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What Curling Irons Are The Best Ones?

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 04:17:00 +0000

With all of the styling tool options available in today’s market, it can be very confusing to choose the best curling iron for your hair. I mean, let’s face it; most curling irons claim to be the best buy, but are they really? So, what should you really look for in a curling iron and what should you avoid? When choosing the best curling iron for your hair, you should discount everything that companies say about their product in order to market it. I mean, they have a vested interest in selling more curling irons, so who would believe what they had to say anyway? But you should pay attention to what is written on the packaging in the small letters. The first thing that you should look for is a thermostat controlled heat setting. This feature will allow you to select the temperature of the curling iron and set it according to how much heat you need to style your hair. You see, not all hair can withstand the same amount of heat. Some hair types, like fine hair, can only withstand minimal heat while coarse hair may need more intense heat to achieve any curl. So, choosing a curling iron without this setting could result in more damage than is necessary or styles that are hard to achieve and maintain. Another thing that you should pay attention to is what type of material the barrel is made out of. On most irons, the barrel is made of metal, but you can find irons that are velvet covered and ceramic plated. Velvet covered irons are great for hair that is easily snagged and broken. Ceramic plated irons work to infuse moisture into the hair strands while it is being curled. For the most part, a metal barreled iron will do and these are the least expensive. But if your hair is damaged or dull, you might want to spend a little extra for the ceramic-plated iron. The first thing to wear out on a curling iron is usually the cord. This is because the cord is put under a lot of pressure at the point where it connects with the curling iron when you move the iron this way and that. To get an iron that lasts, choose an iron with a swivel cord connection. This type of cord will move as you move thus reducing the stress to the inner wires. So, the next time you choose to buy a curling iron, pay less attention to the brand name and pomp surrounding a particular iron and look for features that you really need.

Understanding Laser Hair Removal

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 22:17:00 +0000

If you have heard about laser hair removal, then you are likely to be one of the many that believe it is an easy way to get rid of unwanted hair. Although many people do find great success with the treatments, others will need several to succeed. And, there is no real way to know how you will react to the laser treatment until you have it. Who Should Have It? The ideal candidate for laser hair removal is the person who has dark colored hair. The darker the hair the more likely it is that the laser can remove it permanently. With that goes the pigment color of the skin. Individuals who have a dark complexion will not be ideal candidates because the hair is harder to see. Light skin, dark hair is the best situation to find yourself in. You will also need to have a good budget. Sessions of laser hair removal can last upwards of several hours and will require several thousand dollars to complete. If you need multiple treatments, that too can become even more costly. The average is four visits per person. Melanin is the pigment that gives hair color. You will need the melanin to be able to absorb the energy from the laser and then incorporate the heat into the follicle. The heat will actually kill off the follicle, making it impossible for hair to re-grow. Also, those who have a dark colored skin tone have more melanin, it is necessary to insure that the process will still work well. To help this, a cold compress will be used to keep the affected area cool. The laser will not target the cold areas which are important for it to work properly. The skin can be kept cool in another way as well. This is multi pulsing laser technology. Laser energy is pulsed or interrupted, rather than streamed. That means there is less heat which helps to cool and at the same time, protect the skin. Other laser removal devices include: Alexandrite, a long pulse laser; Diode, which generally is used on darker skin; Q-Switched Nd:YAG, which delivers two wavelengths that work on both deep and near-surface follicles; and Ruby, that as the name implies, consists of red laser beams capable of targeting melanin. There are a number of excellent resources on the internet that will help you to discover why or why not laser hair removal is the right solution for you.

What Too Much Color Can Do To Your Hair

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 13:08:00 +0000

Sure, we all want to change our look every once in a while and sometimes that involves changing our hair color also. But there are a few adventurous souls that have taken changing their hair color to a whole new level with frequent colorings leaving their hair lifeless and damaged beyond repair. While there are many professional hair coloring systems out there that only cause minimal damage to hair, many people still insist on buying hair color from department stores so that they can apply it at home. In many cases, this type of hair color causes extreme damage and if you use it too often, it could turn into a nightmare. You see, hair color is a chemical that changes the structure of your hair. Each time you color, the outside layer of your hair is raised so that color can be pushed into the hair strand. With each subsequent coloring, this outside layer finds it more and more difficult to close to its natural and healthy position. It is this layer that first takes the brunt of hair color damage. It is also this layer that is responsible for the shine and vibrancy of your hair color. If you color too much, you will first notice a dull or dry appearance coming from the roughened up outer layer of your hair strand. In addition to making your hair look healthy and shiny, the outside layer or cuticle layer is also responsible for holding your color in. Once it refuses to close properly, your color will start to fade and over time, become completely washed out. Trying to color your hair again, will only be a temporary fix with the color always seeping out of the damaged areas. If you ignore all of these damage signals and continue to color your hair, you will eventually break down the entire make up of your hair strands. At best, hair will become brittle and break. At worst, it will turn into mush and disintegrate right before your eyes. To keep all of these dire hair color consequences from becoming reality, be sure to leave enough time in between colors for your hair to recuperate. Try not to do any drastic color changes for at least 6 months unless your hair is short. Also, do not color your hair from root to tip for each and ever color touch up. Color the roots only so that you can avoid further damage to the ends. And get those trims when you need them.

Give a Miracle by Giving Yourself

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:01:00 +0000

The bodies that God miraculously gave us are very complex. Regardless of all of the advances in technology, we can’t create a substitute for many parts of our bodies. Doctors are dependent on donations from individuals for items such as blood, organs and tissue to help save lives. Consider the following ways you can donate a portion of yourself to help save and improve the lives of others: Give your blood. Every two seconds someone in America needs blood. That comes out to 86,400 people needing blood today just in America. Are you aware that you are saving as many as three lives for each pint of blood that you donate? That is the amount of blood donated in one visit. You will be saving multiple lives by being a blood donor. In addition, your body is designed to remanufacture new blood to replace the amount you donated. You haven’t given up anything except a small amount of time. Contact Red Cross at http://www.givelife.org or 1-800-GIVELIFE (1-800-448-3543) to learn about giving blood and schedule a time to donate. Give your hair. There are thousands of financially disadvantaged children that suffer from long-term medical hair loss. Something as simple as wearing a hairpiece can help increase their self-esteem and confidence. If you have long hair, consider donating locks of it to make these needed hairpieces available. This is something children can do as well. Contact Locks of Love at http://www.locksoflove.org or 1-888-896-1588 to learn about how you can participate. Give your marrow. Did you know there are as many as 35,000 children and adults that have life threatening diseases each year that could benefit from a marrow or blood cell transplant? Many of these individuals suffer from leukemia, lymphomas, and other blood cancers. Although being a marrow or blood cell donor is not as quick and simple as donating blood, it is another critically needed way that you can help save lives. Contact the National Marrow Donor Program at http://www.marrow.org or 1-800-MARROW2 (1-800-627-7692) to learn about how to register as a potential donor. Give your organs and tissue. How would you like to continue to save lives even after you die? An average of 17 people die each day from the lack of available organs for transplant. You can help save up to 7 people’s lives when you donate your organs and improve up to 50 lives as a tissue donor. We are all going to die someday and what better way to leave this planet than to continue to help others with what we leave behind. Contact the Coalition on Donation at http://www.shareyourlife.org or 1-804-782-4920 to learn more about organ and tissue donations. Start saving lives now! Many people think you have to be a doctor or firefighter to save lives on a regular basis. We need to start thinking differently. You can save lives on a regular basis and it will cost you almost nothing. It takes so little time it can be done during your lunch break. Get started today!

Washing Your Hair Right!

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 05:34:00 +0000

It’s surprising the way some people treat their hair. Instead of giving it the respect it deserves, they tug at it with their hair brush, secure it with plain elastic bands that stick to the hair, lick it, chew it, clean their inky hands with it, stick their pens in it, wipe that excess eye-liner off on it, and while shampooing, rub it, scrub it, pull it and generally bash it around before stuffing it under the full blast of a hair dryer. Phew! It’s shameful. Just because they’re not going bald in a hurry, they take it for granted. And then they wonder why their hair isn’t a shiny, swinging, sexy mane like in the ads, in spite of using the same shampoo! Well, understand the facts of life. Hair is delicate, growing stuff which need to be handled with care. A lot of care. It is not recommended to wash hair twice in succession, as often recommended by shampoo manufacturers. The first shampoo will wash your hair and the second will strip your hair of its nutrients. By repeating, you can irritate your scalp and overly dry your hair. HOWEVER, a long rinsing with water is a good habit, even if you are in a hurry; else, the hair will be dull and more sensitive to external irritants. Use cold water as a final rinse; it will make your hair shinier. The cold water closes the scales that the hair has on its surface, which open when washed with hot water. Moreover, if your scalp tends to be greasy, cold water prevents dilatation of sebaceous glands and moderate sebum production. Use mild shampoos if you want to wash often (they create fewer bubbles but this doesn’t mean that they don’t wash well; excess suds are more aggressive). Do not use children’s shampoos, which are not soft but less galling; they contain over-greasing agents that make the hair more loose. Use anti dandruff shampoos with care; they are more aggressive, can make hair less lively, irritate the scalp, and can actually increase the production of dandruff. If you have forked hair (split ends), the only solution is to cut it and use a hydrating treatment to protect the new ends.

How To Add Special Touches To Updos

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 05:49:00 +0000

If you want to create a special and dramatic look for that special occasion, the last thing you want to do is look like a cookie-cutter Barbie doll when it comes to your hairstyle. And the truth is that many of your formal hairstyles were probably just that, exact replicas of styles that were worn on every special occasion for years stretching back into time. But it doesn’t have to be that way. You can create a different and exciting new updo for each and every formal occasion even if you only know how to do one type of formal hairstyle. You see, the key to creating a different look lies in the details. You could actually style your hair in a French twist without having the same look twice if you added special touches and elements to your style. Here’s how: · Straighten instead of curl – In many updos, the free pieces are curled with a curling iron. You can change your look simply by using a flat iron to sleek down these pieces instead of curling them up. You can even alternate using a crimping iron and flat iron to create a dramatic effect. · Leave pieces free for effect – You can also experiment by leaving different pieces of your updo free. For example: try leaving a Ѕ” section of hair around your complete hairline free from the updo. Pull your hair up into a simple pony tail. Then, take Ѕ” sections of the free hair and crisscross it in a basket-weave style on top of your updo. Pin into place, and you’ve created a unique look with little effort. · Use accessories – By using simple accessories such as hair extensions of a different color than your hair and ribbons, you can add a lot of interest to your updo. Simply insert small strands of hair or ribbon into your style to create splash of color and drama. You can color coordinate these with your dress or use natural colors that will compliment your hair color. · Flowers – Inserting a small floral accessory into your updo is also a good idea as long as you don’t take it overboard. Choose very small flowers and use them sparingly. Using too many will make you look like a flower arrangement. Remember, accessories are used to compliment your style, not overpower it. In addition to these ideas, there are many more that you can experiment with. Just remember that small changes make a big difference when it comes to adding that special touch to your updo. So, even if you don’t have a lot of creativity and talent, you can still create breathtaking updos that will be envied by all who see them.

Combing Hair: 10 Tips for Proper Hair Combing

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 07:35:00 +0000

Most people consider hair combing a routine activity. There are people who keep a particular hair style throughout their life. On the other hand, younger generations adopt new hair styles according to new trends. To have a healthy hair, proper nutrition is required. General health has direct relation with the quality and quantity of hair. In order to make your hair beautiful, you need regular washing, use of hair oil, proper combing, etc. Tips for combing hair: 1. To choose the best comb, you must take into account the nature of your hair (soft or hard, short or long), convenience and style. 2. Combing hair should be done with greatest care and concentration. If you comb without any care, you can cause damage to your hair. 3. Combing hair should be done gently. A vigorous combing can encourage hair falling. 4. Do not comb wet hair. First dry your hair with a towel and then put some oil and gently massage it. After this is done, the combing will be easy and undamaging. 5. Combing hair in the opposite direction of hairs must be avoided. This will cause hair falling. 6. Vigorous combing in backward direction can cause traction baldness. 7. Frequent combing can damage the hair follicles and the scalp. Combing hair 2 or 3 times in a day is sufficient. 8. The tooth of the comb must not be sharp. The comb should not be pressed too tightly on the scalp. 9. Clean the comb before and after use in order to prevent hair and dirt from depositing in the gap. Combing hair with dirty comb can be difficult and painful. 10. Do not use other people’s combs. This will prevent fungal and bacterial infections.

Hair – Healthy Hair, Your Best Feature!

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:54:00 +0000

In today’s society it is important to put your best look forward. There are so many of us that are looking for the perfect look, product, care, and price. It’s rare we find a style that fits into all these categories, but we try our best. Women of different ethnic backgrounds have a certain needs that need to be addressed, but often times we are neglected by the mainstream. Its important to for manufacturers to keep in mind the different textures that we have to work with, and what products are going to work best for us. A lot of styles that we are trying to achieve are often techniques that tend to dry our hair out. Whether it’s complete coverage dye, highlights, relaxers, perms, or any styling tool. Keep in mind that its not only the style that makes us look good, but the health and vitality of the hair itself. Having shine in our hair is a sign of good health. Even psychologist think that men go after the younger woman not because of age, but the aesthetic that come with the woman. Shinny hair, a creamy completion, and other various attributes contribute to this theory. Now a days though woman are not judged by age, but the attention getter is the look. Now in order to keep the man that comes from within, which would take another article. *Smiles* There are many shampoos and conditioners that contain shea butter which is rich in vitamins. If you’re looking for products that don’t contain or have little chemicals to damage your hair I recommend going for organic products. These products are with a high content of natural ingredients. They have organic shampoos, conditioners, dye, and even skin care lines.

How Can Waxing Rid You Of Unsightly Body Hair?

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 05:33:00 +0000

Are you using waxing as a hair removal technique? If not, then you should consider it. The process of waxing is very old and one that has been used in one way or another for thousands of years (dating back to ancient Egypt even) and can work very well for you today. What is it? It is the removal of hair from the root through a process of applying a wax and then quickly removing it. And, yes, waxing does hurt a bit but it is only temporary and can give you hair free results for up to six to eight weeks. All in all, it can be well worth it. Where To Wax? Waxing can safely be done throughout the body. Individuals use it for their legs, eyebrows, bikini areas and much larger hairs such as their chest, stomach and back. You can have it done so that you can shave time off of your swimming competition or to help you to just look the way that you enjoy looking. What Is It? What’s in the wax? The mixture that you will use is a combination of paraffin or beeswax and natural oils. These products are chosen since they work well with the body and stick to the skin. There are two types, cold and hot waxing. Some have supplements in them to help improve the skin’s feel and texture. Hot Waxing: In this method of waxing, a hot but comfortable temperature is used for the wax. It is spread onto the area in the direction of the hair growth. When the wax cools, it is torn off quickly in the opposite direction, pulling the hair out with it. Usually, this gives the best results in waxing. Cold Waxing: In this method of waxing, the strips of cloth are coated with the wax and them applied to the skin. The strips are rubbed in the direction of the hair growth and then ripped off in the opposite direction. After you wax your skin, you can use a treatment of a non perfumed moisturizer. This will help to restore the feel of the skin by adding Vitamin B and Aloe Vera to it. Whatever you do, you do not want to go swimming, use a spa or hot tub, tan, or apply perfume, deodorant or other chemicals to the area that was just waxed as these can cause infections and pain. It is important that you carefully look at your skin prior to using any type of waxing. You should not use in areas where there are open sores, infection, moles, warts or other skin irritations. You should never attempt to wax eyelashes, ear hair, nose hair or nipple hair. And, you should make sure that you use the appropriate combination of wax for specific areas such as pubic hair. Make sure to test the temperature of the wax so that you do not get burned too. Waxing has been around for centuries because it is an effective way to remove hair. There are not normally side effects besides a little bit of pain and redness. And, you can do it at home or in a salon. Waxing is an effective method to remove unwanted hair from virtually every area of your body.

How To Dye Your Pubic Hair

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 12:44:00 +0000

More recently, women have become aware about the condition of their pubic hair. From Brazilian waxes to pubic hair shaping and pubic shaving, women are starting to treat their pubic region with much more care and attention. For a lot of women, shaving their pubic region is a step too far and many would just like to improve the look of their pubic hair. One easy way to do this is by coloring or dyeing your pubic hair. Coloring or dyeing your pubic hair is a quick and easy way to cover over some of those gray hairs that may be creeping in. Alternatively, you may just want a change and what better way to surprise your partner than with a new pubic hair color? One important point to make at this stage is that sometimes hair colors and dyes may cause irritability. With the pubic region being such a sensitive area great care must be taken not to irritate or damage the skin in any way. How to Dye Your Pubic Hair. The first step is to obtain your hair dye. Go down to your favorite beauty/hair/drug store and purchase a standard hair dye coloring kit that best matches your pubic hair color. One great tip here is that because pubic hair can be coarser and slightly darker than your head hair; go for one shade darker than you would if you were buying for your head hair. Although you may already be using a favorite hair dye product, it would be wise to test the hair coloring on a small patch of skin on your pubic area. If ANY signs of redness/itching/soreness or other adverse effects arise do not go any further and seek medical advice about using such products. Before going any further, take the instructions from the Hair Dyeing product and read the instructions CAREFULLY. Once you have satisfied yourself that you understand them fully, continue to the next step. You are now ready to dye your pubic hair. Apply a small amount of petroleum jelly on the sensitive areas of your genitals. If any spills occur, this will prevent the dye getting to your most sensitive areas. Once you have done this, put on the gloves that are provided with the Hair Dye product. Now mix the color as per instructions and then add a small amount of moisturizing shampoo to the mix. Make sure they are completely mixed together. Now gently brush the mix onto your pubic hairs, concentrating on the areas that need most attention. Leave the mixture applied as laid out in the instructions, usually 10 minutes to 30 minutes. Don’t worry if you did not achieve the color you wanted on the first attempt. Wait a few days (to avoid irritation) and just re-apply as laid out above. Eventually you will build to the color you desired. Enjoy your new look!