Is Your Hair Healthy?

- Check the Comb

Pluck out a strand of hair at the root and examine the base. Strong hair has a thick bulb. “If there’s no bulb, the hair follicle isn’t healthy,” says Michael Shaun Corby, global creative director for Alterna Hair Care. The cause? Damage from styling or, potentially, genetically linked hair loss.

- Give It a Tug

Wrap a strand of hair around your index finger and thumb (like a piece of string), then use your other hand to tug on it. If it snaps immediately, your hair is lacking moisture; if it stretches “like bubble gum,” says Corby, it needs protein, which strengthens the hair’s keratin bonds.

Do the “Sink or Float” Test

Drop a strand of hair into a glass of water. A healthy strand will float. If it sinks, the shaft is porous. This can happen to color-treated hair, but it can also occur with a protein deficiency.

To get a fair picture of your hair’s overall health, repeat tests on at least four strands from different parts of your head, suggests Donna Maggi, education manager of Nioxin, a hair- and scalp-care company.

Stop a Bad-Hair Day Before It Starts

If you go outside with wet hair

Outdoor elements (wind, cool temperatures) can be rough even for dry hair, explains Corby. But when hair is wet, it’s actually more fragile and susceptible to breakage.

Healthy-hair fix: Try styling products designed to cut drying time. The Paul Mitchell Express Style line, for example, is formulated with technology to help hair dry faster.

Brazilian Blowout: A review

One of the hottest beauty services right now is the Brazilian Blowout. It’s a straightening treatment for your hair that softens, smooths, and gives wash-and-go ready locks that lasts up to 12 weeks. For any girl that has even the slightest curl or frizz to their hair, a solution like this is basically a gift from the hair gods themselves.

The treatment has been making the rounds in magazines like Glamour, Teen Vogue, and our very own MSP Mag. It’s gotten celebrity endorsements from Nicole Richie, Ashley Tisdale, and was featured in this segment on E!:
Continue reading Brazilian Blowout: A review…