7 Mistakes You're Making When You Blowdry Your Hair Blowdrying your hair. It's one of those things you probably do (and do often), but not The Right Way, and you know it. If you're anything like us, you're more of a blast-it-indiscriminately-until-it's-not-wet-anymore kind of gal...which, let's face it, isn't really cutting it.
So what is the proper way to blowdry your hair? We talked to Redken celebrity stylist Rodney Cutler, whose clients include Emma Watson, Jamie King, and Fergie, for his secret to the best at-home, everyday blowout. And this is going to change everything. (And no, we're not talking about 84 extra hours in front of the mirror. Believe us, we're just as lazy as you are.) Here's what you're doing wrong: Mistake #1: Your Hair Is Too Wet"A lot of women start with sopping wet hair," says Cutler. "Your hair should be 60-to-65 percent dry before you even start to blowdry with a brush." Cutler explains that it's less damaging to your hair if you pre-dry. "Towel dry, then blow dry using only your hands for a bit, then use a brush—starting at the roots." Mistake #2: You're Not Giving Enough LiftDid you read that? The roots! If you want some lift and volume (AKA the hair you have leaving the salon), use your hands to comb your roots up and blow-dry. (Since the diameter of a brush won't allow you to get too close to the roots, this is an important step to give your hair some oomph, explains Cutler.) Mistake #3: You're Starting in the Wrong PlaceCutler says that many women who use a brush end up wrapping the hair around it and blasting it with heat. Which is apparently not only a no, but it actually takes so much longer than doing it the right way. "Put your round brush in at the roots, roll the brush down to the ends then take it back up to the roots, concentrating your blowdryer on that area and your hairline first." By the time your roots and your hair midway down is dry, your ends should be pretty close. "Then start to roll the ends on the brush and finish drying." Mistake #4: You're Not Using Your Products CorrectlyWhen it comes to applying product, we can be like kindergartners in finger-painting class. The idea is to use them sparingly, the right way, and in the right place. "If you're going for volume, you want to concentrate product at the roots—since putting the products on your ends will pull your hair down." (Ahem, noted.) And if you're a hairspray fanatic? "When women get the style they want, they think it's time to hammer it with hairspray. First, you need to spray it from a distance which will allow for even distribution," says Cutler. "And keep it to a light spray—a close, heavy spray means that it actually builds up in one area, and your look will collapse." Mistake #5: You're Not Using the Right Brush"The bigger the brush, the smoother the hair," Cutler says. If you have a round brush that features metal in the middle, or a metal core, it can certainly provide a smoother look—but it also heats up like an iron, so remember to keep drying time to a minimum since it is more damaging. And if you have coarse hair or are prone to flyaways? It's better to skip those altogether for a traditional boar or nylon bristle brush, as the ones with metal tend to not have as many bristles and therefore don't provide as much tension for a smooth "pull." Mistake #6: You're Not Letting Your Hair "Set"Brush, dry, run? Stop! "Letting your hair cool down on the brush before moving on to the next section will make your style longer lasting," says Cutler. "It will actually set it." Translation? Unless you want to do this process again tomorrow, just chill and let your hair cool down on that brush, girl. It's that one thing that makes your post-salon hair so much better. (We're on to you, stylists.) (To extend your style, try Pillow Proof Blow Dry Two Day Extender, $18; ulta.com) Mistake #7: You're Not Using a NozzleThat attachment that came with your blow dryer when you bought it—and that you conveniently tucked under your bathroom sink never to be seen again? Yeah, you need that sucker. "If you don't use it, it just sprays the hair with heat all over," says Cutler. "It won't be concentrated on the cuticle and you won't get that smooth look." Source: marieclaire.com www.masaakii.com Understanding Hair Loss - the Basics What Is Hair Loss?Hair grows everywhere on the human skin except on the palms of our hands and the soles of our feet, but many hairs are so fine they're virtually invisible.Hair is made up of a protein called keratin that is produced in hair follicles in the outer layer of skin. As follicles produce new hair cells, old cells are being pushed out through the surface of the skin at the rate of about six inches a year. The hair you can see is actually a string of dead keratin cells. The average adult head has about 100,000 to 150,000 hairs and loses up to 100 of them a day; finding a few stray hairs on your hairbrush is not necessarily cause for alarm. At any one time, about 90% of the hair on a person's scalp is growing. Each follicle has its own life cycle that can be influenced by age, disease, and a wide variety of other factors. This life cycle is divided into three phases:
As people age, their rate of hair growth slows. There are many types of hair loss, also called alopecia:
What Causes Hair Loss?Doctors don't know why certain hair follicles are programmed to have a shorter growth period than others. However, several factors may influence hair loss:
Hormones, such as abnormal levels of androgens (male hormones normally produced by both men and women)
References: Webmd 17 BEST FOODS TO STOP HAIR LOSSby Grant Stoddard Fact: If you’re older than fifteen, the era of your thickest hair has come and gone. From now on, the name of the game is to keep as much of that stuff on your head and maintaining its luster, strength and shine. Although the causes of hair loss are many — including genetics, age, hormones, nutrient deficiencies, toxicity, medications and autoimmunity — changing the diet can, in many cases, be helpful. “Proper diet and supplements can slow or reverse hair loss, and make the hair thicker and healthier,” says nutritionist Dr. Joseph Debé. Below are 17 nutrient-rich foods that have been shown to keep hair healthy and full. 1 - SPINACH In some cases (particularly in women), a mineral deficiency is the cause of hair loss. “It’s important to make sure you don’t have a lack of something in your diet that could be leading to hair loss,” says dermatologist Dr. Carolyn Jacob. “We check protein levels, iron, iron storage, vitamin D and a number of other labs to make sure you don’t have deficiencies.” Spinach is iron rich and it contains sebum, which acts as a natural conditioner for hair. The leafy green also provides omega-3 acids, magnesium, potassium, calcium and iron. All help keep hair lustrous, shiny and, most importantly, out of the drain. Spinach is only one of the 8 Superfoods You Should Eat Every Day! 2 - GREEK YOGURT Ever notice what sits atop nearly every ancient Greek statue? A mop of thick, full, wavy hair. An artistic choice? Perhaps. But maybe it’s due to the thick, protein-rich yogurt that Greeks and other cultures have been eating since 500 B.C. Greek yogurt is rich in vitamin B5 (known as pantothenic acid), which helps with blood flow to your scalp and hair growth. Check out our picks for the Best Greek Yogurts for Weight Loss! 3 - SALMON The human body can do a lot of crazy stuff, like turning sunlight into bone-strengthening vitamin D. Something it can’t do, however, is make omega-3 fatty acids. “Omega-3’s are anti-inflammatory. They can help if you have inflammation that’s causing hair shedding,” says Jacob. It’s best to get omega-3s from natural sources, such as salmon and cold-water fish like sardines and mackerel. In addition to helping you stay fit and disease free, omega-3’s enable you to grow hair and keep it shiny and full. According to Debé, both male-pattern balding and female hair loss is often associated with insulin resistance. Salmon is one food that helps the body process insulin more efficiently. 4 - CINNAMON It smells like the holiday season and improves circulation, which brings oxygen and nutrients to your hair follicles. Sprinkle this evocative spice on your toast and in your coffee, and stir it into your . . . 5 - OATMEAL Oats are rich in iron, fiber, zinc, iron, omega-3 fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), which stimulate hair growth, making it thick and healthy. 6 - GUAVA Vitamin C prevents hair from becoming brittle and breaking. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study published in the Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, researchers tested an oral supplement containing vitamin C in women with thinning hair. They found the supplement promoted “significant hair growth in women with temporary hair thinning.” Although we often think of oranges as the best source of vitamin C, one guava packs four to five times as much. We’ve rounded up 6 more foods that are the Best Sources of Vitamin C. 7 - EGGS Eggs are packed with a B vitamin called biotin, which helps hair grow and strengthens brittle fingernails. Not having enough of this vitamin can lead to hair loss. Other good sources of biotin: almonds, avocados and salmon. Not only great for your hair, eggs can also aid with weight loss. Find out the best ways to cook eggs in this short video. 8 - LENTILS Full of protein, iron, zinc and biotin, lentils also have plenty of folic acid. The body needs folic acid to restore the health of red blood cells that supply skin and scalp with hair-healthening oxygen. Foods rich in folic acid are also good for healthy sperm. 9 - OYSTERS Zinc is an important mineral for overall health. When you don't have enough, you can experience hair loss — even in your eyelashes! Debé notes that zinc supplementation has been shown to improve hair loss in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). How? Zinc helps the cells responsible for building hair do their thing. You can also find rich stores of zinc in beef, crab and lobster. 10 - LIVER As mentioned, iron deficiency can lead to hair loss, most notably in women. Iron is plentiful in our ol’ friend spinach (and other dark leafy greens), soybeans, lentils, fortified grains and pastas. Liver may sound much less appetizing, but if you like pâté, your hair will benefit. Organ meats like liver have iron in abundance. Pâté could help cover your pate. 11 - LEAN POULTRY Notice how your muscles don’t grow (and even shrink) when you’re not getting enough protein? The same thing might happen to your hair. Without sufficent dietary protein, hair essentially goes on strike. Less new hair will replace what’s falling out (about 50-100 hairs a day), and you’ll experience a net hair loss. To get protein from meat, pick lean options like chicken, fish, grass-fed beef or lean pork loin. They have less saturated fat than the stuff you’ll find sealed in styrofoam dishes at the supermarket. 12 - BARLEY Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that can actually absorb damaging UV light and protect skin cells. It also repairs sun damage on the scalp, which can cause hair to thin. In one study, “Tocotrienols, or different types of vitamin E supplements, were studied for eight months in patients with hair loss,” says Debé. Thirty-eight people received the supplement, and some received a placebo. The supplemented group had a 34% improvement in hair growth.” Debé notes that although the amount of tocotrienols used in this study is difficult to get from diet alone, barley is a very good source. 13 - NUTS AND SEEDS “There are a few research-proven options to consider for male pattern baldness,” says Debé. “These include tocotrienols, saw palmetto and beta-sitosterol. A good food source for beta sitosterol is pistachios”. Walnuts and other nuts contain oils that add to the amount of elastin in your hair. Elastin keeps hair supple and stops it from breaking. Walnuts are just one of the 6 Best Nuts for Weight loss! 14 - BOK CHOY Dermatologists treating hair loss look at the level of ferritin in your blood, because they can deduce what your body is doing with all the iron they told you to add to your diet during your initial consultation. If you’d been eating plenty of bok choy— which is super iron rich—they would likely see a spike in your ferritin levels. 15 - SWEET POTATOES Beta carotene protects against dry, dull hair and stimulates the glands in your scalp to make an oily fluid called sebum. So where do you find this elixir of the locks? Orange-colored fruits and vegetables are your best bet: Carrots, pumpkin, cantaloupe, mangoes and — oh yeah — sweet potatoes. 16 - HALIBUT Besides iron, another important mineral for keeping the shine off your dome ismagnesium. Halibut has plenty of magnesium, as do several other types of fish. 17 - SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS Copper may help hair maintain its natural color — even if you don’t happen to be ginger, apparently. A 2012 study showed that low copper intake could be linked to premature graying. Shiitake mushrooms are rich in the mineral. Other copper-rich foods include seaweed and sesame seeds. Source: Eatthis.com By Masaakii |
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