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Hair Care Questions Answered
Do you really need to trim hair every 6-8 weeks to keep it healthy?
NO. NYC salon owner John Barrett says, "If you take good care of your hair, you can go three months (12 weeks) between cuts. If you're growing your hair out, avoid the salon even longer. You'll never grow it out if you're in the stylist's chair that often!" Exception: if you have a short cut, you may need frequent trims to keep the shape.
Do volumizing shampoos work?
NO. Volumizing shampoos are lighter, which can provide a good start to your style. But "95% of volume is achieved from a product and blowout," says Lyle. A hair dryer, big round brush and root lifter spray are a must for high-volume styles; no cutting corners on this one.
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Should I use a dry shampoo?
YES. While dry shampoos don't give you a complete cleansing, the powders absorb excess oil on your scalp for a quick refresher between washes, saving you time and damage by eliminating washing. Barrett adds, "It's is a fantastic styling aid to add body, texture and volume to clean wispy hair.
One of the new incarnations of dry shampoo from Bumble and Bumble is so popular, it's often sold out for months. Grab it, if you find it!
Do vitamin supplements have any effect on hair?
YES. Chiccine recommends Biotin, which is a vitamin that encourages cell growth in both your hair and nails. "Biotin can be found at the vitamin store, and you can look for shampoos with it if hair thinning or slow growth is a concern of yours," says Chiccine.
Is $25 shampoo really worth it?
YES. "Expensive shampoos contain fewer sulfates, the detergents that strip the hair of its natural oils and color," says expert Jennifer J. "Also, high-end shampoos use finer ingredients at higher concentrations, so a little goes a long way," adds Jeffrey Lyle, Senior Stylist at Boston's Emerge Spa & Salon.
I've heard that rinsing hair before swimming reduces chlorine damage. True?
YES. "You don't want chlorinated water to be the first thing that your hair soaks up," says Jennifer J., Owner of Beverly Hills' Juan Juan Salons. Rinsing your hair with water first prevents chlorine absorption. The ultimate protection is combing conditioner through your hair and topping with a swim cap, advises J.
Is oil the best treatment for damaged hair?
NO. In fact, you may be doing big damage if your hair is colored. Rona O'Connor, Colorist at LuKaRo Salon of Beverly Hills warns, "Never put oil on your hair -- it will strip your color! When we fade colors in the salon purposely, we use hot oil." Oil mixtures can contain acidic ingredients, which strip color. Protein treatments are the most effective for damaged tresses.
Do I need a full 15 minutes for a deep conditioner to work?
NO. "Any amount of time you can dedicate to deep conditioning is good. It's better than nothing -- just like exercise," says Amy Abramite, Creative Director of Chicago's Maxine Salon. Wrapping hair in a warm damp towel "will open the cuticle so your hair accepts the conditioner quicker," says Abramite.
My stylist says to wash my hair only once a week. Is this a good idea?
YES. The natural oils in your scalp provide the best conditioning treatment for your hair. But is this practical? Only for those with very dry hair, says celeb stylist Lea Journo. Journo advises clients to go four days max without washing in order to naturally condition their hair without over-doing it.
Do sunscreen sprays for hair work?
NO. Sunscreen sprays can't hurt, but aren't proven to help. Sun Protection Factor (SPF) is measurable on skin, not hair. NYC salon owner Lisa Chiccine says it's more important to coat hair with a spray-on or leave-in conditioner so there's a physical barrier between the sun rays and your strands.
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taramama3 2009-07-04 12:41:20
Why does the hand holding the scissors o nly have one long nail? Yes trim your h air every eight weeks, whether it be sl ightly or the growth of an inch per 8 w eeks. But remember depending on medicat ion, age, and health, and texture, and conditon, hair growth may not be a 1/2 inch per/month. Young childrens' hair growth is about 3/4 inch to an inch a m onth, and elders slow down to a 1/2 inc h every 7 weeks, due to blood circulati on. They also shed skin cells at a slow er rate, and lose pigment in the skin tone. Thin hair has a tendencey to have split ends and will break off more rea dily, it is important to treat it gentl y for those that want long hair. Baby i t. Trim slightly every 8 weeks, and you will have long hair. And take your vi tiamins, Mom was right. Thick hair shou ld be trimmed every 6 weeks to maintain a style, or if growing it long, every 10 weeks will due. It does not have a t endency to split. And as the luck has i t, ti will seem to grow faster than thi n hair. And Please use a professional s hampoo, no use trying to let it grow, i f you going to ******* with Coment clea nser. I am a cosmetologist of 23 yea rs.
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ohringen 2009-07-04 12:30:14
This article does not refer to specific hair in general such as Asian, Cauc, La tino, Indian, Negro, etc. All hair is d ifferent and therefore has different re quirements. I am a salon owner in Houst on and have done hair for over 40 years . I am not selling or endorsing any pro duct here either, so here goes. Hair gr ows approx one half inch per month. By trimming a quarter inch every six week s to eight weeks speeds up the process and keeps the hair growing faster. Mos t women now a days look like old hags w ith their long stringy hair because cha ins are more interested in selling prod uct than cutting hair. Most chains cann ot give you a decent hair cut period! Remember those beautiful hair cuts wom en used to wear? I do not consider a po ney tail a cut or a style. About that 3 0 dollar shampo being better than other shampo is like comparing a Dior dress to one bought in a department store. I know women who use a $3.00 shampo and their hair is beatiful because they ta ke care of it. They eat right, conditi on, and get a trim every six weeks beca use the cut is also very important. A cut is the most important thing with ha ir. Even long hair needs cut and style.
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roro75 2009-07-04 12:17:00
I disagree with the vitamin claims. Hair is DEAD, no type of vitamin will help it. If you give a dead person vitamins does it help? of course not. Vitamins w ill however, help your scalp because it is living.
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icetoheat 2009-07-04 12:13:07
Yes! Hair should be trimmed every 8 week s. Hair grown on average 1/2 inch a mon th. If you have short hair, that 1 inch (in 8 weeks) will make a whole lot of difference in the style. Lets not forge t ablout split ends too!!
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icetoheat 2009-07-04 12:09:51
Yes! Hair should be trimmed every 8 week s. Hair grown on average 1/2 inch a mon th. If you have short hair, that 1 inch (in 8 weeks) will make a whole lot of difference in the style. Lets not forge t ablout split ends too!!
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