Falling Hair Series- Alopecia Shampoo

Information from: The Complete Book Of Essential Oils & Aromatherapy by Valerie Ann Worwood

Blend the ingredients together in a bain-marie and use the shampoo once a week.  Don’t shampoo in between but instead get adventurous with the scarves.

Alopecia Shampoo

Soap stew     4 ounces

Jojoba oil     12 ounces

Carrot oil     6 drops

Lavender     10 drops

*A bain-marie (also known as a double boiler) is a French term for a piece of equipment used in science, industry, and cooking to heat materials gently and gradually to fixed temperatures, or to keep materials warm over a period of time.

Leave The Shine At Home- Heart & Soul Magazine (Aug/Sept)

I picked up this issue of Heart & Soul Healthy.Wealthy. Wise and was pleased to see that it was just as I remembered- full of much needed health centered information. You kept us healthy way before health was cool,dhb.

Leave The Shine At Home

A little lip shine can do more than make your pucker stand out; it could leave you open to skin cancer.  Recent research found that the shiny nature of lip gloss could actually attract the sun’s UV rays.

Our lips come with a natural protective outer layer, but the hydration in lip gloss makes that layer less effective, according to Bruce Robinson, M.D.,a New York City dermatologist.  The result is skin that is more susceptible to cracking, premature aging and squamous cell carcinoma, a form of skin cancer that is more aggressive on the lips than other parts of the skin.

So what’s a gloss-toting girl to do?  There are options:

Switch to lipstick. Get Maximum protection by mixing it with zinc oxide.

Layer a lip balm containing SPF 30 underneath your gloss.

Opt for a lip gloss containing SPF, though most provide only SPF15.

written by Kendra Lee

Jolie Magazine- rate The Studio

Jolie Magazine is hip, flirtatious and fabulously informative featuring topics on celebrities, fashion, shopping, spas, wellness and so much more. Jolie has the information you want to know.  

Share Your Thoughts

Check out Red Creative Art Concept Studio at Jolie Magazine. Rate the page-support the magazine and The Studio by logging onto www.jolie-magazine.com and join the Jolie family. Once you sign up, go to Beauty, Beauty Directory, scroll down to Red Studio and rate. To fully enjoy the benefits of Jolie Magazine, you must join.  If you choose not to join, the direct page to rate The Studio is http://74.54.207.107/.  Scroll down to Featured Businesses and share your thoughts.

Debra Hare-Bey’s top 10 hair styles when growing out your relaxer

Are you trying to grow out your relaxer- frustrating isn’t it! I will have patience with you because, I want you to be patient. My advice to you is to cut it- remove all the relaxed hair. Cut out the frustration of dealing with two textures (your textured new growth and your straight ends), the tangling, the hair loss and a style that doesn’t look good anymore. Cutting off your relaxed hair is the  only way to return back to your natural texture. 

True Statements

1. Relaxed hair will not suddenly turn into natural texture over time.

2. Your newgrowth will be naural, your relaxed hair will always be relaxed. 

3. Washing your hair in beer will not revert your hair back to its’ natural state. 

 

Reality

I know you know this but do not want to face reality-the only way not to have relaxed hair is to cut it off!

Patience

Now having said all of that, there are a few options you have if you do not want to cut off the relaxed hair all at once. Understand- without cutting it, it will not magically turn into your natural texture. Cut- you will have to. Gradually is your choice. If you choose this method, you must choose styles that do not require a lot of care. Choose styles that will allow your hair to rest and grow. If you choose not to follow this advice, your hair will break once you stop your touch ups.

Style Options

1. If you have any length to your hair, move into a shorter version of your hair style.  Go from your length to a Bob cut. From there, move into a Pixie. Keep your Pixie tight (cut often)- before you know it, all your relaxed hair will be gone.

2. Extensions: add extension to your hair in the form of braids or twist. This alternative will give you 2-3 months at a time of what I call “rest and grow”.  This is perfect for growing out your relaxer. Do this for a year- cutting your hair each time you replace your braids and vola’ no more relaxed hair.

3. Weave it: depending on the type of hair you choose, once again you have 1-3 months of allowing your hair to rest and grow. Like the extensions, cut and re-weave. In no time at all you would have removed all the relaxed hair.

4. Any type of wet set: Straw Set, Rod Set, Roller Set

5. Easy Twist Out: large flat twist or cornrows straight back done with gel in the evening- untwist/unbraid in the morning and finger comb. This can be worn for 3-5 days at a time.

6. Topknots, Buns, French Rolls etc.: all wonderful choices for a fabuously neat sophisticated look that requires very little care.

7. Twist & Curl: twist your hair (no extension added) and rod, roller, or straw set your hair. This will last for about 2-3 weeks depending on length and texture.

8. Finger Waves: perfect- you can bring that style back with all your fabulosity.

9. Wiglet: add a wiglet to the back of your hair for that chic, quick, easy style.

10. Barber Cut- you know you always wanted to try it. You have the face for it, it’s just finding the right barber. Now is the perfect opportunity and besides, the look is hot in temperature and in style. ” You go girl.”

Calm The Frizz

Curly, kinky, tightly coiled or just simply textured hair is problematic for some- frizz, frizz and more frizz. What is the key element of frizz-dehydration.  Curly, kinky and similar hair types frizz because it lacks moisture. Improper treatment of textured hair is another key element of frizz.

To tame frizzy hair, you want to look for products that are all natural or at least natural based. You want products that are moisturizing in addition to soothing or calming to your cuticle. 

Choosing the right shampoo

Choosing the right shampoo is the perfect place to start for frizz free hair.  Look for shampoos that do not contain any sulfates. Sulfates (foaming agent) dry the hair out!

Are you using the right towel

How you dry your hair is as important as choosing the right shampoo. I recommend my favorite (and only) *towel made specifically for hair. The towel is made of Aquitex, an innovative fabric woven from ultra-fine microfibers to create a lightweight material that dries hair without frizzing. This is a healthier way to dry your hair which makes this towel ”a must have”. 

Frizz free

To maintain your textured hair frizz free, use products that smooth and seal the cuticle.  I recommend Miss Jessies products. What I love about the products is its’ ability to hold your natural curl pattern in tact for manageable soft curls. The products also extends your natural curl pattern to its’ maximum length- you know how we love hair long! I also love the website. It is filled with a wealth of information about the products including before and after pictures.

Shopping

Shampoo- Try Whole Food Markets or health food store

Hair Towel- The Studio 718-221-5581 or Oh My Heavenly Hair Boutique 609-396-4247

Maintenance- Miss Jessies Products-missjessies.com

Enjoy, dhb.  

I Hate My Hair- No, you should be happy you have hair!

“God, I hate my hair, I am so sick of this mess”- all while pulling, yanking, brushing too severely and continuing a host of other physical abuse. Could it be that you are not treating your hair properly, so in return, it does not look the way you would like it to look.  So now, because you’re having problems, you label your hair in the worst way-you physically and mentally abuse it. This has got to stop if you want to have hair. And, certainly if you want healthy, beautiful hair.

Talking badly about your hair is my personal pet peeve- when you talk badly about your hair, I believe you are sending the wrong message to your hair and  to your psyche. Self love in all forms for every part of you is important. That is what nurturing is all about. Take a moment and put yourself in your hairs’ place. Each and every day (not everyone but most) you complain about your hair. No thanks to your hair for providing you with beauty, coverage and sexiness. No thanks for remaining on your head opposed to the floor. No thanks for anything. What would you do if you were hair? At some point you would want to leave. But, yet and still, for the most part, your hair hangs tight- taking the verbal and some times physical abuse. If I were hair I would leave, I would certainly go where I was wanted (hair heaven) and cease to exist on your head. Think about that the next time you complain about your hair. dhb.

Beauty Myth Busters

Source: Natural Solutions- Vibrant Health- Balanced Living Magazine; Natural Radiance Section-Solutions for healthy good looks

Oil Not your Oily Skin

It seems completely counterintuitive, but oil is no foe of oily skin-it is, in fact, a necessity.  According to ayurveda, many people with oily skin actually suffer from dehydrated skin as well.  The key to clear skin? Separating the good oils from the bad to restore balance for a glowing-not greasy-complexion.

People with oily skin often try to wash away excess oil with harsh cleansers containing benzoyl peroxide.  This may remove the unwanted excess oil, called sebum, but it also strips away beneficial oils, namely the lipids that promote healthy, well-hydrated skin.  Once these are gone and the skin dries out, a back-lash begins as the skin overcompensates by producing even more sebum. 

So as scary as it may sound, women with oily skin should reach for products that contain naturally derived, lightweight, and noncomedongenic (won’t clog pores) oils.  Apricot kernel oil, safflower oil, and sweet almond oil regulate sebum production while kukui nut (from the candlenut tree, which has seeds rich in oil) and macadamia oils help protect lipids.

A Moisturizing Shampoo Repairs Split Ends.

Sorry, but you have only one way to get rid of split ends: a good  haircut. So before you buy a posse of shampoos and conditioners, first  pick up the phone and call your stylist. “Hair, in a nutshell, is dead,” says Patane. “Once it is damaged, there is no way to repair it other than trimming it off.”

Split ends are the frayed fibers of the hair’s inner cortex which comes surrounded by protective cuticles. When hair becomes overly dry or otherwise damaged, the cuticle can’t do its job of keeping the fiber flat, and it appears as though it’s peeled away from the hair shaft.  You can’t repair this; nor will the cuticle and fiber grow back together.  But you can take steps to prevent and camouflage split ends, For prevention, eat a diet rich in essential fatty acids (like guacamole and salmon) and use a light hand when styling (no hard brushing of wet hair and fewer blow drying and heat curling sessions).

The next-best option: Mask the appearance of the split ends.  Hair serums and deep-conditioning treatments help plump up stressed cuticles with soy and vegetable proteins that fill in the gaps and also help prevent further breakage.  Other natural body building ingredients include ginseng root and spirulina, as well as the latest hair-strengthening all-star, creatin.  “Products with these ingredients can be very effective, but they offer a visual fix, not an actual fix,” Patane says. “To really keep split ends in check, see your hair stylist once every six to eight weeks.”

 

The Best Hair Towel Around

How often have you found yourself wringing and wringing and wringing your hair dry- for it to still be wet and frizzy on top of that. Problem solved. I’ve found the best hair towel around.  Imagine a towel made specifically to dry your hair. A towel  with fibers that are finer than silk, remarkably light, soft to the touch, and pampers the hair and body. This towel absorbs moisture more quickly and thoroughly than ordinary cotton towels, dramatically reducing the time to blow dry your hair. The hair towel also wraps easily into a turban and is comfortably light. 

This wonder towel is made of Aquitex, an innovative fabric woven from ultra-fine microfibers to create a lightweight material with superior wicking capabilities, more surface area for greater absorption and a soft luxurious feel.

To purchase your hair towel, call The Studio 718-221-5581.  

“My Hair Doesn’t Grow”

Not true! Hair growth is a constant process for everybody.  The average rate of growth is one half inch per month and up to six or eight inches a year.  The average head has 120,000 strands of hair, and we normally lose from 50 to 100 hairs daily, so over time the mane thins out as we age.

Why is the no-growth myth so prevalent in the community? Quite simply, chemicals, heat implements, and overuse of tools, even simply combing and brushing, cause hair to break.  And hair growth is not as noticeable on tightly curled hair, thus we never seem to gain any appreciable length.

Passage from Essence Total Makeover Body, Beauty, Spirit- Introduction by Susan L. Taylor, Patricia Mignon Hinds, Editor

 

For Better or Worse

If you have just started locs- be patient. Like a married couple, you will find that there are good days and bad days. Keep in mind, locs really do have a mind of their own.  Remember, if you hold on and follow through to fruition- your patience will pay off in the end. Your locs will be beautiful and well worth the wait.