A client named Lauren walked into James Geidner Hair Studio last month with her phone in hand. She showed me a picture of a celebrity with platinum blonde hair. Gorgeous color. Bright. Icy. Perfect.

"Can you do this?" Lauren asked.

"Yes," I said. "But let's talk about what will happen after one week at the beach."

Lauren lives near South Beach in Vero. She's at the ocean constantly. Swimming. Paddle boarding. Sun all day.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

I explained that platinum blonde in Vero Beach is different from platinum blonde in Los Angeles. The sun here. The salt water. The humidity. They destroy platinum color in days.

Lauren looked confused. "So I can't have this color?"

"You can," I said. "But we need to adapt it for your life. Not just copy the picture."

I showed Lauren photos of other Vero Beach clients with beautiful blonde hair. Not quite as platinum as her picture. But blonde that actually lasted. Blonde that worked with the Florida sun instead of fighting it.

Lauren agreed. We did a dimensional blonde with lowlights. Buttery tones instead of icy platinum. Still beautiful. But maintainable.

Three weeks later, Lauren texted me. "My hair still looks good. This is the first time I've gone more than a week without it looking brassy."

That conversation taught me that most clients don't understand how Vero Beach changes everything about hair color.

Let me show you what I mean.

Check out our color services at James Geidner Hair Studio.

What Actually Happens to Color in Vero Beach Sun?

Lauren thought hair color was hair color. Get it done. It lasts. Same everywhere.

Wrong. Vero Beach sun is brutal on color. UV rays act like bleach. Slowly stripping color out of your hair every day.

I had another client, Kristin, from the Beachland area. She got a beautiful rich chocolate brown color at a salon in Orlando. It was perfect. Deep. Shiny. Gorgeous.

Two weeks later in Vero Beach, it looked dull and faded.

"Why does this look so different?" Kristin asked, frustrated. "It's only been two weeks."

"Orlando doesn't have the same sun intensity as Vero Beach," I explained. "The stylist there didn't color your hair for coastal sun exposure."

Kristin had been walking her dog on the beach every morning. Hat on her head. No protection for her hair. The UV rays were stripping the color daily.

I recolored Kristin's hair with a richer tone. Built in extra depth to account for fading. Added a gloss to seal the cuticle. Gave her a UV protection spray.

"Use this every morning before your walk," I told her. "Your hair needs sunscreen just like your skin."

Kristin started using it. Six weeks later, her color still looked rich and vibrant.

"I can't believe the difference," she said. "I thought I just had hair that didn't hold color. It was the sun."

Browse our hair care products for UV protection.

What About Pool and Ocean Water?

Lauren's platinum disaster would have been even worse if we'd done it. She's in salt water constantly.

I had a client named Michelle from Indian River Shores. She wanted bright red hair. Cherry cola red. Bold and beautiful.

"How often are you in the pool?" I asked during her consultation.

"Every day," Michelle said. "I swim laps every morning."

"Chlorine will strip red color in about three days," I told her honestly.

Michelle was disappointed. "So I can't have red hair?"

"You can," I said. "But it won't stay this bright. And you'll need to tone it every two weeks. Are you willing to do that?"

Michelle thought about it. She really wanted the red. "Yes," she said. "I'll do whatever it takes."

I colored Michelle's hair the cherry cola red she wanted. Gave her a color-depositing shampoo. Told her to use it twice a week. Scheduled her for toning every two weeks.

Michelle kept up with it for six weeks. Then she called.

"This is too much maintenance," Michelle said. "I love the color. But I'm here every two weeks. And it still fades between appointments."

We switched Michelle to a deeper auburn. Still red. But not as bright. Lasted longer in chlorine. She only needed toning every six weeks instead of two weeks.

"I should have listened when you said bright red wouldn't work with daily swimming," Michelle said. "This color is better for my life."

That's the conversation I have with every client. What will this color realistically look like with your actual lifestyle?

Visit James Geidner Hair Studio to discuss realistic color options.

Does Humidity Really Affect Color?

Vero Beach humidity isn't just annoying. It actually changes how color holds in your hair.

Kristin, my chocolate brown client, had another problem besides sun. Frizz. The humidity was making her hair frizzy. And frizzy hair looks dull even when the color is perfect.

"My hair looks faded," Kristin said. "But I think it's actually the frizz making it look dull."

She was right. Humidity lifts the hair cuticle. Makes hair porous. Porous hair doesn't reflect light. Looks dull even with fresh color.

I recommended a keratin treatment for Kristin. Sealed her cuticle. Made the hair smooth.

"My color looks so much better," Kristin said after the keratin. "It's the same color. But it looks shiny and rich now."

That's what smooth cuticles do. They reflect light. Make color look vibrant.

I had another client, Diane, from near the Moorings. She got highlights at another salon. They looked great leaving the salon. At home in Vero Beach humidity? Brassy and frizzy.

"Why do my highlights look yellow?" Diane asked.

The humidity was making her hair porous. Porous blonde hair grabs yellow tones from the environment.

I toned Diane's highlights with a purple toner. Removed the brass. Then did a gloss to seal the cuticle.

"This looks so much better," Diane said. "But will it last?"

"Use this purple shampoo once a week," I told her. "And this anti-humidity spray. It will help seal the cuticle and prevent brass."

Diane followed the instructions. Her highlights stayed cool-toned instead of turning brassy.

Book your color consultation to learn about Vero Beach-specific techniques.

What If You Want Trendy Colors?

Lauren wanted platinum. Michelle wanted cherry cola red. Both trendy colors. Both difficult in Vero Beach.

I don't tell clients they can't have trendy colors. I tell them what those colors will actually look like with their lifestyle.

A client named Ashley from near the yacht club wanted rose gold hair. Pink tones. Very trendy. Very pretty.

"Are you prepared to tone this every two weeks?" I asked Ashley.

"What do you mean?" she said.

"Pink tones fade the fastest," I explained. "Especially in sun. After two weeks, this will look peachy or brassy. You'll need toning to keep it pink."

Ashley wasn't sure. "That's a lot of maintenance."

"It is," I agreed. "But if you love pink and you're willing to commit, we can do it."

Ashley decided to try it. We did the rose gold. It looked beautiful. She came back two weeks later for toning. And two weeks after that. And two weeks after that.

After three months, Ashley was tired. "I love the color," she said. "But I can't keep coming every two weeks."

We transitioned Ashley to a more neutral blonde with just hints of rose. Still pretty. But lasted six weeks instead of two weeks.

"This is better," Ashley said. "I still get compliments. But I'm not living in the salon."

That's the reality of trendy colors. Beautiful. But high maintenance. Especially in Vero Beach.

Check out our services for maintainable color options.

What Colors Actually Last in Vero Beach?

After 40 years of coloring hair in Vero Beach, I know which colors work here and which don't.

Dimensional color lasts longer than solid color. Lauren's dimensional blonde with lowlights lasted three weeks. Solid platinum would have lasted maybe five days.

Warm tones last longer than cool tones in sun. Kristin's rich warm chocolate stayed vibrant. Cool ash brown would have faded to nothing.

Natural-looking highlights last longer than high-contrast. Diane's soft natural highlights needed toning every eight weeks. High-contrast platinum streaks would need toning every two weeks.

Deeper colors last longer than bright colors. Michelle's deep auburn lasted six weeks. Bright cherry cola red lasted three days in chlorine.

I don't push clients toward "boring" colors. I push them toward colors that will work with their actual lives.

Lauren wanted platinum. Lives at the beach. We did dimensional buttery blonde instead. Still blonde. Just maintainable.

Michelle wanted bright red. Swims daily. We did deep auburn instead. Still red. Just longer-lasting.

Ashley wanted rose gold. Got tired of maintenance. We did neutral blonde with rose hints. Still pretty. Just sustainable.

Kristin wanted rich brown. Walks on beach daily. We built in extra depth and gave her UV spray. Stays rich for six weeks.

All of them have color they love. Color that works with Vero Beach. Color they're not fighting constantly.

What Products Actually Help?

Lauren needed UV protection spray. Uses it every day before going outside. Her blonde stays cool-toned instead of brassy.

Kristin needed the same UV spray plus a color-depositing shampoo. Her brown stays rich instead of dull.

Michelle needed color-depositing shampoo for her red. Twice a week. Keeps the red vibrant between appointments.

Diane needed purple shampoo and anti-humidity spray. Her highlights stay cool and smooth.

Ashley needed purple shampoo while she had rose gold. Now that she's neutral blonde with hints, she just needs UV spray.

Different colors need different products. We talk about this during the consultation. What you'll actually need to maintain your color at home.

I don't sell products just to sell them. I recommend what will actually help your specific color last in Vero Beach conditions.

Browse our hair care products for color protection.

What Actually Matters?

After 40 years of coloring hair in Vero Beach, here's what I've learned:

Pictures from celebrities in Los Angeles don't account for Vero Beach sun, salt water, chlorine, and humidity. Lauren's platinum dream needed adaptation. Michelle's bright red needed reality check.

UV rays strip color daily. Kristin's Orlando color faded in two weeks. Needed extra depth plus UV protection to last six weeks.

Chlorine and salt water destroy bright colors fast. Michelle's cherry cola red lasted three days in pool. Deep auburn lasted six weeks.

Humidity makes hair porous and dull. Kristin's frizz made color look faded. Diane's highlights turned brassy. Both needed cuticle sealing.

Trendy colors are beautiful but high maintenance. Ashley's rose gold required toning every two weeks. Transitioned to sustainable version after three months.

Dimensional colors last longer than solid colors. Natural tones last longer than extreme tones. Warm tones last longer than cool tones in sun.

Different colors need different at-home care. UV spray. Color-depositing shampoo. Purple shampoo. Anti-humidity products. We discuss what you'll actually need.

Lauren's dimensional blonde still looks good after three weeks. First time in her life color lasting that long at the beach.

Kristin's rich brown stays vibrant for six weeks with UV spray and keratin smoothing.

Michelle's deep auburn works with her daily swimming. No more constant toning.

Diane's highlights stay cool-toned with purple shampoo and humidity protection.

Ashley found a sustainable version of trendy color. Still gets compliments without living in salon.

All of them said some version of: "I didn't realize Vero Beach was different. Other salons just copied the picture without thinking about my life here."

Ready for color that actually works with Vero Beach? Book your consultation at James Geidner Hair Studio.

James Geidner