Step 1. Get a style update
This year women’s hair trends go to extremes: extremely short, extremely girly, extremely sexual or extremely slick. It is only the bob which sits somewhere in the middle. “In fact, everyone can wear a bob,” says Shelene Shaer, stylist and owner of Tanaz Hair and Beauty in Illovo, Johannesburg.
Layers are big news. Wear them around the front of the face, rather than at the back of the head and avoid having them too short; they should not fall above the eye or above the earlobes.
If you want to wear hair long, wear it with layers, advises Shaer, and have the length at the back cut to a round or V-shape. Long hair cut straight can make a woman look either too old or too young, but long hair with layers and with the ends shaped, is sophisticated and sexy. Long hair, cut and layered correctly, can take advantage of most style trends: flowing, straight and sleek, mermaid / 1940s waves with side-parting or milkmaid braids. Milkmaid braids are the style trend – Sienna Miller is especially fond of them, and Kate Hudson teams them with street wear.
Long hair after 40r Absolutely, says Shaer. Wear what suits you, don’t be dictated to by old-fashioned rules.
Step 2. Cut right
The cropped bob and pixie crop are big this season. The cropped bob is extreme. Short all over, with a heavily shortened blunt cut fringe, it’s best worn by women who ooze confidence. British model Agyness Deyn’s cropped, fringed bob is a good example. For those who are willing to really take the scissors to their hair, the pixie crop is an even bolder look far less subtle than the cropped bob, and one that is both young and funky when done right. Think Victoria Beckham’s spiked hair.
If the cropped bob and pixie crop are too extreme for you, don’t fret, the bob is still in fashion. If your bob is chin length, look at sexing it up with bed hair, if it’s shoulder length, try an adaptation of the mermaid / 1940s wave with bed hair. Think Hedi Klum’s textured layered bob or Kate Moss’ shoulder length bob.
Step 3. Colour-rich
Peroxide blonde and rich shades of chocolate and brown are the leading colour trends. And no, there is no truth in the myth that colouring can make your hair fall out. What can happen is that hair may be damaged and will break off with the incorrect use of chemical treatments. You have to be able to trust your colorist. If you go the DIY route, follow the instructions on the box to the letter! And do not attempt a DIY peroxide blonde – that’s best left in the hands of experts.
Step 4. Take good care
World-renowned UK trichologist and ‘hair doctor’ to the stars, Philip Kingsley, is warning against the dangers of excessive straightening. The use of chemical and mechanical straightening products has increased dramatically in recent years and Kingsley’s clinics internationally are seeing more and more hair hideously damaged due to the trend towards straight and sleek.
Straightening irons or hot irons change the protein structure by reducing the elasticity or stretchability of the hair. The heat also reduces the moisture in the hair cells, a result of all heat styling, but a combination of changing the hair’s chemical structure and moisture content can damage the hair shaft even more. ‘It is important to condition the hair when using either permanent or temporary straightening methods,” says Kingsley. He says chemical straightening or permanent straightening is preferable to temporary straightening using straightening irons as frequent temporary straightening can eventually lead to traction alopecia – a form of hair loss due to traction or pulling.
The most common African hair care concerns include breakage, hair loss and thinning due to alopecia, menopause, medication and excessive flaking build up. Try the Namaste range of products, which both relax and protect hair. Their Olive Oil range allows hair to be treated through the usual relaxing and styling methods, but has built-in hair protection. The key ingredient, olive oil, makes the relaxing and styling process healthier by protecting hair from the chemicals in the products. Their Organic Root Stimulator range is a drug-free system, which allows hair follicles to regenerate themselves by combining over 14 herbal extracts, taking care of hair loss, thinning and breakage. Available at Clicks, Dischem, Jet Mart, Edgars and most big supermarkets. More info: www.organicrootstimulator.com
Step 5. How to use a straightening iron
Kingsley’s The Hair Bible says damage can be minimised if the following guidelines for using hot irons are followed:
Your straightening iron should have a thermostatic control
Heat sufficiently before use – the heat required to temporarily realign the shape of the hair is considerable
For irons to work effectively, the hair should be fairly dry so the hair’s natural moisture content is used to create the style. But if care isn’t taken, you can make your hair brittle.
Steam-producing irons are less likely to dry out the hair as these provide moisture.
Teflon-coated irons are best.
Hot irons develop a residue from the impurities in water and from scorched hair cells so all irons will eventually need to be replaced, otherwise they will stick to the hair.
Do not leave the iron on the hair for too long and do not pull excessively on the hair to straighten.
Try not to go too close to the scalp as burns are painful and can become infected
Avoid excessive use of straightening or hot irons.
Always use a styling aids to protect the hair when using straightening or hot irons.
For more information go to www.philipkingsley.co.za or contact Sue Gilliatt on 083 268 3217.
Step 6. Treat from the inside
Good nutrition is your hair’s best friend. Just like your body, your hair needs a balanced, nutritious diet to stay healthy. So follow this recipe for healthier hair, and be amazed at the difference it makes!
-Water
Water makes up one-fourth of the weight of a strand of hair. Moisture makes the hair supple, so make sure you get plenty of fluids. A key point is NOT to wait until you’re thirsty. If you’re thirsty, it means your body has already lost more water than it should have. Water helps keep hair silky and shiny.
- Protein
Protein is the building block of hair, giving it more strength, helping to reduce snapping and splitting. Eat plenty fish, meat, milk, cheese and cereals.
-Minerals
* Iron helps to carry oxygen to the hair. Eat red meat and dark green vegetables, or take iron supplements.
* Zinc builds hair protein, which helps to prevent hair loss. Meat and seafood are highest in zinc.
* Copper is key in pigmentation. Optimise your natural colour with a diet rich in copper: shellfish, liver, fresh vegetables, nuts, seeds and meat.
-Vitamins
* Vitamin A is great for the skin – and your scalp. Get it from vegetables, particularly carrots.
* Vitamin B and C are important for good circulation, hair growth and hair colour. With plenty of vitamins B and C, you’ll have strong, supple strands of hair that do not split. Find them in fruit, vegetables, cereals, eggs, milk and bread.
Be sure to add in a hefty dose of daily exercise to keep that blood pumping!
The hairdresser’s helpful hints
-Don’t sit with crossed legs when you are getting a haircut – you will get a skewed cut.
-Wear something you look good in and feel comfortable in when you go to the hairdresser
-Cut out pictures to illustrate the look you want and show them to your hairdresser.
-Always get the hairdresser to repeat back to you what you have told them – this means they’re really listening to your needs. It’s your hair; you’re entitled to have what you want
-Only an oval-shaped face should wear a centre parting
-Spend wisely; go for a cut one month, then for colour and treatment the next month and do highlights only on half the head or the hairline in between full sessions – Shelene Shaer, Tanaz Hair & Beauty
Hair care myths
Does cutting make hair stronger or grow faster&
Neither is true. Your hair is not like a lawn where cutting can stimulate growth. Cutting it short evens out the length, and the ends have more volume than the roots, so when it is cut short it appears thicker and stronger.
Will a cold rinse after shampooing close the pores and add shinec
Cold rinses may be invigorating but they don’t close the pores, they constrict the blood capillaries. These tiny blood vessels carry nutrients and pick up waste products from the skin’s surface and need to be active for optimum effect. Deliberately constricting them does your hair no good.
Is it good to brush my hair with 100 strokes a dayi
No. Brushing pulls hair out, breaks it off and scratches the scalp. A brush should be used as a styling aid only, not as exercise for the hair.
Can hair turn white overnightu
Science says no. The myth may have started with alopecia areata, whereby clumps of hair fall out and are replaced with white hairs, but this can’t occur overnight. Stress can affect the hair colour gradually as the hair is growing, but certainly not overnight.
Source: www.philipkingsley.com, www.fashionising.com
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