HAIR SHEDDING

Hair goes through a natural growth cycle throughout our lives. At any given time the majority of hair fibers are actively growing, while a small number of hair follicles have shed their hairs to take a short break, causing hair fall. As we age, the number of hair follicles that go on break increases, which can lead to noticeably thinner-looking hair. Studies show us that for women, this process begins around age 40. Hair also sheds 75 to 150 strands per day.
Hair damage can also contribute to hair fall. With extensive hair damage, the fibers can begin to break apart. When that happen a deep moisturerizing conditioner would help.

THETHREE LAYERS OF HAIR

Each hair on your head is made beneath the surface of your skin in a little bulbous structure called a follicle. There, a clump of cells called the papilla, at the base of the follicle, produces the keratinous cells that become a strand of hair. The papillae get good supplies of food and oxygen, since they are well furnished with blood vessels, on which the growth and health of every hair depends. When, for any reason, circulation to your scalp is decreased or interfered with, the papillae get fewer nutrients and less oxygen than they need, and your hair suffers. The function of a follicle is to produce keratin, just as your pancreas produces insulin or your stomach hydrochloric acid. The follicle also contains an oil gland, which produces oil to coat each hair and to protect it from water loss. How efficiently and how well it does this depends on a number of things such as the level of androgenic and estrogenic hormones in your system, your genetic inheritance, and your general health.
You are born with more than 90,000 follicles. This number doesn’t change. If the amount of hair on your head changes, it is because some or most of these follicles are not working properly or have shut down, not because they disappear or because you don’t have enough.
Each strand of hair, or hair shaft, can be divided into three basic layers: the outside, which is called the cuticle; the medulla, at the center; and the cortex, made up of complicated amino-acid chains, in between. The cuticle serves as your hair’s protective coating: It guards against excessive evaporation of water (just as the stratum corneum does for your skin). It is made up of a transparent, hard keratin formation that is itself layered.
These layers overlap, like the tiles on a roof or fish scales. When they lie flat and smooth against the hair shaft, the hair shaft refracts light beautifully and your hair looks shiny. When they are peeling or damaged or raised, each hair doesn’t catch the light, so your hair lacks sheen and looks flat and dull. The cuticle provides 35 percent of your hair’s elastic strength.
The threadlike cortex, just beneath the cuticle, contains the pigment granules, which give your hair its color. The cortex is softer than the cuticle, yet it provides 65 percent of the hair’s elastic strength. It is also the thickest part of the hair. If the amino-acid chains that make up the cortex break up as a result of too harsh treatment from hair dyes, dryers, highly alkaline shampoos, or overprocessing, then you end up with weak and brittle hair that splits easily and breaks off. The most common manifestation of poor cortex condition is the familiar split ends.
The hair shaft’s innermost layer, the medulla, is made up of very soft keratin, and in many people there is even a hollow center. It appears to transport nutrients and gases to the other layers of the hair and may be the means by which your hair is so rapidly affected by changes in your body’s condition. But as yet not a great deal is understood about the biological functions of the medulla.

HOW TO MAINTAIN UR LACE WIG

You want to look good; you've bought a new wig and are all ready for the grand makeover. In all the joy of trying out the new look you forget to enquire how to keep your good wig looking great. Well, here's how you can keep your lace wig in perfect condition.

Lace wigs are lightweight, comfortable and give you the perfect look.
When you first receive the lace wig put your hands inside the wig and give it a gentle shake. This will loosen and open out hair. If the hair is straight use a wig brush to gently comb it through. If it is a curly wig, simply run your fingers through the hair.

Washing
You can wear your lace wigs for up to 30 wearing or 6 weeks depending on the adhesive used. If you use the wig in harsher environments like strong direct sunlight or smoky conditions you must wash the wig more often. The best way to know when your wig needs a wash is if it gets sticky, tangled and seems lifeless. It's just like your own hair so you will know when it is time.
Gently brush the wig at the bottom to untangle any knots. Soak the wig for a few minutes and then wash with a wig shampoo in the washbasin. Never out it in the washing machine. End with a rinse. Be gentle at all times.

Drying
To dry, pat the wig with a towel. Remember, never wring the hair or else it will loose shape. Don't air dry it or comb when dripping wet as well. Hang the wig on a wig stand to dry. You can spray a wig conditioner and then gently use your fingers to smoothen it out.

Use Proper Products
Your lace wigs have been treated with care. You must use only dedicated and specially formulated wig care products like shampoos, conditioners and brushes.
Often you may come across certain products, which are advertised as being mild and delicate like baby care products for example. These are definitely not suitable for your wigs. They may actually make your wig dull and loose their colour.
Do not use hairbrushes with nylon bristles especially on curly wigs. The curls will open out. Avoid hairspray, mousse and permanent hair colors as well. Also remember to use the products correctly and in right quantities.

Avoid Damaging Agents
Excessive heat and cold can play havoc with your wig. Avoid direct heat from ovens, blow dryers and clothes dryers, hot boiling water, barbeques and such objects. You can wear a cloth on your head to minimize any effect. If you are caught in the rain, snow or steam like conditions just wait for your wig to dry before you do anything.

Avoid Friction
It is preferred that you remove your wig when sleeping. Friction with the pillow or high furniture, car headrests etc can cause wear and tear and cut short the life of your wig. Just bear these points in mind and you can have great looking lace wigs that last for a long time.

Hairstyles for women of color

Black Hairstyles
Black hairstyles have come a long way since hot irons and jerry curls.  Beautiful black men and women have plastered the covers of magazines with trendy, sleek and sophisticated natural black hairstyles.  From kinky curls, locks and braids to relaxed sleek and straight styles, (only to mention a few) the looks are limitless.  The versatility of black hair allows for a range of looks and styles to suit every one`s tastes.  With celebrities like Beyonce, Halle Berry, and Gabrielle Union setting the stage for trendy looks, access to the right products and tools is crucial in attaining the up-to-date black hair styles that are making heads turn.
As we all know, black hair can be very, very dry.  Having a great hydrating conditioner or lotion is key to giving your beautiful strands and that perfect black hairstyle, some tender loving care and shine.  Finding the perfect style for your age, face and lifestyle can work wonders, not only for your looks, but your social life as well.  Keep in mind your personal hair needs, your lifestyle demands and your expense account.  With the wide range of great black hair products available, there is little need to spend exorbitant amounts of money on your hair.  Although, there are ranges in product quality, choose what your hair needs, not what is the trend.
Needless to say, not all of us are blessed with natural black hair that makes us look like top models, but thanks to the popularity and affordability of wigs and weaves,

Women's Black Hairstyles
Not so far behind us, African American women were best known for having the tightest braids, neatest dreads or nicest weaves, but thanks to amazing hair products, one no longer has to do a double take and wonder if ‘her hair is real’.   For many black women, the question of what to do with their hair is common but today, some of the hippest, trendiest and most beautiful hair styles belong to those of women of color.   Black hair styles for women range from updos to letting the hair fall loosely in all its natural glory.  If ones hair is an extremely curly type 4, a picked out mini afro is neat, classy and timeless. African American hairstyles such as buns, ponytails, updo’s or anything else that puts a strain on the front or nape of the hairline should not be kept in the same style for more than 7 days.  Even a full head of thick hair can become thinned if pulled too tightly.  The more weaves, braids and cornrows one puts in her hair, the more damage will be caused.  A temporary style with a wig or weave is always a cute look but at the end of the day, one might want to sport natural black hairstyles instead and show they really love their roots.     

Mataining healthy hair while colored

Permanent hair colors are the harshest for hair, and pose the most potential health risk .Whenever possible, choose temporary, semi-permanent, demi-permanent, and natural dyes.

Glossary of Dye Types

• Permanent hair colors change the natural pigment found within your hair.
• Demi-permanent color enriches color, adds shine, and blends gray. With its lower levels of hydrogen peroxide and artificial color molecules, this service has less structural impact on your hair than permanent color, and it gradually fades over a period of four to six weeks.
• Semi-permanent color stains your hair shaft and covers gray but fades after six to eight shampoos.

Consider a natural color service or one that uses lower levels of hydrogen peroxide or developers, along with colors that have a lower dye lot.
 
Natural and Herbal Color Rinses
Certified organic henna and plant materials can also color your hair, but with a more gentle and natural approach, since they contain no synthetic chemicals, preservatives, or harsh oxidizing chemicals, such as ammonia. These pure vegetable products do not alter the structure or natural color of your hair and actually condition your hair while imparting color and sheen. No matter what you have heard, these products have come a long way.
You can create a wide variety of plant pigment color rinses yourself. These concoctions do not create radical hair color change, but instead accentuate your hair’s natural tone and shine. If your hair is less than 15 percent gray, some plants will disguise the gray. In these cases, the product actually stains your hair, although very subtly. Cumulative usage creates longer-lasting, slightly more intense results. You can repeat the application as often as desired, depending on the color level you prefer.
 
If You Do Color …
Remember this advice for keeping colored hair as healthy as possible:

• Protect and condition your hair and scalp regularly.
• Don’t stray far from your natural level and tone. Dramatic color changes require more upkeep, since outgrowth becomes very obvious very soon. (This also applies to texture services.)
• Follow your stylist’s recommendations for home-care regimen.
• Color-enhancing shampoos do work, helping you hold on to your desired color between salon or at-home color treatments, so do try them out.
• Be especially vigilant about protecting chemically treated and naturally colored hair from the sun.
• The less you chemically process your hair, the more healthy it remains

How To Maintain A healthy Curly Weave

1. Cleanse with a sulfate-free shampoo. Just like natural curly hair, curly weave hair tends to be dryer than other textures. To help minimize excessive dryness and damage caused by traditional shampoos, try a sulfate-free formula. Sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate are the ingredients responsible for creating lots of bubbles and lather, but they also strip the hair of essential oils and can cause damage to the follicle, shortening the lifespan of your weave. A gentle non-sulfate shampoo gets the hair clean while maintaining moisture levels.
2. Detangle gently. To keep your curly weave looking good for longer, regular detangling is necessary. Section the hair into three or four sections and clip it up. Focusing on one section at a time, gently comb the weave with a wide-tooth or shower comb. Start from the bottom and work your way up to the track. A leave-in conditioning detangler may help the comb glide through the weave easier.
3. Avoid blow drying. To prevent frizz and dryness, let your curly weave air dry naturally after washing or wetting. If this is not an option, invest in an ionic hair dryer with an attached diffuser. According to Naturally Curly, diffusers use heat to gently dry hair without the strong force of a typical blow dryer. "You get the benefits of diffused air along with ionic technology, which seals and smooths the cuticle. It helps prevent frizziness while maintaining the curl
4. Condition well. Curly hair tends to require more moisture, and curly weave is no exception to the rule. Keep your weave well hydrated by using thick, moisturizing conditioners every time you shampoo. For deeper hydration, apply a moisturizing hair mask or deep conditioner to the weave at least once a week. To boost absorption, sit under a warm dryer with a shower cap over the head, or wrap the hair in a warm, moist towel for 10 to 20 minutes.
5. Use a silicone product to contain frizz. products containing silicones help reduce friction from combing, reduce static electricity, soften the hair and improve curl retention. They also impart a glossy, healthy-looking sheen to the hair while preventing frizz. Once you've styled your curly weave, apply a small amount of a silicone serum or spray to help extend the style. Look for products containing dimethicone or cyclomethicone.

How To Shampoo Dreadlocks

How To Shampoo Dreadlocks

Shampooing your dreadlocks can take place in the shower if they are extremely long. You will need a few things however keep in mind that there are manufactorer that make wonderful shampoos just for dreadlocks.

• 2 towels
• deep cleansing shampoo
• moisturizing shampoo
• leave in conditioner
• antiseptic (seabreeze)
• Spray moisturizer
• pomade for palm-rolling

Shampoo Dreadlocks Instructions.

If there is a dandruff issue, gently scratch scalp to loosen scaly skin from scalp. Use dandruff shampoo on scalp after completely saturating hair with water and let it sit for 5-10 minute to treat scalp

1. Proceed to shampoo the dreadlocks with deep cleansing shampoo. You will be doing alot of squeezing and shampooing to thoroughly move shampoo thorough out the hair for 5-10 minutes. Depending on hair density.(thickness)
2. Rinse well.
3. Proceed to second shampoo with moisturising shampoo. Hair should really lather up this time and remove any left over dry skin, lint or, perspiration. While shampoo is in your hair pour in antiseptic and continue to shampoo. Let sit for 5-7 minutes to remove all odors and bacteria.
4. Rinse well. I know this feels good but rinse :) If you like use more after rinse and leave in.
5. Wrap hair with towels to absorb all moisture. Squeeze until all water is removed.
6. Use spray bottle for leave in conditioner if liquid form. Rub leave in cream forms in with hands.
7. Spray moisturizers onto hair to prevent excessive breakage and brittle hair.
8. Palm roll with favorite wax or pomade

PREVENTING DAMAGE

Preventing Damage

Damage to the hair is usually caused by heat (irons, blow drying, curlers, heat lamps, etc.), U.V. rays (Sun, lights, tanning beds), mechanical devices (combs, brushes, curling irons, etc.), chemicals (color, perms, relaxers, pool chemicals, the air, etc), or poor diet (specifically -lack of proteins and essential fatty acids).

Here are some ways to prevent or "help" prevent damage to your hair:

1) Use a thermal protector when using heat. 

2) Do not blow dry the hair completely dry. Leave a little moisture in.

3) Use a conditioner with U.V. protectors built in.

4) Use a low or no ammonia hair color.

5) Air oxidize perms instead of using the neutralizer.

6) Never brush wet or damp hair. Use a wide toothed comb.

7) On dry hair use a boars hair brush and start at the ends and work up.

8) Clarify your hair after you swim.

9) Blow dry on the "cool" setting.

10) Eat protein rich foods (chicken, fish, nuts) - Eat foods rich in essential fatty acids (not from animal sources [they contain cholesterol]-only from botanical sources)