HAIR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
STYLE GUIDE
- FASHION HOW TO:
- Swim for Every Body Type
- Look 5 Years Younger
- Dresses for Every Event
- How Not to Look Fat in a Skirt
- Wear a Wrap
- Spring Cleaning for Your Closet
- Shape Your Style Blog with Bradley Bayou and Emily Neill
- Shave Off Pounds with a Jacket
- HAIR & BEAUTY HOW TO:
- Avoid Self-Tanning Mistakes
- Beauty for Dummies
- Wear Colored Eyeliner
- Hair Myths and Truths
- Celeb Hair Secrets
- Spring Cleaning for Your Makeup Bag
- The Easiest Hair Style Ever!
- Christo's Guide for Going Curly
- Christo's Tips for Chopping Your Locks
- 10 Beauty Secrets You Can't Live Without
- Laurent D on Party Hair
- A Curly Girl's Guide to Hair
- Bravo's "Shear Genius"
- Summer Updos
- Mani and Pedi Trends
- Low Maintenance Hair for Spring
- LOOK FOR LESS
- Celeb Jeans
- STYLE BASICS VIDEOS
- Organizing Your Closet
- Handbags
- Office Chic
- Pack the Perfect Makeup Bag
- Spring Clean Your Closet
- Dressing for Your Body Type
- Shoes and Boots
- Must-Have Accesories
- Find the Perfect Jeans
- Add a Splash of Color
Hair 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.
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.
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.
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.
Biasion Studio, WireImage.com
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.
So many hair products claim to repair split ends. Can they?
NO. No product on the market can actually repair split ends, although some can temporarily fuse ends together for a smoother look. "Harsh reality: the best way to treat split ends is to cut them off," says Abramite.
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.
Recent Comments
vcponsardin 06:07:34 PM May 16 2008
Try not using any shampoo. For years I fell for all the marketing hype about shampoos. But a few years ago I tried NOT using shampoo and merely washed my hair in the shower with a clean wash cloth--nothing else. Guess what? My hair has never been healthier or cleaner. And my occasional dandruff disappeared as well. Shampoos are a waste.
Moogle0002 03:32:41 AM May 16 2008
I currently get my hair trimmed about every five months, and I have no major problems in between. If you are growing your hair out, there is no reason, like the article says, to get your hair cut every month and a half to two months. It will never get anywhere. Admittedly, my hair is completely undyed and I almost never use hair styling products (hence I have less damage,) but I honestly think that unless you are trying to maintain a certain hairstyle, space the cuts out more. Any more and you are wasting money.
Bendiss 01:35:21 AM May 16 2008
There is no reason AT ALL to buy salon shampoo for $25, there are plenty of fine shampoos at the drugstore including L'Oreal and Garnier Fructis. L'oreal is the biggest cosmetics company in the world and they use the EXACT same ingredients for all of their products whether in the salon or the drugstore. The difference isn't because of the ingredients, it's because of the COMMISSION they have to pay.
Gstringy94 01:18:53 AM May 16 2008
I have been doing hair for 26 years and I disagree with waiting 12 weeks to get a cut. If global warming isn't bad enough, imagine what this world is doing to your hair! Get a cut every 8 - 10 weeks TOPS! Save your stresses and NOT for your tresses! Isn't life hard enough? To my counterpart...You must be bald!
Revivalbliss44 09:32:41 PM May 15 2008
Some of these tips can be used for both Black and White. But I find that I can't treat my hair as a white person just because these tips don't work for me. For one I definitely need oil in my hair as I don't produce my own. I don't think most black people do. Especially the conditioning tips, and shampoo tips don't work for me. And the trimming tip! I find that trimming my hair helps. My hairdresser never cuts off more than 1/2". It sounds as if people are cutting of #".
hunnieaob 06:30:13 PM Apr 27 2008
This was suppose to be an article to help ALL people have healthier hair. I am mostly white, but I have really curly, coarse hair and I found that all these tips helped my hair. Come on people, must you make everything a black and white issue?
ladyecaramel 09:45:07 AM Apr 25 2008
Wow at the nappy hair comments, no matter what there al
klass13 03:41:48 AM Apr 25 2008
(cont) have learned to protect their hair with conditioners, hats, avoiding blow drying, heat protectors, etc., and hence, it's going to allow the hair to grow out strong, without needing trims based on the assumed 6-week period we are brainwashed into living by.
klass13 03:40:35 AM Apr 25 2008
A popular, well experienced hair stylist isn't going to be that far off or wrong about letting one's hair grow beyond the typical 6-week period, before ever getting it trimmed, if at all. Certainly, the stylist is basing it on experience, and I am related to people who have very long, thick, lush hair, but rarely got their hair trimmed. Their ends are as healthy as the base.
The fact is it is a general rule of thumb--not a hardcore must that every person on the planet MUST have it trimmed every 6 weeks, or else it won't grow or stay healthy and lush. That is a generalization. Typically, many hair stylists arguing this point, live in certain areas where the clients tend to "hold onto" the old 80s Aqua Net damaging hair styles, and condition their hair very little. Then, it is no wonder the stylists assume the hair is damaged if not trimmed every 6 weeks. But that has to do with individual lack of care on the client's part--NOT a standard human trait.
There are many women who
jerry3801 01:21:43 AM Apr 25 2008
i do not agree with NYC. on not getting your hair cut for longer than six weeks even if your growing your hair out. i have been a hairstylist for 23 yrs. and the woman today or 80 90's damage there hair by blow drying there hair every day. using a flat iron. using the wrong shampoo and to many products with alcohol. my clients get there hair cut between 4 to 6 weeks. and that should always be the rule. no matter what kind of hair you have. if your growing your hair out you should get your ends trim at least every 6 weeks. thanks
