Skin Hair and Nails Archives

In Nail Art & Design

Wedding Nail Ideas for Radiant Brides and Bridesmaids

4 Mins Read

To plan a truly memorable wedding, a soon to be bride needs to pay immaculate attention to every small detail. This includes wedding nail ideas that enhance the overall appearance of both the bride and her bridesmaids.

Wedding nail art ideas become simpler to comprehend if you know where you want to go with the theme of your nails.

Once you have a theme locked in, you can then think about the actual nail design.

So today, we have six nail design ideas and themes for weddings that will make your special day unforgettable.

You can match your nail design as per the theme chosen and all of these ideas can be adapted for bridesmaids or special guests as well.

Six Wedding Nail Ideas and Themes

Nails that match your wedding dress

Wedding Nail Ideas - Matching your dress

Opting for wedding nail art that match your wedding dress is an elegant, seamless way to standout during your special day.

Your nail art can match the pattern and embroidery of your dress. In most cases, this would be either white, ivory or a pearl nail polish shade.

You could even choose to simply put on transparent nail polish and then use a shade matching your dress to create patterns on your nails.

Using your wedding dress as the theme for your wedding nail art feels both stylish and tasteful. For those wanting to keep things a bit more traditional, this is the way to go.

As far as bridesmaids are concerned, they can match the color and nail art pattern as per their own dresses. That way the bride and bridesmaids have a connection in the design but at the same time the bride’s nail art is exclusive.

Nails that match your personality

Too many brides are worried about planning the best possible day that they forget their own personality, tastes and preferences.

Of course you need to think of various aspects of the wedding, guests, color scheme etc. However, do not forget it is your big day and it is all about you.

So don’t be afraid to go a bit crazy on your nails. If you have a specific personality trait, let it show. If you like dark colors, go for it. If you like black with purple, by all means use those shades in your wedding nail design.

Matching your nails to your personality can ease a lot of the edginess that brides feel during a wedding. It also adds a bit of color and excitement to the entire day.

Nails that match your wedding color scheme

Wedding Nail Ideas - Matching color scheme

Nail art designs that match the overall color scheme of the wedding is fast becoming a popular choice with brides.

For example, if your wedding has a sage green theme, you can use the same color on your nails. If there is an oceanic theme then you can opt for blue shades.

Matching your wedding nail design with the overall color scheme of the day is a brilliant way to go all in for your favorite color.

Nails that match your skin tone

This is another trend that is gaining ground. Similar to the dresses being sold nowadays that are supposed to be a ‘nude’ shade, you can opt for nail design colors that match your skin tone.

Nail designs as per your skin tone do look quite elegant and lets you celebrate yourself in a subtle manner.

You can also opt to use a base shade that matches your skin tone and have a complimentary color for the nail art patterns.

Nails that match your bouquet and flowers

Wedding Nail Ideas - Bouquets and flowers

If you want your wedding nail art to be colorful and vivid, you can choose to match the shades with your bouquet.

The flowers in your wedding décor can also be a great inspiration for nail art.

Matching your nail colors with the flowers at the wedding does stand out and gives it a rich vibrant feel.

Nails that match the ambience

Wedding Nail Ideas - Matching the ambience

Similar to matching nail designs with the color theme of the wedding, you can choose to match nail art as per the ambience.

Examples of this would be if you have a beach wedding, you can choose earth shades. If your wedding has a lot of greenery or is amidst rich nature, you can opt for greenish shades for your nails.

You can keep things subtle with single or dual tone shades or opt for a base nail color along with intricate patterns or designs on them.

Final thoughts

Wedding nail ideas become simpler once you know the theme you want. Just choose the theme that speaks to you and opt for the actual nail art design accordingly.

In Skin Hair and Nails

Relation Between Gut Health and Skin, Hair and Nail Health

5 Mins Read

The plethora of beauty and care products available in the market today promise a whole lot of extraordinary benefits for skin, hair as well our nails.

Most of us try everything possible from chemical-laden creams to organic gels, plant-based lotions etc.

Unfortunately though, we learn the hard way once none of these products make any significant long-term difference to focus on the root cause of the issue we are facing. This could be anything from damaged hair, acne-prone skin to brittle nails amongst others.

When established care routines and well-acknowledged products fail to deliver real results, it’s time to find out the problem’s origin, which can quite probably be linked to your diet and gut health.

You must have probably heard the phrase you’re what you eat, and it’s more than relevant to the topic at hand right now.

This article will focus on gut health’s connection to the strength and wellness of hair, skin, and our nails.

How is Gut Health Related to Skin, Hair and Nail Health?

Notably, the skin is widely acknowledged as an indicator of your gut health.

A proper question that might arise in your mind is why these three parts of our body get affected first.

Well, it is actually quite simple. When our body lacks supplies of proper nutrients, it preserves all the “good stuff” for organs like the brain and liver. Thus hair, skin, and nails experience insufficiency and start to lose their quality.

Most people associate the word bacteria with something terrible, but in the scope of this subject, it’s essential to understand that the human gut incorporates both good and bad bacteria.

In fact, there is a specific ratio of those, which should not be altered in any way because once it changes, it starts causing a bunch of problems.

To keep that balance, you need to get rid of a diet centered around processed foods, alcohol, refined sugars, and instead focus on consuming food, which is rich in probiotics.

Once you focus on having a healthy diet, your organism will get a sufficient amount of all nutrients and nourishments. Thereby you will no longer suffer from issues such as dry and damaged hair, blemish-prone skin, or fragile nails.

Poor Gut Health And Its Effects On The Skin

Several studies done in this field recorded findings linking gut health to mental health, the immune system of our organism, skin status, etc.

Eczema, for example, is a skin condition, which makes the appearance of the skin inflamed, and it can possibly be a result of poor gut health.

Diet with an insufficient amount of nutrients may lead to an excessive amount of protein particles released to the body, which in its place causes skin irritation.

Recently, another study found that people suffering from rosacea were ten times more likely to be carriers of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth or SIBO, which is a gut disorder.

These are just two examples of skin conditions influenced by the organism’s gut health, but there is actually more to this.

Connection of Gut Health To Strong Hair And Nails

Even though the connection between a functioning healthy gut and hair health is yet to be proven, there are several facts and indicators that make us believe this relation.

As it was already mentioned, getting proper nutrients is a must. Studies have shown that the gut’s microbiome has the capability to support some of the nutrients that the hair needs to grow. But all this again comes to the idea of having a healthy and balanced gut, both with good and bad bacteria.

Recent studies including experiments on mice have shown us that gut imbalance can sometimes lead to skin, hair, and nail problems.

During the research, laboratory mice were given altered diets, including biotin and antibiotics. Once the latter was added to the diet, mice started to experience visible hair loss.

Continuing the experiments, scientists concluded that a particular type of bacteria was developed due to the usage of antibiotics, which caused biotin deficiency and hair loss.

It is evident that the human gut can indeed lead and influence hair growth and even the phases and transitions of hair, as long as the balance of the microbiome is stabilized.

When it comes to nails, not much is different.

Doctors say that whenever a person experiences brittle and weak nails, most of the time, insufficient nutrients intake is the reason behind the problem.

To solve the issue of peeling and fragile nails, you might want to examine your lifestyle and diet to ensure that you’re consuming enough fruits and vegetables. If you are unable to do so, then you can alternatively buy biotin supplements and take those although nothing beats the nutrient absorption from fresh produce.

Takeaway

First and foremost, remember that your gut health plays a significant role in your system as a whole.

What we conclude from all of this is that once you notice damaged hair strands, skin conditions, and nails that leave you unsatisfied, don’t rush to buy any high-end products or several treating masks and liquids, but instead look closely into your diet.

Do not take the easy way out and opt for processed food and other convenience that could harm you in the long-run. Always remember the amount of influence eating habits and daily intake of healthy food have on your gut and overall health.

It is never too late to change habits. Alter your diet now, and enjoy the benefits coming your way.

In Hair Care

Is It Possible to Blow Dry Hair Without Damaging It?

5 Mins Read

Countless women across the globe continue to blow dry their hair regularly, completely oblivious to the possible damage it is causing their hair.

Constant blow-drying of hair does lead to damage, dry hair with split ends.

However, imagining every after-shower routine without blow-drying hair seems like a nightmare for a lot of women.

It’s because we quite often take a shower right before sleeping, so waiting for hair to dry itself naturally seems to take forever. Thus the only solution left is using the good old blow dryer.

Alternatively, people with wavy and curly hair are sometimes even afraid to let their hair air dry on their own because it becomes a real mess.

The good news is there is a way out with blow-drying with no damage done. You basically need to learn to take a few precautions, learn how to choose the right blow dryer, and practice recommended damage-free technique for blow-drying.

Will Blow Drying Damage My Hair?

Let us first try to answer the main question in your mind – will blow-drying damage your hair?

The extensive heat coming from a blow dryer, causes hair to lose its natural moisture that is inside the hair. Once the hair lacks the water it needs, the hair simply cracks and becomes brittle, and shortly after it breaks.

The most important part here to understand is that the damage can be eliminated if the correct drying method is used.

Notably, scientists even say that letting the hair air dry on its own can sometimes be more damaging. Studies done in this sphere claim that when the hair is being dried using a blow dryer at a distance of 15 cm, it causes a lot less damage than when it’s airdried.

Professionals say that the excess amount of water for hair is not advantageous, and the longer the hair strand stays wet, the more the cortex has the potential to accumulate and weaken the hair.

Moreover, the usage of a good blow dryer, heat protectant, brush, and drying technique helps to get rid of hair breakage dramatically.

Guide To Damage-Free Blow Dry

Firstly, you need to pay close attention when choosing to buy a blow dryer.

Blow dryers with options to choose temperature and power are known to be the most suitable ones.

You might want to purchase a blow dryer, which incorporates ionic technology because it’s specially designed to cause the least harm possible.

Secondly, the time you keep your wet hair inside a towel matters when it comes to avoiding damage.

The most appropriate amount of time should be ten minutes and not longer.

Also, something that you don’t want to miss in achieving damage-free blow drying is the correct usage of heat protectant.

It’s known that heat protectants are a must, but those should be applied equally and with the right quantity to deliver the best results. When applying, it is crucial to spread the product throughout the scalp, not forgetting about the back of the hair.

Moreover, don’t forget about choosing the right brush. Always remember that when the hair is wet, it’s in the most fragile form, and you better be very gentle while treating it.

Choosing the right brush depends on your hair type and what kind of blowout you want to achieve.

If you have thin and short hair look into round brushes with comparably small sizes. This gives you more control to deal with your hair. On the other hand, people with thicker hair may use larger sized brushes to create volume with more ease.

Also, be aware that brushes that include vented barrels speed up the time needed to blow dry. Ceramic ones can hold the heat inside them perfectly, while bristle or nylon brushes are a tool to achieve shiny hair when blow-drying.

Speaking of the process itself, professionals suggest starting at low speed and heat options. Dry the hair holding the dryer 15 cm away from the hair strand, and only when the hair feels near 90 percent dry, you may adjust the temperature to higher heat.

In the end, you may turn your hair upside down, dry, and brush hair in that position for a few minutes. This will help you achieve a lot of volume at the roots and a salon-like blowout.

Takeaway

Blow drying hair is nothing to be fearful about as long as you take a few precautions.

Fortunately, it is a reliable method if it’s used wisely and not overused, of course.

And remember that nothing is harmful when used in proper quantities.

These simple yet valuable steps for your regular blow-drying process should feel both time-saving and satisfying.

If you happen to be blow-drying your hair too often, consider making these changes to your routine, and experience the best possible results with beautiful, shiny hair.

In Hair Care

Effects, Benefits and Usage of Aloe Vera on Skin and Hair

6 Mins Read

If you are getting increasingly conscious about your hair as well as skin and want to establish an efficient routine for both, try to include pure Aloe Vera gel in your regular care schedule.

Aloe Vera is one of those natural ingredients that have the potential to leave you amazed in a short amount of time.

To learn exactly what makes Aloe Vera such a magical plant, how it works on your skin, hair and body and what are the effective methods on applying it on your face and hair, do read on for more insights on the topic.

About Aloe Vera Plant In General

This thick type of plant called Aloe Vera or Aloe Barbadensis is enriched with carbohydrates and has numerous beneficial compounds like vitamins, amino acids, minerals, etc.

The most prominent characteristic of Aloe Vera gel that should be mentioned above all is that it acts as an excellent moisturizer.

The reason behind it, is connected to the fact that the plant of aloe grows in rather a dry climate, which actually makes it full of water, hence an effective moisturizer.

Besides that, Aloe Vera is a well-acknowledged remedy known to treat skin sunburns, be used as a mouthwash, and even as a method to fight against diseases such as cancer.

Benefits of Aloe Vera Gel For The Skin

Besides it being a perfect moisturizer for the face, Aloe Vera gel also has the capability to downturn the look of irritated skin, and this is due to compounds of the plant, like acemannan, which aid the cells to reduce the redness of the skin.

Another benefit of Aloe Vera gel for our skin is its ability to act as an anti-aging remedy. Components present in the plant of Aloe Vera help improve the natural collagen production of our skin cells. The regular application of Aloe Vera is known to have tightening effects for the skin.

Adding to the benefits mentioned above, the antibacterial and antioxidant properties of this plant also act as a helping hand when a person deals with acne. There are variants of masks to try out; however, even applying the Aloe Vera gel itself with nothing added is a way to soothe the skin cells and treat acne.

Moreover, if you notice some dark spots on your body and want to find a remedy to treat those naturally, try applying Aloe Vera directly to the affected places.

Aloe Vera Gel For Hair Care

Enough said about skin benefits. What about the amazing results that Aloe Vera may have on your hair?

Besides being a great natural product to be used on the skin, Aloe Vera gel can help you with its unique advantages when it comes to hair care.

If your hair scalp struggles from excess oil build-up, you have dry and damaged hair, or you desire quick hair growth, then Aloe Vera can be one of the ideal solutions for your problems.

When you rub Aloe Vera gel directly to your scalp and leave it for nearly one hour, it works as a cleanser for hair follicles. It cleans up all the excess oil while simultaneously keeping the natural oils inside the hair, promising healthy and shiny looking hair.

Since this plant contains vitamin A, C and E, and other essential amino acids, it is also beneficial to achieve soft and healthy hair. These vitamins are acknowledged to promote healthy cells, which therefore results in having shiny looking and smooth feeling hair.

On top of this, when applied to the hair scalp, this plant acts as an excellent hair growth promoter. It is full of minerals like zinc and copper, which are known to be enriching the hair follicle actively, leading to extensive hair growth.

The simplest method of applying Aloe Vera is to use the gel from the plant’s leaves, or if you prefer a bottled version, you can buy Aloe Vera gel from your nearest supermarket or pharmacy.

How to Use Aloe Vera Gel?

There are two ways that people usually get hold of pure Aloe Vera gel.

1) You can buy the thick leaves of this plant and extract the gel yourself. There are those who grow the plant in their garden and use the leaves as and when ready to harvest.

However, if you are planning on doing this, you need to be careful. When you cut the leaves of Aloe Vera, they also contain a yellowish liquid along with the actual gel. This liquid needs to be carefully drained out from the leaves before you can scoop the gel for further use. Not doing so can lead to skin irritation and worse in some cases.

2) The other method is to simply buy pure Aloe Vera gel from the store. This is the easiest and most recommended method of acquiring natural Aloe Vera gel.

What you need to keep in mind here is that the store-bought gel should be pure and free from other artificial ingredients. Some companies add a natural perfume and Vitamin E to the gel to enrich it further. This is fine as long as both those ingredients were natural and not artificial. Perfume is added since pure Aloe Vera gel has a fragrance that not many will like.

Regardless of how you get your Aloe Vera gel, for usage, you need to take a teaspoon worth of the gel on your fingertips and massage gently around your scalp or skin.

Initially, you may feel a bit slimy but the gel dries out very fast. So keep this in mind and wait a few minutes after applying Aloe Vera gel.

Final Thoughts

Aloe Vera gel is one of the best gifts of nature for both our hair as well as skin. As long as you are using pure Aloe Vera gel, you are fine and can possibly see excellent results.

As always with anything, do apply only a bit first to check for allergic reactions. If you are fine, then use it regularly for your skin as well as hair care routine.

In Hair Care

Understanding Grey Hair: How To Prevent And Reduce It Using Natural Remedies

5 Mins Read

Noticing even just one grey hair can be a real nightmare, especially if it appears in your early twenties.

But is there really a reason to get that much frustration about having grey hair?

People who are 50 and above are already more or less comfortable with the idea of having grey hair. However, even at that age, knowing that it’s normal, people seek treatments to deal with and reduce the quantity of grey hair they have.

Hair greying can be seen as a unique kind of phenomenon, and the reason why that transformation happens engages a lot of people.

This article will focus on how the process happens, why hair has a tendency to turn grey or white, what are some of the natural measures that can be taken to prevent and cut down premature hair greying.

How Exactly Hair Turns Grey

Hair turning grey is a sign of aging and is an entirely natural process. In fact, at the age of 50, half of the human population has at least some of their hair turned grey up to 50 percent.

Most people find themselves contemplating at the reasons for their hair turning grey and feel it is a sign of something gone wrong with their body internally.

The reality is that the hair follicle contains a natural hair “dyer” that affects our hair color when it comes out from the scalp.

The particular hair pigment called melanin is responsible for the color of our hair, and when the amount of melanin decreases, the hair starts to lighten its color, turning grey or white.

So, what we need to know is that, as for now, researchers are still studying this process.

They succeeded in finding out how it happens, but the question of whether or not there is a way to slow it down is still unanswered.

Factors Affecting Grey Hair And What Can Be Done To Prevent It

Multiple affecting factors are known to be reasons for hair greying.

Genetics, ethnicity, stress, or lifestyle influence the amount of grey hair a person has.

Out of all of this, genetics is the particular factor that affects the hair greying process the most.

However, other factors like a non-healthy diet, smoking, or stress may also play a huge role in getting grey hair faster.

Even though for this case, the stress factor hasn’t yet been proven scientifically; however, it’s a known fact that smoking can cause early depigmentation in the hair.

If you have no close relatives whose hair turned grey early, but you start to notice a considerable amount of grey hair on your scalp at the age of 20 to 30, stress and your lifestyle habits are the most probable reasons for that.

Having all this in mind, remember that premature greying connected to genetics and ethnicity cannot be influenced in any way, but there are still other external factors, knowledge of which would help you get that unwanted hair color after your forties, and not twenties.

Natural Remedies Known To Be Preventing Grey Hair

Talking of natural remedies, turns out that usage of different oils for hair might actually have a positive outcome.

Though treatments with various natural and essential oils will not prevent grey hair from coming out, moisturizing hair follicles with masks containing oils may change grey hair’s look, making it less noticeable.

Olive oil and coconut oil are both known to be helpful oils in the process of fighting against grey hair.

Another well-acknowledge natural remedy is treatment with juice of Indian Gooseberry and almond oil. Juice of Indian Gooseberry, also known as Amla, contains anti-microbial features and overall is a great source of Vitamin C. It’s considered an excellent coolant for the hair, which in its place helps to reduce the appearance of grey hair.

Besides applying hair oils directly to the hair, some natural remedies are there to do the job internally, meaning you should include those in your diet, instead of applying directly to the hair scalp.

For instance, consumption of ginger, blackstrap molasses, and black sesame seeds enriches the hair follicle, helping to postpone the greying process.

Getting a sufficient amount of vitamins and minerals is another approach people struggling with grey hair should look into.

Vitamins are known to keep the hair healthy and shiny, and more importantly, in this case, they are a way that might delay the appearance of lightened hair.

Moreover, minerals, like copper, zinc, iron, magnesium, and selenium, are all-natural ingredients that are amazing for hair growth and also for repair.

Final Thoughts

Notably, scientists were successful in finding out the exact process of hair transformation from its original color to grey or white.

What is still under research is the finding of medicine or some kind of remedy, which could actually be proven to be working towards this specific issue.

Any nature-originated treatment known nowadays is just a suggestion by professionals, which they declare based on opinions from various research results.

Most of the time, that research shows specific relationships among factors, such as stress or other poor lifestyle habits versus the tendency of hair to go grey, leading them to make conclusions.

After all, there is no need to get stressed when you notice your hair changing its color to a lighter shade, especially if you’re above 40.

In case of premature hair greying, it might cause anxiety and frustration at first, but try your best to embrace your little greyish hair, and don’t forget that sometimes it’s normal, especially if you’ve family history on greying at younger ages.

And in case you lack motivation, search out and see how many superstars and celebrities are absolutely fine with grey hair, and maybe you’ll change your unfavorable attitude towards this natural aging phenomenon called hair greying.

In Hair Growth

Growing Hair Overnight: Fact or Fiction

6 Mins Read

If you’ve ever longed for lengthier locks, you’ve probably tried to learn how to make your hair grow overnight. While it’s a well-known scientific fact that most healthy hair grows about a quarter to half an inch every month, there are articles aplenty boasting methods to teach you how to make your hair grow longer overnight. Mostly, you’ll find that there are mayonnaise and keratin treatments, and other sticky situations. But you know as well as we do – that doesn’t actually work as advertised.

Let’s just get it out in the open: there’s no make your hair grow fast overnight. If you come across someone peddling that premise, you know you’re barking up the wrong tree.

Instead of trying cockamamie schemes that won’t ever work, this week’s trick will teach you how to make your hair grow overnight – well, over many nights. The most important ways to achieve healthy hair growth are through optimal hair care, your diet, and the way you take care of your scalp.

Eating Right for Hair Growth

Vitamins, nutrients, and protein are the golden keys if you’re looking for long, lovely locks. The hair growth cycle is implemented at many different times for each hair on your head. The anagen stage of the hair growth cycle is also known as the growing phase, and the best way to learn how to grow your hair longer overnight is by training your locks to languish in this phase.

Did you know that protein makes up 90% of your hair? It’s a special protein called keratin, and the more protein you have in your diet, the more of it you can produce. The sweet spot for health science and nutritionists is at least 15% of your daily food intake being some type of protein.

Although any protein will do the trick, we recommend those from marine life. Fish (salmon especially), oysters, and shrimp contain omega-3 fatty acids that support a healthy and hydrated scalp. Pescatarians can rejoice, because marine proteins also contain some of the most crucial nutrients that help hair grow long, thick, and fast: vitamin B3, iron, and zinc.

Vitamin B3 is also called niacin, and can work as a form of detox for your body. Hair will shed less and be less likely to break if your diet is rich in niacin. This vitamin also makes your hair and skin look youthful and shiny.

Iron empowers your red blood cells to transmit oxygen throughout the body, and livens up your cells this way. Chief among those? You guessed it: Your hair follicles. In fact, if you’re losing your hair and you don’t think you should be, you might want to check and see if you’re anemic.

Zinc is another essential nutrient found in fish and shellfish. It keeps your body balanced by aiding in the production of the hormones called androgens. If your hair is growing slowly, falling out, or continuously filled with dandruff, your androgen levels may be low.

Don’t have the chops to eat marine proteins? No worries – simply add omega-3’s and a daily vitamin and mineral supplement to your diet. Vegetarians and vegans, especially, will want to protect their hair this way.

Secrets to A Healthy Scalp

You’ve got your vitamin game down. Now, you need to make sure that your hair has the ultimate growing environment. The best platform for this is through a healthy scalp, and one that has great circulation. If your scalp is happy, your hair will be happy. And you will look great and feel even better!

It might come second nature to you in the shower or during those tough work projects, but be sure to massage your scalp with your fingertips as much as you can throughout the day. 20 minutes is ideal, but you want to make sure to just use your fingertips to avoid greasing up your scalp’s natural habitat. If you want to go even further with scalp serenity, essential oils can be a game changer for scalp circulation and comfort. Choose essential oils that improve circulation, such as citrus oils or peppermint. If you feel it tingle, that’s a good sign.

If massaging and oils aren’t your thing, hit the running trails or gym and work it out! Blood flow increases everywhere when you’re exercising, and the cold shower you take afterwards can help, too. Cold immediately stimulates increased blood flow, as your head will be trying to get warm. When you feel a pang of energy as the cold water hits your head, you know your getting your blood pumping!

Last but not least, practicing stretching exercises where your head is upside down (or inverted) will increase the blood flow to your scalp. Yoga is notoriously good for this. Make sure your blood pressure is stable if you’re going to turn yourself upside down!

Healthy Hair Habits

If you are still wondering how to make your hair grow longer overnight, there’s one way that – over a number of nights – is sure to make a difference. Keep your ends trimmed! Split ends can make your hair brittle and dry, and aren’t a good look for anyone. Make sure to get a good haircut every other month (or more!), and minimize breakage of ends.

If you ditch the blow dryer, your ends won’t break as much. But if you’ve got to style your hair with heat, make sure to keep it below 340 degrees Fahrenheit. Any hotter and the keratin starts to break down, creating the perfect storm of problems for otherwise healthy hair.

To Conclude

You can do everything right for your diet, hair, and scalp, and you still might not unlock the secrets of how to make your hair grow overnight (or nights). Genetics is a factor in all types of health issues, including rates of hair growth. If you stimulate your scalp, have a great haircut, don’t fry your ends, and eat really healthy, your bad genetics may not matter so much! You’ll be looking and feeling great without worrying about how to grower fuller thicker hair overnight. Love your locks, and they will love you!

In Hair Care

5 Expert Tips for Longer, Thicker Hair

5 Mins Read

You know the saying: new year, new you. We can definitely appreciate that, but we can bet there’s one thing that has remained the same as always — your pursuit of longer, thicker hair!

There is an endless amount of information online, but here’s the truth: a lot of it is misguided and overcomplicated. It’s true that growing long, luxurious hair needs more than one solution, but it can all be very simple. We put together 5 of our expert tips for growing healthy, beautiful hair in 2017.

Ready? Here we go:

Find a Quality Shampoo

A good shampoo is the foundation for long and healthy hair. It’s meant to clean your hair, but that doesn’t mean it needs to damage it and strip it of the things it needs.

We highly recommend finding a shampoo that does not contain SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate) and/or SLES (sodium laureth sulfate). These two chemicals are essentially detergents applied to your scalp. Yikes.

They are great at cleaning your hair, but they also strip your hair of its natural oils, which can dry out your hair and cause split ends. They can also strip your strands of color, so if you dye your hair, avoid SLS and SLES no matter what. An SLS and SLES-free shampoo is less irritating to the skin on the scalp, and usually contain nutrients that help your hair grow like Biotin, Zinc and Keratin. They generally come in a creamier formula but they rinse out clean and leave hair looking naturally thicker.

Also, take care not to wash your hair too often! A couple times per week, or whenever you feel it becoming greasy is a good schedule to follow.

Love Your Conditioner

Don’t underestimate the importance of conditioner. It’s a moisturizer for your hair. Forgetting it or applying it the wrong way is the fastest way to dry out your hair. Can you say bad hair day?

Conditioners do for your hair what moisturizer does for your face. Creating a hydrating seal for your hair keeps it healthy, resilient to damage, and protected from breakage so it is able to grow while looking fabulous. What type of conditioner works best for you depends on what type of hair you have, but generally we recommend a light daily conditioner with growth nutrients and hydrators like keratin, zinc, biotin, and panthenol. These ingredients will help nourish your hair without weighing it down or looking greasy. If your hair is really dry, find a quality leave-in conditioner that you can apply after the shower.

Don’t know how often you should use conditioner? Keep it simple: condition every time you shampoo. Even on days when you’re not shampooing and you want to keep your hair hydrated, wash with conditioner only to keep it smooth without losing moisture.

Scalp Stimulation

Stimulating your hair follicles helps improve the blood circulation. Why’s that important? Your blood brings all the nutrients from your diet and supplements. If you want your hair to grow, they need those nutrients.

Hair follicles don’t go very deep into your scalp — only about 1.25 mm below the surface. It’s not very difficult to stimulate them, but you’d better be using the right stimulant if you want your hair to grow.

Enriched shampoos and conditioners are a good start, but the real magic starts to happen when you add essential oils. Essential oils do a fantastic job at improving circulation. Two of our favorites are peppermint oil and horsetail plant oil. They both help prevent residue buildup and can even clear out clogged pores around your hair follicles. They’re hypoallergenic, and can leave you with a fresh, awake feeling from the stimulation.  To use essential oils, just massage a small amount into your hair for 30 seconds before washing your hair. The tingling sensation means it’s working, and that blood is starting to flow to your scalp.

Use the Power of Illusion!

You can’t magically grow your hair 3 inches overnight, or transform your hair strands in a couple hours…or can you? Using the power of illusion is a great way to make your hair look thicker and longer without actually growing it out. Here are a couple:

Wear your hair darker — Hair that’s a bit deeper near the roots and then lightens up at the tips makes your hair look longer. Just like that.
Try Bangs — Short bangs will make your hair look longer. Why? It’s such a dramatic jump from bangs to the rest of your hair.
Extensions — Hair extensions are really good nowadays. Find an expert to put them in and no one will ever know the difference.
Hair Thickening Fibers — These products give your hair a layer of coating to make each hair strand look thicker. Easy to apply!

There’s no shame in using some of these tricks while you are growing out your hair in other ways. Make sure to find someone who knows what they’re doing so your hair always looks as natural as possible.

Take Care of Your Insides

You know this already, but it’s always worth repeating: Don’t take your diet for granted.

Eating well and taking care of yourself from the inside out is one of the most important steps to healthy hair. If you’re missing certain hair growth vitamins and nutrients from your diet, you will never see the results that you want. Look into a daily vitamin to make sure you’re getting the recommended allowances each day.

Also, be aware of any hormonal changes from medications or birth control. Thinning hair is one of the most common side effects from changing hormones. If you’re not sure how it might be affecting you, speak with your doctor.

In Hair Growth

Vitamins for Healthy Hair – Vitamin B Complex

6 Mins Read

B vitamins consist of a group of water soluble vitamins that are essential to your overall health. A common misconception about B vitamins is that they are all one vitamin, commonly referred to as vitamin B. In reality, though, there are many B vitamins including B1, B2, B3 along with vitamins B5, B6, B7, B9 and finally B12. It has been long known that some of the B-complex vitamins can do wonders when it comes to improving hair growth, shine and thickness. Let’s take a better look at how B-complex vitamins can help hair grow better.

Which B Vitamins Promote Hair Growth?

While there are many different B vitamins, each with slightly different health benefits, most hair care experts recommend that if you have a vitamin B deficiency, you should be taking full vitamin B complex supplements (or eating foods that contain all of these vitamins). The reason for this is simple: B vitamins work to support many vital bodily functions and they are better absorbed and produce the best results when taken together.

Below is a list of B-complex vitamins that are commonly used to promote healthy hair.

Vitamin B2 (also known as riboflavin): This vitamin plays a key role in fat, protein and carb metabolism. A riboflavin deficiency can result in severe or gradual hair loss.

Vitamin B5 (also known as pantothenate): This vitamin is commonly found in various skin and hair care products. A pantothenate deficiency can result in hair loss and scalp irritation. Some hair care experts believe that vitamin B5 can be applied to hair externally to make it shinier and stronger. For this reason vitamin B5 is commonly found in hair shampoos and conditioners, although there is no strong evidence showing that B5 applied externally has any measurable benefits (and if it does they are likely to be very short lasting).

Vitamin B6: While this vitamin is not linked to hair growth directly, it can help to keep your skin and scalp healthy, which will in turn promote better hair growth. Vitamin B6 deficiency can bring on a skin condition called dermatitis which is often responsible for slower hair growth and thinning.

Vitamin B7 (also known as Biotin): One of the main ingredients in hair and skin care products, Biotin is thought to make nails and hair grow stronger. Overall Biotin is an extremely important vitamin as it is required by the body in order to produce fatty acids and promote cell growth. Although Biotin deficiencies are rare, they do happen and can cause hair loss, thinning and breakage.

Vitamin B12: Just like with vitamin B6, B12 has no direct link to hair growth. With that said, without B12 the body cannot perform many metabolic functions which can have an indirect negative effect on hair growth and your overall health. Gray hair at an early age (under 30 or so) can also be a sign of vitamin B12 deficiency.

Now, it’s important you understand that if your vitamin B levels are perfectly normal (ask your doctor to have your levels checked), you won’t see much of an improvement when it comes to hair growth. Most people, however, do have slight vitamin B deficiencies and will usually see positive results after taking additional supplements for at least 3-6 weeks. Just remember to consult with your doctor before taking any supplements!

Vitamin B Deficiency

A vitamin B deficiency can often go unnoticed for years. The most common signs and symptoms are very general and most people don’t think much of them until the condition gets really bad.

Now, while there are many different B vitamins, a deficiency of vitamin B12, for example, can lead to a vitamin B6 deficiency and so on. This makes accurate diagnosis without a specialized blood test very difficult. Some of the signs of vitamin B deficiency are:

Dry and itchy skin, especially around the mouth.
Cracked lips, especially around the edges.
Rash on the face or genitals.
Brittle nails.
Lots of dandruff.
Headaches.
Extreme nervousness and irritability.
Gray hair in people under the age of 30.
Depression, lack of energy, fatigue and constant tiredness. Vitamin B helps us access energy from food and a deficiency can make all bodily functions “lag behind” a bit.
Some cases of hormonal imbalance can be caused by lack of vitamin B. Hormonal imbalance leads to hair loss.
Problems with the central nervous system often inhibit healthy hair growth. B-complex vitamins are absolutely essential to nervous system health.

Again, having proper blood work done is very important. In some cases (quite common actually) the body might lack the ability to absorb certain B vitamins which can lead to serious hair problems.

In some instances vitamin B deficiencies are caused by a poor diet. Unhealthy foods can inhibit vitamin B absorption and lead to deficiencies. These foods include potato chips, barbequed foods, foods that have been processed using fats and so on. Birth control pills and environmental factors (toxins, tobacco smoke, etc) can also cause vitamin B deficiencies. Do note that if your body cannot absorb vitamin B due to one of the above reasons (or your genetics), taking simple supplements will not help and you may require vitamin B shots.

How to Take Vitamin B

While most hair care products contain B-complex vitamins, there is very little evidence that any of the many B vitamins have any effect when applied externally. For this reason, I recommend that you either take vitamin B supplements or change to a diet rich in B vitamins. The exact dose is very difficult to estimate and only your doctor can give you qualified advice. In most cases, however, sticking to the recommended daily dose that comes with your chosen supplement should be safe and sufficient.

Hint!

People with vitamin B12 deficiencies often choose to take sublingual (under the tongue) vitamin B12 supplements to help absorption.

Foods that contain B-complex vitamins are: green leafy vegetables, liver, enriched wholegrain cereals/bread, all kinds of fish, bananas, peanuts, watermelon, grapefruit, wheat bread, mushrooms, eggs, milk, lean red meat and so on.

I hope that you liked this article and please share if you have any further tips when it comes to hair growth and B-complex vitamins!

In Hair Care

How to Tell if Your Hair Likes Protein

3 Mins Read

Protein is one of the most common ingredients found in strengthening shampoos and conditioners. From my experience I can tell that not all hair types like protein or products that act like protein (such as coconut oil).

Unfortunately, there is no easy way to tell whether your hair will do well with a protein-based treatment. First there’s the fact that everyone’s hair is unique and will likely react differently. Then, to make this even more complicated, there are several different types of protein used in hair care products (whey, keratin, etc). So what does protein sensitivity look like and how to tell whether your hair likes protein or not?

When to Use Protein Treatments

For the most part protein treatments for hair are designed to strengthen broken, weak and damaged hair. These products are often called reconstructive treatments and can vary in intensity from mild to intensive/strong. These products are created to be used on hair that has suffered some sort of chemical (too much hair color), physical (heat) or environmental (sunlight, toxins) damage.

Now, the way most stylists recommend protein-based hair care products is simple:

If you have fine hair that breaks off easily, you should use a shampoo/conditioner that contains protein.
If your hair is of medium complexity – use protein based products about once per week, but only if you want to strengthen your hair. Most people should choose moisturizing treatments instead.
People with thick hair should not use products that contain protein.

The general principle is very simple: fine hair contains far less protein than coarse hair. Since protein acts as a shield (seals in moisture and strengthens, but doesn’t moisturize), it can prevent fine hair from breaking off easily. Coarse hair can be easily overloaded with protein which is not a good thing.

This all sounds great and is pretty straightforward… except for the fact that sometimes fine hair absolutely hates protein while coarse hair seems to love it! In reality, the only way to find out whether protein will work well with your hair is to give it a shot and look out for any side-effects.

Side Effects of Protein on Hair

Most side effects that arise from protein overuse can be categorised into two types: protein overload and protein sensitivity/buildup. Overloading your hair on protein will normally lead to it suddenly breaking off in large quantities (pretty rare). Protein sensitivity is a bit trickier to notice and can have many different side-effects:

Hair that is straighter than normal and feels waxy/straw-like.
Hair can be very difficult to detangle. Breaks off easily when trying to detangle.
The very ends can feel dry and rough.
Extremely dry hair.

In most cases the above side-effects can be cured using a clarifying conditioner. If you notice that your hair appears to be protein sensitive, try using moisturizing products/oils instead of products that contain protein (or mimic protein the way coconut oil does).

In Hair Care

Are Stress and Hair Loss Related?

4 Mins Read

Hair loss is an extremely touchy and stressful subject for most people. It can be caused by many different factors and determining the exact cause early on is crucial. In this article, I’m going to talk about a very specific type of hair loss – one that’s caused by extreme stress.

Why Does Stress Cause Hair Loss?

There are many types of stress and, at least in most cases, we don’t know exactly why or how it leads to hair loss. Some studies suggest that since hair growth is not considered to be a critical function by the body, it can sometimes stop new hair growth during periods of extreme mental or physical exhaustion. Here are the two most common stress-related conditions that cause hair thinning:

Telogen effluvium: This condition occurs when a very stressful experience in your life causes a large number of hair follicles to enter the resting stage (also known as the telogen stage). Once the resting stage is over, hair sheds and new growth begins.
Trichotillomania: A very fancy word to describe a very simple condition – constant pulling of hair from scalp and other areas of the body. We all do this from time to time. In people under extreme stress, however, this condition can get out of control and cause serious damage.

The good news is that most of the time stress-related hair loss is temporary and can be cured by successfully reducing stress and anxiety. Oh and another interesting fact: stress has not been shown to cause gray hair and premature aging of hair. Most people believe that stress does cause gray hair to appear, but it’s mostly just speculation without any real scientific proof (yet).

How to Cure Stress Related Hair Loss

The very first thing to do when you notice hair loss, thinning or uneven hair growth is to get an accurate diagnosis. I’ve written a little about this in my other hair loss article, but remember that only a medical professional can help you in this regard!

Note: most experts believe that only extremely stressful events can lead to hair loss. Just because you are under a lot of stress at work or have to deal with irritating colleagues, you should not experience any problems with hair loss. Only events that quite literally shake you up and keep you up at night for days can lead to such a strong reaction. Things like a serious accident, extremely intensive workouts, catastrophic debt (foreclosure, bankruptcy and so on), sudden illness, loss of a friend/loved one, and so on.

Once you know that your hair loss has been caused by stress you can begin treatment. Now, treating stress induced hair loss is tricky, since you have to address the main cause of stress instead of treating the symptoms (hair loss). This counterintuitive approach can be difficult to follow, which often leads to people using various hair loss medications that do not have any long-term effect and simply cannot treat their hair loss problems.

Here are some tips to get you started:

Talk to your doctor and try to rule out all other causes of hair loss. Think over the last 3-5 months of your life and consider any stressful experiences that may have triggered hair loss. Remember that stress induced hair loss is usually delayed by about 2-3 months (that’s how long your hair stays in the “resting” stage).

If you suffer from ongoing issues with stress, it is time to start making some serious lifestyle changes. See a professional counselor at least a few times to help you build a focused, individual “plan of attack”. Once your stress is under control, normal hair growth will resume and things will slowly go back to normal.

Once your stress issues have been dealt with (or if you experienced very severe, short-term stress) you can ensure that your hair grows at the fastest possible rate by taking natural vitamins, using essential oils and following these hair care tips to maximize hair retention.

Good luck!