5 Tips to Heal Dry Hair
1. Rinse with cold water. As much as you love your steamy showers, super hot temps can fry your hair. Cold water seals in the moisture you need.
2. Let loose while sleeping. Remove all elastics, clips, bobby pins, etc. Let your curls be free!
3.Take a break from heat tools. Give your hair a day off every now and then from the curling iron, blow dryer and flat iron.
4. Deep condition. This is no joke—deep condition as much as possible. You will truly see a difference in your hair’s health factor.
5. Work with second day hair. Washing your hair every day will really dry out your curls. Instead, discover how to work with second-day hair. Maybe it’s wearing a headband. What about half-up, half-down? Or perhaps using a curl revitalizing spray. Figure out what works for you, on a night when you don’t have a hot date, and you’ll be much happier with your curls."
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Dandruff- what is it really caused by?
Suffer from scalp flakiness...aka dandruff?? Yea, you're not alone. This embarrassing, persistent condition affects 50 percent of people in the U.S. every year. To explain why it occurs and how to get rid of it here is an article I found about what causes dandruff:
""The basic facts
Dandruff is caused by a microscopic yeast called Malassezia that lives on everyone's scalp and feeds off the oil, or sebum, that keeps skin hydrated. Normally, as dead skin cells are shed, this yeast gets washed off in the shower or brushed away. Under certain conditions, however, it grows out of control, irritating your scalp and making it red and itchy. In response, your skin cells begin to reproduce at an accelerated rate; as they build up, they turn into flakes.
What to look for:
* Genetics--If your mom or dad has dandruff, there's a strong chance you will too.
* An oily scalp--This causes the yeast to multiply.
* High indoor temperatures--When you're in a warm environment, your scalp secretes more oil.
* Stress, illness, or a hormonal imbalance--All three of these factors may make you less resistant to fighting off the accumulation of flake-producing yeast.
Simple solutions
* Use a medicated shampoo These cleansers typically contain the anti-yeast ingredient zinc pyrithione. Find it in Head & Shoulders Dry Scalp Care Shampoo and Conditioner ($5 each; at drugstores); both products deposit tiny yeast-destroying particles of the active ingredient on the scalp, where they remain until you're able to shampoo again. *** CECE NOTE: You can purchase zinc pyrithione cream and mix that with your conditioner wash or your shampoo- just to get the good effects of the medication and skip the bad parts of the head & shoulders***
* Use stylers sparingly Gels, mousses, and pomades can trap sebum and exacerbate flaking.
* Minimize scalp oil If your hair still looks greasy despite daily cleansing, spritz on Biolage Scalptherapie Cooling Mint Oil Control Treatment ($16; biolage.com for salons), a spray with sebum-absorbing glycerin. ***CECE NOTE: rosemary essential oil, a nettle leaf tea rinse, lemongrass essential oil, elder berry cream-powder treatment or even a tea tree oil infused cream application will also help with these... all of these can be made at home.***
EXPERT STRATEGY "It's a myth that dandruff is caused by a dry scalp," says Zoe Draelos, M.D. "It's the result of a buildup of yeast, and it needs to be treated with a medicated shampoo at least twice a week."
* The bottom line The scalp sheds skin cells daily, so a bit of flaking is inevitable. But if you notice lots of flakes on your clothing or find yourself constantly itching, take action. All that scratching will aggravate your condition and could cause split ends.""
Happy de-flaking!!
MSM Supplements
MSM Supplement
I started taking MSM back in October after reading a wonderful article about. I speak very highly of and a lot of people are curious about what it is and it benefits. I put this together to shine a little light on this wonder supplement
What is MSM?
MSM stands for methyl sulfonyl methane. It’s an organic sulfur compound that occurs naturally in plants and animals. It is found in the lignin of pine trees. It greatly differs from regular sulfur (sulfuric oxide) which is processed into sulfuric acid and is toxic to the human body. MSM is white and regular sulfur is a yellow color.
MSM is the most important raw material for building new cells during the healing process. It is an acid forming mineral that is part of the chemical structure of the amino acids methionine, cysteine, taurine, and gluthione. Amino acids are the building blocks of our body’s proteins. The more MSM our body has to work with, the more protein we develop resulting in faster hair and nail growth and healing of the body’s tissues. MSM is considered food so it is easily absorbed and utilized by the body.
What does it do?
MSM is found in human, hair, skin, and nails. It’s also found in hemoglobin and all body tissues. 1/3 of the hair’s strength comes from disulfide bonds (sulfur bonds). After your body assimilates the MSM it turns into an acid which becomes part of the amino acids that produce the protein in the hair (ethnic hair is 93%-97% protien), skin, and nails. The more MSM your body has to utilize, the more it has available to build the necessary proteins needed for faster hair and nail growth and healthy, new skin cells.
MSM has many other important benefits to your body. It supports the connective tissues like tendons, muscles, and ligaments. It makes the cells in the tissue more permeable, allowing fluids to pass through more easily, therefore, releasing toxins and reducing inflammation. This makes MSM helpful to those suffering from arthritis, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, bursitis, gout, muscle pain, and constipation. It is used by many athletes because it accelerates the healing process. It’s even given to race horses to prevent muscle stiffness.
MSM is also needed for insulin production so it is good for those with diabetes. It also disinfects the blood, helps the body resist bacteria, and protects cell protoplasm. It’s beneficial to those who have problems with acne, allergies, asthma, yeast infections, carpal tunnel syndrome, chronic fatigue, migraines, and ulcers.
MSM deficiency can lead to problems like scar tissue, wrinkles, varicose veins, hardened arteries, digestive disorders, dry skin, joint problems, and inability to fight allergies.
How much MSM can I take? What can I take with it?
I have seen recommendations of dosages ranging from 1,000 mg- 6,000 mg, but the amount you take all depends on your body size, age, and the severity of MSM deficiency. It has an extremely low level of toxicity, similar to water. Excess MSM is secreted through the urine within 12 hours of consumption.
Studies show that when MSM is taken in combination with zinc, silica, and biotin, the skin reaps the most benefits. Vitamin C depends heavily on MSM for optimal absorption. The more vitamin C your body is able to absorb, the faster the healing process.
MSM can be found in sulfur rich foods such as onions, garlic, brussel sprouts, cabbage, kale, sunflower seeds, lentils, soy beans, turnips, wheat germ oil, and red raspberries
WARNING: MSM should not be consumed by those who have kidney issues. It makes you more susceptible to kidney stones.
I hope this has given everyone a good idea of what MSM is. I purchased MSM from GNC, but recently saw it at Wal-Mart for $1 cheaper. I take my MSM about 1-2 times a day in addition to prenatal vitamins ( for hair, skin, and nails only! lol). I am going to add biotin to my cocktail now. While taking prenatals and MSM alone, I experience about 1/2 inch+ of growth a month. Make sure you drink plenty of water when taking these supplements to aid in flushing the toxins out of your body!
DID YOU KNOW? –>The disulfide (sulfur) bonds that MSM creates, which accounts for 1/3 of the hair’s strength, are the same bonds permanently destroyed by chemical relaxers.
This is a great article she had written on the supplement that includes all of the benefits of the supplement. Be sure to check out her blog!! http://hairgarden.wordpress.com
Love, love!
