Archive for March, 2007
Save your locks–avoid these hairdo don’ts
You crunch, blow, and curl it every day to make it
look great, but all that handling could be sending your hair down the drain–literally. Forty-one percent of women say they experience hair breakage on a daily basis. And some styling faux pas can actually cause hair to come out by the roots. Here’s how to protect your tresses from styling mistakes of the “too much” variety–too tight, too often, or too hot.
Mistake: Overhandling
Giving your hair 100 strokes, teasing, or vigorous shampooing will eventually fray the cuticle, the outer layer of the hair shaft that protects the fragile inner filaments. The result? Hair breakage.
Hair Helper: “Treat your hair like it’s the finest silk,” advises Rodney Cutler, owner of New York City’s Cutler/Redken Salon. Use the tips of your fingers to gently cleanse your scalp–no need to scrub. Dirt, oil, and debris will float away as the lather passes over your hair. After you condition but before you rinse, detangle your hair in the shower with a wide-tooth comb. Try Pantene Pro-V’s Restoratives Breakage Defense shampoo, conditioner, and strengthening spray, lotion, or leave-in créme to minimize damage ($5; drugstores). When hair is dry, brush just enough to style it.
Mistake: Overheating
When exposed to high heat, the cells of the hair’s cuticle separate and break off, exposing the delicate filaments within. Your hair is apt to snap where cuticle is missing, explains Paradi Mirmirani, MD, a dermatologist at Kaiser Permanente Vallejo Medical Center in California. Hair loses its smoothness and luster, too, when the cuticle is damaged.
Hair Helper: Never blow-dry sopping wet hair, says Cutler; it can’t take the heat. After rinsing, squeeze hair gently with a towel–don’t rub. Try the superabsorbent Aquis Microfiber Hair Towel ($18; www.amazon.com, Bed Bath & Beyond). If you shampoo daily, use a leave-in conditioner designed to protect blow-dried hair.
Direct medium heat airflow down the hair shaft in the direction that the cuticle’s cells are layered; blowing hair in all directions adds to frizziness. Turn off the blow-dryer when hair is almost dry, and then lightly brush to style it.
African American women should not use curling or flat irons more than once a week or soon after color or relaxation treatments, cautions Susan C. Taylor, MD, founding director of the Skin of Color Center at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York City. If you must touch up, use a heat protector spray such as Tresemm?nstant Heat Tamer ($4; drugstores).
Mistake: Overprocessing
Most hair dyes, perms, and relaxing agents aren’t dangerous unless they are left on too long or used too often.
Hair Helper: “Don’t perm more frequently than every 120 days,” says Prevention advisor Mary P. Lupo, MD, a clinical professor of dermatology at Tulane University School of Medicine. Never perm and color on the same day–a few weeks in between is best, says Mirmirani.
In African American women, relaxers and other chemical processes may contribute to a kind of permanent hair loss called central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia (CCCA), although genetics also may be involved. Women with CCCA can either relax or color, but not both.
Mistake: Too tight ponytails, braids, or extensions
The pressure of a rubber band around a ponytail can wear away the protective cuticle and cause hair to break. Anything that puts tension on the hair follicle for a prolonged period, like braids or extensions, can pull hair out by the roots, causing traction alopecia (balding), which is sometimes permanent.
Hair Helper: Use only hair-protecting bands, such as Goody StayPut Hair Elastics ($5; drugstores). If braids feel tight as they’re being styled, ask the stylist to start over, urges Taylor.
Likewise, extensions and weaves shouldn’t leave your scalp feeling tight, give you a headache, or cause inflammation, says Pantene celebrity stylist Danilo. Your best bet: temporary clip-in extensions. Check out www.hairuwear.com for a wide array of choices.
March 30th, 2007
Leading London salon Karine Jackson Hair & Beauty has recently introduced a new range of “organic” coloor, which
uses naturally derived ingredients which are easy on and even nurturing to hair.
Karine Jackson, holder of the prestigious L’Oreal Colour Specialist Degree, was interested in offering an organic alternative to clients frequenting her salon. “I tried a number of organic ranges that weren’t quite right, but I love the colours from Organic Colour Systems,” she says. “The natural and organic movement, fuelled by health concerns in the UK, is gaining increased momentum in the field of beauty and hair care and we should be looking at the greener alternatives to chemical ranges.”
Aloe vera, comfrey, orange and grapefruit, are included as main ingredients for Organic Colour Systems, and the product doesn’t contain ammonia, which allows the hair to retain its natural moisture and protein balance. According to the manufacturer’s website:
The pH of Organic Colour Systems’ colours is 8.5 to 9.2. This is a stable pH level - unlike ammonia-based colours which can go as high as 11+ when you add heat.
Our system does not take the hair as far from the natural pH balance and it is able to close the cuticle down when shampooing and applying conditioner. This gives the hair a natural feel and shine.
According to Jackson, “Client happiness is of paramount importance to our business. Having trialled the range, we’ve found that clients love the non-drip gel and the fact that the treatment nourishes their hair. Organic Colour Systems does not cost any more than conventional hair colour and the feedback we’ve received has been fantastic – people are raving about how glossy and soft their hair is after colouring.”
If you’re in London, and have a hankering to color your hair in a more natural fashion, check out Karine Jackson Hair & Beauty at 24 Litchfield Street, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9NJ. Web: Karinejackson.co.uk
March 29th, 2007
This month’s BSB article examines the lucrative and growing hair goods industry. According to the article,
“There’s still a lot more money to be made in the ever-growing and highly profitable hair goods category.” With the assumption that the industry is for 20 somethings and teens, one leaves out the huge potential adult, nearly retired market: baby boomers. The article examines how the hair goods industry has presented extensions, wigs, clip-ins, and other real hair products as a quick fix product for older consumers.
Here’s a bit of the article by Victoria Wurdinger:
At last year’s American Music Awards you could count the female presenters who didn’t wear their natural hair. Britney Spears, Nelly Furtado, Paris Hilton, Eva Longoria and the Pussycat Dolls were just a few who opted for extensions, assuring that thousands of teens and twenty-somethings would be clamoring for them the day after the show.
But the hair goods move from the medical realm to the fashion world wasn’t spurred by the young and famous alone. Baby boomers view hair goods as problem solvers, not only to add volume but also to accommodate busy lives and speedy style changes. Feeling younger than ever, today’s fifty-somethings are adding extensions for super length and, in a modern twist, are wearing their own hair longer and using faux locks for a one-off, sassy, new short style.
Click Here to view the complete article as a pdf file.
March 28th, 2007
(via BTC) To passers by, it must have been an odd sight: A group of blue-haired men, women and children
standing around a Supercuts car holding a four-foot-long check payable to the Make-a Wish foundation.
For anyone familiar with Zach’s Wax, however, the sight was nothing new. Was it special? Absolutely. But if you hang around Zach’s Wax Owner Eric Plahn long enough, you learn to get used to special moments.
Zach’s Wax makes hair-coloring products designed to give its customers a radically different, albeit temporary, new look. With a one-ounce tube of color gel a few spare minutes, blondes become pinkies, brunettes become redheads and redheads can turn their hair green.
Zach’s Wax also makes wishes come true. Through a growing network of charity organizations, Plahn and his company partner with businesses and schools to raise funds for good causes.
Last December, Zach’s Wax teamed with Supercuts in Southern California to raise money for the Make-a-Wish Foundation.
“We had a contest to see which Supercuts could sell the most Zach’s Wax in a month,” Plahn says. “More than 10 percent of each sale went to Make-a-Wish.”
The check, which was distributed on Feb. 24, totaled $300.00. Plahn credits the folks at Supercuts.
“This simply would not have been possible without the enthusiasm and commitment of Supercuts’ stylists, managers and receptionists,” he says. “They really embraced the opportunity to make a difference.”
Through Zach’s Wax, Plahn is making that same opportunity available to others in a number of ways. For example, schools can make the coloring gel available to students as a way to show school spirit or perhaps on the eve of the big game.
“It’s a great way to promote a sense of community on campuses and raise money for the school at the same time,” Plahn says.
By visiting Zach’s Wax on the web, anyone can make a difference at any time. Zach’s Wax donates ten percent of every sale to charity.
Which charity? That depends on the color of the gel you buy. Proceeds from the pink gel support breast cancer research, for instance. Yellow supports Livestrong, red gel help support AIDS research and the extra firm hold gel (no color here) supports a hospital in Mozambique. There are six products and six charities in all.
“We want to run a successful business,” Plahn says. “But we want to help others at the same time. The greatest thing about Zach’s Wax is it’s fun. You create awareness because it’s on your head! It’s a neat thing to be a part of.”
Right now, Zach’s Wax is available in Supercuts salons and about 20 other beauty supply locations in Southern California, in addition to its Web site.
As you might imagine, Zach’s Wax isn’t hard to find. Just look for blue hair and big checks.
About Zach’s Wax:
Zach’s Wax is a family-owned business. Our goal is to offer you fundraising and personal products that provide high quality and loads of fun. Every item you purchase will benefit an organization — yours or one you designate. If you are looking to raise funds for school, church or other organization, Zach’s Wax is a great option. An added benefit of partnering with Zach’s Wax is “Team Spirit.” Whether you represent an athletic team or service group, Zach’s Wax will give your members an added dose of loyalty.
March 27th, 2007
By Donna Chapman
Handbag delivers the heads-up on highlights….
The dark arts may have kept the celebrity colourists
busy of late, but with spring just around the corner an A list blonde explosion can surely not be far way as nothing says summer like a halo of highlights, the quintessential fashion accessory for the alfresco lifestyle.
High spirits
High-end highlights will give a boost to fair and fine, mousy and monotone or lacklustre light brown locks. A generous scattering of skinny bleached strands two or three shades lighter than your natural base tone particularly through the top sections and around the hairline will create a brilliant blonde effect and illuminate the complexion. Creative Director Zoë Irwin comments, “Cool clear blondes are the most on trend right now, à la Selma Blair.” At the opposite end of the spectrum British Colour Technicians of the Year 2006, Newcastle based Gary Hooker & Michael Young of Hooker & Young say, “We’ve had lots of requests for Cat Deeley’s colour, a multi-tonal mixture of summer blonde, butterscotch and vanilla. Our favourite highlighting technique for the season is to combine thick and chunky slices with small skinny highlights at random to create very natural looking colour.”
‘whether you yearn for Kate Moss’s rock-chick brand of blonde or Jennifer Aniston’s luxe multi-tonal slices, it’s best to work within a realistic framework’
Blonde ambition
But whether you yearn for Kate Moss’s rock-chick brand of blonde, Giselle’s luminous golden mane or Jennifer Aniston’s luxe multi-tonal slices, it’s best to work within a realistic framework. Generally, if you’re fair haired with an ivory complexion you can choose from either the cool and warm colour spectrum with impunity, if your skin has pink tones you’re best sticking to the ash blonde and vanilla family, while creamy, yellow tinged skins suit warm golden shades. Brunettes wishing to hit the highlights trail will find that the most flattering option is to focus on having them placed judiciously around the face. Stick to rich colours such as honey and golden blondes for a sun-kissed look worthy of a mini-break to St. Tropez. Redheads can ring the changes with the subtle addition of pale or bleached highlights.
Light source
The are lots of methods for applying colour in salon over and above the classic foil technique, with increasing emphasis on a more freehand approach including smudging, sponging, brushing and stippling. However applied, highlights add colour, depth and texture making hair 3-dimensional as never before. Toni&Guy are dizzy about Peek-a-Boo Blondes – an edgy take on traditional highlights. With a ‘blonde specialist’ installed in every one of their salons around the country, bespoke blonding in the shape of glints and glimpses and hidden panels of colour is just an appointment away. At Headmasters salons in London and the South-East, (www.hmhair.co.uk) the colour services menu includes Tissue-Lites. Originally developed for discerning Parisian women, using special tissues instead of foils, this application technique allows for the delicate blending of colour between highlights for a more soft focused impression. At appointed L’Oréal Professionnel salons, (call 0800 072 6699 or www.lorealprofessionnel.com) as part of the Shinelines portfolio, lines of colour are applied horizontally as opposed to vertically with an artist’s paintbrush or even a shaving brush to create the Blonde Shimmer Gloss effect.
Box of tricks
Having hair highlighted in the salon is an expensive process, due to the time and skill involved, although on a positive note the effects last two to three months. However, there is a wealth of off the shelf kits to choose from. Colour veterans and virgins alike will love L’Oréal Paris Couleur Experte, £10.99 in 18 sumptuous shade combinations comprising a base colour and harmonising highlighter. Garnier Multi-lights Kits, £4.99 each, likewise create permanent lighter tones with a few strokes of the applicator brush, and Tints of Nature Highlights, £9.99 from Herb UK, 01590 613490 www.herbuk.com is an ammonia free conditioning permanent highlight kit.
Golden rules
Shade sorceress and Clynol International Colour Ambassador, Lisa Shepherd, shares her hot tips for highlights:
1. Go for multi-tone highlights so that your colour has more of a natural look.
2. Blonde actually does fade! Maintain your highlights using blonde enhancing shampoos.
3. Highlighted hair can go porous - use a weekly treatment to help restore condition.
4. Top up just your parting every other salon visit, this will prevent over-colouring and is more cost effective.
5. Never overlap your colour applications - this is what causes over-colouring and subsequent damage.
Golden wonders
Products to keep your highlights blonde, bright and beautiful.
L’Oréal Professionnel Lumino Contrast Radiance Shampoo for Highlighted Hair, £8.50 and Radiance Masque for Highlighted Hair, £11.75, call 0800 072 6699 - contain ingredients that automatically select the highlighted areas and affix themselves without weighing down the sections of uncoloured hair.
Alberto VO5’s Absolute Blonde range, from £2.19, - with Fade Defy™ technology to protect, perfect and brighten.
The Natural Source Hi-Shine Blond & Shine, £7.95 www.beauty-republic.com - accelerates the lightening effects of sunlight on the hair as well as accentuating natural shine and highlights.
Andrew Collinge Highlight Enhancing Salon Conditioning Treatment, 99p www.andrewcollinge.com - lavender-tinted deep conditioner to help protect against unwanted build up, that can dull and darken blonde.
March 23rd, 2007
By Jessica Hopper
No, not David! Victoria’s LA transformation see’s her become a sunny blonde…
Beckham goes blonde
Victoria’s campaign to conquer Hollywood cranked up a notch last week when she ditched the Pob and reinvented herself as a sunny LA blonde. Posh’s style has been nothing short of úber-groomed in the past, but it seems she’s slowly trading in her high-maintenance look for a more relaxed style that’s more suited to lala land than her usual polished locks, leather minis and 6 inch heels.
Keen to see if blondes really do have more fun in lala land, Victoria turned to her trusted hair guru Ben Cooke, session stylist to the stars and the scissor-branding man behind the now infamous Pob, to create her new ‘do. ‘I did this cut the same as I did the Pob - I cut the hair dry. This gives the final look a completely different finish to a traditional wet cut, far more deconstructed and un-technical,’ says Ben. ‘We went very tapered into the nape of the neck…and sliced through the top of the style using thinning scissors.’
Blonde Ambition
As for the colour, ‘We started off with a full head of highlights to lift her natural colour,’ says Ben, ‘then once they were washed out we used a base colour to lift those highlights and then another set of highlights were applied.’
It seems once again Victoria seems to have started a much-desired trend, prompting a plethora of copycats who all want Posh’s new ‘LA Lights’ – as they’re already being branded. The super-chic Daniel Galvin salon in London’s West End has already reported several requests from WAG-wannabes for these sexy summery streaks.
Vic’s multi-tonal metallic lights look set to be the shades of the summer, and certainly set to make her look more and more like an LA local. Now all she needs is the year-round tan and size zero frame. Oh…
March 22nd, 2007
By Emine Ali
Glossy locks aren’t restricted to A-listers with their own
personal stylists. Make your hair stand out from the crowd with these tips and tricks…
Winter does lots of unpleasant things to our bodies – it can make faces dry, thighs flaky, heels cracked and arms bumpy, but with a bit of exfoliation and a load of moisturiser, it’s easily fixable. But what about our hair? If it’s suffering from colour abuse, heat damage or styling havoc, it’s rarely a big enough incentive for us to give up the highlights, ceramics or curling tongs forever – badly-treated hair is still preferable to an eternity of bad-hair days – so emergency maintenance is often necessary.
Thankfully, there are now so many hair treatments, masques, balms, oils and moisturisers on the market, that abused locks are spoilt for choice. Bleached and pre-lightened hair needs the most attention as it can easily become dry and brittle. If you are a home colour lover, choose a formula that’s as kind as possible – L’Oréal Excellence, £2.72 www.lorealparis.co.uk, is a UK bestseller and it not only contains a pre-colour protective serum but it also comes with a generous dose of after-care Ceramide Protein conditioner. Coloured hair is also prone to dullness so invest in colour brightening products like Elvive Colour Masks in Blonde, Brunette and Red, £4.99 each. For everyday use, choose fortifying products, which will improve the strength of your hair over time and make it strong enough to accept future colour treatments. Colour lovers, like Cat Deeley, favour Garnier Fructis Repair + Shine Shampoo and Conditioner, £1.99 each www.garnierbeautybar.co.uk. And set aside half an hour every week, when you can layer on Garnier Fructis Fortifying Deep Nourishing Mask £3.99.
If you’re still a slave to your ceramics you have to use protection each time you straighten, unless you think split ends and burnt strands look good. Run L’Oréal Studio Hot Straight Cream, £2.99, through each section of hair, just before passing the irons over it and finish each straightening session with a cold blast of air from your hairdryer, which will dramatically increase your hair’s shine.
If you use lots of styling products (gel, mousse, serum, spray or balm), use a build-up remover shampoo once a week too, which will eradicate gloss-destroying residue. And for all hair types, bear in mind, that the fewer styling products you use, the better your hair will look. In fact the easiest way to get glossy locks is simple (and free!): whilst washing hair, spend at least four minutes rinsing out conditioner to ensure that it is entirely residue-free and finish with an icy shot of cold water, which will seal your hair’s cuticles and make it look far glossier than normal.
Copyright © 2006 handbag.com
March 21st, 2007
Inflammation causes many of the problems associated with bad hair and bad skin .
Most of this inflammation is subclinical - the kind that can be seen only with a microscope. In this article I’m going to make many suggestions about what foods and supplements reduce the possibility of cellular, tissue, and even systemic inflammation. I’m also going to suggest what foods and eating patterns increase the possibility for this inflammation to occur.
What mainly determines if our diet is either pro-inflammatory or anti-inflammatory are wild swings in blood sugar. These rapid rises in blood sugar trigger an insulin response in the body. This insulin response is to a large extent what causes an inflammatory response.
Most of the foods we eat are converted into sugar (glucose), but different foods are converted into sugar at different rates. Foods that are converted into sugar fast can be considered as pro-inflammatory. These foods, which I’ll discuss in detail, often cause all kinds of trouble if they make up a large part of one’s regular diet.
The kinds of trouble they cause are hypertension (high blood pressure), diabetes type 2, insulin resistance, cholesterol problems, and central obesity (visceral fat). This group of physical disorders is often referred to as the metabolic syndrome or syndrome X. Another indication of the metabolic syndrome is a high C-reactive protein level. Here’s what Dr. Andrew Weil says about this marker for systemic inflammation:
Cardiovascular disease remains one of the biggest health threats to Americans. For years, LDL (”bad”) cholesterol levels were the measuring stick for cardiovascular risk, but recent studies have indicated that elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) levels - which measure inflammation - may be a better indicator of one’s risk for heart attack and stroke.
What can you do to lower your CRP? It sounds familiar: If you reduce your intake of saturated fats, exercise regularly, eat an anti-inflammatory diet including plenty of fruits and vegetables, stop smoking, and lose excess weight, your CRP levels will decrease naturally, along with your risk of heart disease and numerous other illnesses.
My opinion is that Dr. Weil’s recommendations will have a positive effect on hair and skin health along with keeping your heart and blood vessels healthy.
The foods that are converted into sugar fast are all high on the glycemic index. This index is an arbitrary scale that rates foods from 0 to 100. Water is rated 0; table sugar is rated 100. As a rule, foods rated quite a bit above 50 should be avoided because they are pro-inflammatory. These foods include white potatoes, white bread, white rice, processed cereals, pasta, dried fruit, fruit juices, honey, and of course soda drinks, cakes, cookies, and pies. All these foods cause a rapid rise in blood sugar. This in turn triggers a release of insulin. The result is inflammation taking place in all the cells of the body.
But in addition to being concerned about the glycemic index, you have to think about the glycemic load too. The glycemic load is determined by how much food is eaten at a given time. If too much food, even food low on the glycemic index, is eaten at one time, there will be a rapid rise in blood sugar. Many nutritionists recommend small meals even if you have to eat more than three times a day. Small meals stabilize blood sugar and therefore keep inflammation in check; super-large meals have the opposite effect.
Even though most fatty foods rate low on the glycemic index, certain “bad” fats are known to create an anti-inflammatory state. This is because different types of fats produce different types of prostaglandins. Prostaglandins are extremely active biological substances produced in the body by using unsaturated fatty acids. The bad fats play a role in the synthesis of the pro-inflammatory prostaglandins. These fats include polyunsaturated oils, partially hydrogenated fats, and trans-fatty acids (fats in deep-fried foods). It’s hard to avoid these fats if you eat a lot of processed foods. I avoid corn oil, safflower oil, soybean oil, margarine, lard, and the like. I use mostly extra-virgin olive oil that is rich in omega-9. This fatty acid works in concert with omega-3, producing benefits to the body.
The omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in cold-water fish like sardines, salmon, and tuna, are important in the production of the anti-inflammatory prostaglandins. Fish oils and cod liver oil are also high in this nutrient if you are concerned about the possibility of methyl mercury in fish, or just don’t like the taste of fish. Other good sources of omega-3 are walnuts, flax seed powder, sunflower seeds, and almonds.
Before I get into the intriguing material about some great anti-inflammatory foods, I’d like to encourage everyone to drink a lot of pure water. Six to ten glasses each day exert a strong anti-inflammatory effect because the water gets rid of toxins that might otherwise build up in the body. I drink spring water that I get at a grocery store near me. The water out of the tap is not a choice I would make because there are too many unhealthful chemicals in it. If you drink sufficient pure water each day, you’ll notice that your skin will start to look a lot better - even acne might start to disappear. This is an indication of the anti-inflammatory process at work.
A list of anti-inflammatory foods
If you have been looking at my Discussion Forum regularly, you would have seen many positive messages about all the foods that are listed below. There is certainly no one food that magically stabilizes hair loss or grows new hair, but a diet rich in all or most of these foods might create the healthy anti-inflammatory state conducive to productive hair follicles. I’m going to list these foods under the major phytochemical groups of which they are a part.
Omega-3 fatty acids - Most sea foods like the ones I mentioned above along with fish oils are rich in this essential fatty acid. The vegetarian sources include flaxseed powder, walnuts, sesame and canola oil. All raw nuts also contain at least some omega-3 also.
Quercetin - This is an anti-inflammatory phytochemical of the flavonoid family. It is found in red grapes, onions, broccoli, garlic, and apples. Green apples, especially the skins, are known to have a positive effect in promoting the growth of new hair according to a large Japanese study.
Polyphenols - These are other anti-inflammatory phytochemicals found in highly colored berries like blueberries and blackberries. They are also rich in anthocyanins, a type of flavonoid that is protective of hair follicles. Cranberry juice if it’s 100% is also full of these phytochemicals, but stay away from the cranberry “drinks” and other fruit drinks too. These are usually nothing but sugar, water, synthetic flavor, and some coloring - very high on the glycemic index.
Antioxidants - These protect the body from free-radical damage, the chain-reaction that erodes cell membranes (cell walls) throughout the body. Some of the foods I eat for their antioxidant effects are green and red peppers, loaded with vitamin C; canned tomatoes, rich in lycopene (protects against prostate problems too); and all kinds of dark leafy greens like spinach. If you make salads from these greens, stay away from most of the salad dressings you’ll find at the stores. Almost 95% of them are loaded with high fructose corn syrup. (Paul Newman’s salad dressings are the only ones I found without HFCS.) This chemical is a disaster making people fat around the middle.
Oleic acid - This contains the omega-9 fatty acid that helps the omega-3 function more efficiently. I use extra-virgin olive oil, high in omega-9, for everything, even putting a few drops on whole wheat toast. This is the best pro-inflammatory oil. Use it instead of the polyunsaturated oils like safflower, corn, and soybean.
Curcumin - Turmeric powder contains curcumin, an extremely powerful anti-inflammatory spice. I get it at Whole Foods and use it in soups and casseroles. I’m not enthusiastic about the taste of this spice though.
Alpha-lipoic acid - This antioxidant is found in most meats and vegetables and is easily absorbed, but some researchers like Dr. Lester Packer of UC Berkeley suggest taking an alpha-lipoic acid supplement. Juvenon, which also contains acetyl-L carnitine, is an excellent although expensive alpha-lipoic acid supplement, according to Dr. Andrew Weil.
Summary
All the foods mentioned in the anti-inflammatory list are low on the glycemic index. They will not cause a pro-inflammatory spike in your blood sugar. And all these foods are loaded with vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and phytonutrients that work synergistically to produce optimum health.
When you walk down the aisle of a health food store, you’ll see all kinds of products (pills, softgels, tablets, and so forth) that provide all the nutrients that I described in this article. My preference, though, is to get these nutrients from real foods if you can for three reasons: (1) nutrients from real foods are usually assimilated faster than they are from supplements, (2) in real foods there are always many nutrients and phytochemicals working together, and (3) in real foods there are probably unidentified nutritional factors that haven’t been discovered or synthesized yet.
Many people have asked me in messages on my discussion forum and in emails what foods and supplements I think are the most important for hair health - both for promoting hair growth and preventing premature gray hair. Here’s the list of what I use with the most important ones at the top:
Brewer’s yeast (I get the powder from Puritan’s Pride - 16oz)
Flax seed powder (I get the powder also from Puritan’s - 15 oz)
Cod liver oil (only a teaspoon daily - I get this from Swanson - mint flavor)
Extra-Virgin Olive oil (get a good brand)
Walnuts (get them from Aldi if you can)
Broccoli (steamed)
Black currant oil (535 mg softgels from Puritan’s)
Blueberries
Garlic
Turmeric
Spinach
Liver (perhaps once a month for the iron and trace minerals)
Yogurt (Plain yogurt is best; most flavored yogurts are sweetened with HFCS.)
Green apples (I make applesauce and include the skins.)
A Breakfast Suggestion
I think breakfast is the most important meal of the day. A good breakfast will get you off to a good start. Without trying to come off here as a guru with the final word on nutrition, I’d like to tell you what I often have for breakfast:
Oatmeal with some flax seed powder mixed in. I put some walnuts and blueberries on top of this along with milk. It tastes delicious. I always like good-tasting foods. Even if I know that something is good for me, I won’t eat it if it tastes bad. The only exceptions I make here are cod liver oil and turmeric. These don’t taste too horrible though.
If readers of this article have any suggestions about hair-healthy foods, post them on my discussion forum. If a suggestion seems rational I’ll post it on this page; if it’s not rational we’ll just forget it.
I just got a suggestion from jpj (January 3, 2007) who has posted many messages on the discussion forum. In an email he wrote, “I think if you listed the inflammatory cytokines and the foods and supplements that counteract them, the readers would be more likely to make a list of them and formulate their eating habits or supplementation habits to try and inhibit each one.”
Cytokines are regulatory proteins such as lymphokines and interleukins that are released by the immune system. Some of these intercellular messengers are important for general health, but some can have a negative effect on the hair follicles, like shortening the growing stage of the hair cycle. Anyway, here is a list of foods that may inhibit specific cytokines:
Green apples and blueberries containing high amounts of proanthocyanidins may inhibit both TGF-beta (Transforming Growth Factor) and PKC (Protein Kinase C).
Cucumbers, oatmeal, and brewer’s yeast, all high in silica may restrict IL-1, which is a hair growth inhibitor.
Fish oil including cod liver oil may inhibit TNF-alpha.
According to jpj, the proanthocyanidins in barley also inhibit TGF-beta. This cereal seed also contains some azelaic acid.
March 20th, 2007
The following is an abstract of a study done by Dr. Ralph M. Trüeb on the harmful effects of sun exposure.
His research indicates that sustained ultraviolet radiation on an unprotected scalp can damage the skin cells in the scalp as well as the cells of the hair follicles.
Is Androgenetic Alopecia a Photoaggravated Dermatosis?
Progressive thinning of the scalp hair in androgenetic alopecia (AGA) results in a gradual decline in natural protection of the scalp from ultraviolet radiation (UVR). A number of pathologic conditions of the scalp are evidently related to UVR, particularly photosensitive diseases and disorders of the chronically photodamaged bald scalp.
The most important chronic effects of UVR are photocarcinogenesis and solar elastosis. Besides these, erosive pustular dermatosis and ‘red scalp’ are distinct disorders peculiar to the balding scalp.
While the consequences of sustained UVR on the unprotected scalp are well appreciated, the effects of UVR on hair loss have widely been ignored. However, clinical observations and theoretical considerations suggest that UVR may have negative effects: acute telogen effluvium from UVR has been described, and the production of porphyrins by Propionibacterium sp. in the pilosebaceous duct, with photoactivation of porphyrins leading to oxidative tissue injury, has been implicated in follicular microinflammation.
Alternatively, keratinocytes themselves may respond to physicochemical stress from UVR, besides irritants and pollutants, by producing radical oxygen species and nitric oxide and by releasing proinflammatory cytokines, eventually leading to injury of the putative site of follicular stem cells in the superficial portion of the hair follicle.
Since all of these processes involved in hair loss share the common feature that they are induced or exacerbated by exposure to sunlight, it is proposed that AGA is a photoaggravated dermatosis that requires photoprotection.
Dermatosis - Any disease of the skin in which inflammation is not necessarily a feature. It’s characterized by reddish papules, slowly progressive eruptions, and itching.
Ralph M. Trüeb
Department of Dermatology, University Hospital of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
March 16th, 2007
By Donna Chapman
The only way is up when it comes to show-stopping party hair…
The festive season is a time when we aspire more than ever to achieve maximum glamour and for the long haired among us - inspired by the A-list at innumerable red-carpet events - this means the only way is up.
Wearing your hair up is less Princess Anne’s ‘onion set’ and more Anne Hathaway’s sexy chignon in ‘The Devil Wears Prada’. Forced and unflattering is out, tactile and seductive is in. A trend with staying power, up-dos bestrode the autumn catwalks with fresh new takes on ’50s and ’60s classics. If a chic chignon, beautiful ballerina bun or looped-up ponytail is top of your Christmas party wish list you can forget about writing to Santa. Award-winning hairdresser and current nominee for the prestigious title of London Hairdresser of the Year 2006, Sally Brooks of Brooks & Brooks,(www.brooksandbrooks.co.uk) has all the tips you need to make an impact.
Chic chignons
Pull hair into a low ponytail and secure with a hairband. Slick the ponytail with a shine serum to make hair more manageable and for an all-over gloss shine. Twist the ponytail around and pull it up to make a large loop. The result is simple, stylish and sophisticated.
Up-loops: This style will bring out the glamourpuss in you. Pull hair into a ponytail, ensuring that the front of the hair is swept back and super-sleek. Pull a big loop of hair halfway back through the hairband and shape evenly for an elegant bun-like effect, with strands of hair hanging underneath.
Ponytail power
Easy, timeless and oh-so-simple to do, the great thing about ponytails is that they suit most people regardless of age, and they’re fabulous for turning a bad hair day on its head ready for the party. Simply run some styling tonic through limp locks, brush through and secure at the nape of the neck with a diamanté hairband. You’ll look instantly stylish and nobody will know it’s a greasy hair cover-up! For an edgier look, add a fashionable quiff by taking a triangular section from just in front of the crown to the temples backcombing gently at the roots. Flip the hair forward then back securing at the crown area with grips, or a glamorous hair accessory.
Work to wow
Going to a party straight from work? Braiding and ponytails are the easiest techniques – from a herringbone plait to a side ponytail. Avoid it all looking too ad hoc by having a bit of a practice before the big event.
Wash out
Just-washed hair is more difficult to style than hair that has been left for a couple of days, because it’s so clean and slippery, so wash it a couple of days before the big event.
Stash it
Small is beautiful when it comes to creating couture hair looks on the go. We love:
Bumble & bumble Hair Powder in a choice of five shades, £15 (01768 891394) – absorbs excess oils and helps styles stay put.
Schwarzkopf Professional Osis Mini Giant, £3.60 (www.schwarzkopf-professional.co.uk) - gutsy compact hairspray.
Kent Antistatic Folding Hairbrush, £5.50 (www.kentbrushes.com) - palm-sized vent brush.
Aveda Pure Abundance, £16, (www.aveda.com) - va-va volumising and matt finisher.
Copyright © 2006 handbag.com
March 15th, 2007
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