On healthy hair growth

Clients frequently ask me how to make their hair grow faster. There are many factors that affect hair growth, such as genetics, nutrition and environment.
Hair is approximately 91% protein. Cells form in the hair follicle and grow up and out, filling up with keratin on the way. By the time the hair is visible on the scalp, it is a dead strand of keratinized protein. It is no longer alive. Only the part of the hair beneath the scalp is actually living and growing.
 On average, hair grows about 1/2 inch per month. The growth cycle of hair is usually four to five years. Then the hair follicle sheds the hair, rests, and starts the cycle over again. Most people shed around 100 hairs a day as this process occurs. Some hair will break off due to aggressive brushing, blow drying, flat ironing, etc. This is mechanical damage. Some hair will break off due to chemical damage from color applications, lightening/bleaching, permanent waving, relaxers, etc. These processes all force the cuticle of the hair open, causing weak points that will split and break.
So, why does it seem that the hair is not growing for some people? Well - it IS growing. The problem is that when the hair is broken off, due to mechanical or chemical damage, it takes YEARS for that to come back.
So, if you want to grow your hair longer there are several steps that must be followed.

1) Cut off damaged hair. Once hair ends split, it is like a "run" in ladies pantyhose: the split will travel up the hair shaft to the weakest point and break off. However, if you trim those split ends off (about a 1" trim every other month) before they break, you've only lost an inch of hair which will regrow in 8 weeks.Once the ends are healthy, you can reduce the trimming to a 1/4" every six weeks, leaving net length.
2) Hair needs moisture! Many, many products contain silicones or glycerines or other chemicals that work great the first few times you use them. Then a few weeks go by and you notice your hair is dryer than ever! This is because these products work by forcing the cuticle shut. A closed cuticle will appear smooth and reflect light, creating the shine we all crave. However, a cuticle that is glued shut cannot open to allow the natural exchange of moisture, therefore drying out the hair worse than ever. A good clarifying treatment is needed to remove the build up from these products.

 3) Be Gentle. Wearing a tightly bound ponytail in the same place on the head over and over again will stress the hair being pinched into that tight elastic band (mechanical damage). If you wear a ponytail, try to not make it a tight one. Move the ponytail from the top of your head, to the back of your head, to the nape of the neck, or to one side or the other.
If you hear or feel ripping, crunching, or pulling when brushing your hair, you're causing mechanical damage! Use a wide-tooth comb or pick instead. It should slide quietly through the hair. If there is a knot, gently untangle it from the ends up to the roots using a wide tooth comb. Try not to rip through the hair.
Make sure all brushes and combs being used are clean. Stray hairs that collect on tools can weave their way into a nice tangle. http://www.hairfinder.com/tips/cleanbrushes.htm
Don't use hot water! Try to use the most tepid warm water when shampooing. Hot water forces the cuticle open. Cold water will shut it again and add shine. Always rinse hair with cold water (as cold as you can tolerate) after shampooing.
Wear a hat to protect your hair and scalp from the sun!

4) Be Kind. Any chemical service (color, perms, relaxer, etc) will cause some damage. In order to minimize damage, make sure your hair is as healthy as possible before doing the service. Take your stylist's advice on this as well. Any stylist worth their licensure will refuse to do any service that risks the integrity of the hair. Remember, you are walking around showing off that stylist's work, so if it looks awful it will affect their business.

5) Seek out Healthy Hair choices. Educate yourself. Ask your stylist WHY she prefers a particular product. Does it really improve your hair or is it just a commission based sale? Does the product do what it says it should do? Does the salon have a return or exchange policy?

6) When in Doubt...Seek the advice of a doctor, specifically a dermatologist or a trichologist, if you are fortunate enought to have one in your medical community. If your hair is still brittle, thinning, and delicate, consult a medical professional. These can be symptoms of many, many things, including endocrine disorders, thyroid malfunctions, and allergies.  http://thyroid.about.com/cs/hairloss/a/hairloss.htm   It's always better to find out it's nothing than to find out it was a fixable condition had you treated it sooner. My doctor has a sign in his office that says, "The worst words a doctor can hear from a patient: I thought it would go away."

I must conclude by saying that I am grateful to work for a haircare company that offers products that are all natural, with no silicones, glycerines, or harsh chemicals. Our products work by using the attraction between negative and positive particles, thereby actually pulling water molecules into the hair shaft, not coating the hair with anything artificial. I hope you request the e-Cure Treatment at your salon. It has helped restore my hair (which was severely damaged after perming over color).
I'm not writing this as a commercial, but as a testimonial. I love the products and I love hearing from salons all over the country on their successes with it. http://youtu.be/tIqgECdTHPM

source: Milady's Standard Cosmetology

#17 On the Beauty Industry

Happy Friday! Another week of summer gone. Back to school stuff is in every store. The leaves are starting to change. But wait! We have the dog days of August ahead, and judging by the summer so far, it's going to be very humid and hot until mid-September.
I am so happy to have regular readers now. Did you know that my co-workers here at Armada-USA also have blogs? Check them out:

Iaisha writes http://armadastyle-i.blogspot.com/

Mayu writes http://mayu-e-cure.blogspot.com/

Mayu's most recent post mentioned that because she works in the beauty industry, she is always looking for news on ways to stay youthful. She's right - those of us who work with hair, make-up, and fashion are constantly searching for the latest and greatest trends. A lot of fads have come and gone and come back as a recycled fashion statement. Thankfully the Mullet has not made a return yet.
Some products become classic: Noxema cold cream is an example of a product, created in 1914 that has not changed its formula in years and it still does the job. http://www.noxzema.com/

Our products are considered new to the US Market but the science behind them is as old as the study of science itself. Not a passing trend, not some newly approved chemical - its as simple as the idea that opposites attract.

Of course, writing this blog and other articles does require some research. I use a variety of resources to keep up with what's going on in the industry. http://cosmetics.einnews.com/country/unitedstates Primarily, I love Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ecuretreatment and Twitter https://twitter.com/eCURETreatment  because I can see instant updates from my customers salons, fashion show trends http://www.hair.becomegorgeous.com/newest_trends/fallwinter_20112012_hairstyle_trends-5202.html , movers and shakers (we do have some well-known celebrity clients) and even things like new medicines being approved and stock market trends. If a pharmaceutical company manufactures a new high blood pressure medicine that has a side effect of increasing hair growth, I want to know about it! I'm not exaggerating either: this is how Rogaine was developed. http://minoxidil.us/history.htm

If a commonly used ingredient in hair care products is found to be harmful, I need to know about that too. http://www.ewg.org/book/export/html/26953 Fortunately everything in the e-Cure Treatment is all natural so we will never need to worry about that here.

I urge all of my readers to do your research and inform yourself of what you are putting onto and into your body. Stay healthy and enjoy the weekend!

#12 On Tea

In August, we are discontinuing the S-series shampoo in Orange and replacing it with S-4 Black Tea. Some samples arrived for us to experience this new, amazing fragrance. It made me wonder about Tea in general. What I perceive as a simple daily routine actually has a history that stretches back millenia, across world cultures and religions.
According to http://www.stashtea.com/info/history, one of the first recorded uses of tea is in China during the Han Dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE), in which it was taken medicinally. The earliest record of tea as an everyday beverage comes from the Tang Dynasty (618–907 CE). I wonder how it was discovered: perhaps someone had some tea leaves accidentally fall into boiling water and the resulting beverage was found to be delicous, satisfying, and invigorating.
There are four types of tea to enjoy, with countless subvarieties based on where the tea was grown, what season it was picked, how it was processed after picking, and what additives are added to it before brewing.

White Tea: http://whiteteaguide.com/ is the least processed form of tea. Because of this it has both reduced caffiene and more nutrients compared to other teas.

Green Tea: According to the University of Maryland website http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/green-tea-000255.htm , green tea has many health benefits.

Oolong Tea: these tea leaves are allowed to wither in the sun and oxidize before curling and twisting the leaves. http://www.teavana.com/tea-info/oolong-tea

Black Tea: Black tea is fully fermented, giving it it's dark color. http://www.blackteas.com/history-of-black-tea.php

Tea, in any of these forms, offers many health benefits. For me, a good cup of tea with a little sugar or honey provides relaxation, comfort, and great place to dip cookies. I definitely prefer traditional black or green tea. I have discovered I do not like flavored teas. Even with the caffiene content, I enjoy a hot cup of tea before bed. Amazingly, science and medicine are still finding new uses for tea.

And now, our newest S-Series shampoo has a Black Tea fragrance. I can't wait to try it!





#11 Subway Station Art in NYC

NYC cannot function without it's subway system. The system started back in the 1800's. Basically there were two private, independent companies that competed with each other for subway fares. And then...well, to put it simply, the city goverment got involved. The fares were fixed and so neither company could compete effectively. Eventually, the city bought both systems, leading to today's "modern" subway system in NYC. I am hesitant to call it modern because the train stations have not been upgraded (or cleaned?) since the 1930's. Most stations no longer have public bathrooms, the once beautiful artwork in the stations has long since been covered with grime. It makes me sad as I look up at the ceiling of the 168 St Station and I can see where beautiful chandeliers used to hang. Quite a few of the stations have lovely mosaics reflecting the area of the city that they serve. For example, the 42nd St station, which resides underneath Times Square, has a mosaic that runs the length of the corridor. It features people celebrating New Year's, blowing horns and celebrating in their winter coats.
I have attached some photos of some pieces. I feel as if these stations are a part of NYC history, and it's a shame that they are slowly decaying away. I certainly hope that if the city does decide to upgrade the subway system (and I'm sure eventually they will) that they will preserve the mosaics and even some of the classic architecture.

#10: Gifting the client

Every month we publish the e-newsletter for our customers to enjoy. I write an article or two, usually from a cosmetologist's point of view, about a particular topic. I just finished a piece for the next issue on retailing e-Cure Treatment products for salon clientele. As I submitted the article, I realized there were no photos of the retail items we offer to salons. So today our marketing guru Michael and I made some gift baskets for clients who are getting married, celebrating an anniversary, having a baby, moving, starting a new job, etc. Whatever the occasion clients become loyal to stylists who give them a personal experience, as opposed to just a shampoo/cut/style. It is well worth it to invest some time into making special thank-you gifts to your clients. Or just wrap up the retail items like gifts for clients to purchase for themselves or as gifts to otheres.
My article is going to look fantastic. Hopefully will inspire others. I would love to see what you come up with. Please post your pics of your ideas on our facebook page. There are so many occasions a client will need a gift for and so many occasions you can "gift" your client:

• Anniversary: Milestone Wedding Annversary- 1st, 5th, 10th, 25th, 40th, 50th; Dating Anniversary: 6th month, annual; Company Anniversary: 1st year, 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th, 25th...

• Birthday: 1st, 13th, 16th, 18th, 21st, 30th, 40th, 50th, 60th, 75th, 100th

• Graduation: Pre-School, Kindergarten, Grammar/Elementary School, Middle School, High School, College, Graduate School, Technical School

• Religious: First Communion, Baptism, Bar Mitzvah, Bat Mitzvah

Baby Shower	Good Luck
Congratulations!	Encouragement
I miss you	Remember when...?
Housewarming	New Baby (Pamper Mom)
Retirement	Bridal Shower
Condolence	Sympathy
Get Well/Feel Better	Bon Voyage
Welcome Home	Hello again
Best Friend	Thank You
What would I do without you?	Love you!
I'm sorry	World's Best Mom, Dad, Brother, etc
Can't live without you.	Thinking about you

#8 Happy Friday! Favorite youtube videos

I love to learn new things, but history and science are two of the topics I am most fascinated by. I keep myself entertained and informed in a variety of ways, including Youtube videos.
Youtube links I enjoy include the Vlogbrothers and The Creepy Bard. Actually, I have met the Bard and seen him perform in Central Park. He was kind enough to autograph his cd for me and we've been friends ever since.

John and Hank Green are the Vlogbrothers. They each have separate channels as well as one together.

http://www.youtube.com/user/vlogbrothers Raising Nerdy to the power of awesome.

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBDA2E52FB1EF80C9 Crash Course World History. John Green teaches you the history of the world in 40 Crash Course episodes.

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3EED4C1D684D3ADF Crash Course Biology. Hank Green teaches you biology.

http://www.youtube.com/user/TheCreepyBard/videos

Gather round to hear as David Anthony, The Creepy Bard regales you with songs of drinking, roving, fighting, and things to keep secret from your mother. You will laugh, cry, blush and wonder where you left the whiskey.

Throughout his travels, David Anthony, The Creepy Bard, has learned many great songs and ballads, from songs of gallantry meant to stir men to great deeds, to songs rife with metaphor and innuendo meant to make the ladies blush. Whether at a royal court or at a common pub, The Creepy Bard will entertain men, delight children, and charm the lassies right out of their corsets.
 David also frequents the Shire of Sterling in Tuxedo, New York, in the guise of Christopher Hatton, minstrel to Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth.

And of course, the videos from Armada-USA, the company I work for:

http://youtu.be/tIqgECdTHPM How to do the e-Cure Treatment

http://youtu.be/eQYeJU5wXic the e-Cure Treatment at the International Beauty Show in NYC


I hope you find these videos as entertaining and informative as I have. Enjoy the weekend!

#7: Celebrities I wish I could do an e-Cure Treatment on

There are a lot of famous people who I've seen on TV, in film, or in photographs that I look at and say, "WHO is that person's stylist and WHY are they walking around with their hair like that?!" Feel free to submit your own in comments:

1.) Donald Trump

Yes, he's a brilliant businessman, and I'd love to have lunch with him just to pick his brain a bit. But mostly I want to give him a shorter, tighter haircut with a darker, richer color.

2.) Don King

Another colorful character...but I want to shave it off and start over. Some P-4.1 and a good haircut would be very helpful here.

3.) Lady Gaga

When you bleach your hair enough to do this and then you bleach it out again to do this

                                                                     among other services like extensions, repeated bleachings, colorings, re-bleaching and the mechanical wear and tear of being on a dancer's head...well...what you end up with is this:

Which is probably the only solution. Hopefully, the new growth (assuming the hair follicles are not damaged and new growth occurs) will be treated more kindly. Gaga, call me so that this never happens again, k?

#6: So what happens here at Armada-USA?

As I've said before (and I'm so grateful), I LOVE my job. A lot of customers picture us to be a huge corporate office, full of cubicles and a warehouse full of products being shipped everywhere. Some customers have asked about our salon and when they could come visit. The fact is, we are a small, privately owned company in an office in NYC. There is no salon on site. We are a team of individuals who conference on what our customers needs are, what we can offer, and we strive to process requests as accurately and efficiently as possible. There have been days where I have sat and done data entry for hours at a time. Other days I have worked in the shipping department and assembled boxes until they are stacked in towers taller than me. On a typical day, I sit at my desk typing my blog, updating our Facebook and Twitter feeds, reviewing some marketing materials, and drinking the wonderful green tea from Japan that we have here in the office. I truly enjoy answering the phone and talking to salon professionals from all parts of the United States. I have learned so much from their questions!
And my hair? It is now long enough to wear a ponytail! I'm so excited about it. The e-Cure Treatment has stopped the brittle breakage that made it seem like my hair wouldn't ever grow. I can honestly say the products work and I'm a loyal customer.
 Well...it's a busy day here with lots of orders coming in and going out. Phones are ringing, UPS men are wheeling in carts, everyone is typing and it looks like lunch is at my desk today. Onwards and upwards!

#4 Heat, humidity, Hair & When negative is positive!

In elementary school,we all had to learn the basics of how magnets and electricity work. Negative and positive particles are attracted to each other. As we are electrical beings, this concept affects us in many ways that we aren't aware of. Negative ions are very positive to people. They affect the pH balance in our blood, making it (and the entire body) less acidic and therefore less prone to oxidation, disease, and environmental damage.
Many people feel calmed by a rainstorm or by visiting the sea. Water releases negative ions into the air and when we breathe them in we feel better.
Our e-Cure products are made with sea water that contains negative ions. Heat and humidity may cause hair to frizz but the negative ions in the e-Cure Treatment help balance the pH, adding moisture into the hair shaft and calming the cuticle of the hair so that it lays down smooth, reflecting light.
If you are living in an area where negative ions are not prevalant, you can add them with a Negative Ion producer (sold all over - try Amazon.com).
The e-Cure products use this same science to create healthy hair. Of course I have included links below on more scientific research on how negative ions are good for you. .

http://detoxion.com/Negative%20Ions.htm


http://www.webmd.com/balance/features/negative-ions-create-positive-vibes

#2 on a Sunny Monday in NYC

It's amazing that the calendar has rolled into July with it's hot, steamy days. I spent the weekend at a public pool with my younger two sons. Today I woke up with a wicked sunburn on my back. Not cool, especially considering I am meticulous about wearing sunscreen. When I was 15, I had a mole on my neck, just behind my earlobe, that had started to itch. If I touched it, even gently, it would bleed. My mother took me to a dermatologist who removed it, sent it to a lab, and told me it was "atypical" and "precancerous." Needless to say, I have been very, very careful ever since. I choose makeup and skincare products that contain an SPF of at least 15. I was wearing SPF 50 at the pool. I couldn't reach my back though, and I asked my 7-year-old son to apply it for me. Lesson learned, for both me and my son! Poor guy felt terribly responsible. Meanwhile, I will inform my dermatologist of the burn. Since I am considered high risk for skin cancer, I get a complete exam every other year from a dermatologist. They literally draw a map of every mole and freckle on my entire body. Each one is measured and the color and texture noted. Any changes indicate immediate removal and analysis. I don't really mind this as its fairly painless, but I worry that as I get older there will be sun damage to my scalp and I will lose a patch of hair to a lab test. Perhaps I need to start wearing hats. Meanwhile, I urge all of my readers to use common sense and educate yourself about the serious damage regular tanning and sunburns can cause. I have attached a link for your benefit.
Stay cool (with a spritz of M-3.2!) and enjoy these beautiful summer days!
Preventing Skin Cancer