What Happens When Hair Gets Damaged?

Healthy Hair is always the goal

The moisture content of hair is what keeps it smooth and supple, and the main factors in its ability to retain moisture are the specific properties of amino acids. When the chain is degenerated, dehydration takes place….causing the hair to lose elasticity, strength and gloss.

Frequently, I get nervous I am speaking and concentrating on ‘hair color’ solely, remember NOTHING IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN HEALTHY HAIR . NOTHING.

I want every single person that follows Killer Strands creed to check over those 14 steps once monthly (every single month of the year!), and exactly like ‘dieting’ -- you will come to a plateau – when you do and you are jones-ing for another burst in the health or growth length of your hair. I hope you will step up to the plate and take on another step, I have watched many a client do this, and watched it pleasantly surprise themselves (and me), once again.

As a matter of fact just this week a close girlfriend decided to begin forcing 1 liter of water down her throat - - daily. She has always complained “ I hate the taste of water”. . . . as so many do.

Its about time I come clean ……. I used to have that exact same feeling, until I took on the challenge of forcing 80 oz ( 2 liters) down my throat every single day for 2 weeks. Sound gross? It is. I’m not going to lie and tell you how wonderful it is, how fun and easy it is….nope miserable - - absolutely miserable. It involves downing a full glass of water every half hour > all day long. Yep, GROSS….Big Time.

But…….and this is a very big ‘but’ !! …just like I had read in a hair chemistry book, once you begin drinking large amounts of water - -your body goes through changes and there will come a time where it all changes and your body becomes used to this large amount of water, it begins to crave it. You don’t have to think about ‘forcing it down’, your body tells you to take a big 8 oz glass of water nearly every 1-2 hours of the day ! It was no longer an effort, it becomes “normal”…completely NORMAL. It was absolutely amazing to me, I don’t think most of us know what the feeling truly is of “severe thirst” or even ‘thirst’ at all – we are so fortunate to be surrounded by thousands of liquid drinks – and to not have to worry about where or when our next gulp of water or juice is coming from.

When was the last time you truly felt - - “THIRST”??. We are such a busy-busy nation of people most of the people I speak to don’t slow down enough to think about thirst, they find drinking water a chore, instead of a necessity of a healthy life. I found that most interesting, to go from not liking it…….to craving it - - - just the wonders of the HEALTHY human body always shock me. That is why I truly encourage you to try this, watch how much adding water – just adding water to your ‘daily intake’ changes your skin, your bodily functions and more importantly - - YOUR HAIR! ! I find it also amazing that people will take on these challenges when their hair is involved…but whatever works to open peoples eyes.

To draw a current parallel that may make it easier for you to understand how much our bodies need water to run perfectly, I want to use some of the strong – unbelievable stories of Haitians that have been pulled out of the rubble in the big Haiti Earthquake. Have you seen the little boy that was buried for 8 days under layers of cement blocks, pulled out . . . what was his main problem ?? He was dehydrated, exactly what I am talking about in hair health - - dehydration is disastrous for the hairs health and the body – it can literally - bluntly > kill you. So, if not having enough water in your body can kill you, can you see the parallel and how important it must be for something so simple as your HAIR growth ? ?Hair needs a healthy body to grow from, one of my most common quotes is: “Your hair is the first indication of your health”, I know my clients don’t listen to me because I have said this one sentence for years…but I honestly truly mean it. I cannot tell you the illnesses that a doctor diagnosis a patient where hair thinning and hair loss is one of the first indications of many serious diseases. So remember that, all physicians use hair thinning/loss as a very common sign of looming illness.

Anderson Cooper highlighted this little 5 year old boy – “Monley” on CNN (ya gotta love Anderson), he lost everyone in his family so AC was hoping someone in the USA might offer to adopt him {if you have any interest in this please contact CNN}

They showed footage of him being pulled out after being buried for 8 days, his skin was dry and dehydrated his stomach was distended he looked as though he might not make it. They got an IV in him immediately, the footage of him 2 days later was a true miracle. An IV has mainly WATER in it – and Dr.Gupta was saying that was the main thing needed to save him…is that not a crystal clear picture of what not enough water in your body can do ??? I hope this story rings true to you, touches your soul and inspires you to “ give WATER a chance”

Drinking water is a necessity. Don’t take advantage of the amount your body needs to operate properly. I have had so many women tell me that they sleep better, they have less headaches, their skin glows, their dry/itchy skin problems subside, give it 30 days. I have received hundreds of postive reports about drinking massive amounts of water - - -across the board. And no, in 2 weeks your hair won’t be shiny BUT, in 6-8 weeks it may, Hair is made up of water, if you don’t give it water – and LOTS OF, it is not living up to its potential.

What I am pushing here is a permanent return to drinking 8-10 glasses per day – only starting with twice that is my recommendation. Fill up a liter bottle of Evian, or whatever brand suits you…personally I found the least expensive way to drink that much water was to pay for a reverse osmosis system on my kitchen sink. It treats my drinking water so it tastes EXACTLY and contains EXACTLY what Evian or any of the bottled waters out there do. Its a wonderful system, you just need to call your local water treating company and get prices from 3-4 companies on reverse osmosis treatment. Here in LA for 1 month it is $18.50 - for an endless supply of excellent water, I feel that is reasonable and better than purchasing cases of bottles…you know all the plastic & RECYCLING problems, etc. Its approx. $200 to purchase which is what I hope to do some day. This is what my unit under my sink looks like….. it is small & compact…

I feel with my new massive amount of water I drink - - I needed a reasonable answer or I would talk myself out of it! That is kind of how I teach my clients each step of 10,000HEADS, I solve the little problems of each step personally, then give them the easiest solution. That way when I quiz them, I have an answer for every question, & that is the way I like my education > from first hand knowledge.

I can admit my clients have all had a bit of fear.. showing up for random appointments…I watch them squirm and kick myself for being so stern sometimes. They will sit down in the chair, and in 5-6 weeks I can touch their hair and just simply ask, ‘what happened this month?’ and the squirm becomes a small sweat…they will have gotten lazy with of one of their “trigger” steps. Which means, I have found that almost every person has 2-3 steps, out of the 14 that are their own personal “TRIGGER Steps” the steps that are what made the biggest difference in their hair. At times it will take 2 months before I notice although there are many times I will notice it, in a month.

My recognition of Trigger deficiencies comes from my zest for the art of healthy hair, I’m not sure I have ever found another Stylist that was/is as involved in producing healthy hair as I am. Many thought me nutty, I bet many of you feel the same. It began a year or 2 after graduating from Sassoon, the idea was born from the Academy as they cram “healthy hair” down your throat – D A I L Y. As far as I am concerned – there was good reason for everything I learned from that school It was one of the most inspiring, and worthwhile educations of my lifetime and I also am a College Grad.on top of everything else. Learning about life and health and beauty at that school was insanely expensive but worth every last cent.

The skin, hair and muscles of your body are composed almost entirely of protein and water. How can so many seemingly different structures be made of the same substance? The answer lies in the building blocks of proteins, known as amino acids. As the name indicates, amino acids contain an amine group and an acid group.These groups are both attached to the same carbon. It is the combination of the different amino acids (in some cases millions) that decides what particular protein we will end up with.

High on the list of causes of hair degeneration is the variety of chemicals found in the beauty salon although more importantly their handling is the key. Which is why I write on this blog day in and day out. Trying to train you all in the proper manner how to repair and how to apply color in the proper manner. Examples include permanent wave solutions that are too strong, over-processed or incompletely neutralized. So many do not take the steps seriously. I am a fanatic of ‘all the steps a procedure take”, most Stylists let their guard down and begin eliminating steps from RELAXERS, BLEACH & TONES, and on and on. This is what begins the road to damaged hair, eliminating Steps to a procedure.

In today's world of 2010 hair we possess the knowledge to properly and without damage:

• Color Hair
• Curl Hair
• Straighten Hair permanently
• Bleach Hair
• Add Extensions to Hair
• Darken Hair
• Tint Red Hair
• Crazy Color Hair
• Tease Hair
• Style Hair
• Remove Hair Color
• Fill Hair
• Wave Hair
• Braid Hair
• Tone Hair

…..do every single procedure in this list TO HAIR…. IN A totally HEALTHY MANNER. Never let a hair stylist tell you different. (I’m sure I’ve forgotten some procedures)

This is 100%TRUTH

I want all of my readers and crib colorists to know this, to all know that it IS possible. I ran my entire career never dropping one step, I added 3 steps, and time to another. Don’t worry - - my Assistants all thought I was nuts as well – I always hoped they took my vision to their own careers. I could tell good assistants from bad by their reaction toward adding steps to a procedure. I made them all carry a neck timer to set on every procedure they were on during a day (yes,they hated it - but its a great lesson)

A relaxer is the most crucial, and dangerous hair application a Stylist will ever undertake I would say 75% (at least) will not even do them, most are afraid. They don’t teach them in general HAIR SCHOOLS, I only had a week of training in the Academy, but it hit me - - to be the exclusive Malibu Stylist performing them, all you stylists reading this, I highly recommend you adding it to your repertoire ( remember only add it on if you will do ALL of the steps and not drop one of the many stepped procedure) it is the most rewarding as well as the most time consuming.

The knowledge is there to successfully apply every hair procedure above without causing one ounce of damage to the hair.The problem comes when individuals begin cutting short and cutting OUT the steps needed to turn out a healthy-strong- beautiful head of hair.

The human body produces proteins day in and day out to build and repair its structures. Amino Acids are linked together in protein structures by the peptide linkage. In the case of hair, the structure is that of Keratin. Keratin is composed of 18% cysteine. This is important because additional bonds known as disulfide bonds occur between the sulfur atoms in 2 peptide chains, offering great structural strength. The natural colorant of the hair is another protein, a protein known as: melanin ( I am hoping you notice how important it is for you to have protein, along with water… in your diet daily ). I try to make this simple, yet, it is not a simple subject. Remember to keep reading over and over, it will eventually sink in….that is exactly how I learned these slippery subjects.

Other negative factors are the action of all the various hot tools, flat irons, crimpers, rollers, anything heated even blow dryers. Heat is the hairs worst enemy. Sea air and salt water which leave a crystalline residue of salt that has a drying effect on the hair. Denatured alcohol is the bad alcohol, be sure your products do not contain that and especially not at the beginning of the Ingredient list {means it is the highest percentage in the formula}.This is now a perfect spot for reviewing the 14 Steps of 10,000HEADS, each one will show you what damages hair.

Which brings us full circle to City tap water, which is usually high in calcium and trace minerals can leave a whole array of deposits affecting both the condition of the hair and FUTURE PROCESSING ; not to mention the negative effects that chlorine, central heating systems, air pollution, wind and excessive sunlight have on the condition of the hair.

The explanations given about atoms, molecules, mixtures and hair color are not an attempt to provide a speed course in chemistry. These are given to raise the awareness of just how sophisticated the chemicals we use are and to strongly dissuade anyone from “KITCHEN CHEMISTRY” { a term I had never heard before my voyage into the art of Blog writing}.

Learn as much as you can about the chemicals and products you use, what is chemically possible to do, and what you can reasonably expect. Then as I always say…..CHOOSE THE BEST TOOL FOR THE JOB.

Remember Chemicals do not make mistakes…….

………WE DO

Killer

Chemist

New Moon, New Vampires, New Hair…Have You Noticed How Wonderful Vampires Hair is?

Blood Is The Ultimate Fertilizer For Hair Strands

Vampires seem to be ‘all the rage’ . . . and as much as I love the Vampires Diaries and True Blood…I find all of them have one common denominator . . . Deadly Gorgeous Thick Luscious Hair ;-)  I just had to turn one more time to the 14 STEPS of 10,000HEADS…

Step #1 is YOGA. Why is Yoga so damn important for healthy thick hair? its a one word answer. . . INVERSIONS 

Downward Dog, Headstands, Handstands, and the list goes on. In simple language: Being Upside DOWN. Turning Gravity into your friend, by inverting your body and letting that red-oxygen rich blood to travel to parts of the body it has never been. To the root of the hair . . . where the growth of every new hair strand begins. Vampires spend a lot of time upside-down – and so should YOU!

Being upside down is important . . .and why?

Blood is the very best fertilizer in town for hair – oxygen rich – Vitamin packed BLOOD. Its such a simple and logical answer. 8 years ago when I started YOGA classes I never thought ‘that’ bonus would come from it. Its part of the reason Madonna, Aniston, Cox, SJP Parker,and 3/4 of Hollywood practices YOGA.

The supreme benefits the hair receives. I was already taking the SS  Secret Supplement daily,so I had the most tremendous boost in not only the thickness of my hair, but the length it grows to…I didn’t think I could get any happier or pleased with my little system of improving hair thickness, length and growth rate.

For someone of my age to have hair to the elbows is just nutty. Especially when I have never had hair this long in my life…I still laugh every time I brush it and can brush it in the front of my body without having to lift my arms - - - it tickles my forearms, I have never in my life had that sensation. What added another 3 inches  and even more thickness? Yoga. Plain and simple. Yoga, doing DOWNWARD dog and being inverted is an absolute GOLD MINE  . . .  and I had no idea when I started my 3 year trek into the world and life of a YOGI, that would be the result. What a supremely pleasant gift.

There was not a time in my life I was stronger - -  and my hair was never better. Its funny to me that none of the magazines (Gossip or otherwise) have ever reported this fact. It is widely known here in southern Cal. Get that body of yours upside down so your blood fertilizes the hair roots...10 minutes a day works absolute miracles.

Everyone has Oxygen Fertilizer for the Hair Strand....built right in their body. Problem is GRAVITY works against putting it where it needs to be to do the most good. Its in our legs - our feet - the lower half of our body.
What we must do is INVERT our body so the blood goes to our head, stay upside long enough so the blood goes to the scalp and literally fertilizes the hair bulb, where the hair's cycle begins and ends. If you nourish it, give it the blood/oxygen and vitamins it needs that 3 stage cycle the hair goes through is longer, stronger and naturally it just works more efficiently. That cycle is where the ultimate 'length' of your hair is determined...and it CAN be changed if you start on and stay on 10,000HEADS and the 14 steps we offer you. This one is overlooked and I'm telling you I have seen this step be the trigger on many clients.friends & family even. For many,this was the step…that pushed their hair over into the FANTASTIC stage.... 

 

 

 

How many of you know what DOWNWARD DOG IS?

If you don't you must find out. . . get yourself to a YOGA CLASS, purchase a DVD, even buy the Wii game that is a YOGA INSPIRED CLASS...it is worth every penny. Especially if you cannot afford Yoga classes, you live where they don’t have them, or your ‘time’ is limited. There is always answer to practicing YOGA.

Your hair will love you. It may sound silly to you, but I had a professional surfer that 10,000HEADS worked absolute miracles on...he became a very dedicated YOGI, going 5X times/week, but when he became injured he was super worried that his hair loss ( that we had reversed) would return. So he came up with a Plan “B” even!

He hung his head off the side of the sofa while he laid there....in his bizarre attempt to get his blood fertilizer in action...
For hair's health and hairs growth cycle having the bulb at the stem of the hair strand nourished fully with oxygen rich blood is the single best boost I recommend to my clients.
The month prior to awards shows - people begin the 10,000HEADS NITRO Course. Which includes getting your hair jettisoned into the best health we can possibly pull off for it...
Minimum of 10 and up to 20 minutes upside down every single day for 5 days per week.

Downward Dog is the pose that is most used…Its simple, it does the trick and it is the best stress reliever as well. A lot of the 10,000 heads Regimen deals also with getting rid of your stress.

I happen to feel stress can cause illness…I realize that is a bold statement, but more times than I want to count,people I have known in my life have become ill following heavy periods of stress. You cannot just think about it. . .  you must motivate yourself to get to those classes…get your self upside down. Watch things change . .  your life, your hair. . .  as silly as you may think it sounds  - - you will change your tune when things begin flourishing.

Namaste.

Killer Chemist

thanks to Getty Images for photos

Hair Color, Hair Color Consultations, 10,000 Heads and the KillerQ8

Back to the Basics, where I Belong

Hair color is a funny thing, it cannot be reduced entirely to a science, as there are so many parts that are given to objective analysis by a experienced individual. That’s why you cannot just order a book on the subject. Dozens of Colorists before me have thought about writing one, I can guarantee you, its a daunting task…because of the variables we all know exist. Many aspects of hair coloring defy an exact system . . . the level System as I have tried to teach here on Killer Strands is the only universal system that truly works, I know it lacks in many areas…but when you get used to it I promise you figuring out your own hair color will be a snap. Learning it takes time, now that I have watched thousands of people absorb it I can solidly report that it takes some reading, some research and some thinking and experimenting to begin to work it…I am proud to report many of you are successfully working the Level System and reporting in with beautiful hair coloring stories.

What I hope for, is more of you to take the plunge, invest in your own hair….in your own hair color, in the power it takes you to take control over your own hair, NO MORE DISASTERS… you only have to learn the variables on one head of hair…YOUR OWN ! A great colorist has to be able to calculate for every type of hair that exists – every head of hair that walks through that door, sits in that seat and looks longingly to me for a perfect color. I took that look very seriously, but the more I listen to war stories of hair color disasters, the more I’m finding there are just not a whole lot of qualified Colorists out there. So to figure just your own out, really does not take that long, nor is that hard. I really encourage you to begin the reading it takes on this Blog to find the answer to your perfect hair color….Remember, IT DOES NOT COME FROM A BOX.

If I were to line up 10 of you with the exact same level 6 (completely) virgin hair, and every one of you wanted the exact same result…. I would not use the exact same formula. I’m estimating there to be 4 to 7 different formula’s to reach that same color and THAT IS WHY the Box system doesn’t work. Remember, Boxed Hair Color is known as “job security” to Salons and Hair Stylists, they count on you showing up with your hair color botched, that kind of says it all. I’ve always wanted to know how many people walked into a Salon across the entire USA one day of the week, every week of the year. …I would love to know the true exact amount. I’ve often thought it is probably around 50,000 per day, that to me is incredibly sad. You see all the stylists around me used to act like hunters waiting for the kill, during the day…in Malibu, the owner & I were the only one’s with a jam-packed book. They would wait for “walk-ins” with botched box color . . . I never had to live that way. But still, it just isn’t fair to the public, I don’t think anyone has ever brought that topic up, I won’t stop bringing it up.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Your natural base level is foremost among the key factors one wants to use in calculating your new hair color formula. Your best bet is to remove all old color (using VANISH only) if its blond or blorange, blass or blellow (my personal fav.) begin growing your hair out - - - N O W! There are methods of turning those 3 colors normal while growing your hair out, all involve “filling” the hair. In Hair Academy some of the Color Instructors that lived in the Academy world would say: there isn’t a color I can’t make a client. Which at first I took on their attitude….UNTIL >>>> I got to the “Salon” world and dealt with the public on a daily basis that is when I learned the Salon world was completely & totally different than the Academy world. In the Salon world I would become close to my clients, I cared about them, cared about their hair ……the future of their hair. In the Academy world you do one person’s hair and never see them again. You constantly are doing the hair color of people you will never see again – models you do once, spending all day on one person for a photo shoot….never to see them again… which is just not normal. If someone walks in, is Asian with Level 1(black) hair and wants to have a soft “mint green frame around the face” …. you do it & actually have a blast doing it. YES, I can make anyone – ANY COLOR -- I did that for one full year, but I quickly learned that is NOT how you introduce hair color nor take care of clients you care about.

3 tricks I learned that made my client list so strong?

• Always have their “next” or “future” hair color and most importantly their hairs health in mind (for them) .
• Listen to their requests for their new hair color choices, look at the photos they have chosen . . . .but never ever forget what the consequences of their choices will bring.
• I always felt it was my job, to talk them out of a hair disaster. It was a gamble I took at the beginning. Most all top Colorists I knew at the beginning would turn the clients hair whatever color they asked for. I care about “people” too much to

Now I live by the Rule:

NOT ALL HAIR CAN BE ALL COLORS

- - and that, is my own PERSONAL Rule.

I took the hundreds of clients I had and pretended they were all my family. Would I straighten a girls hair who begged me for it, if I knew with the next appointment she came for… she would be in tears with her hair breaking off. NO Would I tint the platinum(Level 12) woman’s hair…. black (Level 1), because there was a dance or Halloween was coming up that she just had to have it for? NO Would I apply extensions to a woman's hair that was of medium or fine texture and was of medium to thin thickness? NO Could I have done any of these procedures? Of course. They all rake in a whole lot of $$$ as well. This is the stumbling block most stylists fall into, they worship the almighty dollar instead of the almighty hair strand. Big…………….no, HUGE mistake.

So for all of you that remain on the path to your Colorist, you must learn this for yourself, take the care of your hair into your own hands and stop any procedures from happening that do not protect your hair. Learn the Steps I have taught you through the pages and posts of this Blog. Go back to the beginning, read the entire Blog….It does not take that long and I get more compliments from that one suggestion than any other suggestion.

Join in on our Google Group http://groups.google.com/group/killerstrands ask questions, read the archives…. I hate to repeat myself. I look to the group for questions to write about in these POSTS. I hope to spend the next 2 months on Hair Color and Color questions the group brings to the surface will be the basis of my coming POSTS. You know when I had to wipe all my computers clean the only list that I lost that I truly miss is the one that I have collected since the beginning of the BLOG on “POSTS I HAVE YET TO WRITE”…I had about 40 titles on there and all these clever titles for them as well….I’m just so very sad about losing them. It took 3 years to put together that list. I have learned a lot from this experience, most things I didn’t know anything about, people keep trying to point out the good parts of it…which I appreciate, I truly do.

I'm looking for ideas to write about as "COLOR" is going to be my subject for the next 2 months...I'm going to really concentrate and get back to explaining and teaching hair color to you.

I am in the process of starting a small – intimate - additional group for KillerStrands.com customers exclusively - the advantage of purchasing your hair products here on KS is the advantage of getting assistance from myself and my trained assistants.

• 
  You will need to have an order number to enter/ post and read the group, and your questions will need to pertain to your purchased products....
• If you don't know exactly what color you need, purchase 2 tubes of the brand you want, some In-TENSIVE, Crib Colorist Kit ( gives you all tools you need to begin at a Killer price), a Sulfate-Free Shampoo …when you check out - there is our little "KILLER BOX" at check out - Write in that box:
  "JOINING GROUP - Hold Order 4 Help w/ Color Selection "
• Everyone joining the group, MUST join with the answers to the KILLER 8 which will be discussed in todays POST.
  Which ‘yes’ means I am forcing you to learn.
• I know that may sound mean, but it is truly not that hard, I have taught my little niece it ( she is only 17 and will be attending Vidal Sassoon Academy when she graduates high school!) - - if she can learn it - - - SO CAN YOU !
• I mean learn about your hair, so you never EVER have another hair disaster.
  

Every single day of every single month - - - all year long - - - I get an email from at least 2 and up to 10 people saying the exact same sentence, " I wish I would’ve found this BEFORE my hair got destroyed” … I am guessing my site is pretty high up there on Google’s ratings for Hair color disasters. So I thank Google for that…although I wish there was a way to for them to find me BEFORE the disaster happened. { I’m looking for miracles now, aren’t I ??}

This is what I started this group doing and to be honest my little mishap of November got me so rattled that I want to return back to the basics…..Teaching Hair Color to the Crib Colorists and Hair Health to the 10,000HEADS Regimen devotees.
...we are getting so many new members I want to concentrate on helping the people who decide to take the plunge and give professional products and KillerStrands brands/protocol a "go".
Don't panic anyone, I will still be helping out in here a few days a week - exactly as before.
I was also considering bring the Consultations back.....when I do though they are going to cost a lot more, unfortunately.
I'm so much busier now, but I get so many requests that it truly makes me feel bad.
You can look at it as one hair appointment, to save yourself a life-time of mistakes....if that is worth it to you, then maybe the price will make more sense.
As I have said many times, the answers to many of your questions are already here.....Free - in Posts I have written over the past (almost) 3 years! So if you just do a small amount of research { the Search system Google has on my BLOG works very very well } Nik is very good at learning how to "SEARCH" so is Amber, if you ask either one of them they may help you as well.

Now as I gather material and get back to writing about hair color and hair health….let me give you the KillerQ8. These 8 questions are as abbreviated as possible, to come up with your new hair color formula for your new KS Color. It includes everything possible, short of being able to feel the hair…the one and only missing variable in this system.

I can’t wait to hear some of you being able to figure out other member’s hair color formula’s as we use this system of mine in full force ad over and over again many of you will start to get it…You’ve already amazed me in your answers to many peoples questions. So in any questions from now on regarding you or your color and you wanting to change your color answer your questions with SHORT answers to these KILLERQ8

Just today I had one of our newbies answer the KillerQ8’s first question wrong.

the first question is this:

1. What is your VIRGIN hair color level & tone? Her answer was: Copper-Blond base with blond high-lights.

Now that is someone who is trying to beat the system, please get the answers right, its only 8 questions…. VIRGIN HAIR is hair that has not been touched by anyone. This doesn’t mean when you were 10 years old either, it means when you were full grown, mature and your age today…no has natural blond highlights ( z(except 10 year olds)….or if they do they are less than 1% and in 10,000 heads, I have never seen them. Anyway you get the picture now don’t you?

2.What is your PRESENT Hair Color level & Tone?

3. What is your DESIRED hair color Level & Tone?

4. What is your percentage of Gray? Is it Resistant? ( which means is it stubborn to hold hair color)

5.What is your DURP? Slight….to….Strong

VIP question….DOMINANT UNDERLYING REMAINING PIGMENT analyze what each one of those words mean – one-at-a-time ??? Then you can decipher the question…………What color do you or your Colorist fight, when tinting your hair? Blorange, Blass & Blellow are the common ones for clients trying to go blond.

6. What is your texture?

7. What is the Porosity? Along with the Condition ??, many times the two of them go hand in hand….be clear on both, please

8. What is length and thickness?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

So now you have the KillerQ8, the 8 questions we need in order to do a Consultation and or to speak about your hair color concerns in the GROUP….please, everyone figure out the answers to the 8 before bringing your question to the boards and to the GROUPS….Begin by putting the answers to the 8 on your questions.

Not in Group? Google:GOOGLE GROUPS / Killer Strands

Systems are good, but in hair coloring the level System does not capture it all, remember that. That System is good for a base, but a good analysis must also be considered in calculating your new color application….DURP, texture, previous artificial color, porosity, the hair color product you are using.

Join, shop the store . . . study the Color Charts they are the most wonderful tool for learning to color hair.

I look forward to writing more on color for the next 2 months….so get ready to learn.

Killer Chemist

The Case Against Hair Conditioner

Why your Hair is Better off without it

This means the "Daily Hair Conditioner" The 10,000 HEADS daily hair care regimen is this:

• Shampoo 3-4 times per week w/ Sulfate-Free Shampoo with 2 ways to follow:
• #1) 60% of you will be able to go 'without' any thing at all after your shampoo. Your hair doesn't tangle, you just have been conditioned to 'think' you need conditioner (ha ha ) just give it a 2 week try. OR
• #2) If your hair tangles as much as mine does & step 1 scares you, a good lightweight Spray De-tangler is your answer,I found this a very long time ago, its amazing http://killerstrands.myshopify.com/products/formulas-ecoly-tri-wheat-leave-in-conditioner-detangler - plain & simple it detangles, & it does not build-up on the hair, its the consistency of water.
• #3) Deep condition 1-2 nights per week with Thriven
• #4) Gleam - 1-2 squirts daily

and that's it.

The 10,000 HEADS Hair Strengthen System is a strange regimen to new members of our system of hair care, but to look at our Sales the numbers have spoken. SLS-Free Shampoo with NO conditioner, seems to be a hot idea this summer, and many are wondering even how this theory - came to be. I mean haven't you been using the 1-2 step of Shampoo - - Conditioner for most of your life? What gives with getting rid of trusty Step 2 they want to know -- why should we?

The answer I am pretty sure you will see, was another of my accidental "discoveries". . . which Killer Strands is full of. As soon as I made this discovery I never used a daily conditioner again & stopped using them on my clients which was instrumental in the birth of 10,000HEADS and its STEPS.

You need to understand Cosmetic Chemistry in order to make the Formula for a shampoo, the formula for a lip gloss, a perfume, a body lotion or cream and yes, also to make all hair products. Cosmetic Chemistry knowledge and experience is necessary to understand the rights and wrongs of making these products.

I began my cosmetic chemistry experience focusing mainly on what I thought were 2 categories, Hair Conditioners and Body Lotions. Hair conditioners for work and body lotions for myself. I had never been able to find a decent Conditioner for my clients that I wasn't continually having to clarify their hair from (I'm talking Pre-Thriven, Pre- 10,000HEADS, remember) and wanted a very moisturizing body cream/Lotion for my horrific painful dry skin, I just could not seem to find.

Those were my initial 2 goals to seek - - - and conquer - - - 1 personal & 1 professional.

First you start learning some solid elementary examples that workbooks give you. Purchase the ingredients & make a product that is already a proven success. Learning along the way... many little weird things about the formula and how exactly to make it.... was a Trip at first I was so afraid I was going to end up as the "MAD SCIENTIST" with bubbles and things blowing up right and left {didn't happen} - things ended up just fine. To be honest, Cosmetic Chemistry is not near as difficult as I imagined. Looking at a formulation at the beginning was daunting - I was sure this was going to be impossible for me to learn. But it wasn't and ended up being just the most fun and rewarding of any sport/hobby/job I have ever taken up - I love it - I wish I had more time to be developing new and cool products. I remembered being terrified of Chemistry in High School & College....doing this, I LOVED IT. It was so satisfying to develop a product that worked so perfectly... I would continue to 'make' products that were wonderful AND "effective' finally to use...you could compare it to buying a cake in the grocery store compared to making a home baked cake from scratch. There simply is no comparison. That was, and remains, the difference in home made products versus manufactured products to me.

Now the interesting part of this experimenting that I'm hoping will show many of you "WHY" Hair conditioners are a horrible product to put on your hair, I did not realize it at first. It took a couple months, and only had to do with the manner in which I work and what my 1 -- 2 interests, were.

I want to show you a Formula to make a Body Lotion, its one of the very first ones I made and tweaked to my liking. I have made well over 70 Hair Conditioners, and still am making them. I love it and it is "fun" for me now.

Now check out this formula for a good body lotion. Its not greasy, AT ALL, it lasts all day or night.

Body LOTION #13

Part A

• Distilled Water ………………….81%
• Glycerin …………………………. 1.5%
• Hydrolyzed Soy Protein ……...... 2.0%

Part B

• BTMS................ .....………...… 5.0%
• Jojoba Oil ……….......……….... 4.0%
• Shea Butter ………………….….6.0%

Part C

• Optiphen ………………………. .04%

Fragrance or Essential Oil (optional)

the DIRECTIONS are:

Directions: Heat Part A to 75C/170F . Carefully heat Part B until melted. Add Part A to B with mixing. Continue to mix until cool. At 50C/122F (or less), add Part C with mixing

The directions are pretty simple, the only hard part? . . . is the mixing part. It has to be mixed with a high power STICK BLENDER, for a couple hours and stopped and started at just the right temperature. But that isn't difficult, just boring.

All these exact same procedures ( temperatures & mixing) go into making a Hair Conditioner

This is a bare bones formula for a body lotion, but what I discovered is, it's wonderful - better than any Lotion I had ever used, and look how simple it is. I hope you see why I get so upset when there are 55 ingredients in a list when one of the big manufacturing companies make shampoos. 7/8 of them are totally unnecessary . They think they are making a better product - - this is a better product!

Here is the formula to a

Hair Conditioner:

Part A

• Distilled Water …………………………83%
• Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein ….........…. 2.4%
• Panthenol ………………………… …. 2.0%

Part B

• BTMS………………………………..… 5.5%
• Abyssinian Oil .……………………….. 2.0%
• Rose Hips Seed Oil ….......……......... 2.0%
• Shea Butter....................................... 2.0%

Part C

• Optiphen ………....................……… 0.3%

The Directions are EXACTLY the same as the above directions.

>This is called is an Emulsion. > Both Body Lotions and Hair Conditioners are the exact same Class in the cosmetic chemistry industry. >Both are emulsions. >That is what I realized that really shook me up as I hope it will you as well.

Would you take that bottle of Lubriderm body lotion, and pour it all over your hair right after your shampoo? Or that bottle of Nivea, Jergens, Aveeno, even Philosophy (a higher priced) lotion on your newly washed strands? I will never forget the day I figured this out, I was lying by the pool reading my notes of the newest formulations and a cosmetic chemist reference manual together. It felt like a ton of bricks fell on my chest - it was that jarring to me.

Well, they are made the exact same way, with the exact same water & oil Emulsion formulation. Mixing water + oil with an emulsifier and coming up with an Emulsion, no matter whether it has a Label plastered on the bottle that says it is HAIR CONDITIONER or BODY LOTION - - - - IT'S THE EXACT SAME THING!

Of course there are modifications made to make one thinner and one thicker but that is only a matter of adjusting the water to oil ratio, and does nothing to the fact that the way they are made is exactly the same and Lotion is not how your hair will flourish. So, besides the fact that Sulfate based Shampoos are causing hair-loss and thinning. Crappie emulsions the huge manufacturers make are clogging up the pores in your scalp which is restricting "new" hair growth. HHHHHHelp.

Please think about this, please give this method a try . . . see what your hair feels like without that goopy daily Conditioner on your hair, it has to do with shampoo manufacturers and the neverending cycle they want you on. Apply their sulfate Shampoos that can scrub the grease off of Garage floors, then apply their Lotion-like Daily Conditioners, which then require their sulfate shampoo's to get the Goop out again, I mean what a living nightmare. None of these steps are good for your hair's health or shine and on the opposite side they really promote hair thinning & loss, which I would say most of you don't want.

That is why everyone gets so excited when they switch to 10,000HEADS, even before they get to the part of THRIVEN & the Secret Supplement, and GLEAM. Just getting rid of that cycle has helped many many people - which I discovered in the Salon when I would rinse people's hair ( no matter how good you are, no matter how many Assistants you have - -you always end up at the shampoo bowl for some reason). That is where I came up with , "OMG - this person doesn't even need a hair conditioner - their hair rinses simply clean out and there are NO tangles. As I've repeatedly said, my own hair is a tangled web of knots after a simple shampoo - - has been since a very early age, color or not. The only thing that helps? Tri-Wheat Spray Detangler . . . and applying Color Touch on my lengths . If you are not a Licensed Hair Stylist, you really have no cause to learn about various hair "types". You concentrate on your own hair and all its little trademarks, but as a Stylist - you must learn about ALL types of hair and trademarks on everyone's hair. Stylists kind of snicker when clients want to go to a Stylist that has their own hair type/texture. That is silly to think we only know how to take care of our own hair type.

We noticed a number of orders going out with the exact same 4-6 ingredients in them, and decided to come up with Killer Kits that would give the purchasers a bit of a discount. We want to reward you for getting what is needed to fully realize the 10,000HEADS method of Hair Care. To start off with this is our newest Kit

Its called the "Go BIG or Go HOME Kit"

http://killerstrands.myshopify.com/products/killer-strands-10-000heads-starter-kit

Killer Chemist

10,000HEADS Hair Strengthen System - 2009 Revisions

Thriving 13 Step System Developed by Killer Chemist for the entire Female Sector

Every year I revise - change - add- subtract - in my never-ending quest to have the most precise & easy Steps for you to follow. So here is the current 0-9 version.

10,000 HEADS remains as successful as ever, now that the system is basically being used all over the world, I am secure in the fact that its success has nothing to do with a particular type of person, as I feared in the beginning. Its in England, Netherlands, Italy, Greece, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and right back to Hawaii where we just started shipment to. And, that is just the countries I can remember off the top of my head, pretty cool - - huh? I think so.

I set out to help the women of Malibu, moved up to the women of America and ended up helping the women of the World. That is cool . . . . . . . VERY Cool !

From now on, anyone that asks for shipment of THRIVEN to another country I'm going to ask they send a photo showing them holding THRIVEN in their country. If they do they will get a small discount on their next order . Hopefully we have some adventurer/photographers out there. Your photo will be posted right here on the front pages of the Blog!

I haven't talked about 10.000 HEADS in a very long time, I get so wrapped up in hair color, I dislike when I do that - I will look to some of you for reminders.

10,000 HEADS - 2009

Step 1 -Smoking

I would hope most of you understand this step, although the young need to be told & reminded constantly. . . . Remember that . . .when you think you know everything and you are positive cancer will n-n-n-n-never hit you.

I wonder what the Europeans think of this step when they see it. They are quite passionate smokers it seems which is just not conducive to having healthy hair. I have quite a few women write me about their hair loss (from all over Europe) and they all end up ordering THRIVEN and following 10,000 HEADS.Almost all of them will write frantic with suggestions on how to get the secret supplement in their country, if you have hospitals you can get the secret supplement, its sold world wide as an OTC pharmaceutical.

There was a great article in the New York Times last month that pretty much sums it up for me. Long ago when I began my research and tests for 10,000HEADS - when I discovered how smoking both Weed and Cigarettes absolutely trashed your hair, I wrote a note to Allure magazine and asked them to print the smoking <> hair loss link. I got no response. So with the NY Times finally doing it I can now rest in peace!

I love the NY Times . . . the article was from May 2009 written by Anahad O'Conner :

THE CLAIM:

SMOKING CAN CAUSE THE LOSS OF HAIR

If an increased risk of respiratory illness, cancer and heart disease are not reason enough for many smokers to consider quitting, than perhaps a message focused on hair instead of health may do the trick.

Scientists have long speculated cigarette smoke may accelerate haIr loss. The association was largely attributed to toxins in smoke that can harm hair follicles and damage hormones. According to epidemiological studies, that appears to be the case. A report in the journal BMJ looked at more than 600 men and women, half of them smokers. After controlling for variables, the researchers found a “significant” and “consistent” link between smoking and early graying.

Last year, another team studied the link in a group of 740 men in Taiwan, aged 40 to 91 years, notable because Asian men generally have low rates of hereditary baldness. After controlling for age and family histories, the researchers found a greater rate of hair loss among the smokers, a risk that grew with increasing smoking.

One question is whether the link is a result of tobacco toxins directly affecting the scalp, or of smoking’s causing severe disease that speeds aging.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Several studies suggest smoking can lead to hair loss and hair thinning.

When clients would come in for a 10,000HEADS Consultation, I could tell, by touch - that they smoked. It takes away shine and it takes away elasticity. . . there is a very simple elasticity test I run. Smokers fail it every single time.

STEP 2 -NUTRITION

I go over this in depth in a couple Posts so please see the Table of Contents I made (go ahead laugh) for 10,000HEADS. Remember Hi-Protein, tons of fresh vegetables & fruit . . .dieting itself is prohibited. Eating properly is imperative. I don't support Vegans or Vegetarianism if you have hair thinning....that's a tough one because I was a vegetarian for 15 years and a Vegan for 1....so I love that way of life, minimum of 50 grams of protein per day. . . closer to 70. Protein is the trick. Use protein bars if you have to there is a lot of great ones out there. I believe in oils for your "insides" as well as the outside. . .Lipids are just the key to strong shiny hair.

STEP 3 - NO FIA (FLAT IRON ADDICTION)

Flat Irons have been one of the worst hot hair tools ever invented. There are a lot of girls out there with Flat Iron Addictions, its quite sad to me. They just cannot stop flat ironing their hair. I've busted over 100 girls and at least sparked up the conversation with them about the problem. If there are any of you out there that need an ear and someone who understands send me an email Killerstrands@gmail.com. That is only one extreme. Just remember that the single most harmful thing to your hair is HEAT. With a flat iron you are taking the heat times one hundred putting it in 2 metal plates and SLAMMING it against your fragile hair strands. For the life of me I cannot understand the thinking behind this hair tool. If you have one, use it very very sparingly. The way to go is a round brush and a blow dryer. . . period.

STEP 4 - EXERCISE - YOGA

I just had a client of 10 years (a 27 year old buyer) who over the years ended up trying all the steps in her never ending goal to have her hair to grow longer. Her hair just stopped at this certain point - she tried all of the 13 steps - or so I thought, was religious about both Thriven & the SS secret supplement and was one of the founders (as I call them) > she is one of the "10,000" heads. She showed up with awesome hair - last time out of the blue - I was blown away to put it mildly - she had cracked the barrier and it was 2 inches longer than it had ever grown. She didn't want to tell me, but . . .she started YOGA and had been going 3-4 times a week for several months now. I didn't notice the last time she came, but this time with it being a 2 FULL inches longer, I was needless to say - startled and thrilled for her. I had asked her if she tried YOGA years ago, I guess people think I just make this crap up and do no research . . . maybe its what you think. I would hope from 2 years of posts that I have pretty much laid my life out for those of you that are KILLER STRANDS followers and fans of my hair knowledge and work and research in the betterment of hair health. I hope you can see that I mean what I say and say what I mean. I'm a no bullshit kind of girl I truly am.

The yoga trick I learned from 3 years of practice I trained as a teacher and interacted with hundreds of women in the process when I was living in Santa Barbara . I would say 80-90% of the women I spoke to attested to the fact that YOGA was beneficial for their hair . . . it was so in a number of ways. My hair grew longer and finally recovered from all the damage from treatment so I ever knew if it was just because mine was so traumatized or what until I started asking the women in all my classes. I very much recommend giving Yoga a try - besides the hair you will never find anything that calms the nerves and relaxes your heart as a 3-4 day a week routine.

Step 5 - ALCOHOL - LIMIT IT

We are talking excessive alcohol, social alcohol use seems to be fine, alcohol in excess is bad for the body and so it follows, bad for your hair

Step 6 - SHOWER WATER FILTER

I've written about this extensively on the blog and found it cool that Dr. Oz from the Oprah show was a big fan of Shower Filters for hair health and to prevent hair loss.

Dr. Mehmet Oz, vice-chair and professor of surgery at Columbia University and health expert on “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” recently talked about the importance of shower filters on “The Oprah Winfrey Show.”

Dr. Oz asserts that 50 percent of women suffer from hair loss. “You’ve got to treat [your hair] like a fine silk blouse that got wet,” Dr. Oz said on the show. “If you’re blow-drying your blouse that got a little wet or if you’re combing it backward over and over again, or if you’re too rough with it, it begins to fray. Your hair has to be dealt with extraordinarily gently.” Wow, I couldn't agree more with this guy.

And when it comes to treating your hair gently, Dr. Oz argues, a charcoal filter in your showerhead is the best thing you can do. A filter can help eliminate chlorine and many other metals and particles in the water, which can dry up your hair.

Here is one post on Shower Filters http://http://killerstrands.blogspot.com/search/label/Shower%20Water%20Filter and another http://killerstrands.blogspot.com/2007/05/step-2-shower-water-filters.html

Step 7 - PROFESSIONAL HAIR COLOR

Well, this entire Blog is pretty much devoted to teaching and telling you to never ever use boxed hair color and after 6 months of testing at the beginning of writing this Blog - I began testing on the hair colors that can be purchased at Sally's. I found every single one of those hair colors to fall VERY short of the results you can get from Professional Hair Color. In my right mind I just could not promote selling or buying such inferior color - so I began selling professional Hair Color online as a result of that finding. The hairs integrity was compromised

You know what's funny, in the entire rest of the world they don't distinguish between hair color for professionals and hair color for the public, which should tell you something. Mainly that we are very behind the times and need to get with the program. No sooner had I said that ... did I read an article in our trade magazines that Wella and many of the professional lines of color were in talks to sell to the public. So. there you have it, I'm hoping Killer Strands was instrumental in that .

I believe that after the age of about 30 Pro Hair Color actually makes the hair stronger and in better condition than without it.

Step 8 - WATER - DRINKING

The beauty and health benefits of drinking water are many. Water flushes out toxins from our body, this in turn gives healthy skin and hair. Summer is a time when the intake of water should be increased since our body loses most of its water in the form of sweat. Hair too like our body needs water to maintain its moisture levels. It is even better to drink warm water, since it has a cleansing effect on the system.

One should drink at least 8 to 10 glasses of water everyday, this quantity is required to keep the body hydrated. Water is the carrier of nutrients, so it carriers nutrients to every cell of your body including the cells where your hair re-grows.

Having 8 to 10 glasses of water everyday is a must, it should be at regular intervals to keep your body hydrated and your tresses moist. Water therapy helps in curing various diseases like acidity, diabetes, constipation, and so on. Use it to promote a healthy shine in hair, indulge in a simple remedy and enjoy the benefits of nature.

Step 9 - OVERLAPPING (W/ LIGHTENERS)

This refers to the process of getting the hair re-lightened and instead of applying the lightener just up to the line of demarcation, it is applied on top of the line and past it so you are overlapping on top of previously applied lighteners - one of the top 3 most damaging techniques for blonds.

Step 10 - SLS-Free Shampoo

No where is this subject covered more than here at Killer Strands. I have been working on this subject for 12 years, running tests with my clients in Malibu trying to figure out why all the hair loss and why it was affecting 18- 20 - 25 year olds along with women in their 30's, 40's and 50's. There are 16 Posts on this subject it would almost be silly to repeat myself on the subject. Look in the "Labels & Tags" on the sidebar about 1/2 down on the right side.

Step 11 - No Crash Dieting/ Anorexia

I just noticed that I have never written about this. I'm kind of blown away that I haven't . . . I have a lot to say about this, so watch for this post in the next 30 days.

Step 12 - Thriven

This Step is mandatory if you choose to follow 10,000HEADS, This product was made to repair hair not just coat it.

Step 13 - Secret Supplement

It says its a SECRET and so far all of you have done a great job at keeping it that way............THANK YOU. With the purchase of Thriven you get everything you need to know about. They work together 1 or the other will NEVER work alone, how I describe without the other - period.