Winter Hair Care

The dry and cold winter can be extremely damaging to your hair. It can become very dry from the indoor heating and the dry cold weather outside. There are many steps you can take to prevent your hair from damage during the winter months.

• Wear a scarf, hat or cap to protect your hair from the cold and wind, but make sure it’s not too tight that it restricts your circulation.
• Use a conditioner daily to keep moisture in your hair. After conditioning, run your hair through cold water to give your hair extra shine.
• Don’t go outside with your hair wet. If it’s cold enough your hair will freeze and may break off.
• Limit the use of hot styling tools like blow dryers and curling irons. If you want to use a hot styling tool, use a leave in conditioner before using the styling tool.
• Avoid washing your hair in hot water. Use warm or cool water instead. The heat can dry out and damage your hair and scalp.
• Use a dry shampoo to wash out your hair. For instance, baby powder. Sprinkle some onto your head and use a comb to comb it out. This will leave your hair looking clean and fresh.

Remedies For Dry Hair

Hair normally has a moisture content of approximately 10%. If your hair’s moisture content drops below this level the key is to increase the hair’s ability to attract and retain moisture. This is accomplished by using moisturizers. Good moisturizers have what they call “humectants” that replace lost moisture as well as attract and retain moisture in your hair. Essential Fatty Acids are great moisturizers. Safflower oil is one of the best and most cost effective fatty acids and it is used to cook with. Not only can we use this oil to cook with to get moisturizer we can also use it directly on your hair.

1. First, place 1 or 2 small drops of safflower oil into your palms and rub them together. There should be enough to make your hands shine in the light.
2. Then carefully take your hair (while dry) and scrunch the oil to the ends of your hair first and then work your way up towards the scalp.
3. Do not wash the oil out.
4. By doing the steps described as often as necessary will ensure that your dry hair will have the proper amount of humectants to attract and retain moisture.
5. Remember, a lot of oil goes a long way, so don’t overload your hair. Only 1 to 2 drops is necessary.

Also keep in mind your hair stylist will have suggestions on what professional products would be good for your hair to get the moisture it needs. So on your next visit to the salon, don’t hesitate to ask.

Blonde Damaged Hair

Fixing Blonde, Damaged Hair

Your damaged blonde hair is most likely this is due to the natural sunlight. Blonde hair loves to soak up the sun, but sun and heat damages your hair vaporizing all the moisture needed for your hair to look healthy and shiny.  No matter what shade of blonde, the sun loves your hair, and can make it look damaged and frizzy.

To calm your frizz, try Frizz-ease or Split Ends by BC Bonicure before you blow dry your hair. For added protection apply a blow dry sealer before you blow dry your hair. This will protect your blonde locks from heat. You should also invest in hair products formulated with SUV protectants, preventing your hair from sun damage.

We also know that blonde hair can turn green in the water. Try a product specifically made for swimmers hair, this will protect your hair from those green tints. If you already have green hair, try Resolve by JOICO this product strips chlorine buildup and allows your hair to breathe. Eventually your hair will be its natural blonde again.

For further protection, use a wide toothed comb or pick while your hair is wet to protect against breakage. In addition try a detangle product for after the shower to further protect from breakage.

Blonde hair will always be high maintenance and expensive to maintain. The tips above are to help you in between visits to your stylist. When you go in for an appointment, ask your stylist if there is anything else you can be doing to keep your hair healthy.

Greasy Hair?

Greasy Hair Solutions

There are ways you can help stop the grease from appearing but you have to work at it.

Do not wash your hair everyday. The cleaner your hair is the more it can seep into your glands and harder it is to get rid of. When you do wash your hair make sure you are washing with a cleaning shampoo and scrubbing the build up off. Take in mind that you also have to have a ph-balanced mild shampoo and light scrubbing is recommended. In addition, try to avoid putting conditioner on your roots, apply in the middle or on the ends only.

Try to avoid oil in your daily food intake, and eat more vegetables. You could visit your doctor but only after you check and consider your diet, drugs, alcohol, and your fatty food intake. Let’s face it we see what McDonalds can do to your heart in a month, can you image your hair. You would be dripping everywhere.

Maybe it’s time to change your shampoo. Ask your stylist what she or he would recommend. Avoid using shine products at all costs. Keep away from two-in-one shampoos and conditioners and any frizz serums.

To fix at the moment, rub a little baby powder on your dried hair at the roots.

What Type of Brush Should I Use?

Hair Brush Solutions

Half the problem of getting the right style and preventing damage is the type of hairbrush you use. Most of the  damage happens when your hair is wet, and if you detangle with a steel comb, you are probably making most of the damage yourself.

Here are your Hair Brush Solutions:

• When combing wet hair use a big tooth come and detangle your hair from end to root. Try not to touch the root at all.
• For short hair use a Paddington brush with soft protective bristles as you shape and blow dry your hair to your sought after look.
• If you need to tease your hair for a little height, use a pick.
• For medium length straight hair, use a Paddle Brush with soft protective bristles to help you comb out and blow dry your hair.
• For medium length wavy bobs use extra large round brush to blow out the kinks and curls.
• For longhair past your shoulders use a thick, loose toothed brushed or a big round ceramic brush to help you blow dry you long hair straight. Flip the ends out if you want to be a little sassy with the same brush, creating two looks.

Look good, feel better!

The Right Way to Wash Your Hair

The first thing you should do is to comb the tangles out of your hair before you wet it so the hair washes easily and tangles don’t worsen. Then wet your hair thoroughly under the shower. You can use either warm or cold water if you like, but for best results, you can wet your hair with warm water to open the scale like cuticles in the  hair. Next you should rinse your hair with cold water  to close the cuticles and add to the shine of your hair.

Rinse your hair under the shower to rid it of the leave-on conditioner and styling aids you have used previously, using gentle strokes of your fingertips. Then, pour a dollop of shampoo in the palm of your hand. Rub your hands together, and then apply the shampoo to your scalp. Take note that you should put the shampoo on your scalp and not at the ends of your hair, as the shampoo would dry your hair’s ends and cause it to weaken and split. Also, do not mix your hair all over your head as you shampoo because it will get all tangled up. After this, rinse the shampoo off.

More often than not, we need to shampoo our hair for a second time. The purpose of the first shampoo is to clean the oil and dirt off; the second shampoo is supposed to let the shampoo treat our hair. So, repeat the process, but let the shampoo sit on for around a couple of minutes. Rinse the hair completely after this.

To get the excess water off your hair, just squeeze the water out. Do not pull or tug at the hair because the hair is at its most delicate when it is soaked. When the excess water is out, apply a dollop of conditioner – mane event – and apply it along the hairline, the nape and the ends of the hair. Pile your hair then inside a shower cap and let the conditioner stay there for around ten minutes. And then, rinse it off completely.

The process described here does seem tedious and time-consuming. But remember, having great hair takes time and effort. And it is definitely worth it for a picture perfect hair.

Should Your Hair be Blow Dried or Air Dried?

It is a matter of preference, actually. Some people do not have much time to devote to styling their hair, or want to achieve the maximum styling they can get for their hair, so they opt for blow-drying it. On the other hand, there are some people who think that blow-drying is a waste of electricity and is the quickest way of damaging the hair, so they opt to have it air dried.

Which is better, you may ask?
Both ways of drying the hair have their advantages and disadvantages, and there are proper and improper ways of doing both. Read on and find out what these are.

Air drying. Air drying is usually done by people who have short and low-maintenance hairstyles, or by people with curly hair. There are also people who have long hair yet have their hair air dry, as air drying does not subject the hair to excessive heat. Therefore, the hair is not as susceptible to damage as hair that is blow dried.

If you are going to have your hair air dried, it is very important to remember that the hair is at its weakest when it is wet. So, take care not to rub your hair dry with the use of a towel. The friction caused by rubbing the hair with a towel will make the hair brittle and eventually break. Rather than rubbing it, you should instead blot the moisture out of your hair with the towel. Also, be careful not to tug or pull at your hair that much when it is still wet. Once the water is blotted out of the hair, fluff it out with your fingers.

Blow Drying. Blow drying the hair is the most convenient way of doing it, and because most people live fast-paced lives, blow drying the hair is the way most people want to do it. Moreover, drying the hair using a blower adds volume to the hair. But inasmuch that blow drying is very convenient, it is also dangerous to the hair, especially if overdone. It can make the hair very brittle.

If you blow dry your hair, make sure that it is not soaking. Blot the water out with a towel first. Do not hold the dryer too close to your head; keep it at least six inches away from your hair and move the dryer constantly around your head. Protect the outer strands of your hair from being over-dried by bending over and blow drying your hair with your hair hanging upside down. Also, try not to dry your hair completely with the blow dryer. Stop while the hair is still slightly damp.

Whether you air dry your hair or you blow dry it is completely your own choice based on your own lifestyle and preferences. But whatever you do, always remember that the hair is fragile. Be careful while handling it.