Cheap Hair Need Not Look That Way

“Cheap Hair Need Not Look That Way”There may be no such thing as a knock-off haircut. Still, you can come close to the $400 a-cut look if you understand just what makes it seem so special. It’s not that every strand falls exactly in place; today, it’s the opposite. Hair that looks sexy and tousled without a lot of fuss or that swings on its own is just what you want.

How to get it on the cheap? Top-notch salons, like New York City’s Bumble and Bumble, provide advanced training for the staff, and they need models. Usually it’s free; if not, you’ll pay a nominal fee. Don’t consider it a drawback if you can’t choose the exact cut–it will be stylish and suited to your features.

Check out salons’ websites, or simply call the best salons and ask about training models. Also, look for salons with tiered pricing; you’ll pay less for a cut from a junior hairdresser than from a mere experienced one. Another option for a smart, affordable cut? Try a barbershop if you want a sassy short style. Guys have been taking advantage of cheap, precision cuts for decades; if you want a great short cut or a geometric style, give barbers a shot.

Some salons that are affiliated with specific manufacturers are required to provide the staff with ongoing, advanced education to carry particular product lines. The best ones carry the higher-end lines. Often, they’re designated “official affiliates,” as opposed to salons that simply sell products. To locate these establishments, call manufacturers whose products you like (or check their websites), and look for an “official” salon in your area that participates in hair cutting and coloring education. Also ask if the manufacturer itself holds training classes in your area, either at an advanced academy or a product distributor. Offer to be a model and you could get a fabulous new cut from one of their best educators.

Full-Spectrum Beauty
Look at celebrities and you’ll realize that it’s not just their haircut, but amazing color, that makes them stand out. Use the same tricks noted above to find a place to get color on the cheap. In general, the richest-looking color is close to your natural shade and includes a few subtle high lights or panels of color. This is because healthy hair looks lush, while locks that have been bleached from brunette to light blonde usually appear dried, fried and lifeless.

You can get great looking hair color at home if you choose a conditioning color carefully. Make certain you understand how the shade on the box will look with your existing color (this is usually explained on the back of the box), and follow directions precisely. When you do a re-touch, enlist a friend’s help so you can get it right. At-home, repeated coloring from roots to ends can leave hair looking too dark and cheap.

Choose a slightly darker and richer, or lighter and brighter shade, based on the season. Fashionable color always goes deeper for fall, lighter for spring. Today’s dimensional color kits are available at your local drugstore. Add two to three tones to your hair from a single box—you don’t have to try to create your own high lights and lowlights. With a sassy new snip and shimmering hair color, you’re on your way to a sophisticated, salon style.

Take It Easy
Nothing ruins a great haircut and hair color more than unhealthy locking tresses To avoid split ends, dryness, fizz and flyaways, deep-condition your hair regularly and use a leave-in conditioner. Always use styling products with sunscreens to prevent color from turning brassy.

The more you pamper your locks, the better they’ll look. One simple way to do just that is to use a thermal protector every time you heat-style. For a silky, glossy look, mist it on before blow-drying and flat-ironing.

If you have natural curl or hair that tends to fizz, resist the urge to manipulate it into something it’s not. Embrace its body and sexy texture. Fine hair shouldn’t be tortured into a style either. Use jumbo-sized rollers or blow-drying to get strategic volume, say, at the crown, and settle for a smoother look that is closer to your natural texture.

The more you try to get what you don’t have–be it color, volume or curl–the less likely it is that your hair will look its absolute best. When all else fails, today’s clip-in, human-hair extensions are very affordable, and can last for a year or two if you take good care of them, Given the fact that they’re what most celebrities rely on for fabulous locks they may be the only real investment you’ll need.

Article courtesy of Harris Publications

Got a question, war story or comment about this topic? Click on the "Leave Your Comments" link at the very bottom of this article. Some of my best ideas for future articles come from reading reader comments. I'd love to hear from you!

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Hair Body . . . 5 ways to get all pumped up!

Get the limp out of your hair with these speedy solutions.

“Hair Body Tips”

1. Hair Body Tip~~Use a heat-activated thickening product when you blow-dry. When hair is nearly dry, add a volumizing product and finish styling.
2. Hair Body Tip~~Roller sets add volume when you make sections of hair the same size as the circumference of the rollers and roll strands straight down. They should sit right in the center of the part lines.
3. Hair Body Tip~~Go shorter. Long, heavy manes are hard to pump up.
4. Hair Body Tip~~A Style for root boost. Mist with a styling spray, then hold damp strands straight up with a brush as you hit them with airflow; don’t drop the section until roots are Completely dry.
5. Hair Body Tip~~For lots of natural looking volume, pin damp hair on top of your head, allow to dry, then take out bobby pins and let it fall. The same thing happens if you wear an updo all day and take it down at night.

Article courtesy of Harris Publications

Got a question, war story or comment about this topic? Click on the "Leave Your Comments" link at the very bottom of this article. Some of my best ideas for future articles come from reading reader comments. I'd love to hear from you!

• What’s your best hair styles for your body shape?
• Clip in Human Hair Extensions on DWTS
• Popular Hairstyles Can Make You Look Younger
• 8 Hair Drying Tips
• Hair Care Product Tutorial
• Body Hair Removal Methods Reviewed
• What’s Your Best Hair Style if You Have Fine, Thin Hair?

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Tips for itchy, dry, flaky scalp and dandruff

Flaking Scalp
It probably doesn’t matter much to you whether your problem is dandruff, dry scalp, or seborrheic dermatitis. What does matter is that you’re afflicted with a flaky, itchy, tight, or inflamed scalp, and you just want to fix it.

Dandruff and dry scalp are both considered forms of dermatitis. Dandruff is often mistaken for a dry scalp, but it can afflict an oily scalp just as easily as a dry one. It’s believed that dandruff is caused by an overgrowth of yeast that’s found in moderation even on healthy scalps. The yeast, Pityrosporum ovale, irritates the oil glands below the surface, and the scalp responds by accelerating the cell turnover. Dandruff results when the skin cells divide and multiply at such an accelerated rate that they reach the surface before they die and clump there, These flakes of white, scaly skin look bad, and they itch.

Sometimes, what’s believed to be dandruff is simply shampoo residue from sloppy rinsing or flaking from that gel you’re hooked on. Or it could be dry scalp caused by dry indoor heat, harsh shampoos, too-frequent shampooing, conditioners or gels applied directly to the scalp, hair processing, or a too-hot blast from a hair dryer.

If you’ve been coloring, perming, relaxing, or straightening your hair, your scalp can become oily, flaky, and inflamed, which may mean that you have a more severe form of dermatitis called seborrhea. One common mistake is to treat seborrhea with a harsh dandruff shampoo–that only makes it worse. So, first of all you need to know what kind of problem you have. Here’s how you can tell:

Dandruff Test
Turn your head upside down and brush or vigorously rub your scalp back and forth with fingers over a sheet of dark paper. If you see tiny, dry, powdery hits, you have dry scalp. If the flakes are larger and look slightly moist or greasy. they’re dandruff. If you have large greasy flakes and your scalp is irritated and red, chances are you have seborrhea. If the scales stick to the scalp, it may be psoriasis, and if it doesn’t clear up, consult a dermatologist.

If what you have is dry scalp, first use a clarifying shampoo with cider vinegar to remove any buildup of shampoo or conditioner on the scalp. Then try an oil treatment or scalp cream designed for dry. itchy scalp: Kiehl’s Enriched Massage Oil for Scalp, Phyto Therathrie Phytopolleine. or René Furterer Carthame Intensive Oil Supplement for Dry Hair & Scalp.

Although dandruff is generally believed not to be caused by microbes, most anti-dandruff shampoos are germicides. Go figure. Most contain one of five ingredients approved by the FDA for fighting dandruff: salicylic acid, zinc pyrithione, sulfur, selenium sulfide, and coal-tar. All of these ingredients will really dry out your scalp and your hair along with it, which puts you in the front seat of the beauty roller coaster: you got rid of your dandruff, all right, hut now your hair looks like straw. Why go through all that when you can prevent dandruff in the first place?

Dandruff is seasonal, occurring more frequently and more severely from October to March, when your hair is exposed to dry indoor heat. So use the following simple rinse every couple of weeks to stay on top of the flakes.

BEATING DANDRUFF THE GENTLE WAY

Tea tree oil is an herbal antiseptic that many physicians now believe fights bacteria and yeast buildup. Try a tea tree oil shampoo like Desert Essence Keep-the-Clean Wash Shampoo, Nature’s Gate Rainwater Herbal Tea Tree Oil Shampoo, or Terrain Tea Tree Shampoo. Alphaworks by ABBA is a little stronger, because it contains AHAs along with the tea tree oil. You can also mix two drops of tea tree oil in your palm with your regular shampoo. Try this three times a week for three weeks and see if it helps.

Other herbal shampoos that work for dandruff: Penny Island Wild Lavender Shampoo, Beauty Without Cruelty Aromatherapy Daily Benefits Shampoo, Ecco Bella Dandruff Therapy Shampoo, and for the cheapest alternative, try Dr. Bonner’s Peppermint Pure Castile Soap (it will flatten your hair, but it will also squelch your dandruff).
For stubborn dandruff, try René Furterer Melaleuca Shampoo (tea tree oil with zinc pyrithione—it’s strong), Avon Controlling Dandruff Shampoo, or Phvto Therathrie Phytocyres, Philip B. Anti-Flake.

DANDRUFF-DEFYING RINSE
A few sprigs of rosemary, 2 cups water
1. Boil the rosemary in the water and cool.
2. Rinse through the hair and massage into the scalp.

Antiseptic botanicals like tea tree Oh (aka melaleuca) are terrific alternatives to harsh dandruff shampoos. But they remain a big secret because they’re not FDA-approved for use as “dandruff shampoos.” Nonetheless, gentle shampoos that include tea tree oil, rosemary, or sage can really work to control dandruff, and they won’t dry out your scalp or hair. If your flaking is severe, you may need a true dandruff shampoo. In that case, alternate your dandruff shampoo with a gentle herbal shampoo to go easier on your hair and scalp It s worth the splurge for a better-quality dandruff shampoo especially since it will last longer because you won t use it for every shampoo.

If none of the above treatments works see a dermatologist because you may have seborrhea or psoriasis which mimic dandruff but often require medical treatment.

For further discussion on itchy scalp or dry scalp you might want to check out these other articles:

• My Hair Remedy for Dandruff, Oily Hair & Head Lice
• Scalp Sores
• Winter Beauty Hair Care Tip
• Hair Scalp Treatment
• Itchy Scalp or Dry Scalp Remedies
• Seborrheic Dermatitis: Are Hair Dyes Safe?