Look on the red carpet and you will find hairstyles from almost every era…modernized! The 20’s brought short, close bobs. The 30’s, waves were in. In the 40’s hair got longer with curls or updos and sexy bangs. 50’s brought soft touchable hair, 80’s were wet and wild and the 90’s we chopped it all off again…so that we could grow it out again starting around 2010. Now with our longer tresses…we slick them all back into sleek ponytails.
In order to have hair to play with in so many fashions, it needs to be plentiful, healthy and shiny. Color doesn’t matter as we can dye it, and if we naturally have straight hair we will end up curling it, and if it is kinky or curly we will end up wanting to straighten it…so with all of the processing involved to get the latest look we want, let’s start with healthy hair…plenty of it!
First of all we need to start with our scalp. A clean, healthy scalp has no oil and built up debris such as dead skin cells clogging the entrance to the hair follicles. Shampoos and conditioners without sulfates (which make all that lather) and that do contain small amounts of vitamin E and coconut oil or other skin softeners that do not cause buildup keep the skin supple. However, the follicles themselves need to keep well fed in order to produce a thick, shiny hair shaft. One treatment for thinning hair and male or female hair loss treatment actually stimulates the blood flow directly around the bulb or base of the follicle. This brings a fresh supply of nutrients to the area that produces each hair. The Nutreve Personal Hair Therapy Laser is the latest laser hair brush and has the maximum number of lasers, a comfortable head and handle and runs on rechargeable batteries so your device is as portable as a regular hair brush! It also has a hands-free stand that lets you test or make calls, read, sew or whatever while you use your laser hair comb for the 15-20 minutes every other day.
Preventing heat damage is another way to ensure healthy hair. Our blow dryers, flatirons and straighteners all break the cuticle or covering of each hair. A great moisturizing shampoo and conditioner can coat the hair strands so that damage is minimized. The best have vitamins A and C and can be applied before we get our blowout! Frizzies can make hair look less shiny, but there are new keratin products that can safely repair damaged cuticle for a few months. This helps to combat breakage from excess combing and brushing as well. Newer blow dryers have ionizing properties and flat irons now come with moisturizing steam like a steam iron does. Sun, salt and chlorine can be harmful too, so wear a hat and rinse hair promptly after a trip to the pool or beach.
There are shine boosters that spray on (use just a little!) and spritzers that visually volumize our hair. These create body and a bouncy, tousled look which makes hair look thicker and allows it to move which always looks more youthful. (Think of grandma with her perfectly coiffed helmet.) Creams that volumize and anything that we add to our hair can damage it or weigh it down if over used, so use sparingly! Hair coloring is another culprit that can damage hair if overdone, although it does make hair look thicker. Just getting your roots touched up to hide gray is a more hair-friendly way to go. Touch up kits, sprays and even mascara type wands of color are smart alternatives.
For those of us that need a female hair loss treatment for thinning or balding that can go along with the natural hair loss treatment offered by laser hair therapy, there is minoxidil (Rogaine). The two products can be used simultaneously without any interference. Laser hair therapy and this female thinning hair treatment drug are safe on any hair type and any ethnicity. Please check with your doctor or dermatologist before taking any medications orally, however. The rest of the fixes I mentioned are available in salons, stores or on the internet and work to help us keep, or help us get an amazing head of hair that will support ANY style!
