Herbs For Healthy Hair

1. Sage: Excellent for weak hair.
2. Rosemary: Enhances dark hair
3. Chamomile: Promotes healthy hair growth.
4. Catnip: Promotes hair growth.
5. Burdock Root: Promotes hair growth and reduces hair from falling out

Hair Loss

Hair is a growth consisting of dead skin cells that are filled with a protein called keratin. (which is the main ingredient in your fingernails.) Each hair is encased and nourished by a follicle buried under the skin.

Loss or absence of hair, also known as alopecia is a hereditary and unavoidable condition. In some men it can be a side effect of medication, a dietary deficiency or hormonal imbalance.




You can help reduce the effects of hair loss from stress, trauma, shock or illness by increasing your intake of vitamin C found in fresh fruits and vegetables, particularly citrus fruit and juices, parsley, broccoli, green peppers and black currants.

Take a vitamin B complex everyday or brewers yeast. Increase your intake of protein found in meat, fish, liver, wheat germ, dried cooked beans and peas, tofu, cheese, milk and eggs.

The Chinese believe that hair is nourished by the blood, and therefore influenced by the kidney & liver. Treatment is aimed at these organs using fleeceflower root, wolfberry fruit or mulberry fruit. Here are some great shampoos you may want to make:

HERBAL SHAMPOO - great for dandruff

4 tablespoons dried thyme boiled for 10 minutes in 2 cups of water. Strain and let cool before massaging onto clean damp hair. Leave on for 1 hour then rinse in warm water.

Second recipe:

2 egg yolks beaten in a half cup of water, massage onto hair and scalp for 5 minutes. Rinse well with water and then rinse with a mixture of 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and water.

Olive Oil, A Great Solution For Hair And Skin Care

Olive oil has been widely used in your salads as well as many other things. It is one of healthiest components to make your food taste better. This oil comes directly from the Mediterranean Region and it has become so famous that it has been used in all the continents.

It is a favorite among all the health conscious people. Due to the immense number of benefits, it has been ranked among the top nutrition provider. It has been widely used in soaps making it mild and very skin friendly. It also helps to moisturize your body by the use of this oil in the soap.

Home Made Recipes

* If you want to have smooth and fine nails olive oil is the best solution. Dowse your nails in a cup of olive oil for 30 minutes and find the best results.


* Apply Olive oil liberally on your hands. To avoid spreading it elsewhere wear cotton gloves. This method helps you to get a smoother and softer skin.

* Olive oil is the best solution for chapped lips. It does wonders to your lips.




* To have beautiful, lustrous, shiny, silky and dandruff free hair, olive oil is the best bet. You can apply good amount of oil on your hair and cover it with a shower cap for 30 minutes, later shampoo it.

* It is great moisturizing solution which makes your skin softer and smoother.

* To make yourself an interesting bathing solution you can add 3-4 tbsp of olive oil with a few drops of essential oil.

* You can make an excellent night cream by using 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup vinegar and 1/4 cup water. This helps to lighten your skin, kill bacteria and makes your skin smooth and clear.

* It can work as a cleansing cream if you have dry skin. Apply olive oil and then scrub with good amount of sugar. Later, wipe the sugar off your face with wet and warm cloth. One of the easiest ways to get facial done.

* Soften your feet by applying olive oil on your feet.

* Mix in bowl 1 egg, 1 tsp honey, 1/2 tsp olive oil and few drops of rose water. Use this as a mask for dry skin. Once applied keep it for sometime, later rinse it off with warm water. Dab it dry.

* Make a paste by mixing some mashed apricots and warm olive oil. Apply this paste all over your face and leave it for 10 minutes. Wash it off with water.

Beauty Basics - Eight Tips For Naturally Beautiful Hair

Looking for a more natural approach to hair care? Here are some tips to help your hair look and feel its best.

1. Avoid shampoos that contain sodium laurel sulfate, or sodium laureth sulfate. These chemicals are synthetic detergents that are used in dishwashing liquid and other cleansers. They are valued because they lather well, but they are very harsh, and can dry out your hair. Instead, look for shampoos made with decyl glucose, or decyl glucoside, which are much gentler.

2. Give yourself a hot oil treatment to deep condition your hair. Warm oil penetrates the hair shaft making the hair more flexible and giving it shine. This can also help to prevent split ends which result from dry hair.

3. Eat right and consider taking vitamin and mineral supplements to encourage healthy hair. Several vitamins and minerals have been shown to help hair growth and condition including biotin, vitamin E, vitamin B, vitamin C and MSM.




4. If you are an African American, or if you have extra curly hair, avoid brushing your hair. Use a wide toothed comb, or your fingers to work with your hair. Brushes can destroy African American or extra curly hair by shearing it out of the scalp.

5. Look for essential oils, herbs and vegetable oils in your hair care products. Essential oils such as rosemary, ylang-ylang and west Indian bay help to stimulate hair growth. Lavender and tea tree are naturally antiseptic and help to fight dandruff. Vegetable oils such as soybean oil, safflower oil and corn oil are moisturizing and conditioning to the hair shaft.

6. Avoid sleeping in hair accessories such as barrettes, scrunchies, head bands, etc. This can lead to hair damage.

7. Massage your scalp to help stimulate hair growth. Massaging helps stimulate hair growth by increasing the blood flow to the scalp. This nourishes the hair roots and helps to stimulate the hair growth process.

8. If your hair ends are damaged, give yourself a trim every so often to remove damage

Your Crowning Glory

Summertime can have a nasty habit of making us sit and notice. We suddenly have a new self awareness. Wintertime can have a definite adverse affect on both your hair and skin. This is aggravated by an over indulgence of rich nurturing foods, caffeine and alcohol. It sometimes takes spring creeping over the windowsill to give you that extra wake up call, and a new self awareness.

It is during this time that your old summer wardrobes may look sad, due to extra poundage gained over the hibernation season. Skin may appear dry, and your hair can appear to seem limp and lifeless and in extreme cases hair loss may be apparent.

Hair loss in women is becoming more prominent, and this has persuaded doctors to take a closer look at the problem. It has been proven that poor diet can play a big part in promoting hair loss, especially in women, whom already have to contend with hormone in balances, which also contribute to hair loss.

What causes hair loss in women.

DHT
95% of hair loss in women is cause by androgentic Alopecia ( female pattern baldness). This may be inherited from your parents. What causes the hair loss in this condition is a chemical called DHT (dihydrotestosterone), which is hormone that all men and women produce) .

People that make more DHT have a lot of the enzyme called 5_alpha reductase. An excess of DHT may cause hair follicles to the hair become increasingly thinner, until the follicle will eventually stop producing hair at all. The baldness will be predominantly over the front and sides of the head and not in the crown area as with men. This will get worse with menopause.

A women’s biochemistry if often out of balance, and this along with poor diet can create a toxic environment and unacceptable amounts of copper and salt in the system.

Oily Hair
As hair thins the sebaceous gland that secreted sebum the hairs natural oil, will stay the same size and continue to produce the same amount of oil. This can make thinning hair overly oily, flat and lifeless. This makes frequent shampooing vital for hair loss cases with oily scalps. Sebum also contains DHT which can clog pores and deter healthy hair growth.

Hormones
Hormonal changes are a common cause of female hair loss. After a pregnancy, or when taking birth control pills, many women experience hair thinning to varying degrees, but only on a temporary basis. While a woman is pregnant, and hormonal changes are occurring, more hair follicles enter the growth phase than normal. About two to three months after childbirth, the normal hair cycle returns and many hairs re-enter the resting phase, which causes excessive shedding to occur. If the condition does not change after six months, a woman may be experiencing hereditary hair thinning or maybe be lacking in certain nutrients to an unbalanced diet.

Unbalanced Diet
What you eat is reflected in the health of your hair. Your hair as well as your body needs a balanced, nutritious diet to stay healthy. Making a conscious decision to eat an abundance of fruits and vegetables that are loaded with vitamins and anti oxidants is essential. Whist, whole grains, nuts and seeds will provide minerals and vitamins. A lean protein will add sufficient iron to the diet and a fortified cereal breakfast will complete the nutritional pyramid. Of course drinking plenty of purified water will give your hair maximum hydration. Eating organic, will help deter the body from becoming toxic, especially from copper, and steering clear of processed foods will prevent a high sodium intake.

Salt and Copper wreak havoc
Unhealthy tissue concentrations of copper, can cause hair loss. These amounts would be below 1.7milligrams or above 3.5 milligrams. Copper toxicity can vary from person to person, and can depend on the individuals metabolism and diet. Vegetarians for example are not always able to retain copper, which means they are more susceptible to hair loss.

How does copper get into our system
Drinking water that comes from old copper pipes is prime. Also the food that we eat. For instance copper can be included in animals diets which in turn is then passed on in our daily regime. It is also not uncommon for farmers to incorporate copper into their anti-fungal and algae sprays. Birth control such as the pill and IUD both use copper, making women more susceptible to copper imbalances. Swimmers are also at risk due to a popular algaecide used in pool water.

Salt Savvy
It is common knowledge that too much sodium or salt is not good for us, but even if we are salt savvy and do what’s best by avoiding salt our bodies can still produce too much sodium due to too much stress, which will naturally increase sodium retention.

What to advise!
If you have a client suffering with hair loss, it might be a good idea to mention the above and advise the following:

Drink Bottled Water
Avoid foods high in copper, such as milk, chocolate, oysters, nuts, high fat meats and salmon. Avoid salt and eat a low sodium diet ( steering clear of processed foods is a good idea as they tend to be high in sodium.)

Try to stay stress free. If a stressful lifestyle is on the agenda, then relaxation techniques such as yoga and meditation will help to reduce sodium levels.

Other causes of excessive hair loss.
You should normally shed on average between 80-100 hairs each day, however any more than this and you might want to re-think your diet or lifestyle. Chemical treatments done incorrectly, or excessive pulling on the hair due to over tight ponytails or braids, are also likely to cause hair loss. If you follow a healthy lifestyle or do not fall into any of these categories and you are still experiencing hair loss, you may want to consult with your doctor or trichologist. As a more serious health problem may be the cause!

Hair Care Home Remedies

Save money and give yourself a break from the chemicals found in most hair care products by using the following natural home remedies for your hair.

Tame your frizzy hair by rubbing coconut oil into your hands and applying sparingly onto your hair. You don't want to overdo it - too much will make your hair look greasy. Shampooing your hair less frequently also helps with the frizzies. Excess shampooing strips natural oils from the hair.

Rinse your hair with baking soda to get rid of shampoo build-up and styling residues. Rinsing your hair with lemon juice is said to bring life and shine back to dull hair. Apple cider vinegar mixed with water will give your hair shine and bounce.




Add essential oil of ylang ylang to your shampoo, conditioner and styling agents as a hair rejuvenator. Ylang ylang and rosemary essential oils are also believed to stimulate hair growth.

Drinking plenty of water and eating plenty of raw fruits and vegetables is probably the best way to achieving healthy hair. What goes into your body is reflective on the outside including your hair.

Healthy Hair Secrets

Ever wondered why some people have luscious hair that is shiny and never looks out of place, and why you don't? A healthy hair makeover is surprisingly not too hard to achieve. All you need to do is learn a few healthy hair secrets and try a little home maintenance.

Great Hair Starts With a Good Cut
A professional haircut will ensure that your hair is free from damaged and spit ends and will make your hair look healthy. Seeing a professional will also give you the opportunity to get the right cut for your hair type and texture. Follow up visits which include regular trims will also guarantee that your hair will look and feel its best.

Healthy Hair Is Hydrated Hair
Drink plenty of water. Water not only hydrates your skin and body, it also hydrates your hair.

Product Overload
Don't use too many products. Product overload will weigh your hair down and make it look tired and greasy. Remember this rule: One product to style and one product to finish with.

Heat Styler Hazard
If you use a heat styler such as a hair-dryer, straightener or curling iron, then make sure to apply a heat protection product first. Heated stylers can zap your hair of moisture and leave your strands frizzy and hard to manage.

Sleeping Beauty
When you are sleeping your body is working its hardest to repair damage, including any hair damage, so plenty of sleep is a must. To further help your hair achieve its healthy best, try sleeping on a satin pillowcase. This will stop your hair from rubbing as you sleep and will control fly-aways.

Moisture Madness
Try an intensive conditioner once a week to keep your locks moisturized and to keep your hair soft. To get the best from your deep treatment, apply it to your hair then cover with plastic wrap or a plastic shower cap and leave for ten minutes before rinsing out. This will add heat and allow the treatment to penetrate. For a deeper condition, wrap a warm towel over the plastic wrap.

Product Placement
Choose the right products for your hair. If you've styled with the right products for your hair type and washed with the right shampoo then your hair should be naturally shiny and manageable. If it's not, see your stylist and get an expert opinion on what will work best for your hair.

Balanced Eating
Eating a well-balanced diet which is full of healthy proteins and lots of vitamins will keep your hair glowing. Not to mention your skin and your waistline!

Face Shapes To Suit Hairstyles

When changing to a fabulous new look, believe it or not, it's the shape of your face, along with your hair type and texture, that is the most important factor to consider. Here at TheHairStyler.com, we've come up with an easy to follow guide that will help you determine your face shape and advise you on the best cuts for a fantastic new look.

Face Shape

To determine your face shape, take a tape measure or ruler and record the following:

1. The measurement of your face across the top of your cheekbones.
2. The measurement across your jawline from the widest point to the widest point.
3. The measurement across your forehead at the widest point (generally somewhere halfway between your eyebrows and your hairline).
4. The measurement from the tip of your hairline to the bottom of your chin.

You are now ready to see which one of the seven classic face shapes belongs to you!

Hair Oil - A Need For Anyone And Everyone

Oiling ones hair is one of the most important things, if we want to take care of our hair. It is very necessary that hair is given proper treatment which would mean a massage with some of the most beneficial oils.

Having the right kind of oil for your hair is very important and so is oiling your hair. Many of us have a hectic schedule due to which, oiling and washing our hair holds the last priority. If you want healthy hair and one which lasts longer - oiling is the best remedy.

There are so many oils in the market which tells you tales about the benefits it provides. Before jumping in the bandwagon with others, check it from which company you are buying the oil. A trusted and known company is very important as there are many duplicates in the market.

Having good hair oil is not enough, eating the right kind of food also helps. Harmful foods such as canned and processed food which do not protect your hair instead damage it, should not be eaten. Fresh coconut is very good for your hair.




For beautiful and strong hair, massage your scalp with hair oil and leave it overnight. You can also use a steamed towel to cover your hair for half an hour for best results. This gives your hair a shiny and lustrous look.

Oiling your hair everyday would be too much to ask for. But do this at least thrice a week for beautiful hair. It does make a lot of difference if you keep doing this regularly as it is bound to show on your hair.

The massaging and oiling of your hair stimulates the blood circulation, which in return helps your hair. Due to the oil your hair is protected from the strong and hot sun rays. The oil also gives your hair that extra shine.

Some of the most popular and very beneficial oils which are being used for beautiful long hair with indefinite good qualities are

Jojoba Oil - can be used for dry hair as it helps to moisturize your hair properly. It helps to soften your hair and can be used to detangle your hair before shampooing.

Olive Oil - strengthens your hair and nourishes it due to inherent qualities it has. It helps to reduce stress and promotes the idea of healthy hair by providing elasticity to your hair.

Coconut Oil - is one of the oil which helps in the lubrication of the hair. The content in coconut oil like magnesium, potassium, calcium and iron happens to provide the best for your hair. It is very useful for damaged hair due to its ability to strengthen it.

Rosemary Herbal Oil - is very useful for the unwanted and flaky dandruff problems. Warm the oil slightly and apply it with the help of your fingers or cotton. Rub it well on the scalp and wrap with a hot towel.

Home Remedies For Shiny Hair

We all love our hair and would not mind taking that extra step to take care of it. For beautiful, lustrous and shiny hair use these simple home remedies.

• A tea and beer rinse is one of the oldest ways to bring shine to your hair. Boil used tea leaves in enough water, let it cool and then use this liquid as the last rinse.

• In the similar fashion you can use flat beer (i.e. after letting the fizz out). This is a great conditioner to be used for your hair.

• Lemon juice mixed with water can also be used as a last rinse to give your hair a shiny and bouncy look.

• A shiny look is also provided if you use vinegar for your final rinse.

• To bring that shine one can use honey to keep your scalp moisturized. You can make honey lotion for your hair by mixing 3 teaspoons of honey for pint of water.

• The use of henna as a natural conditioner proves to be very beneficial for your hair. It helps to bring back the bounce and flair of your hair which has been lacking for quite a while.




• You can add small amount of baking soda in the shampoo which, removes dirt and grease from your hair to give you the shiny look.

• To remove the dirt and other matter from your hair you can use one fourth cup of apple cider vinegar in one gallon of condensed water. This can be stored in the refrigerator and can be used every two weeks for clean, smooth, silky and shiny hair. The proper way to use this solution is to wet your hair with warm water, shampoo it later rinse it. Pour two cups of this mixture and leave it in your hair for sometime. The last stage is to rinse your hair with cold-water.

• To get that extra shine for your hair brew one cup of strong espresso, let it cool. Pour the espresso over your dry hair and leave it for 20 minutes. Rinse it to get the extra shine and glow.

• You can also make Egg shampoo at home which requires 1 egg, 1 teaspoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon castile soap, 1/2 a cup water or herbal tea and last but not the least 5 drops of essential oils of your choice. Blend all these together to make an Egg shampoo which can bring shine to your hair.

• Many of us who want to clean their hair use shampoos. Try this for a change, massage baking soda into your hair and scalp. This absorbs oil and loosens the dead skin on the scalp. Rinse it thoroughly with water. In the initial stages the hair would be dry but after several weeks you would be dandruff free with smooth and shiny hair.

Everyday Ways to Care for your Hair

Health, strength and beauty of hair depends primarily on its nerve vigor and the good circulation of the oily scalp secretion which gives it gloss and luster. Beauty is not so much a matter of color where hair is concerned. If your hair has a fine glow, a rich sheen, is thick and long, it will be beautiful irrespective of its pigmentation. Hair often makes an otherwise plain person beautiful. And practically every woman, if she cares to make the effort, may have beautiful hair.

SOME HAIR HINTS

If you have the least suspicion of a curl in your hair, brushing around rather than straight will bring it out. Do not worry if you shed your hair. It is natural for the hair to shed — and to keep right on growing in again. Only see to it that the in growth is equal to the loss by shedding.

No young girl should use a rat. Metal combs should be tabooed. Keep the hairbrush you use for dandruff stiff, the "polishing" brush may be softer. Use a hair net that matches your own hair color, and do not get too small a one. Remove snarls and tangles in the hair gently, with fingers, before brushing. The three-weekly or monthly shampoo is a good rule. If you wash your hair too often, it will turn dry and brittle and change color.




The hair should never be worn "done up" constantly. This is injurious because every part of the hair should have frequent air and sun baths. For normal shampoo employ Castile, tar or vegetable soaps, and Green soap for oily hair. A good egg shampoo may be made of an egg, thoroughly beaten, one tablespoon alcohol, four ounces bay rum, a pinch of borax, and four ounces of Castile soap mixed in a pint of hot water, to be used when cool.

Hair that is blonde or ruddy, as well as gray hair, may be washed with Castile soap jelly plus a quarter-teaspoonful of borax. Always comb and brush thoroughly, with finger-tip massage. After shampooing is the best time for scalp massage, hair pulling and skin loosening.

DRY SHAMPOO AND SCALP MASSAGE

The scalp and hair should be cleansed between shampoos. For this purpose the "dry shampoo" is necessary. It is actually a form of scalp massage. Preparations of orris, corn meal and other dry shampoo powders are not recommended. They stick, and it is hard to get them out of the hair. A vigorous rubbing of the scalp after the hair has been parted, using a small piece of muslin over the tip of the finger, is best. Hot and cold applications are good, with or without shampoo, especially if the hair is falling. Remember that the hair should not be "hot-air" dried. The hot-air cone used for the purpose in hairdressing establishments destroys the hair. Human hair should always be dried by hand.

Scalp massage makes the hair grow and prevents many hair troubles. A five-minute finger-tip massage, night and morning, is the one ounce of prevention worth a pound of cure. The electrical massage by a professional (after a shampoo), the violet ray, and the rubber-disk vibrator are all excellent for the hair. They strengthen and stimulate.

HAIR TONICS

Massage is the first and best hair tonic. Though a good scalp lotion may stimulate circulation, massage always does so more directly. In general it will be wise to remember that tonics are meant for specific purposes of cure for hair disorders, rather than for common use. A little refined beef marrow rubbed gently into the hair roots is a good natural tonic (though an old-fashioned one) and together with plenty of fresh air and sunshine, does more for the hair than all the compounded tonics and "restorers" marketed. Every woman can keep her hair in good condition if she chooses to. If she cannot give it attention in the morning she should do so at night.

HAIR TROUBLES

Most hair troubles could be prevented in the start by ordinary good care of the hair, and the maintenance of the state of general good health. Of course, various diseases affect the hair: fever dries it out and makes it fall; syphilis and other sex diseases poison and destroy it. Some skin diseases have the same effect. In general, if you are healthy, broadly speaking, your hair will be healthy too.

Dandruff—What we have to deal with in dandruff is a horny layer cast off by the scalp. This layer thickens, closes the pores, diminishes the hair's oil supply, and prevents the perspiration glands from getting rid of waste. Soon the hair loses tone and color, and is covered with whitish powder. Then it starts to itch and fall. In an advanced state of the disease, the hair falls out, and blood crusts form on the scalp as a result of scratching. Digestive disorders, toxic elements in the blood or local irritation may cause dandruff, and it is communicable.

Daily care of the scalp, massage and brushing, if persisted in when the disorder first appears, are very beneficial. The crude oil massage of the scalp, not the hair, is excellent and often effects a cure. A massage every night, using olive oil, together with repeated shampoos, also helps to do away with dandruff. Although pomades in general should be avoided, a pomade with a precipitated sulphur base, mixed with glycerine, rose-water, lanolin, and soap, or a sulphur ointment or cream kills the dandruff germ.

There is an "oily dandruff," also, though the disease is most commonly a dry scalp one. Shampoo with tincture of Green soap should cure this type of the disease in about a week's time. If you have dandruff, observe a regular diet, and stick as much as possible to milk and fresh fruit.

Falling Hair—An acid condition of the blood encourages the hair to fall. Correct it and you will have removed the cause of your complaint. The use of the violet ray and the vibrator, which hold down the tendency to an oily scalp, is also valuable for hair treatment in this connection. So, too, are hot and cold applications.

HAIR DISEASES WHICH SHOULD NOT OCCUR

Favus, the development of yellow scalp crusts, accompanied by severe itching, bald spots and a musty odor, is a dirt disease, hence inexcusable in a woman, unless as a result of infection. To remove it the scalp must be soaked in olive oil for a few days, carbolic acid being mixed with it in a weak solution, the hair pulled out of the most infected areas, the crusts removed, and the whole scalp shampooed with an antiseptic soap.

Ringworm is usually a gift of those evil things, the "common property" comb and brush, or the patent hair clipper. Rubbing with sulphur ointment, washing with bichloride soap, or painting with iodine, to precede the application of a cleansing ointment, is the treatment. It is dangerous since it may result in baldness.

Head lice (which may be cured by saturating the hair with kerosene or crude petroleum at night, wrapping in a towel to retain fumes, and following by antiseptic soap shampoo) is a most disgusting trouble, and unless communicated cannot occur except as a result of neglect and uncleanliness. The possibility of contagion constitutes the menace of all three of these diseases.