Hair

Want healthy hair? Has the summer sun and heat taken it’s toll? Book an in-salon deep conditioning treatment next time you get your color done. It will help smooth out the cuticle and make your hair shiny and soft and have your tresses looking great moving into the new Fall season.

Be sure to use the thermal protectors or silicone products to protect your hair from the heat styling. And, be sure to never brush your hair when wet. That is one of the worst things you can do to your hair. Avoid hot water on your hair. Careful with the towel, only pat the hair as opposed to rubbing it to avoid damage. Ask your Fantasia stylist about the chamois towell - it’s a great way to minimize having to use heat to dry your hair!

We talked about this at length in the past so we’ll just briefly touch on it today. What are the best styles for your face shape?

• Oval: Lucky you, every hairstyle works!
• Round: Hair below the chin with a center part, and you can wear all one length.
• Square: Hairstyle should soften the sharp angle of your jawline, face framing layers are great.
• Triangular: Look for a style that narrows your chin and widens your forehead, such as a boxed bob.
• Heart: A soft curly style would be flattering.
• Oblong: A style that adds width and fullness to the sides of the face, mid to olong length with shorter interior layers.
• Diamond: Again, lucky you as most styles will work for you.

How about picking the right shade for hair color? A good stylist will take into consideration your skin tone, eye color and lifestyle. Remember, just because you love reds and you can wear them, they are high maintenance. You need to be willing to spend the time and money to have your hair looking great. Hopefully your stylist will educate you about this before you take the plunge.

At Fantasia, as well as any good salon, it is our desire that you to have a wonderful salon experience. Atmosphere is one of the key points to you having a great experience. Of course cleanliness is huge so that as a priority for most salons, or at least it should be.

Every salon may not have the latest and greatest, although most of us want to stay on the “cutting edge”. What will bring you back to the salon time and time again is the service and the relationships. At Fantasia, our goal is to create a space that flatters our clients.

What is the number one realson a client leaves? Because the stylist won’t change. Most clients are looking for stylists who are willing to update their hair. Personally, I left a stylist I had gone to for a few years because it got to a point where whenever I would go in, she would say “so, what are we going to do today”? I don’t know - I want you to make suggestions and have the ideas. I’ll let you know if I don’t like them!

There are a lot of salons out there. Hopefully we can “earn” your business and keep you coming in for a long, long, time.

Have you ever wondered who to thank for your thinning hair or hair loss? Well, if you are male, you can thank your forefathers. Our genes carry the outline of our lives and these dictate the kind of physical and mental attributes we might have as we grow.

On the other hand, there are outside factors that contribute to men’s hair loss which may not be included in the genetics. Just because there are those males in your family tree that have receding hairlines is not a guarantee that you will as well. A lot of it will depend on the strength of your hair genes.

Stress plays a huge part in some men with regard to losing their hair. Those who are stressed out tend to be dismissive of their health and they may lack the necessary nutrients to keep up their locks. In male and female hair loss, severe stress can be a key component.

As you well know, there are other health conditions which can contribute to permanent and temporary hair loss. There are conditions which affect our hormones. Women typically suffer more from hair loss due to menopause factors.

Of course we know about temporary hair loss from chemotherapy and other medical issues and medications. Unfortunately, most people are not told when prescribed blood pressure medication, for example, that one of the side effects is hair loss. Only after the problem arises and they go back to the list of side effects or, back to the doctor only to find that yes, hair loss is one of the side effects. And, even then, they sometimes hear, oh well, hair loss is not as bad for you as high blood pressure. Maybe so, but could there be some alternatives for dealing with the high blood pressure which would not cause hair loss? Yes, there are natural alternatives available.

Unfortunately, some hair loss is permanent. At Fantasia, we have wonderful solutions for that. If you or a loved one are seeking a solution, please call so one of our hair loss specialist can help you find the best solution for you.

We’ve talked quite a bit about what or how to eat for overall hair health but I believe some of it bears repeating.

For good hair health, your diet should contain the following foods:

• The sulphur foods which include onions, radishes, hemp seeds, aloe vera.
• The silicon foods which are cucumbers, red peppers and other shiny-skinned produce.
• The vitamin A foods which are carrots, arugula and papaya.
• The zinc foods which are coconut, nuts and seeds.
• The vitamin C foods which include all citrus foods.
• The vitamin E foods including avacado and olives.

What it the recurring theme here? Raw foods. Reality is that every raw plant food has something good to offer your body and your hair. Because nutrition is the newest of the sciences, they are discovering new things daily about the benefits of raw foods for the human body.

Since most of us are not eating all of the above mentioned foods daily, supplementing is necessary. Make sure the supplements you choose have good science behind them. Selenium, which is a necessary trace mineral, if consumed in too great of quantities, can actually cause hair loss. At Fantasia, we promote Isagenix products because of the science behind them. Jon Anderson, the product formulator of Isagenix products, has been formulating supplements for various companies for over 25+ years. He got frustrated with companies changing his formulations over time. As a scientist of nutrition, he knows what the requirements of the human body are for the various minerals and vitamins. About 6 years ago he came to the conclusion that the only way he was going to assure that the formulations would remain as he created them, was to start his own company. That was beginning of Isagenix International and they have enjoyed record breaking success ever since!

Silica, calcium and iron are all good for hair growth, because, essentially, hair is an extension of your blood. Healthy blood, in conjunction with a healthy scalp, determines the state of your hair and its rate of growth.

So, again, some natural things you can do to assure healthy hair? Eat raw and green, as much as possible. And, as we’ve discussed before, you can stimulate your scalp to keep it healthy by massage. Whenever you shampoo your hair, spend some extra time massaging your scalp. If you are using one of the “minty” refreshing shampoos such as Nioxin or Pureology, this feels wonderful. I always joke with the hair stylist when I have my hair done and they are shampooing and massaging my head that they can continue with it for about a couple of hours!

We’ve talked about fashion faux pas, how about some hair faux pas? Your hair looks great when you leave the salon. But it’s how you care for it on a daily basis that makes the difference. You can have a fantastic cut and it will look bad if you mistreat it. Here are some common mistakes.

Washing your hair way to often. Sometimes daily washing, drying and styling is just not necessary. For one thing, if you color your hair, washing it too often causes the color to fade away. Plus it strips away your hair’s natural oils. Try every other day for a change, that’s a good start.
Not getting regular cuts. You are trying to grow your hair out so you haven’t been to the salon in months. By continuing to get your hair trimmed it will look fuller and healthier.

Too much conditioner. Excessive conditioner weighs down fine hair. And, even dry, coarse hair looks dull and lifeless with a residue of conditioner on it. Concentrate on applying your conditioner on the ends of your hair, where it’s needed.

Overheating your hair. Constantly curling and drying your hair can fry it. You might be literally burning your hair. Use products made to protect your hair from heat. This will help seal the cuticle and keep the heat from damaging the hair strands. Get rid of brushes with metal paddles or bristles, they heat up and singe your hair.

Using the wrong products on your hair type. Just like selecting the proper skin care, you need the right styling products in order for your hair to look it’s best. If you use heavy styling cream or silicone products on fine hair it will look limp. Thick, coarse hair needs more than just a little spritz of spray gel. Used products specifically designed for your hair type and style. Your hair stylist will point you in the right direction.

More is not better. You may have the right products but be using too much or too little. If you use too little, your don’t get any benefit from the product, too much can make your hair harder to style. Start with a little and add as necessary.

A ponytail with any old elastic. If you are using uncovered rubber bands, you run the risk of damaging your hair. It can snag your hair causing breakage and damage the hair follicle. Covered bands will protect your hair.

Are you stuck in a style rut? I always think of a woman from my church who, to this day, has the Ellie Mae Clampet (Beverly Hillbillies) look going on. Look at a photo from 10 years ago. If your hairdo is the same, it’s time for a change. An outdated style may not be flattering and can make you look older.

Brushing your hair too much. While brushing twice per day is a great way to stimulate your scalp and distribute oil down the hair shaft, too much can have the opposite effect and will leave your hair vulnerable to breakage. It’s never a good idea to brush wet hair. Use a wide-tooth comb instead, when you get out of the shower.

Fighting your hair’s natural texture. You can be spending a lot of time and energy trying to straighten your curly hair or curling your straight hair. Try to wear it natural, after-all, if it’s humid, once you step outside it’s going to revert back to it’s natural shape anyway!

Ignoring your scalp. If the hair follicles (or factories) aren’t clean and healthy, they will not produce strong, full, healthy hair. Massaging your scalp when you wash your hair is a great way to stimulate it. Make sure to rinse all product away before you leave the shower so there is no residue to clog the hair follicles.

Pulling out gray hairs. Not a good idea! They will grow back and they will come in wiry and short and stick straight up until they grow in. If you have more gray than you like, it may be time to start coloring your hair. Getting your hair colored, once you start to go gray, can immediately take 10 years off your look. And let’s face it, what woman wouldn’t be excited about that?

Here are some tips for keeping your crowning glory, your hair, healthy. Some you may already know about, some perhaps not.

To keep your hair healthy, book an in-salon deep conditioning treatment. This will help smooth out your cuticle and make your hair shiny and soft. Follow up with good salon styling products at home. Rub the product into your hair when wet.

If you don’t have time to wash the oil out of your hair and you need a quick fix, all you need is some hairspray, a brush and a blow dryer. Spray a small amount of hair spray into your hair use the blow dryer and brush together and blow your hair with the brush. Repeat as necessary.

Use thermal protectors or silicone products mid-shaft to ends prior to heat styling and avoid brushing hair when wet. Your hair is most fragile when wet and should be treated with care. Use a wide tooth comb to eliminate tangles, hand dry moisture from your hair first, then finish with your favorite boar bristle brush. Healthy hair is beautiful hair. Take time to deep treat your hair at home and have seasonal hair and scalp treatments at your salon. Avoid hot water on your hair. Shampoo and condition hair at the beginning of our shower and leave the conditioner on until the end. Avoid aggressive rubbing with your towel. Pat your hair dry instead.

Ever wonder what the best hair styles are for different face shapes? Here’s a simple rule of thumb:

• Oval - lucky you, every hair style works!
• Round - hair below the chin with a center part like long one length hair.
• Square - hairstyle should soften the sharp angle of your jawline; think face framing layers.
• Triangular: Any style that narrows your chin and widens your forehead, such as a boxed bob.
• Heart shape - Softer curlier style
• Oblong - Style that adds width and fullness to the sides of the face, mid to long length.
• Diamond - Most hairstyles work.

So, now you know some tricks of the trade and perhaps why your stylist has recommended a particular style for you.

I write a lot about hair loss from the female perspective. Because that is the area Fantasia specializes in and I know a lot about it.

So, I thought just for a change, it might be interesting to look at it from the male’s perspective.

Recently, the Morris Plains-based company, Rogaine, conducted a study among nearly 4000 men. Most men say that if given a choice between keeping their spouse or significant other and losing their hair - they’d say, take my wife, please…

A group product director for Johnson & Johnson Healthcare Products Company says that hair loss and the way we perceive it has changed drastically in the last several years - it’s now top on the minds of guys. Men are making grooming and self-improvement a higher priority. For many, maintaining and regrowing hair is less of a taboo and more like working or or buying new clothes.

This study revealed that younger men were the most hair conscious with one in 4 men between the ages of 18 and 34 concerned about hair loss. According to the makers of Rogaine, this age group is representative of a new group of guys that are increasingly taking steps to regrow hair at the earliest signs of hair loss. No major comb - overs happening anytime soon for these guys!

Fifty percent of the men would rather deliver a large public speech than lose their hair and five percent of them would rather fall off a cliff. Only about twenty percent would give up watching television if it meant keeping a full head of hair but, twenty-two percent said they would give up their vacations. Almost ten percent said they would even give up sex in favor of keeping their hair. And we think women are vain?

Roughly sixty percent of the men would rather experience a demoralizing event in pursuit of keeping the hair they have. Twenty percent would rather get dumped than lose their hair and five percent were willing to trade in their significant others for flowing locks. Again I say - and we think women are vain?

To say that men are concerned today more than ever about hair loss would be a severe understatement. It would be more accurate to say they are consumed by it, and in some cases, even more than sex!

Several weeks ago, I wrote about something totally bizarre I had read about, the Bird Poop facial. Well guess what? I have stumbled across something equally as bizarre and that would be the therapeutic use of camel urine. Yep, it’s actually considered an ancient Islamic ‘remedy’ from the time of the prophet Mohammed and believe it or not it is big business for men and women in Yemen.

Camel urine has become fashionable among Yemen’s young people who claim that it strenghtens the scalp, slows hair loss and promotes healthy hair.

According to the Arab TV network al_Arabiya, hair salons the country are requesting this precious ‘tonic’ and are selling it at four dollars a litre, which is an outrageous price considering the income level of most of the buyers not to mention that is it is freely given to begin with!

One university student reports that she has been using camel urine since elementary school days. Since the first time a neighbor mentioned that she had been using urine for years because it made her hair more beautiful and shiny, the student reports that everyone in her home is now using camel urine. And, it’s not just women, reportedly, men are using it to stop hair loss.

A local barber reports that he is forced to buy large quantities of camel urine for his business.

A boom in the sale of camel urine has prompted people to begin breeding more camels and they are constantly giving them more liquids in order to collect more urine.

I am not making this stuff up, I wish I was!

Some people claim that camel urine is good for the liver however, the claim is discredited by the University of Sanaa who says it is harmful for the human digestive system. I’ll place my bets with the University.

The use of camel urine has its roots in Islamic religion. In the prophet Mohammed’s tradition, it talks of the benefits of camel milk and urine. Foreigners are said to have gone to the holy city of Medina with high fever and the prophet ordered them to leave the city and drink urine and milk from a camel to help them recover.

Personally, I think if you are trying to shore up your scalp and improve the health of your hair, Hair Support System and tweaking your diet would be far better than camel urine. Just my thought…do what you like…

If you read my posts, you know I talk a lot about what proper diet can do for your hair. Since we specialize in dealing with thinning hair and hair loss solutions at Fantasia, I always like to pass along anything I can about what we can do naturally to promote overall healthy and the health of our hair.

Food number one for healthy hair is salmon. Salmon is loaded with omega-3 fatty acids as well as being a high protein source and it’s filled with vitamin B-12 and iron.

Your scalp needs essential omega 3 fatty acids for good health. A deficiency can result in a dry scalp and your hair will then, look dull. If you don’t eat salmon because you are a vegetarian, include one-two tablespoons of ground flax-seed in your daily diet. That will give you some plant based omega 3 fats.

Dark green vegetables such as spinach, broccoli and Swiss chard are an excellent source of vitamins A and C wich your body needs to produce sebum. This is an oily substance secreted by your hair follicles and is the body’s natural hair conditioner. Dark green vegetables also provide iron and calcium.

Beans are good for your hair. They are loaded with protein and also have iron, zinc and biotin. If you aren’t getting enough biotin, your hair will be brittle. You should try to eat three or more cups of lentils or beans each week.

Nuts are great for thick, shiny hair. Brazil nuts are one of natures best sources of selenium which is an important mineral for your scalp.

Chicken and turkey have high quality protein for your hair. If you protein levels dip too low, your hair will be weak and brittle and a profound protein deficiency can result in the loss of hair color.

Eggs are great for your hair, whether you like them fried, scrambled, hard boiled, eat your eggs. If you study nutrition, you will learn that eggs are the perfect protein, the standard by which all other protein is judged. They also contain biotin and B-12, both which are important beauty nutrients and great for your hair.

Whole grains will help give a hair healthy dose of of zinc, iron and B vitamins. So, enjoy your cereal and toast!

Oysters are known as an aphrodisiac but they also promote healthy hair. I must admit, I cannot bring myself to eat oysters. But the good news is we can get what oysters have to offer(except for the aphrodisiac effect) from whole grains and nuts. Zinc we can get from lamb and beef.

Low fat dairy products are good sources of calcium which is an important mineral for overall health and healthy hair. Yogurt, skim milk and cottage cheese and all great for hair health. You can boost the hair benefits by adding some ground flax-seeds or walnuts to your cottage cheese or yogurt.

And, last but not least, carrots are an excellent source of vitamin A which promotes a healthy scalp in adddition to good vision.

So, the bottom line, for healthy hair, have a lot of variety. Enjoy an balanced diet of lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, salmon and low-fat dairy. And enjoy your beautiful, healthy hair!

Yea! Summer is in full swing. Finally! The beaches are packed! It’s all good!

Well, maybe not all good. What about your hair? It is screaming for moisture. If you are a traveler, dealing with weather-beaten hair can sometimes be a real drag. Your hair can feel dehydrated, look parched, the color can fade more quickly and your overall results simply aren’t what they should be.

Well, not to worry! A Beverly Hills stylist offers quick tips on caring for your hair this summer.

The number one biggest tip? Always wear a wide-brim hat. This way, you not only cover and protect your hair, but your skin as well. You can find all sorts of hats, all shapes, sizes and colors. Fantasia has a full inventory of hats. They are cool and fun to wear.

While there is not really a sunscreen for hair, there are products that have sun protecting/UV defending agents in them. Pureology makes a great product called Colourmax. This light-weight leave in conditioner is absolutely great for de-tangling and has UV defenders in it as well. Sunflower for example, is a natural UV defender. Ask your salon professional about protecting your hair with great products this summer.

Ask your stylist for a glossing or deep conditioning service on your next visit. This will help give your hair the moisture boost it may need to fight extreme weather this summer.

Book routine hair appintments. Don’t go too long in between cuts or color services. Hair will look more weather beaten or dehydrated the longer you wait. If you want healthy looking hair, it’s important to book routine appointments. Think of it like working out at the gym. The more consistent you are, the better your results.

Coloring your hair can be a huge step, particularly if you will be lightening or darkening your hair more than just a shade or two.

While hair coloring can be done at home, there is a certain degree of stress and headache that goes along with that. There are so many factors to consider from selecting the proper shade, selecting the right products, using them effectively, and on and on. And if you want radical change, how do you determine what works with your skin tone? Sometimes you just need the help of a professional to help you get the results you want without falling victim to a “bad dye job”.

Ask for referrals. If you don’t have a salon professional, find someone who’s hair you really like and ask who does their hair. Most people are flattered by this and will very gladly tell you who they go to. Sometimes they are used to being asked and carry their stylist card around with them. Many salons offer a referral fee for their clients so they are happy to share with you!
Read the hair and fashion magazines. Check ads for hair salons and go to their website and view all of the services they offer. Typically they will list awards they have received for excellence. Generally, award winning salons will have very competent hair colorists.

Call the salon and schedule a hair consultation. Let them know what you would like to achieve and listen to their input. If you don’t agree with their approach, consult another hair professional on your list. It may take several interviews before you find the right person for your particular goals and aspirations. Then, who knows you may get lucky and connect with the first person you talk to!

Talk to this person about their skills with hair color. Find out how many years experience they have in the business. How long have they been with this salon? How long has the salon been in business? What is their favorite part of doing hair? Do they have a guarantee so that if you are not happy you can come back and have your hair tweaked? Ask a lot of questions.

By doing your due diligence, you should be able to find a competent professional to do a great job for you. And soon, you will be flaunting your fabulous new hair color!