| Original Publication Date: March 2000 |
March 10, 2000
Psoriasis & Eczema Scalp Help?
Question
Dear Karen
I have severe scalp itching. My dermatologist told me that I have psoriasis. Another doctor first thought that I
might have eczema of the scalp. Do you know of any good products to help relieve the itching, irritation and scaling?
Also, my dermatologist told me that my smoking cigarettes may have caused the condition. Have you ever heard of this before? I think it is pretty unlikely.
Thanks,
Jaye
Answer
Dear Jaye,
To find more info on scalp psoriasis you can contact the National Psoriasis Foundation and send them email.
The bad news is that both cigarette and alcohol consumption on a daily basis over a period of time has been proven to contribute to the development of psoriasis.
Several studies have suggested a link between cigarette smoking and psoriasis. American, Norwegian and British studies have shown that smokers and ex-smokers appear to have an increased risk for developing psoriasis.
Whether it will develop on the scalp or some other part of the body is not specified in the information that I could find about cigarettes and psoriasis.
There is good news about treatment options for psoriasis and eczema scalp problems.
Luxiq (Betamethasone Valerate) Foam was officially approved by the US FDA in 1999 for use on the treatment of the treatment of dermatoses of the scalp which includes the basic three kinds of scalp dermatoses: psoriasis, seborrheic dermatitis and eczema.
An estimated 3.5 million Americans have scalp psoriasis, marked by redness, scaling, severe itching and irritation.
Luxiq is manufactured by Connetics Corporation.
This new prescription steroid foam can effectively ease the severe irritation, itching and scaling of scalp psoriasis and eczema for million of people. The advantage to the Luxiq foam is that it is convenient to apply and invisible.
Luxiq has been reported to avoid the mess and difficulties that were inherent in previous versions of steroid creams that were on the market.
Luxiq contains betamethasone, a medication that has been available for years in lotion form. In its new foam incarnation Luxiq does not leave a greasy residue that the creams left.
With Luxig you massage the foam into the affected areas of the scalp, towel dry and then style your hair the way that you normally would.
Any dermatologist should be able to prescribe Luxig or a generic substitute for you to use on your scalp.
Does Luxiq work? In one study of 172 patients, 72 percent treated with Luxiq had complete or almost complete clearance of
their psoriasis outbreak, compared with 47 percent who used an older form of the betamethasone lotion.
The price for Luxiq ranges from about $50 to $60 for a 100-gram bottle.
Best wishes,
Karen
March 9, 2000
How To Do French Braids?
Question
Dear Karen
Is there any material on the web that can teach me how to French braid my girls hair?
RJC
Answer
Dear RJC,
To find info on French braiding you can do a search on one of the search engines and try typing French braids.
The Hair Boutique has an article (Tip 255) on how to do French braids including step by step instructions.
Hope that helps.
Best wishes,
Karen
PS. I tried to email you privately but your AOL mail account bounced several times. Unfortunately I seem to have the most problems sending personal responses to AOL mail.
March 8, 2000
Fast Drying Shampoo Damaging Hair?
Question
Dear Karen
I am always rushed for time and about 3 months ago I got addicted to Redken's Active Express Flash Wash shampoo.
At first it really seemed to make my hair dry a lot faster than normal. It seemed to work really well with either my blow dryer or when I would just air dry my hair.
Then I noticed that while my hair was drying faster, my hair started to feel a lot drier in overall texture.
I originally tried the product to avoid using my blow dryer as much since the product is supposed to work just as well for air drying as blow drying.
I talked to my stylist about this and she advised me to stop using the Redken shampoo because she felt it was drying out my hair. She agreed that the texture felt different.
She did not seem to know how the product works or if this was actually the cause of the new dried out texture.
Do you know what is in the Redken product and if it is causing my drying problem?
Tom
Answer
Dear Tom,
The Good Housekeeping Institute actually published a study about some of the fast drying shampoos.
GH actually tested your product, Redken's Active Express Flash Wash, against a product that was not supposed to dry faster (Suave Protein & Balsam shampoo).
They found that the Redken really did work and really did dry the hair faster than both the Suave and the other tested product, J.F. Lazartigue's Rapid Drying Shampoo.
Redken won the fast drying race clocking in at 27.5 minutes compared to the J.F. Lazartigue, timed at 35 minutes, and the Suave's 55 minutes.
It has been proven that Redken does dry faster. According the GH, Redken works by utilizing a blend that includes fruit acids and an extract of witch-hazel.
The Redken product is designed to lock down the hair's cuticle layer so that water is not easily absorbed.
It is also supposed to speed up water run off. GH compared the formula to helping water run off a duck's back.
It is possible that your hair is becoming much drier as a result of the special ingredients that are included to minimize water absorption.
It is also possible that your hair is becoming drier from other less obvious habits such as the weather or your own body's current overall health status.
Some people do experience drying results from continued use of fruit acids.
It is hard to say for sure, but I would certainly agree that your stylist knows best.
If your stylist thinks that the product is causing your hair to be dry you may want to lay off the product for awhile and see if there is a change in the overall condition of your hair.
If your hair does not change after switching to another product I would recommend do some further investigation to the causes of your dry hair.
Best wishes,
Karen
March 4, 2000
Searching For A New Hairstyle.
Question
Dear Karen
I have had long hair all my life.
I will soon graduate from college and start my life as an RN.
I think I want to cut my hair. Someone told me there is a disk you can buy and scan your face into and try all the different hair styles, before you actually go under the scissors.
Can you help me please? Thank you so much.
I love your web site and all the great info I can find.
BRT
Answer
Dear BRT,
Hi,
Congratulations on reaching your goals of becoming an RN. That is great to hear.
Yes, there are several software programs that you can buy to do some advance "hairstyle imaging" to see how you would look in different styles. I think it is great to take your time, do lots of research and look into buying a software module that lets you see how you look before you go any further with your change.
While I always encourage people to wear their hair in the style that is best for them, I think it is always a good idea to take your time if you plan on making any hairstyle changes that are drastic.
If you are used to wearing your hair one way and then suddenly change, it may be more difficult for you to adjust.
Many long hair experts recommend that if you've had long hair for many years, you should move from long hair to shorter hair in a series of steps to give you time to get used to new styles.
I think it is great that you want to buy a product to do your own research. One product that I have used with great success is the Cosmopolitan Girl software. You can usually find the Cosmo Girl imaging software at the local CompUSA or similar computer store.
I encourage you to take your time with making a drastic switch and consider all possibilities. You may want to try wearing your hair up in a bun or French Twist for a week to see how you feel about a shorter look.
Best wishes,
Karen
March 3, 2000
Prom Hairstyles - Elaborate Or Simple?
Question
Dear Karen
My mom and I are having a disagreement about my hair and how I want to wear it for the Prom. I want to wear my hair in a very unusual style with lots of knots and tiny braids and lots of jewels.
My mom told me that I should stick with a style that is more similar to how I normally look with my curly bob style. My mom told me that the more complicated that I make my style the more I will regret it.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Thanks,
Megan
Answer
Dear Megan,
I agree that it is important to not go to far from your normal look. You are going to want to remember your Prom for a long time and I suspect that you will want photos as keepsakes.
Think about the photos. You may regret changing your look too drastically for the Prom and may wish you stayed closer to your normal look.
You can certainly dress up your style and achieve a great look but why not wear your hair in a way that is complimentary to your normal hair?
Also, another point. The more complicated you make your hair the more risk that it will not stay put the entire night.
Proms are often all night events and your hair needs a style that is easy to readjust. A style that has lots of unusual twists or knots or braids may flop and then be impossible to recreate as the night goes on.
So while I agree that it is nice to have a beautiful style, I would also agree that it is best to not go to far out from your normal range and to select a style that will survive dancing and partying and can be easily adjusted.
Best wishes,
Karen
March 2, 2000
Please Send Photos Of Hairstyles For My Prom.
Question
Hi,
I am trying to find a great new style for my hair for my prom. Could you please send me photos to my email address so I can look at them and then decide what style to wear.
Thanks,
Melissa
Answer
Dear Melissa,
My apologies but it is not possible to send you private photos. Although we would love to accommodate all the many email requests that we get on a daily basis, unfortunately, if we tried to send photos to everyone that asked, we would never have time to update the Hair Boutique site.
We prefer instead to share information with everyone who visits Hair Boutique by posting information in the various hair articles about Prom, the galleries and columns like AskKaren.
Please read the March 1st AskKaren column below. I have provided several ideas and tips on how to find a great hairstyle for your prom.
Best wishes,
Karen
March 1, 2000
Finding The Perfect Hairstyle For The Prom.
Question
Dear Karen,
My prom is coming up in May and I am desperate. I have no clue of what to do with my hair and how to wear it. I want just the perfect hairstyle to wear. I don't know what I want to do with my hair so please send me photos of hairstyles and email me lots of Prom hair suggestions.
Thank you very much,
Lara
Answer
Dear Lara,
I know that the Prom is a big event and you want to look your best. However, there are literally dozens of ways that anyone can wear their hair for their Prom.
It doesn't matter if you have short, medium or long hair or whether it is curly or wavy or straight. Hair can be handled in many ways to get the outcome you desire.
I really understand your concern from finding the perfect do but I want to encourage you to relax and try not to stress about your hair.
My apologies but it is not possible to send you private photos. Since you are not sure what style you want there is no guarantee that I will be able to guess what you like. Also, if we tried to send photos to everyone that asked we would never have time to update Hair Boutique.
We prefer instead to share information with everyone who visits Hair Boutique by posting information in the various hair articles about Prom, the galleries and columns like AskKaren.
There are a couple of ways that you can find your perfect hairstyle for your Prom.
Since you don't have a clue about how to wear your hair the first thing I would like to recommend is that you do some
research.
It always helps to start with a big picture of hair style possibilities and narrow it down to just 2-3 styles that could really work for you.
- Look at The Hair Boutique Prom section for Prom hairstyle ideas:
A great start for finding good hairstyles is to go through magazines and find photos of hairstyles that you like or think would work best with your type of hair and your Prom dress.
You can also search through all of the Hair Boutique Prom articles which all include sample hair photos for Prom styles.
- Have A Pre-Prom Hair Planning Session
Invite a good friend or bunch of friends over and have an all night Prom Planning party. Ask each friend to bring a stack of their favorite hair and/or beauty magazines and then you can all take turns looking at different styles.
Use multi-colored stickies or flags. Assign a different color of sticky to each person.
Place the stickies on all the pages of the different hair and beauty magazines that have styles that you like.
After you have all had a chance to look through all the mags and attach your individually colored stickies then as a group go through the styles and talk about what styles might work best for you.
This is a great way to narrow the options down to just one or two choices. Your friends will have a more objective ideas on what looks good for you.
If you or your friends have hair jewelry, bring it along and play with different looks. Also, you and your friends can practice some of the styles on each other.
- Have A Pre-Prom Consultation & Take Sample Prom Hair Photos
Copy any of the Prom Hair photos that you like from the magazines or print out any prom hair photos from the Hair Boutique.
Take the photos you like to your stylist a few weeks before your Prom and ask them if they can recreate the look on your hair.
It is always good to plan a pre-Prom consultation with your stylist so that you can discuss how you want your hair to look with your dress. If possible you can even take your dress with you
A photo speaks a 1000 words and allows you and the stylist to have the same view of what you want.
Some hair is harder to work with than others. For example, some styles are better suited for curly hair while other styles are created for straight hair.
It may be possible that the style you would like to have may not work with your current hair length or texture, but the stylist can advise you of that.
You may want to combine a consultation with a practice appointment. Basically after you and the stylist agree on one or two hairstyles you can ask the stylists to create them for you as a form of dress rehearsal.
Sometimes when you see the style on your hair you may decide that what looks great in a photo is not the best for your face shape or hair type.
- If You Don't Have Photos Or Specific Ideas Have A Practice Appointment With A Stylist
If you don't have particular styles or photos in mind another option is to make a "practice appointment" with your stylist
several weeks before your prom.
At the practice appointment you can ask the stylist to "practice" some styles on your hair.
This option is more risky because you will basically be turning your hair over to the stylist and their likes and dislikes. However, if you are adventurous and willing to take a risk, this is a good option.
Whatever you decide to do, remember to allow a lot of time for the appointments. Chances are that many schools will have the same Prom dates as you and stylists tend to get very busy this time of year.
- Go With A Classic Style & Make It Edgy
While I get many emails asking for help finding the "perfect Prom hairstyle" it is important to remember that what works for you is the best style.
A great Prom hairstyle does not have to be completely different or original or new. Why not relieve a lot of hair stress and Prom worries by selecting a style that is classic and easy to handle. Then you can focus your energies on your skin, makeup and nails instead.
There are several classic styles that are timeless, always beautiful and always worn over and over. These classic styles include the French Twist, a variety of dressy braids and a basic simple bun updo.
 A French Twist is the timeless and classic updo for any type of event from a Prom to a wedding to a Spring formal.
Before you say that a French Twist is out of date, just check out some of the celebrities that attend the various Golden Globe, Emmy and Academy Awards.
In every major dress-up event you will see some form of the Twist. This is because it is very sleek, fairly easy to do and can be modified, modified, modified.
How do you modify it? You can add soft tendrils on the sides or your face or around the back of your hairline. You can also add draped bangs that fall softly on one side of your face. 
The French twist looks great with some twists or hair knots created right at the crown.
The Twist is also perfect for adding flowers, hair sticks, butterfly clips, sparkly barrettes other hair accessories.
Be creative with the Twist. Play with it to make it softer or tighter. Add one big loop at the top or tiny twists near the front of the hairline.
The French Twist is not complicated, it just requires some practice.
I encourage you to read my Dressy Hair Styles Part 1 article which includes several variations of the French Twist. It also provides detailed instructions on how to create a French Twist if you decide to create one at home.
If you have never worked with a French Twist before, you may want to go to a stylist and watch them create one for you. Better yet, take a friend who can watch from the back of your head and help you recreate the look at home.
- Do Your Research & Planning In Advance
To have the best hairstyle research and planning is the key. The more time you allow yourself to plan and test hairstyles, the better.
I think if you spend some time searching through popular hair and beauty magazines and the Web you can find some styles that work great for you and your needs.
Remember that you have the option to dress up any style further with a jeweled pin, tiny flowers, beads or other hair accessories.
Have a wonderful time at your prom.
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
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