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November 1999
Revised 5/26/07

November 27, 1999
Curly Hair - Non Chemical Straighteners?

Question

Hi,

Can you give me a list of all the non-chemical strengtheners that are currently available on the market?

I have very curly hair and want to try several.  I have not been able to find this list anywhere on the Web but figured that since you had some great curly hair tips that you might have a list you can send me.

Sincerely,

Ginny

Answer

Hi,

Here is the list of the non-chemical straighteners that I am currently away as of 1999 for naturally curly hair.  I am sure there are more that I am not aware of, but list should get you started in your research.

Note:  Please visit our CurlyHairTalk board to discuss these topics with other Curly Hair People.

• Alberto-Culver - Professional Division - Refractives Straightener & Polisher
• ARTec Systems Group Inc., - Smoothingserum
• Back to Basics, So Straight Straightening balm.
• Charles Booth Professional Haircare - Passion Fruit Straightening Balm
• Farouk Systems, Inc., DBA Sunglitz - Biosilk Silk Strate Away & Framesi Stop-Frizz
• Grayson O. Company - Thermafuse
• Hayashi for Hair, Inc., - Hayashi System Design Uncurl
• John Paul Mitchell - Modern Elixers Texturizing Balm (Note: A cross between straightener & texturizer)
• Joico Laboratories, Inc., - Straight Edge,
• KMS Research Inc., - Flat Out
• Kadus Haircosmetics - Slalom Straight-Out
• Kenra, Inc., - Straightening Serum
• Keune Haircosmetics USA, Inc., - Keune
• Sebastian International - Laminates Get It Straitt
• Tecnica - Tecnica
• Tigi Linea - TiGi - The Control Freak Frizz Control and Straightening gel
• Zerran International Corp - Radiant Finish Texturizing Shine Gel

Best wishes,

Karen

November 25, 1999
Fishtail Braid Help

Question

Hi,

My name is Paula and I was wondering if you had any directions on how to do fish braids. I'm not sure if that is the name of the braid but I am
very curious.

Sincerely,

Paula B

Answer

Dear Paula,

The Hair Boutique Tips & Articles section has an article on Fishtail Braids and gives detailed instructions on how to create them.

Please check the article for step by step instructions on the Fishtail Braid.

Best wishes,

Karen

November 23, 1999
General Braiding Questions

Question

My wife has been asking me to braid her hair and I have been printing off several of your braiding tips and articles.  They are very helpful and I thank you.

However, I have a few questions that I have not found anywhere else on the site (great site by the way).

How do I get the braids to stay even.  Sometimes one of the strands will tend to "pop out" and then that strand is not the same tension or tightness as the other braids. This drives me slightly crazy.

I am currently working on 3 strand braids and I read one of your tips to practice with a soft mop.  I have found that to be a good way to learn braiding techniques. I have also found that if I use pieces of rope tied to the kitchen chair that I can also practice the more complicated braids.

Which braids do you think look more dressy?  The over hand or the underhand braids?

Thanks so much for your help.

Sincerely,

Bob

Answer

Dear Bob,

Thanks for writing and for all your nice compliments on the site.  I think it is really great that you are learning how to braid your wife's hair for her.  That is a wonderful gift.

There are several things you can do to keep all the strands of the braid the same tightness. 

You can braid your wife's hair while it is wet or even slightly damp. This will help hold each strand the same tightness. 

You can also add a hair gel that will keep the hair more firmly in place.  I personally find great success with a little dab of Aveda Confixer will help hold my braided strands all the same tightness.  Any type of similar product will work just as well.

Make sure that you use a "hair friendly" elastic band that is wrapped tightly at the end of the braid to hold the ends tightly. 

You may want to stop braiding about 1-2 inches before the end of the hair.  This will also help to hold each of the individual braided strands tigheter in place.

If you tie off the braid too closely to the end of the hair it is possible that the tie will slip off the braid or not hold all of the strands with equal tightness.

Another braiding trick is to keep the tension or tightness on each strand evenly balanced as you braid. 

In other words, hold each strand with the same tightness as you braid the strands over or under.  Make sure to tighten the strands after you complete each braiding step.

As you probably know by now, getting good at braiding comes with practice.  Keep on using that mop or that rope to learn the techniques that work best for you.

I personally think that the overhand braids look more elegant than underhand braids.   Many people would disagree with me.  I think it is really a matter of personal preference.

Practice both overhand and underhand braiding on your wife and then make your own decision on what you think looks more elegant. 

You can always dress up braided hair with a variety of hair jewelry.  With the right hair accessories, either type of braid can be elegant and dressy.

Best wishes,

Karen

November 15, 1999
Mystery Of Curling Iron

Question

Hi,

I saw a very cool curling iron on a local morning show.  Could you please tell me where to purchase it and how much it costs?

Thanks,

OM

Answer

Dear OM,

Unfortunately I would need for you to tell me the manufacturer's name of the curling iron.  I am not sure which morning show had the item displayed.  Maybe you could call or write to the morning show in question and ask them to give you the name of the curling iron.

If you fin dout, please email again and I will see if I can point you in the right direction.

Best wishes,

Karen

November 14, 1999
Cameron Diaz

Question

Hi,

I am looking for photos of Cameron Diaz - especially from the film "A Life Less Ordinary".  Her hair is gorgeous and I want to take photos of her hair to my stylist to try and copy for my wedding next month.

If you have any photos of Cameron I will appreciate it if you would send them to me.

Thanks,

Sincerely,

BK

Answer

Hi,

If you do a search on Yahoo or the other major Web search engines for A Life Less Ordinary you will find at least one listing for the movie with photos of Cameron and her hair.  

If you do a search on Cameron Diaz you will find several URL listings for sites that deal specifically with Cameron and have photo galleries.

We do not currently, at this time, have photos at The Hair Boutique of Cameron from A Life Less Ordinary.  However, there are various photos of Cameron in many places throughout the Hair Boutique site including some great photos in some of the Celebrity Hairspray columns by JerkyFlea.  

If you type in Cameron Diaz in the Search field on the front page of Hair Boutique you will get a listing of all the different places on Hair Boutique that have information or photos of Cameron.

Best wishes,
Karen

November 13, 1999
Karen's Hair Photos

Question

Dear Karen,

You mention in several places on Hair Boutique that you take H37 and that it makes your hair grow and look very healthy.  That is fine and good but why do you not have photos of your hair if it is so long and healthy?  I am a skeptic.  Show me your hair and then maybe I will believe in H37.

Sincerely ,
Barry

Answer

Dear Barry,

There have been photos of my hair on the HB site since the very beginning of Hair Boutique.  You can see them in the About Us section of Hair Boutique. 

My hair also appears in several of the Tips & Articles section since I posed as a hair model.

I have nothing to hide.  I am very proud of my long and very healthy hair.  I will be adding new photos soon. 

Jeff and I have been so busy with the site that we have not had time to get more photos of me and my hair, but we have that on our "to do list".

My hair has never been thicker or longer since starting with the H37.  I do not sell or recommend anything on Hair Boutique that I would not personally use myself. 

Thanks for writing.

Best wishes,

Karen

November 12, 1999
Silver Hairbrush Awards

Question

Dear Karen,

I really miss your Silver Hairbrush Hair Link of the Week Awards.  I found them incredibly insightful and helpful in finding new sites.  Will this feature be returning?

I have to tell you that I have been coming to your site since the very beginning when it was The Long Hair Video site.  The transformation and evolution of your site is incredible.  You get better on almost a daily basis, at least in my humble opinion.  :-) 

I really love all the latest redesign results.  This site is definitely the best overall hair site on the Web.

Sincerely ,
Bob

Answer

Dear Bob,

Thank you so much for your kind comments about Hair Boutique.  It was very sweet of you to shower us with such nice compliments.  It certainly made my day.

Yes, it is true, over the past few weeks Jeff and I have been working around the clock to completely redesign and revamp the Hair Boutique site.  Nothing at Hair Boutique will remain untouched.

Besides adding a whole new color theme (blue instead of black) we are adding lots of great new features that have been requested by our many long-term and loyal visitors.

It is my goal to go back to adding the Hair Link of the Week awards. However, we are revamping them slightly and will eventually allow the Hair Boutique visitors to be able to nominate their favorite hair and beauty related sites and then vote for the winners.

We actually have a golden hairbrush award that we eventually want to award to the all time best hair site on the Web.  Although Jeff and I have opinions about which sites quality for this award, we would like to let our visitors help us decide.

In the very near future there will be a revamped Link of the Week feature added back to Hair Boutique.

We always welcome suggestions from our many Hair Boutique visitors because we want the site to be the best that it can be. 

I appreciate that you took the time to write to me with your suggestions.

Thank you for loyally visiting Hair Boutique and for being patient with our currently construction efforts.

Best wishes,

Karen

November 11, 1999
Formal Hairstyle Help

Question

Dear Karen,

I am going to a formal party tonight.  Can you hurry and send me lots of updo or braid styles for my longer hair.  Please hurry.  I need help FAST!!!

Sincerely ,
Anna

Answer

Dear Anna,

Thank you for writing. Your question allows me a good opportunity to let you and all other Hair Boutique visitors know that it is virtually impossible to respond instantly to requests for hair assistance. 

While I try to answer the majority of the AskKaren questions either privately or through this column, I receive such a large number of emails every day that I just can't always keep up.

Also, when I do have the time and ability to answer hair questions it often takes time to research and respond appropriately.  It is almost guaranteed that it will take me a minimum of a few days to answer.

While email works most of the time, there have been times when I did not receive AskKaren email until the Hair Boutique visitor sent it for a 2nd time.  Also, email delivery can sometimes be delayed for periods of hours or even days.  It is common for me to receive "emergency hairstyle" requests long after the event has taken place.

I wish I could help you "instantly" but a lot of my time every day is spent focusing on providing new hair features and information for all of the Hair Boutique visitors to share rather than focusing on the emergency hair needs of a limited few.

At Hair Boutique we have an entire Tips & Articles Section devoted to long hair styles. Please check out this section that has over 300+ different articles for ideas on how to style your long hair.

We also have sections on braids as well as updos and styles for proms and special events.

It is always wise to plan for special hair events as early as possible. 

It is generally recommended that people spend as much as 4 weeks trying out different hairstyles for formal occasions. This information pertains to males as well as females.

If you select 3-4 dressy hairstyles that you would like to try a couple of weeks before your formal event, it gives you time to practice the styles yourself, or have your stylist create them in a "hair dress rehearsal".

Hair that is designed on an emergency basis does not really have a good change of turning out as successfully as hair that has been rehearsed in advance.

Best wishes,

Karen

November 10, 1999
Need New Hairstyles

Question

I need some new hair styles. I have long hair and don't know what to do with it.

Can you give me some stuff so I can look nice ?

Sincerely ,
Amanda

Answer

Dear Amanda,

At Hair Boutique we have an entire Tips & Articles Section devoted to long hair styles. Please check out this section that has over 300 different articles for ideas on how to style your long hair.

We also have sections on braids as well as updos
and styles for proms and special events.

The Hair Boutique endorses Patrick Cameron who is a master of long hair styles.  You can read reviews about his three different long hair styling vides (Video 1, Video 2 and Video 3) in the Hair Boutique Marketplace.

We also sell Patrick's wonderful book on long hair and will be selling his second book soon.

I personally have hair that is a couple of inches below my waist and I am always on the look out for long hair styles.  When I find them, I usually post them in the Tips & Articles Section.

Hope this helps.

Best wishes,
Karen

November 9, 1999
H37 Vitamins

Question

Karen

Tom

Answer

Dear Tom,

Yes, I have been taking H37 hair vitamins for several months.

No, my hair has not fallen out.  In fact, I went to see Shelley Pryor (the Hair Boutique stylist) yesterday for my normal 8-10 week trim and she was raving about how healthy, thick and long my hair is getting. 

She asked me what I was doing differently and I told her I think it has to be the H37 vitamins.  We have talked about the H37 the last 2 times I have been to see her and every time she wants to know more information.

Shelley insisted on getting some of the H37 for her own hair so that she can test it. She is starting on the vitamins tomorrow. 

If your hairstylist tells you that your hair is "in great shape and better than ever" than something is very right with H37. At least in my case.

My hair has really grown.  How do I know? I get highlights and when my hair grows my roots "pop out".  They are not noticeable unless you look because I have naturally blonde hair, but if you look closely you can see them.

I have about 2 inches of roots right now from my last highlights which was just 2 months ago.  In fact, I am going to have my highlights done tomorrow and then will measure my growth process based on my root growth.

This is all good news for me since my goal is to grow my hair to my knees.  At least I am seeing some definite progress.

I am 100% convinced that H37 works for the majority of people. 

Does it work for everyone?  I am sure that it does not.  Does it work for the majority?  I believe from own experiences and what Hair Boutique visitors tell me that is does.

Thanks for writing.  I appreciate your question.

Best wishes,

Karen

November 8, 1999
Disastrous Layers

Question

Dear Karen,

Last month I went to my stylist to get layers cut around my face. Instead she cut my hair two different lengths, one just above my shoulders and the other at the top of my ear.

Needless to say its looked horrible and still does. It has grown out to below my ear in some places, mid-ear in others and one side of my head is longer than the other.

I want to get my hair to grow really fast so I can cut my hair to one length again.

It is such a hassle to fight with it in the morning.That is why I want it to grow it as quickly as possible.

Are there any inexpensive over the counter products you suggest?

Sincerely,

MN

P.S. Please respond via e-mail. Thank you so much for your time.

Answer

Dear MN,

I apologize for not answering you personally through email. While I would really love to answer everyone's email that writes to AskKaren, or to me privately, it is impossible for me to keep up.

I try very hard to answer the majority of my emails in either the AskKaren column or, if I can, by sending back at least some information that would help. It is never my intent to be rude by not answering. I receive so much email on a daily basis that I have to try and answer similar questions on Hair Boutique so that everyone benefits from the same information.

To answer your question, there is no way to get your hair to instantly grow. Even under the best circumstances, hair can only grow an average of 1/2 to 1 inches per month.

The H37 hair vitamins that Hair Boutique sells and endorses will help to maximize hair health which in turn helps optimize hair growth rates.

How fast your hair grows is always determined by your genetic makeup. Many additional factors are also important for promoting hair growth. These factions include how healthy your body is, the types of foods you eat or don't eat and how you treat your hair on a daily basis.

One of my famous quotes is" there is no magic bullet for hair growth". The H37 vitamins will take an average of 30 days to generate noticeable results. This is the case with all hair growth supplemental programs.

If I were going to recommend an "over the counter product" for helping help attain maximum health and growth potential it would be H37 which I personally take on a daily basis for my own hair.

You do have some options on how to deal with your current disastrous haircut.  You can go to a different stylist and ask them to shorten the hair so that it is all one length. 

If that option would give you a length that would be too short for your tastes, you can ask the stylist to do graduated layers all through your hair so that your entire head will have graduated lengths throughout.

Contrary to rumors, there is no product, that I know of, that will make hair grow instantly overnight.

Best wishes,

Karen

November 7, 1999
Mail Spam From Cosmetic Companies

Question

Dear Karen

Here is a question I could not find anywhere that I hope you can answer, I am always getting lots of junk mail from cosmetic companies.  Yes, I also get email spam, but I do the "Remove" routine and that usually works. 

However, I am not sure what to do with junk mail from cosmetic and beauty related companies.

Do you have any suggestions?

Thanks

Tara

Answer

Dear Tara,

I think the following address still works for having junk mail stopped from being delivered to your residence:

P.O. Box 9008

Farmingdale, NY 11735-9008

Hope this helps. 

Best wishes,

Karen

November 6, 1999
Rene Russo's Hair

Question

Dear Karen

Could you please tell me what color and by who, was used in Renee Russo's hair for the movie, the Thomas Crown Affair?  I love it.

Thanks

Ari

Answer

Dear Ari,

Yes, Rene's hair color was truly a work of art for the Thomas Crown Affair.

Rene Russo had her hair colored by Beth Minardi of the Minardi Salon in New York. 

Beth and Carmine Minardi are considered to be some of the foremost color experts in the USA at this time.  Beth is famous for her color artistry and was specifically recruited to do Rene's hair for Thomas Crown.

Hair industry watchers believe that Beth used many different shades of colors blended together to get the different colors and highlights on Rene's hair for Thomas Crown. 

In essence, Beth did not use any one particular brand of color.  She mixed her own.

To find out about having your hair colored by Beth or Carmine in NYC call 800-MINARDI.

Thanks for writing.

Best wishes,

Karen

November 5, 1999
Hair Shows For Stylists

Question

Can you tell of any good shows for stylists that would have some great new training in haircolor techniques?  I am a stylist that enjoys working with color but feel that I need to continue my education any chance that I get.  Can you point me in the right direction?

Much appreciated.

MJ

Answer

Dear MJ,

Beth & Carmine Minardi are considered to be titans in the hair coloring industry.  It is therefore very exciting that they are presenting a major haircoloring and hair design education event in May of 2000. 

The Minardis are hosting an unparalleled educational event that is being held "on the beach" on the island of Anguilla, British West Indies from May 6th through May 9th, 2000.

The Minardis promise that their beauty focus classes will provide educational and in-depth technique orientated classes.  They also promise a fabulous vacation environment that can be enjoyed by all.

For more information or to register, contact Zoe Stark at 800-MINARDI.   The price per person based on double or tiple room occupancy is $1,900 (US).

Question

Hi

I was wondering if you knew about the hairstyle or hair care convention in New York City?

If you could send me some info on where it is and when it is it would be greatly appreciative.

My sister recently graduated from a beauty school and she needs this info. I'm not sure if it is a show or contest.

Thank You,

Harold

Question

I am a stylist that has heard a lot about the International Beauty Show.   However, I never can seem to find out anything about the show.  Can you help me?  I live in San Diego.

Do you think the show is worthwhile?  Do you recommend that I try to attend.

Thanks,

Mick

Answer

Dear Mick,

You are in luck.  The International Beauty Show, also known as the IBS, will be having a show in your neck of the woods January 29-31 at the Long Beach Convention Center.

The IBS will also be having a huge show in New York City, March 11-14, 2000 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.

The IBS show is in Miami (Haircolor USA) at the Fountainebleau Hilton Hotel from May 20-23,2000.

I strongly advise you to go to the show if you can.  The IBS shows are excellent and provide lots of great new information on new products and techniques in the hair, nails and skin industries.

The shows are only open to licensed cosmetologists and is not open to the general consumer public.

To attend the show call 1-800-427-2420.  If you would like to exhibit at the show, call 1-800-736-7170.

The IBS is sponsored by American Beauty Association and the National Cosmetology Association.

November 4, 1999
Thin & Short Hair

Question

Hello my name is Maggie. My hair is really thin and it's shorter right now. I can't find a hair cut that looks good because my hair doesn't want to stack well and I really like the look of that. It's really flat, and it won't stay curled. 

Do you have any pictures of any styles that will look good, making my hair look thicker but not curly?

If you would email me back I would love that.

Thanks,

Maggie

Answer

Hi Maggie,

Have you read Victoria Wurdinger's article on fine hair? She offers all kinds of great tips. 

We have hundreds of styles that are included in the Hair Boutique Gallery of hair styles.  Please also check out the Gallery.

According to Victoria the top five cuts for any type of fine hair are:

The Bob - in its thousands of variations. A short bob (ear-lobe length) made Victoria's hair look super-healthy and about twice as abundant as it really is. 

Unfortunately, Victoria didn't care for how the ear-lobe Bob worked with her heart-shaped face. A longer bob was better.

The Chop - in basic bob-length with irregular ends. Victoria really liked The Chop because it gave her fine, sparse hair both style and shape and was easy to maintain, when cut above the shoulders. 

According to Victoria, The Chop worked lots better than a totally blunt cut, which looked limp and lacked dimension.

The Cap Cut - shown to the left with its all-bangs approach. The Cap Cut work best for petite or oval facial shapes. 

The Cap Cut can be done in a variety of ways but the basic approach is to create a cap at the front of the crown with lots of layers.The Cap is created with texturizing and layering.

The Crop - which really refers to any short, tapered cut. Crops look cool on younger women.  Victoria warns that The Crop just may not work well if you're over 45.  The Crop can wreck havoc on chins and necklines in profile for women that are past their mid 40s.

Also, short crops put so much focus on your eyes, they draw attention to less than flawless skin.

The Lightly Layered Mid-length - With the lightly layered mid-length you can go just to or even below the shoulders with a smart shape and regular trims. 

Victoria received from Minardi Salon in NYC, was the best cut that she ever had. 

The cut brushed her shoulders, and was cut on a slightly diagonal-forward moving line at the sides and contained a few, light layers, which provided volume when Victoria used a blow dryer on her hair.

All of the photos that I have included as general examples of the various styles for thin, fine hair, are taken directly from The Hair Boutique's Gallery of HairStyles. 

Please browse through all the Gallery pages to get some ideas of the different types of styles that are available.

I encourage you to print out any of the styles that you like and take them to your stylist.

Thanks for writing,

Best wishes,

Karen

November 3, 1999
Hair Texture Change

Question

Dear Karen

Hi! Thank you so much for your wonderfully informative web site. I love the new colors and layout. Please keep up all the great work.

Now for my question. I used to have very very thick hair and now that I am in my mid 30s it has turned fine and soft. It is driving me totally nuts. 

I used to be able to wear a style that was a lot like the Gibson Girl look. Now I do not seem to be able to get the same effect because of the change in my hair from thick to very fine. 

Do you have any suggestions for me?

Thanks for your help.

WK

Answer

Hi,

Thanks so much for your kind words about The Hair Boutique. I am so glad you like the new colors and layout.  We have many great new features on the drawing board and I think you will love all the new things we will be adding to the site very soon.

As far as your answer, yes it is true that hair may change as you age.

Why? This is related to many different factors including hormones and how they are balanced, diet, the nutrients that you take, stress or any medications you may be taking.   Some medications are known to cause hair changes from hair loss to texture changes.   Before taking any medications you can ask your physician if they are aware of any side effects that impact the hair.

It is not uncommon for people who have gone through chemotherapy to lose all of their hair and have it grow back completely different in texture and color. 

Women going through menopause will often experience texture changes to their hair.   Because menopause can take many years sometimes hair changes can happen years before the actual menopause is finished.

Since there are so many possibilities of why your hair has changed from thick to fine, I can't begin to suggest what the cause may be.  However I can give you some other suggestions.

As far as the Gibson Girl style, I would like to suggest that you check out some of the great retro hair sites on the Net for ideas and possible additional suggestions.   There is actually a site that shows the Gibson Girls and you may be able to get some styling ideas by looking at this interesting site.

Michael Warner and Marcie both have excellent retro hair sites.  I believe you could get some help from either site. Michael and Marcie have some of the best styles and information on hair from the past on their sites.  I am not sure that they have featured the Gibson Girls hair, but they may be able to point you to some styles or tips that would be related to the style.

The Hair Boutique has a special list of Retro Hair Links.   You can check there first for a listing of all the sites that we have found that have retro styles.

If you would like to get some information or tips on dealing with fine hair I can recommend the Hair Boutique article written by hair industry expert Victoria Wurdinger on Fine Solutions.  Victoria writes from her own personal experience with fine hair.  Her article also provides lots of tips for dealing with more contemporary styles for fine hair.

Here are some tips you might like to try for hair like yours that is evolving into a finer texture.

1.  I would use a volume enhancing shampoo like ARTec's Textureline Volumizing. 

One thing to keep in mind is that all shampoos that build volume into the hair ultimately swell the hair shaft so that it can possibly make any color you have added less durable.  Therefore keep this in mind and be aware of how volume enhancing hair products could cause your color to fade.

2.  Use a rinse-out conditioner very lightly and ONLY on very dry or damaged parts of your hair.  The more conditioner you use, the softer and less manageable your hair.

3.  Always use a cool/cold water final rinse.  This also makes the hair shaft swell as well as closing off the cuticle of the hair which will neutralize some of the potential color loss of a volume enhancing product.

4.  If you get tangles, to avoid breaking hair, towel blot your hair first and then use a very light detangler and use a wide toothed comb to pick your hair out.

5.  Apply a good volume enhancing leave in styling product.  I love Aveda's Confixer.  Just a little dab makes my bangs, which tend to be more thin than the rest of my hair, plump up and have great texture.

6.  Use a blowdryer on the coolest/coldest setting and blow dry your hair upside down to get more volume.  You can also list just the roots and blow dry them first to get max volume.

7.  Consider using a diffuser attachment on your blow dryer and blow dry on coldest/slowest setting.  Use your fingers to "scrunch" your hair which will give it fullness and volume.

If you still can get your hair to hold, experiment with some strong finishing creams or gels.  ARTec makes several.  You can also try Aveda's hairstick which gives your hair a type of waxy feel and will hold it better.

Other things that can impact fine hair is when the hair is first clean it is much softer and finer.  Maybe you can experiment with washing your hair less frequently and letting the oils build up for better control.

Another option is to use barrettes or haircombs as a combination of decoration and firmer holding power than bobby pins.

I hope some of these ideas may help. I would love to know if any of these tips work for you.

Best Wishes,

Karen

November 2, 1999
Well Water Problems

Question

Dear Karen

I am a big fan of your site. Thank you very kindly for all of  your wisdom. Particularly enjoyed the article on Nature's Gate hair  products.  I used one of your hair related links to get to an article entitled Hazards of Well Water. The link took me back to the Hair Boutique with an extension. This link was no good.

I was wondering how I would find your article on Hazards of Well Water. I am trying to grow out my past the shoulders to my bra strap by the end of 1999, and, since I live in the country and am subjected to well water, I would be most interested in this article.

I did use your search engine, but didn't find anything.

Surely would appreciate your help!!

Thank You!!

Kay P

Answer

Hi Kay,

Karen

November 1, 1999
Catherine Zeta Jones

Question

Dear Karen

Can you please tell me the name of the beautiful actress in the movie Mask Of Zorro who plays Anthony Hopkin's daughter?  She has gorgeous hair and I don't remember hearing very much about her.  I recently saw the movie again on video at a friend's house but neglected to wait for the credits to catch her name. 

Do you know if her hair is real or if she wore a wig?

Larry

Answer

Hi Larry

The lovely lady you are referring to is the gorgeous Catherine Zeta Jones.

Before the Zorro movie Catherine was relatively unknown.  Recently she has been grabbing headlines for her romance with Michael Douglas.  Catherine has gorgeous dark hair that is very thick and long. 

It is my understanding that her hair in the Zorro movie was her own.

Best wishes,

Karen

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