Archive for November 15th, 2006
Gene Defect Might Hamper Hair Growth, Researchers Report
By Miranda Hitti
Glitches in the LIPH gene may cause inherited hair loss, a study shows.
The study, published in Science, doesn’t blame hair loss solely on the LIPH gene. People can lose their hair for many reasons, and other genes may also be involved.
Still, the LIPH gene stood out in a hair-loss study by researchers including Evgeny Rogaev, PhD, DrSci.
Rogaev is a psychiatry professor specializing in genetics at University of Massachusetts medical School.
He and his colleagues studied healthy people from 50 unrelated families in Russia with a condition of inherited hair loss and slow-growing hair. Those participants were part of a much bigger genetic study of more than 350,000 Russians.
Participants with inherited hair loss and slow-growing hair had a glitch in their LIPH gene, the study shows.
The LIPH gene makes LIPH, a protein that isn’t thoroughly understood but seems to play a role in normal hair formation and growth, according to Rogaev’s team.
The LIPH gene glitch appears to hamper the hair-growth process and “may be a potential target” for the development of new hair-loss drugs, note Rogaev and colleagues.
November 15th, 2006
Your ideal short hair style is one that makes you feel happy and confident each time you look at yourself in the mirror.
Short hair cuts are timeless; they can make you look younger and at the same time more intelligent. They can boost your confidence and simply make you feel more in control. It’s a great option for career women who want to project a strong yet feminine image and spend less time managing their hair.
Whether you already have short or medium length hair and are ready for a new look, or you want to dramatically change your current length and style, this site will provide you with enough information to help you find and maintain the perfect short hair style for you.
November 15th, 2006
Since the contest launched on January 1st, 2006, hair stylists from around the globe have
been submitting their entries. Now the judging panel has narrowed down the list of global search for the best hairstylists in the world to these ten stylists and search for the best hairstylist in the world as grand prize winner has ended in Switzerland.
Natascha Bruppacher of Hairstyling Vogue salon in Biel, Switzerland, is the winner of the 2006 Style Stars Global Hair Contest.
Bruppacher competed against hair artists from around the world to create the best wavy, textured hair style, the theme for this year’s hair competition. She will travel to Miami, Florida in October to receive her $150,000 prize package
The second position was created by Lizzie Ibarra a very talented hair and makeup artist from Puerto Rico. She created one of the best looking wedding hair styles and only a few points away to be the grand prize winner.
Lizzie has been a professional hair and makeup artist since 1982 and her experience range from television, music videos, commercials, fashion and runways. She has also done numerous pageants and her passion, brides.
The third position was a cute curly hair style with defined ringlet created by Rosie Jones from Doylestown, PA in US.
Forth Position was created by master hair stylist Tony Anders. Throughout his career, Tony has demonstrated his design work in many international educational events and competitions where he worked extensively as a platform artist. Tony Anders strong desire to educate and mentor the next generation of hair designers brought him to his current position as Educational/Artistic Director for Kenneth’s Hair Salons and Day Spas in Columbus, Ohio, where his principal focus is training, artistic research and recruiting for the organization.
November 15th, 2006
Have you ever taken a close look at the cosmetics, lotions, and hair care and skin care
items in your own bathroom? Likely the words “natural” and “organic” jump out at you from many of the labels.
But flip the bottle over and take a closer look at the ingredient list. You’ll see another word crop up just as frequently: parabens.
Parabens are preservatives commonly found in shampoo, makeup, skin lotions, creams, foaming cleansers, lipsticks, lip glosses, deodorants and shaving gels to protect them from bacterial and fungal contamination. And there’s nothing natural or organic about them.
More and more women are becoming concerned that their so-called natural, nontoxic hair care products and cosmetics could indeed be toxic. For several years now, the scientific community has been raising red flags about parabens and their health effects, especially on women.
As far back as 1998, researchers reported: “Given (parabens’) use in a wide range of commercially available topical preparations, it is suggested that the safety in use of these chemicals should be reassessed….” But so far, it hasn’t been and parabens are still in wide use.
The Problem With Parabens
Opponents say parabens, particularly butylparaben, disrupt normal hormone functioning by mimicking estrogen. Scientific evidence suggests exposure to estrogen and substances that behave like estrogen may increase a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer.
Even more troubling, parabens are being used in products like lotions, deodorants, and make-up that stay on the skin for long periods of time, being absorbed directly into the body. Some scientists are concerned that parabens could migrate through the skin and into the bloodstream, bypassing the gastrointestinal system, which normally breaks down and eliminates toxins from the body.
So why would all these companies who are trying to convince us that their beauty products are natural and healthy continue to use an ingredient that has come under such scientific scrutiny?
The companies that use parabens defend them, saying they’ve been in use 70 years and are approved by such bodies as the World Health Organization and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) panel in the US.
While it’s true there have been no studies that prove beyond a doubt that parabens increase the risk of cancer, the debate continues over whether the preservative should be in use at all until we know for sure that it’s safe.
Paraben-Free Hair & Skin Care Products
Some beauty product companies are not waiting for the scientific evidence to slowly roll in – they’re acting now to create nontoxic hair care products, lotions and cosmetics that use natural alternatives to parabens.
One company, Therapeutic Technologies, has responded to concerns about possible negative effects from long-term exposure to parabens by formulating paraben-free hair care products. Their shampoos and conditioners contain a natural preservative from Italy – one that prevents bacteria without the potential health risks.
According to Sean Campbell managing director of NOe Cosmetics™ (Natural Organic edible Cosmetics) Up to 60% of whatever we place on our skin goes into our blood stream. Given that we already have on average 91 chemicals in our bodies that don’t belong there, many of which are often triggers for some of the illnesses that affect us, the implications of lathering ourselves with more chemicals doesn’t make a lot of sense.
NOe Cosmetics™ offers skin care products that are 100% Organic actives and free of petrochemicals, dyes, preservatives, additives and paraben.
Other forward-thinking manufacturers are turning to essential oils such as caraway, cinnamon, eucalyptus, lavender, lemon, rose, sandalwood, and tea tree, which when distilled, are potent enough to act as natural antiseptics, antifungals and antibacterials. Parabens have also been replaced with grapefruit seed extract and Vitamin E in certain nontoxic hair care products and cosmetics.
So some companies really do understand the meaning of the words “natural” and “organic” and know how to create beauty products that live up to today’s health standards.
For all the others… well, all we can do is keep reading labels, be informed consumers, and avoid products that we don’t feel comfortable with.
November 15th, 2006
Have you had a bad haircut, have baby fine hair or can’t wait for your hair to grow longer?
One of these is the reason you’ve opened the door to the world of hair extensions and maybe you’ve found it a bit overwhelming.
You’ve seen everything from scary before and after pictures to the most beautiful ones worn by celebrities. And you want to know how to get the style you want without risking damage to your own hair.
Strand by strand method
There are hundreds of methods used to apply hair extensions and just as many types of hair. The most popular system out now is the strand by strand method made by companies such as Great Lengths, Hair Dreams and SoCap. They all use bonds made of special polymers that are pre-attached to small groups of hair to form a strand.
Right now Great Lengths is considered “La crème de la crème of hair extensions.” as quoted on VH1’s The Fabulous Life. In this episode, “The Fabulous 40”, it’s called the Rolls Royce of hair extensions and is worn by celebrities such as Cameron Diaz, Lindsay Lohan and Halle Berry.
The hair that is used by these companies is all 100% human hair and comes from India or Europe. Since the hair is real it can be styled just like your own hair. Blow dryers, flat irons, curling irons and round brushes can all be safely used. The correct shampoos and styling product should be recommended by your stylist.
Though prices for these services can go up to $3000, it’s well worth it. You will find some salons charging a lot less but they probably aren’t experienced enough, using poor quality hair and use an older less advanced method of applying them.
How it works
These extensions are attached to your hair with polymer bonds near the root in small sections. Hair Dreams and SoCap both use a heated tool to soften their bonds so they can be rolled around the hair sections forming a round seal. Great Lengths offers Cold Fusion; which uses a special tool to create an ultra sonic vibration to soften the bond. The bond is then is folded around the sections making the individual sealed bonds small, smooth and flat. Both methods are safe if done properly by an experienced stylist, but the Great Lengths method is the most advanced.
Great Lengths will soon be offering a new system that will enable the stylist to apply several strands at one time reducing the application time to an hour. Right now a full application should take about 3-5 hours.
How Long it Last?
As your hair grows out the bonds will get lower on the hair. In 4 months they will be about 2” away from the scalp. At this point they might become visible or just make styling a little difficult. So it’s time to take them out and have new ones put in. The removal process is the same for all of the companies mentioned above. A gel with a safe amount of alcohol is applied to the bond to dry it out. Then it’s pinched to break it up so it can safely slide out the hair it’s attached to.
Normal wear time is 4 months but if your hair is finer 3 might be the maximum. If your hair grows slower you could wear them for up to 6 months, but any thing past that and you’re risking damage to your hair.
So if you’re tired of dealing with hair that you’re unhappy with extensions are the new way to go. The strand by strand method gives the hair a more natural look and feel. Once you have them in you won’t want to live without them. The ways to attach them keep getting better and better. Extensions are here to stay!
November 15th, 2006