Nightmare Hair Scenarios and How to Fix Them

The best-selling Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook may have taught you how to fend off a shark and escape from quicksand, but what about the real catastrophes in a chick's life — like having a heinous hair moment before a big date or botching an at-home dye job? Fear not...Cosmo comes to the rescue with our own EMT (Emergency Mane Treatment) advice.

Disentangle Your Hair from a Round Brush

Resist the urge to grab the nearest steak knife and slice off that entire section of strands. The better approach:

• Don't panic and tug. "That will only make the knots tighter," says Guy Romeo, a stylist at the Privé salon in Los Angeles.
• Pin up loose strands. Gently remove as much hair as you can with your fingers, and clip up the freed strands as you go.
• Pick the locks. Take a rattail comb, knitting needle, or similar skinny stick and use the pointed tip to dislodge the remaining hair bit by bit from the bristles.

How to avoid barrel-brush entanglements:

• Never work with a section of hair that's wider than the brush you're using.
• Lift each section up and away from your head before you start rolling the brush underneath it. (Tangles often occur when you inadvertently involve hair that's below the section you're working on.)

Fix a Dud Dye Job

While nobody's saying that orange roots couldn't have a big fashion moment, now's not it. So in the meantime:

• Go to a pro. See a colorist as soon as possible. If you try to fix the problem on your own, you'll just make it worse. This process is typically more complicated than a straight coloring job, so be prepared to pay more.
• Style curls into your coif. Until your appointment, wear your hair curly. "Curls help the botched color blend in and be less noticeable," explains Rodney Cutler, owner of NYC's Cutler Salon.

How to Prevent Home Hair-Color Mishaps:

• Watch the clock. Leaving color on for too long can be a disaster, says Cutler. You might wind up with tangerine tresses.

Disguise a Botched at-Home Bang Trim

You thought you were so savvy trimming your own fringe — until you lopped off an inch where a centimeter would've sufficed. Some possible remedies:

• Go for a side sweep. Part your hair on the side where your bangs are the longest, then sweep them across your forehead so they fall over the too-short bits.
• Create piece-y texture. The more intentionally piece-y your do looks, the more effectively your bad bang job will be camouflaged. Work a dab of pomade between your palms and fingertips, then twirl little sections of hair from roots to ends.
• Tie on a hip head-scarf. If your bangs are too short but not crooked, Romeo offers this approach: Brush them against your forehead and place a scarf or headband at your hairline to nudge them down to a normal-looking length.

How to Avoid Bad Bang Cuts:

• Rather than cut your own bangs, finagle a free fringe trim at the hands of a pro. "Many salons offer complimentary bang trims to regular clients," says Cutler.
• If you're set on doing it yourself, don't make the all-too-common mistakes of wetting your bangs and taping or holding them down (either way, they'll seem longer than they really are and you're likely to overcompensate by cutting too much off). Instead, start with dry bangs and let them hang naturally to get the most accurate sense of their length. Then use sharp, fine-tipped scissors and a slow, steady hand to do the deed.

Deal with Last-Minute Product Overload

If you overestimated the amount of styling goo to use and now your strands look more oil-slicked than glamorously styled, take these measures:

• Remove excess product. Wrap your head in a dry towel, then scrunch with your hands to absorb whatever you can.
• Powder your roots. To absorb the rest, use cornstarch, talcum powder, or a dry shampoo. Create a part two inches above one ear and sprinkle powder into the roots. Use your fingertips to rub it in. Repeat every two inches until you get to the other ear.
• Tousle your tresses. Flip your head upside down, and with your dryer blowing on cool, run your fingers through your hair.

How to Prevent Product Overload:

• Start with less product than you think you'll need — you can always add more.
• Begin your product application at the nape of the neck. "When you work from the undersections of your hair, you'll deposit the bulk of the product in the least noticeable places," explains Cutler.

Treat a Curling-Iron Burn on Your Face

"Burn, baby, burn" has a nice ring to it on the dance floor — but if this is what happens when wielding a curling iron, here's first aid for your beauty flub:

• Prevent inflammation. Apply ice (wrapped in a washcloth or plastic bag) to the burn immediately for 10 to 15 minutes, says New York City dermatologist Arielle Kauvar. Take a break for a few minutes, then repeat for up to an hour or as long as you can.
• Assess the damage. Determine if the burn is first degree (redness but no blistering) or second degree (inflammation and mild blistering). Note: The chance of getting a curling iron-inflicted second-degree burn is pretty slim.
• Treat the skin. If it looks like a first-degree burn, apply an OTC antibiotic ointment (such as Bacitracin or Polysporin) twice a day to guard against infection, and stay out of the sun to prevent discoloration. If you've managed to get a second-degree burn, see a physician for a prescription topical antibiotic.
• Disguise damage. Don't use makeup on the burn, but obscure it by leaving your locks loose and tousling them forward.

How to Avoid Curling-Iron Burns:

• When rolling the curling iron against your head, stick a thin plastic comb between your scalp and the iron, suggests Cutler. A basic black comb that's about an eighth of an inch thick fits the bill — it's enough to block the heat but not so thick that it will block access to your roots. "I use this trick at shoots, because if you burn a model's face, she hates you for life," says Cutler.

Revive Limp Locks

If your do has drooped, you don't have to spend the day with strands that are as flat as a pancake. To make your flapjack style look more full:

• Shake dry any damp spots. If you were stuck in bad weather or in a sweaty situation (hmmm...), use a towel (or tissue if that's all you have) to get your tresses as dry as possible.
• Tease your roots. Pull out a comb, hold a two-inch section of hair straight up, then briskly move the comb up and down the backside over the roots only (from your scalp to two inches away). Make sure to do the back of your head as well.
• Pull it back. When all else fails, try a sleek ponytail.

How to Prevent Limp Locks:

• Don't overload on product. If you expect wet weather, use a humidity-proof styler.
• Use a root-boosting volumizer when styling.
• While blow-drying, lift your roots up and point the nozzle up into them to lock
  in lift.

Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc.

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Red Carpet Hair Styles - 4 Common Factors

By Perriann Rodriguez

Celebrities bank on the fact that they will get press coverage at formal occasions such as awards shows. They spend weeks if not months to prepare their overall look. Hair stylists, fashion advisors, hair extension stylists are all called in to help create the looks.

Below are 4 common factors for all celebrity red carpet hair styles:

1. The hair style will accentuate certain facial features and flatter the overall face shape of the celebrity.

For example, if a celebrity has beautiful eyes, the hair style will be designed to draw your attention directly to the eyes. The starting point for a face flattering hair style is to determine your face shape.

2. The hair style has a certain softness to it. Most celebrity hair styles will have either gentle waves, curls or a straight smooth and soft look to it. Unless the trends call for harshness, most red carpet hair styles will be soft and feminine.

3. The hair style will compliment the dress, shoes and accessories. Soft, sensual hair styles are combined with soft, sexy dresses, etc.

4. The hair style has a good first impression. When you glance at a celebrity that is walking down the red carpet, you are expected to see the WOW factor. First impressions go a long way, and they get a lot of press coverage.

In short, red carpet hair styles give us many ideas on how to wear our hair for formal occasions. If we copy the best features of the styles we like, we too can create our very own red carpet look.

Perriann Rodriguez is the founder of the Hair Resources Network. Browse the network for the latest hair styles for weddings, prom, homecoming, short, medium, long, updo, partial updo, hair extensions and everyday hair styles. Hair Resources-Creating Better Hair Days!
See all the latest red carpet hair styles at Hair Resources.

Hair Loss And Estrogen - The Connection

By Tim Bock

Hair loss can be fixed. There are only just a few simple changes that need to be made to adjust the hormones that cause hair loss.

DHT is the hormone that causes hair loss. This hormone is known to cause many health conditions and diseases and is sometimes called the "death hormone". It is wildly assumed that testosterone is the cause of DHT. This is a common misconception and is not the case. Estrogen, the female hormone, is what causes the production of DHT. Therefore hair loss can only be stopped by the reduction of estrogen.

There has been a recent study that showed that the average fifty year old female had less estrogen then the average fifty year old male! Its studies like this that shows how important it is for the estrogen issues to be addressed.

Now it's more common than ever before to see the issues of estrogen dominance. That's because we have more chemicals polluting our foods and in the environment. This must be address to stop hair loss.

Is it possible for us to stop the environmental pollution that causes estrogen? Not really. But we can each do our part.

Diet is another great way to help prevent estrogen and hair loss. One great way to help prevent this problem is to eat a healthy diet with plenty of fruits and veggies. While it may seem like multi-vitamins may be the easiest way to go, nothing can replace the national value of a well balanced diet.

For more hair loss prevention tips, please visit: Hair Loss Solutions a website that specializes combating hair loss and the connection between Vitamin C & Hair Loss

The Science and Beauty of Hair Straightening

By Rita Lambros-Segur

If you have fought curls all your life and look at others with their long straight hair with envy there is hope. There are many kinds of hair straighteners available that will tame that mass of curls. Balm, conditioners, sprays, and gels are available for helping you to achieve the straight look.

Women and men both seem to want what they don't have. If they have curly hair they long for straight. People with straight hair spend a small fortune for perms to curl their hair and try to achieve the naturally curly look. It is not known why unless it goes along with the age old reasoning that people want what others have. The grass always looks greener on the other side of the fence.

Chemical straightening can be one of the best hair straighteners if used properly. These should only be used by someone who knows what they are doing. If not, you can damage someone’s hair beyond repair. If your hair has been chemically color changed, it may require a weaker straightener than someone who has their natural hair color. A test strip of hair should always be straightened first to determine what strength hair relaxer to use.

Some professionals use a petroleum based cream to apply to the hair before to hair that has been straightened before. Hair that is damaged and not in top shape may need to use this cream. After the chemical relaxer has been on the hair for the required amount of time it is rinsed thoroughly. A neutralizer must be put on the hair immediately following this rinse. The neutralizer regulates the hair’s PH level. A high PH level can cause your hair to swell and break off.

Normally a conditioner is put on the hair after the neutralizer. Sometimes it is used before the relaxer and after the neutralizer depending on the shape of the hair. If your hair is really curly and you have used heat to straighten it periodically this is the recommended number of times to use conditioner. If your hair is badly damaged you should wait to put a relaxer on it because this will just cause further damage.

The three basic types of hair straighteners are sodium hydroxide, guanidine hydroxide, and ammonium thioglycolate. Basically the higher the PH in the product you use, the easier your hair will relax. However, stronger chemicals can cause more damage to your hair.

The number of times you can use a hair straightener really is based on the condition of your hair, the strength of the relaxer you are using, and how recently your hair has been straightened. Usually straightening your hair is not recommended more than a couple of times a year.

Find out about ceramic and ionic hair straighteners and how each work to accomplish a beautiful presentation at: http://www.seduhairstraightenerinfo.com Sedu Hair Straightener