Hey everyone! I hope you all had a great holiday weekend. It was very pleasant here in NY and a three day weekend always comes in handy. Of course when it leads into the unofficial start of Summer with a rather uncomfortable, humid day – I know the hair goddesses aren’t smiling down on me or my clients. To top it off, I cut in bangs this weekend. Less hair, more frizz. There’s no product in the world that could completely solve that. But my wonderful husband, who loves nothing more than baking in the sun on the beach while it’s 90+ degrees and in 100 percent humidity, bit his tongue and turned on the air conditioner for me. That’s the only cure for the curls and ‘poofiness’ I’ve found.

So what’s with the humidity that makes your hair such a chore? Well water is an essential part of your hair’s chemical makeup. When it’s humid out your hair shaft will swell as a result of absorbing and retaining water. When it’s dry out, your hair shaft actually shrinks (and yes it is actually shorter). How can you control it? Well the best I can say is stay indoors or just work with it. Leaving your hair longer during the humid months can help weigh it down which only slightly helps with the poofs but it helps. Frizz control products used in moderation can work but be careful – too much can flatten your hair and make it look greasy. Last resort? How about spending a little time in the morning and putting that hair up in a ponytail, an up-do or even get some trendy hair accessories for the occasion. Personally I love chopsticks. Twist, curl and stick to hold!

Many people say they do not have time or maybe the money to get their hair colored at a professional salon. If this is the case and you are going to attempt it at home, I wish you luck and want to give some advice. There are so many different brands and colors to choose from so really take your time and read the packaging to find the one that best suits you. All importantly, if you are covering gray make sure you see 100% gray coverage somewhere on that box. I would recommend selecting a well know brand such as Revlon or Clairol, these brands are linked with professional quality salon products.

If you are changing the color completely, I would suggest buying two boxes for the first application. When changing the color, you need as much product as you can get on every strand because you will be covering your entire head. If you are applying the same color and/or just a root touch-up, one box is plenty.

If it is just a root touch up, for instance you like your hair color but it has grown out, you will need to apply the color on the root only. If the ends look a little faded, take the left over product in the bottle and dilute it with some conditioner and water and run it through the ends for the last 10 minutes of the suggested processing time. This will brighten the color on the ends while making sure not to deposit too much color and have it look drastically different from the rest of your hair.

I of course would always recommend and prefer you go to a professional to get a perfect hair coloring. If that is not possible for whatever reason, give it a shot at home. At home hair colors have come such a long way and are healthier for the hair than ever before and even easier to use – if you must!

Well it’s been about three weeks since receiving the no!no! hair removal device and I must say it’s not that bad. if you’re expecting a razor or the like this isn’t it. no!no! uses a heat technology called Thermicon (read more here) that crystalizes the hair and cuts it off. I’ve used it now on my shins and calfs and I can definitely see and feel a difference. no!no! got its name from NO HAIR, NO PAIN and so far so good.

I picked up the pink one of course and read the manual thoroughly since I had no clue what this thing was going to do to my legs. I have found that it is similar to electrolysis but the application of heat is different. You gently and smoothly glide the no!no! over your hair with the proper heat ‘blade’ (there’s two – one for short and one for longer hairs) and it removes the hair painlessly. It definitely does not cut as close as a razor would at first and I needed to do this about twice or three times a week so far. After using the no!no! it’s recommended you buff over the area to remove dead skin that may be covering the broken hairs. This helps the area look and feel smoother and preps it for the next ‘shave’. My legs felt smooth and clean after buffing with the no!no! brand buffers but I’m sure any decent buffing pad or exfoliating sponge will do the same.

There’s certainly less hair growing back which I’m happy about and I’m down to once a week with the no!no!. It hasn’t paid for itself yet and it’s not cheap either ($250) but I can see how it will with regular use. Razors and waxing treatments add up girls. The smell of heated hair is less than desirable but does dissipate and is easily masked with a moisturizer after buffing.

So all in all I would recommend it to those of you who are looking to reduce the amount of hair and shaving necessary to keep your arms and legs clean and hair free. It’s not the ideal alternative to waxing but absolutely less painful. Be patient this isn’t a cure all for hairy areas and it’s going to take a good few weeks to see the effect. What they say is in fact true. This isn’t laser treatment or a miracle cure. I got frustrated the first few times and changed the blades out before I realized I needed to slow down. Glide over the hair slowly – unlike the usual rush shaving in the shower balancing yourself up on one leg. At least that’s what I used to do. I wouldn’t use it on any sensitive areas either like the face or neck. Especially in bikini or genital areas. Leave that for the creams, razors and wax.

Check out the no!no! hair remover

no!no! Buffers

What is the secret to the perfect blow dry? Tension and heat is the answer. Ever wonder why you can’t get as good of a blow dry style as your hairdresser? That’s an easy one. They are in a position (behind you) to get the perfect amount of tension and to apply the heat directly where it needs to be. We are carefully pointing the dryer and applying the heat downward while still moving it to dispense heat. Make sure when blow styling your hair you keep the heat moving down the shaft instead of back and forth for the best smoothness and also aim heat at the roots. Up for volume and down for straight and flat. I’m sure you know what’s coming next… Product, product, product. Always protect your hair from heat and use products marked to achieve the style desired.

Do you battle with fine, limp, thin or thinning hair? Always make the best of what you have. If you can’t change it, work with it. There are many different tricks to do so. Hair color for example is the one way to bulk your hair and give it a thicker appearance. It opens the cuticle of each strand and deposits the color pigment which will make it seem twice as thick. You can either be daring with new colors or you can find a color as close to possible to your natural tone to receive just the bulking benefit. There are also many products on the market to help – products that have polymers. Polymers expand with heat and also bulk the hair shaft to appear thicker. These products are only effective when used with heat. Also, there are products that are used to create volume at the root of your hair. They are sprayed directly on the root and enable you to create styles that appear fuller! I personally have fine hair and I always try new products and techniques to deceive the eyes and have been very successful with these techniques.

Do you know this not so dirty little secret? You should not shampoo your hair every day. At least wait for every other. The reason for this is that when you shampoo every day the natural oils that your hair needs are stripped before they have a chance to work. Oils start on the scalp and travel down the shaft. The oils that come from the scalp are of great benefit to the health of your hair so don’t cleanse them away. The best oil treatment you can give yourself is not purchased off the shelf, you already own it! Shampoo every other to every third day & you will see what I mean – better, shinier & healthier hair.

Let’s find the silver lining in the humidity cloud hanging over our hair! Without a doubt our hair styling needs are different in the summer than any other season. You can blow dry or flat iron as straight as you want but it won’t be staying that way for long. There is a plus side to this frustration and that is that you can use this time to try new hairstyles out of sheer desperation. How about that short haircut you have always wanted to try? Or try the messy look. When using the right product you can create a style that is easy and meant to look less styled and more sexy. What about trying new casual up-dos and ponytails? All you need is a little smoothing product and a bobby pin or two. You’ll be surprised at what you can create when you start pinning! I also recommend using a head band to push your hair off your face while using a smoothing product or gel and letting your hair dry naturally. So go ahead and take a break from your heat styling for the summer and tame the frizz by trying one of these casual styling ideas. Remember that the right product can do most of the work for you.

One of the most frequently asked questions from my pregnant clients & friends is ‘Is it safe to color my hair during pregnancy?’ Unfortunately we don’t have enough information to guarantee that using chemical dyes on your scalp during pregnancy is completely safe. There is also no evidence that using these dyes every month or two will cause birth defects either. That said, it is up to you to make the call. I think it is important for women to feel good about themselves during pregnancy because lets face it, you may feel anything but! One safe alternative would be to foil high lights or low lights. When using this technique the chemical is placed in a foil & never touches the scalp. You can also hold a damp cloth to place over your mouth and nose if the chemical smell becomes to strong. Another perfectly safe alternative would be to use a color shampoo or rinse. These products are used on wet hair in the shower & bring life back to your colored hair or even enhance your natural color. So I say go for it – add a little light to your face. Not to mention adding to your beautiful pregnancy glow.

Cursing your curly locks? Trust me, those with straight hair are wishing they were you. So with these curls come options. Do you wear it curly or do you take the time to straighten? Chances are, if you straighten you already know exactly what to do and when you want to wear curls, you question how to style without the frizz and loosing your curls. There are some important tips to follow so you can get the most beautiful curl possible that will hold all day.

When shampooing your hair always use a moisture rich shampoo and conditioner. While the conditioner is on brush it through with a wide tooth comb. This is the last time you should run a comb through your hair until your next shampooing and NEVER use a brush on curly hair. When done DO NOT towel dry your hair. The friction will open the cuticle and that’s what causes the frizz. So, just blot gently and then apply product.

When you are leaving your hair curly you should always use a smoothing and curling product and it should be applied when the hair is wet and saturated. Apply the product from the bottom of the shaft making your way up to the root in a “scrunching” motion. If you choose to blow dry you must use a diffuser because the full force of air without it will also move the cuticle again causing frizz. For beautiful, full curls let your hair air dry without any manipulation at all. Once you see how springy your curls can be and how easy it is to achieve once you know how, your curls will be the envy of every straight haired girl! One more very important thing for the perfect curly head is to get a good haircut. Find a stylist who has curly hair. She is the one who can best relate! So it’s like they say, “if you have it, flaunt it”. Need more curly tips? Drop me a line!