Hair Styling Tools

Whether you get your hair dyed by a professional colorist, or you do it yourself at home, your hair is always subject to dryness and damage due to the ammonia and peroxides that are found in hair dyes.   That is why it is so important that a hair conditioner or moisturizer is applied at some point either during or after the process.  Just recently, colorist , Anthony Palermo reported that by mixing a frizz fighting oil with the hair dye, can result in keeping even bleached hair silky.

Potions International, a manufacturer of  all natural haircare products, has just the right anti-frizz oil that can be mixed with your hair dye.  PI’s Super Serum hair oil is made with organic argan oil and is alcohol and paraben free.  By adding two teaspoons of the serum to the color mixture, you will find that the serum is moisturizing, and thus, resulting in your hair being conditioned while it is being processed.   And, the end result is soft and shiny hair.

Are you tired of your straight hair and are looking to rev up some dull, flat hair?  If so, and your hair is at least an inch or more below your ears, by simply using a one inch barrel curling iron, you can create some wave or loose cascading ringlets for a new glam style.

If your hair is long, I recommend using a higher heat to get a tighter curl.  Remember that the longer your hair, the weight of the hair factors in resulting in curls falling out more easily.  However, if the end result that you want is more wavy than curly, the falling out can be a good thing.  For this style, decide what hair you want to curl.  Typically the hair around your face and at the crown will be the areas of focus.  It is not important that your entire head of hair be curled as this style is not intended to be picture perfect. 

As with any use of a hairstyling tool, be sure to use the appropriate haircare products prior to use.  You are now ready to follow the easy steps below:

1. 1.  Take a two inch section of your hair and open the curling iron and grip the hair at the ends. 
2. 2.  Turn the curling iron clockwise toward your face, stopping about an inch away from your roots. 
3. 3.  Wait five seconds and release the curl from the iron. 
4. 4.  Repeat this process with other selected sections of your hair.

Many things can impact the condition of your hair.  Some of the key factors contributing to damaged hair include stress, mental health, diet, overuse of hair styling tools, and excessive coloring of your hair.  Certainly reducing stress,  having a positive outlook, eating the right foods and supplementing with vitamins will have a tremendous affect on getting your hair back to that beautiful, shiny condition we all want to have.  However, most of us who style our hair will continue to use our hair styling tools and we will also continue to get our hair dyed, especially if those unwanted grays continue to poke their ugly heads out every four to six weeks.  For others, our natural color just doesn’t fit the bill so dying the hair is  something  we just can’t stop.

So, this is where a deep conditioning of the hair on a semi-regular basis becomes quite important.  There are many haircare  products on the market that are available, however, I have found a product that I highly recommend.  Potions International has developed an incredible Cream Reconstructor (with pure carrot oil).  It is an exceptional hair, scalp, and body nourishing treatment that is rich in vitamins, marine extracts and essential oils. This synergy helps recondition the skin of the scalp, hair, and the skin of the body through oxygenation and stimulation.  This conditioner is one of the only conditioners in the market that combines the hydrating powers of the purified essential oils, Mango and Olive butter.

Power Construct is easy to use.  Apply a generous amount of this cream conditioner onto the hair and scalp.  Allow to moisturize for 15-25 minutes, then rinse with lukewarm water.   It is recommended that you use on a weekly basis.  This deep conditioner is available in a convenient 2 ounce travel size and 8.5 ounce size for home use.  Give it a try and I’m certain that you will be glad you did.

If you have fine hair, then you already know that unless your hair is cut short, volume is something that is difficult to maintain throughout the day.  Celebrity hair stylist, Daniel Howell has shared some of his secrets to help prevent your style from falling flat.  The two important haircare products to have on hand are hair spray and a smoothing gel.  Try the following steps and see how they work for you:

• Apply smoothing gel from the midshaft down
• Using your blow dryer, dry in 2 – 3 inch sections using a medium size round styling brush – Start at the nape of your neck and work your way toward the front of your head
• As you reach the crown of your head, mist your roots with a very strong-hold hair spray and pull your hair up and forward as you dry to create volume
• Should you need additional lift, tease your crown of hair with either a rattail comb or why not use Spornette’s Little Wonder Teasing Brush?
• Flip your head back over and give it a good shake
• Give you hair a light mist of spray all over and it’s off to a day filled with volume!

So far all of you natural redheads out there, you more than likely have fair skin.  When applying your makeup using your favorite makeup brushes, “you want to make sure you play up your coloring without looking washed out,” says N.Y.C. makeup artist Nick Barose.   He suggests the following regiment to achieve that most flattering appearance:

• Start out with a light-reflecting foundation that is one shade warmer than your natural skin tone
• Dust a soft pink blush on the apples of your cheeks for that extra healthy boost of color (Spornette Marche Cheek Blusher is great for this)
• For your eyes go with a bronze pencil and an eye shadow that is in the olive green family, and most importantly apply a brown mascara to your lashes as black eye makeup will come across as looking to harsh
• If your eyelashes are naturally light in color, use a tiny applicator/wand (Spornette Marche  Double -Sided Lash and Brow Makeup Brush can work wonders) to be able to get right to the roots of your lashes and thoroughly coat each hair
• Polish off the makeup session with a sheer pink or something in the berry hues as your lipstick color.  Avoid oranges and anything in the coral line to minimize the clashing of tones in your hair

Using the right haircare products on a man’s hair can be equally as important as it is for a woman.  Obviously, a man’s hair is no different than a woman’s, and thus, the same problems that women experience with their hair can be equally as challenging to men.

Mens hairstyles and hair lengths ranging from the very short to shoulder length hair and longer can require even more attention than that of their counterpart simply because if the hairstyle is a neatly trimmed shorter cut, a trip to the barber or stylist may be more frequent.  In fact, it is recommended that no more than three weeks should lapse between trims.  If the hairstyle is a little longer, it’s always a good idea to check with the stylist/barber to see if they offer maintenance trims which can be considerably less than a full on haircut.  And, if men use a stylist on a regular basis it is not uncommon for the stylist to offer a free neck shave and quick trim around the ears.

Hairstyles for men are just as trendy now as women’s.  In fact, for certain styles it is not unusual for a man to keep on hand a flat iron for straightening their hair before applying gel.  And, naturally their hair styling tools are going to include a hair dryer.  However, regardless of what the style our men are sporting, the majority of the time it still boils down to whatever takes him the least amount of time to get ready (including the hair) and out the door.  In order to achieve this it is even more important that the right hair styling tools and haircare products are being used for healthy and great looking hair.

For a man’s hair health and to have the ability to complete the style, product should be used every day, regardless of the style.  To eliminate frizz, make sure a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner are being used.  Even a serum for the hair that will help eliminate the frizz and add some shine is perfectly fine as some styles just demand a shine.  The right hair brush is equally as important.  Using boar bristle brushes is an excellent choice as the boar helps to bring out the natural oils of the scalp and this too aids in keeping the scalp and hair healthy.  If you have curly hair, a wide toothed-comb works best, and, if you want to pik out some of those curls, you can use metal or plastic tines.  Lastly, when it comes to the hair dryer, make sure it’s ionic so that all of the technology that has gone into it can be enjoyed and applied to that manly head of hair.

Not  only is using the right hair styling tools on our hair of paramount importance, but the type of haircare products we use definitely plays into keeping our hair, healthy, shiny, and damage free.

The key to using the right haircare products for your particular type of hair must always be part of the equation, especially when there are so many different types of products available in the marketplace.   Whether it be shampoo, conditioner, or some kind of hair protectant that is used prior to blow-drying or when styling, there are certain products that work better for specific types of hair than others.  So let’s focus on what really works to protect those of us who have thick, curly, or wavy hair. 

1. Use a sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner.  Sulfates are harsh and can strip your hair and dry it out even more.  Thicker hair, curly hair, and even wavy hair can sometimes have tendancies to be on the courser and drier side anyway, so the last thing you need is for your hair to dry out even more.
2. If you are going to blow dry your hair, spray on a heat protectant that is also sulfate-free.  If your hair tends to be normal to oily, you need only spray the last two to six inches of your hair, covering the tips of the hair.  If your hair tends to be dry, spray from the root to the tip in order to provide an allover protection and nourishment.   
3. If after you have dried your hair, you go on to straightening or curling right away, you should still have enough product left in your hair for continued protection.
4. If you are straightening or curling your hair on another day without washing it, apply the spray-in heat protectant as described above.

One such product that I have found that contains many natural ingredients, to include the ever popular Argon Oil is Potions International’s Super Argan Spray-in.  This miracle worker not only provides heat protection, but it  is an exceptional hair and scalp type treatment that : a) is safe on color/chemically straightened hair, b) controls frizz, c) creates shine, d) seals the tips of your hair, e) has UV protection, and f) actually repairs damaged hair.  The Super Argan Spray-In is new to the Potions International line and is a spin-off of the ever popular Super Moist Serum that does everything that the Spray-In does for your hair.