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How to Care for African American Skin

Maria — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 05:39:17 +0000

Caring For African American Skin

Caring for African American skin is very important and should not be overlooked. Caring for this skin type can be difficult due to various factors. The geographical location, nutrition, and darkness of the skin can all play a role in the treatment needed for African American’s skin. The darker the skin the more melanin it contains. This is why African Americans can tolerate the harsh rays of the sun better than a pale Caucasian person.

You maybe asking what is melanin? Well, melanin is the pigment in the skin that allows your skin to be dark. In a Caucasian who has freckles the freckles are simply concentrations of melanin. When you tan this is causing a reaction in the skin. The melanocytes are triggered to create more melanin. The melanin lays on the outer layer of the skin allowing it appear darker.

Melanin can be a benefit to your skin. Not only does it give you a darker complexion that allows you to better tolerate the harmful rays of the sun but it also is an anti- aging treatment. Melanin allows people with naturally darker skin to remain looking more youthful than lighter skinned people. There are still down sides to an abundance of melanin in the skin. Studies have shown that melanin can cause the skin to lose more water. This causes the skin to loss it elasticity.

No matter what the skin tone, skin can still be dry, normal or oily. The difference in a person with an abundance of melanin is that if their skin requires treatment; the treatment may be more difficult due to the high levels of melanin. Melanin makes it more difficult for the skin to accept moisturizers. The molecules of the moisturizers are too large to penetrate through the skin. In fact the application of a normal moisturizer or oil will leave their skin looking oily rather than actually moisturizing it.

There are specialized products that can be used which will penetrate the skin. These products use special technology to be created to penetrate the skin. At the moment there are very few products capable of doing this and they are all high priced products.

Skin care for any ethnicity is at the center of aging. The more moisture the skin has available to absorb, the less aged the skin will look. Sunscreen is another skin care product that will prevent the effects of aging on African American skin by reflecting the harmful rays of the sun. Sunscreen can be purchased separately or as a part of a foundation or anti aging skin cream. The face, as well as the rest of the body needs daily sunscreen treatment for healthy skin.

It is very important to care for your skin. Many African Americans neglect their skin care beca

use of the feeling that their skin is indestructible due to the large amount of melanin. This could not be more false. Skin care is important to everyone. Look for specialized products geared towards African Americans for the best results. And take good care of your body’s largest organ, The skin!!

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Your Shampoo Could Be Damaging Your Hair

Maria — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 06:18:23 +0000

Your Shampoo Could Be Damaging Your Hair

The shampoo you choose to use could actually be damaging your hair. Many shampoos on the market contain sulfates that damage your hair. It can cause your hair to become drier and not able to absorb moisture. To grow longer and healthier hair, you need to use products that are gentle yet effective at cleaning your hair.

If your hair care products contain the following ingredients it can actually damage your hair: Avoid products containing:

Ammonium Laureth Sulfate, Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, TEA Laureth Sulfate, TEA Lauryl Sulfate, and Sodium Lauryl Sulfate.

You should limit the use of these products to once a month for clarifying only. This will cleanse the hair allowing it to better accept the protein and moisturizing products. Clarifying shampoos are created to remove all buildup that occurs over a period of time, thanks to the use of styling products. These shampoos strip all natural oils from the hair and leave hair brittle and broken when used over an extended phase. Clarifying your hair once a week is just fine, but make sure to follow up the process with a strong conditioner to replace the moisture you have removed.

While many chemicals wreak havoc on the hair, others are safe to use on a daily basis. Items that can be used daily in a safe manner are Polyoxethylene Fatty Alcohols, PEG 80, Sorbitan Laurate, Decyl Polyglucose, Cocamidoprpyl Betaine, Sodium Myreth Sulfate, and Sodium Laureth Sulfate.

To achieve the longest hair you can possibly have you will need to eliminate breakage. By allowing you hair to be more healthy and strong you will be able to prevent breakage and your hair will grow longer. This can be done by using protein and moisturizing treatments. These treatments will rest on the outside of the hair and therefore will require the hair to be wet or freshly washed in order to assure absorption into the hair.

You can achieve longer and more beautiful hair by increasing your growth phase. You can naturally increase this phase by adding MSM rich foods into your diet. Multi-vitamins and minerals can also have a good effect on the condition of the hair. A healthy body will grow healthier hair. On the same subject, keeping your body lubricated will keep hair moisturized. The water intake of the body will be reflected in the hair. The less water the body has to use, the less the hair will have and will thus appear dry, cracked, and develop split ends.

Having the healthiest hair simply means treating your hair with kind gloves. Brushing lightly will help to eliminate forced breakage, and allowing the hair’s natural oils to remain on the hair for days at a time. Your hair is a direct reflection of your health. The healthier, you are the healthier your hair will be!

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Wild Growth Hair Oil Review

Maria — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 03:16:41 +0000

Wild Growth Hair Oil Review

Wild Growth Hair Oil is a continually popular product that has wowed black women across the world with unbeatable results. At first it seems like this hair oil is the same as many others on the market. What does the product claim to do that has many women swearing by it?

According to the website, this hair growth oil claims that it is good for all types of hair and will add body and shine. It also states that it will speed up hair growth and help reduce hair loss and breakage. It did help me to a degree in this area. It has advanced moisturizers that helps lock in the hair’s natural moistures.

Okay, what I liked about it is that it seemed to help my hair grow…but mostly it keeps my hair softer, shinier, and more healthy looking. I hated the smell, and I do mean I wasn’t feeling it at all. I didn’t get a thickening of my hair, which was my biggest hope. I would say just use a small amount and don’t over do it. It should last you 4 months if you use it sparingly.

You can find wild growth hair oil online and in most beauty supply stores. I will give wild growth hair oil 7.5 out of 10. It’s a good product but not a perfect one. Here is the youtube video that I found helpful:

Click here to view the embedded video.

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Black Skin Care Specialists of Atlanta

Maria — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 22:17:31 +0000

Black Skin Care Specialist of Atlanta

If you live in the Atlanta area and are in need of some skin attention, you should consider the Black Skin Care Specialists of Atlanta. It’s high time that we have doctors like Dr. Thomas. African American skin care is hard to treat when you’re looking for doctors that understand that some products don’t work on everyone.

So we are pleased to do a small post on Dr. Thomas a Board Service Dermatologist who specializes in Chemical Peels, Eczema, Emergency Appts., Hair & Nails, Hair Loss, Keloids Discoloration, Mole Removal, Razor Bumps, Skin.

2185 Northlake Pkwy # 8-104
Tucker, GA 30084-4126
(770) 934-7200

All those in the Hotlanta area should pay Dr. Thomas a visit for their skin care.

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Caring for your Cornrows

Maria — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 00:07:41 +0000

Caring For Cornrows

African American braids are a classic look. There is something about braids for African Americans that scream ethnicity! Cornrows and other braids are just as popular today as they were ten years ago. Braids provide individuals with their own unique look. There are never two sets of braids that look the same. More people have chosen to be expressive with their individuality through braiding and rowing.

As with most things in the world, there are always negatives along with the positives. Cornrows are not difficult to maintain but you must follow some guidelines to ensure a successful braiding experience. You will want to follow the instructions to prevent breakage, dulling, frizzing or drying out of your hair from wearing cornrows or other braids.

To keep your braids well groomed and shining daily you will need to choose who does your braids carefully. Choose someone with plenty of experience and a license to do hair. Not all braids are created equal. Braiding is an art form, but it also has to be done properly to ensure the health of your hair.

Choose a hair dresser that has been in business for a while. Try to avoid new hairdressers or ones that are advertising an incredibly cheap price. They may be looking to get experience on your head. A good braider will have pictures of their previous work for you to view first. Also use references. If your friends or neighbors have had their hair corn rowed or braided ask for their suggestions on whom to use.

It is also important when having your hair braided that you grow your hair to the proper length before beginning a braiding process. The hair dresser must have enough hair to work with. If you have straight hair there should be at least 10 cm of hair for the hairdresser to work with. If your hair is curlier it must have at least 5 cm of hair length to work with for the hair dresser to be able to cornrow or braid your hair.

Once your hair has been corn rowed or braided it is important to maintain your healthy hair without disturbing the braids. Shampooing and conditioning your scalp and hair can be difficult to do without disturbing the braids. Try using a water pick or even massaging shower head to penetrate through the braids without disturbing them.

Night time can be especially challenging for those with braids. The constant friction between the braids and your pillow can cause your braids to become frizzy. Fly aways can also occur because of this. Just as with natural hair, you’ll want to protect it at night. To prevent frizzies from occurring you must prevent the friction on the braids by wrapping them in a do rag or head cloth to protect the braids. Be sure to always wear a protective cloth before laying down even for a nap as the breakage or frizzing can occur.

It is important to keep up with the maintenance of your hair when wearing braids. The braiding process is very expensive and can be worn for up to a month or more. It is important to follow the hairdressers instructions as to when to get your hair trimmed and how often your braids need to be redone. By following their instructions you will have healthier hair and more beautiful braids. Keep those braids looking good and presentable; it’s your present to the world!

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Can Prenatal Vitamins Really Make Your Hair Grow Quicker?

Maria — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 22:08:21 +0000

Can Prenatal Vitamins Really Make Your Hair Grow Quicker?

Most women who have been pregnant have noticed that their hair grows quicker, thicker, and healthier when they are with child. Many have credited this growth with the vitamin supplements in prenatal vitamins. This is an old wives tale. It is actually the increase in estrogen that allows a woman’s hair to grow faster during pregnancy.

For nine months your hair will be locked into the growth phase allowing the hair to continue to grow when it may not have before. After birth when the hormones have returned to normal these women will think they are going bald, as their hair begins to shed and this new growth is sent back to normal paces.

The average person’s hair will grow a half an inch per month. If you have a short growth stage then you will never be able to achieve the long locks that others are able to grow. While vitamins, minerals, and a healthy diet with plenty of water can increase the rate of growth during the growth phase, there is little chance that the actual phase can be elongated.

Whether you will have long hair or not is a genetic factor that you have very little control over. If you have a long growth phase than you will be able to achieve these long locks. Some are able to stay in the growth phase for as long as six years. Others with short grow phases will only last two years and only are able to grow hair to their shoulders.

You may be wondering how you can grow hair long if you are not in that lucky gene pool with long growth phases. Well you can achiever longer lengths through the use of MSM vitamins. MSM is natural organic sulfonyl sulfur. This is a compound that can be found in raw fruits and green vegetables. This is a product that is not found in prenatal vitamins and can be added to your diet to grow longer lengths of hair.

You will have to ensure that you have the healthiest hair to have longer lengths of hair. You have to prevent breakages to ensure your hair will reach greater lengths. If your hair is breaking as fast as it grows then it will never reach longer lengths. Hair breakage most often occurs thanks to a lack of moisture and rough brushing and styling techniques. Hair brushes should never be pulled through the hair in rough bursts. Hair that is brushed while wet should be brushed with a careful hand; and hair should only be washed every few days to keep in the natural oils.

Diet and hydration will also play a huge role in the health and overall length of the hair. Keeping your body in line will reflect on your hair. A healthy body means healthy hair. But, ladies, unfortunately, the length of your hair will not be determined by the usage of a prenatal vitamin, though vitamins can make hair stronger and healthier over time

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Hair Growth With Hair Vitamins

Maria — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 20:27:08 +0000

Can Biotin, MSM and Other Vitamins Help Your Hair Grow

The more healthy your body is the more healthy your hair will be. This means well balanced diet and well maintained metabolism can improve your hair as well. Your hair requires certain nutrients to enable your hair to grow faster and healthier. You can achieve longer hair by expanding the hair growing phase. This can be achieved by adding MSM to your diet. You can maximize hair growth with the combination of other important nutrients like Biotin, Folic acid, Niacin and Silica. This will enable the hair that grows to be more healthy and better able to maintain a longer length.

You hair’s growing phase, called anagen phase, is genetically predisposed. The longer the hair growing cycle the longer length your hair will be able to grow. The hair, once it has achieved the growing phase, will move on to the resting phase and then the shedding phase. Many vitamin and mineral supplements claim to make the growing phase longer. This is not the case. No vitamin can increase the time that the hair grows, but a great diet rich in many vitamins may affect how fast the hair grows during this stage and the following growing phases.

A pregnant woman is also able to lengthen their hair growing phase due to the increase in hormones. Most pregnant women will report longer and thicker hair during their pregnancy. Estrogen, that is present during a pregnancy will allow the hair growing phase to be extended. After giving birth when the hormones have receded the hair will be automatically returned to a resting phase and then a shedding phase. This is why women tend to loose their hair after the birth of their child.

By adding green vegetables and raw fruits to your diet, you will be able to extend the growth phase of your hair naturally. These fruits and vegetables contain an organic sulfonyl sulfur known as MSM or Methylsolfonylmethane. This organic sulfonyl sulfur will provide your hair with a healthier collagen and keratin. This will not only allow your hair to grow longer but also healthier. MSM encourages cell growth and can even repair cells.

Proteins in your diet also add important amino acids. The average American gets more than enough protein in their diet to not have to worry about lack of amino acids. Only strict vegetarians should be worried about their intake of proteins to get enough amino acids. The excess amino acids will simply be excreted in the urine and are not used to promote longer hair growth.

You can increase your hair growth by 200 percent with hair vitamins. To achieve longer hair you must first eliminate any sources of breakage. Your hair needs to healthy and free of breakage for your hair to become longer. You may notice that your hair never seems to grow; this is due to the fact that your hair is breaking as fast as it is growing. By being gentle with your hair and using treatments to prevent breakage you will notice your hair becoming longer and healthier.

You can enjoy healthier and longer hair by following these guidelines and being a lot more nurturing to your hair. Don’t give up on healthy and long hair!

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Growing Healthy and Long Black Hair

Maria — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 20:11:49 +0000

Growing Healthy and Long Black Hair

In this article we explore how to get black hair to grow long and healthy. We will also outline how to prevent damage and minimize breakage. Black hair is typically difficult to grow long because it is dry and is more prone to breakage and/or less capable of retention. Washing: It is important when you wash your hair to use a shampoo that is ph-balanced. You should only wash and rinse your hair one time. The more cyles that you wash your hair, the drier you will cause it to be. Dry hair is more likely to break. It is also helpful to massage the scalp to promote your hair to be thicker as it grows. It is recommeded to utilize an oil such as olive oil or carrot oil to massage. This will make your hair strands stronger and less likely to break.

Conditioning: When you think of conditioning you think about moisturizing your hair and replenishing vital oils, but this is just one kind of conditioner that your hair needs. You also need a protein conditioner. You will want to begin with a protein conditioner first, following the directions on the bottle. Follow up with your regular moisturizing conditioner and rinse. Both conditioners should be massaged deep into the scalp. The motions stimulate the follicles and wake them up to become more active. Protein Treatment: Here are few tips on applying a protein treatment. Use an applicator brush to apply the treatment from root to tips. Be sure to cover the entire length of the hair. After applying the treatment you will need to cover your hair with a plastic cap and heat under a hooded dryer for no more than 15 minutes. Be sure not to use a hand dryer. Also be sure not to exceed 15 minutes, as this will cause breakage as well.

Moisturizing Treatment: You will apply the moisturizing treatment in the same manner as the protein treatment. You will also need to cover with a plastic cap and sit under a hooded dryer for another 15 minutes. This is what will actually replace moisture lost in the first treatment. Relaxers: Relaxers can cause a lot of damage to your hair. This is where many people go wrong. You should evaluate your hair to see if it really needs to be straightened. If it does only use a mild relaxer and do not over straighten your hair till it is super straight. It may be possible to get the look you want by using a flat iron after washing and conditioning it. If you do relax your hair only do it every 8-10 weeks. Stretching your relaxers ensures maximum time for your hair to recover from chemical damage.

Relaxers are best applied by others as they have a better view of what they are doing. You will want to apply a large amount to scalp protectant to your head. You can simply use petroleum jelly for this. Be sure and cover the ends to protect hair that has already been treated. Also you will need to follow the directions provided by the manufacturer. Closely pay attention to the time and avoid over processing your hair. You will need to rinse the hair with warm water and be sure to wash with a neuturalizing shampoo at least three times to get rid of all traces of the relaxers. Once all of the relaxer has been removed reapply the neutralizing shampoo one more time leaving it in for at least ten minutes, then rinse. Once you have finished the relaxing treatment it is important to do a protein treatment as well as a moisturizing treatment to repair the damage to your mane. Daily maintenance is important to you the health of your locks. Your hair may remain dry even after you apply oils to your hair. This is because oil based hair products simply seal out or seal in moisture they do not supply your hair with the moisture it needs. You will want to apply a water based moisturizer and then seal in the moisture with the oil based products.

It is very important to make sure your hair has been properly moisturized before using hot tools like curling irons on your hair. Avoid putting hairspray on it when curling it. It will dry your hair out and leave it prone to damages. Once you have curled all the ends then you can apply a light mist of hairspray. Leave the curls untouched for at least five minutes after curling. Braids and weaves use chemicals to make them work. These chemicals and hair styles can cause damage to your hair. These types of hair styles will cause a lot of damage to your hair and should be avoided. The use of wigs can also dry out your hair and damage it. These can be worn occasionally but should not be worn everyday. On the days that you wear wigs, be sure to keep it moisturized underneath.

Steer clear of weaves! Not only because of the chemicals used to intertwine the hair but also the glue used to hold them in place can damage hair. It is very important to stay away from this treatment when trying to obtain healthy hair. Once you have put your hair on the path to healthiness you should avoid breakage and you are on your way to growing healthy and long hair.

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