Hair Styling Category

Organic Shampoo is Best!

September 15th, 2010

Is your health important to you?  If so, you may have been hearing a lot lately about why you should choose organic products.  Although organics can certainly cost you more, they are supposed to be free of harmful substances and chemicals that can lead to serious chronic diseases such as cancer.  The problem is that thanks to what is known as green washing, it can be very difficult to determine which “organic” and “natural” products are really chemical free. Green washing is the practice of deceptively portraying products as been green and natural when in fact they are loaded with synthetic chemicals.  Sadly, this happens with many products.

While they may have a few organic ingredients, they are also full of synthetic ingredients that are very harmful to your health.  Why don’t we take a look as some substances that you will want to avoid?

Commonly used in shampoos and cleaners, sodium lauryl sulfate is a very harsh ingredient.  In fact, in addition to being used in beauty products it is also a key component of garage floor cleaners, engine degreasers and car wash soaps.  Many people struggle with using organic shampoos, like MOP hair products, that are SLS free.  The reason is that sodium lauryl sulfate is responsible for the lather that we are all accustomed to with shampoo. You may want to rethink using SLS free shampoos, like modern organic products, though.  SLS is so harsh that researchers use it as a skin irritant when they are testing the healing powers of other products.  It has been shown that it penetrates into the body’s tissues, specifically the liver, hearts, brain and eyes.  When this happens it can cause cataracts and may even contribute to the loss of hair.

Parabens are another substance that you will want to avoid.  They are used because they are cheap and can help to extend the shelf life of many products.  While many people would have you to believe that there is no risk factor in using parabens, most research indicates otherwise.  The challenge is that they have the ability to mimic estrogen in the body.  This has lead many people to belief that parabens have a key role in the development of breast cancer

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Does Hair Replacement For Women Actually Work

August 22nd, 2010

Female baldness and hair thinning has been a problem throughout the ages but most of the time the subject was taboo to talk about.  Women were expected to wear a scarf or hat and then when wigs came into vogue this was the method of dealing with the problem.  There was basically no research done into hair replacement for women unlike for men who had several options.

Luckily this is now changing as women demand a solution to their hair loss problems.  There are actually two methods which are showing good promise when it comes to hair restoration for women.  Hopefully, as time goes by more and more solutions will show themselves as more research dollars are put into this glaring problem.

The first treatment that is showing good results is the use of the FDA approved drug Minoxidil.  This drug has actually been used by men for several years with good results but it has just recently been approved for use by women.  Originally developed as a high blood pressure medication, Minoxidil showed that interesting side benefit of re-growing hair in men who were in the original efficacy studies.  Further testing indicated it did slow down the effects of male pattern baldness and would actually help some hair to grow back in.

Men have been using a 5% topical solution now for several years with good results.  The FDA has only approved a 2% solution for use by women due to the worry about possible problems.  It should be noted that many women have used their husbands treatment with no ill effects but studies have not confirmed this.

The second new treatment for female hair loss in implantation.  Normal implant methods do not work because women tend to have thinning problems over their entire scalps instead of localized bald spots like men.  Males usually have thick hair growth at the back of their head even if they are bald on top and this works well for a donor site.

The new Direct Hair Implants method allows women to have body hairs implanted into their scalp.  These hair shafts are generally thicker than scalp hair so they don’t work well at the hair line but they do work as fillers.

Don’t give up hope, there are ways to help with hair replacement for women.  Talk to your doctor today about any new treatments offered.

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Posted in Cosmetic Proceedures, Fashion & Beauty, Hair Styling

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Some Hairstyling Don’ts That Will Make Your Life Easier

August 20th, 2010

We all want to have the perfect hairstyle every day, and for me that never works out.  I find that I don’t have enough time to create the style I want, or my hair just won’t cooperate, so I end up piling it up on my head and racing out the door.  There are some things we all do to make the styling process harder, from overusing products and tools such as high-quality Chi curling irons and the best hair straighteners to choosing styles that are not right for us.

Less is more when it comes to styling products.  Overdoing the gel, mousse and hair spray can lead product build-up on your hair and make your hair misbehave.  Also, the overuse of heat producing hairstyling tools can damage hair, causing it to be dry and brittle.  If your style requires you to use a curling iron or flat iron, be sure to use a good conditioner and heat protecting product, or better yet, give your hair a break from the heat once in a while.

Don’t copy celebrity hairstyles without caution; most celebrities can wear just about any hair style they want because they have professional hairdressers designing those styles to maximize their best features and minimizing their worst.  What looks fabulous on a celebrity may not look as fabulous on you unless you look just like them.  If you choose to copy a celebrity hairstyle, don’t expect too much and you won’t be disappointed.

Don’t ignore cosmetology schools as a hairstyling option, especially the high-end schools like Paul Mitchell and Toni & Guy.  These schools often employ talented and experienced stylists as instructors and have very high standards for the graduates they produce.  Therefore, a high end cosmetology school is an economical choice for a trim or maintenance.

Hairstyles change constantly as fashion changes; and instead of being a slave to hair trends, find a style that works best for you and maintain that base look.  If you want to update your look, think about a change in color or highlights.  If you look great in a simple bob, keep that as your basic style and work with your hairdresser to keep it looking contemporary.

I hope these basic hairstyle tips, or rather, don’ts, make choosing and maintaining a hairstyle easier for you.  We all know if our hair looks good we feel good and that translates into a good day for us and all those around us.  Choose a style that works for you and enjoy it, meanwhile, I’ll probably still be piling my hair on top of my head; maybe that’s the best style for me.

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