Everyone has seen another person's hair that looks 'perfect'... to them, at least. The truth is, in all my years in the business, I've never met a person who doesn't have some complaint or problem with their hair, or would trade their hair for someone else (the grass is always greener, right?)
While it's true you can't 'trade' hair, just as you can't change the way your hair grows, there are certain steps you can take to make your hair look and behave more like you want it to. Here are a few common hair problems and questions, along with some solutions and answers.
- Problem: My hair is too greasy./My hair gets greasy really quickly.
- Solution: Use a shampoo/conditioner for oily hair and scalp. Use warm water instead of hot. When shampooing, massage scalp gently and not vigorously (more vigorous massage stimulates oil secretion!) Steer clear of products like 'root boost' or 'root volumizer.' The reasons aren't clear, but these products, while they do add volume to hair roots, tend to bring on oiliness more quickly. Feel free to brush your hair, but don't spend a lot of time brushing your scalp. As already mentioned already, this will stimulate oil secretion in your scalp, causing extra oiliness. Finally, keep in mind that people with extra oiliness tend to go extra-dry to counteract it, such as using drying products and avoiding deep conditioners. The problem with this is that your body is designed to keep itself in a normal, neutral state, so if all of a sudden you switch everything to dry products and stop your moisturizing ones, your scalp will naturally try to counteract it by, you guessed it, secreting extra oil.
- Problem: My hair gets to a certain length and then stops growing. What's the deal?
- Solution: There are two things to make very clear here: 1) Every person's hair grows for a certain period and then stops. So it may be true that your hair gets to a certain length and stops (for many people, it's in the chest area,) BUT 2) There are also many times when hair hasn't actually stopped growing, but rather is breaking off or splitting due to damage, and thus appears as if it's not growing any longer. If this happens to you and you'd like to try to grow your hair longer, there are a few tricks to try. First, lay off the heat. Stop using your hot irons, or at least turn the temps down to 'low' or a lower degree. Second, be sure to use thermal (heat) protectant products. Make sure your styling product bottles say 'thermal protectant' or 'heat protectant' on them. Third, deep condition your hair- especially your ends. You can do this at the salon, or your local beauty school (beauty schools usually ofter deep conditions for less than five or ten bucks and often include a style.) If you prefer, you can also deep-condition at home. Apply a 'hydrating' or 'moisturizing' conditioner, or olive oil (you may also use your regular conditioner, though it may not work quite as well,) to the bottom 2-6 inches of your hair or to your entire hair strand (depending on where you feel you need the most moisture.) Cover your hair with a shower cap or a piece of plastic wrap so the conditioner doesn't dry out, and hit it with a blow dryer on the low but warm setting, for just about 10 seconds. Let it sit for 20-30 minutes, then wash and condition normally. If you're super-concerned about hair breakage or splitting, you may want to stop coloring/perming/relaxing for a few months, just to give your hair a break.
- Problem: My hair doesn't hold curl./I curl and style my hair and within an hour, it's completely flat and straight.
- Solution: This is a very common problem with women who have fine, straight hair. The first thing to check is your styling products. You want to use products designed for your hair type. Also, use products with strong hold, and keep in mind that gels and creams have much more hold than sprays and mousses. Don't be afraid to layer your hair products- after washing, you can apply a gel, a mousse and a hair wax. Using more products may cost you more, but layering styling products can give your hair more ability to hold style or curl. Another possibility: your styling tools are not hot enough. Usually, for the health of the hair, you want the tool temperature to be on the low side. But if your hair isn't holding style well, turn up the heat a bit. This can force the style into your hair strand just a little bit better. You may also want to use a round brush while blow-drying (if you don't already) before using an iron or rollers. Both blow-drying and using a round brush help 'roughen up' the hair, which allows it to accept and hold products and heats better. Finally, use some teasing or 'ratting' where necessary, and hairspray away! Use the strongest hairspray you can find, but keep in mind that the teasing you do beforehand has a lot more to do with your style staying than what you spray it with. [To tease hair the 'right' way: hold a small section of hair up, and use a comb to comb it backwards or downwards. This creates a small area of volume, which also helps the style stay put.]
- Problem: I think I have dandruff.
- Solution: Noticing white flakes on your shoulders or your shirt? A lot of people completely freak when they see these, thinking they have dandruff or worse. Take comfort in this: almost everyone who thinks they have dandruff actually have dry scalp, which is different. If, all of a sudden, you're seeing white flakes coming from your hair or scalp, there are a handful of things to try that should help your dry scalp and flaking. First, make sure you're getting enough water. People should be drinking at least eight glasses of water a day. Hydration is super-important to moisturized skin, including the skin on your head. Make sure you are using good hair products. Low-quality shampoos and some styling products (like volumizing products, some mousses and hairspray) are drying to the scalp and hair. While they can help your hair hold style, they keep moisture away from your hair and scalp, which can cause flaking. Be sure to get your vitamins, dietary nourishment and exercise. Also, keep in mind that if you are stressed out or experiencing other health issues, those can affect your hair and scalp health. Try a deep condition (see above) and massage the conditioner or olive oil into your scalp before you let it sit. Basically, your scalp is just dry skin, so care for it the same way you would if you had dry skin anywhere else (without making your hair look greasy, of course!) By the way- true dandruff tends to cause flakes that are more yellow in color, and more greasy. Also, scalp skin with dandruff would tend to look red and inflamed. If you truly think you have dandruff, try a medicated shampoo or see your doctor.
- Problem: My hair's falling out!
- Solution: It's important to know the [many] normal things that cause hair to fall out. Did you know you that on an anormal day, you have 150-200 hairs fall out? I've had many clients worried about hair they see in their hairbrush or in the shower drain, when in reality, they're experiencing completely normal, healthy hair loss.[*Note: If you wear your hair in a ponytail, braid or bun, you may notice your normal hair loss more, simply because it's all tied up all day before you brush it out.] If you believe your hair loss is not normal, here are a few things- some quite strange- that can bring on extra hair loss: 1) Super-tight hairstyles: styles that are very tight and pull your hair away from the scalp (like cornrows, for example) can bring on extra hair loss, over time. The hair should grow back normally. 2) Nutritional deficiencies: if your diet is missing certain vitamins or nutrients, your hair can suffer. If you've gone on a long fast or diet, for example, you may end up losing more hair than normal. (Typically you won't notice this for a few weeks or even a few months.) Once your diet is healthy again, your hair should grow back normally. 3) Surgery or medical problems: Lots of people who have had some major medical issue or surgery will experience some extra hair loss after about three months has passed. It's not usually in patches; it's generally a general thinning out, and it will typically stop after a couple of weeks. 4) Childbirth: Many, many women will see a lot more hair falling out than normal several weeks after they give birth to their babies. It's a bummer, but it's completely normal and should only last a couple of weeks up to two or three months. For most women, it's very minor but scary. For some, it's quite noticeable. Either way, keep your diet healthy and you'll be good to go after a few weeks. 5) Friction: It is a myth that wearing hats or baseball caps causes baldness. However, if you (or a guy you know) wears baseball caps, hats or hairstyles that rub your head in the same place all the time, that friction can cause hair loss. While it's generally temporary, this kind of hair loss can end up being permanent, so just be sure to change it up. Don't wear the same hat every single day; don't wear the same headband every single day. 6) Of course, there are a few medical causes of hair loss, such as thyroid disease, menopause, certain medications, age or even stress. If you're concerned about why you are losing hair, mention it to your doctor. But know that seeing extra hair in your brush is certainly not necessarily a sign of some huge issue.
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