A Few of My Favorite Things!

A Few of My Favorite Things

Raindrops on roses; a Aston Martin to get in
Bright copper jewelry and brown furry mittens
Brown leather Chanel purse and a lot of bling bling
These are a few of my favorite things..

In the spirit of holiday singing and shopping, I revised this song just for this blog!

And, I would be some kind of blogger if I did not write about a few of my favorite and not so favorite things as the year comes to an end. In 2014 some creative folk introduced some interesting hair styling tools to help make this "getting cute thing" easier. Play The Supremes as you read this blog to see if any of your purchases or interests makes the list. 

Throughout the year, I periodically relapse into Ladosha the Hair care junkie. I just can't help it. I'm a hair stylist is my excuse. I try very hard to stick with tradition and stay on course. But then it hits me; the magazine articles, the sales reps, the customers exciting inquiries of "have you heard about..." and it's all down hill before I slip into the abyss of hair styling tools that I just swear will make my work day and my own hair styling better.  So as the year comes to an end my cravings for hair styling tools does as well. During my on again off again binges, I have spent my money and time playing around with and trying out these tools trying to get my next hair fix. Not that I am trying to encourage or discourage anyone, but here is my take on my 2014 hair fix relapses. Some have been worth the trip and others brought me back to reality. Drum roll please...

Air Curler

The Air Curler, in the infamous words of former President, George W. Bush, "Not one iota." In the very vast multi-trillion dollar world of hair care and it's infinite options of what to buy to style your tresses, this one does not cut the muster. Enough typed. Nexxxxxxt.....

Mira Curler

The Mira Curl by BaByliss Pro got my goat. It was the one tool that catapulted my relapse into the abyss! There I stood in the supply store that is supposedly "exclusively" for licensed cosmetologists, in awe as my heart raced as my eyes peered over at this apparatus. Initially, I tried to resist. I thought, "Now this supply store is suppose to be for licensed cosmetologists and barbers only, even though over half the products are sold over the counter how credible can this thang be?" You would have thought the price would have deterred me, but noooooo (in my John Belushi voice), like a feign; I tried it any way and I bought it. And, I liked it. That thang actually worked. It worked on all hair textures, hair weaves. It worked exactly liked the directions and the advertisement said it would. Of course that is rare, but hey this styling tool "creates perfect curls every time!" If you must, treat yourself. I even sold a few to my customers! 

The In Styler, a team of "esteemed 
hairstylists Bruno Meglio, Claudio Marino a design engineer and entrepreneur Michael Ragosta originally partnered with co-inventor Dave Richmond and invented this apparatus" as quoted from their website. While they may be esteemed, creative, dynamic and probably wealthy; they obviously have not consistently tried it on their own hair. I tried to desperately work this one out. However, because I specialize in hair care and not hair styling, I gave this one a

thumbs down. The "In Styler" is to hair what the "Fat Burner Belt" is to belly fat; not very effective. It sounds good in theory but what about practice? In theory, hair has many layers. The first layer is the cuticle (outer layer- what hair is mostly comprised of). Then there is the second layer, the cortex (where the strength and integrity of the hair is). The third layer is the medulla (this layer is absent in fine hair and the verdict is still out on why it's absent in fine hair).  Now considering your hair has all these layers, in practice, when you take a metal coated heated spinning barrel rotating in unison with a synthetic brush bristles, what do you think you get? You do not have to be a hair stylist who specializes in hair care to figure that one out.

I use this one weekly!

Next up, the Maxi Glide. The name says it all. It gives the maximum performance in SAFELY gliding through textured hair resulting in silky smooth, tangle free hair. This one was highly recommended to me during one of those, "Hey, have you heard about..." customer who came to the salon after relocating to Cleveland, Ohio from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina wiped away her community. I recall anxiously staying up late; night after night to catch the infomercial she told me about. For nights, I missed it. Then finally, I caught it. I watched it and in my Judy Tenuta voice, I said, "It could happen." So I called the 1-800 number to purchase it. I use it to this very day. It is the next best thing to a Kentucky Maid straightening comb (for those of us with thick, dense, wavy, curly and Afro textured hair). For the cry baby, for beginner, for those who do not like taking hours to flat iron and for those who are afraid they might burn themselves...this IS the perfect flat iron.

Speaking of Kentucky Maid, that leads me into my next favorite thing, the Kentucky Maid Straightening Comb. While Madame CJ Walker gets all the credit for inventing the straightening comb, her great great grand daughter Alelia Bundles wrote a book about the life and times of her great great grand mother that includes the truth behind her not inventing it. In fact, it

Ol Reliable a.k.a Kentucky Maid Straightening Comb

was just a few days before Christmas. It was on December 21st, to be exact, that the United States Patent Office awarded Walter Sammons, an African American inventor his patent. And the rest they say is history. In the trained and skilled hands of a licensed beautician this is the "ol reliable" of hair styling that is safe for the scalp and hair. If you have not be taught the family tradition of pressing or straightening hair; then do not attempt to teach yourself or practice on anyone. In the hands of an untrained person, practicing on real people can lead to more than burnt tresses. So, be sure to have someone teach how to properly use it first.

If the good ol' fashioned straightening comb is one of my favorites, you can only imagine the next hair styling tool I like. You guessed it, the Cast Iron Marcel Iron. If you are a new to the career of hair styling, this styling tool may seem to like an ancient artifact. Though it is not as old as a dinosaur, it will remain in the beauty industry until it gets as old as a dinosaur. If one is blessed to learn the "intricate finger twirling heat observing, determining when to actually curl the hair with it" art; they will have a career in hair styling until they retire. Why you ask? The electric curling irons and flat irons always stay at the desire temperature. They never cool down. Well, the Cast Iron Marcel Iron does. Once the desired temperature is achieved to curl the hair, it immediately begins to cool down as the hair is curled. And all hair stylists know that cooler curls lasts longer.

Ol Reliable Jr. a.k.a Cast Iron Curling Iron

Electric styling tools are always hot. When a someone has fragile hair, electric styling tools are not a wise choice. Instead, cast iron combs and curling irons that can be heated in a oven apparatus where a skilled hair stylist can determine how hot the utensil should be throughout styling the entire head are the best option. Using these tools accordingly will result in safe heat hair styling. This tool is best for the discriminating skilled and caring hair stylist. 

The expensive flat iron that works wonders.

Back to the future, the Flat Irons. Flat irons, flat irons and more flat irons. Flat Irons are like smart phones. Both are multi-faceted and can be very expensive. As multi-faceted as smart phones are, for some odd reason, people opt to use them for one common thing and will pay a lot of money for one. At the end of the of the day, rather it is an iPhone or a Droid, both are smart phones. Though they both have different operating systems, both can still make phone calls, allow you to go online and take photos to name a few. The same can be said about Flat Irons, at the end of the day the expensive flat irons and the inexpensive flat irons are still, flat irons. Though they have different heating mechanisms on the inside and different names on the outside; both will still straighten hair, curl hair and shut off if they are left on too long even though people will simply opt to just smooth out their hair. My best advice for this favorite thing is to shop within your budget. If you are $30.00 shopper; go for it. If you are a $180.00, go for it. To keep you from going over board, just look at your phone!

The LESS expensive flat irons that works wonders. 

When the snow drizz makes your hair frizz; it will make you feel so sad. I want you to re-read my blog on My Favorite Things and then you won't feel, soooooooooooo bad (yass, in your Diana Ross voice)!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

The Transition Mission

 Believe it or not, I am not one of those cosmetologists who promotes salon visits. Yeah, I know! As a matter of fact, the main reason I opened a salon was to teach every person who walks in about the hair on their head, how to care for and how to style it. Really, you say? Really!

Afro

Some time ago "relaxer," "creamy-crack," "chemically altered hair" and all that jive started to become the fearing buzz words in the salon world of hair care like the Ebola virus scare came to CDC in the world of viruses. As a cosmetologist with a degree in social science, this craze really caught my attention. Soon, I found myself becoming to hair care what Michael Moore became to the government, the food industry, globalization, assault weapons and the American health care systems; a whistle blower.

Regrowth

While I do not possess the talent to write and produce documentaries; I do have the talent to write. Just as the attack on the Twin Towers in New York, the killings of innocent teens while at school in Columbine and the ignorance to the over consumption of fast foods irritated Mr. Moore to the point of investing his time, energy and money into exposing those wrong doers for what they were worth; the same for me in hair care. 

Flat ironed tresses to the left....

Nothing irritates me more in hair care than licensed hair stylists and hair care companies claiming they can make hair healthy. When they know it is the blood supply fueled by genetics, diet, exercise and bowel movements that does. Another irritant for me is now how all of a sudden relaxers are bad for your health and your hair. I still remain perplexed how the chemists, marketing execs and the companies themselves have allowed the same licensed professionals who educated for them, sold for them, used for them, promoted for them, applied their chemical relaxers to millions of women world wide and encouraged them to charge those millions of consumers worldwide for having their hair chemically altered. I am surprised how they have not backed up their claim that has always been stamped on every tub, printed on every direction in almost every language and taught by almost every instructor; DISCONTINUE USE if allergic reactions occur. To the credit of most companies; they have never claimed that their chemical relaxers were for everyone. The ownest has been and will always be on the person applying the chemical to be trained and follow the manufacturers instructions. 

So here I am today writing a blog about another thing that irks me, the transition scare! Good lawd, some of these hair stylists and hair care companies have lost their minds encouraging those who do not like or have had a reaction to the chemical to cut it all off. I am all for the option to cut it off for whatever reason, if that is your choice. But, when one enters the salon with over processed tresses; to be honest, cutting it off is the best option for the severely damaged hair. Anything less is hype.

Victoria's secret ain't so secret no more.

"TBH," as my colleague Malika Jones always says, when you break down the most common ingredient found in chemical relaxers: sodium hydroxide. The sodium hydroxide is nothing but salt, water and oxygen fluffed up with petroleum, conditioners, synthetic proteins and all that jive which all DRIES out hair to RELAX the texture (curly, kinky, wavy and Afro). It is the HEAT from the hot water, blow dryer, hooded dryer, curling iron or flat iron that STRAIGHTENS the hair. The relaxer never claimed to straighten the texture. The relaxer claimed to RELAX the texture. The side affects those drying chemicals are often excessive drying or irritation to the scalp, neck or/and forehead. Allergic reactions such as swelling, redness, bumps or burning (to those with sensitive skin) has always been explained either on the bottle, in the instructions or in training to licensed hair stylists. Just medicine or any other thing that is ingested or apply topically to your skin can irritate it; so can the relaxer. And for the record anything that is applied topically to your skin, NOT JUST THE RELAXER enters into your blood stream, going directly to your liver and kidneys which will filter out most toxins from the stuff we put on our skin. So if you think creamy crack is just gawd awful, then toss out all that Victoria's Secret,  Bath and Body Works, Flower Bomb perfume, MAC make up and more. I mean most people put that stuff on twice a day every day and more. Some even wash up in it. Do you do that with a relaxer?

The world's best protein

Voila!

So versus being scared to grow out your relaxer, be open to the options of what it takes to do so. If it is your personal desire to cut it off; then do so because that is what you want to do; not because someone told you to do so because relaxers are toxic. 

The easiest and most affordable way to grow out your relaxer is to incorporate a protein treatment into your hair care regiment that protects the outer layer (cuticle) and second layer (cortex) of your hair. If the protein you are using reads that it is only for the outer (cuticle) layer; you may not be impressed with the results and unwanted breakage may continue to happen. If you use a protein that reads that it can penetrate to the second layer (cortex), BINGO you are in luck! The cortex is where the actual strength of the hair is. So using a protein of that nature will increase the likelihood of strengthening the entire strand of hair (regrowth, mid-shaft and ends) which will decrease the likelihood of your hair breaking off at the demarcation line (where the regrowth and relaxed hair meets).

In conclusion, if you add that simple product to your hair care regimen...the transition will be successful. As for what is toxic and can kill you? That is another blog!

Scrub-A-Dub-Dub

Simple and affordable.

The two most annoying things about hair care are by far; de-tangling,  and smoothing it out. While those two nuances get the most attention, scaly scalps ranks number one for many who have this annoying and at times embarrassing problem.

There are many solutions for scaly and flaking scalp. The common "turn to" solutions are anti-flake shampoos, medicines, ointments and creams to name a few. But what do you do when you do not like those options? Perhaps you may not like them because they dry the hair out, or they seem a tad bit too toxic or you are just not in the mood to run out and buy some more. Never fear, the blogger hair junkie is here!

The easiest and quickest solution is directly across from you living room by way of your kitchen! Yep, all you have to do is open the fridge, grab a lemon, walk over to your cabinet and pull out that bag of brown sugar. Yes, that one. The one you haven't used since last Thanksgiving to make those cookies! You can also add a dash of olive oil to make the application process a lot easier.

Quick and easy

I know; nothing taste better that lemon drizzled humans topped with a little sugar! While tasting good is not the objective; looking good is! If your skin , like your scalp, has a tendency to be dry, scaly, discolored, blemished or just plain ol' dull looking, a "lemon sugar scrub" is the answer as well. If you find that the chemical solution of fancy facial cleansers, scrubs and automatic brushes are too abrasive; again, the "lemon sugar scrub is a great alternative!"

How can the "lemon sugar scrub" be good for both your scalp and your face/skin. Easy. There is this naturally occurring acid in sugar called "glycolic acid." In lemons, the active ingredients are vitamin c and salicylic acid. Vitamin C is known for it's super anti-oxidant properties. Anti-oxidants are all about anti aging. Glycolic and salicylic acid are about exfoliating and moisturizing. Exfoliating helps to clean skin of blemishes. It also prevents the skin from clogging which promotes unwanted acne. Lastly glycolic and salicylic acid helps keep the scalp and skin looking young by sloughing off dead skin cells thus helping to regenerate new skin cells that results in glowing younger looking skin.

Great for everyone!

Understand that your skin is the largest organ of the body. The skin is part of your excretory system. Your body rids itself of toxins through the skin by way of sweating, scaling at the scalp and so on. Therefore, keeping it cleaned is imperative. The skin and scalp naturally sloughs off old skin cells as the body naturally generates new skin. The old skin needs to be removed. Regular cleansing with a face cloth and your hands does not have the ability to remove scaly skin and flaking scalps that may have become thick, sticky and difficult to wash off. 

The goal in skin and scalp care is rejuvenation, protection and moisturizing. Instead of going to the local pharmacy and skin care counter to address your scalp and skin problems; walk out your living room right into your kitchen and get to mixing. This solution is safe and great for the entire family. Be careful not to get the lemon juice into your eyes or if you have a cut on your skin somewhere it will tingle. 

Cleanse scalp, body and face first to ensure dirt, make up and other environmental debris are off the scalp, face, feet and the rest of your body. To make the lemon scalp & body scrub, you will need a small bow. Next, roll the lemon around on a hard surface a few times to make it soft. Afterwards, cut the lemon in half and squeeze it. Next add the brown sugar until you get the consistency of a loose paste. Scoop with your fingers and in a circular motion, firmly massage your scalp, face, feet, legs, arms or entire body. Add one lemon as you go along as to not make too much. You DO NOT need to follow up with soapy wash. Simply rinse in warm water and slather on your favorite oil. 

The lemons and sugar scrub provide a natural, safe and effective solution at an affordable cost that is easy to make and effective.

Now stand back and lick ya-self!

The Best Way to Healthy Hair

Healthy hair!

I love my job. It is one that I describe as up front and personal with humans and their whimsical journey through life. So what makes me use a word like "whimsical?" It's the funny naive things that customers say and do as it relates to hair care and hair styling that makes it so whimsical!

For example, I find it funny that many customers really think they have bad hair or no hair. I also find it funny how they will spend more money for products when they already have a supply underneath their bathroom sinks! Lastly, I find it even more funny, when they say they can not do their own hair; when most have never even tried or have been taught. This is where I am at my best!

I love showing people how hair care and hair styling does not have to be costly, intimidating or time consuming. To make hair care easy to digest, I will define hair care as "the act of making time to care for hair via cleansing, stimulating, nourishing and styling." Many people thinks hair care means to either tie it down, pull it into a ponytail, comb it back smooth or simply wash-n-wear and let it go. For the most part, that is the just of it for the sake of time and skill. However, as it relates to the "healthy" part of hair; well there is more. 

More? That is correct, but not a whole lot more. The operative word in this blog is "healthy." To make hair care healthy hair, you have "to do" the act. The acts of getting healthy hair is to actually clean it by way of using the correct shampoo for your hair texture (wavy, kinky, curly, straight and Afro) and type (fine, medium or coarse). Next, you have to use the balls of your fingers with some good old fashioned elbow grease to stimulate your scalp by way of massaging it as you shampoo or massage it. You can also provide stimulation by combing, brushing your hair. Yes, you add certain essential oils to promote blood flow. Blood flow is responsible for nourishing your hair to make it healthy. The last part of healthy hair is creating a style that flows with your image and one that will not promote breakage.  Whew, that wasn't so bad!

Amka, Latin for friend is excellent for all hair types and
is outstanding for color treated hair! 

Keep in mind; styling tools, hair care supplies and hair stylists makes hair look and feel healthy. But the true health of the hair starts with you do the act of caring for it from the inside out as you simultaneously do your part at home to protect your hair care investment.

Rid yourself of those misconceptions in hair care that you either have to pay someone or buy expensive stuff. That is an option for the masses.  For those, like me, who deliberately looks for practical solutions in a busy world; get involved in your hair care and hair styling at home. Wait a while before you re-book another salon appointment, shop online or go into the supply store buying everything hair you see. Please spend some time with your hair. Just as your mechanic gives you tips to extend the life of your car and the doctor gives you tips to maintain your health; your hair stylist can show you few hair care do's and don'ts to preserve and improve the health of your hair. 

In my professional opinion on the best way to healthy hair, is to look in the mirror because the best way to healthy hair is you!

Get involved!