Suds Inauguration or Sulfate-Free Shampoo & You

Great Hair Starts in the Shower

Clean hair equals shiny hair, right? How do we get properly cleaned tresses??? seems like it should be so easy... yet, so much of the time I will listen to more people that do it all wrong, I mean after how many years . . so many of you are hearing for the first time that there are some hard and fast rules to cleaning those strands that can help keep them on your head, and help them grow and flourish to their best. I want to review this once and for all so there is one central post I can send people to when I hear once again what they are doing to their hair.

Most of you have more interest in your hair looking remarkable than you do your skin, yet the care you take for your skin blows away the care you take for your hair?? Come on, hair is as fragile and as delicate as skin and it needs to be taken care of properly and I promise you it will flourish and grow and become that hair you always wanted, I watch the change happen daily ... weekly... and yearly with clients all over the world, now. It's skipping those extra few minutes that can mean the difference between so - so and super-shiny hair.

Dirty hair carries a lot of debris, from product build-up to exhaust fumes which can have a really dulling effect. Quite simply, clean hair reflects more light than dirty hair, so lathering up with a good quality shampoo and rinsing well is the quickest and most effective way to achieve glossy hair.

When it comes to products, choose shampoos that work with your hair type and are ALS and SLS free which I speak over over about. You may not hear it anywhere else but I will go to my death bed saying I think SLS & ALS contribute to hair loss for both sexes. Look for moisturizing ingredients such as Panthenol, which pumps up and conditions the hair and low pHs ( like citric acid) that tighten the cuticles for a flatter and more light reflective surface.

As your hair grows from the scalp, its at the mercy of a daily bombardment of weather, heat-styling and pollution. While the skin is able to constantly repair and replace its cells, your hair can't

WAYS OF WASHING HAIR

dry run . .. use a wide tooth comb through dry hair before wetting ...tangles breed tangles... Remove knots from the ends first, then gradually work your way up the hair shaft -- combing from roots to ends will cause untold damage. Combing not only removes tangles, it helps shift dust and dirt too -- the first step to clean hair.

Get Wet . . .without water, there's no lather, so thoroughly soak your hair from roots to ends with water from a shower Filtered Shower head - there are so many good ones out there (both skin & hair will thank you). Treated water also means you need less shampoo to get a good deep cleansing lather.

be gentle....don't scrub or use super hot water . . . tepid/warm water and gently smooth fingers over and through the hair, massage pressure as you lather up will clean the hair and scalp without damaging or tangling the hair.

lather up.....Pour the shampoo into your palm and rub your hands together before smoothing the shampoo over your hair. Read the instructions on the bottle so you know how much to use - EVERYONE uses too much shampoo- everyone. There just is no need of a handful of it, which I know most of you do. For a long time I gave out these tiny plastic cups for people to put in their shower...with the instructions - fill this half full and make it work for your shampoo. It was very revealing to hear all the comments come back, "....wow, my shampoo lasts so much longer" , ......." cool, I used to waste so much shampoo"....etc.. If this is most likely you, for your hairs sake - right now go put a teaspoon in your shower, or a tiny plastic cup that measures 1/2 - 1/4 ounce out. Gently rub the palms over your hair, before massaging the scalp with your fingertips for about 30 seconds. run fingers through your hair from front to back every now and then to avoid tangles and distribute lather down the hair shaft towards the ends. Not all shampoos create lots of lather - the best ones >don't...so don't be looking for oodles of suds . . . be happy with the less foam the better. Loads of bubbles many times means a cheap surfactant ( the ingredient in the formula that 'cleans').

twice is nice...use a small amount of sulfate-free shampoo, and concentrate on the scalp and roots, as the lengths don't need too much lather. Repeat the wash to make sure your hair is scrupulously clean.

rinse and rinse again ... you can never rinse your hair too much, many make the mistake of not rinsing the shampoo cleanly out of the hair, which makes for dull - drab hair - something I see daily in lines and in public everywhere. Such an easy problem to solve, once you get your shower filter on your shower head ( a must, unless you have your water treated) - always rinse in a shower head even when taking a bath....bath water is not clean water - your hair needs a crystal clean rinse. Lots and lots of rinsing

condition or de-tangle . . . I'm not in favor of a (daily) conditioner. The point of a conditioner is to solve bad condition in the hair, if you must constantly use one then it obviously is not doing its job, so it's pointless - and even worse, its gunking up your hair - making it necessary to use a clarifying shampoo. Silly isn't it? Its an endless cycle that shampoo manufacturers have the majority of you shampoo buying public caught up in. So you are buying 2 bottles when you truly only need one. That way it bumps your shampoo price up to what both bottles cost you. My suggestion... is to use that amount to purchase a better shampoo.... shampoo that is SLS-Free. If you are that particular person with that certain type of hair that needs "de-tangling" after your shampoo then my suggestion is a spray de-tangler - NOT a daily conditioner. A spray de-tangler is lighter, more problem specific, and works better, to conquer the problem at hand. There are many of them out there, I have a list of a couple I like. Even a shine serum works better than a daily conditioner, if you have one try it. . . we used to used that solely at Sassoon on show days.

blot - don't rub don't rough up your hair with a towel or you'll ruffle the hair cuticles that need to lie flat for a shiny finish. Remember, wet hair is weak hair so fold the towel over it when you're finished. never twist it up turban style . . .gentle - gentle. Most of you do not have tangle-y hair, so break that habit of reaching for conditioner . . . its simply NOT necessary 85% of the time. If you do...need it grab your de-tangler and once your hair has the bulk amount of moisture out of it , spray the de-tangler on and comb or brush through. Different hair needs different tools, some need a wide comb some need a paddle brush whichever pulls on the hair the least. Wet hair = Weak hair.

The process is complete - bet you had no idea the shampoo could entail so much, once you re-arrange your habits a little, they will become second nature and it won't seem like a headache. . .I promise. Its just learning the correct way with a few tweaks here and there, I promise, when you see the difference it makes it a lot easier to do.

Daily hair care regimens were once simple, now that the word has spread out there about Sulfate-Free shampoo - I finally can feel secure in the fact that people are listening and making the move to my theory about the drawbacks of Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate as surfactants in shampoos. They are beginning to take a little more time in the care of their hair. All of my thousands of clients in LA, Malibu and southern California immediately switched and began living the 10,000HEADS Regimen the first day they sat in my chair. I have taught my clients how to have better hair as a part of their experience with me, I am sure it is why my clientele skyrocketed from the day I set foot in the Salon world. People WANT their hair to be better, I am sure of it.... and for the life of me I don't know why no one has done this before me...but who cares at this point. I am just glad you are reading this and hopefully you will jump on the 10,000HEADS Hair Strength System Band wagon . . . . and flourish like the other thousands.

Now, I would like to throw some Statistics at you so you can see how big the world of hair and shampoo is. . . the statistics for 2008 aren't quite ready yet... so I am going to use the 2007 numbers. According to Information Resources the shampoo segment enjoyed a growth of more than 3% to $1.4 BILLION ( that's with a "B" !!) for the 52 weeks ending Oct. 7 2007.While its not a huge improvement, the rise is notable for such a mature segment. Some of the gains are due to recent launches in shampoos that are considered "premium" products targeting consumers looking for a more customized solution to their hair care needs (shampoos purchased in Salons, Internet - such as SLS-Free).

Unilever who owns Suave has the top spot you see. . .and the name of the line (they have many) that did the best, was the one they threw "Naturals" on the back end of the name. Now, I just reviewed the ingredients in this line to see what their big claim to fame was that was "natural", it has the extract of Freesia, which is a flower and used for fragrance solely - there are no benefits to using it but the fragrance, and then the only other ingredient is Aloe Vera Gel . . . which I guess is all they felt they needed to put naturals in the title of the shampoo. That is what I mean about the labeling and the mis-leading of the entire hair manufacturer industry does to you the consumer. It just simply is not fair to you, I mean it still has ALS in the formula which is the addition of the cheapest surfactant on the market and the most harsh - one more time.... through all of my research and studies.... I believe these ingredients contribute to hair thinning and loss in women of all ages. When people switch to the 10,000 Heads Regimen . . their hair loss and hair thinning begins to halt. Now I cannot say that everyone's trigger point is the Shampoo - - - I just know when they change - their hair gets better and the shedding stops. Originally I was shooting for just getting the loss to stop, the shedding to HALT . . . . that was all I thought I had the capacity to learn and cure. Who knew my little self made protocol would start working wonders on people from California to Thailand . . . but I used common sense and I had lots and lots of eager clients who were willing to run the experiments and tests with me, I guess that was a very lucky advantage, that at the time, I should have been more grateful for.

I can't wait for all of you to jump on board - start with revamping your shampoo, its simple and start the change to have better hair.

It gives me a chill every time I get one more on board. So hop on everyone.

Killer Chemist

High Lift Blonde vs. Bleach--The Never-Ending Battle . . . Ends

If

you continue to have difficulties deciding

between high-lift blond tint and bleach

here's a copy of a typical email I receive when this color goes out. . . .

On Sun, Jan 18, 2009 at 8:58 AM, wrote:

Hi! I tried 100A w/ white genie and I'M IN LOVE!! I can't begin to thank you for introducing me to this combination. I got the desired lift without any of the damage or breakage!! Plus the compliments are pouring in. I have random people stop me in the street and ask me how I get my hair so pretty. It's incredible! I would definitely like to order more... I can't wait!!

My Order:

Renbow 100A x 2

White Genie x 2

I live in Miami, FL. Zip:33014

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!!! (sorry for all the gushing, I just can't contain myself... :D )

xxxxxxxx H.

How to Achieve the Perfect Hair Waves

Photo Demo of sorts

 

        Now I know there are many of you that would like to know how to put the perfect 'wave' in your hair. You know... that wave you see on Celeb's heads, Red Carpets, or in magazine photo shoots - - when they are perfectly coifed and made up to the "nines".  This yummy wave as seen here in the photo, is a matter of being handy with a curling Iron, Hair spray and a comb.  Yet, they make it look as though it kind of just fell into their hair.

Which is not really fair because to get that exact look, is just not 'that' easy, to do to oneself. I'm even in need of assistance by using some help from one of my old Text books to show you the way I have used on clients. I simply could not figure out how I was going to shoot the photos + do the wave at the same time, so I'm cheating this time by using the photos from Milady's Cosmetology Book. I rarely will talk about something that cannot be done to oneself, as with most of you readers I feel you are at home doing your own hair ... right ? With this styling trick, you most likely will need a partner - friend or cohort of some sort in order to get the back panel completed correctly, unless you are some sort of contortionist.

Before beginning the waves , comb the hair in the general shape you want . . . I hope you can tell, by simply combing and letting the hair fall where it 'wants' to be - - so the natural growth will determine whether or not the first wave will be a left-going wave or a right-going wave. For our little demo we are going with a left-going wave .

What you need:

• hard rubber toothed comb
• electric curling Iron  ( or marcel )
• clips

Part the top of the hair up and away . . .  and start on the right side.                                       Insert iron in hair              Figure 147

1. Comb the hair thoroughly, follow its directional growth.

2. With the tail of the comb, pick up a strand of hair about 2 inches wide. Insert the iron in the hair with the clip facing upward(Figure 147).

          Direct the hair to the right with comb          Figure 148

3. Close the iron and give it a one-quarter turn FORWARD...At the same time, draw the hair with the iron about 1/4 inch to the LEFT and direct the hair 1/4 Inch to the right with the comb. (Figure 148). This is the tricky part, I feel, you are actually using opposing factors to make the wave  - - with the iron going one direction and the comb the other. I would suggest practicing on another person, doll-head, or your long haired dog  ! ! ! ( j/k ) - if and when possible.

   Roll Iron one full turn forward               Figure 149

4. Roll the Iron one full turn forward and away from you, Figure 149. In doing this keep the hair uniform with the comb. You will find the hair has rolled on a slight slant on the clip of the Iron. Hold this for a few seconds to allow hair to become heated through and through.

                   Reverse Movement                     Figure 150

  5. Reverse the movement by simply unrolling the hair from the irons and bringing it back into its first resting position Figure 150. When this movement is completed, you will find the comb resting kind of away from the iron.  

        Start to form the curl . .             Figure 151

6. Open the irons with your little finger and place them just below the ridge, or crest, by swinging the rod of the irons toward you and then closing them (figure 151).  The outer edge of the groove should be directly underneath the ridge just produced by the inner ridge. See I told you it might be better to practice on a friend! I've done it on myself before, but easy - it isn't.                    Form the hair into a half circle       Figure 152

7.  Keeping the iron perfectly still, direct the hair with the comb upward about 1 inch, forming the hair into a half circle (Figure 152). Remember that in order to perform step 7 properly, you do not move the comb from the position explained in Step  6.             Roll Iron one-half turn forward            Figure 153

8. Without opening the iron, roll them one half turn forward and away from you  Figure 153. In this movement, keep the comb perfectly still and unchanged.

                         Slide Iron down                  Figure 154

9. Slide the irons down about 1 inch ( figure 154) . this movement is accomplished by opening the irons slightly, gripping them loosely, and then sliding them down the strand.

10. After completing step 9, you will find the iron and the comb in the proper position to make the second ridge. This is the beginning of a right going wave, in which the hair is directed opposite to that of a left-going wave.

                                  Slide Iron Down               Figure 155

After completely waving one strand of hair, wave the next strand to match. Pick up the strand in the comb and include a small section of the waved strand to guide you as you form a new wave ( Figure 155). When waving the second strand of hair, be sure to use comb and irons movement that are the same as those you used when waving the first strand of hair . . . this way the waves will match .

When you are going to Cosmetology school and are working towards passing the Board exams,  one of the requirements in the tests are completion of the "Finger Wave" which looks exactly like this, only its a little tighter. Learning the finger wave was about the toughest part of the whole test, if you ask me!!! At the time I thought, " why is this stupid technique on the test  - -who in the world does this???"  . . . see how much I know . . . who knew this style would come back in again! That training - years ago - made it easier for me to accomplish the waves................ for you??

As I've said before. . . . practice  - practice  - practice   . . .Good Luck, once you get that first wave in it will click.

Killer Chemist

Technorati Tags: Hair waves, wave styling, thermal wave styling

Smokin' Golden Globe Hair - Cameron Diaz Models the Paint Drip Hair Color Technique

Absolutely Amazing hair by the best Tomboy in the Business

The Paint Drip Technique:

Looks as though you dipped the hair in paint and let it drip dry

For instructions on this technique . . .

please visit my DEMO

http://killerstrands.blogspot.com/2008/01/foils-ribbons-and-paint-drips.html

sign up for a 1 on 1 Hair Color Consult with me : Killer Chemist,
for help with what products you will need
click on the BUY NOW Button for a $25.00 Hair color consult
safely through PAY PAL

Hair Force One - 10,000HEADS - Yearly revisions

Steps 3 Flat Iron Addiction-Free  + Step 4 : Exercise

The next 2 Steps are equally important as all of them, it is so  hard for me to narrow 10,000HEADS to only 13 Steps. Any more than that and no one would pay attention - it becomes too complicated for people. There are so many things you learn when you have so many eager clients to experiment with, so be sure to read all the older posts many of the points I would have liked to incorporate as steps, are instead Posts on Killer Strands!
Step 3 > FIA : Flat Iron & Hot Tool Addiction-free

The number one most destructive force to the hair  - - is HEAT. So taking 2 flat pieces of metal cranking the heat up to 400 degrees PLUS smashing those very fine strands of hair together,  with loads of pressure - in between the very hot metal plates, seems rather ridiculous, doesn't it?  With some of you flat ironing over and over again on the same section, I want to cry when I see people doing that. One swipe is enough boys and girls -- one swipe.
I've had a Flat Iron for 16 years, I was the first one to get one when I was in the Academy - I ordered it from England and boy did I think I was cool at the time. Every one borrowed it, the teachers, the administration, the cute guy I liked - everyone! We used Kera Care Silken Seal spray serum - still my fav' silicone  serum,
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to protect the hair and never ever had the damage I see everywhere now. Doing anything to the extreme is detrimental, and Flat Ironing your hair to death is a sure fire way to burn it right off your head.  
I have had many clients and many Killer stranders finally break down to me and reveal their addiction to the Flat Iron. They say they can't stop, that they feel horrible if they are not straightening their hair all the time.  Even when they smell it burning, so this is a very serious problem, in my eyes. 
There are addictions to everything I'm sure you all know. Its hard to find one person without an addiction to something, whether it be coffee, sodas, drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, Pot, running, cleaning, chocolate, exercise . . . there are just so damn many - my life is surrounded with people addicted to different things, how about yours ??  It makes total sense to me that, what I have called FIA Flat Iron Addiction, would hit our youth ( guys too) like a bull dozer. I've helped a lot of people get over this problem and if you are out there and have this issue, email me .  I have some great suggestions and help for those of you with this issue. I kind of put FIA together with my other term: Hair OCD. Hair OCD > the urge to color - condition - style their hair constantly, they can barely go 2 weeks without doing something radical to their hair. If they are not actually doing something to it they are thinking about what they want to do with it next. I have written about this before, they have control over their hair - many times when they have ZERO control in their life. We all handle things differently and thank the Lord this one is not detrimental to your 'life'.

The same goes true with Curling Irons, Crimping Irons, Marcel irons, wave irons,blow dryers . . . same exact issues. 2 metal plates and lots of heat = a recipe for disaster. Therefore with all those hot tools you have shoved in the drawer, remember to use them the way they were made to - 2-4 times per week, with only 1 pass over a section - spraying the hair with a good silicone serum spray to protect it.
I fully realize that very few of us can realistically go out without some sort of "heat" tool to do our hair so it looks nice and stylish. the number 1 method used to style your hair should be a brush and blow dryer. Blow dryers are the least harmful to your hair - - the air that is blown onto the hair prevents it from getting near as much heat as any of the irons - - so instead of going forward and looking for bigger better Flat Irons we need to pull back the reigns, do a 180 and go back to our trusty Blow Dryers. Along with that move to blow dryers the blow dryer industry has developed a new type of dryer that actually does what it says it does. Almost every LA stylist I know uses a T3, I know many other brands are out there, but I have never tested any of them, so will not recommend them.
  All the new rage in England and Europe is "Blow Dry Bars" - - Salon owners are opening mini salons and the only service they offer is Blow Dry's - they have had Flat Irons 10 years longer than we have - they know the damage they produce. I think 1 or 2 have popped up in Boston and New York, most of you have to admit, a well done blow dry is about as fine as your hair will look. So your best investment should be on one of the IONIC hair dryers, where they dry cooler and quicker than the old type. . . with the type of brush that suits your style.
Step 4 - Exercise

Exercise - exercise ....we all know its good for us, doing it, is a whole other ball game. But its just plain and simple, exercise is good for everything in your body. I'm from the school that feels Lance Armstrong beat his cancer because of his exercise, I honestly and deeply feel if you exercise using 45 minutes of cardio 4 of those days + various other forms -- 6 days a week - you can fight off just about anything - including hair loss.
Within 10,000HEADS I will almost always find a persons "trigger-point", I call it. Which means there is one action within these 13 steps that is, unique to you and is your reason for the thinning. It is your particular catalyst to thinning or thrashed hair. It's going to be very difficult for me to find out what everyone out there in web - land's trigger point is, but I would encourage you all that are on 10,000HEADS just know that is a part of the protocol , so maybe you can figure out which step is your-own trigger point.
 
I have seen YOGA work for the most people, which is great because everyone can do YOGA. You can buy a DVD for $10.00, a mat, then start off - at home. which is how I started a way back when I did - I had heard that Cher & Madonna were practicing YOGA (10 years ago) and I knew that Cher had been sick for a couple years with one of the auto-immune diseases. . and YOGA helped with her health while battling it. The girl next to me in the Salon did her hair, she started her on the protocol and she was thrilled at what it did for her hair. Many times with auto immune diseases your hair is one of the first things to start deteriorating. How cruel. 
Once I started it was crystal clear to me what was the biggest advantage . . .being upside down a great deal of the time. The blood rushes to your head, and ( for lack of a better work) 'fertilizes' the hair bulb which is where the "new growth" stems from, remember? When I was practicing YOGA 6 days a week my hair was never better, I have had quite a few professional surfers take it up YOGA for their hair, and that was all they needed. I realize Yoga is not for everyone, if that is your case, then you need to find something  to get your body upside down. I know this sounds weird. . .BUT, it will help more than you can imagine. Some have discovered if they lay on the couch and hang their head over the side, they can read a book with not too much trouble. ( yoga is easier). Some have invested in Gravity Boots or a Gravity Board, remember those? Its a board that can flip you upside down, the boots are the same theory only you clamp them onto a pole in between a doorway (yoga is easier). Pilates, also has some inversions - there are 2 types of Pilates - either a floor version or the machine.
If you really want the most simplest of simple ways, Yoga Journal(magazine) has an excellent section that describes and shows you some of the poses. Don't panic, I'm just asking you to look at one,and only one! Its the most popular and I would say the basis for all yoga poses so its super easy and everyone can do it. It will get your head upside down and that is all we are looking for. Ever heard of DOWNWARD DOG ? Well, that's the only pose you need, just do this pose for your "upside-down-time"requirements.  This is what it looks like > > >
http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/491   you should be able to start with 3 minutes in it, move up to 5, then 7 then 10 and so on at your own rate of course.  You will get other benefits out of this as well, some say their skin benefits, some say they have more energy. The way this photo is taken is about as advanced as you can get, so don't think you have to stretch out nearly as far as she is. Just do it at your own rate. I do know for sure that your hair and its strength and shine will benefit greatly from this one simple pose.
Within the category of exercise I also want to stress you must include a walk, 3-4  times a week. The requirement is that it is at least 30 but prefer 45 minutes and you are not allowed to take anything electrical with you. No phones, no i-pods, no cameras, no nothing. Hair Nazi - - - right? I told you. I feel the walk hits 2 categories stress & exercise, and people never walk anywhere anymore to clear their head. I have a couple dozen people that swear this is their trigger point! So don't make fun of it until you've tried it .............for 90 days!

HAIR FORCE ONE - 10,000 HEADS Regimen:Hair Strengthening System

Revised and Updated 2009

This is the time of year I add or detract to 10,000 HEADS, the program I started over 8 years ago on my clients in the Malibu Salon. I will take 2 steps per day this next week and add or detract from a notebook I keep from letters, emails, and responses I get from clients all year long.  It's so nice having hundreds of people who are just as eager as I am to come up with a hair strengthening system that truly works on all types of hair loss, hair damage & thinning for women. Many of my clients would go to their dermatologist with their worries of hair loss or more specifically "hair thinning" and would be told "oh you look great - - - you are stressing over nothing, my dear, just go home have a glass of wine and be glad you aren't bald." If really pressed the doctors would give them women's Rogaine, and send them on their way. That type of attitude is not met well by women from the entertainment industry, they are a bit more demanding than that. That is when they all started to open up to me at their appointments.

  I had many girls and women finally opening up to me . . . which was not at all a surprise to me, I noticed the thinning myself, I know my clients hair well enough that I could bust them for using the wrong shampoo or a hot tub without treating it when they came in for their appointments. Some called me the Hair Nazi . . . but it was all done in fun. What happened took place over a few years it began with a few women per year, and what was different was that the women were younger - under 40 - under 30 and soon under 20! (men have always had this problem it is new for women) When the problem progressed to a few people every 3-4 month's -- then every month - - every week. . .and when I began having 1 woman per day every few days per week from the age of 17 up to 50... ( I would do 15-25 people per day) is when I put my foot down, 20 year olds with hair thinning ? ? ?

That is just WRONG, and something needed to be done.

I met with my assistants to brainstorm - they agreed with me > and we began with our surveys and trying to figure out what in the world was going on. Every rear end that sat in our chairs would fill out a survey... in our attempt to find a common denominator. I've told bits and pieces of this story throughout the Blog, as I will continue to but this is how the story BEGAN.  In my opinion the answer is in the 13 steps above - follow them all for 1 year. If you follow all 13 steps - ( which I understand, is very difficult to accomplish) -  I have yet to find anyone male or female that has not improved their hair to their own satisfaction. I realize that is a big...no, HUGE statement . . .  but not a whole lot of people have truly tried the entire program. That is a whole lot of discipline, but damn it  - - it works! Most do bits and pieces of it and I tell people to get the best results follow the last 4 Steps religiously . . . and do the best you can on the other 9.

SLS Sodium Lauryl Sulfate in the shampoo as most of you know ended up being the one true common denominator in all of my clients and now readers. So this is a mandatory step you MUST follow, I have a number of SLS-FREE POSTS you can review .  But through that survey and the next couple years work and research trying to figure out what was going on with my own clients hair, I began work on 10,000HEADS - without even realizing what I was doing. My assistants figured out at one point that I had done over 10,000 heads of hair, which was years ago...so you now have the birth of this very successful system.

Many people have ordered THRIVEN this week, so I am hopeful that many of you are looking forward to developing healthy hair. The 2 Steps for today - Steps 1 & 2

Step 1 ; NO SMOKING (of anything)

I must get at least a dozen people a year that ask me to prove to them that POT is bad for them. Now I laugh, I used to get bent out of shape. I'm a child of the seventies, we were the ones who gave birth to the drug scene in America, so I am not the one who has never tried anything, nope I was right in there with the best of them. When I became pregnant, was when everything STOPPED for me. Completely stopped.  But you cannot tell me that when you take a hit of weed, and its all you can do to hold the sucker in your lungs, it burns so bad, hurts so much, that puff of sweet smoke is not tearing your lungs, your skin, your organs and your hair apart.  With every puff you undoubtedly end up coughing it out in a huge belch of smoke, cough and laugh....AM I RIGHT > ?  Sure that shit is fine for your body. Get real boys. 

I have a relative that died a very very sad and much too early death because of lung cancer, this man was a great athlete, had absolutely no stress in his life, was a very talented artist, but smoked weed religiously from 1950 to 2000 (when he died)  50 years of smoking weed almost every single day. No its not the strength of the stuff today which I hear is like smoking an atomic bomb, but it was clean,clear and the amount they smoked was just a lot more. But this lovely man came down with lung cancer, and they did everything in the world to try to save him . . . they even gave him a lung transplant. Now I remind you, he was a health food fanatic, did his daily exercises, did EVERYTHING right  . . .he actually had a great head of hair till he was about 65 and then the thinning started. He simply could not quit his pot addiction. It was a very very sad loss and no one will ever convince me that pot was not the single cause of his death.

Some facts:

FPHL = Female Pattern Hair Loss is what they technically call it when the thinning starts, I will use those initials throughout. The cause of the failure to grow new hair in female pattern baldness is not well understood, but it is associated with genetics, aging, sulfates in shampoo and levels of hormones (especially androgens, the male sex hormones) . Why, the pharmaceuticals do not have more research going into this area - I truly, do not know.

A hair grows from its follicle at an average rate of about 1/2 inch per month. Each hair grows for 2 to 6 years, then rests, and then falls out. A new hair soon begins growing in its place. At any time, about 85% of the hair is growing and 15% is resting.  Baldness occurs when hair falls out but new hair does not grow in its place. This is the simplified and EXACT reason for thinning or balding. Therefore the goal is to figure out a way to continue that cycle of hair growth on every single hair on your head and then you will have solved the problem of hair thinning. Now, every single step of the 10,000HEADS regimen deals with the many reasons that will prevent each and every hair from continuing that cycle of re-growth, which is why if you follow them all you will have a wonderful head of hair. With smoking at the very top of the list.

Pot or Cigarettes are a sure fire way to wreck your hair... smoking constricts your blood vessels, thereby restricting blood flow to the hair follicle, slowing cell turnover, which holds back new hair growth.

Remember my best advice to you is to dust off that "common sense" shelf and begin using it. If smoking KILLS, which we all know - can you imagine what it does to the poor little hair strand that is so tiny and defenseless against the big bad meany - NICOTINE, Formaldehyde, and God knows what other chemicals are in those death sticks. I know its hard, I smoked when I went through my divorce - years ago - it was so hard I chose to quit when I went in for knee surgery and I couldn't walk ! I used the patch as well which I felt worked wonderfully - but I see they have all sorts of tricks now. Just try something. Replace smoking with exercise, it is the perfect pacifier - and you will be knocking 2 of the Steps off the list with one stone! I promise!

Step 2; Nutrition

Ahhh nutrition . . . I have battled and fought this one my entire life. I am always - ALWAYS trying to eat better. How about - YOU?

I cannot tell you the amount of times that a diet change has helped one of my clients, but I think deep down we all know this. I can tell when one of my strict clients has changed her diet . This is the person that eats the proper amount of protein every day, the proper amount of vege's, and fruit and the whole 9 yards, I can tell when she has gone off and eaten junk for a week, so it is that apparent!

2008 is when I have truly tried to get more people eating vegetables and most specifically broccoli.  I am of the belief that eating broccoli everyday will help everyone in many different aspects, so if you can - follow me and begin eating at least 1 serving of either steamed or crisp fresh broccoli every single day, I feel it is the one perfect food for your hair.

I have read just so much good about it.      Here is a short piece from a gentlemen that claims to have kept his hair through many years and a multi-pronged approach - kind of like mine - only geared at men. His name is Thomas Haggerty and his web site is http://www.hairloss-reversible.com.  In this year alone I will bet I have read well over 200 articles that give broccoli the heads up for improving health in dozens of different areas. Everyone needs to add this to their diet, and especially if you are dealing with hair loss, or thinning, it just HAS to be mandatory. Vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower produce a chemical when being digested that inhibits the action of dihydrotestosterone DHT. Leonard Bjeldanes, professor of nutritional science at UC Berkeley, and Gary Firestone, professor of molecular biology at the same institution, have been researching the anti-cancer properties of plant chemicals (phytochemicals). They found that vegetables such as broccoli and Brussels sprouts are rich in an indole called I3C. I really don't find it necessary to go in the whole technical who-ha, so this is an abbreviated version of his story.

Further research confirmed that this DIM inhibits the action of DHT. It does this by binding to the same receptors within the cell that DHT uses. DHT, is involved in baldness. The research that Bjeldanes and Firestone are doing is mostly centered on prostate cancer and the proliferation of cancer cells, but Dr. Bjeldanes in an email to Haggerty wrote that he is now requesting funding to do research on baldness.

The reason that I stress the importance of getting nutrients from real food instead of from pills is that there are many unidentified nutritional factors in food, especially in fruits and vegetables. These phytochemicals that one doesn’t get in pills may provide a great health benefit.

There is nothing conclusive yet in the research of Bjeldanes and Firestone indicating that broccoli and other vegetables will benefit the hair follicles, but I loaded up on broccoli at the market today just in case. By the way, the best way to cook broccoli and other vegetables is to steam them. Boiling vegetables destroys over half the nutrients; steaming destroys hardly any. Just purchase one of those little racks at Target for $3.00 that sits in a regular sized pot , you put an inch of water  in. . . and you're good to go.

 

Just a quick paragraph on PROTEIN. Protein is a must for good hair, if you are a Vegetarian, or vegan you seriously need to think about quitting that protocol - Hair is made up of protein and hair LOVES protein coming in the body. The more the better. There are some dynamite protein bars out there. . .be sure they are at least 15 Grams or above and devour one or 2 of those every day just to be sure you get some of the required 50-75 grams of protein daily. Nothing will replace the whole foods themselves, but in reality who can eat that well every single day. You would have to give up the rest of your life to "eat correctly" ! But I do know that revamping your diet  to getting close to what you should eat for your hair every day is not that hard. . . . so just start making the changes. 

Breakfast is the most important meal for your hair so DON'T skip it! Your energy levels to your hair follicles are at their lowest first thing in the morning, and they need a boost so skipping this meal would be your first mistake. Find something that has protein in it you like and begin making that you healthy hair breakfast from now on.

Lunch is the 2nd most important, remember salads have no protein in them unless you add chicken or tuna or turkey to them.  Protein is what will turn your slim salad into a healthy hair meal.

When eating throughout the day it will benefit your hair to eat many small meals or as I call it  . . ."grazing". Eat many little meals all day long, its better for your body as well as your hair.  You know how if you wait more than 4 hours between your meals you get a little giddy or lethargic ? That is the same thing that happens to your hair follicles, so you will want to grab a little snack like a vegetable or fruit ( carrot, or apple) . . . just enough to boost your hair follicles energy levels until your next meal. Remember when that one hair falls out and the next one is supposed to begin growing. . . is involved with your nutrition, you do not want that new one growing in to be starved because you are improperly dieting. That is why you will see almost EVERY anorexic/bulimic with such horrible thin hair.

DON'T STARVE YOUR HAIR.