What to Do About Slow-Growing Hair

If you think you have slow-growing hair or that your hair periodically stops growing, you’re probably not imagining things. To understand why your hair is like this, consider how it grows: A strand of hair grows out of its follicle during a period that can last from two to six years (this is called the anagen phase). Then, as its follicle shrinks and starts to die, the strand stops growing for a few weeks (the catagen phase). In the final stage, called the telogen phase, the hair follicle renews its activity, beginning the process all over again and making the old hair fall out to make way for new growth.

If you have slow-growing hair, this means your active growth phase is on the short end — it’s closer to two years than six. This gives you hair that stops growing at a shorter length than someone else’s might. Many factors can lead to slow-growing hair. Heredity plays a part. So does your level of a male hormone called androgen, which both men and women have. Hair growth also naturally slows as we get older and more hair follicles go into the final, or telogen, phase.

How to Help Slow-Growing Hair
You can give slow-growing hair a boost by keeping it — and yourself — as healthy as possible. Here’s how:

• Eat a healthy diet. Though eating well won’t magically turn your short hair into long locks, nutrients that promote growth do help. These nutrients can be found in fish and poultry, dark green vegetables, whole grains, eggs, low-fat dairy products, beans, and nuts.
• Avoid crash diets. Trying to drop too many pounds too quickly can affect the cycle of your hair growth. If you want to lose weight, talk to your doctor about a sensible eating and fitness plan.
• Let your hair go natural. Washing, bleaching, and dyeing your hair too often can make hair weak and brittle. So can too-frequent use of blow-dryers and curling irons. Letting your hair do what it naturally does is the best way to keep it healthy.
• Get your hair trimmed regularly. This will keep split ends from making your hair break off, which can leave you feeling like your hair doesn’t grow at all.
• Go easy on nutritional supplements. Taking megadoses of vitamin A can contribute to slow-growing hair or hair loss. It’s safest to stick to the recommended daily allowance of this nutrient.

Dealing with Hair Loss
Sometimes hair is not just slow-growing, it actively falls out. If you’ve had a serious illness or severe stress, it can make more hair than normal fall out two or three months later. Fortunately, this will grow back on its own after a few months. If hair falls out in patches (in a condition called alopecia areata), your doctor can prescribe oral or topical medication to remedy the problem.

Certain medications can slow hair growth or make hair fall out, including those used to treat acne and control blood pressure and heart disease. Drugs used in cancer treatment can also cause hair loss. If you suspect that a medication is affecting your hair growth, ask your doctor if you can switch to something that doesn’t have this effect.

You can’t make slow-growing hair grow faster, but you can make sure it looks and feels healthy at any length.

Better blondes

To give an extra shine to blonde or fairish hair, add a few tablespoons of pure lemon juice to your rinsing water. This lightens your hair and leaves it smooth and shiny.

Brunettes and redheads should try apple cider vinegar in the place of the lemon juice.

Brush your hair long and often to stimulate the natural oils.

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Wedding Hair and Makeup Guaranteed to Last

DG: Wedding season can be hot. What are your tips for brides, bridesmaids and guests that want their makeup to last all day?

LC: Start by applying a mattifying but non-drying moisturizer like MAC Oil-Control Lotion (Skip the heavy eye-cream). Then, select a long-wear foundation that offers buildable coverage and is formulated to last for hours like Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup, which contains SPF (perfect for outdoor weddings!).

Next, prep eyes with an eye primer – Urban Decay Primer Potion is among the best. Choose long wear, waterproof eyeliners and mascaras. I love the waterproof versions of L’Oreal Voluminousand CoverGirl LashBlast. For eyeliner, I live for the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils, which comes in an amazing shade range, perfect for weddings.

Line and fill in lips with long-wear lip pencil, then add lipstick. Blot. Then reapply lipstick. If you want a glossy finish, add gloss to center of lips only.

Set makeup with translucent powder. My favorite is Make Up For Ever HD Microfinish Powder, which photographs beautifully helps makeup stay put.

LC’s what not to do tip:  It is not always necessary to touch up makeup with more makeup. A common bridal mistake is continual powdering throughout the day, which will end up looking cakey or blotchy (not how you want to look in your bridal pics!)  Rather, invest in blotting tissues. Remember to press tissues over areas with shine. Do not rub tissues around your face as you could ruin the placement of the makeup. My favorite: Shiseido Pureness Oil-Control Blotting Paper.

DG: Are brides and bridesmaids keeping their makeup au natural or have you seen some ask for a more dramatic look?

LC: Most brides want to look like enhanced version of themselves, so bridal palettes often include champagnes, taupes, pewters, browns and other neutrals on the eye. They’re asking for pinks, peaches and roses on cheek and lip. Individual false lashes also add to that wedding day allure without looking too “done.”

This summer more brides are also requesting pops of color, in line with this seasons “bights” trend. I personally always recommend a little more color than the bride initially thinks – as color fades over time (particularly with kissing, toasting and so on) and isn’t always truly captured on camera. A nude lip, for instance, often photographs as no lip. This summer brides are also asking for fun shades on lids (violets, for example) and lips (hot pinks, fuchsias, corals). Contouring and highlighting are also more popular of late, which enhances facial features and adds drama.

DG: What emergency beauty loot should you stash in your purse pre-wedding?

LC:  In even the smallest clutch, find room for blotting tissues and lipstick (which can do double-duty as blush!)

DG: How can a bridal party and guests keep elaborate up-do’s or even all-down styles in place?

KS: The best way to keep a wedding style looking its best for an entire day is with proper preparation of the hair. Start by using a high quality mousse as soon as you step out of the shower to achieve volume and the longevity needed to last an entire day.  I recommend applyingRene Furterer Volumea Foam to the entire head – making sure to saturate every strand.  Next, blast your hair approximately 80% dry with a powerful  blow dryer like, Salon Tech 2800 Feather Light Blow dryer and then lightly brush your hair with a boar-bristle brush like Cricket Boar #350 round brush to smooth the ends.

To make the hairstyle last all day, it is important to seal in the hair cuticle creating shine and blocking frizz. You can do this by using a versatile flat iron, which can create curls, waves or soft, straight locks.  Whether you prefer curls or straight hair this effect can be achieved by using theKiss by Salon Tech Silicone Protection Flat Iron that allows for greater heat generation to best seal the cuticle. Regardless if your hair is going up or down, it is best to finish with a firm hold hair spray such as Shu Uemura Sheer Lacquer Finishing Spray.

DG: Let’s say you have seven weddings this summer (like me!), is there a hair cut you should get at the beginning of the summer that will make up-dos more seamless, or will help a style last throughout the day?

KS: The perfect cut for any up-do is one with seamless layers. Layers add dimension and texture to the shape of the hair, which allows for more options when styling an up-do.

DG: Any hair products that brides and bridesmaids should stash in their purse for touch-ups if necessary?

KS: Bobby pins and a small can Jonathan Product Finish Control Mini Hair Spray — it’s a must for touchups throughout the day!

How to Make a Blow-Out Last

My secret “if I were a celebrity” fantasy is to have my hair blown out every morning. I know it would probably fry my hair, but wouldn’t it be amazing if every day were a good hair day? For now, I save the blow-outs for special occasions, and I go to Danielle Lopreore, who works at the Fred Segal Salon. Wish you could get salon-perfect hair that doesn't fall flat as soon as you get home? Here are the tips I've gotten from Danielle:

• Start with wet hair. You can gently towel-dry so it’s not dripping wet, but don’t rub too hard (it’ll get tangled). For the smoothest, most long-lasting results, avoid “rough drying” — fluffing the hair with your hands while drying. While this saves time, it makes hair frizzy.
• Don’t use too much product. If your hair is fine or oily, it’ll make your hair limp. Put a bit on the ends if needed.
• Divide your hair in sections, and start in front, since this area tends to dry the quickest. Using a round brush and plenty of tension, aim the blow dryer at the roots and move it along the length of your hair to the ends. Heating the hair in the direction of the hair cuticle helps keep it smooth and fights frizz.
• For volume and height, hold each section up and in the opposite direction you want it to lie. For extra bounce, pin each section up after drying and let it cool. This helps set the curl so it doesn’t go flat the minute you walk out the door.
• To make your blow-out last, spray your hair lightly and leave it alone. Avoid brushing it out or running your fingers through it — this will ruin the bounce and make it frizzy!

Brightening Dull Hair

Do you spend a lot of time, money, and effort on your hair, only to find it still looks dull and drab? It could be all that coloring, straightening, curling, and styling that’s causing the problem. To prevent dull hair, it’s best to take a hands-off approach when it comes to your natural color and texture. Too much coloring and bleaching can cause dull hair. The high heat from blow-dryers and curling irons can leave hair brittle. And constant wearing of braids, ponytails, or hair extensions, all of which pull on hair, can lead to hair breakage.

Too much sun is also a bad thing: Overexposure to ultraviolet light can fade your hair color and make hair dry and brittle, leading to breakage and split ends. And, contrary to what you may think, brushing your hair 100 times a day doesn’t give your hair a healthy shine — it causes split ends.

Eliminating Dull Hair
If your hair could use a little help in the shine department, you’ll find everything you need at your local drugstore or beauty supply store. Try the following tips:

• De-gunk your hair. Use a clarifying shampoo to get rid of shampoo, conditioner, and styling products that may have built up on your hair. Be sure to rinse extra carefully — that helps ensure that all the old products are washed out of your hair.
• Moisturize. Sometimes dry hair is the culprit. If your hair looks and feels like straw, wash it with a moisturizing shampoo and use a conditioner after every time you shampoo. If you’re worried about conditioner weighing down your hair, apply it only from the bottom half of your hair down to the ends. For hair that’s colored or bleached, using a deep conditioner once a week is a good idea.
• Add shine. Hair that looks dull and flat can be perked up with a shine spray, mist, or serum. These products contain silicone, and they can make your hair look shiny and silky. Just go easy on them, so that they don’t contribute to a beauty-product buildup.
• Switch brands of hair-care products periodically. Over time, the products you use to wash and style your hair can make it look dull. Try rotating the brand you use every few months.
• Use the right brush. A brush with tightly packed bristles smoothes hair, leaving a glossy finish.
• Blow-dry your hair on cool or warm. Using the hot setting can damage your hair.
• Protect your hair from the sun. Before a day at the beach or by the pool, put on a hat. You can also spray your locks with a sun block designed for hair.
• Choose warm tones if you color or highlight your hair. Because warm tones reflect light, they can brighten the hair.
• Ask your stylist about a salon gloss treatment. These add shine to your hair for a few weeks without changing its color.

In most cases, the strategic (and proper) use of a few hair-care products is all it takes to turn dull hair to dazzling.

Bad Hair Day

Having a bad hair day can be enough to make you want to just stay home. Curly hair can frizz, straight hair can go limp, and wavy hair can go either way. Sometimes you just have bedhead — hair that sticks out or flattens exactly where you don’t want it to. Then there are the days when your hair isn’t at its best because you didn’t have time to give it a needed shampoo.

Summer can make the situation even worse. High temperatures and humidity, along with all those afternoons spent in the sun and water, can make hair become dry and harder to control. That’s because the sun’s rays can damage hair, and exposure to chlorine in pools and saltwater at the beach can add to the damage. What to do?

Preventing a Bad Hair Day 
Proper hair care can go a long way toward preventing bad hair. Try the following strategies:

• Get a good haircut. A good cut makes hair easier to style. Then be sure to get your hair trimmed every six to eight weeks to keep it from growing out of its shape.
• Select a shampoo and conditioner for your hair type. If your hair is thin, lather up with a volumizing shampoo. If you have dry or damaged hair, try a leave-in conditioner for extra moisture.
• Avoid shampooing every day. Washing your hair too often can dry it out and make it harder to manage.
• Stay away from styling products that are high in alcohol, especially if your hair is dry. These can make hair brittle.
• Keep your hair natural. Letting curly hair curl and wavy hair wave doesn’t just mean fewer bad hair days — it means hair that’s easier to care for in general.

Fixing a Bad Hair Day
Even with your best efforts, it’s not always possible to keep your hair looking good. Bad hair days do happen. But before you take refuge under a hat, try these tips:

• If your curly locks go frizzy, rub a little hand cream between your hands, then smooth it lightly over your hair to tame it.
• Rub dry, flyaway hair with a dryer sheet. Just as dryer sheets keep your skirt from clinging to your panty hose, they can keep hair from sticking together, which will make it easier to style.
• If your hair won’t hold a curl, use a styling cream or gel to lock your look in place.
• No time to shampoo? Use a dry shampoo (a powder that absorbs oil to clean hair without water). Dry shampoos can also add volume.
• Accessorize. Pull or brush your hair back and put on a headband. If your locks are limp, clip them away from your face with a barrette. And remember, long hair can always be pulled into a pony tail.
• Try a hair extension to add length and fullness to your own hair. Permanent extensions are sewn or bonded to your hair and last about five months; clip-on extensions are attached to your hair with clips that are almost invisible.
• Get a wig (or two). Wigs cover up problem hair — and they can also give you an entirely new look.

The bottom line: Home repairs can turn your hair from bad to at least acceptable, so you don’t have to let bad hair ruin your day.

Gray Hair

Whether you’re 16 or 60 when it happens, gray hair is almost certainly going to strike some day. As you age, the pigment-producing substances in your hair shut down, leaving your hair without color. Gray or white hair brings with it new challenges, but the solutions are simple and can leave you with stylish, attractive locks.

Problem: I have only a few gray hairs, but they’re wiry and practically standing at attention.
Solution: Pluck ’em. Gray hair tends to be more dry and brittle, and if you have a sleek style, they can stand out like porcupine quills. If you don’t have many, you can pull them out. Contrary to what you may have heard, you won’t grow two more (or five, or 10, or a dozen) in its place. The pace of graying is different for everyone. If you go gray quickly, it may seem as though multiple new gray hairs grow in every time you pluck one, but they would grow in whether you plucked or not.

Problem: I’m ready to start coloring my gray. What’s the best way?
Solution: Whether you plan to color your hair yourself or have it done professionally, your stylist can give you tips on what works best. Talk to your stylist about your color choices. Many women find that a shade or two lighter than their natural color or something close to their childhood color works well. If your gray is too widespread to pluck but is evenly distributed and your natural hair color is still predominant, your stylist might be able to blend the gray in with highlights or lowlights.

Problem: I’ve been covering up my gray for years. But now that I’m almost all gray, I want to let it go natural. How do I manage the changeover without gray roots?
Solution: Coloring your hair gray is difficult, since gray hair actually lacks color. You can shift your hair color in shades, gradually moving toward gray while your own gray grows in. Or you can use temporary or semipermanent coloring on the roots. These products will cover the gray but wash out with a number of shampoos, and once they wash out you can decide whether you need another application. Whatever you choose, a short hairstyle will help keep the transition time brief.

Problem: I’ve gone gray, and now I need to find a flattering haircut.
Solution: Gray hair and white hair are often coarse and might require you to learn new styling techniques. Because gray hair can be dry, shorter styles generally look more flattering than longer locks. That said, a flattering haircut should work well with the shape of your face, whether your hair is gray, your natural color, or something else altogether. It’s more important to update your hairstyle periodically so it doesn’t look dated, no matter what the color is. Whether you decide to go gray or not, find a stylish, flattering hairstyle you’ll love.

Curly Hair

Curls, tussles, waves, twists are back bigger than ever! Trend setting Celebrities like Christina Aguilera, Beyonce, and Alicia Keys at the Grammy wore sexy curls. Even Justin Timberlake did - but he can't help it.

It's a matter of convenience, less time doing your hair and more time having fun. Girls just want to have fun!

Prepare and get those curls bouncing, they're in!
For a loose sexy style curl scrunch your hair using a medium-to-strong gel. If you mix a little silk serum to soften, that's fine. Flip your head entirely over when scrunching. Try to bunch the hair in handfuls and keep the heat flowing between your fingers through your hair. After it's dry let it stay and cool for a minute, then flip it up.

To create loose curls, use a soft shine wax on the ends, if you want it to hold go in and curl with your finger any piece that did not curl so well, use some hairspray and Voila! If you want just a little wave use the soft shine wax from root to end.

If you want moving bouncing curls, invest in some hot rollers sold at Wal-Mart. Set your hair, it should take 10 minutes to heat and curl. Take the rollers out and before putting any product on it piece out the curls one by one. If you want a tighter curl, spray a little hairspray before wrapping the the hair on the roller. Spray the hairspray on your hair, not the roller itself. The harder the spray, the firmer it holds.

If you already have natural curly or wavy hair, lucky you; just remember to visit your stylist and get some long layers to revamp your curl. The same products apply in your case.  

Flat Irons

Still can't live without your straightening iron? Once you know how to achieve that sleek, smooth look it's hard to go back. It really doesn�t matter which flat iron you use: ceramic, thermal, metal or ionic - they all damage your hair with over-use and inappropriate use. They heat keeps your hair dry and over time will damage the ends of your hair.

Here are 10 tips to help you and your flat iron work side-by-side without damaging your hair.

1. Keep your flat iron clean. It will last longer and do less damage to your hair.
2. Use a styling aid to prevent frizz before you blow dry. Sealed Ends by BC Bonicure seal the ends of your hair locking out frizziness by 79 percent. Use it after your blow dry to get rid of frizz.
3. Practice before you head out to any major event. It's very easy to use once you get the knack of it.
4. When using the iron on your hair, comb on the section you are using first, before running the iron through it.
5. Try avoiding using any products until you finish straightening out your hair.
6. Use small sections. The smaller the section the flatter and more weightless your hair will be.
7. Use even pressure while stroking your flat iron from the root to the end without stopping on any part of the sectioned hair.
8. Use a wide bristle brush on your hair while brushing your desired shape into place.
9. Use a lightweight serum to smooth any frizz left over. You'll only need a little.
10. Let your iron cool; clean its surface with a cloth so you�ll be ready to use it again tomorrow.