General F. A. Q.
Misc:
How much does my hair grow in a month?
-On average, hair grows 1/2” every month. Typically this is a little more during the summer as vitamin D helps your hair grow.
What Supplements can I take to speed up hair growth?
-This question has an answer that I do not believe is one size fits all. If there are underlying issues on hair growth, simply adding supplements will not just fix that. Some things that are great to take for hair growth and health: A daily vitamin. I prefer Juice Plus because it is actually food, not chemicals. Biotin. Your body can only absorb so much biotin though, so for my ladies who pop biotin like mints: stop. It’s not making a difference. Omegas. I cannot stress this one enough! Juice Plus has an amazing omega blend and I have seen a transformation since taking it, but adding an omega in general is super important. Collagen, this one is good for all things beauty. Typically you can find a combo of biotin and collagen. Vitamin D. Many of us are very vitamin D deficient. Definitely look into a vitamin D supplement and consider Vitamin K as it helps your body absorb vitamin d. (I am not a nutritionist or doctor, always clear these with your Dr first!) and of course drink plenty of water!
You refer to the pH of the hair a lot, why is this important?
-Little science lesson for you. The pH scale measures the acidity and alkalinity of substances. The lower the number the more acidic, 7 is neutral, and everything above that is alkaline (The scale goes to 14). Your hair is happiest and healthiest at a 4.5-5.5. Many things will throw this out of balance and your hair and scalp will basically freak out. I will address certain issues in these questions that explain pH problems and how to fix it!
I was told to make sure I don’t have hard water, why?
-Hard water is super bad for your hair and color. It is water that has a high mineral content (specifically calcium and magnesium). These minerals create a film over your scalp and hair which means it cannot be hydrated and cleansed properly. This causes dryness, frizz, dandruff, etc… The pH in hard water is high and blows open your cuticle allowing color molecules to escape as well. Want an easy fix? Just get a filter for your shower head! It will filter out the minerals and soften your water!
Hair Cutting and Breakage
How often should I get my hair trimmed?
-The recommended time frame is 6-8 weeks for trims.
Does trimming my hair really make it grow faster?
-YES. Now let’s clarify, the rate of your hair growth does not become faster with trims. What will start to happen is your hair will no longer break off which means the length will stay, and you will notice more length quicker. Too often I have clients come in and say “my hair won’t grow” but they have 1” of regrowth needing a color touch up. Well obviously your hair grew an inch since it was last done, so if you are not seeing that inch in the length of your hair that means its breaking off!
How much hair is cut when I ask for a trim?
-This is something we decide together. A trim is getting the dead stuff off. For some people this means 1/4” for others that could mean 4”. I ALWAYS show you where the best point to cut your hair would be before cutting. Many people have a misconception that a trim always means something around 1/4”, this is not the case. Its sole purpose is to cut the dead stuff off and that varies client to client.
I get my hair cut every 6 weeks but still have split ends!
-If this is you then there are other factors being involved. This means your hair is chemically and/ or mechanically damaged. Chemical damage is caused by over processing your hair. Mechanical damage is caused by a heat tool. If you have chemical damage done to your hair, I am happy to set up a treatment regimen for you to get you back on track to healthy hair that grows. If you have mechanical damage, you can prevent further damage by making sure you ALWAYS use a heat protectant, I have multiple products that have a heat protectant built in, we can find the best option for you! Maybe you already use the right products and don’t over process your hair? That means you probably have not caught up to the breakage yet, until you cut above it, it will continue to split.
Can i get rid of my split ends without cutting them?
-Hate to break it to ya, but no. Once the hair is split, it’s split, NOW there are products that basically give a quick fix to get you by until your trim by coating the ends and keeping them from splitting further. Once your hair starts splitting and breaking it doesn’t stop, and it doesn’t go away. The only “fix” is to cut above them. There are also treatments that can help prevent and “mend” split ends as a temporary solution until you cut them off. If you are interested in this treatment I do offer it and I love it, but let me clarify it DOES NOT mean you never have to cut your hair! You do need to keep up with trims to catch up to breakage if you are not able to in one sitting.
I haven’t changed anything about my hair, and all of a sudden it’s damaged and breaking… why?
-This one is DEFINITELY something that can vary person to person and requires an in salon consultation. The most common answer: your hot tools. “but I use heat protectant! I do everything you tell me!”
Let’s make sure the problem isn’t the tool and how it’s being used.
1) When was the last time you replaced your flat iron? You Guys, I’m guilty. I have a freaking curling iron from 7th grade…. NO JOKE. I don’t know how it hasn’t electrocuted me. But seriously, is your hot tool old? Do you drop it a lot (or ever dropped it?) What you need to do is look at the plates. If there is even a hairline crack/scratch, the heat is no longer evenly distributed or “filtered” through the titanium or ceramic plate. That little crack is causing 360 degrees of scorching heat to be applied STRAIGHT to your hair. This will literally fry the crap out of your hair. Okay so maybe the flat iron is fine, it could be user issue. Scroll down and you will find articles on products and styling and I cover that there! Make sure you NEVER EVER EVER flat iron wet or damp hair, your hair needs to be 100% dry. Which brings me to my next potential cause.
2) You may be blowdrying it too closely and actually burning your hair. A lot of people tend to aim at a certain spot more than other areas, or hold it super close or even directly on the hair while using a brush. This is way too much heat way too concentrated in one part of the hair and can fry it.
3) You wear a pony tail in the exact same spot all of the time (or clip in extensions.) This is consistent pressure on the same part of the hair. It will start breaking because of that! Move your pony tail, bun, or extensions around. Try braids or clips (not banana clips though they snag and break your hair!) Maybe you just need to loosen the tightness up. This is a common issue I see frequently.
Products & Styling
What temperature should my flat iron be set at?
-Fine hair-300-325
Med-325-360
Coarse-360-400
Remember. Pizza is cooked at 425… imagine what that does to your hair!
I heard it’s bad to run your flat iron over your hair multiple times, but I cant get it straight unless I do that!
-Here’s the thing, if you have curly hair hang tight, i’ll explain your process in a second. Many people have the concept that going slower once is worse than going quick 5 times. Do you see the numbers though? One slow pass is still just ONE pass. 5 quick passes are still 5 passes! It is better to go slowly and get it right than to rush through and keep hitting it compulsively. NOW if your hair is stubborn to flat iron (typically curly girls deal with this) that’s because flat ironing alone does not cut it. You need a product that helps break the hydrogen and salt bonds (these are broken with heat and water and are what make your hair curly or straight). So basically, before you blow dry, you need some sort of straightening product to help assist your hair. Then blow it out as straight as you can get it, spray it with a thermal spray (some have hold to them which is a plus) and flat iron in sections. Do not run a comb through your hot hair! Let it cool before running a comb through so the bond can set straight. (Remember the hydrogen and salt bonds are broken with heat and water so if it hasn’t cooled, the bond is not reconnected yet. Same concept on going outside when its raining, the water destroys your hair being straight because it rebreaks those 2 bonds.) After the hair is cooled you can run a comb through if needed or brush, I always recommend hitting it with a light hold hairspray!
Are Drugstore products really that different from professional products?
-YES. Okay, this question will end up as a blog post. As soon as I have that written I will link it here. To make a long story short: the health, condition, and color of your hair is all affected by the pH scale. The pH scale measures the alkaline and acidity levels in everything(1 being most acidity level, 7 being “neutral” and 14 being alkaline.). For your color to hold and your hair to be in it’s “happy healthy state” it needs to be acidic (4.5-5.5 to be exact). Drugstore products are all high on the alkaline side. This blows open your cuticle allowing color molecule to escape, causes roughness, and frizz. These are also diluted 98% water (how do you think they can make so much and sell it for so cheap?) So when you’re “cleansing” your hair it is really not getting clean. Guess what makes up the 2%? Waxes, parabens, and sulfates (see below for what these are). So this is what the cycle looks like: You wash your hair, the product makes your hair and scalp freak out because it is trying to rebalance it’s pH so it starts producing oils, this starts making your hair greasy, not only that, you’re loading all of these gunky chemicals onto your hair and scalp. This makes it DIRTIER, clogs follicles that could lead to hair loss, fades your color, gives you dry flaky scalp, and makes your hair feel like the wax that is coating it. So what do you do? Wash it more frequently because it’s “dirty” and you have a never ending cycle of self destruction on your hair. So with ALL of that being said, professional products are pH balanced, and have technology and ingredients to keep your hair happy and healthy. I will write a long post (like this isn’t lol) to further explain this topic.
I hear all about how bad parabens and sulfates are. What are they?
-Parabens are preservatives. They give products a longer life span. The issue with them is debated depending on who you talk to. Many people believe parabens are causing serious diseases and hormonal imbalances and issues in both men and women. Some say that in their pure state they are safe. A scientist found traces of parabens in breast cancer tissue, showing that they can pass into our internal system. This can cause problems with the endocrine system which is our hormones. Because there are other alternatives to parabens that are safe, many beauty lines choose those as precaution. This site wrote a great article on parabens.
-Sulfates are an ingredient known as a surfactant. This is a combination of molecules that attract water and oil. They are a cleansing agent but often are too strong and actually strip the “good oils” from your hair and scalp along with proteins. Sulfates are detergent. Yes you read that right. You know how laundry detergent gets all sudsy and bubbly? Those are the sulfates, the same ones in shampoos and conditioners. Those super aggressive sulfates attack your hair causing dryness and frizz. They also can strip color (like literally I will post a picture sometime of 2 extensions-1 dipped in drugstore shampoo and one in pro product so you can see the difference.) Sulfates were added to shampoo during the Great Depression (1930s). They were cheap, easily accessible, got the job done, and ready for this? They bubbled. People needed something to smile about so they put sulfates in their shampoos and soaps. Read this awesome article for more of a breakdown on sulfates.
Is there a right and wrong way to shampoo my hair?
-Big ol’ YEP. Here’s the '‘proper’ way to wash your hair: First get your hair super wet. By now we probably have switched to professional products thanks to our new found knowledge on drugstore products and Parabens and sulfates *wink wink. Pro products are very concentrated meaning a little goes a long way but it needs more water to spread. So. Get your hair super wet, use a quarter size amount (at most) of shampoo and massage it into your scalp, NOT the ends of you hair. “Well how am I supposed to get those clean?” Glad you asked. When you rinse the shampoo and it runs through your hair, it cleanses it. Should you shampoo twice? Personally I think that’s preference, unless it’s a treatment shampoo that requires it so the product penetrates the scalp properly. I do when I have a lot of product in my hair but I don’t always. Now conditioner: after rinsing the shampoo out, squeeze the excess water from your hair. Using again about a quarter size (depending on hair length obviously) amount of conditioner, run it through the mid shaft through your ends. I use a pony tail as an example. make a pony tail and that’s your mid shaft, that’s where you start. Whatever is leftover on your hands run it through the scalp if needed. “wait so I don’t put conditioner on the top of my hair?” nope! Your scalp produces enough natural oils that it does not need to be conditioned hardly at all. I run my hands through with whatever residue is left on my hands from applying it to the rest of my hair, but again that’s preference, you don’t have to at all. Let it sit 2-3 min. and rinse really well. Cooler water shuts the cuticle so its nice to finish your wash that way!
How often Should I wash my hair?
-This is technically personal preference and varies person to person. Shorter hair needs to be washed more frequently, I never thought it did until I cut my hair off and was like oh my gosh I was wrong. If you can avoid it, do not wash your hair every single day. Your hair needs some of the natural oils and by doing this it is going to cause more issues. I typically say every 2-3 days is good, though it is not out of the norm for people to tell me they only wash their hair twice a week. NOW you can go TOO long with out washing your hair, You need to wash your hair at least once a week, if not you will get build up which causes its own issues.
I wash my hair pretty frequently and I can’t stand not to, it just gets so greasy, what do i do?
-You have a couple factors that could be contributing to this and a few ways to fix this. Make sure the product you’re using is made for your hair type, and is professional. I have shampoos and conditioners for all different hair and skin types. If you are, then you do what is called training your hair. For a solid month go one more day without washing it than you were. So let's say you shampoo your hair every morning. Instead, at night spray in dry shampoo (YES AT NIGHT) dry shampoo is used wrongly 97% of the time. You spray a decent amount all over your roots before going to bed, and leave it alone. As your scalp produces oil, the dry shampoo absorbs it. In the morning, brush it out, and you can use a little as a refresher. You will see a huge difference with this. The day you add on can always be a hat or pony tail day. What this is doing is showing your scalp to slow down on production of oils because they aren’t being removed as often and it takes about a month for your hair and scalp to regulate.
How often should I use a hair masque?
-This is something I will help you decide when I customize your hair regimen for you. It varies person to person.
My hair is super frizzy, How do I get it under control?
-First things first. Hitting the culprit head on is going to make a significant difference. There are 2 things that can cause frizz: Dryness and damage. Many people have dry hair and assume it is damaged so they load up on restorative products. Depend on the line and product you could be over doing the protein and actually drying it worse. Your products you use need to target the issue! Then a good leave in product is essential. It differs person to person so talk to me about this and I can set up a regimen that will help you with this issue!
Do you even use the products you sell?
-Absolutely! In fact, I use every product on myself before putting it on the shelf (unless it is not for my hair type then I have certain people trial products to give me feedback). If I don’t believe in the product, feel comfortable putting it on my head, or don’t understand it- then you better believe it won’t be on my shelf.
Do you like other lines besides the ones you carry?
-YES. You will notice I have kind of a weird collection of products. Some products are from a line you don’t see anything else from on my shelf. Reason being is I feel like it is the best product of its type and that’s why I carry it. I have clients who may be in love with a certain hairspray that I don’t carry, just tell me! I’m happy to get it in for you!