Your beautiful hair is under constant attack. You probably don’t realize all the damage that your daily life is doing to it. If you can cut down on this damage, you’ll find it much easier to maintain a healthy head of hair with less effort. Here are the 6 worst things that life does to your hair and what you can do to save it.

Harsh Chemicals

Most styling products and treatments use chemicals, especially those that color and straighten hair. Bleach is by far the worst culprit. This doesn’t mean that they’re all bad, but just that you should exercise moderation in using them. Chemical damage to hair is the most severe when you do several treatments at once, so pick one at a time and stick with it. Also, don’t change your color too often. Check out this post if you want more information on how to color your hair safely.

Heat and Dry Air

There’s another common way styling products and treatments damage your hair – by frying it. Most products use heat, and this heat dries out your scalp and deprives it of the moisture it desperately needs. This is the worst when you use blow dryers and other products too often and too close to the scalp. For anything that heats, use it sparingly and make sure it’s as far as possible from your scalp. Also, make sure that you know how to use your hair dryer accessories properly and effectively.

Excessive Brushing and Combing

It’s good to brush and comb, but if you do it too much, you could be breaking and tearing your hair and this causes damage. It’s especially bad when your hair is wet. You may also be using the wrong brush. Use a wide-toothed comb and a brush with natural fibers. Be sure to follow our tips on how to keep your hair healthy, cut down on your brushing if at all possible and always make sure you’re extra gentle.

Sun Damage

The sun damages your hair just like it damages your skin. Those same UV rays do a little bit of damage every time your hair is exposed to them. If you’re a sun worshipper, the time you spend basking could be really causing problems. Whenever you go out in the sun, cover up with a hat and protect your locks from its rays.

Chlorine and Salt in Water

The water we swim in contains things that aren’t nice to hair. Chlorine and copper in pool water can leave deposits in your hair that are hard to remove and can leave you with green hair. The salt in ocean water dries out your hair and causes it to fall out. Whenever you go swimming, rinse well both before you dive in and after you towel off. If you spend lots of time swimming, you might want to try swimmers’ shampoo that’s formulated especially for deep protection.

Washing Too Much

It may come as a surprise, but actually washing your hair too much can cause damage. It depends on your hair type and the shampoo that you’re using. If you have dry hair, washing too much may make your scalp even drier and leech away the natural oils it needs to look and feel its best. Try skipping every other day or learn how to go shampoo free.

If you’re in the best overall health possible, this will protect your hair against the daily damage life causes. Your hair is a reflection of the state of your body. Eat well, exercise, reduce stress and make sure that you use a shampoo and conditioner with a good pH balance.

I would like to hear your thoughts about what you think will damage your hair the most. Maybe you have personal experience with a product that really messed up your hair or you have learned a lesson the hard way. Leave your comments below.

Healthy hair can be a woman’s crowning glory, and a man’s pride. But the picture of looking good is only completed when your face has the same healthy glow.

Good skin care is essential to looking your best. Since your skin is actually the largest organ in your body (is it weird to think of it that way?!) it deserves as much care and consideration as you put toward keeping your lungs and heart healthy.

The good news is that good skin care is easy, simple, and just takes minutes a day.

1. Cleansing. Start with good cleansing, and if you’re smart you’ll cleanse your face both morning and night. At one of those times you’ll be in the shower, so make sure you don’t forget your face during your scrub down. Then that only leaves one other time during the day to take a few minutes to clean your face.

2. Exfoliate. Many people equate exfoliation with celebrities and fancy spas. Guess what – your face needs – and deserves – exfoliation just as much. There are actually some good reasons for doing an exfoliation treatment (other than being pampered at the spa). Exfoliation removes dead and flaking skin cells, as well as performs a deep-cleansing, getting dirt and bacteria out of your pores where simple cleansing can’t reach. There are many exfoliation treatments that you can easily do yourself at home – and you’ll want to plan a once/week regime.

3. Moisturize. This is not only a very simple procedure, but it feels oh, so good, too.  Everything from weather (if it’s a sunny day it’s the sun, if it’s a cold day it’s the cold – you can’t win) to our natural aging process (yes, that means everyone over 20!) conspire to deplete your skin of moisture.  Your skin needs to be well hydrated daily for skin cell regeneration, healing, and preventing damaging effects that lead to those wrinkles and fine lines, and even skin cancer.

And remember, to go along with your young looking hair there are also a number of non-invasive (no surgery required) procedures that can take years off your face.  These include Botox (this procedure has definitely gone mainstream in the last several years) which relaxes the frown lines helping you look younger and more rested, and dermal fillers which plump up sagging facial folds and erase wrinkles.

Another type of skin rejuvenation treatment that I recommend for my patients is a product called “Tensage.” This uses a unique technology for firming the skin and smoothing out wrinkles and lines by both repairing and preventing skin damage.

Check with your dermatologist for suggestions on the best products for your daily skin care regime, and for more information on the skin rejuvenating procedures.

Dr. Tess Mauricio, “America’s Favorite Dermatologist,” is an author, renowned international speaker, physician educator and nationally known media personality. This San Diego dermatologist is the Founder of Scripps Ranch Dermatology & Cosmetic center in San Diego and Dr. Tess Dermatology in La Jolla, California.

Before I tell you how to grow your hair faster, I’ve got some bad news – it’s not actually possible! The truth is that hair grows at a regular rate, which is about a half an inch per month (give or take depending on the individual). But that’s only when it’s healthy. So, you can’t exactly make it grow faster, but if you make sure your hair is in the best shape possible, it’ll seem like it’s growing faster.

It is possible for hair to grow at a slower rate and there are many different factors that could cause this, some of which will be discussed below…

The Causes of Slow Hair Growth

Healthy hair grows and you don’t need to worry about it. If your hair is growing slowly, there’s a reason for it. Many of these factors can be easily fixed, while others are not easily fixed and even impossible to avoid.

Common factors include:

• Improper diet
• Stress
• Smoking
• Too much caffeine
• Medications you’re taking
• Menopause
• Thyroid disease
• Sometimes genetic factors.

Dealing with the causes of slow hair growth is the best way to grow your hair faster. There are some other things you can do as well.

Scalp Massage

Scalp massages are great for speeding up hair growth. When you get a scalp massage, it improves the circulation and helps your hair grow the way it’s supposed to. Your scalp can then naturally repair the damage that occurs to your follicles. Massage your scalp with hot oil, which also provides much-needed nutrients.

Change Your Diet

Your whole body, including your scalp, needs essential nutrients and vitamins. When you’re not getting them, it can affect your hair and slow it down. Make sure that you’re eating a balanced diet with plenty of leafy green vegetables and whole grains. Zinc is especially important for good hair growth. Protein is good also because it builds your strands of hair. For the best protein without the fat, try eating lean meat, dairy, beans and fish. You might also consider taking supplements that contain vitamins B, C, and E, magnesium and beta ceratone.

Keep It Healthy

Visit your hair stylist on a regular basis to get a trim. It’s true what they say about split ends slowing your hair growth. You should also be careful that you don’t over-style your hair. The heat and dryness that straighteners, blow dryers and other hair care products cause can damage your hair.

Remove Residue

Leftover residue on your scalp can block new follicles and keep it from growing. You can remove this debris with rinses and natural products. Look for products that contain coconut oil and other natural oils and butters that have anti-bacterial properties.

Lifestyle Habits

Finally, make sure you’re getting plenty of rest. Deal with stress effectively and cut down on smoking and caffeine. Regular exercise also helps to kick your scalp into gear by improving the overall health of your body. You can’t make your hair grow faster, but these are some simple things you can do to keep it in good health, and this will make it seem like it’s growing faster!

Deciding whether to color your hair and what color to use can be a big decision if you have never done it before. You might be feeling nervous about it, especially after seeing and hearing horror stories about hair coloring gone wrong. Read the following advice before deciding:

• Professional vs. Do-It-Yourself: You may be struggling to decide if you should just color your hair yourself using store-bought dye, or if you should see a coloring expert. For the first try, it’s recommended that you see a professional stylist. They will be able to consult with you on the right color based on your skin tone and the natural color of your hair. A professional can conduct a strand test to determine what products are right for you, making sure you are not allergic and that your hair will get the desired look without damaging it.
• Types of Treatments: There are three different types of color treatments: semi-permanent, demi-permanent, and permanent. Semi-permanent hair color only lasts about six to twelve shampoos, and is recommended if you aren’t sure you’ll like your new color. Demi-permanent hair color lasts approximately 12 to 26 washes and lightens the hair slightly. Permanent color can lighten your hair up to four levels and will last until it grows out.
• Lightening A Dark Color: If you’re a brunette wishing to go blonde, your hair stylist will use some sort of bleach or peroxide to remove the pigment first in order to create the color you are going for. If you aren’t quite that daring, try getting blonde highlights the first time around to see if you like your hair lighter before committing to coloring the entire thing.
• Damage: If you are coloring your hair with permanent dye, you’ll first need to lift the hair using hydrogen peroxide, as this process raises or opens up the cuticle layer of the hair. If this isn’t done properly, it could damage the hair. Constantly changing your hair color (called over-processing) can also cause damage. It’s best to consult with a professional to be sure you are using quality products that are right for your hair type.
• After-Care: After coloring your hair, you’ll want to wait at least 24 hours before shampooing your hair. If you can wait 48 hours, even better. If your hair is now an intense color, like a vibrant red, limit washing it to three times a week so the color doesn’t fade out.

Coloring your hair allows you to achieve different looks, from bold to natural, depending on your personality. So many different colors and brands are out there, it can be difficult to choose which color is right for you. For expert advice, consult with a hair professional.

With more than 100 schools in 22 states, Empire Beauty School is the leading group of cosmetology schools in the United States. For more than 75 years, Empire Beauty School has maintained a strong tradition of training future beauty professionals for rewarding careers in the beauty industry. 

Is your hair thinning? If you see hair in the shower, it can put you into a blind panic. But before you freak out, realize that everybody loses 50 to 100 hairs a day. That’s normal! However, that hair gets replaced. If you notice that your hair is thinning, this is a sign that something’s wrong. Here are the reasons why your hair might be thinning.

Causes of Hair Thinning

Medications. All kinds of medications can cause your hair to thin. These include birth control pills, antidepressants, blood thinners and common medicines for various health problems.

Lifestyle. If you drink lots of alcohol, smoke cigarettes or indulge in any kind of drug use, this will take its toll on your scalp and cause your hair to thin.

Diet. Dietary deficiency is also a common cause. You’ll see thinning if your diet doesn’t contain enough protein or iron especially. It’ll also happen if you’re not getting required daily doses of vitamins and minerals.

Hormonal Imbalances. Hormonal imbalances can be caused by pregnancy and childbirth, menopause, thyroid problems, various illnesses and even stress.

Over-styling. Every time you style your hair, you lose some – even just washing with shampoo! Thinning is caused by friction, chemicals in hair products, and the heat and dryness caused by straighteners and other styling tools.

Age. Thinning hair is a normal part of aging for both men and women.

What You Can Do to Stop It

Don’t worry – there are lots of things you can do to stop your hair from thinning any more. One is to try a volumizing shampoo. These are shampoos designed specifically to add volume and thicken your hair. They’re inexpensive and widely available at most stores that sell hair products.

You can save your hair by being conscious of your styling. Avoid using curlers or straighteners unless you absolutely need to. Try to especially avoid anything that heats or dries your hair. Although you take for granted that you should wash your hair daily, you might want to take every other day off.

Scalp massages are great for stopping thinning hair. When you get a scalp massage, it stimulates the blood flow that your hair follicles need to regenerate themselves. Scalp massages are best with all-natural hot oil.

Comb and brush your hair well in the morning and at night before bed. Combing and brushing remove debris that blocks follicles and keeps hair from growing. Make sure whenever you’re combing or brushing that you’re as gentle as possible or else you’ll yank hairs out.

Finally, be mindful of your lifestyle habits. If you smoke or drink, cut down. Try to eat a balanced diet with plenty of protein, iron and vitamins. Get lots of sleep and learn some coping strategies if you have stress issues.

Remember that it’s normal to lose hair daily so don’t panic. If you see serious hair coming out, talk to your doctor or hair stylist immediately and see if they can offer any additional help.

If you wear your hair in a ponytail and you suffer from frequent headaches, there may be a connection. Surprisingly enough, the way you wear your hair can affect your health. Does this mean that you don’t have the option of tying your hair back to get out of the way? Not exactly.

Ponytail Headaches

What connection could there possibly be between your hairstyle and your brain? When you pull your hair back into a ponytail, this sometimes causes tension. You may be putting your hair under stress the entire time it’s tied up. It’s this tension that causes you to feel a headache.

If you have short hair that you tie up into a small ponytail, you probably don’t have this problem. Most people who get headaches from ponytails have hair that’s heavy, long and/or thick. The weight and thickness add more tension to an already tense situation.

How to Stop Your Ponytail Headaches

If you’ve got ponytail headaches, there are a couple of ways you can stop them without giving up on tying back your hair. The best option is to put your hair up into a bun.

Pull the strands of hair back just as if you’re going to tie it into a ponytail. But instead of doing that, wrap it around several times and stick a pin into it to hold it in place. What you’ve got now is a bun that causes no pulling, stretching or tension whatsoever on your scalp. The great thing about this is that you don’t even need any elastic.

Sleeping with a Ponytail

You may also get headaches because you’re sleeping in a ponytail. Although you don’t wear your hair up during the day, tying it up for your night’s sleep can cause the same prolonged tension and give you headaches.

Tying up your hair before you sleep keeps it out of your face and also prevents tangles. If you want to stop doing it this way, there are some other options. One is to opt for a night cap. It may not be attractive or stylish, but who’s going to see you anyway?

You can also braid your hair in loose braids. This is a bit more time-intensive of course, but one of the benefits is that it will give you natural waves and maybe even some curls when you wake up in the morning and undo it.

There’s also detangling spray that you can buy at your nearest beauty supply store. The way most products work, you use it right before bed and it keeps you from waking up in the morning with a giant dreadlock.

Your ponytail could be causing your headaches, so give it a rest for a while and see if they go away. If it turns out to be the cause, try one of the above methods to get it under control.

Styling products are wonderful. They allow you do things you couldn’t do otherwise with your hair. But over time, these products can leave behind gunk and residue that messes with your hair’s health.

The result is lifeless locks and wasted effort. When your hair product build-up gets out of hand, your hair also grows at a slower rate giving you even more problems than before.

Clarifying Shampoo

There are lots of ways to fight hair product build-up. One is to use a clarifying shampoo. This is a specially designed shampoo that’s made just for getting rid of residue. It busts the build-up without stripping away your hair’s essential oils.

Clarifying shampoo is powerful stuff and you should follow the directions carefully. Each product tells you how often to use it and how much to use. This will usually be something like once a week or once a month. No matter how badly you want to bring your hair back to life, don’t exceed the recommended dosage. These shampoos are really acidic and they can damage your hair further. Instead, use them along with your regular shampoo.

Natural Remedies for Hair Product Build-Up

There are also some natural remedies that you can try. The best is to make your own rinse with apple cider vinegar. Apple cider vinegar brings your hair back to its natural PH balance. It’s a natural conditioner that also gets rid of tangles.

Put 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar and 1/4 cup of warm water into a spritzer bottle. After you shampoo, spray the mixture into your hair. Make sure that you cover every bit of hair with it. Leave the solution in your hair while you wash the rest of your body. When you’re done, simply rinse it out.

There are all kinds of other natural methods that use household items to get the build-up out of your hair. These include baby powder, baking soda and even dish detergent. Again, you don’t use any of these remedies every day, but just once in a while to get rid of build-up. Apple cider vinegar seems to work the best for most people, but you can give one of these other remedies a try as well.

Easy Prevention Methods

There are a few really easy ways that you can prevent build-up. One is to mix your nice, top-shelf shampoo with a cheap one. High quality shampoos have oils that give you more shine, but that also means more build-up. Cheap products don’t have these oils and they have higher alkaline content, which works as a natural cleaner and provides for a nice PH balance. You can prevent build-up by alternating your good shampoo with a cheap one.

Another easy prevention tip is to use as little of each product as possible and spray further away from your head. Be extra careful that you follow product directions. For example, put the product on your hands first and then apply to hair so that it gets evenly spread around. Give these tips a try and see if they help you cut down on build-up.

Are you the type of person who goes to bed with no hair out of place but wakes up with a raging mess hanging over your face in the morning? You’re definitely not alone. Many people spend half of their styling time undoing the damage they did while they were sleeping. Here’s what you can do to treat your hair better when you’re sleeping.

Tossing and Turning

You may think it’s your hair type or some special curse that’s been placed on you, but most times, it’s how you sleep that messes up your hair. You might be able to improve the situation by changing your sleeping habits rather than using any products or special techniques.

If you wake up with a mop from hell, you’re probably tossing and turning in your sleep. When you do this, you rub your hair against the pillow, dragging your hair against the pillow fibers.

Tossing and turning means that something’s keeping you from getting the perfect night’s sleep. It could be the position you’re sleeping in, or it could be something more serious, like anxiety or insomnia. As well as using the techniques below to keep your hair together while sleeping, you should also address your sleep issues. Not only will you hair be easier to control, but you’ll feel a whole lot better as well.

Getting Ready for Bed

There are several ways you can prepare your hair before you go to sleep. Probably the best method is to tie your hair up into a braid before you lay down. Braid it as high on your head as possible. It helps even more if you then tie it up into a bun and secure it with an octopus clip.

You might also think about getting a nightcap. Don’t worry too much about how bad it makes you look – you’re sleeping! The whole idea is that the more tightly you secure your hair – with braiding, clips or a nightcap – the less it’s going to be a mess when you wake up.

Combing out the Tangles

When you’re combing out the tangles in the morning, be extra gentle on your hair. You’ll break hairs if you pull too hard. Give it a good brushing and remove as many tangles as possible before you get into the shower.

Products That Might Help

Some companies make detangling sprays that you can use before you go to sleep. These contain all-natural products that help to keep your hair from clumping together during the night.

You should consider buying a silk pillow. This takes some getting used to – you might find your head slipping off of it in the night! Silk doesn’t have the fibers that pull your hair out of place. If you don’t want to get a silk pillow, try draping a silk shawl over the pillow you’re using now.

The best approach is to use a combination of the above. Use detangling spray, tie it up, put on a nightcap and get comfy on your silk pillow. It all depends on how bad the problem is. At least try out a few of these suggestions and see if they help eliminate the problem.

No matter how much you spend on styling products or how well you use them, there’s one spot where most of us just can’t get it straight – the back of the head. There are always a few lumps and curls that stick out and this is endlessly frustrating. It’s never going to be easy to straighten the back of your head, but here are some techniques that can really help.

Getting Ready

Before you start working on the back, make sure that your hair is completely dry. This is tough to do when you’re dealing with the back of your head and it’s easy to miss a bit that’s still wet. Brush your hair in layers as you blow dry and make sure you get it all. Any spot of moisture is going to frizz up.

You’ll need to set up mirrors well. Use two mirrors – one in front and the other in back, reflecting the back of your head. Move your mirrors around until you can see everything clearly.

Work in Layers

The way to straighten the hair back there is to do one layer at a time, starting at the bottom and working your way up. Start by scraping a horizontal line near the nape of your neck. Tie up all the hair except for that bottom layer and secure it well.

Straighten just that bottom layer, and then move up to the next one. Work your way up from one layer to the next until you’ve got it all straightened. As you work your way up to the top layer, make sure you check each layer to see if it’s straightened before starting on the next one.

Tips on Straightening Your Hair

If you’re having trouble straightening your hair, what might help is to switch it up a little. Try a different approach and it might produce better results. For example, if you usually use horizontal slices, try going vertically. Sometimes what works for the other areas of your hair just doesn’t work on the back because your hair grows a little differently.

Make sure when you’re straightening that you’re getting as close to your scalp as possible. This is especially hard to do when you’re working on the back with mirrors. When you don’t get close enough, that’s when you get those lumps sticking out.

You should be extra careful because even though you want to be close, you don’t want to burn yourself! If you’re nervous about it and you’ve got a straightener with temperature control, you might turn it down while you’re working back there. If you have this problem when using a flat iron, my recommendation for the best flat iron would be the Sedu flat iron because it has a variable temperature option as well as “micro smooth” plates which will make it easier to pull the iron through the hair in the harder to reach areas.

It also might help to try out some new products that might keep your hair under control better. Try something that’s especially designed to cut down on frizz.

Straightening the back of your hair perfectly can be done and you don’t always need to get your sister to do it for you. It’s just a technique that’s a little challenging and takes some extra practice.

It’s the dream of every woman on the planet to have hair that’s healthy, soft and silky. We spend lots of time trying to get it that way so that we can look our best, but it often fails to hit the mark. There’s no one single technique that works perfectly for everybody, but here are some simple things that can really help.

Know Thy Enemies

First of all, it’s important to know what things damage your hair. These can be:

• Over-styling with curlers, straighteners and excessive blow-drying
• Chemicals and pollution in the air
• Exposure to wind, sunshine or saltwater
• Stress. smoking, diet and your sleeping patterns

What’s keeping your hair from being as soft and silky as it should be? Try to tackle as many of these causes as you can and you will see a dramatic improvement in the health of your hair.

Stop Styling

One way to get your hair back to its natural, healthy state is to go cold turkey on the styling products. Give your hair a chance to recover and it’ll regain some of its luster. If your hair’s been over-styled a lot, you might want to try a deep conditioning treatment. This is a treatment that uses a very powerful conditioner for a short period of time. Follow the instructions on the package.

Protect Your Hair

Because there are so many things in the environment that can wreak havoc on your hair, keep it protected when you go out. Wear a scarf when you’re in the sun and tie it up on windy days. If you go swimming a lot, stay out of the ocean or swimming pools that use chemicals like chlorine.

Condition, Condition and Condition More

Simply using the right conditioner is a great way to keep your hair’s silky smoothness. Know your hair type and choose a conditioner that’s made especially for you. If your hair is fine, use something light. If it’s thick, choose something tougher. Experiment a little bit to see what works, and you can also ask your hair stylist for a recommendation.

If you are interested in learning more about going natural, check out my post on Going Shampoo Free.

Natural Bristles

The brush you’re using may also rough up the texture of your hair. Use a brush with soft bristles for your after-shower brushing. Brush your hair out while it’s still wet and be extra gentle with it.

Proper Diet for Healthy Hair

What you eat has a huge effect on the way your hair looks and feels. Make sure that you’re eating a balanced diet that includes lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, and drink plenty of water. Make an effort to get all the daily recommended vitamin dosages you need. Protein from nuts and lean meat is also good for your hair. A simple daily multi-vitamin can really help you and your hair get the essential vitamins and nutrients that it needs.

For more detailed information about what foods you can eat for healthy hair, check out this article from WebMD. Top Ten Foods For Healthy Hair.

Home Remedies for Hair

Chemicals can cause lots of damage to your hair’s health even while making it look good and helping to control it. But all-natural remedies give your hair health benefits without the side effects. Black sesame, coconut oil, beetroot, mashed banana, and egg white are just a few of the natural remedies you can use. You might even have them in your kitchen cabinets right now.

Finally, listen to your hair. Pay attention to when humidity or sunshine is causing trouble. Always use the right conditioner to counterbalance the effects, and no matter what you do, always be gentle with your hair. Hair is sensitive and treating it too roughly will make it lose its natural shine.