Do You Need a Conditioner? Not every hair type requires it but most of us do. Conditioner adds moisture to the hair - some of the product may even sneak under the protective cuticle layers to infuse the inner strands with a temporary surge of moisture. It lubricates strands, helping to reduce static electricity, keeping hair from getting dry and brittle, and making locks easy to brush.
Conditioner acts as a temporary spackle that fills in chinks in the cuticle layer. This keeps strands from tangling around each other as you brush and style your hair. Conditioner also forms a protective seal around hair, which forces the cuticle to lie flat - this flat surface reflects light and makes hair shine.
Lubricants and emollients are used in conditioners. They attract and lock in moisture. These can include vegetable oils, mineral oil, plant oil, and vitamin B derivatives. Proteins are popular conditioner ingredients and can include collagen, elastin, and amino acids, which are small, natural building blocks of hair that penetrate the cuticle to strengthen strands. Some conditioners contain shine enhancers such as dimethicone, which helps to smooth cuticles.
Choosing an after-shampoo conditioner
Because there is a wide variety of hair types and hair needs, there is also a wide variety of after-shampoo conditioner formulas. Sometimes called rinse-out, regular, everyday, or instant conditioners, these products are the ones you apply after every shampoo, leave on for 1 to 5 minutes, then rinse out.
Detanglers are very light conditioners. Their main purpose is to smooth strands and keep hair from tangling. Because they are not moisturerich, detanglers are best for fine hair, oily hair, or for use whenever you don't need a lot of moisturizing but still want hair to behave.
Body-building conditioners are great for fine, lank hair. Because they are so light, they don't add a lot of moisture. Instead they detangle hair and leave strands looking firmer, thicker, and fuller. Balancing or normal hair conditioners are middle-of-the-road conditioners that are not too light, not too heavy. This makes them ideal for normal hair. For those of you who can't give up your blow dryers, look for thermal formulas.
Low pH products cause the hair's cuticle layer to clamp tightly shut, which protects the inner strand from moisture loss and creates terriftc shine. For the glossiest results, look for a conditioner with a pH of 3.0 to 3.5.
Conditioners for dry or damaged hair
Conditioners for dry or chemically treated hair are heavier than those for normal hair and take into account the special needs of moisture-starved dry or chemically treated hair. These conditioners leave a bit of residue to lubricate and protect strands.
Conditioners for damaged hair use high concentrations of lubricants and proteins to nurture hair that is fragile, frayed, ultra-dry, or injured by color, permanent waves, or relaxing services. Damaged hair formulas leave some protective residue on strands to keep locks moisturized and insulated from further damage.
Spray-on conditioners are great for those of you with dry, damaged, wavy, curly or frizzprone hair. Just mist on craggy looking spots whenever needed.
4.23.2008
Conditioner Basics - Conditioners for Dry or Damaged Hair
Nail Tips and Art - Enhancing Your Nails
Gel nails
Gel nails, or gel systems as they are also called, are a newer type of nail enhancement that are created by applying layers of resin to the nail; these layers combine and harden to form a solid nail. Depending on the formula a particular nail technician uses, nails are hardened with an ultraviolet curing light or under ordinary room lighting. Gel nails are among the most natural-looking of the nail enhancements - something to keep in mind if you want nails that look like your own, only longer and stronger.
Using nail tips
Nail tips are one of the oldest forms of nail enhancements. Preformed plastic nail shapes are applied to the natural nail plate with nail glue. Sometimes they cover the nail from the cuticle to the end, but more frequently they are applied midway down the nail plate. To get a smoother finish, some nail techs may apply acrylics, gel, or wraps over either the natural "untipped" nail or both the natural nail and the newly affixed nail tip. The entire shape is then sanded and filed into the length and shape you want.
Nail art
Perhaps you're a showy type, someone who loves to express herself through her appearance. For you, a shockingly bright, trendy-colored nail isn't enough. You want to set yourself apart from the manicured crowd. From the sound of it, you are a nail art kind of gal. Nail art is not so much a way to augment nails' length as it is a way to enhance their appearance.
There are several ways you can dress up nails. Decals - much like the decals you got from boxes of sugared cereal, and stuck on windows or your own body as a kid - are an easy way to add whimsy to your nails. Most nail salons have a selection of seasonal (jack o'lanterns, snowflakes) as well as standard (roses, stars) designs. These are embedded in slightly sticky nail color. When nail color is dry, a swipe of top coat keeps decals secure.
Decorative nails
Nail jewelry can be expensive 14-karat gold, but it is usually made of cheaper silveror gold-colored metals. Most nail jewelry comes in simple designs, such as initials, stars, and hearts; it is applied just like nail decals. For those with very long nails, there is another type of nail jewelry: earrings for nails. If you're interested, your nail technician will actually pierce one of your nails and install a stud or a small hoop. Nail detailing, sometimes simply called nail art, uses extra-fine paintbrushes and several colors of nail polish, which your nail technician uses to paint scenes onto the nail. The finished product depends greatly on your nail technician's skill as a fine artist.
Brushing - Using Combs and Picks
Combs and picks aren't necessary for everyone: some people use them, others simply rake gently through hair with their fingers. If you are a comb or pick user, look for a model with rounded, widely spaced teeth - these are gentler on hair than pointytipped, fine-toothed combs. Furthermore, make sure each individual tooth is smooth, without cracks or burs that can catch hair and rip away strands' cuticle layer. Hard rubber, hard silicone, and polished wood are the most hair-friendly materials
Brushing techniques There are two reasons to brush your hair. The most obvious one is grooming - your coif looks messy, so you brush it into submission. For this type of brushing, work gently and do as little as possible: too much brushing can upset your style: The other reason for brushing is sclap and hair health too much brushing can upset your style. The other reason for brushing is scalp and hair health. Now I realize that a bit of controversy surrounds this type of hair brushing. Some people believe the less you brush your hair, the healthier it will be; other folks claim that faithful brushing keeps the hair and scalp healthy by clearing away debris from the scalp and strands, massaging the scalp, and distrbuting moisturizing sebum through hair.
Regular brushing gives hair a natural shine and is said to create locks that are healthier, more manageable, and easier to style.
My own opinion is what I call "moderately pro-brushing." Through experience I've found a thorough brushing not only makes my hair look prettier, it dissuades oil from pooling around my roots and lifts dry flaky skin cells off my scalp. The best time to give your hair a thorough brushing is right before you hit the shower. I'll admit this is a bit arbitrary so if you want to give yourself a thorough brushing in the middle of the day or before going out at night, go ahead. However, be aware that intense brushing loosens dead scalp flakes, which gives your hair a "dandruffy" look. Also, if you have wavy or curly hair, an in-depth brushing can create an electric, high-frizz finish. (Now you see why I like to hit the shower after brushing!)
Handy hints
You've been brushing your hair for years - do you really need someone to tell you how to do it? Maybe not, but I'm nonetheless going to tell you what I've picked up from several dozen hairdressers. Before you whip out the brush, take a wide-tooth comb or use your fingers and gently go through the ends of your hair to remove tangles, knots, snarls, and so on. Bend over at the waist. Start at one ear and, working around the neckline, brush in long strokes from scalp to tip.
I do not believe in giving tresses 100 strokes a day - after all, too much of any good thing can, with time, create damage. Each section needs only two or three "rake-throughs" before you move on.
After you've finished working the neckline, remain bent over and separate your hair from nape to crown as if you were creating two ponytails. Starting at the nape and working toward the crown, brush strands on one side of the horizontal part. Repeat with the hair on the other side of the part.
Only dry hair should be brushed. Damp or wet hair is weak and vulnerable to breaking. If you must detangle wet hair, do it in the shower while you have conditioner in your hair. Work gently and use a wide-tooth comb or hair pick.
Stand up. Brush hair around the hairline by starting at one ear, moving toward the opposite ear, and directing hair back off the face. When you've finished, part hair in the center. Brush the hair on one side of the part. Repeat on the other side. Note: Those of you with curls or very thick hair may have to create a few more sections to ensure that every part of your scalp and hair gets brushed.
Those of us with longer hair, fragile hair, or hair that we're trying to grow must be more mindful of how we handle our strands.
Beauty and Makeup Artists - Getting to Know You
My blue-eyed, scandinavian-blonde sister looks gorgeous in icy shades; every time we go to a makeup counter together I reach for softly colored lipsticks, blushes, and eye shadows to swipe on the back of her hand. After 15 minutes, her skin is covered with rose, carnation, lilac, lavender, mauve, and silver streaks. "I am not buying anything pastel!" she says, trying to move out of my reach. No matter how pretty she looks in these shades, she will never wear them; she says she hates pastels because they are "too girly, too prissy." Still, I press these colors on her, although I always promise to stop because I know how she feels.
When makeup artists see my yellowy skin, dark blonde hair, and green eyes, they immediately move toward me with terracotta and apricot eye shadows, bronze blush, and bright, brick-red lipstick. While these shades do complement my eyes beautifully, they make my teeth and the whites of my eyes appear yellow, in turn making me feel even more yellow than I already am. For this reason, I will never buy orangey-earth shades no matter how many compliments I get while wearing them. Why am I telling you all this? To point out the importance of personal tastes.
Establishing what you like
Maybe several cosmetic salespeople have suggested that cream foundation would work well with your dry skin, but you detest the product's rich texture. Perhaps you adore loden eyeliner even though everyone tells you navy blue would better suit your complexion. People may recommend some contouring in the hollow of your cheeks to accentuate your bone structure, despite the fact you hate contour. What to do? I am all for ignoring other people's advice and following your own tastes - after all, makeup is not only for helping us look and feel better, but also for expressing ourselves, and our likes and dislikes come into that category.
Interested in trying out a certain type of blush, color of eye shadow, or new type of mascara? Head to the cosmetic counter at a nearby department store or makeup artist boutique, where you can test makeup for free. If you like the item after wearing it for 3 or 4 hours, you can return and purchase it.
That said, don't dismiss a cosmetic until you've tried it - which means wearing it in public for a day. This is important because you can't always immediately tell what you will love or hate. For instance, one of my favorite cosmetics is a highlighting cream from Face Stockholm. I had never considered wearing highlighter - for some reason, I always associated it with disco. But one day, I was in New York City's Face Stockholm store with my sister (yes, I was painting pastel stripes on her hands) when I saw a display of several highlighting creams. A month earlier, someone had told me that Caroline Bessette Kennedy used to wear this particular highlighter. Being envious of Bessette Kennedy's naturally glowing skin, I decided to dab some highlighter on my cheekbones and temples. It looked great and not at all disco-like. After wearing the highlighter around Manhattan for a few hours - and still loving the way it looked - I returned to the store and bought it.
Beauty Peels - Big-deal Treatments
When it comes to beauty, a general rule of thumb is "the less the pain, the less dramatic the gain." Keep this in mind if you're looking for big results. For instance, if you'd like to create a satiny-smooth finish on pockmarked skin, eradicate moderate lines, or restore firmness to a slack area of the face, the quick "lunchtime" procedures we have just described probably won't give you what you want. However, there are more intensive procedures available.
Not all big-deal treatments are performed in hospital. In fact, many are done in a dermatologist's in-office surgery suite.
TCA peels
With the advent of laser resurfacing, PhotoFacials, and microbrasion treatments, the TCA peel has waned in popularity. Named after its active ingredient, trichloroacetic acid, the TCA peel is a medium-deep treatment that "freshens" the skin, removes some sun damage and rough scaly patches, reduces freckles and irregular pigmentation, and softens fine wrinkles. There is some evidence that it may also reduce the risk of skin cancer by destroying precancerous cells. The treatment involves painting trichloroacetic acid onto clean skin until the skin whitens.
During the 24 hours following the procedure, your skin will be slightly swollen and red. Over the next few days, the treated skin dries to a crispy brown; to keep things moist, your doctor may suggest coating your face with a thick layer of Vaseline. Things get uglier: between days 5 and 7, the leathery skin begins peeling in large sheets.
As irresistible as picking at skin is after a skin treatment, let it peel at its own pace: pulling it can cause deep scars and infections. As soon as "lour face is done shedding, you can return to your regular skin-care routine.
Jessner's peel
The Jessner's peel resembles the TCA peel: a mediumdeep treatment that is designed to remove the top layers of skin, thus evening pigmentation, improving the skin's texture, and minimizing fine lines. Instead of containing trichloroacetic acid, however, the Jessner's peel consists of a mixture of salicylic acid, lactic acid, and resorcinol.
The Jessner's peel solution is applied to clean skin. Immediately afterward, your skin will be red and slightly swollen, and after 3 or 4 days, it will become dry and tight. At this point it should begin to crack and peel; to keep things moist, your doctor may suggest coating your face with a thick layer of petroleum jelly. After 5 to 7 days, skin should be healed enough for you to return to your regular skin-care routine.
On dark skin, olive-toned skin, or skin that scars easily, chemical peels, laser treatments, and dermabrasion can cause scarring, light colored patches, or dark patches. Do not consider any of these resurfacing treatments before getting a dermatologist's evaluation.