Finding the right shampoo can be overwhelming with so many options to choose from, and it really gets complicated when you realize you should be picking a shampoo based on your hair type and texture. As you read this post hopefully it will resolve some of your woes.
Shampoo, no matter how exotic the ingredients, has the simple role of removing excess oils and build up of everyday pollutants and residue left over from hair care products. Because most of the oil is concentrated in the first few inches of the hair adjacent to the scalp, shampoo should be concentrated in this area with a lighter application applied further down the hair shaft.Conditioner plays the role of replenishing oils that have been removed from excessive styling and heat exposure and also serves as a protective barrier to future damage. It should be applied lightly in most cases in order to prevent build up which may cause the hair to be limp and lifeless.
The first step in choosing a shampoo or conditioner should be determining your hair type. Is your hair predominantly oily or dry? If your hair is excessively dry, you'll want to select a shampoo designed specifically for dry hair. These shampoos contain a higher level of essential fatty acids which bond to the hair shaft helping to retain moisture. It's also important to choose a shampoo that has a low pH, making it more acidic. Higher pH shampoos tend to open the hair cuticle allowing essential moisture to evaporate. A good conditioner will be important for the health of dry hair. Choose a moisturizing conditioner and use it religiously after every shampoo. Be sure to use a cool setting on your blow dryer if you have dry hair.
If you have oily hair, you'll want to select a shampoo with deep cleansing properties to remove the buildup of oils from your scalp which can cause hair to be limp and lacking in body. It's importnt that your shampoo not be excessively harsh since stripping the scalp completely of oils can result in the sebaceous glands overcompensating by producing even more oil. When choosing a conditioner, select one that is specifically designed for oily hair and apply conditioner only to the ends and dryer areas of your hair.
Is your hair excessively curly, kinky, or color treated? Curly hair responds best to a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner designed for dry hair, while kinky hair is best treated with a shampoo and conditioner that's high in protein. How can you tell if a shampoo is high in protein? Protein should be listed as one of the first ingredients on the bottle. There are specific shampoos and conditioners designed for color treated hair that help to prevent the color from changing or fading due to exposure to light or heat. These shampoos can be found in most salon stores at a reasonable price.
One warning, sometimes using the same shampoo, conditioner and other hair care products over a long period of time can result in excessive build up which causes the hair to be limp. This is where a clarifying shampoo can make a difference in your hair's appearance. A clarifying shampoo removes the buildup of hair care products that can weigh down your hair and causing it to be dull and greasy in appearance. Try using a clarifying shampoo once every 10 days to revive dull hair.
Finally, enlist the services of a good hair stylist to keep your locks looking their very best. He or she be glad to make recommendations on shampoos and conditioners that would work well with your particular hair and will help put you on the path to beautiful hair.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Monday, July 19, 2010
Hair Growth.........What Causes This Intresting Phenomena?
For those of you that have ever wondered how your hair grows, wonder no more.
Hair forms in a pouch-like structure below the skin called a hair follicle. What we see as hair is actually the hair shaft, which is the keratinized, hardened tissue that grows from this follicle. Us humans have more hair follicles per square inch of skin than most animals including chimps and gorillas.
Because most of this hair is fine and pale (called vellus hair), it usually isn't visible to the naked eye. Consider this: the forehead has more hair follicles than any other part of the body. The thicker, fully pigmented hair most people consider "real hair" is called terminal hair. This hair is found on scalp, eyebrows, legs, backs, underarms, and genital areas. This is the hair the LightSheer diode laser treats.
Everyone's hair grows differently, depending on age, weight, metabolism, hormones, ethnicity, medications, and other factors. But all hair goes through three distinct growth phases:
1) Active growth phase (called the anagen phase), which lasts up to several years. At any given time, the majority (85%) of our body hair is in this phase. During anagen, the hair has an abundance of melanin.
2) Regressive phase (catagen phase), which lasts about two weeks, during which the hair stops growing but is not yet shed. About 3 - 4% of our body hair is in this phase at any given time.
3) Resting phase (telogen phase), which lasts 5 - 6 weeks, at the end of which the hair falls out and a new hair begins to form. Approximately 10-13% of our body hair is in this phase at any one time.
Stay tunned, next we will discover what are the leading causes of hair loss.
From Purenvie
Hair forms in a pouch-like structure below the skin called a hair follicle. What we see as hair is actually the hair shaft, which is the keratinized, hardened tissue that grows from this follicle. Us humans have more hair follicles per square inch of skin than most animals including chimps and gorillas.
Because most of this hair is fine and pale (called vellus hair), it usually isn't visible to the naked eye. Consider this: the forehead has more hair follicles than any other part of the body. The thicker, fully pigmented hair most people consider "real hair" is called terminal hair. This hair is found on scalp, eyebrows, legs, backs, underarms, and genital areas. This is the hair the LightSheer diode laser treats.
Everyone's hair grows differently, depending on age, weight, metabolism, hormones, ethnicity, medications, and other factors. But all hair goes through three distinct growth phases:
1) Active growth phase (called the anagen phase), which lasts up to several years. At any given time, the majority (85%) of our body hair is in this phase. During anagen, the hair has an abundance of melanin.
2) Regressive phase (catagen phase), which lasts about two weeks, during which the hair stops growing but is not yet shed. About 3 - 4% of our body hair is in this phase at any given time.
3) Resting phase (telogen phase), which lasts 5 - 6 weeks, at the end of which the hair falls out and a new hair begins to form. Approximately 10-13% of our body hair is in this phase at any one time.
Stay tunned, next we will discover what are the leading causes of hair loss.
From Purenvie
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Common Causes of Dandruff
Dandruff can have several causes, including:
■Dry skin. Simple dry skin — the kind you get during winter when the air is cold and rooms are overheated — is the most common cause of itchy, flaking skin. Flakes from dry skin are generally smaller and less oily than those from other causes of dandruff.
■Irritated, oily skin (seborrheic dermatitis). This condition, a frequent cause of dandruff, is marked by red, greasy skin covered with flaky white or yellow scales. Seborrheic dermatitis affects not only your scalp but also other areas rich in oil glands, such as your eyebrows, the sides of your nose and the backs of your ears, your breastbone, your groin area, and sometimes your armpits.
■Not shampooing often enough. If you don't regularly wash your hair, oils and skin cells from your scalp can build up, causing dandruff.
■Psoriasis. This skin disorder causes an accumulation of dead skin cells that form thick silvery scales. Psoriasis commonly occurs on your knees, elbows and trunk, but it can also affect your scalp.
■Eczema. If you have eczema on your scalp, it's possible you could develop dandruff.
■Sensitivity to hair care products (contact dermatitis). Sometimes sensitivities to certain hair care products or hair dyes can cause a red, itchy, scaling scalp. Shampooing too often or using too many styling products also may irritate your scalp, causing dandruff.
■A yeast-like fungus (malassezia). Malassezia lives on the scalps of most healthy adults without causing problems. But sometimes it grows out of control, feeding on the oils secreted by your hair follicles. This can irritate the skin on your scalp and cause more skin cells to grow. The extra skin cells die and fall off, clumping together with oil from your hair and scalp, making them appear white, flaky and visible in your hair or on your clothes.
Exactly what causes an overgrowth of malassezia isn't known, although having too much oil on your scalp; changes in your hormones; stress; illness; neurological disorders, such as Parkinson's disease; a suppressed immune system; not shampooing often enough; and extra sensitivity to the malassezia fungus may contribute to the development of dandruff.
■Dry skin. Simple dry skin — the kind you get during winter when the air is cold and rooms are overheated — is the most common cause of itchy, flaking skin. Flakes from dry skin are generally smaller and less oily than those from other causes of dandruff.
■Irritated, oily skin (seborrheic dermatitis). This condition, a frequent cause of dandruff, is marked by red, greasy skin covered with flaky white or yellow scales. Seborrheic dermatitis affects not only your scalp but also other areas rich in oil glands, such as your eyebrows, the sides of your nose and the backs of your ears, your breastbone, your groin area, and sometimes your armpits.
■Not shampooing often enough. If you don't regularly wash your hair, oils and skin cells from your scalp can build up, causing dandruff.
■Psoriasis. This skin disorder causes an accumulation of dead skin cells that form thick silvery scales. Psoriasis commonly occurs on your knees, elbows and trunk, but it can also affect your scalp.
■Eczema. If you have eczema on your scalp, it's possible you could develop dandruff.
■Sensitivity to hair care products (contact dermatitis). Sometimes sensitivities to certain hair care products or hair dyes can cause a red, itchy, scaling scalp. Shampooing too often or using too many styling products also may irritate your scalp, causing dandruff.
■A yeast-like fungus (malassezia). Malassezia lives on the scalps of most healthy adults without causing problems. But sometimes it grows out of control, feeding on the oils secreted by your hair follicles. This can irritate the skin on your scalp and cause more skin cells to grow. The extra skin cells die and fall off, clumping together with oil from your hair and scalp, making them appear white, flaky and visible in your hair or on your clothes.
Exactly what causes an overgrowth of malassezia isn't known, although having too much oil on your scalp; changes in your hormones; stress; illness; neurological disorders, such as Parkinson's disease; a suppressed immune system; not shampooing often enough; and extra sensitivity to the malassezia fungus may contribute to the development of dandruff.
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