You mean your hair isn't supposed to feel like hay?

I'm a little over a week out from my haircut, and the beginning of healthy hair.

I've found that my hair doesn't feel terrible to run my fingers through it, and even when I put products on my hair, it's not weighed down as much as it's been in the past.

I'm not sure if the chemical make-up of my hair has changed, or if it's because my hair is so short, I'm always running my fingers through it, but it's very oily.  From Scalp to to ends, it's very oily, and it's causing my hair to come up with some strange hair styles.  :) 

But I also have to say because my hair seems to be rid of that dead stuff, my hair is more prone to do weird things, like get stuck standing up.  I think before, my hair was so heavy and unhealthy, no matter how much hairspray, gel, mouse, blow-drying, etc., it would never stand up.  It was always weighed down.

This is what Rosa gave me to fix my mess of a mop of hair.  Joico's K-Pak Shampoo and Conditioner.  These products work to smooth over your damaged hair with Keratin. 










I'm also using "It's a 10" mask on my hair for 10 minutes every 4 days.  This is what sexy looks like while the mask is on.  The great thing.... with the cap, I can wander around my house and vacuum if I feel like it.








And this is my hair, after shampoo, conditioner, mask, Products, and a hair dryer.  Yes, I know it looks horrible, but it's entirely user error.  I have no idea what I'm doing with short hair, and none of my brushes, heat tools, etc, work with no hair!

Yes, I can fall As Well....

I have been getting tired of my thin hair.  I've tried the foam rollers, that never quite dry your hair enough.  I decided if I am go out and represent Lilla Rose, I need thicker hair, hair easier for people to play with.

A few weeks ago, I succumbed to a body perm.  It's been really good in being able to pull my hair back quickly for shows and presentations.

But, I have encountered the problems that come from a chemical treatment in my hair....

...... Wait for it .....

Fried ends!

Does anyone have any really good deep conditioning treatments / ideas on how to get plenty moisture back in?

Do you practice good hair hygiene?

Now that's a question I would have never thought to ask myself before.  

I found a very good article over at Boldsky.com about hair hygiene and every day things you can do to improve your hair.

One of their suggestions is to massage oil into your scalp.  I used to use hot oil all the time when I was younger, but over time I thought it was just a trend, and stopped buying it.  No one else ever stressed the importance of hot oil treatments.  According to the article, it's not so much oiling your hair that's important, as oiling your scalp.  By massaging it into your scalp, you help to dislodge skin particles, which will ultimately wind up as dandruff in your hair.

Another suggestion is to clean your hair tools.  I've always heard about cleaning your brush, but did you know you should also clean your combs?  That would have never have crossed my mind, but it is something I'll definitely be trying in the future.

There are a few other suggestions in the article, which make perfect sense, so you should definitely read the article.

So tell me, do you practice good hair hygiene?

More tips on growing out your hair

If you want to grow your hair out, like me, you've read every article under the sun.  And they all say the same thing!

I did find an interesting article today over at The Lilly Mint Blog.  Most of their suggestions have been stated over and over again, but there was one tip I found interesting.  It goes against everything we've ever learned about washing our hair.

Condition your hair before your shampoo, this ensures there is no left over conditioner residue on your hair.

Has anyone heard of this tip before?  Does it work?

I love the idea of getting all the conditioner out, because conditioner weighs my hair down like crazy.  But it goes against what we've been taught for ages.  Might have to try this next time I wash my hair.

Do you have any tips for growing your hair out?

Quick and Dirty Beauty Tricks

I was reading an article at WebMD on the 10 Best Speedy Hair and Makeup Tips.  http://www.webmd.com/healthy-beauty/features/10-best-speedy-hair-and-makeup-tricks

I like the ideas in the article, as these truly ARE speedy.  They're also not hard to do, which is great for people like us who have no time, and want to look presentable.

Their big suggestion for hair is "When you're strapped for time, do the T-zone blow-dry: down your part and around your hairline only. "As long as the front and top of your hair looks finished."

I can completely see this, as when people to talk to you, they're mainly looking at your face, so concentrate on the parts of your hair people will see.

Easy enough, right?

The little things we do to torture our hair

Our hair problems are not strictly from bad styling, instruments that are too hot, or products that strip our hair instead of helping it, there are so many things that can affect your hair's health.

One such example is something I'm very guilty of: pulling our hair back in ponytails.  When we put our hair up in elastic, we tend to make it too tight to keep our hair in place.

What does that do to our hair?

1. The tension created by pulling our hair back like this causes hair damage.  It makes your hair shed faster. Notice all the hair that comes out with the elastics?  
2. Pulling our hair back like this also can lead to a receding hairline, which for women that's not good!
3. The tension from pulling your hair back also causes scalp fatigue and headaches.  I never knew why my head would hurt so much at the end of the day.
4. Tightening our ponytails by dividing our hair in two and pulling each in an opposite direction causes breakage too.

But we must pull our hair back!  We'll go nuts with it in our faces all day!!  What are our options?

If you insist on elastic, I'd recommend the ouch-less plastic ponytail holders.  They don't do as much damage as ones with metal in the middle to hold the two sides together.  The metal just slices through your hair!

My biggest recommendation is to use Lilla Rose Flexi-Clips.  The Clips allow you to a multitude of hair styles, and can accommodate baby fine hair to long thick hair.  I've worn clips all day, they haven't fell out once, and it's so comfortable you forget you have it in.

The clip comes in 7 sizes, and I'll help you figure out what size is right for you.  Just shoot me an email and we can work together.   

Taming that Winter Hair, Naturally

It's winter again.  The time when you bundle up in scarves and hats and every time you take your jacket off, your hair crackles and sticks straight up.  Sure, you can dump chemicals into it, but is there anything else you can do?

I've always heard the old mother's tale of wiping a fabric softener sheet over your hair.  Alot of people swear it works.  I've heat to have it do anything to help my hair.

Kirsten Hudson at http://www.organicauthority.com , has a few ideas on how to tame your hair organically, as in not using tons of chemicals in your hair.

The first suggestion is to eliminate build-up.  Ms. Hudson recommends a very simple trick to use with water and baking soda.  The purpose of this, to get all the shampoo, conditioner, and styling products out of your hair.  I haven't tried this yet, but it is a good idea.  I have baby fine hair, and even the slightest amount of product wears my hair down.

Her second suggestion is to Condition your hair thoroughly.  It is a good idea year round.  If your hair is brittle and breaks easily, you should try to condition and deep condition as much as possible.  My new conditioner is strictly for hydration.

And her third suggestion is to put a dollop of lotion in your hand and run it through your hair.  She does stay it's a quick fix and will likely be needed to be done again in about two hours.  This is one I'm not really sure about.  Lotion will most definitely weigh your hair down. And what about her earlier suggestion about removing build-up?  That has GOT to gunk up your hair. If you have thin hair, I'd think twice about trying it. But if you're in a pickle, what can it hurt.

Have you tried the dryer sheets?  Any home remedies you swear by?

It's Winter, Save my hair!!

With the return of "hardcore" winter, just barely begun, I can feel my hair already shriveling into a mess. The dandruff has begun. I was reading an article on Web MD about Winterizing your hair. According to Nick Chavez, celebrity stylist and QVC mainstay, the problem is two or three fold. You're combating the sun exposure that can dry out your hair (think skiing all day). Then add in the blustery winds that turn your hair into a snarly mess. And then to top it all off, you have the ice, snow, sleet conditions that makes your hair brittle and dry. And just when you think, I can escape that, there's the problem of indoor heating. Indoor heating is warm and dry, and in something I'd never heard of before, similar to being in a hairdryer all day. Which, really, is just that if you think about it. Think about what the dry heat does to your sinuses, your throat, your cold. Did we really think our hair could escape it? Another thing to think about in winter is static electricity. If you're anything like me, every time you take your jacket off, take off your scarf, etc. You hear that static sound. One of the home remedies has always been to rub a dryer sheet on your hair. Has this ever worked for you? It's never worked for me. What tricks have you found to use when winter comes?

Realistic Haircare Recommendations

I was reading an article at Plus-Size-Tall the other day, and they were doing an interview with a stylist who runs a Plus-size salon in London.  It's a really neat idea.  I love the idea of a salon catering to us big girls.  Bigger chairs, no judgement, sounds great.

In the article, Bashar Brown gives recommendations for hair styles for each type of face, as well as home remedies to try for your hair.

One of this recommendations was:
"When washing your hair always make sure you leave the hair conditioner on for a good hour and brush the hair through whilst the conditioner is still on, that will penetrate and strengthen the hair and will prevent it from being knotted. Do this 2-3 times a week."

Sounds like a great idea, right?  But is this realistic? 

I'm not sure about most of you, but I barely have enough time to wash my hair, let alone poof dry it like the stylists do.  Then you want me to walk around with conditioner in my hair for an hour?  I have a hard enough time with the conditioners that say to leave in for 5 minutes.

Part of the problem is that in order to have good, beautiful hair, you need to invest in it.  Invest in time, energy, and money.  For most of us, all three are in short supply.  If I was Kim Kardashian and nothing better to do all day than to talk about my feet looking funny or picking out an outfit to wear to go clubbing that night, I may have the extra hour three times a week to do this.

The big thing is these are pie in the sky recommendations we get from stylists in the magazines.  They're not real world recommendations.

I did however appreciate the home remedies he gave.  Something that won't cost me a fortune.  And recommending that we should use the grocery store intensive shampoos because they're cheaper.  FINALLY a stylist says we can use the cheap stuff, as opposed to the expensive salon shampoos.

What beauty tips have you seen that you think are totally unrealistic?

Is hair dead or alive?

That's a question I've gone back and forth on my whole life.  I remember being told in school that hair is not really alive, it's dead cells making it's way out of the follicle.  Which goes along with the theory that police, examiners, etc will use a few strands of freshly pulled hair to run tests to see if there had been drug use in the last 6 months (something they can't get from blood alone).

But if you ready beauty magazines, where they tell you tons of ideas to make your hair beautiful, you tend to believe that maybe the hair is really alive.

Dr, Zoe D. Draelos, MD, FAAD, consulting professor at Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, N.C. spoke at last year's 69th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology (Academy).

In that speech, he stated that hair is not living, and despite what beauty product makers would like you to believe, it can not heal itself once it is damaged.  Dr. Draelos explained that "For this reason, once the hair is damaged it cannot heal itself except through new hair growth at the scalp. Women need to understand that the very things that they do to hair to make it appear beautiful, such as using hair dyes, perms and products that straighten the hair, will eventually end up damaging the hair’s structure and ultimately affect its appearance.”

Hair, while dead, has a layer of fat on the outside of the cuticle, making the hair shiny and pretty. Chemical treatments, such as perms, colors, and yes Chlorine can strip that cuticle of the lipids, and cause dried-out, frizzy hair.

The biggest thing to combat damaged hair, as I mentioned the other day, is MOISTURIZE!  You need to use shampoo that will add as much moisture to the hair as possible to minimize the damage and stop creating even more damage to your hair.

Dr. Draelos suggests looking for products containing dimethicone. Dimethicone been shown to decrease static electricity, increase shine and improve manageability.  It may not magically fix it, but if you're looking at a few different products and one lists Dimethicone, why not try that one to see if there's a difference to your hair.

Another cause of damaged hair is one I'm personally guilty of, heat damage.  I must admit when the Remington Wet to Straight came out, I was the first on the bandwagon.  It was great.  It's a flat-iron, but as you run it through your hair, it actually dries and straightens at the same time.  Most flat-irons flatten, but you're left with scalding hot wet hair at the end.

Dr. Draelos suggests that  damage "occurs when the water in the hair, which makes the hair flexible, gets heated and turns into steam. Hair bubbles then occur on the hair shaft, creating a loss of cuticle."  He also warns that "Hair damaged by heat cannot be repaired, as the affected hair will need to be cut off and allowed to regrow as healthy hair."

Ouch!

So, for once and for all, hair is already dead, BUT you can damage it further and cause hair loss if you don't protect it.

Source:  http://www.aad.org/stories-and-news/news-releases/going-to-great-lengths-for-beautiful-hair-dermatologist-shares-hair-care-tips-for-healthy-and-damaged-hair

It's Fall, make my hair beautiful!

As fall approaches, it's time to think about getting our hair back into shape.  Time to get rid of the damage you did at the pool and in the sun.

Remember from an earlier post, that it takes 3-4 months for you to lose your hair during the "resting" phase.  Which means, up until Christmas time, your hair is still getting rid of damaged hair, and that STILL may not be the hair that is ready to fall out.

As soon as summer and chlorine are out of your daily activities, it's best to start trying to fix the damage that has been done.

A big suggestion that I have seen in a few different places has been to switch your regular shampoo with clarifying shampoo for about a month.  It will take that long to break down and get rid of the chlorine build-up that occurred over the summer.  Generally it's a good idea to use clarifying shampoo at least once a month if you use alot of products in your hair, just to strip it down and give your hair a chance to breathe.

While using the clarifying shampoo, you want to take the opportunity to do deep conditioning.  For the last few months, all the moisture has been eeked out of your hair through the disinfectants of chlorine, through chlorinated hair sitting out in the sun and baking all day, etc.  Find a good product, and the suggestion is to go the salon route to get your hands on something that really does deep conditioning instead of the minor work that most over the counter "deep conditioners" do.  You should use this with the clarifying shampoo for a week or two, until you can feel the moisture coming back in your hair.

Alot of websites will extole the virtues of "getting a new hair color for the fall."  While some people do change up the color of their hair depending on season, doing so now is not an ideal time.  If your hair is damaged from the summer, don't damage it further by color treating it!

One suggestion that I believe is a good one is to get a hair cut.  It's not to say go out and get a radical hair cut for the fall season.  Most times you'd like your hair longer in the fall and winter anyway to help keep you warm.  But going in and getting an inch or two cut off, the chance to get rid of the ends that are the most damaged will help your hair in the long-run.  You may need to trim more depending on split ends and damage, but you and your stylist can come up with an idea that will work.  The main objective is to get the dying, damaged hair off your head, so it doesn't keep sucking moisture out of your hair and damaging and breaking the rest of your hair.

And as I said, all of this will not "magically" give you beautiful hair.  You're only losing 10% of your hair during the next 3-4 months, and it may not be the most damaged of hair.  But using clarifying shampoo at least once a month and deep conditioning at least once a month will help your hair repair itself until the damaged hair falls out.

BUT the suggestion is to go heavy on the clarifying and deep conditioning for about a month to give your hair a sporting chance.  I'd throw the haircut half-way through the month, to give your new ends a chance to soak up that moisture-y goodness for a few weeks.

Why does my hair look terrible in the summer?

The quick and dirty answer is chlorine from pools.

I spent the summer at alot of pools this year.  One pool was great, but the other pools turned my hair into dry, sticky, itchy messes.

Chlorine is basically a disinfectant.  The busier the pool, the more exposed it is, the more chemicals they put in it to keep it clean and pretty so we'll go swimming in it.  But disinfectants are used to break down and remove dirt, oil, and bacteria.   Our hair has dirt and naturally is oily to protect it from damage.  See the problem?

In addition to the chlorine problems with hair, sometimes it's our hair itself that is predisposed to be damaged by chlorine. Color Treated Hair, Chemically Treated Hair, Dry Hair, Thin or Fine Hair, and Previously Damaged Hair are more susceptible to hair damage from chlorine.

According to Kendra Aahus, at About.com, there are a few suggestions to help protect your hair from chlorine damage.

1. "Saturate Your Hair with Water. Before you enter the pool, rinse your hair with clean tap water to saturate your hair. Have you ever noticed that a sponge will only absorb so much water, and once it's full the water just runs off? Your hair is similar to a sponge. If you saturate your hair with clean tap water, your hair will be less likely to absorb as much of the chlorinated water in the pool."

2.  " Shampoo. Shampooing your hair immediately after chlorine exposure is the best way to remove the bulk of the chlorine and stop the damage it may be causing to your hair. A clarifying shampoo treatment is another way to keep chlorine build-up at bay."

I found last summer the only thing that made my hair not turn into straw was immediately washing it.  For me, it wasn't just the straw factor, but my hair would itch so bad, I couldn't stand it.

I'll definitely be trying #1 next summer!