Hair 101

SO I started to write some in depth responses to some of the questions I received on my FB page... and realized that I was trying to explain a lot of things that not everyone will understand the significance of. SO. I decided to do a quick post explaining a little about the hair shaft itself.

There are 3 parts, layers if you will, in the hair.

1. Medulla- The inner most layer of the hair, also known as the pith or marrow. This really does nothing for the hair. In fact it is absent in most fine hair. We don't really need to worry about that layer.

2. Cortex- The second, or middle layer of the hair. This layer is made of a unique protein structure known as keratin (it is the base for hair, skin, and nails).This is also where the pigment (color molecules) are held. This is the muscle of the hair and probably the most important.

3. Cuticle- The outer layer of the hair. It is made up of over lapping translucent scales. Imagine shingles on a house roof. This layer protects the hair to an extent from outside forces. Also, the first layer to get "blown apart" when we use bleach or heat or sun or anything else damaging to the hair.


One more thing. The hair's two most important factors in heath and repairing damage are MOISTURE and KERATIN PROTEIN. It is hard to tell sometimes what one your hair is lacking when damaged. But your hair stylist should be able to analyze your hair and prescribe the correct treatment, moisture or protein based.

I will most likely go further in depth with all of this in future posts. For now I feel like this is a good building block :)

#1 What's The Best Way To Grow Out My Hair?

There are several things that will help your hair grow out the most healthy and the fastest.

1. GET IT CUT! Who would have thought that getting your hair cut is probably the #1 way to keep your locks growing long? It's true! I'm sure you have heard your hairdresser say that trimming makes your hair grow faster and look less stringy at the bottom, this isn't completely true. As the hair gets longer the ends get older, more damage, and well picked on more. The hair actually starts to break off because of split ends due to all damage from life. When you trim off the ends every 6-8 weeks it stops the split ends from going up and eventually breaking off, making it seem like your hair is growing faster. If you have layers ask your hairdresser to "tip" them to keep them heathy as they are growing.

2. HEAT PROTECTANT! If you use ANY type of heat on your hair, blow dryer, straightner, curling iron, hot rollers, or anything else that is well... hot, you need to be using a heat protectant. It seals the Cuticule (the outer layer of hair that looks like shingles on a roof) down so that all the moisture and protine says in the hair. Without it the cuticle is blown open and moisture especially is dried out. Any PROFESHONAL product (anything sold in a salon) is water soluble. This means that you will have no product build up on the hair shaft because as soon as it hits water it runs right off, allowing any treatments or color to penitrate, styles to last longer, and guess what?!?! It helps your hair not break off and get frizzy at the ends! Thus helping keep the length you have grown.
A few of my favorite products that work on almost any hair are Satinwear by Redkin and Super Skinny Serum by Paul Mitchell. Satinwear is reviewed as a 5 star product. It contains UV filters to protect color from fading, along with anti-oxidents to keep the good in and the bad out! This is my #1 choice for anyone who colors their hair. For anyone who doesn't color their hair or feels like you need a little more smoothing action Super Skinny Serum is the thing for you. This is reviewed 4 1/2 Star product even cuts down on blow drying time! It does this by penitrating deep into the hair shaft, removing water molicules (different from moisture) and constricting the hair to keep it out. Great for places with humidity :) Then it shines and protects the hair with a light weight silicone. Leaving the hair shiny and soft. :)

3. NIOXIN! This is a line that was first designed for chemo paitens that lost their hair. It helps with the recovory process. It since has been re-formulated to help with hair growth and keeping hair heathy. For people struggling with baulding, stress or pregnacy hair loss, unexplained hair loss, scalp disorders, itchy scalp, or just trying to keep hair and scalp heathy and growing.
It does this by deep cleaning the scalp and opening the hair foliculs. Breaking down sebum, product build up, and any other nasty stuff on the head and hair (trust me there are a lot!). Odd fact, if you have a bauld cadaver and you peal back the scalp there will be a web of hair that has grown! The hair lost it's exit point through the nasty folicules. So by keeping the scalp clean you're hair grows faster and stronger! Makes since right?!
They have a 3 step system, but you only need to use the Cleanser and Scalp Thearapy if you're trying to grow :) Add the 3rd step if you are worried about hair loss. I put my dad on the full system about 8 months ago... the results have been amazing! My Mom is enjoying it too ;)

So there you go! Try it out and let me know! These 3 steps will be the most simple and heplfull things in growing hair :)

Quick Tips!

So I would like to start doing some quick tips on here. I'm often answering questions about products, color, perms, styling, zits, make up, cuticles, and anything else you can think of! SO I figured it would be helpful to share as much knowledge as I can with you guys up front. I LOVE teaching.

So. Here's the deal. What do you have questions about? I'll give you the answer! If I don't know, well I'll resurch until I figure it out! So please post questions in a "comment" box in this post (or future posts) and I'll do my best to answer them all! :)

Thanks!

COLORS!!!!

Alison and I had so much fun I did the Purple and Green color and the tinstel. Alison did the pink and blue color and the feathers! :) Just fun pictures thought you'd enjoy!

Extentions!

Extentions!!!!

Thanks to Miss Ashley I got to try something new and it came out great! I think I want some now! lol I did color cut extentions and tenstel :) And now my hand is brused from the pliers. lol

PERM!!!!

Bottom picture is before... and the other three are durring and AFTER!!!

53 Orange rods and 52 Pink and 3 1/2 hours and 2 boxes of perms and this is what you get!

I was a little nervous seeing that I've never done a piggy back perm before.. but it worked!!!! My boss was so so ver impressed and couldn't stop saying good things to the point where she stoped and said, "Now I'm not trying to just feed your ego here". Olga my favorite Russin buddy who has been doing hair 27 years was saying that she had never seen a perm wrapped like that or come out so beautiful! Yay!!!!

Thanks to Krysta for helping me figure out the placement of the last rods... It was a team effort on this one!

Thank you LORD!!!!
I love my job :)

Please Pray?

Okay I need some prayer here!

I love love love my job. The people are great and this has no reflection on them at all.

BUT.

I'm sorounded in a world centered around beauty, outward beauty. Everything. Everywhere.

At times it consumes my thoughts. Weather about someone else or me. I find myself judging not only others but myself more and more on the outward apperance. This. Is. Not. Me.

Please pray I keep my head on straight. That I see the heart of the people around me and am able to bless them, not only by making them look better but making them feel loved. The kind of love that can only come from God.

Please pray for my own personal set of issues. A lot of old emotions of feeling un-beautiful (outside and now inside too) are quietly creeping back.

Thank you much!
God Bless!