Slather Those Strands: For Those Who Require Lots 'o Lipids

Killer Kritiques  #001

   

One of the advantages of being on the inside of the professional hair world is listening to dozens of stylists opinions on hair products, which helps when looking for something new. There is no possible way to give every product that comes out a trial run, my Lord, you would have to quit hair and solely test products with the amount that come out every week. I'm sure you all know this, every time you head to the beauty supply there is a whole new slew of "new-innovative products" waiting for you to buy, problem is - without a review of them you are taking a risk..could be a winner, could be a loser and more times than not its the latter.

In my attempt of learning what and how I should roll with this site I periodically go hunting through 'other' beauty blogs. Maybe I hit the wrong ones, I try to hunt & peck randomly I swear, but so many just seem to do nothing but introduce and review products and nothing else, which I am sure gets them tons of new free crap. This week I received my first couple boxes of "new free crap" ( I mean 'crap' in a good way) a sign to me that it was time to start reviewing products as well. I want to be a well rounded, well balanced and well-read web site so we are off and running with the new segment: Killer Critiques.

Hair is a surprisingly large and influential category in the business world, they try to keep it hush--hush, but as a stylist and now with this Blog I am reminded of how big on a daily basis the importance of hair products, hair styles, hair color - all of it is very influential on many aspects of the economy, as lame as that seems. Howard Stern was on Letterman said, "until I have Proctor and Gamble advertising on my program I will never feel like a force to be reckoned with." Even a rebel like Stern yearns for the P & G (hair) dollar, I nearly fell of my chair.

That being said lets head off into the world of product review  . . . I have learned over the years  (and used it as one of my killer secrets ) there are 2 categories of hair products that are almost always excellent for all hair, pay attention: and that is products for ethnic & curlie hair. 

I can almost guarantee you up front, that if you pick a product from those 2 categories it will (almost) always rock. The chemists for those products, formulate  products differently, using a few key ingredients that are moisturizing - reparative and conditioning plus they update their products more frequently as new ingredients are released - when your production is not as large it is not such a huge undertaking to update them, that's why I can say that. So when shopping if the choices are so vast and so confusing, there is a tricky little technique for narrowing down your selection.

 

  Killers first Kritique ? Deva Care's "poo-less" shampoos and curlie haired conditioners. ! This line of products was originally designed for CURLY haired customers and caught on to the sulfate-free deal a long time before the rest of the crowd.

 

Deva Care: Curly Hair Products ; a Force To Be Reckoned With

Whether your hair is curly, wavy, straight or chemically processed, this line has expanded and now even contains a wacky looking hair dryer/ diffuser for curly hair . Choose from DevaCurl, DevaColor or DevaCare, and let your hair enjoy the benefits of botanically infused and sulfate-free technology

DevaCurl - Botanically infused, 100% sulfate-free cleansers, conditioners and stylers. Great for all hair types

DevaColor - Botanically infused, 100% sulfate-free and color enhancing cleansers and conditioners. For natural, color treated and chemically processed hair.

DevaCare - Color preservation. Botanically infused, 100% sulfate free, vitamin C enriched cleansers, conditioner and stylers. Great for all hair types.

Deva’s interchangeable product line allows for individuality, simplicity and the freedom to address your hair’s specific needs.

Americans are addicted to lather ...laundering curly hair (which is what most people are doing with ordinary detergent shampoos) just about guarantees a mass of over-dry, frizzy, shapeless locks.” That’s why Lorraine, along with co-owner Denis daSilva, world-class chemist Ralph Zissel and Devachan’s acclaimed Color Director Shari Harbinger developed the Deva product line. This unique system, with it’s own unique blend of botanically infused moisturizers and cleansers, will rejuvenate, restore and respect your hair’s natural order without the use of harsh chemicals.

 

Delicate Cy-Curl... No-Poo's gentle rescue formula for frizzy, unmanageable curls, cleans and conditions very dry, damaged hair and scalp. DevaCurl restores your hair to healthy, bouncy curls and healthy bouncy strands, refreshingly scented with Peppermint and Turkish Rose.

 

New for the line are the conditioners, most specifically the deep one Heaven In HAIR - -  which is awesome....I tried this myself and as the proud owner of TKHFH  {tangle-y knot-ty hair from hell} I knew with the ingredients it had  there was the prospect of smooth hair and it produced exactly what I predicted. Give it a shot if you suffer from the same or have the standard curly frizzy hair that needs moisture.

Highlights are History : Contrast and Harmony Hit Hair

When 'life' hands you a curve ball

and you can't make sense of it



color your hair





Shots of Color will empower you

It is extremely diffIcult to get a hold of well lit, studio photographs of hair color techniques. These are some of my best, but this is almost all of them! Silly, huh? What I would encourage you all to do? Substitute colors that suit you in place for the ones you see here.

P & G acquires Frederic Fekkai?

Another one bites the dust . . .

I just got off the phone with a PR rep for Procter's hair care division who told me that the company is going to buy Frederic Fekkai & Co., which makes hair products under the Frederic Fekkai brand name.

The company won't say how much the acquisition will cost, but a deal could close as soon as 45 days from now.I find it fascinating that many of you are tuned into news like this. It is very relative to all in a distant way, as it does affect the entire hair industry.

My problem with it, is this . . . I feel that within the beauty industry segment, monopolies happen and they happen everywhere and all the time. For some reason the big boys - our government - does not pay attention to them, they just don't seem to care. But I don't know why. Is it because they are too busy with the Microsoft monopoly, the Elliot Spitzer and NY government hooker scandal # 201, or what?

P & G owns so much of the hair industry I'm not sure, but I bet you all might be surprised. When it purchased my hair color sweetheart - WELLA this past year, I literally spent a week in depression. We still don't know the extent of that takeover as its much too new. I do not understand why, again but to get a full list of P & G companies is not an easy task...I'm sure if I went into "detective mode" I could uncover it, but it is NOT easy!

Just for some reference I want to list a small portion of the companies that P & G own...they try to cover it up - ?? I don't get it?? if you are a loud and proud company doing nothing wrong - stand up - be proud. Here is a small list:

• Aussie




• Head & Shoulders




• Graham Webb




• Infusium




• Pantene




• Balsam Color




• Sebastian




• Touch of Sun




• Ultress




• La Coste




• Boss




• Loving Care




• Valentino




• Wella




• Natural Instincts




• Max Factor




• Gillette




• Cover Girl




• Puma




• Nice N Easy




• OLAY ( number 1 brand in USA)




• Pantene




• Old Spice




• Herbal Essences




• Clairol

can you believe that is a small sampling in one category of many they have??

Owning a huge percentage of companies in one segment ( like hair) can be a disadvantage because it controls the competition. Competition is good for the consumer, it creates better products in my mind and many experts humble opinions. but if you own company A and company B who are in direct competition with each other - then there is no way to inspire and produce a better product... because you control BOTH SIDES.

This is probably not a popular subject and God help me if P & G gets wind of my statements, I might not be here next week! No one ever speaks poorly about P & G...I dare you to find any negative reporting about the company. Baffles the mind.

A few interesting points about this acquisition:

1) The big news out of P&G this year has been that the company is getting rid of one of its biggest brands (Folgers), and executives have said they want to get rid of more. Clearly Procter is on the path toward being a leaner company, but now we see that that doesn't necessarily mean they won't still make some acquisitions

2) That said, the question is why does buying a brand like Fekkai, which is relatively small compared to some of its existing mass-market brands like Pantene, Head & Shoulders and Herbal Essences, make sense to a company that is trying to get rid of brands?

The answer is Fekkai opens up a new sales channel for P&G, the so-called prestige market for hair care products. Fekkai is sold in high-end stores like Neiman Marcus, Saks and Nordstrom, where Procter has little, if any, penetration for its hair care products.

Procter also thinks it can grow sales of the Fekkai brand.

WSJ notes that "Hair-care products are the fastest-growing segment of the high-end beauty market" which is why I got into this industry 17 years ago, I could see where it was going. Remember my little hobby of being able to pick-out hot topics...

The deal is part of P&G's focus on building its high-margin, fast-growing beauty business.

"Fekkai is a strategic fit for our hair care portfolio and a demonstration of our desire to win with key brands in the prestige channel," said Randall Chinchilla, a spokesman for P&G's beauty business. The success of PUREOLOGY, has done nothing but spur these brands to try to follow in its path, don't they know that never works.

The purchase would add to P&G's line of upscale beauty products that includes SK-II skin care and Hugo Boss fragrances. The French-born Fekkai will have an ongoing role, P&G said."He will continue to drive creative efforts, brand image and product developments," Chinchilla said. Besides hair care products for women and men, Fekkai has salons in New York City, Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Dallas and Palm Beach, Fla., with more planned, including one opening this spring in Greenwich, Conn. the Beverly Hills Fekkai Salon approached me to become their head Colorist just before I was diagnosed, even thought the drive would have been 1.5 hours I did consider the idea. I have always liked his style and theories - he is a class act.

But.....BUT . . . This is a subject i wanted to entertain in another manner, but might as well get it out of the way...then I will be done with the negative crap...once and for all. I just need to get it off my back and feel you all need to know it.

Here is Fekkai's story:

Fekkai opened his first salon. He quickly became known for his innovative cutting technique, which required clients to stand for a portion of the cut to make sure their new style fit with their overall appearance. Fekkai's flair for creating super-flattering styles had socialites and beauty editors flocking to his chair. Word of his transforming talents spread quickly and before long, Fekkai became one of the hottest names in the hair biz—with a roster of A-list clients that would make any Hollywood agent green with envy.

There are 4 reasons in my opinion he shot up to the level he did. He is: 1) Handsome 2) French 3) Straight & Sexy 4) Talented hair cutter. He fits that "dream hair stylist" as far as appearance . . . Look at the man! He's gorgeous and has an incredibly warm and sexy accent as well as being straight, many like sitting in his chair for those reasons alone. Do not get me wrong, he is an extremely talented hair cutter. Extremely talented - he has a wonderful warming presence and has been nothing but beneficial for the hair industry. He and Sally are 2 I admire -- neither do color, nor know anything about it, they only cut. That should be no reason to take away anything from them, cutting is a brilliant art and difficult to master.

Within the hi-end Salon system in the USA we are attempting to make the switch and follow the brilliance and efficiency of the European Salon system, where there are Cutters and Colorists - separately. No one does both in those countries. The USA needs to make this move, if you want to master either you need to focus on one. That being said, when the worlds are divided like that they are defined very clearly.

Colorists handle:

• color




• perms




• relaxers




• extensions




• shampoos




• conditioners




• anything "chemical"

Cutters handle:

• haircuts




• hair styling (pin curls, finger waves, etc.)




• blow drying




• thermal styling




• all hot tools




• up do's

its clearly precisely defined.

So when Fekkai comes out with a line hair care products or even Hershberger ( i truly am trying to teach you how the system works) my skin crawls . Look at their list. What do they specialize in? They know zero about chemicals / products/ ingredients. They don't even work within that world on a daily basis. The company comes to them and says, 'can we put your name on our products'? . . . Yes, Of course they try them . . . yes, of course - they listen to the chemists and yahoo's at the company tell them how wonderful the products are...but come on don't you think the big Colorists should be whose name on that bottle??

Whew, its now off my chest. Whatever you think of the take over, the last thing I want to see is my readers using lousy products...I am working on discovering a whole new slew of properly formulated products to choose from in all categories -- so stay tuned for that. When I was in the salon I kept up on this and have slacked off. . . I promise you I am back on the train again...just give me a little bit of time to get the testing completed

Hair Today - Gone Tomorrow -- Female Pattern Baldness

For women, balding or hair loss has more serious consequences for quality of life than for men

Dealing with this issue in droves has indebted me to the degree of difficulty this problem is posing for a huge portion of the women in America today. To date . . it is not spoken openly about, addressed regularly, or even reported on with much interest and I'm not sure why. One thing I know for sure, is that it is a HUGE huge problem and it is only getting worse - by the month - by the week - by the day. It concerns me deeply so approx. 4 years ago when I first noticed it growing out of control, I began my research. Casual at first, intense as the days went on.

I know I am not a whiz bang MIT trained research scientist, about the farthest thing from...BUT, I have worked on over 10,000 heads of hair, spent 3 years studying cosmetic chemistry, learned the art of microscopic hair analysis and most importantly had the problem myself and owned hundreds of clients with it as well - that are now completely cured. A pretty decent resume and history in my own mind, I guess and hopefully in yours.

I'd like to begin the next couple months ongoing series of Hair Today Gone Tomorrow with my experiences reading and analyzing a particular study performed in Japan that I found extremely helpful & hopeful. This study examines the efficacy of the hair growth promoter t-flavanone on female pattern baldness. Now before I lose you, I better bring it on down to earth . . Over 2000 natural plant extracts were tested

as an herbal medicine that promote the proliferation of hair follicle cells. t-flavanone is more commonly known as Hypericum Perfortum and has been regarded as a salve, a gargle and an herbal tea with an excellent robust effect.

The types and degrees of hair problems for women vary with country and races, however they can be roughly classified into 2 groups: frizzy & less volume. The reports are that fewer women than men suffer sever alopecia (hair loss)but for many women the hair density and hair diameter decrease as they grow older. Reductions of hair volume have a great impact on appearance.

For women, balding or hair loss has more serious consequences for quality of life than for men. On

e characteristic of hair loss in females is a widespread and diffuse balding area that differs considerably from male pattern baldness and makes it more difficult to diagnose alopecia in women. Its the manner in which the hair is lost that is deceiving. . . men lose up the power alleys, on top of the head and along the hairline so it is noticed much more. With women it is an all - over even loss of hair - much more difficult to notice by the eye. The woman herself of course, notices, the ponytail is thinner, the general bulk of the hair continues to deteriorate.

The hair cycle consists of three phases. In the anagen or growth phase, hair matrix cells grow rapidly, extending the hair shafts. In the catagen phase, hair matrix cell growth is diminished and epithelial cells around hair bulbs undergo apoptosis (death of cell). In the telogen or resting phase, hair follicles shrink and stop growing.

The anagen period of normal human hair growth is as long as 4-7 years, but is some kinds of alopecia, it gradually become shorter and finally decreases to only a few months. As a results, the hair does not grow to be hard, thick terminal hair, but remains as thin, short vellus hair and enters the catagen phase. I have learned that thick hair is produced during the anagen so it is important to act on hair follicles during that phase to improve hair volume. To make hair thicker for effective hair growth promotion is is necessary to increase anagen hair and also to maintain the anagen period of each hair follicle.

Previous work by Kao Corporation in Japan and one scientist named HOTTA has identified both a planet extract with hair follicle stimulation activity and an in vitro model for testing the effect of factors on the developmental processes of the hair follicle.

Now this is the part I found fascinating, in order to determine the efficacy of the t-flavonone to treat female baldness the authors in Japan performed a double blind placebo controlled study on 23 Japanese women.

Based on the authors system of classifying female pattern baldness with scores from I to VIII ( Figure 4)

the women received scores from II to VI. 13 were assigned to the group treated with t-flavonone and another 10 women were assigned to the placebo group.Test materials for this study were lotions with and without the t-flavanone active ingredient at .1%. Subjects applied lotion twice daily for 24 weeks to all scalp areas around the balding area ( the parietal area).

From a square 5mm by 5mm in the parietal area at the beginning and end of the 24-week test, the hairs were removed at the scalp surface by cutting. The cut hairs were weighed and counted and the hair diameter was measured. The weight of the hair treated with

t-flavanone was found to increase by 9.4% while that of the placebo decreased by 4.7%. This result was statistically significant. With regard to the number of hairs the hair diameter the group with the t-flavonone tended to improve more than the placebo group.

A much larger efficacy study happened next with 54 women selected with significant hair loss levels. This time 28 with the t-flavonone and 26 in the placebo. The time frame was the same, but this time photographs were taken, a Phototrichogram was performed on each subject ( see inset)which basically measures the diameter of the hairs and finally Dermatologists evaluated the general effectiveness of the 2 treatments.

As shown in Table 1, 22 of the 28 subjects in the t-flavonone treated group were evaluated as improved by visual evaluation ( 19 were improved slightly, 2 were improved clearly), while only 7 of the 26 in the placebo group were classified as improved (ya gotta wonder about those?!!!?!?) checkout the great example in Figure 5

While the average diameter of all hairs from the observation spots significantly increased by 13% in the group treated with t-flavonone, it decreased in the placebo group by 5.0% The average diameter of anagen hairs also increased by 12% . Both of those difference are statistically significant.

Figure 6 shows the results of the dermatologists judgements on general effectiveness: 82% of the group treated with t-flavonone and 27% of the placebo group were evaluated as slightly effective or better. The differences are statiscally significant. I just think this is such an easy - simple solution and why it is not in many formulations is beyond me.

THRIVEN and 1 of its secret ingredients : T-flavonone

I have incorporated t-flavonone into THRIVEN taking advantage of its colorless, odorless and ethanol soluble properties making it easy to use. I feel the formula needs to be on the head overnight 1-2 nights per week and if possible used as a daily conditioner as well. Whether it be T-Flavonone or a number of other unique ingredients in the formulation the fact remains the 1-2 punch of 10,000HEADS - Hair Strength System works and works well, I hope to get many of you signed up to the protocol.

This is one of the many unique approaches I have taken to the formulation of Thriven, it is unique, innovative and ground breaking. Over the next couple months I will be going through the unique additions to the formula I have come across in my studies and will incorporate them into the series Hair Today and Gone Tomorrow so be on the watch.

Conclusions

These studies prove that t-flavonone increases the diameter of female hair and thus improves female pattern baldness. t-flavonone is a useful ingredient that can help women who are troubled with hair loss or lair with less volume. The usefulness of the t-flavonone lotion to treat female type baldness was 82% and that is revolutionary.

Therefore THRIVEN is revolutionary

THRIVEN comes in an 8 ounce jar : $52.00
attached is a card that explains 2nd secret supplement for the 1-2 Punch

For purchase Email: Killerstrands@gmail.com

Purchase Thriven :

http://killerstrands.myshopify.com/products/thriven

Smart Sally Sells Simple Shampoo - Hershberger Hails Healthy Hair

Sally Hershberger - one of few I truly and highly admire

Here is a partial review from the L.A.Times . . . I have not tried the products yet, when I do I will tack my own review on to the end, and will try to complete within a couple weeks.

LA TIMES:
Thank goodness star stylist Sally Hershberger's hair care line is a more reasonable price than her hair cuts.

SHE may be the hair stylist to the stars, and a reality TV star in her own right, but Sally Hershberger wants to get her hands on the heads of ordinary Americans. Her new hair care line, Sally Hershberger Supreme Head, includes 14 moderately priced items sold exclusively, for now, at Walgreen's. Shampoos and conditioners are $9.50, while styling products are $12 -- about half the price of a prestige product, and of course, far, far less than Hershberger's $800 haircuts.

Hershberger, a shag specialist with a monthlong waiting list, judge on Bravo's "Shear Genius" and stylist to Brad Pitt, Jane Fonda, Hillary Clinton, Tom Cruise and, most famously, Meg Ryan, says she is letting the rest of us in on the secret to her tousled 'dos."I always felt that 50% of hair looking good is from what you put in it," she said on a recent swing through L.A. And, apparently how you put it on: To that end, you can click on Sallyhershberger.com and watch the master demonstrate how each product can achieve particular looks.

Want a hip pixie? Rub in Wreck and Roll Texturizing Cream. Gorgeous waves, just like Gisele Bündchen? Maintain volume with a dose of Style Primer for wavy hair and a blow dryer's diffuser attachment. "Sally's Signature Shagg" comes to life with Style Primer and Shagg Spray, followed by an apparently random blow-drying, picking and tousling.The demos help. Although the lightly fragrant shampoo creates a high-sudsing, long-lasting clean, and the thick conditioner tames some frizz, they're not "wow" products is the review by the L. A. Times Writer.

Me? Haven't gotten my hands on them yet, but am in process and will tack on my own review after experimenting. But from what I know of her - her standards - her mission - her theories, I would be first in line to try these wonderfully priced items and I commend her for making a great product avaiable to the everyday client.

Celeb-hairology - Hair Trends of Rich and Famous

The newest look,

I say . . . DO IT

its a remarkeable change and updates your look