February 21, 2012

Hairstory : 'Why Is Straight Hair, The Cool Hair' ?


Plus 10 Tricks To A Great Blow-dry
I wonder where the idea that 'straight' hair is the hair 'to have'. Every 5 years the battle of curlies trying to straighten their hair becomes more public as well as some new fangled technology hits the market. Its funny because the non-straight hair candidates reach across women of all backgrounds. I feel the marketing and making of 'curly hair' products are still fairly archaic - they will master it....it just has been a hidden culture for some time now. The most ridiculous part is : I feel it is aimed at women of color ONLY, and that is the farthest thing from the truth. I wish they would wake-the-Hell up already because a lot of us are waiting !

We continue to think that straight-silky hair is the goal of everyone, or that straight hair is the good hair & every other texture is bad. Everyone needs to pay attention: THERE IS NO GOOD HAIR or BAD HAIR. In Sassoon we were taught to treat as many people who would listen to stick with their "natural texture''. Your hair remains healthier that way, you can play around with your color...color is one of the better things you can do for curly-wavy-frizzy hair it helps add shine lending hair more towards shine with the light bouncing off the bends in the hair. Now I am referring to healthy hair, damaged hair is something you should do everything possible to avoid. The single biggest difference between good hair and bad hair??? Is the health of it. Bad hair is hair that has been damaged, so that should be the first thing you work on....Healthy hair trumps ALL types of hair.

The BLOW DRY is returning when straight hair is the goal, here are 10 important steps to a great Blow-Dry.
1.) The most important tip for blow drying? Sectioning the hair. Seem silly? Take a couple extra minutes to section hair into at least 4 sections if not 6. This will help in avoiding bumps and ridges in the end finish. Begin with the back section first, get it out of the way so you don't give up before its done, remember the ‘back’ of your hair is what more people see than any other. 

2.) The hair dryer itself makes a real difference especially with the new IONIC and Tourmaline models on the market. IONIC utilizes ceramic technology, which will leave your hair healthy, silky with natural shine and manageability. Plus super fast drying time, the higher price tag is because they really do, work. Save your $$, ask for a birthday gift, watch for sales. It will last a couple years and the time it will cut off of your blow dry time and the shine in the finish make it all worth while .  
3.) If you’re not using a silicone serum to coat the hair you will contribute to the frizz factor, there are a million and one out there but you must read the label…if it has alcohol in the formula you are defeating the purpose. Silicone Serums range from light to heavy and from the John Freida line at Drug stores all the way to here at our store (Sojourns).  
4.) Choose your brushes carefully, the longer the hair the bigger the brush. Axe the heat retaining brushes they add to the frizz and dryness. Boar Bristle brushes are the best and we have this unique and funny looking brush we call the thermo-straightening brush. The advantages to it? You can really PULL down when using it...and when trying to achieve shine and a smooth -clean blow-dry you will want to be sure to go downward with this brush or ANY brush....that way the cuticle is being brushed downward which is the trick to creating shine.
5.) “Heat” remains the single #1 enemy to the health of hair, most don’t realize this. Blow drying ONLY until the hair is dry, alternating between hot and cool temperatures as you go through each section remains important for the health of the hair. Just really try to use the blow dryer as little as possible. You would be surprised at how little you will really need it, give it a test run. 
6.) Hair needs to be 70% dry for blow dry to begin so you want to begin by shaking out excess water after shower, rough dry until 2/3 of water is out. Over using a hair dryer can rob the hair of moisture, leaving hair dry & brittle. 

7.) Do not use a conditioner after your shampoo, that step was manufactured by the shampoo companies. The proper routine? Shampoo and use a spray leave-in detangler. A daily conditioner just weighs hair down and produces product build-up. Keep product use light/ Some of you will need a conditioner after shampoo...I'm 100% Irish - Redhead and I have loose curls and require a conditioner after every shampoo. So I don't want to scare everyone away.
8.) When using a finishing product to hold your style – spray it on the brush first. This makes sure the hair won’t be over loaded and lets the hair shine through.  
9.) If you invest in a great cut, the time you spend with the blow dryer in hand will not only be less, it will be more rewarding and the end will result will make you like a pro. Try asking for a blow dry lesson to be included with the price of the cut. There is a technique called "wrapping" -- where you wrap the hair around your head...using the head as a big giant round surface....you go one way then the other...backwards/forwards/sidewards to sidewards... always finishing with the head upwards. That trick works magnificently for 40% of you!
  
10.) The finish is as important as the drying time. Seal the hair by turning the dryer on ‘cool’. Never leave the hair warm – it won’t last 10 minutes that way. 



Killer Bonus trick:They have what I call “rear view”  or the 360 degree hands-free mirror for the bathroom, we now carry them. Mount one on bathroom wall; it will afford you the freedom of blow drying the back of your hair while also being able to look at what you are doing! It helps in the final outcome and you will find the mirror handy for many other odds & ends (magnification mirror for eyebrow plucking, make-up application for poor sight, etc). 
This works wonderfully for those of you that want to color your own hair. 



Killer Chemist
11 comments on "Hairstory : 'Why Is Straight Hair, The Cool Hair' ?"
  1. Hey Dakota!

    I'm wondering what you think is the best hair dryer. Possibly in the... general drug stores, and WalMart, and Target, kinda stores? Or possibly Sally Beauty Supply? I'm finding different combinations of ionic, tourmaline, and cermaic ones. One comes with tourmaline and ionic, and the other ceramic and ionic... Conair, Revelon, Vidal Sasson... so it just kinda gets overwhelming with what to choose. Mind helping me out? I hope you have been doing well and having fun! Lookin forward to hearing from you soon...

    -Vang :D

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  2. Hey Vang,

    YES, the blowdryer question. Good question.
    I believe the best dryer is the T3. I bought one for $200, which is unheard of for stylists we are used to spending $50-$60. once a year. Everyone was using this damn thing and swearing by it.
    Once I used it I saw why.
    It blows 'cooler' air yet dry's quicker. They claim its the IONIC and TOURMALINE facets of the dryer.
    I'm a chemist I will admit I know nothing about the inner workings of a dryer, i wish i did.

    I DO know that whatever is in the T3 has got to be copied by other dryer manufacturers by now --> its the AMERICAN way! So, with that being said I would suggest not buying anything at Target, go to Sally's at least. Spend at least $60. and ask about their warranty and which IONIC TOURMALINE is their best seller.

    Recently I've had 2 clients I determined their hair had changed completely ( thicker, shinier, more of it) because of the new hair dryer they purchased.
    It was the first time I could honestly attribute it to an electrical. I believe because of the new technology.So the dryer CAN make a difference, I suggest not going too cheap. I also worry about companies putting "IONIC & TOURMALINE" on the box and it not being there. If the main company had to charge $300, for their technology, how can Revlon be doing it for $20.00 - I have a very hard time believing it.

    HTH
    killer chemist

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  3. Hey Dakota! This is going to be a VERY long post...

    Thanks so much for the suggestions. I have been doing SO much research on this one for some reason. I've been gettin a friend's feedback on just doing the research and reviewing alone. Ever heard of Consumer Reports? Or gone to their website? It has nearly NOTHING for hair, but I'm trying to get more... opinions. Just googling it up on consumer reviews and stuff, the top 10 hair dryers, and cheap top 10, and so many different sites say so many different things about different ones.

    I've also found this too:

    "Hair dyers with ceramic heating coils often offer dual ceramic/ionic technology, although many hair dryers offer ionic technology only. Ions are molecules with a positive or negative charge. According to manufacturers, instead of taking the air from the room and heating it, an ionic hair dryer uses negative ions to shrink the water droplets in hair. Manufacturers claim that negatively charged ions help dry hair faster and with less damage, making it smooth and shiny. However, The Wall Street Journal quotes Bill Nazaroff, professor of environmental engineering at the University of California at Berkeley, as saying there's "remarkably little good science" to either prove or disprove this claim. Testers at The Wall Street Journal further point out that while most manufacturers claim negative ions to be the most beneficial, and to even combat hair damage caused by positive ions, The Sharper Image uses positive ions in their hair dryers. When questioned by The Wall Street Journal, The Sharper Image's "ion experts" said their positive ions should produce the same result as negative ions -- shiny, smooth hair.

    But despite the apparent inconsistencies in the "science," all of the reviews we found -- including ones at The Wall Street Journal and Good Housekeeping -- say that ionic hair dryers do indeed make hair smooth, shiny and healthy-looking in testing. Owners posting to Epinions and Amazon.com second that finding.

    So, do ceramic, ionic and tourmaline hair dryers really do what they claim, or could there be other factors at work? The science and testing behind ionic hair dryers is not satisfying enough for our editorial team to be convinced. On the other hand, many ionic models can be purchased at little or no extra cost over a hair dryer that lacks ion features, and 90 percent of the dryers on the market now are ionic hair dryers. In addition, many people -- including many consumer reviewers -- report that they do work better, despite a lack of scientific evidence that explains why. Accordingly, despite some skepticism in the basic research, all of our ConsumerSearch Fast Answers selections for this report are ionic hair dryers.

    Also, keep in mind that many other variables can affect how hair looks, including water minerals, shampoo, conditioner, styling products and even the type of brush used while blow drying. None of the sources we found mention how those factors may have contributed to the results they achieved from blow drying. However, Good Housekeeping editors performed its tests on standardized hair swatches, reporting that an under-$35 model beat out the $200 and $300 professional hair dryers that were also evaluated. In short, ionic and ceramic technologies should be just one factor to consider when buying a blow dryer. In our research, we found there to be good hair dryers and not-so-good hair dryers at a variety of price points, regardless of the technologies used."

    Then again, this is just one opinion on a website at: http://www.consumersearch.com/www/family/hair-dryers/

    So yeah... That's just my dilemma. I was standing in Sally Beauty Supply today, and was just... discouraged. I didn't know what to buy, cause they ALL pretty much said the same thing as if I were standing in Target. And TRUE I can believe that if the main company had to charge $300 for their technology, and Revlon can be doing it for $30, it would be questionable. And yeah, it COULD just be written on the box, but then again if it says it's in the box, it SHOULD be IN the box, right? Otherwise, it would be a HUGE lawsuit if it wasn't and I'd own half of Revlon or Conair, wouldn't you agree?

    I'm not wanting to argue with you or give you stress or anything like that. Just another insight I guess... To help me think, hahaha.

    So yeah... You probably hate me now... I guess all I can do, is buy a cheap Target/Walmart one, try that one out for a few weeks, then buy an expensive Sally Beauty Supply one, try that one out for a while, and then find the difference, then return either one. I've got nothing to lose that way, right? If you have any more insight on this, lemme know. I appreciate ALL the help you have given me so far, and thank you SO MUCH for that. Take care and hope to hear from you soon...

    -Vang :D

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  4. Hey Dakota!

    You will probably hate me... HATE me forever for asking this... but I have to ask anyway... What do you think is THE BEST flat iron there is out there...?

    -Vang :D

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  5. Hey Vang,
    I wrote a very long answer to your blowdryer question and it got accidently deleted, so i've lost steam on repeating it...sorry.

    Don't say I am going to hate you.I would never hate you or anyone -- i appreciate all of your interest I truly do so lets get that straight, first!

    As far as the dryer, I did all that research you did and more ...when all else fails I go back to the well over 10,000 Heads of hair I have done & use my "experience".
    Many hair stylists were the ones that convinvced me to use the T#3.
    I don't care what the reports say there is a difference in the results..

    I will finish this tomorrow....
    sorry
    gotta go
    Dakota

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  6. Coolness! I'll be lookin forward to your responses!

    -Vang :D

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  7. Hey Dakota!

    You have any thoughts on blow dryers and flat irons yet...? I hope you've been doing well...

    -Vang :D

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  8. If it was me I would only buy the flat iron they carry at www.icreatemagic.com -- just tell them," I heard if Dakota sent you - I got a better discount"... it worked for all the stylists I sent to them , I wonder if will work for you guys...just say you are a stylist, they are an Asian comany and they do NOT ask for paperwork or a number....so no worries there... Call them - be nice and try that line.... If they quote you a price under $100. GRAB IT. Their flat irons used to cost $800.!
    But the last person I sent to them got one for $95. !
    The technology on this flat iron is the best, get the one with the holes in it, as that lets the steam OUT of the plates so you are not just suffocating the hair. I feel that is a necessity. There are 'steam holes" in the plates.
    They also have a dryer. and the reason I like this compnay? This is what they are KNOWN FOR - flat irons & hair dryers, they also have some dynamic hair products as well. But they come in such bulk I doubt any of you would want to buy the amounts you have to.

    As far as hair dyrers, I would also recommend the ELCHIM dryer, they now have an IONIC brand, these are important items in my mind, and I feel the extra money is worth it. I truly do. I have seen a number of people's hair be improved with simply a change in "brand' of dryer!
    HTH Killer chemist

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  9. Hey Dakota! Thanks so much!

    I've checked out the website and it seems pretty promising. I'm either thinking about the STRAT PERM PERM WET/DRY (with the steam holes) or the CERAMAGIC QUICK. I'm not too sure about the technologies used, such as the infared stuff, and bi-component anodized heating plates. I'm just used to hearing about regular ceramic plates, hahaha. I guess I can ask them about that when I call... And I'm not sure if I can pull off being a stylist over the phone, hahaha. Or if I tell them "Dakota sent me," that they wouldn't know who you were. Or that referral doesn't work anymore. Or... if they find it suspicous to mail it to my house and not a salon address or something. Is it the same person answering the phones all the time?

    What do you think about the Sedu and Solia? They seem to be the best out there. How do you think these compare to the flat irons of CREATE? I want your expert advice before I get there's! :D

    Which do you think would be a better option? Keep on using flat irons, or using those... Japanese straightening systems or those straightening systems I see at Sally Beauty Supply? I've done the blow dry and brush thing, and it just won't do me any justice...

    Hope to hear from again soon! Take care and have fun!

    - Vang :D

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  10. Which is better for hair... ceramic, or tourmaline?

    -Vang

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  11. Vang,
    I own a couple of the Magic Flat irons myself...as do most of the top Stylists...They have the best technology...so you cannot go wrong ordering anything from them.
    The T3 Dryer is both Ceramic and tourmaline.
    I am not an electrician, so I cannot be an expert in the systems...
    HTH
    Dakota

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