What Everybody Ought to Know About Hair Growth

Looking to grow thicker, healthier, fasting growing hair this year?  Recently we spoke with Paulina Nelega, RH, a certified Clinical Herbalist of over 15 years, who has studied both herbal and conventional medicines and has been featured in numerous publications. She has a long list of happy customers, who have found relief from hair loss due to autoimmune disorders, thyroid conditions, alopecia areata, hormonal imbalances and more. We asked, and she shared with us these tips for achieving healthier hair!

• Get fresh! (With your food.) We all know that good nutrition is the foundation for radiant health, including lustrous hair. Eating a balanced diet that focuses on fresh, whole foods will keep your follicles nourished with the hair-healthy nutrients they need.

• Stay hydrated! Keeping your body hydrated helps ensure optimal exchange of nutrients and proper elimination of wastes, including in your hair follicles. Lots of pure water, herbal teas, green tea, or fresh-pressed juices. Aim for at least one ounce of water for every two pounds of body weight (more if you are very active).

• Run a humidifier in your bedroom at night. This will help counter the drying effect of central heating and colder weather temperatures that can leave your skin drier and your hair more brittle.

• Tame frizz and flyaways, naturally. Put a few drops of jojoba oil in your palm, rub your palms together and smooth them lightly over your hair for instantly sleeker locks – plus all-day conditioning.

• Get regular trims. Split ends give an overall dried-out appearance to hair, and can also weaken the hair as the split travels up the shaft.

• Avoid overwashing your hair. Try washing your hair every-other-day, and use a natural ‘dry shampoo’ on the in-between days. Also be sure your shampoo doesn’t contain harsh detergents that can strip the hair of its natural oils.

• Natural or nylon? Paddle or round? Choose the right brush for the job! Ask your hairstylist what would be best for your hair type and style.

• Massage your scalp before shampooing. Invigorates your scalp with fresh, nutrient-rich blood, and gets waste products out to the surface where they can be rinsed away.

• Exotic hot oil treatments. Experience deep-conditioning and moisturizing with Moroccan argan oil, shea butter from the savannah of Africa, tropical coconut oil, or jojoba oil. Apply a few tablespoons to damp hair and work throughout from roots to ends, massaging your scalp as well. Wrap with a hot towel and leave on for at least 30 minutes, once a week.

• Perfume the ends of your hair. Not technically a ‘healthy hair’ tip, but a little pleasure can make you smile, and that’s healthy for your soul! Rub a little of your favorite perfume or naturally scented oil on just the tips of your hair – it’s a great trick for longer lasting fragrance!

Contributing author Paulina Nelega is a registered clinical herbalist for Hair Essentials and has been assisting individuals facing hair loss for almost two decades. Paulina is available to answer questions you may have related to hair loss. You may contact her directly with questions. Hair Essentials is a breakthrough proprietary blend of more than 20 herbs, vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, amino acids and other nutrients. Hair Essentials can only be purchased online at http://www.hairessentials.com/ or by calling 800-536-9353.

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 Treatment

Hair Treatment Tips for Winter From Trichologist

Dropping temperatures and shifting weather conditions can really mess up your healthy hair strategies! Luckily, Philip Kingsley, trichologist and owner of the Philip Kingsley Clinic in NYC, is here to help with these pro tips:“Trichologist weighs in
on Hair Treatment
Tips for Winter“

Health Hair Tips #1 ~~ Shampoo daily and condition afterwards as a hair treatment routine.

Health Hair Tips #2 ~~ Use a scalp mask every one to two weeks—a healthy scalp leads to healthy hair.

Health Hair Tips #3 ~~Opt for a pre-shampoo deep re-moisturizing hair mask as a hair treatment.

Health Hair Tips #4 ~~Flaky scalps are at their worst during winter, so the occasional use of Philip Kingsley Flaky/Itchy Scalp shampoo can be an extra beneficial hair treatment.

Health Hair Tips #5~~Do not brush hard. Use a gentle brush, preferably one with air vents and rubberized bristles that have balled ends, to style only, to maintain healthy hair.

Health Hair Tips #6 ~~If you’re using a hair dryer, do not over-dry. Stop as soon as hair is dried; it’s the extra few seconds after the hair is dry that can cause damage, that would require additional hair treatment.

Health Hair Tips #7 ~~Apply a moisturizing and protective styling aid for wind and cold protection, concentrating on the ends to maintain healthy hair during the winter season.

For further discussion of hair tips.

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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Getting Healthy Hair Again After a Long Winter

If winter has left your strands dry and damaged, it’s time to get healthy hair back in top condition and ready for the hot styles ahead.
“Get Healthy Hair after Winter Woes”
Whether you let your hair grow out over winter deepened the hair color or just gave up on hair styling around blustery winds and wool hats, getting your healthy hair into spring training starts with getting its condition under control. That’s because control is more a function of healthy hair and the hair care products you use than the actual cut, according to William George, owner of James Joseph Salon in Boston.

“The most important thing you can do to get your healthy hair in shape is to start a treatment regimen mid-winter; don’t wait for spring,” advises George. “Don’t use the same care products year-round, change them seasonally. For instance, in winter your hair needs higher levels of conditioning. As you change regimens your healthy hair responds differently.”

Changing product manufacturers is particularly important if you buy in drugstores. For one thing, you don’t have a professional recommendation to guide you; for another, many of the less expensive hair care products build up. When you change, you may be switching one build-up for another, but at least you’ve given your hair time to recover.

The winter-to-spring transition is the perfect time to treat yourself to a high-end hair care product. George recommends Phyto hair care because their products have a high concentration of organics. If your budget is mid range, try Wella System Professional, a new treatment line with lots of options. “This line lets you  choose products by hair texture and by condition,” says George.”If you want an affordable drug store option, look for the word “treatment’ on the packaging and experiment to see what works best for you.”

Color changes are always a part of a fresh healthy hair start, and John Simpson, a hairdresser at Lewis Salon in Pittsburgh, PA, says winter’s muted shades will get warm and reflective through dimensional diffusion and overlapping hair color shades.”Whenever you change hair color, your hair need extra protection, and finishing is important to show off overlapping shades,” says Simpson. “A leave-in conditioner like Goldwell’s Kerasilk Fluid acts as a treatment but won’t weigh hair down.”

Get Into Control

To get your hair to do what you want it to do all the time, shampoo less frequently because, second-or third-day hair is always easier to manage.”If you feel the need to cleanse on in-between days, rinse and condition your hair only, and manipulate the conditioner as though it were shampoo,” says George. “Almost all hair conditioners have a very small amount of cleaning agents in them.”

Second most important for taking control over your hair is a great haircut. Very long hair is rarely healthy hair because the older ends have compounded damage from sun exposure, chemical treatments and more.

“Layers will give your hair more shape and movement, but not necessarily control,” notes George. “However, when you’re looking for a new hairstyle, layers create the most impact.”

With healthy hair and a fabulous new haircut, now you can master your styling tools — from gels to curling irons. For instance, many women are in love with the sleek look they get from a flat-iron, but these can also be incredibly damaging. According to Susan Kelber, who styles hair on the hit TV show 24, if you flat-iron, you must protect healthy hair to maintain control. “To protect healthy hair from the heat and also add shine, use a working spray like Graham Webb Heat Response Soft Finish Spray before finishing with a straight iron,” advises Kelber.

Since volume is one of spring’s must-haves, Simpson says you can control where and how much body you build with a root spray like Goldwell’s Double Boost. “Use it to enhance root lift, then use the iron to create the bushy, sexy curls that are in style,” he says. “Finish by finger-cushioning the ends. Hold them with the thumb and forefinger and slightly separate them after curling.”

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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