Best Hair of your Life

beth@hbssalon.com (Beth) — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 04:26:38 GMT

Remember that old wives tale about brushing your hair 100 strokes to get it to grow and/or shine? Well its true. But only if you haven't washed your hair in about three weeks.
In Beauty School our clientele was 80% age 70+. I don't know why exactly these old ladies believe that showering erases your soul, but the point is, they are not washing their own hair. This generation was reared to brush the natural oils throughout their locks to keep them healthy and shiny. Scientific brushing has been taught in Beauty Schools for decades to keep this natural remedy alive.
Brushing your dirty hair with a boars hair brush will exfoliate the dead skin from the scalp and distribute the natural oils down toward the dry ends where it thirsts for this smelly healing nectar. The problem is that most of us shampoo long before our scalp has enough time to produce enough oil to reach the ends anyway, so we have to find another solution. Conditioner.

If you want the most relaxing treatment of a lifetime, find a stylist that offers scientific brushing as part of their deep conditioning treatment. OMG. Amazing. So here's what happens, because you can make up your own mini version at home!
I would recommend making the appointment on a day that you can relax - oh and not wash you hair for several days prior! Perfect for when your man is away or after your birthday massage ;)
So this amazing, rare stylist is going to take down your dirty matted hair and slowly brush every inch of your tired oily head. We brush the dead skin and build up and oil away from the scalp and down towards the dry ends. In the salon, we add treatment oil* to the ends, and aromatherapy essential oils* to the scalp or brush. At home you are going to add some oil to your brush to get the same effect. I recommend starting with a few drops of olive oil or grape seed oil.

Then relax and enjoy a steamy shampoo massage! I always tell my guests to only shampoo* the scalp and condition* mid shaft - ends. Wrap a hot steamy towel around your shoulders so you can relax with your feet on the rim of the tub while your conditioning mask* sinks in! If your hair is super dry and crunchy, try adding a few drops of olive oil or grape seed oil to your conditioner for the ends.

Rinse with cool water (for shine and easy detangling) and towel dry. Turbans are not allowed. I know how tempting and convenient a towel turban is, but remember your hair is in a vulnerable state when wet so I will tell you the healthy way:
Squeeze the excess water out while still in the tub/shower. If you must wring, do so in the middle of your length. Use your towel to blot and squeeze the dripping hair and let it air dry as much as possible. Sure it is going to start drying inconsistently and showing frizzes in weird places. It's OK, that goes away as soon as you comb through and disperse the water.

Apply a detangler, leave-in, or serum* now. STARTING AT THE BOTTOM with a soft bristle brush, detangle from the bottom working up to the root.
A) 100% air dry. Apply a de-frizzer or serum* to polish the fly aways.
B) Apply light/medium hold styling agent* and blow-dry the scalp only, then wrap the hair in a loose bun to dry with big loose waves. This works well with the windows down in the car on the way to work too!
C) Apply Sea Spray* or curl enhancer* and diffuse with warm air. For a new twist, divide your hair into about 7-10 little ponytails, apply medium hold gel, and "fidget twist" them up into little mounds and pin to secure (Think Jada Pinkett Smith in Matrix 2). Air dry or Diffuse. Take the twists down when completely dry for shiny defined Bohemian Beach curls.
D) Apply a smoothing serum* and thermal protectant* and Flat Wrap hair straight while paddle brushing* it dry using the concentrator nozzle* on your dryer. Reapply thermal protectant and touch up bothersome flyaways with a Smoothing iron* or curling iron.
E) Spray* to set.

I WISH MY HAIR WAS DOWN TO THERE...

beth@hbssalon.com (Beth) — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 00:39:43 GMT

For some people, growing your hair long and healthy is a time commitment and lifestyle change.
If you are one of the blessed folk that nature chose to gift with thick, shiny, grow-like-a-weed hair, this blog may not apply to you, but you can certainly learn some tips that will prolong your cut or color services. And! When your friends moan about their hair and express their jealousy of your lustrous mane, share a few of these tips with them and sound like a pro yourself!

First, let's eliminate all the bad habits that break or damage your hair. Most people have healthy hair, but it is treated as though it were made of titanium. And before you know it, those tresses are straw.

Breakage factor #1: Ponytail tension. Strong hair or weak hair, ponytails are the biggest culprit for breakage, and I'm not just speaking to the elastic-band-with-metal-wearers. The only thing worse than a tight ponytail with a piece of metal sawing away at your locks is a wet ponytail.
Hair long enough to pull into a ponytail is at the very least 2 years old. It will weigh a couple of ounces if it is bone dry with no gunk in it. Hair that is bra-strap length will weigh 4-6 oz. That's almost half a pound of gravity tugging at your fragile baby hair that never seems to grow out around your face and neckline!
I'm not saying not to wear your hair in a ponytail, and I am certainly not suggesting you cut it off! I have been impatiently growing my hair for 6 years, and I still think I can get it a little bit longer... I am going to let you in on my secrets and dispel some urban legends along the way.

Wear a ponytail the right way! The right way is a different way than yesterday. The key is to switch it up. Give those poor tired baby hairs a rest by moving the weight to a different area. Put it on the crown, drop it low, slip in a top knot, and split it into 2 little piggy tails. You can dress up the infamous dress-down do by pinning your bangs off to the side or back into a pomp. You can add a headband or scarf/bandana to hide the baby hairs that have already broken that are bothersome and unsightly while helping the tension factor at the same time. If you're really feeling randy or need to wear your hair up to go out because of humidity maybe, then French-braid the front and pin it into your pony; or pull your hair into a crown ponytail but leave the front hair out. In 2" sections, twist the hair around your fingers a couple of times and drape each section back and pin.
I can go on and on with different ways to style your hair in 5 mins, but that's another topic!

So I mentioned a wet ponytail also. Hair is at it's most vulnerable when it is wet. Not only is it heavier, but water changes the elasticity and hydrogen bonds that make up more than 1/3 of your hairs' strength. Ever notice those random hairs on the side of your head that are so teeny and tightly curled that it could be from an Afro wig? That is caused by brushing/stretching those individual hairs while it was too wet. You can eliminate that breakage by toweldrying your hair as much as possible before combing the tangles out.

Being a naturally curly gal which of course tangles instantly into dreadlocks, I am a big fan of detangling moisturizers during the combing process so that I don't rip out undeserving follicles... That reminds me of two more things to keep in mind. Check your bristles, and brush with care.

Additional related topics:
Blowdrying shortcuts, brush bristles
Oil treatments
Scientific brushing
Spray oil onto boar hair bristles to shine & condition dry brittle hair
Which conditioner
Vitamins
Thyroid
Hormones
Towel turbans
Switch up part and tension areas
Grow baby hair
To bang or not to bang
Hot tools and heat protectants
Alcohol and other drying ingredients
PH balancing
Test the health of your hair elasticity porosity

Blog Coming Soon!

info@choicewebdesign.net (Administrator) — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 20:19:44 GMT

Hair Body & Sol has a new look! A brand new website for your viewing and informational pleasure. Making it even easier for you to keep up to date on your favorite HBS stylist and the many, many events that are taking place this year at HBS, be sure to check out our latest event page right now to see what's happening!!!!

Check back here soon for some rediculously interesting blogs covering topics from hair care to product information, tips, tricks and even special coupons and promotions and MORE!!