Ask Karen - April 2006

Dear Karen,

I know that your column is dedicated to hair issues but I have a nagging beauty problem that I thought you might be able to help me with. The problem that I have is chronic cracked lips. It doesn't matter if it is Summer of Winter, my lips are always cracked, dry and uncomfortable.

My husband thinks that I might have some sort of vitamin deficiency. That seems odd to me but I am open to suggestions and will consider anything at this point to fix the problem.

Any thoughts that you might have would be very much appreciated.

Thank you.

Donna

This is a question that you might wish to discuss with your primary care physician. Your doctor should be able to determine if you have a vitamin deficiency or if there are other medical issues causing this problem.

If you do have a vitamin deficiency it would most likely be serious and would probably involve additional symptoms. The vitamin deficiencies most likely to cause dry or cracked lips would most likely include a B vitamin deficiency. The specific B vitamins that would be the potential cause might include vitamins B2 and B6. The B family of vitamins, when deficient, might result in dry lips or related symptoms.

Another possible problem might include a prolonged iron deficiency. When an iron deficiency is present there would be additional symptoms such as very brittle nails, swollen or tender tongue and feelings of exhaustion. Iron deficiencies can also cause anemic conditions.

Since there are so many possibilities, you can see why it is so important to work with a medical professional IF some simple solutions do not alter your chronic dry lip situation.

It is possible that your cracked lips are due to a number of less serious issues including:

1. Persistent licking of your lips with your tongue. This could be a nervous or chronic habit and you may be unaware that you are actually licking your lips as often as you are.

As a possible solution before assuming a vitamin deficiency you might try using a lip protection product that has a built in sunscreen protector. Pay special attention to whether you lick your lips or not. You may be surprised to find that you are doing so more than you realized.

One other option is to experiment for a short time with increasing your daily Vitamin B supplements focusing on adding B6 and B2. You may find that adding more Vitamin B does the trick. Or it may not. It never hurts to give it a try.

Dear Karen,

A friend of mine has lovely soft bouncy curls. She told me that she uses Conair curlers and that they are known as Big Curls? She raves about this hot roller kit but I have never heard of it before. Is this a new product? How long have they been around and where can I find them? I can't seem to locate them anywhere.

Thank you.

Lina

Known originally as Conair More Big Curls, these hot rollers, which are HairBoutique.com's best selling hot rollers at this time, were first introduced in 1996 and have been popular ever since.

The reason for the popularity of this hot roller kit is that it consists of 12 "jumbo" size rollers. Keep in mind that what Conair classifies as "jumbo" is not necessarily as large as you might imagine. However, the More Big Curls is the largest hot rollers that Conair currently manufactures.

To prevent consumer confusion with the image of "jumbo" rollers, Conair now calls the kit More Big Curls Volume Hairsetter. Although difficult to find, they are currently available in the HairBoutique.com Marketplace. (Toll free in the USA - (866) 469-4247).

The kits consists of 12 "jumbo" rollers which are actually 1 1'2" in diameter. The rollers are flocked with a velvety-soft surface that is gentle to the hair. Create big, bouncy curls, lots of volume and deep sexy waves. Because of the design, these rollers can work with long hair.

These rollers are unique because they still have the old fashioned metal clips which hold rollers securely. Many of the new hot rollers only come with the new plastic clips.

Another unique advantage to these rollers is that they have a steam option which adds moisture for longer lasting curls. The Cool End rings make rolling hair easy because fingertips do not get burnt.

Your friend probably loves this kit because the rollers are the biggest that any of the current hot roller manufacturers make. This means that you can put a lot more hair around each curler. Because the rollers are flocked, there is no danger or ripping or tearing strands. Long hair can actually be rolled onto these curlers.

This is actually one of the best hot roller kits, in my humble opinion, that Conair has made and we have carried it for over 6 years. It is hard to get but we work even harder to get it and keep it in stock.

Even though I have some natural wave to my hair, I never seem to be able to get big bouncy waves & curls no matter what I do. I use a big round boar bristle brush when I blow dry. Then I use either a 2" wide barrel curling iron or I use the biggest hot rollers I can find. I still have wimpy waves and curls that drop almost as fast as I create them.

Can you help me with tips on how to use my hot rollers or hot iron more effectively? I want lush waves and curls like all the celebrities have right now.

Keep in mind that the celebs you see prancing down various Red Carpets with big bouncy curls and lush waves probably spent a lot of prep time at the hands of their favorite celebrity hairdressers.

However, if you have a natural bend to your hair, you should be able to create long lasting big curls and luscious waves.

Celebrity hairdresser Robert Hallowell (Geena Davis, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Mary Louise Parker) shared some of his favorite wave and big curl creating tips.

1. Wash hair with a suite (shampoo, conditioners) of products designed for your hair's type and texture. Do not over soften hair with excess conditioning when the goal is to create long lasting texture.

2. Prep damp hair completely with the proper texture enhancing products. Depending on your hair type, texture and condition, this can range from gels to creams or mousse products. If hair is damaged, always use a heat protection product in conjunction with setting products.

3. Separate damp strands into 2 inch sections. Use a boar's bristle large round brush and work on each individual section of hair at a time.

4. After each section if 100% dry, form a big curl and pin into place against your scalp while you dry the rest of your hair. When you are finished, you should have a head full of big curls pinned to your scalp.

5. Spray the entire head completely with a light, medium, firm or extra firm hold hairspray depending on how soft you want the curls and how long you wish them to last.

6. Transfer the curls one by one onto either a wide barrel curling iron or large hot rollers.

If you have plenty of time before your need to go out, transfer the curls to Velcro rollers and let curls set for a few hours on the Velcro rollers.

7. If you opt for the hot curling iron, use one with a 1 1/2 or 2" diameter barrel. Unpin each individual curl then roll around the outside of the iron. Hold in place for a few seconds then repin the new curl in place to cool.

Follow the same steps with hot rollers. It is important to remember that when you finish curling each individual section of hair that pin it back against the scalp to let it cool completely.

8. Before leaving the house for your day or special event, spritz pinned curls (or curls removed from the Velcro rollers) completely with a light, medium, firm or extra firm hold hairspray.

9. Unpin each of the curls and use fingers to shatter and finger pick into desired pattern of big curls and waves.

If you prefer a loose curl or wave, bend over at the waist and brush out the curls with a boar's head bristle flat brush.

Finish with a few drops of shine spray dropped into the palms of your hands and then lightly brushed over the top of the strands.

By submitting your question, you grant full permission to HairBoutique.com to publish it. Due to the volume of mail we receive, Karen regrets that she cannot respond to every question personally. To AskKaren questions please read Before You Contact Us Tips and then send send e-mail to: askkaren@hairboutique.com.

April 4 2006