Opportunities Today : May 2006 Issue

Commonly asked Hair Queries

 

 

Why does my hair appear dry in winter?
The sebaceous glands in the scalp which produce oil to lubricate the hair are less active in cold weather. They also slow down with age. Stimulate your scalp by brushing to get them working. Regularly condition your hair after washing.
 
My hair is sprinkled with grey which I'd love to cover, but the thought of endless touch-ups has put me off. Can you suggest something?
Why not a semi-permanent colour? It won't leave sharp lines where the colour is growing out because it will mingle with the new hair growth. It only takes about 30 minutes to do and can be shampooed in. Whatever the colour of your hair, it will help enrich it.

 
My hair is extremely thin. Can anything be done to make it thicker?
If hair and scalp are healthy, the culprit is your genes, alas, and improvement can only be minimal. Here are some things you might try: Vitamin E (combined, of course, with a good general diet - low sugar, high protein); scalp massage; mineral supplements, especially zinc, body-building protein shampoos and conditioners. Don't be afraid to wash hair often, even every day - super-clean hair looks and feels thicker - but avoid excessive setting and brushing.

I've been streaking my hair for years, and recently had a tight, frizzy permanent wave. Disaster! Hair's a mess - like kinky straw - with lots of breakage. What can I do ?
Experts do agree most hair can take only one form of processing (colouring, perming, straightening) at a time…. Your perm was the final straw. Don't do it again, and give your hair a chance to rest by delaying a bit on the next streaking. Best first-aid treatment for seriously damaged hair is a serious conditioner that stays on half an hour or so. Instant 60-second conditioners are fine for mini problems, but you need heavy-duty stuff. Slather it on, then use a heat cap, hot towels, or bonnet hair dryer - anything that generates or holds heat - to help conditioner work most effectively. Yes, it takes time, but it's worth it.

 

How can you play up your hair colour without actually changing it?
By highlighting shading or toning - a lightening lift that only has to be renewed three or four times a year.

 

What about colour rinses?
They are especially good for anyone with fading hair because they bring back the natural colour.

 

How do you cover grey hair?
If you shampoo in a light shade of your natural colour, you get a pretty highlighted effect - the grey is still there but it is much less obvious.

 

What is the difference between highlighting and streaking?
Highlighting is very quick and easy to do. Streaking is a more involved process - it means lightening a strand here and there in a way that appears random but is, in effect, quite deliberate. And the end result is more subtle than highlighting.

 

Any special tips for colouring?
Yes, strive for a blend when you colour. There is no such thing as one-colour hair - it is made up of varying shades.

 

My hair looks soft and shiny just after shampooing, but within a day or two it's lank and lacks luster again. Why?
Your hair is obviously oily, and oily hair needs a lot of attention - frequent shampooing to disperse the oil all the way down the hair shaft and a well-balanced diet. Oily hair can be washed as often as you like - every day if necessary. Use a gentle shampoo, with the water as hot as you can stand. Never use a cream rinse as this will tend to coat the hair further, making it even more limp and unmanageable. To remove excess oil between shampoos, rub scalp with cologne-dampened cotton or use a dry shampoo between regular shampoos. There are so many conditioners available, I get confused as to what to buy and what I can expect of them. Conditioners are to hair what moisturizers are to skin. They give luster and body, make it more manageable and help replace oils and proteins. There are three basic types


1. Instant conditioners help manage hair that doesn't hold a set. They work by coating hair with beneficial conditioners and depositing protein to help fill the hair shaft.2. Body-building conditioners and bulk to fine, sparse hair. Each strand becomes coated with conditioner and plumps it in diameter, to give the effect of hair that is fuller and thicker.

3. Corrective conditioners help repair hair damage with connectants to relieve dryness and add shine and protein, to restore natural elasticity and help make hair more supple and resistant to damage.

 

My hair has become dry and unmanageable. What can I do ?
The first imperative solution is a daily scalp massage, using circular motions and making sure that fingernails don't dig in and damage the scalp. Shampoo every week, and after each to detangle, soften and eliminate static electricity, use a cream rinse. Use a cream conditioner to heal dry, damaged hair by filling in crevices and smoothing the surface. Dry, dull hair responds well to oil treatments - massage warm oil into scalp; wrap hair in hot, wet towels for 10 minutes before shampooing.

 

Is there a right way to shampoo hair?
Start by liberally wetting your hair with warm water and then massaging lather into your scalp. Give special attention to the crown and sides of head, which are often neglected. Follow with a long, thorough rinse - at least two minutes - flooding the water through the hair. Repeat it if necessary, but if you shampoo your hair every day, one application is water temperature should start at warm and taper off to cool or cold if you can stand it - cold water seems to close pores and bring a shine to hair.

 

Is there any way of repairing split ends?
Absolutely none. You must have them cut off. But to prevent them, use a shampoo for dry hair, give yourself oil treatments and brush and massage your scalp regularly.

 

My hair goes into a mass of tangles after shampooing. What should I do ?
Use a cream rinse to help smooth out tangles. And never yank or tug at your hair. First, work out tangles by gently brushing ends of hair; then brush another 2cm or so above the ends, then another 2 cm, until the tangles are removed all the way to the scalp. Never brush wet hair.

 

My hair is shoulder length and fine. Between washings it tends to look stringy. What can I do?
A good way to get a temporary look of thickness and volume into your hair is to bend over with your head down. Brush your hair up, then toss your head back and brush lightly over the top of your head.

 

I've always heard that brushing was good for your hair. But now I hear it may be bad. Is this true?
Everything in moderation is the key to healthy hair. Once, 100 strokes a day was good because there were no special shampoos or hair conditioners around. Nowadays, hair experts feel it may be harmful to over brush, especially if you have fine, sparse hair. Don't give up brushing altogether, but limit it to between 20 to 30 strokes.

 

Can the continuous use of a hair dryer damage my hair?
The heat from a hair dryer will not affect your hair, even if you use it everyday, provided you keep it on the low or comfort cycle. Never keep the dryer pointed at one spot too long, but keep it continually moving over your head. Using a dryer on a very hot cycle may cause women with oily hair to have flaking of the scalp. The new comb-through dryers just dry the hair, not the scalp, and are particularly good for oily hair that has to be shampooed often.

Do salt and chlorinated water affect the hair?
Both make the hair hard and sticky. Also, if hair has been coloured, they tend to bleach the colour out. Always wash your hair immediately after swimming in salt or chlorinated water. If you can't shampoo, rinse at the nearest faucet. Or carry a bottle of soda water in your beach bag and rinse with that.