February
2003
Revised 5/25/07
February 21, 2003
Fried Bridal Hair?
Question
Dear
Karen,
I
am getting married in approximately six months and my bra length
hair is totally fried from constant color mishaps.
I have flipped from blonde to red to brunette back to blonde
all in a matter of months. My
hair is completely parched and the ends are a frizzy mess.
I am not sure if I should just cut all the hair off and grow
it back for the wedding or if I should go ahead and try to have it
colored into a more appropriate bridal color.
Any suggestions?
Ellie,
Houston, Texas
Answer
Congratulations
on your upcoming wedding. It
is always wise to try and plan your hair care for a big event as far
in advance as possible.
While
dealing with damaged, frizzy ends is definitely a priority, I would
definitely recommend that you keep as much of your length as
possible. Cutting your
hair more than a few inches to remove damaged ends might be
regrettable. Most hair only grows an average of ½ inch per month
and a loss of several inches could not be regained in time for your
wedding in six months. A
much shorter or completely different style may be too dramatic for
your wedding. This can
especially be true if you have already selected your dress and
headpiece for the nuptials.
Color
correction can be miraculous in the hands of an expert.
Existing colors can be stripped and more appropriate colors
can be reintroduced removing brassy, trashy hues.
Why
not make a formal appointment with your most trusted stylist or hair
care professional for a consultation to discuss your current color
and other strand problems. Book
a paid consultation as soon as possible and explain that you want to
use the time to formulate a long-range color and conditioning plan
for your wedding. Stress the fact that the consultation will only be
for talking and planning and not taking any hair actions.
Regardless
of what you and your hair consultant decide to do for your own hair,
consider the following tips for dealing with your bridal hair:
- Don’t
wait until the last minute to deal with hair color issues.
Take action immediately.
The longer you wait to formulate a plan to repair and
revive your hair, the less time your hair has to recover in time
for your wedding.
- Don’t
try and correct your current color problems by yourself.
Your bridal status puts you front and center of your
wedding and demands expert assistance from a knowledgeable
stylist or colorist to achieve spectacular hair color results.
- Be
prepared for your consultation by providing your hair consultant
with your wedding date along with photos of your dress.
If possible, provide some ideas of how you wish to have
your hair styled for your wedding.
- Unless
you plan on getting married on reality TV, stick with a hue that
is soft, shiny and subtle.
Healthy glossy hair works perfectly with just about any
bridal attire.
- Stick
with a color that is close to your current color.
Keep in mind that selecting completely different hair
color will impact your make-up and jewelry.
Keep
in mind that it took you some time to trash your color and your
hair’s condition. Understand
that it may take a series of appointments before your hair looks at
its best. The actual
initial color correction process may also take many hours to
complete.
Be
sure to discuss all of these issues at your initial paid
consultation. Not only
can you budget the necessary time for your appointments but you can
examine how it will impact your overall wedding budget.
Best
wishes,
Karen
February
15, 2003
Low Thyroid - Hair Loss?
Question
Hi
Karen,
I
live a very stressful life with lots of professional and personal
responsibilities. Over
the past few months I have noticed my hair getting very dry and
scratchy. I have also
noticed that a lot more is falling out that normal and I am slowly
gaining weight. My
doctor thought that it might be my thyroid but the tests came back
border-line. I am not
on medication and my doctor told me not to worry.
A friend told me that I should look at taking guggul to help
even out my thyroid and help my hair.
Any suggestions?
Maggie,
Las Vegas, Nevada
Answer
Dear Karen,
A lot
of your symptoms are definitely the same as those suffered by people
with malfunctioning thyroid glands.
Since I am not a doctor and can begin to suggest what is
happening with your thyroid, I can recommend that you find a
specialist in the treatment of thyroid challenges and ask for a much
more sensitive test. Sometimes
standard tests will not be able to accurately detect if your thyroid
is producing the proper amount of triiodothyronie (T3) and thyroxine
for your body’s needs. Specialists
often have more sophisticated testing methods that can detect a
problem when other tests don’t catch the deficiency.
Would
guggul known also as Commiphora Mukul help your hair problems?
It is hard to say for sure.
It is true that in various published animal studies that
guggul has been proven to help stimulate thyroid action through the
increase of enzymes that help thyroid hormones. It has also been proven that phosphate salts can help prevent
dips in T3 in some people.
Obviously
anything that helps the thyroid could potentially help hair problems
that are specifically related.
I would never recommend that you self medicate with either
supplement until you first request a retesting of your thyroid.
While I am not aware of any published dangers to taking
guggul or phosphate salts, I would not agree to the wisdom of taking
any herbal components unless you have a clear idea of the problem
you are trying to address.
Why
not find a thyroid specialist and ask for the administration of more
sensitive thyroid testing. If
the results are the same, consult a herbalist or other alternative
physician for personalized advice on how guggul might be utilized by
your body.
Best
wishes,
Karen
February
20, 2003
Big Ears - Updo?
Dear Karen,
How do I convince my beautiful daughter that she shouldn't
wear her hair in an updo because she has inherited her dad’s large
ears? She's a beautiful young woman, but doesn't seem to realize how
much better she looks with her hair down.
Mrs. L, Phoenix, Arizona
Answer
Hi,
It
is very true that not everyone looks good in updos.
There are many reasons from face shape, hair texture, hair
length and even the size of facial features.
Some types of chins and the size of the ears can definitely
impact how well an updo works for someone.
Unfortunately
many people believe that the only way to dress up their hair is to
wear it in an updo, regardless of how well if looks on them. And yes, this can definitely be a touchy situation.
Try having your daughter do several "dress
rehearsals" with different updo styles and suggest she ask her
friends to help her pick the best style to match the event and her
gown. They can help steer her away from a look that might not be as
flattering.
If
your daughter still insists on wearing her hair in an updo you can
try the following tips:
1. Suggest that a clear type of tacking tape (like they use to hold
breasts in place for low cut gowns in Hollywood) or make-up adhesive
is used to tack the ears close to the head.
2. Strongly encourage your daughter to wear a light veil of
"tendrils" around her hairline and face. Make sure the
tendrils nestle around the ears to minimize them and that the ear
area remains covered.
3. Suggest that your daughter wear her hair in an updo with the
sides smoothly pinned over her ears in a smooth sweep. Flowers work
wonders with an updo when pinned down around the face line and near
the ears to minimize.
4. Use makeup to minimize any areas of the ears that could benefit
from shading. This should be a last resort after all else fails.
If all else fails, understand that sometimes people have to
experience something to gain perspective.
The same can be true with hair color or inappropriate hair
styles.
Best wishes,
Karen Shelton
February 10, 2003
SLS - Causes Cancer?
Question
Dear Karen
I have gotten so many emails that warn about Sodium Lauryl
Sulfate (SLS) being dangerous and causing cancer that I am not
afraid to shampoo my hair or brush my teeth. What do you know
about this controversy?
Sabrina
Answer
Dear Sabrina
According to Ed, a medical
doctor who runs a web site to debunk the urban myth email claims, Sodium
Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) is NOT, according to his research, a cancer
risk.
As Ed explains it "Lauryl sulfate is made by joining sulfate and lauric acid, two
substances which are both abundant throughout the body in health. It
is a good solubilizing agent and is also used in acrylamide gel
electrophoresis".
Ed also points out on his web site, linked above that "Laureth" indicates ethoxylation ("lauryl"
on one side of the sulfate group, an ethyl ether on another).
Sodium
lauryl sulfate (the same as sodium dodecyl sulfate) is routinely
used to solubilize chemicals used in cancer experiments prior to
injecting them into test animals. Somebody read the list of
substances injected, and mistook the solubilizer for the active
ingredient.
If you visit Ed's site and read it you will realize that it is
very likely that the SLS cancer rumors are just that.
Best wishes,
Karen
February 5, 2003
Spray Bottles For Oils?
Question
Dear Karen
I have been reading your various hair and beauty articles
since 1999 and I love them. I have learned so much and
appreciate all your willingness to help consumer like me. I
read about using various carrier oils to "oil" the ends of
my waist length hair to prevent split ends.
I like the results
but am wondering if I might spray the oils on my ends instead of
using my fingertips. Can you find bottles for spraying carrier
and essential oils? If so, where might I look?
Thanks,
Samantha
Answer
Dear Samantha
Some massage therapists use a pump bottle sprayer
that is plastic to apply their carrier/essential oil formula to
client's bodies during massage.
I actually was skeptical the
first time I saw a therapist use such a bottle but over the years I
have discovered that the oil is more evenly distributed on the skin
and it gives her more glide thus a better massage.
These oil
spray massage bottles are usually available from massage therapy
supply stores. I suggest that you search under "Massage
Therapy" suppliers on the Net as a starting point.
A chef friend uses a spray bottle for applying
olive, sesame and other oils to foods. He buys his oil spray
bottles (he has both glass and plastic) at gourmet or chef supply
stores.
When I mix my own aromatherapy formulas I use
the 2 oz amber glass bottles that come with spray caps and
matching lids. These are available at many large health food
stores.
You can also use small squirt bottles in the
cosmetic sections of large department stores or places like The
Container store that specializes in selling empty containers.
Or be creative and buy Mason Jars and a new pump from a beauty
supply store and fashion your own pump bottle.
Best wishes,
Karen
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