Invest in soft water
Another product not to use
I am once again sorry for my neglegence in keeping this site up. With my baby having RSV for three months, my husband out of work for a while, amongst the other trillion things going on...I have lacked the creative juices to keep it going. SO Sorry.
with the economy the way it is right now. Even I had to switch to yucky cheap shampoo for a while. I know you are all gasping right about now. First I bought my girls some panteen. It was O.k no paul Mitchell that is for sure. Then when my hubby was out of work, he thought we needed to go even a step cheaper and went with Equate brand of generic panteen pro vitamin. DO NOT USE IT!Yuck! Their conditioner was the worst ever. It actually made our hair more tangly than when we got in the shower. So for those of you that are buying cheap shampoos, i hope I can save you a buck or two.Times are tough but not that tough. i saved my money for my PM stuff.I will never go back again.
I have bought the equate brand in other items and loved them but Conditioner & shampoo is not their thing.
A Product never to use
I am so sorry it has been so long everyone. I forgot how crazy life gets with a baby in the house especially one with R.S.V.
With spring and summer around the corner ( Hopefully) everyone starts getting those summer highlights. I know with the economy the way it is a lot of you will be looking for home remedy colors. I know because I have seen the effect it has had on my salon. I never suggest taking home color into your own hands, that is the way us stylists make all our money from fixing home color jobs that cost you twice as much to fix then if you would have come in the first time to get it done. However if you are looking for a quixk way to get blonde, there is one product I suggest you never get. It is SUN-IN! It completely damages your hair. I know most stylists wont touch your hair for five years if you have used Sun in. If you really want to go lighter on that budget, just put lemon juice in your hair and sit out in the sun a few hours everyday or while you are out and about in the sun. It is what my parents generation use to do all the time to get those beach blonde highlights.
Static in your hair.
Oh my gosh has it been that long since I posted a tip? So sorry, life with a new baby is crazy.
I am so waiting for someone to invent a static spray for your hair, but until then a friend gave me this tip.
Just run a dryer sheet down your hair (bounce etc). She said it works every time and hey your hair will smell dryer fresh.lol.
This is one we will all need with the months ahead.
Blow drying the back of your hair
So have you ever noticed how some people have great hair from the front, but then the back is a mess. Lets face it, it is hard to blow dry the back of your hair. here is my tip. When blow drying the back: of course take it in sections. Now here is what you are going to do; turn your head to the left- put your chin to your shoulder, now with that same arm that your chin is resting on ( Left) bring it to the opposite side reaching as far back as you can. Now round brush and dry. It seems like you are getting the side but you are acually getting the back of your head. Repeat on the opposite side and wala!!! You have a perfect blowdry that anyone would be proud to sit behind!
switching shampoo's
someone asked me the other day if they should be switching their shampoos every couple days. My awnser is yes, switch your shampoos and conditioners so you do not get a lot of build up in your hair. Especially if you are not using a salon quality shampoo. i however do not think it is necessary to do it every couple days. I would do once every week or so. If you are using salon hair products you should not need to do this as often, however have an extra set of a different kind of shampoo & conditioner on hand. It can be the same brand just try to use a different type- example- you now use color shampoo, switch to an instant moisture shampoo for a day or two.
I am overweight, Should I wear my hair long or short?
O.k> So I get this question a lot. I am going to give my personal opinion. I personally think that people that are overweight should not wear their hair past their shoulders.Unless of course you wear your hair rather big with lots of waves and curls. This is my reason why: The longer your hair the more stringy it will look. If you have a larger body, it will make your head appear to be smaller emphasizing your size more. If you have a shorter styled cut that is proportioned to your face you will look much more put together.
If you watch makeover shows where they do overweight people, they never leave the hair long and straight.
First I suggest you check out the section on face shapes, see what hairstyles would look best with your face shape.Then consider any extra weight you may have around your face area. How can that be aliminated?
I know several people who are overweight who have fabulous hair cuts that distract away from their size and others who insist on wearing their hair long and straight. I do not find it becoming at all.
Again this is my personal, professional opinion. If you do not believe me, check out your favorite magazines for ideas.
I want long hair
I kind of touched base on this earlier, but still get the question alot. How can I get my hair to grow faster. Well, you can't, if you could don't you think my hair would be long, luscious and beautiful? However there are things you can do to have healthier hair which will promote healthy growth that will not break off therefore, giving YOU the appearance that your hair is growing faster. Most of what I will share is straight from my haIr school text book.
Hair that is on your head is considered to be dead protein.The average person has around 100,000 strands of hair on their head and the average rate of growth is one-half of an inch per month. So basically, your hair that you have has seen a lot of wear & tear, hot blow dryers, flat irons, combing...and the list goes on and on.
Being pregnant, I have noticed a lot of growth in my hair .Finally!!! A lot of this is due to prenatal vitamins. One of the steps to having beautiful hair, is having healthy hair. If you are taking care of yourself, then your hair will show that as well. Vitamins are an important part of hair health. Below are some vitamins that can help promote healthy hair.
Vitamin B-complex - 50 mg. of the major B-vitamins (including folate, biotin and inositol) Vitamin B-6 - 50 mg. of vitamin B-6 Vitamin C with bioflavonoids - one to two grams daily Vitamin E - 400 to 800 IU daily Beta-Carotene - 10,000 to 15,000 IU of beta-carotene daily One recommended daily dose of magnesium, sulfur, zinc Silica (horsetail) - 300 mg. daily Flaxseed oil - one tbsp daily or one tablet Beta-Carotene - 10,000 to 15,000 IU of beta-carotene daily. Or just simply choose a well rounded vitamin.
Have you noticed that if you pull your hair in a pony for a while, when you put it down it seems longer? When you are not focused every day of your life on the growth, you will be surprised at the progress of your hair. getting a quick fix like hair extensions or hair pieces will also be a distraction till your own hair grows.
I have yet to find a miracle hair growth pill. I have a lot of friends that swear by Horse shampoo. All I know is hair goes through different stages. Each folicle has a resting phase where it will not grow for a few weeks or more. Be patient, find a cute style while you wait. Take care of your health first and foremost and the hair will respond. Until then, here are a few tips:
Try not to blow dry or flat iron your hair as much- heat will dry out your hair. Remember to rinse out that conditioner with cold water.
Eat a healthy diet and take a good vitamin supplement and get plenty of rest
If you smoke, stop it.. It is unhealthy for you and your hair.
keep up with your trims to get rid of split ends.
Don't believe the old wise tell about if you brush your hair 100 times a day it will be shiny and smooth. Well, it might only because you have bukilt back the natural oils of your hair that make it greasy. Unnessecary brushing or combing will not help you on your quest for long hair. minimize hoe often you brush, comb or tug on your hair.
Good luck to all of you. I hope we can all have long beautiful hair soon!
Flat Ironing Hair
We are living in a day where almost everyone owns a flat iron or flat irons their hair. I am often asked which flat irons are the best? How much do I need to spend? along with many other questions.
My personal opinion is most flat irons do about the same thing. The important thing to remember, is to buy a ceramic flat iron.
Ceramic flat irons produce gentle, far infrared ionic heat that won't destroy your hair and can help repair damaged follicles.
Buy a flat iron that will fit your needs and budget. Yes, Salon owners need to spend a pretty penny to get flat irons, but I have seen many flat irons bought from your local stores that do just as good a job. I have a hot tools and have not liked the last two I bought. they pull on little pieces of hair.I suggest staying away from that brand for now. If you have short hair make sure you buy the smallest flat iron available. This way you can get closer to your roots.
Use product to maintain the health of your hair. Gloss drops or syrum, heat seal etc. I always suggest to my color clients not to flat iron their hair for a few days after a color. I know when you go to the salon to get your hair done, that is one of the best parts is having someone else do the job for you. But my clients especially bleach clients are fine with me just blowdrying straight and barely going over the top with the flat iron. I am all about the integrity of the hair. That doesn't mean I will not flat iron it if you ask, that is just my personal opinion on the matter.
Clip up hair and bring down in small sections to get a thorough flat iron job. For those rough hairs that do not want to straighten, simply open and close your flat iron as you move down the hair, instead of leaving it closed the whole way down.
I do not know much about the new wet hair to flat -flat irons. If you have bought one and have an opinion let me know.
Hope this has helped. Some brands I have been impressed with are CHi, WIGO and paul mitchell. But there are a ton to choose from. Just remember why you are buying it and what kind of budget you are on.
Why it is important to go to a salon when going darker
if you are going more then two shades darker in color, it is very important that you do not take matters in your own hands by buying an at home color kit ,and here is why.... There is a lot of chemistry invovled with hair. Every time you go a shade darker, the pigment underneath needs to be restored. Ex. Let's say you have blonde hair and want to go almost black or dark brown. Well the underlying pigmant of the dark color is blue- with blonde it is yellow. What do yellow and blue make? You got it green.
I am telling you it is safer to go to a salon rather then worrying about saving a little money. Because if your hair gets messed up you will be paying double at a salon what you would have paid in the first place for the color correction.
color while pregnant?
I guess it is appropriate to awnser this considering I only have a few more weeks till my baby arrives.
While there are no scientific studies saying color can harm your baby, I would still use caution. I still do colors in my hair but not as often. If you are a once a month color client, try going two or three months instead. We all know the smell of chemicals is not good and for this reason is why I say...slow it down and do not do as much.
You must also be aware that while pregnant, your hormones change many things, including your hair. I notice my hair goes darker with each pregnancy. I have also noticed that hair will not always pull the same as it did before pregnancy. Therefore I reccomend test strands always.Especially with blonde toners etc. Also try not to get exactly to the roots. I know, I know you pay all that money and you want it to last. I say better safe then sorry. Hope this helps in some way!
Dry scalp, Hair growth
This time of year as well as in the Winter, Dry scalp is very common. In fact it is a question I am asked quite frequently. My awnser for the best scalp product is Tea tree Shampoo & conditioner. Of course I am partial to Paul Mitchel's but any tea tree product will work. I also recommend getting scalp treatments from your hairstylist frquently. They open up the folicles in your head and can stimulate your scalp making it healthy and allowwing hair growth.Not to mention they are relaxing and enjoyable.
Did you know that Tea tree oil can also be used on cuts, acne and more. it is an all around healing agent.
before you get that sassy, textured cut.......
There is no doubt about it. Texturized cuts are in. Especially razor finished or razor cuts. here is my tip. It is very important to stress to your stylist when they are doing a razor cut, to have a new blade. Just simply ask before they begin if their blade in the razor is new or not. the reason for this is a dull blade ( Which any blade used on a female cut will be dull after use) can damage your hair more then when you came in for the cut. yes, we get haircuts to be stylish & Hot but a main reason for a cut is to insure your hair is staying healthy and strong. If a dull blade is used in your hair, it defeats the puropse. You think your stylist would know this and maybe they do, but what you do not know is these little blades are extremely costly and that is why stylists do not like to change them as much.
I would insist on a new one if it was me.
The Best product I have found for our dry summer hair
Everyone knows I am partial to Paul Mitchell products since I am a paul Mitchell salon, But I have to say I have found my absolute favorite of their products ever! It is called super skinny serum. When I am styling someone with dry damaged hair and use this product. i swear It looks so much healthier. Un like Gloss drops, where you have to use very little or your hair will be greasy, you can use a little more of this product. it smoothes,shines and manages split ends.
Just put some on your damp hair before styling, and then again when it is dry. I promise you will love this product.
Should I wear Bangs?
Bangs, we all know they are huge right now. If you are considering them, there are many things you have to take into consideration. First is realizing they are a huge commitment. Growing them out can be hard and annoying, so realize this before making the big jump. Do not outrule bangs all together because of this, it is great to change your style and there are things you can do with them while you are growing them out. I am here to tell you that they are here to stay for a while. There are three major categories of bangs;
Straight blunt bangs- these should be worn right above or at eyebrow. Some people are wearing them longer, like right in middle of eye area but that can get annoying as well. Blunt straight bangs work good with people who have stronger features such as large chin, bigger forehead etc. it draws away from these areas.
Side swept bangs- Are way hot right now! These are bangs that start from a side part or extreme side diaganal part and are swept across the face. They can help Heart and round face shapes to appear more oval in appearance, BEFORE considering these bangs or any others for that matter, make sure you take into consideration if you have cowlicks, high hair lines etc. These can affect your finished product dramatically.
Choppy bangs- these can be worn blunt or side swept. They work very well with layered choppy styles and add to the fun of the haircut. The Bangs are cut with lots of texture and seperation. A very hot look.
examples of Side swept, Choppy & Blunt Bangs
Help!! I am out of shave gel!
So, this hair tip is for another type of hair. You know the ones...the ones you want gone. We all do not have extra money laying around to get lazor hair removal. You get into the shower reach for the shave gel and scream! "there is none left, what do I do?" I will tell you what you do. You grab that old bottle of conditioner nobody likes or uses and use that as your shave gel. Not only does it work, but it will leave your skin feeling extra smooth. Look at that, you saved money and are hair free till your next store visit.
tweezing your eyebrows
What to do?? If you are going to tweeze them yourself (like I do), here are a few pointers.
Use an eyebrow stencil to get the right shape. Color it in with a super dark shade or some color that is obviously not your own. That way you will be able to see more clearly the hairs that need to go. I found some from the eyebrow specialist to the stars, Anastasia Soare, on Sephora.com. It was $20 for a set of 4 - "Goof Prof Stencils," but when you factor in how much you save by not going to a salon to have it done, that's not too much. When filling in your brows, try using a powder instead of a pencil for a softer look. Using a stencil and small angled brush, you can get perfect eyebrows with very little effort on your part. If you do want to use an eyebrow pencil, make sure the tip is sharpened. You will get a more exact line. If you go a while without sharpening, the line you get will look smushy and messy - NOT what you want! If you have overplucked, LEAVE THEM ALONE for 3 weeks-2 months! I know it seems like a long time, but you have to give your hairs time to regrow. Eyebrow hairs are the SLOWEST growing hairs on your body. You will start to look a little shaggy after a while but be patient. This will give your eyebrows a chance to regrow so you can start over. Unruly brows? Try a brow gel. It's like mascara for the eyebrows, but clear, so you don't see it. It acts sort of like hairspray and will hold them in place. You can also get them in tinted colors if you like. If you have long brow hairs, brush them upward and trim off the extra long ones to match the rest.
Thanks to my friend Cathi for listing this on Fabulousfromalhair.com the site I am a stylist for.
Trimming bangs
So this may seem like a stupid tip as almost everyone knows how to trim bangs. However, I still do get a few questions so here it is. When you are trimming your own or someone elses bangs, make sure the hair is dry. How many times have we cut bangs way too short because the hair shrank up once it was dry. Cutting them dry will eliminate this problem.
Now as far as cutting straight, it is a rule of hairstylist never to cut past your second knuckle. while grasping hair. Why? well because the tension changes, therefore you can get uneven results. So cut a little move your fingers and continue.
A good place to start cutting is the eyebrows. then if you would like them shorter you can repeat your steps.
Side bangs are a little harder and I suggest going to your stylist for that. i have seen a lot of bad home jobs with side bangs.
Happy trimming!
Blow drying
I am always surprised at how many people do not know how to properly dry their hair.
First you will want to make sure your hair is 80% dry before styling with a roundbrush. This way your hands, wrists and arms will not be working double time. Always work in sections instead of trying to roundbrush all your hair at once. Clip up some...do a section. Then bring a little more down and continue till you are to the top of your head.
To get the back, simply turn your head so your chin is touching your shoulder. Roundbrush as far back as you can see. Continue this with the other side. It may look to you like you are doing the sides, but in reality you are getting the back of your hair.
Do not forget styling products such as moose and Gloss etc. They make a huge difference in the outcome of your style.
Todays Hair tip- fine hair Hair tip today is for people with fine hair. So many times people with fine hair come into my salon afraid to do anything with it, they think layers will look to chunky or like they have no hair. In my professional opion this cannot be more far off. I love giving fine hair clients layers. especially on little kids. A stacked layered bob makes them look like they acually have more hair. Just make sure you communicate good with your stylist. Bring pictures to your appointment, but try to pick people that look like they have the same texture or fineness. We can make you look better,but we can't make you look like Christi brinkley if you don't. hopefully this has helped.
Split ends
1. Notice split ends in your hair. The scientific name is Trichoptilosis, a longitudinal splitting of the hair fiber, and there are several types:
The generic end split
*Splits occurring multiple times up the same strand of hair
*A split occurring in the middle of the hair strand that will appear as a hole if the strand is bunched up
*Single strand knots (not really split ends) which occur most often in dry, curly hair
2. Get your hair trimmed regularly, meaning every four to six weeks. All hair gets damaged after a while. Get a trim of at least 1/2 to 1 inches, and you should have solved the problem. It will remove split ends and keep your hair healthy and growing strong.
3.Avoid products that claim to "heal" split ends. They will only temporarily glue split ends together. They may help prevent messy hair, but they will cause more damage farther down the road.
How to Deep condition your own hair.-
yes, I know I will loose money on this advice.haha. But it is good to know with the hopefully dry air,summer styling etc. that will dry out all our hair. So Get you a really good deep conditioner. I use Paul Mitchell- Hair repair treatment. It is pricey but worth it.
1st -wash your hair with a good cleansing shampoo
2nd- Apply repair treatment or conditioner to entire hair, comb through.
3rd-Put a shower cap over your hair
4th- this is the hard part if you do not have a dryer chair-which most regular people do not.
So use a hairdryer and move around head 15-20 min. If you cannot handle this step at least leave it on 25 minutes. Do not dry too close to shower cap we do not want to start a fire on your head!
5th- Let it cool for 5 minutes
6th- rinse with COLD water to lock it in the cuticle. I would let it air dry for extra softness.
Complete these steps at least once a month for beautiful conditioned hair!