hair extensions

Despite our difference in looks in and lifestyle we can all have healthy and lustrous hair, here are some tips that can help all of us:
Tip # 1
Using heat less often can make your hair healthier.
Using a lot of heat makes your hair dry and brittle which then leads to split ends. If you wear curls everyday try using rollers or creating pin curls to achieve your curls. To straighten hair you can use a paddle brush to make sure your lengths are straight and smooth. That way you don’t have to use a flat iron.
Tip # 2
Grease your scalp at least three times a week.
Greasing your scalp will help maintain the moisture in your hair. Moisture is the key to soft and glowing hair. You can also hydrate your hair by washing it at least every two weeks and using a good moisturizer and conditioner.
Tip # 3
Go to your salon once a month and treat your hair to a protein treatment.
Protein treatment strengths your hair cuticle, in turn strengthening your hair.
Tip # 4
Trim or snip the ends of your hair to even.
This gives your hair a nice appearance while getting rid of any damaged hair that you have.
Tip # 5
Always sleep with some kind of protection over your hair. Before you go to sleep you can wrap your hair up in a satin cap or scarf to maintain your style and moisture.
If you wanna have beautiful hair,the key is to maintain it.
Make sure you do all you can to keep your hair glowing, even if it means treating yourself to a few salon visits! We also have informational tips on how to choose the right salon for you.

Ok, so maybe it’s not in your gene pool to have ultra glossy hair like those models in the Pantene Pro-V commercials. But we’ve got news for you. There are universal rules to follow to achieve stronger, healthier hair- regardless of your hair type. If you follow these secrets religiously, your hair may look akin to Beyonce or Sex In The City Sarah Jessica Parker’s.
1. Limit or Avoid Permanent Hair Coloring: Why? When it comes to chemicals and your hair less is more. Harsh lifting elements contained in chemicals can thin your hair and result in brittle hair. But if you are like many fashionista an cannot resist dyeing your locks, then consider a color that is a hue within 2-3 shades of your natural hair color. For instance, if you’re a brunette or have jet black hair, don’t sport a platinum ‘do. This can cause extreme damage. Consider adding and coloring human hair extensions.

2. Use Less Heat: I’m not just referring to UV rays either. I also mean blow dryers, flat irons and curling irons. They can really fry tresses by drying it out and causing split-ends. But fear not- you can still create smooth, sleek, healthy-looking hair as long as you use the right tools and products. Prior to heat styling, use a thermal heat protectant spray. Secondly, opt for a high-quality flat iron such as a HairArt Tourmaline flat iron. The cheap “ceramic” irons on the market don’t come close to delivering the glossier, healthier hair you want and deserve. You truly get what you pay for.

3. Deep Condition… at least once a week- especially if your hair is not so healthy. A good deep conditioner will help replace lost moisture and repair some of the abuse inflicted on it (i.e. from the blow-dryer and chemicals).

4. Get a Trim: Do your hair a favor and get it trimmed every 6-8 weeks. Split, frayed ends are not flattering and is never The Look you want…

5. Healthy Diet: Healthy hair is extremely contingent on a healthy, balanced diet- the kind that incorporates all 5 food groups- and yes, that includes fruits and vegetables. Protein is especially imperative, like fish. Salmon is a great choice and is rich in good fats: omega-3 fatty acids (which by the way promote shinier, stronger locks). Invest in hair and nail vitamins and a high potency multi-vitamin.

Seriously, aside from your genes, if you stick with these valuable tips, there is no reason why you can’t have marvelous tresses. Besides, who doesn’t want to have their hair look like they stepped out of a magazine cover. To get your hair looking like a celeb’s, check out

There is a small amount of people that say, “I love my hair exactly the way it is.” I mean if we have straight hair we want it curly, short we want it long, and vice versa. Have you ever thought that we all have the right hair, but not the right hairstyle for our face shape?

Our face shape is extremely important in determining the right hairstyle. When cutting hair a stylist must follow a pattern of lines and sections to create and fulfill the finished haircut. Each face shape is just that, a series of lines and sections conforming to create an outline or contour. Once we have determined our own face shape then we can figure out the best lines and sections to use to give a symmetrical outline to that shape.
Oval
Ladies if your parents blessed you with an oval face give them a kiss later. This face shape is the most versatile shape to have. Almost every hairstyle looks great on it, but still in order to take full advantage of this great shape, here are some points to consider when choosing the best style.

Mid Length to Long locks:
Keep your layers near your cheekbone, lip and chin area to add emphasis on favorite features and to highlight contours. Allow the layers to work more in the front and avoid too many in the back. When you have an oval shaped face you must avoid having short layers at the top of your head. Too much volume at the top can lengthen the face and make that oval shape look flat and pancake like.

Tips to remember

* Waves and curly hair are great but watch not to have too much volume on top
* Choose a focal point and accentuate it with the layers. (Ex. Cheekbones, lips, jaw line)
Long / Oblong
If you have long face, there is no need to be long any more. Don’t hide behind a long hairstyle. The best way to shrink and feminize your features is to add width and to open yourselves up to the rest of the world.

* If you prefer a one length style avoid lengths that are more than one inch longer than the chin. This length or shorter ones allow the hair to fall with weight creating more depth and volume around the face
* If you prefer to wear it longer then opt for face framing layers or a very fashionable V shape cut. That way the point softens your figure in the back and the width points add depth to the front where you need it
* Never cut layers too short, this will elongate the face by adding volume at the top
* Fringes are a must this year, especially for you, long faced ladies. Straight fringes and longer side sweeps are both great. Fringes frame the contour and are also a great way to bring those sparkling eyes to the rest of the world

Tips to remember

* FRINGE FRINGE FRINGE!
* Avoid top area volume, no short layers ladies
* Don’t hide behind a sheet of one length long locks!
Round
You sweet babes are my favorite. You have those cute soft features nestled in roundness. Now it is time to become sexy and wild. Just by adding the right edginess and more vivacious texture.

* Hairstyles with soft graduated layers, slims down the roundness. It is important to pick hairstyles that have square layers and more square points to cancel out the roundness
* Short layers also “elongate” the face and add sharpness. You should opt for a fringe, but keep the corners wispy and carry them a little longer and side swept

Tips to remember

* NO round layers always keep your corners and interior square
* Avoid one length, blunt, short styles
* Draw the eye up and away or way down low, but never side to side
Square
I have always noticed that women with square faces have great leadership qualities. With their strong jaw lines, it is only natural that these babes are tough. Strength is a great quality to have in yourself but if you want to soften things up in your presence there is a way.

* Add texture to your hair by creating soft curls or waves. If your hair is naturally straight, piece the ends out, making them soft and wispy and easy to manipulate
* When your ends are cut with more texture it is easier to bevel and move the hair into place

Tips to remember

* Avoid one length bobs, especially the box bob
* “Box Bob Bad”, because it has strong lines through the base and a hard lined straight fringe
* Anything with roundness to create airy softness
Heart
The face that is full of love and admiration, but is also filled with tricky details. The hairline can sometimes be very particular with this face shape, but the goal is to take off the attention from the pointy chin.

* The hairline can usually be solved with creating a strong hairline. Identify where the symmetry lies in your face to determine whether you’ll look better with a side or middle parting
* As for the chin area; quite simple, create a focal point away from it. Short textured crops or short soft layers bring the attention to the eyes. You can also keep the hair long with layers that build up weight around the cheekbone or lip area
Tips to remember

* Avoid blunt cuts at chin level, and at all!
* Stay away from choppy layers; you want to pick a focal point and aim to it
* Fringes are a good idea only when worn much longer than the eye and in a parting (side swept)

Every day we are faced with shapes that create image and picture. I hope that with these tips you can take your shape and create a picture of the image you are hoping for!

The temperatures are sizzling, and so are the popular hair colors! Red hair is back with a vengeance, and you’re more likely to see women of color with russet, scarlet, or wine-colored streaks in their hair this season. But what about women with natural hair, or for those of us who may be concerned about the damage hair dye can bring?

For us, there’s henna – the flowering plant that’s been used to dye everything from skin to cloth since the Bronze Age. Henna has been embraced by the natural hair community for being natural, potent, and a generally beneficial treatment for hair that needs strength, shine and color. But if you’re a newbie to henna, where do you begin? There are some great online resources for anyone with questions. Here are BV’s top favorites.

Curly Nikki is an amazing site for anyone with naturally kinky or coily hair. Over time this site has evolved into an invaluable resource for anyone interested in henna. You can find all the benefits, tutorials and recipes you need!

The Henna For Hair site is a complete online source for everything you need to know – from the history and science of this natural plant based dye, to warnings, and where-to-buy links. Anyone about to embark on the henna experience should download the free e-book, How To Henna Hair.

YouTube is the ultimate resource for just about anything you want to learn, and henna is no exception! You can find awesome videos by popular vloggers – hennapage, lovelyti2002, and tonidaley80 , who all have great tutorials — and that’s just the beginning. If you’re looking for a special review of a henna product, this is the best place to look.

So now that you’ve got insight and advice on what to do with henna, where do you buy it? Many naturals prefer the Mehandi variety, which has a remarkably informative site. Lush sells a range of henna that promises stunning color and comes in shades ranging from brown to black. Each color is pressed into lovely blocks reminiscent of Russian tea. And on the indie haircare tip, there’s Henna Melts by TheHairShebang on Etsy. In addition to the step-by-step melts, Hair Shebang also offers a Selah Moisture Spray that offers hydration to the thirstiest strands. You can write to request the shade you need.

Are you a henna head already? Share your tips and experiences in the comments below!

As the summer season rolls around, you can expect to see warmer weather and brighter colors. And I’m not just talking about clothes — I’m talking hair! Celebrities like Keri Hilson and Raven-Symone have added new shades to their tresses, and if you’re thinking about doing the same, there are some things you might want to think about beforehand.

Coloring your hair is a great way to switch up your ‘do, but if it isn’t done properly, it can damage your locks. Few women think about the products they put in their hair these days, which is why salon hair color brand Wella Professionals has embarked on a mission to educate women on hair color with its Hair Discovery Tour. The tour, which launched last week in New York City, gives those who attend free hair color consultations 25 percent off Wella hair services at a participating salon.

Black Voices caught up with celebrity hair colorist Aura Freidman — who has worked with the likes of Lady GaGa and M.I.A. — at last week’s event to discuss alternatives to permanent hair coloring, her take on box dyes and tips for black women who dye their hair.
What do you recommend for women who are worried about damaging their hair?

If you’re worried about damaging your hair, then you should avoid lightening your hair too much. If you do lighten your hair, then it’s best to use reconstructive conditioners or masks to re-moisturize your hair. You should also look at how much the maintenance is going to be because the more often you get it done, the more damaging it will be in the future as the color treatments pile on. If you use something like color touch, which is a demi-permanent color that has no ammonia, it’s the least damaging, and it will give your hair a lot of shine, which will last a long time and won’t require that many touch-ups.

What’s the biggest mistake people make when coloring their hair?

Something that I’ve had to fix the most often has been home box color. I think people do it to save money, but they end up paying more money because they have to have a huge correction done in the salon, which costs way more money than if they had done it in the salon in the first place. People don’t know there’s a science to hair coloring — there really is. When you don’t know the science to it, you can end up with something that doesn’t look good, like an orange shade or the wrong color altogether.

Do you have any recommendations for women of color who dye their hair?

If you’re an African American woman who gets a lot of relaxers, then you should probably stick to demi-permanent color because it’s a deposit only. It’s not going to damage the hair at all and you have to be very careful, because once it’s been relaxed, the hair is so much weaker. But on natural African American hair, you can do a lot more; you can lighten, you can highlight. I think you should just be careful about what you do in general on any kind of hair. As a colorist, I always touch the hair to make sure it can take what I’m about to do to it. And usually if someone wants to do something to their hair that’s especially damaging, I’ll let them know what’s going to happen and how to care for it. You tell them, “Your texture is going to change. This is how you care for it. This is how you take care of it.” That’s why it’s important to have great color consultations before you dye your hair.