Ask Karen - February 2000

February 25, 2000
Nordic Blonde?

Question

Dear Karen

My hair has been acting very weird lately. First it seemed that it was very dry, almost brittle. Then it started falling out more than what I would think was normal.

I suspect that my lifestyle may be contributing but am not sure. I have my own business and work lots of hours, smoke cigarettes (I know I should stop) and don't sleep enough.

Could this be causing my bad hair days? I am starting to worry. What do you suggest?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Maura

Answer

Dear Maura,

I know that many people hate to hear that stress can cause hair problems and hair loss, but it really can.

Medical experts such as doctors and dermatologists are discovering that an increase in stress does all sorts of things to the body that may not be immediately obvious and may build up over time.

Stress will, in many people, trigger an abnormal reaction to the adrenal glands causing them to secrete cortisol, which is the stress hormone.

Cortisol has been found to build up in the hair and hair follicles causing the hair to become dry, brittle and more fragile. It can also cause hair for shed a lot faster than it would under normal less stressful situations.

Yes, it is scary but the good news is that for most people stress induced hair problems and hair loss is temporary.

Once you learn to manage your stress the hair will return to a more normal condition and the extra shedding will slow down.

It has been proven that lack of sleep not only will cause hair to become drier and more brittle, but it will prevent weight loss in many cases. Also, cigarette smoking definitely will impact the hair as well excessive consumption of caffeine, sugar and fats.

If you are taking any medications for high blood pressure or some of the anti-depressants you may also notice your hair acting up more than normal.

A good dermatologist can work with you to diagnose whether your hair is acting up and falling out because of increased stress or because of other factors such as physical problems, hormone or thyroid imbalances or other possible causes.

Age can also play a factor. As people age their hair often will shed more. There can be many causes for your accelerated hair loss and frequent bad hair days.

With the lifestyle that you have described I suspect that stress is probably the main culprit for your current hair problems.

What can you do to reverse your current hair problems? You can sleep more, try to reduce as much stress as possible and add an good B vitamin along with essential fatty acids (EFAs).

If your hair continues to cause problems find a good dermatologist and schedule a consultation. If you are taking medications talk to your doctor about what effect it may be having on your hair.

Best wishes,

Karen

February 20, 2000
Problems With Rag Curlers?

Question

Dear Karen

I love your site so much that I visit every day. I have learned so much here that I can't begin to tell you. You have great advice for long hair like mine.

I do have a problem. I have been experimenting with creating rag curls. However, I have a hard time rolling the curlers up. 

Can you tell me what I am doing wrong. The rags just seem so flimsy to work with that I have a hard time getting them placed well.

Thanks,

Tara

Answer

Dear Tara,

I know that creating rag curls can be a challenge when you have long hair. Especially if you do the rag curls by yourself.

One trick that I use is to "cheat" with either a clean popsicle stick, pencil, or ruler. It really helps me get "traction" on my hair and helps me roll better curls.

Trying laying the rag on top of the stick, pencil or ruler and then when you wrap, you will wrap around both the rag and the stick/pencil/ruler.

This will give you "traction". Once you get the rag into place, right before you tie the ends together, slip the pencil out of the rag curler.

Be sure to only use very smooth and clean popsicle sticks or pencils. The last thing that you would want to do is snag any precious hair and pull them out.

Hope this helps.

Best wishes,

Karen

February 19, 2000
Do Rag Curlers Work? How?

Question

Dear Karen

I have been reading a lot about rag curlers and how they can create really great ringlets without any damage to hair. I am trying to grow my hair very long and would love to try this type of curler.

Can you tell me a little bit more about this method. Have you used it on your long hair and how did it turn out for you?

Thanks,

Jessica

Answer

Dear Jessica

Besides Hair Boutique I run a separate software company. Time is very limited for me. I run from place to place and am lucky if I get enough time to sleep.

I have tried rag curlers on many different occasions but they never create anything for me but waves. Since my hair is naturally wavy anyway, it is overkill for me.

However, on straight hair, the waves can look wonderful. Also, if you already have curly hair, you can really get tight curls.

How do you create rag curls?

You can start by reading Valentine's wonderful instructions on how to create rag curls.

I have to warn you that rag curls can be a lot of work. You have to make sure you have plenty of rags before you start. The other key is to make sure that your hair is 1000% dry before you unroll the rags or else you will completely defeat the purpose of the rag curlers.

If you sleep on your hair all night or leave the rag curlers in all day and discover your hair is still damp, before you unroll them stick your head under a bonnet hair dryer or use a blow dryer to quickly remove any moisture.

If you really want to play it safe, you may want to use soft curlers that give you a similar look with less prep time of tearing and organizing rags.

Thanks so much for writing.

Best wishes,

Karen

February 15, 2000
Dandruff Home Treatment?

Question

Dear Karen

I recently heard that you can use aspirin to eliminate dandruff. I am curious if this is true and if you have heard of any recipes that might do the trick for my bad case of the itchies?

Susie

Answer

Dear Susie

Some experts do believe that aspirin dissolved into warm water and then mixed with a shampoo treatment will help eliminate dandruff problems. Is this true? I can't say from my own personal experience but have heard from others that it does make a difference.

A common home recipe suggests that you dissolve 10-12 Bayer or other type of aspirin tablets into one cup of warm water. Wet your hair thoroughly, apply shampoo, rinse well and squeeze out excesses moisture. Pour the dissolved aspirin on your scalp and massage gently into the dandruff plagued areas. Leave on your scalp up to 10 minutes for best results. Rinse well. Finish with a cool/cold rinse. Apply any leave in conditioners and style.

You may need to try the treatment for a few weeks before you can effectively determine if it is working for you or not.

On the plus side, there are many over the counter dandruff treatment shampoos that can also help minimize the impact of the itchies.

Best wishes,

Karen

February 5, 2000
Curly Hair Conditioners & Styling Product Recommendations?

Question

Dear Karen

I have very curly hair. I mean very very curly. I am looking for a really good conditioner that will help me control my curly hair? Any product suggestions would be really appreciated. I think I need a good leave-in conditioner that will help define my curls but I am willing to try just about anything. I am open to suggestions for rinse out conditioners, leave in conditioners and any good styling products for curly hair.

I have tried sooooo many products that are just sitting on the shelves in my bathroom. Please help.

Thanks in advance,

Curly Sue

Answer

Dear Curly Sue

I discussed your question with Hair Boutique's resident curly haired specialist Shelley Pryor. Not only does Shelley have very tight natural curls, she specializes in all areas of curly hair care.

Shelley has been a licensed stylist for over 12 years and has specialized in helping people with curly and long hair achieve the best results possible.

Shelley told me that every curly or long head of hair is a little different.

Shelley said that to make sure that you find the best conditioning product that works with your curls you need to be willing to experiment until your find a great match.

The problem is that your curls may be completely different than anyone else with curls. Shelley graciously provided me with a list of products that she feels will provide the type of rinse out, leave-in and styling conditioners that you are looking for.

For weekly deep conditioning treatments for curly hair Shelley suggests Revitalizing Rejuv or ARTec's Moisture Pak.

Shelley told me that she personally has great results with Shelley Aveda's Cherry Almond Bark and Deep Conditioner to keep her tight ringlets in top form. Both of these are "rinse out" conditioning products: Rusk Calm and Redken Climatress are "rinse out conditioners" and provide similar benefits like Aveda Deep Conditioner. You may need to experiment before finding the best product for your hair.

For leave-in conditioning Shelley likes Aveda's Elixer. She said that many people tell her that they have very good results with the Nexxus Rejuv spray product.

For curly hair styling Shelley is wild about Nexxus Versastyler. Shelley has been using Versastyler for some time and said that she gets consistently fabulous results.

The Nexxus product is a curl enhancer and leave-in conditioner. It is very good for curly hair that may be damaged and in need of repair.

The Nexxus Versastyler Designing Lotion is a unique and versatile formula that allows you to design curly hair into any shape, form or fashion.

Versastyler is an alcohol-free lotion which provides light control and superior curl retention when used for roller sets or with curling irons and hot rollers.

Shelley said that Versastyler adds texture and hold when sculpting, scrunching or finger drying.

Versastyler never causes hair build up or flakes. Shelley explained that it is excellent for wet looks or brushed out for soft, shiny and bouncy styles. According to Shelley it has a subtle fragrance, it is alcohol-free and is pH balanced.

Shelley applies a small dollop of Versastyler designing lotion to the palm of her hands. She rubs her palms together and then smoothes over her curls.

Shelley said it is important to make sure that the Versastyler is distributed evenly throughout your curls. She then dries with a diffuser and is careful not to brush or touch her curls with her hands. The result is perfectly formed curly ringlets.

One feature that Shelley loves about Versastyler is that it can be re-activated with water. Simply spray hair that already has Versastyler with some water. style and go.

Let me know if you have other questions.

Best wishes,

Karen

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