Couple emotional, speechless after dramatic 'GMA' hair makeovers
— -- One young couple was speechless when they saw each other for the first time after receiving much-needed, dramatic hair makeovers live on “Good Morning America” today.
“Oh my God. It looks so good,” Abigayle Hettrich, 16, said while giving a big hug to her boyfriend, Noah Sain, who chopped several inches off his long hair.
Sain was equally surprised to see Hettrich, whose previously multi-colored hair was transformed into a dramatic, bold, dark color.
“I love this color,” he told her, grinning from ear to ear. “It’s so different but I love it. I don’t know what to say.”
Professional hair stylist Giovanni Vaccaro, who cut the couple’s hair, said emotional reactions like these are “what it’s all about.”
“It’s about making people feel good,” Vaccaro said on “GMA.”
Vaccaro, creative director of Glamsquad, and celebrity hair colorist Kari Hill took over "GMA" today, transforming the Times Square studio into a pop up hair salon where they gave personalized makeovers to five people who say they've been having more bad hair days than good hair days lately.
Here are their hair stories, and inspiring before-and-after photos, from the young couple and three women who transformed their looks today. Plus, Vaccaro also shared his top tips for combating some of the most common stresses that some people may have when it comes to their hair.
Noah: I have to cut my hair in order to join the fire department
Noah Sain, 19, told ABC News that he is about to start training to become a firefighter and that he has to cut his beloved long hair before starting training in January. He currently works as a Karate instructor and is training for his second-degree black belt.
Vaccaro said Sain had been growing his hair out for four years and is now donating his hair to Locks of Love.
"I love it. This is amazing, oh my goodness," Sain said after seeing his dramatic haircut live on "GMA."
Abigayle: 'I do not even know what my natural hair color is anymore'
Abigayle Hettrich, 16, said that she hopes to pursue a career in cosmetology and makeup. The teen said she has been dying her hair since she was nine and is now in desperate need of a new look.
"I don't even know what my natural hair color is anymore," Hettrich said.
Hill said changing Hettrich's hair color was a "labor of love."
"We laughed and we cried. It took us some time," she said of the new dark color. "As you can see before with the pinks and the blues in her hair, Abby loved the bold, extreme hair color. With that being said, we wanted to do a drastic change, and keep it both in that bold, extreme hair color. We took it dark, rich, edgy, on trend, and it complements the contrast with her skin and her eyes so well."
When Hettrich saw her drastically different hair color for the first time, all she could muster was, "Oh my God. I love it."
"I don’t even know what to say," she said. "It’s so different. Thank you."
Kim: 'I am now very self-conscious about my hair'
Kim May, 41, told ABC News that while she was always self-conscious about her weight while growing up, she used to always be in love with her hair. In 2011, however, May suffered a stroke which prompted her to eventually lose 110 pounds. She said that she is proud of her accomplishments over the course of her weight loss journey and feels healthier than ever, but she feels that her hair has suffered along the way.
May's biggest hair concerns are that her locks are uneven, dry, brittle and extremely thin.
"Everyday it's just such a struggle when I look at the mirror, at myself, and even just try to style it," she said.
Hill said May's hair had a lot of "dried, damaged breakage."
"We wanted to keep her off that pathway of destruction. We kept it gentle," she added. "We did a root gloss which diffused the line of demarcation from her old highlights and her new natural color that’s coming in. We warmed up the ends, giving her texture and a new, modern, lived in hair color that everybody’s asking for.
"Wow, that looks so good. It looks amazing. Thank you so much," May said after seeing herself in the mirror. "The color and the cut they both look wonderful. I feel good."
April: 'I want something new done to my hair'
April Kendall, 31, told ABC News that she is currently overcoming a lifelong battle with a condition that causes her to pull out patches of her hair when she is feeling stressed.
"I need your help," she said. "I have a bald spot here, and I have a bald spot here."
Kendall said she recently got engaged and as she counts down to the big day she is looking for an easy-to-maintain hairstyle that will hide her hair loss.
"We wanted to keep a modern style for her, with a little bit more volume and texture up top," Vaccaro said of the sassy new cut. "And really go nice and cleaner on the sides with a much more modern, cool feel."
"I like it a lot. It’s so cute. Thank you," said Kendall, who is getting married in March.
Jodi: My 'long, coarse, extremely thick' hair 'is desperately seeking a makeover'
Jodi Haskell, 57, said that she started dying her hair red fifteen years ago, and that she used to get a lot of compliments for her hair but lately it has become very hard to manage. She added that she has struggled with some "serious health issues" and at one point spent a month in the hospital while battling Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome. During that time, she said her hair started to fall out due to all the medications she was on.
Haskell said that her mane is "desperately seeking a makeover," and her main hair worries now are that her mane is too coarse, too thin and too curly.
"We saw she had a red that was very abrasive and clashed with her skin tone," said Hill. "I wanted to give her a rich auburn, take advantage of her old red and compliment her beautiful brown eyes."
"We took a bunch of length off. We wanted to make sure it was healthy and easy for her to manage at home -- something fresh and modern," Vaccaro added.
Haskell gasped when she saw herself for the first time.
"Oh my gosh. Wow. That is so different," she said. "It’s beautiful. Thank you. Thank you so much."
Vaccaro's expert tips for styling and maintaining healthy hair:
Tips for thinning hair:
"When hair is fine or thinning, I suggest going shorter with your style," Vaccaro told ABC News. "Going shorter with the style will instantly give hair more life and body."
Vaccaro added that when thin or fine hair is long, it can appear even thinner and finer. He also recommended using volumizing shampoos and lightweight conditioners. When it comes to conditioner, he added that you should only apply it to the ends of your hair if you are struggling with thinning hair. Lastly, he suggests getting highlights if you are looking to color thin hair, as the dimension in the color gives "the illusion of volume."
Tips for wild, curly, hair:
"As much as I love curly hair, many women want to learn how to tame their mane," Vaccaro said. "The shape of the haircut is incredibly important. Removing bulk from your haircut will allow you to have a more controlled style and preferred shape."
The stylist said he usually recommends longer layers for people with very curly hair. In addition, how you treat your hair on a daily basis can have a big effect on how it looks, according to Vaccaro. He recommends sleeping on a silk or satin pillowcase to create less friction and let your hair dry naturally or with a diffuser. Lastly, Vaccaro recommends applying an ultra-moisturizing mask twice a week to curly hair.
Tips for frizzy hair:
"Frizzy hair needs to be handled with care," Vaccaro said. "Product usage here is very important."
He recommends starting by using an anti-frizz blowout cream to prep hair before blow-drying and then using an oil to help with frizz before or after blow-drying.
"My favorite brushes to use when blow-drying frizzy hair are boar bristle brushes," Vaccaro added. Finally, he said to be careful when it comes to over-processing frizzy hair.
