Give your Hair a Day Off
With the straight hair styles now in fashion, many women are resorting to high temperature, high air-volume hair-dryers and flat irons. But the stress all that heat and pulling causes can make hair brittle and dry.
The great thing about today’s styles is that anything goes. It’s fun to change your hairstyle to suit the weather and also to give your hair a break from all those harsh products.
If your hair is wavy you can let it air-dry naturally. Use a good leave-in conditioner to keep the frizzies under control and make it look shiny and fresh. Even if your hair is straight you can scrunch it with mousse and give it that sexy, tousled and curly look. On hot or rainy days, pull longer hair up into a bun or a twist while it is still wet. An updo is a classic look for the office. It will dry through the day and when you take it out of the clips or pins, it will have voluminous waves that will look natural and healthy.
Play and experiment with your hair until you find the no-fuss way that works for you. You will shave a few minutes off your morning grooming routine and enjoy the change in your usual look.
That’s reminded me of a strange fad going round here in England between our (male) political commentators. Some of them have stopped washing their hair completely apart from a dowsing in warm water every morning. It’s supposed to do wonders for balding pates and tired locks. Unfortunately, whenever they interview someone on TV most viewers are examining the state of their curls rather than listening to the conversation.
By John Evans on August 25th, 2006 at 6:34 am
The ingredients in shampoo that cleanse the hair of excess dirt also strip away some of the natural oil. If one shampoos too often, the hair and scalp can both become dry. This is where all those conditioning products come in, an attempt to replace the natural oil and moisturize the hair. Years ago, people didn’t shampoo every day. Remember the old line women used when they refused a date ? “I’m washing my hair”.
Never washing hair won’t keep you from going bald, the pores and hair follicles can get clogged with dirt. That’s just as bad for hair growth. Warm water will open pores and stimulate blood flow and so perhaps that is the logic behind this new fad. Hair dies when the hair follicle dies and blood flow to the follicle stops. Shampooing won’t cause hair loss but it could look that way when the manipulating of the hair loosens those now dead hair shafts and they collect in a pile by the drain.
I am not sure what the calibre of TV interviewer is in Britain, but here, you might be just as well off examining their hairstyles as listening to them.
By Andrea on August 25th, 2006 at 6:20 pm
And the natural oils bulk out the hair to make it seem thicker, Andrea.
The nation is holding its breath waiting to see who will crack first and buy a bottle of Head & Shoulders : Matthew Parris or Andrew Marr.
By John Evans on August 26th, 2006 at 5:13 am
I suppose their hair will look healthier for a while, until the oil build-up begins to turn rancid… ugh.
By Andrea on August 26th, 2006 at 8:25 am
Wow, and to think I was almost at the point of copying these guys. They must be smelling like Gorganzola cheeses by now. The politicians will be wearing facemasks during interviews.
Maybe natural oils don’t turn rancid?
By John Evans on August 26th, 2006 at 8:30 am
At the base of every hair follicle is a sebaceous gland that produces sebum. Sebum is an oily, waxy substance that coats the hair shaft, making it waterproof and supple. Sebum is odorless but its bacterial breakdown produces odors. It’s what is responsible for hair that looks oily and greasy if not washed.
Sebum can also build up on the scalp and choke out the hair follicles causing them to die and each follicle that dies means one less hair alive and growing.
Their routine sounds foolhardy to me.
By Andrea on August 26th, 2006 at 8:51 am
Phew, I’m off to buy a giant bottle of shampoo. Thanks, Andrea.
By John Evans on August 26th, 2006 at 8:55 am
There goes another satisfied customer.
By Clive on August 26th, 2006 at 11:40 am
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By Hair Sticks ยป Beauty on a Budget - Tips for Everyday Glamor on August 31st, 2006 at 7:31 am