Archive for the ‘Hair Care’ Category

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Hair Color Ideas | Home Hair Highlighting Tips

Monday, March 29th, 2010

Hair Color

The most important thing to consider before coloring your hair is to decide what color is best suited to your hair type and skin complexion. The hair color most suited for you depends upon your complexion and the easiest way to decide is to perform a strand test. Color in one strand of your hair on the back of your neck to decide how suitable the color is for you. If you’re happy with the results, then you can go ahead and color the rest of your hair. Highlighting your hair will give you a bold new look and can turn any simple hairstyle into a bold and dramatic one. If you are highlighting your hair at home, there are a number of highlighting products in the market to choose from. In addition to the color best suited to your skin tone, you need to determine what kind highlights will suit your length of hair. Length of hair will also decide the kind of highlighting kit you have to purchase. For instance, if you have short hair, you should procure a highlighting kit that contains a cap and a hook. For longer hair, on the other hand, you may require a highlighting kit that contains a special application brush to paint the highlights into your long hair strands.

Tips for Highlighting Hair at Home

You must also decide the overall effect that you are aiming for with highlights. A subtle effect requires subtle highlight shades that are only two or three shades lighter than your skin tone. For a dramatic look, you can choose from bold red or blonde streaks for your hair. Ensure that your hair is completely dry before coloring to ensure the best results. Highlighting is most effective on a day that you have not washed your hair and when it still retains some natural oils. The natural oils in your hair will help protect it from damage while coloring. Ensure that you color your hair in a spot that is easy to clean afterwards. The bathroom is perhaps most effective, but wherever you decide to highlight your hair in your home, ensure that you take necessary precautions to avoid making a mess. Wear an old shirt while highlighting your hair so that you don’t worry about ruining it. Keep a few old towels handy to wrap your shoulders or to protect the dressing table top or other surfaces that you may be working near.

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How to Restore Shine to Hair through Hair Oils

Monday, March 29th, 2010

Causes for Dull Hair

There are several reasons why hair may lose its natural shine and become dull and lifeless. One of the main causes for dull hair is improper hair maintenance. Your hair is exposed to several pollutants everyday and in addition, sweat and other skin secretions tend to build up on your scalp. A proper hair care routine is thus essential to help protect your hair’s natural texture and shine and to help prevent various other hair related problems. A proper hair care regiment includes choosing the right hair products and maintaining a healthy diet. Ensure that you use a mild shampoo and don’t wash your hair more than twice a week. Harsh shampoos and excessive shampooing makes the hair lose essential moisture, causing it to appear dull and lifeless. In addition, ensure that you eat plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits that are rich in minerals and proteins to help keep your hair healthy. Avoid using excessive heat to style your hair as this could also lead to dull and lifeless hair.

Restoring Shine With Hair Oils

In addition to these styling tips, there are several home remedies you can try to help restore shine to your hair.One of the most effective treatments for dull hair is hair oil treatment. Hair oils help restore shine to your hair and provide natural conditioning that repairs any damage.

Olive oil is very effective in treating dull hair and restoring its lost shine. Mix together ½ cup of olive oil and at least five drops of lavender, chamomile essential oil or frankincense. After rinsing your hair with warm water, apply the oil mixture to your hair. The oil mixture should be warmed prior to application for best results. Gently massage the oil mixture into your hair using your fingertips until your hair is covered from the roots to the tip. Now cover your head with a thin cloth or plastic bag and allow the oil to stay in your hair for at least thirty minutes. Now wash your hair and style it as usual. This will effectively restore shine and vitality to your hair.

Coconut oil is also very effective in the treatment of dull, dry hair. Warm some coconut oil by placing it in a bowl of hot water. Massage the oil into your hair and wash it off the next morning using a gentle shampoo and style it as usual. This treatment will help restore shine and strength to your hair.

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Hair Dying Tips

Monday, March 29th, 2010

Tips for Dying Your Hair at Home

Dying your hair is a simple way to cover up grays and to give yourself a new look. However, before dying your hair, there are several things you need to consider. There are several brands of hair dye available, including natural hair dyes and you can either dye your hair at home or seek professional help. The most important decision to be made before dying your hair is to choose the color most suited to you. This is important because your hair color needs to complement your skin tone. In addition, colored hair requires a great deal of maintenance and your choice of color will determine the extent of maintenance required. It is also essential to consider how suitable hair dye is for your skin as you may very well be allergic to various chemicals that hair dyes contain. Therefore, before purchasing hair dye or visiting your stylist, make sure that you take certain things into account. Ask your stylist about what color best suits your skin tone.

For instance, warm gold or red is best suited for skin tones that are ashy or olive. If you are coloring your hair at home, then you can perform a ‘strand test’ to estimate how suitable a color is for your skin tone. Color a strand of hair from the back of your neck with the hair dye and then assess the results. Similarly, to ensure that you don’t have an allergic reaction to the hair dye, perform a ‘patch test’ on your skin before dying your hair. It is important to ask your hair stylist to do the same before coloring your hair at a saloon. Dying your hair also involves proper maintenance. Hair dyes may be permanent or semi-permanent. Semi-permanent hair dye will wash out eventually, while permanent hair dye lasts longer.

However, proper maintenance is what determines how long even permanent hair dye will last. To preserve your hair color effectively, it is important to ensure that you use hair products intended for colored hair after dying your hair. Use a shampoo and conditioner designed for colored hair to help prevent your hair from damage and to help retain its color. Color tends to fade in the sun and you should make sure that your hair is well protected when you step outdoors. Always keep your hair well covered when you are out in the sun to prevent your hair color from fading.

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How to Get Rid of Nits in Hair using Home Remedies

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010

Difference between Head Lice and Nits

The eggs laid by head lice are known as nits. Nits are sometimes confused with dandruff as they are very tiny and hard to detect properly. These eggs become attached firmly to the hair shaft and hence are quite difficult to get rid of. Nits will hatch in about a week’s time and new lice are born. Head lice spread very quickly from contact with other individuals who have lice. The can also spread through clothing and other personal belongings. Girls are more prone to developing head lice than boys.

In case there are only nits visible and no head lice, simply washing the hair with shampoo and then removing the nits using a nit comb may prove beneficial. It is important to keep in mind, however, that it is usually difficult to detect lice and if new nits keep appearing, it is possible that lice may also be present. One can also pick out the nits and lice using a fine tooth comb and tweezers. This is a time consuming method and it may take up to several days to get rid of all the nits and lice. Combing out the nits must also be done when an anti-lice shampoo is used. This is because such shampoos do not destroy the eggs.

Home remedies to get rid of nits and head lice

Home remedies to get rid of nits and head lice involve smothering the head lice by applying certain substances to the hair. Some popular natural remedies include application of mayonnaise, petroleum jelly and olive oil. Any one of these may be applied to the hair and kept on overnight after wearing a shower cap. The hair can then be washed the next morning and combed thoroughly to remove the lice. The process may then be repeated after ten days. This tends to be a very messy process and its effectiveness is not guaranteed. Some people believe that the smothering as such is not effective and it is the combing out of the nits and lice that really does the trick.

There are also some herbal remedies that are known to help in removing nits and head lice. Essential oils such as tea tree oil are believed to be effective in treating lice, although its use it not recommended in young children.  Another natural remedy involves the use of almonds. Ten to twelve almonds may be soaked in water and then a paste may be prepared. After adding a few drops of lemon juice to the paste, it may be applied to the scalp and allowed to dry for a couple of hours. This is known to work well in removing nits and lice.

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Caring for Your Hair Texture and Type

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010

Everyone desires hair that is lustrous and thick, but the truth of the matter is that the texture of the hair differs from individual to individual. The good news is that no matter what your hair type, by taking a few important measures, you can ensure that hair remains healthy and looks its best at all times.

Maintaining good hygiene of the scalp and hair is the most important step in case of all hair types.

Shampoo - One must use a mild shampoo that is gentle on the scalp and does not strip the hair of its natural moisture. Herbal shampoos are advisable, as they do not contain any chemical ingredients. However, washing the hair excessively is not advisable.

Oily hair - Oily hair may be washed on alternate days, while normal to dry hair can be washed twice or thrice a week. On other days the hair can just be rinsed with lukewarm water. Hair must also be conditioned as this helps to keep the hair soft and shiny. Oily hair requires conditioning just about once or twice a week. Another tip for oily hair is to rinse with a solution of tea, vinegar and lemon juice. This will reduce the greasiness of the hair.

Dry and frizzy hair - Dry and frizzy hair may be conditioned everyday and a deep conditioning treatment may be done once weekly. Dry hair also benefits from hot oil treatments. A combination scalp can be conditioned more frequently. The conditioner should only be applied to the ends of the hair. Dry hair tends to become rough and frizzy very easily and as such styling appliances and harsh hair products must be avoided. Also protect such hair from exposure to sun and wind.

Fine hair - Fine hair benefits from a good haircut. Layered, tapered, angled or bob cuts are very flattering for fine hair. Volume may be added to fine hair by using mousse or gel. Blow drying the hair when upside down also helps to add volume.

Frizzy hair - Frizzy hair is prone to dryness and the ends are especially prone to splitting. As such regular trimming is very important. Frizzy hair must also be patter dry, rather than rubbing with a towel. Leave-in conditioners help to tame frizzy hair and keep it manageable.

Thick hair - Thick hair is usually very easy to manage and looks good with any hairstyle. However, thick hair also requires proper care. Thick hair can get dry quite often and hence proper conditioning is essential.

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