Hair styles

The right hairstyle for you
Tired of trying out different hairstyles and coming up with ghastly results? Many of us donut realize that only a particular kind of style will go well with our facial structure.

The right way, say stylists, is to find what works with the structure of the face and looks flattering. A flattering hairstyle can be the most important single factor in your appearance. Not only does it tell about your character, it balances your body, frames your face and complements your clothes and lifestyle. A really professional haircut is a valuable investment, because it will make you feel good as well as look good.

When choosing a new hairstyle you should look carefully at the shape of your face.

What kind of face do you have?
Oval Face
If you have an oval face, you are lucky, as any style will suit you. A long face is best complemented by short hair that is quite full, with a fringe. Don't go for a severe long hairdo that will only make your face look longer.
Round Face
If you have a round face, you should aim to add length. If you don't want long hair, part your hair on the side or add fullness on top. Avoid a neat bob with a fringe. A round face gives an overall appearance of roundness. A full face is flattered by a short, layered cut. The top of the head should be given a ‘long’ look with a layered, curly style, extending to the back. If making a topknot, get a lot of elongated tendrils out. That balances your face. A lot of volume to the hair will give it a flat look. A severe, tied back style also makes the face look rounder. Avoid it.

Square Face
A wide forehead and square jawbone means you have a square face. A style with the hair 2.5 cm, or so below the chin sits pretty on a square face. If your hair is thick or wavy, you can go all one length. With straight or fine hair, you can opt for a slight angle in the front. Donut go in for bobs. Blunt clipped bangs are also not recommended because they would emphasize the squareness of your face. All a square face needs is a little softening if the jawline is too heavy. Draw the attention away from the jaw with a diagonal fringe forward from the hairline and around the ears if you wear your hair up, or long loose hair with a bit of bounce below chin level.

Heart Shape
A Heart shaped face is also easy to flatter. All you need to do is avoid a heavy slab of fringe that will make your face into a triangle. A softer fringe will help. Try a soft fringe too for a high forehead, or try a very heavy fringe that stars quite a way back ans is 'V' - shaped, with the point of the 'V' in the centre of your forehead. If you have a receding or double chin, you need to draw attention away from it. Your hair will look best either piled to the top and back of your head, to balance the chin, or hanging loose to hide it. A large nose needs a short, fluffy style anything sleek or straight will only over-emphasize it.
Long Face
A long, thin face with a narrow chin is oblong. A short, perky bob will go very nicely with your kind of looks. It should be short at the back and the angled chin length, in the front. Wearing it with a side parting, with bangs brushed to the side, rounds out an oblong face. A longer bob, about five-cm, below the chin, will also look good on this kind of face. Layered hair will not suit you at all. Long hair, too, makes the face seems lengthier

Hair Colouring

Post Perm Tips
1. Don't wash newly permed hair for 48 hours after processing as any stress can cause curls to relax. 2. Use shampoos and conditioners formulated for permed hair to help retain the correct moisture balance and prolong the perm. 3. Always use a wide toothed comb and work from the
ends upwards. Never brush the hair. 4. Blot wet hair dry before styling to prevent stretching.
5. Avoid using too much heat on permed hair. If possible, wash, condition and let dry naturally.
6. If your perm has lost its bounce, mist with water or try a curl reviver.
These are designed to put instant volume and bounce into permed hair.

Bronze or Blonde
Colour has come a long way and we are and Indian women are more willing to experiment now than we were willing to earlier. A head of coloured hair, even in the 1980s, drew a lot of attention and appreciates glances. But today, take a quick look around you and you will agree that 80-90 per cent of young college girls and even career women have coloured hair. And unless it is crazy colour, it is considered normal and acceptable. Should you or shouldn't colour your hair is a question you often ask yourself. Here are a few answers to help you make up your mind about colouring your hair.
Are hair colours safe?
Yes, they are totally safe, in fact most of the colours today have special polymers and conditioners incorporated in them to make them superior to hair colours which were available earlier. These polymers and conditioners actually penetrate the hair shaft and enter the cortex, mending any damage in the normal hair structure. They smoothen the outermost layer of hair that is made up of cuticles, which appear like tiles on a roof under the microscope. The ultimate effect after the use of such a product on your hair would be shinier, smoother and healthier hair. So far there appears to be no connection between the application of hair colour and the appearance of Gary hair. Hair turns grey due to the inability of hair to produce melanin in the early stages of hair growth.
Melanin is the colour pigment in your hair, which can be black, brown, red or yellow. The individuality of your hair colour is determined by the percentage of each colour pigment, making each personas hair colour characteristically their own. Poor diet, illness, age, heredity, etc. can cause the acceleration of grey hair and the actual use of a hair dye has nothing to do with the greying process.

Which colour suits you the best is the question you should ask your beautician. Let her know if you had coloured or hennaed your hair earlier, the products you used and whether you had straightened or permed your hair. Also have your hair checked out for porosity or elasticity, both of which play a major role in how healthy you hair, will look after the colour. Discuss this with her in detail how long the process will take the cost and after care you will require to keep up the effect. You must also take a stand test so that both you and your hairdresser know what to expect at the end of the process.

What are the side effects of colouring?
If a professional taking into account all the above points does colouring, the side effects are almost nil, especially if the client follows the after care recommended. However, it is very important that your hairdresser recommends a patch test in addition to all the points mentioned above, especially with a product you have not used before. This is to check for allergic reaction before carrying out the colouring process. This should be done at least 24-28 hours in advance.
What do you need to maintain the colour and the quality of your hair?
Certain fashion colours fade easily and you may need to go back for a rinse once a month, for example, in the case of wine reds, you would need a regular touch up or rinse to maintain their intensity. In the case of grey hair, it would depend on the individual growth rate of hair. On an average, hair grows ½"- ¾" every month, so a touch up once in 20 days is a must for grey hair.
For those with no grey hair and a mild colour not too different from their natural colour, a touch up once in six months is ideal. For those with a drastic or dramatically different hair colour, a root touch up is important.

The after care needed is usually a shampoo for colour treated hair, which increases the life of your colour and conditioners to protect your hair. Too much exposure to sun, sea and chlorine should also be avoided.

Which brand of colour should you use?
It is usually best to leave the choice of colour to your hairdresser once you have discussed with her what you expect after the colour job. The safest home use products now available in the market are by L’Oreal. They have a wide range of products in different shade from which you could choose. For those of you who are allergic to ammonia they have now launched a new product called casting, which is available in a few fashion and basic states. So do go ahead and make a beauty statement with your hair colour.

Short hair shows you are a woman on the move – cool, confident, in control, and too busy to spend hours fussing with your hair. A dramatic cut shows that you are happy to take new challenges.

Five great things about short hair.
Short hair is sexy. It allows a man to see you and your personality.
Well cut short hair emphasizes femininity, especially if you get chunky layers and softness cut into the style.
Your hair looks thicker and more glossy. Shorter hair looks healthier as the hair is newer than the dull, damaged ends of longer hair. Its a good option for people with fine hair.
Its easy to manage. Designer Donna Karen thinks short hair epitomises the 90’s. Its like a great dress – you just step into it and go.
You can look younger. Wrinkles are emphasised by the straight lines of long hair, but the softer shape of short hair makes them less obvious.
Common Dos and Donuts:
Donut use any old rubber band just to keep hair off the face. Rubber bands tend to break or split hair. Instead just use a scrunchy or a fabric coated elastic band.
Donut brush wet hair too harshly because its three times weaker and more likely to break off mid strand. Towel dry hair first, then gently detangle using a wide tooth comb.
Donut sud up more than once unless your hair is extremely greasy else it'll become too dry and frizzy. Oil hair before every wash. Massage oil well into the scalp and keep for a minimum of half-hour. This keeps your scalp nourished and conditioned.
Excessive use of conditioner can your hair and cause split ends. Protect from over conditioning.

Hair Loss
We loose 50 to 80 strands of hair per day. Do not get alarmed, this is quite normal. Unless there is some deficiency in diet, or ill health, lost hair is quickly replaced by new ones. Each hair grows between one quarter and one half inch each month.

Reasons for hair loss
Hair loss can be triggered off by various reasons, internal diseases, reaction to drugs, dietary deficiencies, scalp diseases, menopause, childbirth, are common causes, which lead to a loss of essential nutrients and minerals from the scalp.
Another cause of hair loss that is usually overlooked is hair damage. Excessive stretching and tugging with hard combs and styling appliances, exposure to extreme heat, regular use of rollers and blow drying, perming and colouring lead to this problem.

Alopecia aerate is another alarming scalp disease. In this disease hair growth may be normal in most areas few bald patched occurring in many parts of the scalp. It maybe confined to one area or the patches may increase and enlarge, merging onto each other and finally resulting in total baldness. The main cause of this is tension and anxiety.

It is essential to remember that hair must be treated gently. Vigorous scalp massage in out, it would result in further hair loss. A wide toothed comb should be used.

Natural treatment
Success has been achieved through use of plant extracts that promote hair growth and improve the health of the scalp. Henna, reetha, shikakai, amla, bael have been used for controlling hair loss since age-old days. These extracts have no side effects.
Home Recipes
Applications of castor oil and iodine alternately for a week is excellent for this problem. Steam the head by wringing out a hot towel and wrapping it around the head. Then shampoo and use a conditioner. A conditioner offers your hair a buffer against external damage – also making it more manageable.
Soak about 200 grams of reetha in four glasses of water. Leave overnight. Next morning, boil the mixture for 10 to 15 minutes. Squash the reetha seeds and strain the water. Apply to hair.
A paste of lemon seeds and black pepper can be applied on bald patches, twice a week.
Massage whipped egg white all over the scalp. Allow it to dry before washing off.
Wash hair with a paste of cooked ‘ urad dal’ and fenugreek (methi), three times a week.
Combine together 5 tablespoons of pure undulated coconut milk with one tablespoon of lemon juice. Massage well into the scalp.
Most soaps and shampoos have chemicals, use amla and shikakai instead. Oiling and massaging the scalp is a must once a week. Use aloe Vera oil, or coconut oil or mustard oil twice a week. Check your diet – take sufficient proteins and vitamins. Minerals and iodine are also important. Iodine helps improve circulation of blood in the scalp.
Hair must be protected from treatments that cause damage so a regular hair care routine must be followed. Unfortunately, we sit up only when we are confronted with a problem.

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