due to some reaction with overheating in another salon (it's a chain) but I think that's a weird justification because if foil was that hazardous it wouldn't be sold at expensive prices with cutesy art by brands like Framar and even the Wella and L'Óreal sell it as far as I know.

Yesterday I also toned a client she did at the basin and there was spotting. I'm going to find an old mannequin from school days and just try different things, I guess. Before posting here I searched the internet and there was really nothing on this.

 

[ronray]

I learned with foil too. And then when I worked in the last Salon I worked in they had used foam wraps for over 10 years and I felt like the odd one out.
I tried foam wraps and it was a disaster..... But honestly if you stick with it you will get the hand of it. They are now all I use and have done for the past 11years. The trick is to make sure you have good tension on the hair, don't try and use your pintail to hold it in place like you do foil, don't fold the tops, don't fold the sides. Only ever fold in half.
I would also like to add that I feel they are quite expensive in comparison to using a reel of foil. But if you're buying precut foil there probably isn't much of a price difference.

 

[NightinEv]

I learned with foil too. And then when I worked in the last Salon I worked in they had used foam wraps for over 10 years and I felt like the odd one out.
I tried foam wraps and it was a disaster..... But honestly if you stick with it you will get the hand of it. They are now all I use and have done for the past 11years. The trick is to make sure you have good tension on the hair, don't try and use your pintail to hold it in place like you do foil, don't fold the tops, don't fold the sides. Only ever fold in half.
I would also like to add that I feel they are quite expensive in comparison to using a reel of foil. But if you're buying precut foil there probably isn't much of a price difference.

Thanks!

I already suceeded twice and at least so far, my line of thinking has been "if you really wanna reach the root there's no such thing as a section/weave that's too thin". I can't imagine doing naughts-style chunky highlights with this, but so far that hasn't been demanded, so...

The salon I'm with provides Wella training and I've been told they use foil, albeit thicker than the regular one.

Somebody else from the staff told me they made this switch because they used to wash and re-use when doing bleach. Maybe there's some financially beneficial agreement they reached with the supplier.

Thank you for the solidarity!