Friday, November 23, 2007

To Cut Or Not To Cut

To cut or not to cut, that is the question.
Let me first tell you about my own personal dilemma on this exact subject.
Ten years of growing my long hair, I actually had it down past my waist at one point.
When you are a part of something for that period of time, you tend to become attach to it.
Naturally, there are some sentimental feelings, memories and experiences that come with ten years of your life.
I was no different.

It got to a point where I said to myself, “I’ll never cut my hair, it’s who I am”.
The thing is when you see yourself a certain way for such a long time; it’s hard to imagine anything else. Let me tell you from experience, start imagining. It will be the best thing you could do for yourself, without a doubt.

However, sometimes our past keeps a hold on us. Think about it for a second, in the time it took you to grow your long hair, how many experiences have you had? I’m sure there were some experiences you would like to forget about.
Letting go of the past that’s attached to your head, could be the first step in the right direction.
It might sound a bit strange to think of your hair in that way, but I did. When I finally decided to cut off my long hair, I literally felt the things that were holding me back from my future were finally gone!

Now don’t get me wrong, I love long hair. There’s nothing more beautiful than someone with long luscious locks fresh from the beauty salon. Running your fingers through long silky hair is quite nice, I must admit. Some of you may never cut your hair off, that’s what makes the world go round, individuality.

For those of you that are thinking about taking that leap into the unknown world of “short” hair, there is something that you will experience that may help with your decision.

I’m sure everyone has heard of Locks of Love. Those that haven’t, it’s an organization that was created for those of us who want to donate our long hair to those that need it. There are thousands of children that for one reason or another have lost their hair and could benefit from such donations. These hair donations are of course made into wigs for these patients to wear, which in turn will help achieve a sense of normality in their lives.
There’s no greater gift than giving to those who genuinely need it.

It’s exactly what I did when I finally decided to cut my 10 yearlong hair. It was the best feeling in the world, knowing that I had a hand in changing someone’s life. A small hand, but a hand nonetheless.

After cutting my hair, I felt like a completely new person. I looked younger, I felt younger. You don’t realize how much time it takes to deal with long hair. Let me just say that new found time is spent much better elsewhere. Bottom line, it was the best thing I could of done.
It’s funny, nine months have gone by since my transformation and I can honestly say, I can’t imagine myself with long hair anymore.


Change is great. Everyone needs a change in his or her life sometimes. What better way than to start with a fresh new you. If you’re considering cutting off your long hair, consider this, you won’t be just changing your life, you’ll be changing someone else’s life too.

For more information about Locks of Love, visit their website at www.locksoflove.org

Saturday, November 10, 2007

Combination Type Hair

Just as we are all different in our own unique way, so is our hair. Some of us have fine hair, thick hair, curly hair, and straight hair. As well as those that have dry hair and those that have oily hair. With each hair type, there are various ways to take care of it.

Combination type hair is when you have more than one hair type. Maybe your hair is very oily at the scalp but dry and brittle at the ends. Which is a common problem amongst many of us. Not to worry, there is a solution for every problem. With the proper use of the many professional hair care products on the market today, you’ll be able to keep your tresses healthy and happy.

Never under estimate the importance of washing your hair. When shampooing, always avoid using hot water. Your hair strands are vulnerable to extreme heat and hot water will only damage it. Lukewarm water would be much more beneficial for your combination type hair.

Although you might have both dry and oily hair, avoid using shampoos that target oily hair. They are generally designed for hair that is ONLY oily, not a combination of both dry and oily. It’s best to go with a shampoo made for normal hair.

Waste not want not! There is no need to drown your hair with shampoo, a quarter size will do. It’s always best to avoid applying the shampoo directly to the ends of your hair. Apply directly to the scalp and just let the suds slide on down to the ends. Your tips need the natural oils generated from your scalp and too much shampoo on the ends of your hair may cause them to dry up.
We’ve all had those days where every part of our hair needs a deep cleaning, so on those occasions take some suds from your scalp and give your tips a good scrubbing. Don’t forget to be gentle though.
When finished, carefully rinse the shampoo off being as thorough as possible.

At this point applying a rinse-off conditioner would be the next step. When applying a conditioner to your hair, the rules are a bit different from shampooing. Instead of applying directly to the scalp, you want to apply the conditioner directly to your tips instead. This is because the components in the conditioner would cause the scalp to produce too much oil, while your hair tips need this extra moisture. After letting the conditioner set for a minute or two, thoroughly rinse your hair with cold water to lock in the moisture and help prevent your hair from secreting too much oil.

A deep conditioning treatment once a week would definitely help treat your combination type hair. Focusing on the dry parts of your hair, apply a moisturizing conditioner. Keep it wrapped in a towel for a couple of hours before washing it out. Olive oil is one of those home remedies that could be used instead. The same steps apply.
Lastly, always remember to keep your ends trimmed on a regular basis to avoid those brittle dry tips.

Combination type hair is no big thing if properly maintained. Keeping it as beautiful as you are is as simple as following a few unique steps.