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HAIR-CARE BASICS |
Designer clothing, perfectly applied makeup, and fine jewelry
are all wasted if your hair looks greasy, dull, or messy. Fortunately,
no one needs a hair salon or expensive hair products to have
hair that looks professionally cared for and styled. With the
right techniques for shampooing, drying, and styling your hair,
it can be among your most attractive features.
We'll provide some useful hair-care tips in this article,
starting with the basics.
Basic Hair Care
• To minimize breakage, make sure that your hair is
thoroughly wet before applying shampoo. Use no more than a
quarter-size dollop, and rub the shampoo between your palms
first. Lather for no more than 30 seconds.
• After shampooing, rinse your hair with cool water
to seal moisture in the hair shafts.
• To distribute the natural oils in your hair, bend
over and brush your scalp and hair from back to front until
the scalp tingles; then massage the scalp with your fingertips.
• Towel-dry your hair thoroughly before using a blow
dryer. You'll save time and avoid damaging your hair with
too much heat.
• To cut down on static electricity, dampen your hairbrush
before brushing.
• Avoid using a brush on wet hair because it is subject
to breakage. Comb out snarls.
• If you suffer from a flaky scalp, try the following
treatment every 2 weeks: Section your hair and rub the scalp
with a cotton pad saturated with plain rubbing alcohol. Let
the alcohol dry, then brush your hair and rinse thoroughly
with warm water but don't shampoo.
• To perk up permed hair between shampoos, lightly
mist your hair with fresh water and push the curls into place
with your fingers.
• Dull, lifeless hair can be a sign of a poor diet.
Try cutting down on cholesterol and fats.
• Wait at least 48 hours after coloring hair to shampoo
it. Every time you wet hair you open the cuticle -- so give
hair time to seal in the color.
• Beer can remove residue from your hair. Add 6 tablespoons
beer to 1 cup warm water and pour it over your hair as a final
rinse.
• If your hair is prone to buildup from conditioners,
styling gel, or hair spray, mix 1 tablespoon baking soda with
your regular shampoo once a week. Rinse and dry as usual.
• Use pomade sparingly to remove static, control flyaway
ends, and add a glossy sheen to either straight or curly hair.
Apply a very small amount to one hand, and liquefy it between
your palms. Then run your hands through the hair. If braiding,
apply before braiding and use it for small touch-ups.
• Use gel after a braid is finished to smooth down
loose or uncontrolled hairs. Apply it to your fingertip or
to the end of a hairpin, directing it on top of the stray
hairs to encourage them back into the braided pattern.
• Use hair spray to hold the finished design in place.
If you want a soft finish but need to control the hair, spray
into the palm of your hand and then smooth over the surface
of the hair to control flyaway strands.
• Use a coated rubber band or a soft hair tie to secure
ponytails and the ends of a braid to reduce the stress on
the hair.
• Use gel to control hair when you want a "wet"
affect. Apply gel sparingly to your hair once styled. To use
for braiding, apply it to all of the hair before you braid,
or when you want a clean, off-the-face effect, you can apply
it to the perimeter hairline where lengths tend to be shorter.
Homemade Hair-Care Aids
Everyone gets excited by new hair-care products, but you
can save money and get good results from these homemade products.
Give them a try.
• Repair damaged hair by treating it with oil and egg
yolk. Massage olive oil into hair. Then beat the yolk of 1
egg and massage it into hair, working from the ends up. Leave
on for 10 minutes, then shampoo as usual. Do this once a week
for a month, and hair should begin to feel healthier.
• Condition your hair by applying mayonnaise before
shampooing. Apply to dry hair and let sit for 1/2 hour, then
rinse and shampoo as usual.
• For a lemon rinse, blend 1/2 cup of strained lemon
juice and 1 cup of distilled water in a bottle. Comb the liquid
through your hair after each shampoo.
• For a quick, dry shampoo, rub baby powder into your
hair and then brush it out thoroughly
Making Your Hair Shine
Whether you have artificial hair color that needs refreshing
or you just want to enhance your own shade naturally, customized
herbal rinses add highlights or depth and are gentle on your
budget. If you want to experiment with customizing herbal
rinses, there's no real risk because their effect is subtle.
However, avoid acidic fruits and vegetable colors.
Do not use lemons or beet juice, for example. These are very
unpredictable over time and are greatly affected by sun exposure.
Lemon juice and the sun might make you blonder the first time
you try it, but after several treatments, your hair color
will look like the rings of a tree trunk -- in several shades.
o Brighten a blonde: Steep 2 tablespoons dried chamomile
and 2 tablespoons dried marigold in 1 quart boiled water for
half an hour. Make certain the temperature is comfortable,
then pour through wet hair.
o Burnish a brunette: Substitute sage and rosemary for the
herbs above. For extra luster, add 1 tablespoon cider vinegar.
o Rev up a red: Mix 1 tablespoon honey with 2 tablespoons
saffron and add 1 quart boiled water. Allow to steep for half
an hour, check the temperature, and pour slowly through wet
hair as a final rinse.
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