Flat Iron Addiction = F.I.A. Flat Iron Stuck To Your Hand? and Hair. .

HELP ! Out of Control Problem

This is an issue that I've addressed, had a client with a horrific problem show up yesterday. I knew it was hitting our youth strong but I can see now its even creeping into 25 - 30 year olds. YEP! Your busted. I'm no psychologist but the way some of my clients that will cop to it ( its very easy for hair stylists to tell if you have this issue -btw) explain it, it seems to be very similar to OCD issues as I understand it.

OCD: Obsessive-Compulsive-Disorder and as Wikipedia describes it, Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)is an anxiety disorder characterized by obsessive, distressing, intrusive thoughts and related compulsions ( tasks or rituals) which attempts to neutralize the obsessions. OCD is distinguished from other types of anxiety, including routine tension and stress that appear throughout life. The reason I put this in here, is so those of you that have this {which there are some of you right now reading this} that do indeed have this to one degree or another... must realize that it is a serious issue. Now I know from experience with my clients that many, as soon as it is pointed out, can stop. It takes some work, and some effort - its not just, "oh, I think I'll stop" . . . nope, its a bit more serious than that. it must be worked at and something must replace that urge to flat iron. If you have the urge to flat iron and cannot stop I can suggest 2 things.

1.) If you can afford it, I would suggest making an appointment with a Psychologist that specializes in OCD for a month or two, at least.

2.) There are many great books on OCD, which is the choice if you cannot afford it. I have used this method to work with about every single problem I've had - I even raised my children reading books! I feel they only publish books from the best in their field, so why not read a book for excellent information.

Now for those of you that have FIA and can deal with it on your own I would like to offer a few alternatives for you before you fry so much of your hair off there will be no recovery. I mean it, I want to scare you...because the person that was in my chair yesterday has to go on a very strict program or she will have no hair left soon. She used extensions AND a flat iron numerous times every day and the damage is done, I am hopeful that we can save her hair but it sure reminded what is out there.

Becoming dependent on your flat iron is just not a great habit to get into. Remember . . . what is the single worst thing that can damage your hair ? ? ? ? ? ?

HEAT

Therefore, think about it... if heat is the single worst thing you can do to your hair . . . then > really HOT heat on 2 metal plates that are then pressed very tightly onto small sections of your hair, MUST be horrific on its condition. That just has to be the worst way to damage your hair, don't you think. You can begin to burn the hair off, I saw it on the girl yesterday . . . it can happen to you, FIA is a REAL - serious problem.

Electrical Tools have their place, but try giving your hair a break from excessive heat styling once in a while - learn to love your hair natural texture, one of the main mottos of Vidal Sassoon Academies worldwide. VS believes and they are right that if you use your natural texture in your hair style your hair will look better and as much as even I tried to fight that idea, they are right.

If you cannot go completely cold turkey on quitting the iron - re-educate yourself on using them by following my iron-safe guide ...

Hopefully you have an iron with a temperature control, most have them. Try straightening your hair with the temperature at a lower level. Experiment, I don't want to recommend a temp & it isn't right for your particular tool. Find the coolest possible you can get away with and keep it there, no reason at all to use the hottest temp.

Cheat that super-sleek finish by just ironing the top sections. Which means the top layer of the hair that is showing. This is the only part that is seen so why take the risk of damaging the rest of the hair !

If you know that you're going to be wearing your hair up, save time and help your hair's health by bypassing the irons. Hair that's got a little texture looks more modern in an up-do and will hold a style for longer if it has a rough texture as opposed to the smooth texture achieved with the iron.

Don't just use the irons to straighten your hair, they can be used to create a variety of styles, from flicks to volume to curls. If you have not mastered these yet, the trick? Practice - practice - practice. The only one a tad tricky is the "curls", but it is easier on the hair than using a curling iron that has heat in the entire circle and uses a hot CLAMP as well. Mastering the Flat Iron curl or wave is much easier on your hair and its condition than a full blown curling iron so set aside an hour or two for a couple days in a row and get it down!

The Golden rule of all electrical styling is to use a heat protector, like Kera Care's Silken Seal...a spray silicone serum without alcohol, every time you reach for the heat, to give your tresses some well deserved protection. Many companies make one, beware for an ingredient called denatured alcohol, it is drying for hair and should not be hair styling products.

Finally, my suggestion to everyone is to go BACK TO THE BASICS. What did we do 'before' Flat Irons were made by every single hair company and had every bell and whistle on them. I'm waiting for there to be a combo flat-iron and cell phone. Wouldn't that be the next logical step? Anyway, break out the blow dryer and brush. I like the look better anyway - I just think it has to do a bit with laziness, there is no easier way to style the hair than a flat iron.

Now , if the damage is done and you are saying to yourself, I'm quitting> now and decide to throw the iron away ( I've had plenty of clients go this radical) you will need to get serious about deep condition treatments - PRONTO. Give your hair the time and TLC it needs to recover. Invest in a re-hydrating and restructuring shampoo like KENRA'S Platinum Shampoo , SLS-Free and uses real Shea butter to moisturize hair. 8 OZ Bottle, to use everyday.

And Invest in a moisturizing deep Hair Conditioner that you must begin giving yourself overnight treatments with immediately. Here at Killerstrands we recommend our own little miracle, THRIVEN. The deep conditioner concocted by myself about 6 years ago and sold in the Malibu Salon I worked for. There is also a secret supplement that must be started - which you get the name of 'with' the purchase of your first jar of THRIVEN - we have had terrific luck with for hair health and hair growth. Almost all notice a remarkable difference in their hairs condition after the very first treatment. You may purchase this in the Side>>>>>Bar, there is a 1 click Buy-Now Button that will take you directly to Killerstrands Pay Pal account. Simple and safe.

If you have FIA to a serious degree and have nowhere to turn, please join our group -- we would be glad to answer your questions, there are a lot of people in our hair group forum with a lot of helpful answers and can be very supportive, many with lots of experience including myself. http://groups.google.com/group/killerstrands/topics

We have a nice group with some very kind and helpful members I am proud to call my friends. Please, consider joining and we will be more than happy to discuss anything hair related. . . . including FIA.

Check Those Flat Irons at the door Boys and Girls!

The Newest Designer Drug > The " FLAT IRON "

Bottle the Blow

Trash the ...'-tini's '

Hang-up the Hooka. . .

Today's Tweeners are on a rampage and it's a bit more than 'hair raising' to say the least.

If nothing is done and soon,the last thing they will have left

is not their hair . . .

There is a new drug out there,

that is invading the lives of our daughters, girlfriends, sisters, nieces and for me: clients.

I am starting to consider the Flat Iron a Drug

( clarification : FLAT IRON is the proper term for what many refer to as an electrical hair

"straightener" within the professional world of hair: Flat Iron is the Proper Term)

That is a very big Statement: I do realize.

With the tremendous surge in Flat Iron sales in the past couple years, as is with all new "wonder drugs", we have abusers,addicts and a whole new crop of wild and out-of-control problems.

HAIR LOSS & Irreparable hair damage being the most poignant.

ts gotten to such a degree that I am about to call a couple magazines as I cannot reach the people that need to be reached in the infancy of this blog and I feel it that important to our youth.

I call it FIA...or Flat Iron Addiction.

So lets see who will get this important story out there.

I get a minimum of 12 letters every single day from girls that "cannot figure out why all their hair is breaking off ".. . . The weird part is they do not even put it together. . . the flat ironing and the breakage. But I guess a good addict doesn't know that next pipe hit is bad for them either. Part of my fascination comes from the amount of time they spend doing this one thing. Finally one 17 year old client who's hair went from absolutely demolished and breaking off to silky and thick in the course of only 60 days with 10,000HEADS....I was able to ask and get a decent response,

"how much time were you spending flat ironing?"

"4-5 hours she figured - it IS summer !"

I am not exaggerating here...... I asked her what she does with her time now....

She got a Job.

Please people we need to wake up to this little whirlwind we are all missing.

I see this as an OCD type of a problem . . . but I am not a therapist and that is not my expertise, I am merely here to point out the issue, so we can all start to watch for it.

For my contribution.... I am encouraging all of you to go back to the good ole blow dryer and brush.... and no need to do it every day....a couple days a week will be just fine.
Please, write me if you have concerns at all in this arena...for anyone.

Please know I am not trying to be a nag. Remember my Tag Line,

"I care about your hair" and I do ...truly care.

Yesterday I had one of my old regular clients stop by, her hair was horrendous.Just horrendous. I take this hair thing so serious that it makes me ill.. for the remainder of the day when I see someone in clinic with hair like this. I know its only going to get worse unless she changes a few things and fast. The really sad part? She is 26. 10 years ago this was not happening and especially not at that age.

I had to put her on the most strictest of programs and she was upset...and now I know why I haven't seen her in a while. I am merely trying to help and prevent all of you from having to go through what I see is going to be a HUGE problem very very soon.

The mission of my 3 Blogs is to share and relay the information of one of the top Hair Experts in the country with the public in 2 main areas. My goal is to reach most of America and share with them the knowledge of how to color their hair . . .just the same as if they were "baking a cake". There has never been any guidance or release of knowledge or book guiding women of America on how to care for the color of their hair. Not everyone has access to $250. highlights and I propose to change that and make thorough, accurate hair color advice and education available to those who want to learn.

Hair Color Kits Destroy hair, there is no way they can put in one box kit the proper ingredients. Hair Color is a science and chemistry just like cooking is. It is no harder than cooking,...it just has never been taught or a book written and produced for the women and men of America. If one Hair color book was written with the basic rules and laws included there would be thousands of women able to color their hair at home - correctly. (There are plenty of women that will still want to have a Colorist do it for them and plenty of tricks only they can do... just like a master Chef.)

But the 'basics of hair coloring just like "cooking" should be made available to the general public of America.

My last goal with the blogs will be to attempt to solve, slow down or even stop all the Hair loss I see running rampant in this country. I've always seen it in men....but never this young and this pronounced. The amount of women popping up with it now...would blow every single person reading this away. I see it everyday and still can not and WILL NOT get "used to it"..especially when I know I can make a difference.

Killer Chemist

Ethnic Hair Care & The Curls That Love It

Curls~Frizz~Kinks

the problems of the ethnic hair crew

I have yet to meet a person who didn't want the kind of hair they didn't have

Just remember that the next time you get down on yourself and your hair... as I know you curly hairs do. Straight hairs wish they had curly, they really do. Its plain and simple human nature I have decided --to want, what you don't have. As you grow older, that will change and go away....you get comfortable in your own skin (and hair).

The challenges facing the Ethnic hair care client are different than their counterparts....but believe me BOTH have just the same amount of challenges - they are just 'different'.
The most common complaints:

• dryness
• fragility & breaking
• styling options
• proper products

Surveys indicate the ethnic hair clients seek professional services every 2-3 weeks while their counterparts regularly come every 6-7 weeks....so they do seek out help more. The most common treatment? Relaxers. Both at home versions as well as the Salon/Professional type. During my years in The Salon in Malibu there was no one doing relaxers and I just didn't understand 'why'... so I proceeded to become a Specialist in them. Not a lot of Hair Stylists do them as they are also the most complicated procedure as well as the most critical, dangerous and challenging. Right up my alley. They are the single Salon service where you make the absolute MOST difference in the hair for a client, and after you have completed a successful relaxer you have made a committed and dedicated client "for LIFE", I have never seen a happier more thrilled hair client than the successful hair Relaxer client. Every single one of them calls 2 days later when they shampoo for the first time literally blown away that after the shampoo the hair did not return to its curly frizzy stage - I have received many MANY fantastic thank you gifts for this service unlike any other service I had performed, it was the coolest thing to me.

From my experience I would just never recommend this service for anyone to do at home... ever ..it is just too dangerous and the 'timing' aspect is too crucial. Having weak hair to begin with you just don't have the leeway for mistakes, besides the ingredients used in professional Relaxer products are simply better for the hair.

If you insist on getting one and cannot afford the Salon price (@ $60.00 to $100.00 per hour it comes in as the most expensive Salon procedure - it can take up to 7 hours to complete) the next best step: look into being a hair model for demonstrating its application, go to the local Beauty Academy and get in on their "model night" or their weekly hair model list. { does not mean you need to be model material all over - don't worry!} I know here in LA,many of you interested in this would be more than welcome at the Vidal Sassoon Academy in Santa Monica, and the Paul Mitchell Academy in Orange County...they are both always looking for hair models as are all good Salons and Beauty Schools they never have enough people to work on.

The advantage to this option is:

• have an instructor standing over their shoulders
• before they ever put product on live model, spent weeks practicing on 'doll heads with shaving cream'
• watch the procedure done by instructor on stage a few times...
• reading on it...
• studying on it....followed by 'written' testing of it
• more doll head work..practicing the sectioning and application -- combing-- stretching and the speed needed to do it....
• THEN they let the students work on real clients

Now I am talking the best Hair schools in the USA which are Vidal Sassoon and Paul Mitchell....the others will be run totally different - do some research. F

This can be a terrific and successful procedure.

When there is a will there is always a way. As this Blog goes on I am hoping more of you will submit questions and comments, I had a lovely girl suggest I write about ethnic hair...I am more than happy to write about every and any subject --- please - - -I look forward to your comments and requests.

Remember a Relaxer is the same exact chemical make-up as NAIR or NEET Or any hair remover....if left on the hair too long........what do you think will happen ? Yes, the hair can be lifted right off the head.

The key to aceing a Relaxer is the "Timing" of it...The timing and the division of the application procedure. I had one Assistant that was trained in depth on Relaxer -application... so he knew {almost} as much as I did, I sent him to 3 different Relaxer Seminars, many stylists do not want to share the job like this...but it is the only way for it to be super successful for both the client AND the stylist. If its done on a man or a woman with a short cut, one can do it, any longer than chin length hair and it becomes the job of 2. When booking one it always had to be on a day he was working because the key to the success is applying - pulling and stretching the hair flat with the Relaxer Creme on the hair and doing it fast....making small sections all around the head and being sure to coat > comb > & stretch...from the minute it has been applied to the minute you hit the shampoo bowl to rinse should be between 9 & 16 MINUTES only! That is not very long, even for the fastest stylists on the planet, doing this correctly at home would be impossible.

That is why you want to have a qualified practitioner perform the relaxer on your hair ~

Remember : TAKE CARE OF YOUR HAIR