Hair Matters

FAQ

FAQ
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How do I get gorgeous hair? 2 in 1 shampoo & conditioner Does hair break off naturally? Should I dye my hair black? What's a good daily shampoo? Can lemon juice lighten my hair color? What's the best way to wash my hair? How can I make my hair grow faster?

Is there a cream that will make my hair grow faster? I want to grow my hair, but I have split ends... Does blow-drying your hair cause damage? Should I permanently straighten my hair? What's the best heat styling protection? Can oil help heal my dry, damaged hair? Can coloring your hair cause damage?

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How do I get gorgeous hair?
 Decades ago, people believed that the best way to cleanse hair of dirt and grease was to comb it a hundred times a day.

 There is also a common misconception that hair should be washed (shampooed and conditioned) as little as possible For 99% of people in the world, this is untrue. Shampooing and conditioning your hair regularly cleanses your hair of product buildup and environmental buildup.  When you shampoo your hair you also are cleansing your scalp. Think of it this way: you wash your face everyday? you shower everyday? Why wouldn't you shampoo and condition your hair and your scalp everyday?

 Cleansing your hair of products buildup, pollution in the air, grease, dirt and dust is very important if you want to have healthy, gorgeous hair. Likewise conditioning you hair every day is equally important.  Your shampoo removes all the "stuff" you don't want and your conditioner 1: makes sure all the shampoo has been removed and 2: puts back those "good things you DO want to make your hair easy to manage and make, gorgeous and beautiful.

 In today's hair world, we should avoid brushing wet hair to remove snarls.

 since brushing /combing hair that is wet can cause great damage to the hair shaft..

 

HOW DO I GET GORGEOUS HAIR?

The first answer is;
Stop abusing your hair.
Shampoo and condition daily if you can. Yes it is a pain to redo your hair every day But the simple act of wetting your hair while shampooing will Slightly hydrate the hair.

Choose a better quality conditioner for your hair type than the shampoo.
No matter what else you use a shampoo for a shampoos' real job is to clean the scalp, you can not have clean hair without a clean scalp.
A conditioners job is to put the "good" stuff" back into the hair after a shampoo, in a non-greasy way.

Use a conditioner, Every time you shampoo.
If your hair still snarls or if have longer hair, especially those with long fine hair use a detangler and a pick to get the snarls out. Do Not use a brush! Brushing out snarls pulls the hair apart, hurts less but wrecks the hair.
Do not towel dry past the count of 10. Think of your hair as the wood the towel as the sand paper.

If your fingers can't stand the heat from your blower neither can your hair.

Even if you are is a hurry, never not even once use a flat iron or a curling iron on wet or damp hair.

If you use a lot of product on your hair, rinse/wet your hair like you are trying to remove to much shampoo Before you add the shampoo. Most of today's products are water soluble but that does not mean they don't need a good rinsing to remove them from the hair this is ESP. True if you do not shampoo every day.

No matter what famous hair stylist tells you do not use very hot water and or COLD water on your hair, your hair likes tepid (not hot -- not cold). Hint you can use hot or cold on the rest of you just not the hair.

If you have longer hair or very fine hair and if you Want a snarly mess,  rinse with Cold water.
Hot water drives more of the conditioner into the hair. When you hot water to rinse conditioner it Can make your hair limp, this is very true with those who have fine hair.
For those with curly hair, products are getting much better, to help with the dry frizzy hair. As of this minute do not have any thing am ESP found of, to recommend.

If you use chemicals on your hair as in Color, highlights and or perms, yes you are doing some damage. The real trick is knowing this is to DEEP condition so that you keep the chemical damage to a minimum. This you can do at home or in your salon. At home you are going to need Heat to swell the cuticle of the hair so the deep conditioner will penetrate.

If you are a guy, and a younger one at that You need to shampoo Every time you need a shower.

If you are a girl and you are not out digging up the flower patch and IF you do not have fine hair.....you might get away with shampooing every other day. Sorry, if you have fine hair and either do not want your hair to look flater than a pancake and or greasy Shampoo every day. 
Why? Because it cleans fine hair when fine hair is not shampooed loses it's bounce. As in limp lifeless.

Fine hair shampoo for guys;
Try the Roffler shampoos, if hair is dry use the Neutralizer shampoo, yes it says for color treated hair BUT that just means that it has more good stuff to keep the hair from drying out.

For the girls if you are not worried about color fading I like the Roffler Neutralizer shampoo.
Another good choice is the Roffler Thickening shampoo.


Conditioners, a bit tricky if you need more moisture try Framesi Biogenol reconditioner.
Just a good over all conditioner use the Roffler Finishing Rinse.


Shampoo for damaged hair Guys and Girls try the Keratin shampoo and conditioner.
 
What is the difference between using shampoo & conditioner and a 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner?
We cannot recommend the use of a 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner. To use a 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner is to assume that millions of people have the exact same type of hair and the exact same type of scalp. If you want your hair to look it's best, it is best to select a shampoo and conditioner that meet all of your hair's needs. It is also important to use the correct amount of shampoo and conditioner for your hair. Someone with thicker hair or longer hair may use more conditioner than someone with shorter hair of thinner hair. There are just too many variables involved with hair and scalp conditions to use a 2-in-1 shampoo effectively.

What is the best way to wash my hair?
Cosmetologists and medics agree that regular and frequent hair shampooing is completely normal. When you shampoo, you are not just washing your hair but also the skin on your scalp beneath your hair. Many people overlook this fact. This is why we recommend applying your shampoo to your scalp (the skin on your head underneath your hair) first. You should shampoo your head twice using a lesser amount of shampoo, usually by half, on the second shampooing. Use the cushion tips of your fingers to massage your scalp while shampooing is a vital step in the hair cleaning process. When you massage your scalp you stimulate the scalp and help breakup product build up and dead cells on the scalp. When you use the cushion tips of your fingers (instead f your fingernails or a scratchy shampoo brush) you avoid causing dandruff as you are NOT damaging your scalp with your fingernails or your shampoo brush. The removal of buildup also encourages hair growth. Another common mistake people make when shampooing is using water that is very hot. Hot showers can be good for many things, but they are not good for your scalp. Using water that is too hot can actually cause scalp to flake, creating dandruff. If you love hot showers, first shower in warm (not hot) water to wash your hair, when you're done with your hair you can turn the water up as much as you'd like. Note: If your are experiencing dry skin on other parts of your body, and you just love "hot showers," the hot water temperature may be contributing to your dry-skin  problems. Think about it. If you were a skin cell would you like to be par boiled every morning in the shower? So if your are experiencing  dry skin and/or flaking scalp problems, throttling the shower temperature back from hot to the warm may be your answer. Hint - measure the shower temperature on the inside of your forearm just like a mother checking the temperature of the liquid in a baby's bottle before giving the baby the formula. The inside of your forearm will give your a more accurate "feel" for the actual temperature of the shower water, than your unprotected hands or the outside unprotected area of the forearm. Also see Basic Hair Care

Why does some peoples hair break off naturally?
Nearly everyone experiences a normal amount of hair loss on a daily basis. It's part of nature. Whether a few strands come out in your brush, or in your fingers in the shower. It's just part of life. Some people have really unhealthy hair that is damaged. Maybe from over coloring, over processing, or heat styling without protection. This can cause a lot of damage and further promote split ends. Split ends is basically your hair splitting up the shaft and eventually breaking off. If you've heard people complain about their hair not growing past a certain point, this is probably the cause. This is also the reason people say you need to trim your hair to make it grow. That's not really the way it works. But by trimming your split ends, you prevent the hair from splitting farther up the shaft and breaking...thus helping your hair to "grow"...because it is healthier.

Can coloring you hair cause damage? How bad would the damage be, would it suddenly be straw-like?
If you go to a decent salon, your hair will probably not be like straw. It depends on how healthy your hair is now. The thing that puts most people in trouble is bleaching or multiple dye jobs. To get certain colors, sometimes you have to bleach and then dye the color your want over it, which can cause lots of damage.

If you do dye your hair, make sure you get a Color Safe shampoo and conditioner, preferably one without sulfates. Also, get a color protection spray. Most people think a color shampoo and conditioner will do the trick, but most of your color protection/retention will come from a color protection spray.

I want to dye my hair black, is this a good idea?
Dying your hair black is a big step. Make sure you really want it before you do. Growing it out takes a long time. That's usually a big way for people to get into trouble to. They dye their hair a color they think they want, and then they don't like, or it doesn't turn out quite like they expected, so they dye it again. Maybe go try on a black wig somewhere to be sure, or photoshop some black hair onto a picture of yourself to see how it looks. It's definitely a commitment. Black hair dye probably won't kill your hair if this is the first time you're dying it.

Bleach/lightening is way harsher on your hair, and like we said, it depends on how healthy your hair is now. There will be some damage to your hair, that is inevitable, but it shouldn't change the entire makeup of your hair. Also, invest in a color safe, weekly hair masque to keep your hair moisturized. We recommend the Biogenol Ultra Deep Masque. It works and it's affordable.

What is the best cream to make your hair grow longer? I want my hair to grow three inches in one month.
Hair grows an average of 1/2 an inch per month. There is NO cream that will make your hair grow, much less as fast as you want it to grow. Try taking some Vitamin E. We've heard from several people that when taking Vitamin E their hair grows faster (by about half an inch) and appears to be stronger. Other than that, just keeping your hair healthy and moisturized will help it to grow as much as it can. Shampoo and conditioner, use a hair masque once a week. Just take care and your hair will do it's thing. At best you're looking at 1/2 an inch to a full inch per month.

I want to grow my hair out but flat iron my hair every day to straighten it. Would permanently straightening my hair cause less damage to it?
Keep flat ironing and use a Thermal Protectant Spray. If you get your hair chemically straightened and you're growing your hair out, aren't you going to have the top of your hair non chemically straightened and the bottom is straightened? That'll end up looking weird. And then you'll just have to re-chemically straighten to fix the issue, or grow your hair out again, which is a pain as it takes forever. When it comes to heat styling, protection is the key. Using a ceramic flat iron that gets nice and hot. Don't spend too much time on one section of hair, and try to flat iron every other day as opposed to every day, if possible.

I like to wash my hair everyday. Is there a shampoo that doesn't strip natural oils from your hair every time you use it?
Shampooing your hair everyday isn't necessarily bad, unless you use bad shampoo. It can remove some natural oils, but you can replenish those with moisturizers/conditioners, and your body naturally replenishes those everyday. Shampooing daily is important because it removes all the dirt, grim and styling products we use daily. This allows the scalp to breath and actually helps it to produce those natural oils.
That being said, you want to use a shampoo that is recommended for daily use. You might also want to try one that is more natural and has less harmful chemicals. A sulfate free and paraben free shampoo is probably a good bet. Try By Shampoo and BY Conditioner. They're specifically formulated for everyday washers AND work on both color treated and non-color treated hair.

What's the best type of heat protection to use before blow-drying & straightening your hair?
While they're are many different types of heat protectants, from creams and lotions to sprays, we recommend the Keratin Complex Infusion Therapy & Keratin Complex Intensive Rx . They are  pretty amazing when you want to straight your hair. It doesn't really matter what kind of shampoo or conditioner you use with it, as long as you use the Infusion Therapy and the Intensive Rx. You can blow dry and straighten your hair with just one application of it. It's a little bit pricier than other heat protectants, but it lasts a really long time and really does work quite well. The thing that makes it great is that it doesn't only protect the hair, it heals it. By using heat on your hair after you apply, it actually activates the product. The heat opens up your hair's cuticles so the product can penetrate, then when the hair cools, it seals the product in. A must have for anyone trying to heal damage hair though they continue heat styling it. If you have overly damaged hair, a little known secret is that  Keratin Complex Color Care Shampoo & Keratin Complex Color Care Conditioner have been shown performing hair rescues and "saving the day" for several years, now. If you are not using heat to straighten your hair you will love the improvements you see with this shampoo & conditioner.

Does blow drying your hair straight cause damage?
Blow drying does cause damage, as does any heat styling tool. Here's some tips:
1. Get a Thermal Protectant, most of these come in sprays that you apply after you shower. We recommend Paul Brown Hawaii Thermal Power. Also, all of the products in the Framesi Biogenol line contain a phytococorail (coral shield) system to protect the hair from heat.
2. Blow Dry in one direction with the Blow Drier pointing down at your head at a 45 degree angle. Don't hang upside down, don't move the drier back and forth. By pointing the stream of air down, you are directing the hair all in the same direction. This helps tame frizzies and fly aways and helps cut down on breakage. When you blow dry up, or in several directions, the hair doesn't know which way to go; this can cause frizziness, flyaways and breakage.
3. If the hot air is burning your hand/scalp/other skin, you are either holding the drier too close to your head (it should be 12 inches away at least) or it is too hot. Switch to a cooler setting if possible.

I oil my hair before I shampoo it because it is dry and damaged. I was told oil would help my hair, but it doesn't seem to be doing anything, why?
Oiling your hair before shampooing won't do anything. Any goodness your hair may be getting from the oil is washed away when you shampoo. There are leave-in hair oils that you apply after you shampoo and condition. You apply the oil to damp hair and style as usual. That's one option. You should invest in a good deep conditioner, aka weekly conditioning treatment. There are several out there, but we recommend the Biogenol Ultra Deep Masque. It makes hair smooth, shiny, and it's affordable. (It is also our #1  best repeat seller.) The place to really start with healthy hair is your shampoo and conditioner. Are you using a quality shampoo and conditioner or something that you picked up at the grocery store because it smelled good? Try using a more natural shampoo and conditioner, maybe something that is sulfate free? But most of your help will come from not using oil before washing your hair, and from using a weekly deep conditioner like the Biogenol Ultra Deep Masque or Lanza Ultimate Treatment.

Can I lighten my hair color by putting lemon juice in my hair and sitting outside?
The thing that makes your hair lighter is, seemingly, the combination of the lemon juice and the sun. The thing that actually makes this work is the fact that you have moisture in your hair. If you simply get your hair nice and wet, and then sit out in the sun, it will have the same affect as if you used a lemon. This is why your hair gets lighter when you go to the beach. The moisture in the air, and the moisture from swimming in the ocean act as magnifiers of the suns rays. (Think of all those pesky little kids who fry ants with a magnifying glass) Skip the lemon, just use water, and you won't have to re-wash your hair.

I want to grow my hair so I don't want to cut it, but I have split ends. What should I do?
Try the Bonacure Repair Rescue Sealed Ends or "The Cure" from White Sands for  repairing your split ends. Getting your hair trimmed regularly helps to remove split ends which can actually cause the hair to break off, which makes it seem like the hair is not growing, when it is. Shampooing regularly is a good idea because it keeps the hair clean and healthy and promotes blood flow stimulation to the hair root, which promotes growth. Use a mild or organic shampoo if you're worried about a shampoo damaging your hair. Also, try using a sulfate free shampoo.

How can I make my hair grow faster? I've heard that trimming it regularly, shampooing once a week and brushing it a lot can help my hair grow faster. Is this true?
Hair grows, on average, 1/2 an inch per month. The growth rate of your hair is dependant upon your hair getting all the things it needs to grow, like vitamins and nutrients, and your basic rate of metabolism. So believe it or not the more active you are, the faster you hair grows. A healthy body equals healthy, faster growing,  hair. See our Basic Hair Care page for tips on how to keep your hair healthy.

You need to shampoo your hair regularly. Shampooing the hair removes dirt, oils, pollutions, styling products, etc from the hair and scalp which, obviously, helps to keep the hair healthy. If you're worried about your hair being damaged from shampoo, use a better quality shampoo! Try an organic shampoo, or at least one that is sulfate free, and you should be fine. Also, when shampooing, you should be massaging your scalp, which stimulates blood flow, which promotes hair growth.

On the matter of trimming your hair to "make it grow": trimming your hair does not make your hair grow! It makes it shorter! Hello!? Trimming your hair helps remove dull, splitting ends. This helps keep your hair healthy, and helps it to break less often. A lot of people will think that their hair has simply stopped growing. The reality is that your hair is still growing, it just keeps breaking off at the end. Make sure you use a good conditioner and probably a deep conditioning masque every other week, or every week if your hair is really damaged.

Brushing your hair damages your hair. If you have a brush, throw it away! You should be using a good enough conditioner, and if that isn't enough, a detangler/leave-in conditioner. If you are doing this, then you should be able to detangle your hair with your fingers. If not, use a wide tooth comb to get the tangles out. Brushes simply damage, and damaged hair causes breaking of the hair which prevents your hair from growing.

FAQ