Foods That Help Hair

In this little series of articles we will look at the top 10 foods to eat for healthy hair! Here are the first three. Enjoy!

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"Lather, rinse, repeat" may be standard advice, but shampoo and conditioner alone won't give you the healthy hair you crave. For the most luxurious locks possible, you'll need to step out of the shower, and into the kitchen.

"Your hair grows about 1/4 to 1/2 inch every month, and the foundation of all of our new hair, skin, and nail growth is the nutrients we eat," says Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD, a Chicago-based dietitian. "If you eat a healthy diet, you will grow stronger and healthier cells throughout your entire body -- inside and out."
If you were born with fine, thin hair, you'll never have rope-thick tresses -- no matter what you eat -- but a well-balanced diet that includes plenty of growth-promoting protein and iron can make a difference, say nutrition and hair experts.

And beware of dietary supplements often marketed to thicken hair or make it grow faster. Though there are natural oils that you can place into the hair to thicken it. supplements may backfire.

"Even though you can find beauty supplements on the shelves of most stores, try to get the nutrients you need from foods whenever possible," Paradi Mirmirani, MD, a dermatologist in Vallejo, Calif., tells WebMD. "In rare instances, excess supplementation of certain nutrients, such as vitamin A, has been linked to hair loss."

Beautiful egg and salmon rolls.

Healthy Hair Food No. 1: Salmon

When it comes to foods that pack a beauty punch, it's hard to beat salmon. Loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, this high-quality protein source is also filled with vitamin B-12 and iron.

"Essential omega-3 fatty acids are needed to support scalp health," says Andrea Giancoli, MPH, RD, a dietitian in Los Angeles and a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. "A deficiency can result in a dry scalp and thus hair, giving it a dull look."

Vegetarian? Include one or two tablespoons of ground flaxseed in your daily diet for some plant-based omega-3 fats.

Amazing kale Greek salad

Healthy Hair Food No. 2: Dark Green Vegetables

Popeye the Sailor Man didn't eat all that spinach for healthy hair, but he could have. Spinach, like broccoli and Swiss chard, is an excellent source of vitamins A and C, which your body needs to produce sebum. The oily substance, secreted by your hair follicles, is the body's natural hair conditioner.

Dark green vegetables also provide iron and calcium.


Healthy Hair Food No. 3: Beans
Beans, beans, they're good for your ... hair?

This couscous three bean salad looks redonk!

Yes, it's true. Legumes like kidney beans and lentils should be an important part of your hair-care diet. Not only do they provide plentiful protein to promote hair growth, but ample iron, zinc, and biotin. While rare, biotin deficiencies can result in brittle hair.

Blatner, who is also a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, recommends three or more cups of lentils or beans each week.

Check back the rest of this week to learn the other foods!

By Hilary Parker
WebMD Feature

Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

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Tuesdye hair Tips

Though most dyes are not at all in the least bit natural, if one wishes to eccentuate their natural beauty with a splash of color it can be liberating and exciting! Here are a few dye tips forwarded to me by Cerise Fairfx
Enjoy!

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Hair Dyes

Whether your color is blonde, red, black or brown, you should know what you're getting into when you use hair dyes. The jury is still out on whether hair dyes cause long-term health problems, but it still pays to be cautious by following these tips:
 Try to postpone the decision to dye your hair permanently for as long as possible. Learn to make the most of your natural color.

 Dye your hair as little as possible, not just because you're sick of the last color. The more you use permanent dyes or go from one wild extreme to the next, the more likely you are to damage your hair.

 Read hair dye instructions carefully. Leave the product on only as long as the instructions indicate and use it only in the amounts indicated.

 Try highlights or streaking instead of coloring your entire head.

 Talk with a cosmetologist who specializes in hair coloring. He or she may be able to give you some tips related to problem products.

 Consider going to a professional hairdresser or "haircolorist" if you must dye your hair. They are the pros and will have a lot more experience than you or your friends.




Author Hair: Learn to Love your hair

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Monday hair Tips!

This small post was sent to me by Cerise Fairfax. It contains a few little tips and tricks, more to come tomorrow! Enjoy-Nol

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Hair Tips
Here are some tips to keep your hair in shape:
   Use conditioners. They won't necessarily give your hair a radiant glow, but they can coat the hair with a lubricant or synthetic that replaces the stripped out sebum. Some conditioners bond to the hair, helping to smooth the cuticle and restore sheen to the hair. Others cut down the static charges of flyaway hair.
    

Go easy on coloring, hot rollers and dryers -- especially if you spend a lot of time outdoors.

   Remember, "perm" is short for "permanent" and although it is not permanent it can take a long time to grow out. If you really want to have it done, have a hairdresser do it and make sure they tell you the different options for your hairtype.

   Wear a hat in the sun. The sun dries your hair out, as it bleaches it too. Hats can be cute, fun and change your look.

   Wear a bathing cap in pools or in salt water. Comb conditioner into your hair before you put the cap on and then wash your hair afterward. I know you think you will look like a dork, but chlorinated pool water can change your hair color. I know, I live in Florida and the water here is very chlorinated. So, it lightens and damages everyone's hair!

   Dry your hair gently, by blotting and squeezing, not wringing or rubbing. Never brush wet hair. Instead, use a wide-tooth comb.

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Weekend Post!

   
  Here is a beautiful poem I thought id share, titled Washing My Hair. I enjoy this poem; it’s sultry, playful and a little gothic. It invokes the transcending nature of water and reveals the existential thoughts one may have while completely vulnerable.

Washing My Hair

BY ANNE STEVENSON

Contending against a restless shower-head,

         I lather my own.

The hot tap, without a mind, decides

         to scald me;

The cold, without a will, would rather

         freeze me.

Turning them to suit me is an act of flesh

         I know as mine.

Here I am: scalp, neck, back, breasts,

         armpits, spine,

Parts I've long been part of, never

         treasured much,

Since I absorb them not by touch, more

         because of touch.

It's my mind, with its hoard of horribles,

         that's me.

Or is it really? I fantasise it bodiless,

         set free:

No bones, no skin, no hair, no nerves,

         just memory,

Untouchable, unwashable, and not, I guess,

         my own.

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The Benefits of Hemp Oil on Hair

In light of it being April twentieth, a day with a massive sub-cultural following, thought I would post an article on the benefits of hemp oil on the hair. Enjoy!

Photo Credit hemp image by Dmitri MIkitenko from Fotolia.com 

Hemp oil can be used to beautify your hair from within, as well as from without. The oil is rich in essential fatty acids, along with vitamins and protein. Hemp oil is good for people with all hair and skin types, though its nutty scent can take some getting used to, authors Lauren Cox and Janice Cox advise in their book "Ecobeauty." While some folks confuse it with marijuana, hemp oil is legal and does not contain the compound THC that gives people a "high." Though the plants are both classified Cannabis sativa L., they are scientifically different. Industrial hemp is cultivated for its oil, fiber and seed content, whereas marijuana is grown for its THC content. You can purchase hemp oil at health food stores and online.
Conditioning Agent

Use hemp oil to condition your hair and your scalp, recommend the Coxes. Hemp oil has vitamin E, along with a high essential fatty acid content, naturopathic author Linda Page notes in her book, "Linda Page's Healthy Healing." Fatty acids provide emollient action, meaning they prevent water loss and have a softening effect, says Paula Begoun, author of "The Original Beauty Bible." The oil is also a natural moisturizer that boosts scalp health, shoring up the intercellular matrix, which protects against moisture loss, according to Begoun. Keeping the scalp healthy can help prevent dry scalp and minimize irritation. Hemp oil is especially good to use in the winter, when the outdoor air is cold and indoor heating systems are cranked up, say the Coxes, because both of these factors dry out your hair and skin.

Rihanna sporting curly hair
at Coachella 

Nutritional Value
Hemp oil contains omega-3 fatty acids, omega-6 fatty acids and omega-9 fatty acids, Page writes in "Cooking for Healthy Healing." Consuming such polyunsaturated fatty acids stimulates hair and skin growth, according to University of Maryland Medical Center. Hemp oil also has gamma linolenic acid, which is good for combating hair dryness, Page notes. Hemp oil can be used as you would use olive oil or flaxseed oil in dips and salad dressings.

Protein Value
The quality protein in hemp oil improves the feel and appearance of your hair. Your hair is 97 percent protein, Page says. Hemp oil is 25 percent protein. Protein improves the condition of your hair, especially when it has been damaged. In addition to strengthening the hair, protein has emollient and water-binding properties that boost hair health, says Begoun

References
"Ecobeauty;" Lauren Cox and Janice Cox; 2009
"Cooking for Healthy Healing;" Linda Page; 2002
"Linda Page's Healthy Healing;" Linda Page; 2004
"Diets for Healthy Living;" Linda Page; 2005
"Hair Care;" Zoe Diana Draelos; 2005

Article reviewed by Amy Richards Last updated on: Mar 28, 2011

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/189783-the-benefits-of-hemp-oil-on-hair/#ixzz1sabbxPtf

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Thursday ~

Here is another great article forwarded to me by Cerise Fairfax. Its very informative and helpful. Enjoy!

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Is anyone ever happy with their hair? It doesn't seem like it! Either their hair is too wavy, too straight, too thin, too brittle, or some strange combination of those factors. Then, to make matters worse, the things people do to their hair to solve a problem often seem to create another hair crisis.

The first step to sanity is to accept reality. Most hair characteristics, such as texture and color, are genetic. You can't do much to change them, so you just have to learn to live with them -- at least for a while. What you can do is to make some decisions about the way you treat your hair. Learn about common hair problems and do whatever you can to keep your hair healthy and in good condition. FYI... Shampoos today are very effective, but the manufacturers instruct you to wash and repeat simply so you use more of their product.

OILY HAIR
After dandruff, the main complaint of most teenagers is oily, greasy, or stringy hair. Unfortunately, your hair needs that oil. Glands in the scalp secrete oil for each of the hair's follicles. This oil actually allows the hair to slide through the scalp and protects the hair from the elements. The key is finding ways to cut down on some of those nasty oil spills. Wash your hair as often as you like, but use a mild shampoo and wash only once. You do not need to add a conditioner to oily hair. If you really want it drier, you can make it drier by having it permed or tinted.

DRY HAIR
If you have dry hair, your scalp is producing less sebum than it should and you end up with dry, brittle hair. When the layer of oil in the hair is broken down, the moisture trapped below evaporates, leaving the hair to dry out and become more prone to damage. It isn't long before you end up with dry, unmanageable areas complete with split ends and broken shafts. You should wash it as infrequently as you can and use a mild shampoo with a cream conditioner afterwards. Leave the conditioner on for a few minutes before rinsing. Don't brush your hair out too much, try to comb it gently. Dry hair is fragile hair!!!

The good news about hair is that it is programmed and designed to battle the elements. The cells in your hair shaft's thin outer layer, or cuticle, overlap like scales to protect the shaft's inner mass of fiber, called the cortex. This shaft is usually covered with a lubricant called sebum; that is the oily stuff. 

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Hair and Character

Here is a Great article that was forwarded to me by Cerise Fairfax (mom =D) it has a few awesome suggestions on how to enhance you overall character with simple changes to your hair. Enjoy!

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Throughout the course of history, hair styles have been a way of distinguishing people of different groups. It may show that the person belongs to a social, ethnical, racial or a sub-cultural group.
Nowadays, our society has generally blended together and there are no formal social classes in the sense that there have been, say, 100 years ago or more, therefore a hairtype and/or style have become more of a statement about one's character.

A person with curly hair, for example, is typically thought to be nervous, energetic and impulsive. A stereotype, originating from the images of a sea or ocean : when there are waves in the sea, people tend to call it "raging" or "uncalm" due to it's dynamic nature. Hence, the more curly the hair, the more nervous the person is considered to be.
Curling your hair is a good idea if you want to make yourself look spicy or, perhaps, just a little bit on the wild side. Going on a date with a person who you believe likes impulsive people is a great occasion to curl your hair.

Straight hair is reminiscent of a flat surface or a calm sea and represents peace, making it the complete opposite of curly hair. A person with straight hair will give off an impression of being peaceful, perhaps even serene, reserved and generally one that doesn't give in to emotion quite as much. For this reason, straightening your hair may be a good idea for business meetings and other such formal endeavors, where emotion is not required or even unfavorable.
There are, of course, ways to enhance the impression your hair gives off or add some kind of flavor to it by using color.
A red or reddish color will give you a fiery look, drastically changing the image of someone with straight hair, or enhancing the impression if the hair is curly.
The color yellow is often associated with happiness and peace, thus making blond hair an interesting combination for someone with curly hair.

Brown is generally a neutral color, when it comes to hair so it is probably the easiest way out if you are not sure about what statement you want to make using your looks.
Other hair colors, ones that don't exist in nature will typically mark you as part of some sub-culture, but may still be a good idea if one manages to do it with style.

Author: jurgita.com

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