HAIR CONDITION
Every time
the seasons change so do our hair and scalps. This means that
we need to treat them differently to maintain those shiny, healthy
looking locks and clear scalps. But just like remembering whether
the clocks go forwards or back at the end of summer we all seem
to go a bit fuzzy-headed and forget what we learnt last year!
So just to remind you what to watch out for and how to cure it:
Dry scalps
Associated
specifically with winter because we tend to stand for longer with
hotter water pouring over our poor half-asleep heads to get us
going on cold mornings. If you like your shower really hot the
effects on your scalp should be obvious. Try working your conditioner
into the scalp, as it will act as a moisturiser: Take it easy
on the heat or don't let the top of your head be the only thing
it hits!
Dry weather
periods that crack your lips and fingers can also affect your
scalp, so try a shampoo and conditioner specifically for dry scalps
at the first sign of flaking. When the flakes disappear, go back
to products designed for your hair type and switch between the
products if the condition returns. If you are already suffering
from a dry flaky scalp then the best way to get rid of it is to
loosen the flakes before shampooing with a scalp brush (one with
the ends of the bristles covered/rounded) then use a shampoo for
a dry/flaky scalp and give it a good scrub, not just to remove
the flakes, but to stimulate the oil producing glands too.
It is important
to distinguish between a dry flaky scalp and true dandruff, as
the treatment is different:
- Dry flakiness
If you have flakiness that is dry and often confined to the
top of the head, hairline or nape with tiny dust like flakes
that are white in colour, you may simply have a dry flaky scalp.
The patches may or may not be itchy, and are often at the same
spot that you apply your shampoo to or the point where the hot
water from the shower hits.
- Dandruff
is more often associated with an oily scalp than dry, flakes
are often 1mm plus in diameter, rather than the fine dust type,
and whitish in colour. The scalp may be itchy, but if you examine
it closely should not be red or inflamed. You should also not
have any dry patches around the nose, ears, chest, elbows or
knees which indicates another condition all together.
Static
Another winter
condition that many of us are prone to is static. Caused by an
electrical charge that is unable to find "ground" it can leave
you looking pretty silly at worst and "flyaway" at best. The cure
is simply, spray hairspray onto your brush when you have finished
blow-drying and brush it over the surface of your hair from roots
to ends. This does not give that hairspray feel but does stop
the static.
COLOUR
Colour
is the big story this winter and the colour is cool brown, with
a velvety richness, think Sarah O'Hare's latest colour change,
or is she a Murdoch?
With
so many varieties of brown there is always one to suit your
skin should you wish to try it out. The cool flavour of these
browns is supplied by an underlying violet tone rather than
those orange or copper browns. Don't go getting too much burgundy
brown though unless you want to look like your granny. Complement
this with the vast array of new violet shades in eye and lip
colour and you are set for winter.
Going
darker however, which is what going 'brown' means for most of
us, can be quite dramatic. It's often more easily done in small
steps rather than one large leap. You can easily feel too dark
and hate it unlike ending up too blonde, well there's no such
thing is there!
Here
are some tips when changing your colour:
Going
darker doesn't necessarily mean ruining the condition of your
hair because it can be done using less damaging methods like
semi-permanent colour. Because they are conditioner based they
are good for your hair. There are also a couple of pitfalls
if you try doing it yourself like ending up a little on the
green side due to the effect your old colour will have, so always
get this sort of colour change professionally done.
Darker
brown can feel boring especially if you were very blonde or
bright before but it doesn't have to be like that. Using highlights
of differing shades of brown and caramel for instance, gives
extra interest and texture to your style. Take small steps to
your final target shade by darkening your hair gradually over
a number of weeks by having retouches. This helps you to not
only get used to your new look but gives your hair the chance
to build up its new colour and help it last longer without fade.
Make
sure that you are choosing a colour that will suit your skin
tone and not drain it of life. It's possible to find out if
a darker shade will suit you by simply dropping into your nearest
wig shop and having a play. A simple guide is that if your skin
and eye colour are very pale then darker looks won't suit. If
you have dark or medium eye or skin colour, brown shades will
suit.
Fade
can be a problem if your hair was very dry or very light before
you decided on your deeper look. Always use colour protection
shampoo and a conditioner. You can even refresh your colour
between applications with a matching colour tint shampoo available
from many salons.
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