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This week, Anthony Dickey is opening a new salon where all hair textures can co-exist under one roof.

Hair Rules New York, with its elite team of stylists and colorists, is located at 828 Ninth Avenue, between 54th and 55th streets in the diverse Clinto neighborhood.

“From the first day of cosmetology school, stylists are taught to process hair without regard to natural texture,” explains celebrity stylist Dickey, creator of the Hair Rules line of products for multi-textural hair. “What that means to women with highly textured hair is that their hair is a problem that needs fixing.”

As a result, says Dickey, generations of women with wavy, curly and kinky hair have battled their hair into submission, often with damaging chemicals and heat. “The result of that is not only damaged hair, but divisive notions about what’s socially, professionally and fashionably acceptable.”

Although the majority of salons work with a broad clientele with all hair types, many stylists do not feel comfortable working with naturally kinky hair. And for many salons that do specialize in highly textured hair, the main focus may be relaxers, weaves and heat styling to change the texture rather than work with it.

“Others still promote only natural styles such as braids, locks and twists,” Dickey says.

With his new salon, Dickey wants to change the rules.

“Hair Rules takes everything we know about the hair industry and heads it in the right direction,” says Dickey, who authored a straight-talk guidebook called Hair Rules: The Ultimate Hair Care Guide for Women with Kinky, Curly and Wavy Hair .

Hair Rules co-founder supermodel Kara Young considers Hair Rules a mindset — “a new way for women who have always struggled with their natural texture to learn to embrace it and truly love it.”

Hair Rules New York will offer hair-care and styling-based approaches to working with texture. No texture will be viewed as problematic, from super kinky hair to straight hair that “won’t hold a curl” to every texture in between.

“Our goal is to undo years of despair and disappointment by helping our clients rediscover their natural texture, embrace the versatility it offers and wear it however they choose — but via healthy, responsible methods,” says Dickey, stylist to Minnie Driver, Kelis, Estelle and First Lady Michelle Obama.

The 2,160-square-foot loft space features eight cutting stations, four color stations, four drying stations and a comfortable living room where clients can unwind. The space is decorated in an eclectic mix of colors, surfaces and fabrics — what Dickey calls “a groovy, elegant, multi-textural vibe.”

Green building techniques were used in the design, including responsibly harvested bamboo, the use of wind power, non-toxic paint and energy-efficient lighting. The salon has partnered with Matter of Trust, a nonprofit organization focused on recycling hair into hair mats for cleaning up oil spills.

Beyond salon services, Hair Rules New York will conduct advanced education classes for licensed hairdressers, and will host events, including seminars and workshops, that promote beauty, community, the arts and well-being.

“Hair Rules redefines standards in hair-care and styling services, taking the healthiest approach to achievable beauty as a means toward providing women with choices as they relate to style and self expression,” Dickey says.

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To make an appointment, call 212-315-2929.

Move over, argan oil and shea butter. Stylists are all abuzz about the latest miracle hair treatment: bull semen.

After reading about sperm-based facials, one British stylist began chatting away with her clients.

“When a client asked where she could get a sperm-based hair treatment done to feed her protein deprived locks … I was speechless,” the stylist said on Stylecaster.com.

She did some research and came across a “Aberdeen Organic Bull Semen Treatment.” Hari’s, a salon in London, is offering clients a conditioning treatment made out of bull’s semen. Hari’s has been one of London’s top salons for over 30 years and prides itself on offering some of London’s most exciting new treatments sourced from around the world.

It has become the most talked about treatment in London. Touted as “Viagra for Hair,” this 45-minute treatment ranges from £55 to £85 ($90-$138 U.S.”> and uses semen from Aberdeen Angus bulls. Hari’s combines the sperm with the root of the protein-rich plant Katera. The protein-enriched potion is massaged into the client’s hair after it has been shampooed. Then the client is put under heat so the treatment penetrates the hair. The final step is the blow out, which gives the hair an awful lot of body, as well as shine.

“I have been searching for an organic product with a lot of protein because that is what hair is made of and that is what it lacks when it is dry,” says salon owner Hari Salem. “The semen is refrigerated before use and doesn’t smell. It leaves your hair looking wonderfully soft and thick.”

Salem told media that he tried hundreds of products—including wild avocados and truffle oil—before hitting on bull semen as the elusive element in a formula for making hair look gorgeous. His salon also offers such treatments as Kerastase Hair Rituals and mind-soothing Indian Head Massage.

Salem says the treatment repairs, restores and brightens any hair. He says he has no shortage of customers.

“It will be an ongoing treatment as long as the bulls perform,” he says.

According to CosmeticsDesign.com, the trend may actually have started with Norwegian based company Maritex, which stated that it was the main producer of Cod sperm for use in cosmetic products.

The company suggested that the sperm successfully binds water in body lotions and make-up, with the company said to have sold seven tons of processed cod sperm for use in cosmetics in 2002.

However, the motive behind the Hari’s salon’s decision to use the controversial ingredient was more scientific, with the protein in the semen thought to actively complement the protein contained in hair molecules.

Bull semen may be the latest attempt by hair manufacturers to find pure forms of protein that match the hair protein quantities in order to create the most effective hair care treatment. With the bull semen and Katira plant extract mix giving an almost instant and odorless finish, the treatment may be the start of big things to come, says CosmeticsDesign.com.

Because semen has to be refrigerated in straws until use, it could be a while before it becomes a staple in hair-care products. And with its high cost, the ingredient would be aimed at the premium hair care market.

According to Mintel data, other unusual animal ingredients are being used in Asia and Latin America, with many companies incorporating placenta ingredients into skin care products, according to CosmeticsDesign.

Sofface cosmetics, based in China, has created a make-up base that contains sheep placenta, while the Guangzhou Sisder Health & Beauty company has based an entire skin care and body line using the same ingredient.

And that’s no bull.

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Max Green Alchemy wants to prove that consumers need not compromise performance when they buy natural and organic styling products.

Scalp Rescue Texture Paste, Scalp Rescue Sculpting Gel, Scalp Rescue Styling Gel and Scalp Rescue Pomade are designed to provide the latest looks without parabens, PVP, silicones, wax or other synthetic additives. Instead, they combine plant-derived ingredients with traditional botanical extracts, vitamins and essential oils.

Because of this emphasis on performance, the company’s products have developed quite a following in the curly world.

“We love Max Green Alchemy for curly hair because it doesn’t feel like there’s anything in the hair, but it gives good curl definition,” says Nicole Lengerich, a stylist at Dio Salon & Spa in Colorado Springs who specializes in curly hair. “My curlies love Styling Gel. I think it’s so good that they’d use it even if it wasn’t natural.”

San Francisco-based Max Green Alchemy got its start in 2004 when Wil Baker, whose background is in finance, teamed up with David Karlak, who has a marketing background. Both had an interest in natural products and believed there was a need for products that “respect consumers’ internal and external environments without sacrificing effectiveness.”

The name “Max Green,” says Baker, is a philosophy which reflects the duo’s vision.

“Alchemy is what we do as a company,” Baker says.

“We saw a gap in the market was for natural products that were still sensual,” says Baker, who telecommutes from England. “We wanted people to have an experience when they used them, and be products they would use even if they weren’t into natural ingredients.”

The cosmetics, hair and skin care industries use more than 7,000 ingredients derived from natural or synthetic sources. As many as one in seven of these have harmful or toxic effects on the skin or body, ranging from minor skin irritation or contact dermatitis to carcinogenic implications, Baker says.

Baker and Karlak spent a year developing Max Alchemy’s first four products: Skin Rescue Cream, Scalp Rescue Shampoo and Conditioner and Chap Defense Lip Balm. The line launched in early 2005 at the Natural Products Expo, and was picked up by Whole Foods Market within half an hour.

“It was an indication they liked what they saw,” Baker says.

Whole Foods helped the fledgling company set up a distribution network, and it was “like a rolling snowball,” Baker says. Today, Max Green Alchemy products are sold at 250 resellers in the United States.

Products have been added based on customer demand. The line has grown to include lotions, cleansers, bath products and hand and foot care. Male-oriented shaving products currently are on the drawing board.

“We ask people what they’d like us to bring them,” Baker says. “That really steers our thought processes about what we’d like to develop next. The sky’s the limit!”

The styling products were developed because of the gap that existed for effective natural styling products that perform like their chemical-laden cousins. Many “natural” products rely on petrochemicals to provide hold. Texture Paste is designed to add define and detail to chunky styles; Styling Gel is a soft hold gel; Pomade adds shine and moisture and Sculpting Gel is a strong-hold, humidity-resistant gel.

“There aren’t many good natural styling products out there,” says Baker. “We thought we could do better. We’ve taken natural styling products to the next level.”

The company has strictly complied with the Food & Drug Administration’s standards, rather than cutting corners, Baker says. The company sources as many organic ingredients as possible. The ingredient panels on products, in literature and on the site specify which ingredients are organic or are sustainably wildcrafted.

“Since we source organic ingredients from global suppliers, ingredients meet various organic certification standards,” Baker says. “We hope that a comprehensive organic certification scheme will emerge. However, our company mission is to provide the finest quality personal skin care products using ingredients of 100 percent plant origin.”

“We get a lot of calls about ingredients, and we’ve developed a reputation for our knowledge about the subject,” Baker says.

The company has been lauded by natural living publications such as Vegetarian Journal, Herb Companion, Skin Deep and Organic.org. In 2008, the company won the Best Cruelty-Free Personal Product award from PETA for its Scalp Rescue Shampoo. The PETA Proggy (for progress”> awards recognize animal-friendly achievements in commerce and culture on behalf of their members and supporters.

“By making you aware of protection issues and providing you with accessible alternatives to products that hurt animals, Max Green Alchemy is contributing to a more compassionate and humane way to live,” says Ingrid Newkirk, president of PETA. “Their innovative and progressive contribution sets the gold standard for other companies to emulate, and we applaud them for their foresight, initiative, creativity and kindness.”

Max Green Alchemy also has received recognition from mainstream beauty publications such as Elle, which this month named the company’s Scalp Rescue Conditioner as the best “green conditioner.”

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Curls have been around since the beginning of time. In honor of Man Week, we thought we’d showcase some of our favorite curly icons through the ages — men who wore their curls with pride rather than cutting them off.

Stone Age: We weren’t around during the Stone Age, but if today’s caveman stereotype is any indication, curly hair was a hot look for prehistoric humans.

The Bible: Samson is a Herculean figure, who is granted tremendous strength through the Spirit of the Lord to combat his enemies and perform heroic feats unachievable by ordinary men, including wrestling a lion, slaying an entire army with nothing more than the jawbone of an ass, and destroying a temple. Through it all, he rocked his curls.

Roman Empire (AD 117 to 138″>: The Roman Empire reached its peak geographical size under Emporer Hadrian’s rule, and his curly hairstyle was the look of the day for Roman men.

12th Century: Sir Lancelot was one of the Knights of the Round Table. He is typically considered to be one of the greatest and most trusted of King Arthur’s knights and played a part in many of Arthur’s victories. He is perhaps most famous for his affair with Arthur’s wife Guinevere and the role he plays in the search for the Holy Grail. Long curls were the look of the day during the Middle Ages.

Tudor Period: King Henry VIII was known for his many wives. Maybe it was his curls that attracted them!

18th Century: Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States. He was military governor of Florida (1821″>, commander of the American forces at the Battle of New Orleans (1815″>, and eponym of the era of Jacksonian democracy. Like many presidents of his time long curls were considered presidential, even if it was a curly wig they were wearing.

19th Century: Curly Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known by the pen name Mark Twain, is known for such novels as Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

Albert Einstein, the German-born physicist, is best known for his theory of relativity as well as his wild curls.

Turn of the 20th Century: Charlie Chaplin was one of the stars of silent film. His curls peaked out from beneath his trademark bowler hat.

20th Century: Curlytop Jerry Garcia was one of the founders of the legendary band the Grateful Dead.

What would the ’70s have been without the Brady men and their Brady perms. They helped launch a perm explosion among men.

Fitness enthusiast Richard Simmons is known for his ‘fro as much as for his exercise empire.

We could choose rockers from any number of hair bands to celebrate, but we opted for Ted Nugent. You can’t think of Nugent without thinking of those long, wild curls.

Gene Shalit, the film and book critic on NBC’s The Today Show, He is known for his frequent use of puns, his oversized handlebar moustache, his colorful bow ties and his wild curls.

Kramer, aka Michael Richards, was known for his wacky personality and his crazy curls, which were his trademark.

Since Sideshow Bob Roberts first appeared on “The Simpsons” on October 9, 1994. Voiced by Kelsey Grammer, he has become a pop culture icon, and so has his palm-tree-like hair.

The 21st century: The 21st century already has brought us many curly male icons, including teen idol Corbin Bleu, actor Adrian Grenier, comedian Carrot Top and the Jonas Brothers.

For centuries, oil from the Moroccan argan kernel has provided natural nourishing benefits for the hair and scalp.

Now argan oil — or Moroccan oil as it is sometimes called — is gaining attention in the haircare industry for its ability to soften unruly hair while offering protection from the elements.

Travelers have long wandered the road of Marrakesh in search of spiritual and cultural fulfillment. Along their exotic journeys there is the ancient and rare Argan Tree, growing only in the Berber region of Morocco. From the nut of these magical trees comes Moroccan argan oil, known for a thousand years for its incredibly rich benefits for hair and skin.

High in vitamin E and essential fatty acids, it is believed to help all sorts of skin conditions: dry skin, acne, psoriasis, eczema, wrinkles. Moroccans slather it on their skin, hair, nails and even their babies. They eat it, too — drizzling it over salads and couscous, or using it to make amlou, a tahini-like spread of the oil, almonds and honey.

The oil was sold in Moroccan markets even before the Phoenicians arrived, but the hardy argan tree has been slowly disappearing. Overgrazing by goats and a growing, wood-hungry local population have whittled the number of surviving trees down to less than half of what it was 50 years ago.

Argan oil remains one of the rarest oils in the world due the small and very specific growing area.

The argan tree was first reported by the explorer Leo Africanus in 1510. An early specimen was taken to Amsterdam and then cultivated by Lady Beaufort at Badminton around 1711.

The tree is extremely well adapted to drought and other environmentally difficult conditions of southwestern Morocco. The species argania once covered North Africa and is now endangered and under protection of UNESCO. The argan tree grows wild in semi-desert soil, its deep root system helping to protect against soil erosion and the northern advance of the Sahara.

The plum-sized fruits are eaten by goats that climb the trees — women once harvested the fruits from goat droppings. Nowadays, modern technology eliminated this process for the most part. The kernels are stripped off the fruit by machine, and are cold pressed to express the oil. Cold pressing is a preferred “green” method that eliminates the need for chemicals in extraction and produces purer oil.

Unesco declared a 25,900-square-kilometer of land between the Atlantic and the Atlas Mountains and provided money to manage the trees’ preservation. Chefs and society matrons took up the cause, praising the culinary qualities of the oil and its anti-aging effect on the skin. There is also a ban against grazing in the trees from May to August, when the fruit ripens to a bright yellow and eventually the goats climb the trees, eat the fruit and expel the pits, which locals continue to collect.

Each smooth pit contains one to three kernels, which look like sliced almonds and are rich in oil. The kernels are then removed and gently roasted. This roasting accounts for part of the oil’s distinctive, nutty flavour. It takes several days and about 32 kilograms of fruit — roughly one season’s produce from a single tree — to make only one liter of oil. The cosmetic oil, rich in vitamin E and essential fatty acids, is used for massage, facials and as an ingredient in anti-aging cream. The edible oil is extracted from roasted kernels.

The oil, which is alcohol-free, is almost weightless and has the tendency not to build up on the hair. It softens thick, coarse and unruly hair, bringing shine to lifeless dull hair and skin. It is easily absorbed into the hair and promises to eliminate frizziness as well as providing intense conditioning to all hair types. It is known to promote hair growth by strengthening weak hair prone to breaking off, and with its rich vitamins and minerals, it promotes healing to the skin, nails and the hair shaft.

It is recommended for hair that has been damaged by chemical treatments such as colorants and over-styling with heat implements. The oil can be applied directly to the hair after a color treatment, or a few drops can be added to the color treatment. It has a balancing constituency that is useful to the scalp as well. It helps the scalp by relieving itching and dryness. It also protects against UV rays and other rough environmental conditions. The oil also reduces hair’s drying time.

While it is oil, it is so easily absorbed into the hair and skin that it will not produce oiliness. It is recommended to massage a few drops of the precious oil into the hair and scalp after shampooing. It can be patted on to a clean, dry face as a moisturizer and rubbed onto the cuticles and nail bed for healthy fingernails.

It also can be used to renew cell structure, as an anti-aging ingredient in harsh desert conditions for centuries and as one of the finer overall hair, nail and skin conditioners available on the market today.

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Earthly Body has blended argan oil with deep-moisturizing hemp seed oil to create Marrakesh Oil— a unique hair-care elixir offering miraculous results.

Marrakesh Oil’s non-greasy formula absorbs quickly to give instant shine, leaving your hair beautiful and in a healthy condition for heat-straightening or styling. This unique haircare elixir which combines the nourishing properties of Argan Oil from Morocco with moisturizing Hemp Seed Extract. Marrakesh Oil provides moisture, shine and conditioning to the hair and protects while heat styling or straightening. The lightweight extract absorbs instantly and leaves no greasy residue.

Many women may look with trepidation at a hat, thinking of all the ways it will squash down their curls and kinks.

But you need not be afraid. Curls are perfectly suited for hats, if you choose the right hats and follow a few simple steps.

“Curly hair is actually better suited for hats than straight hair,” says Jonathan Torch of Toronto’s Curly Hair Institute and creator of the Curly Hair Solutions line of products. “One of the greatest joys of curly hair is you can get away with a greater variety of hats.”

Curls provide ideal support for a hat, Torch says. “You can tilt it any way, and it stays. The hat becomes an accessory rather than covering the head.”

Lorraine Massey, author of “Curly Girl” and co-founder of Devaconcepts, loves hats of all kinds — “some with crown space, some close to the head.”

Look for hats that fit the proportion of your hair. If it’s too tight on top, the hair can look clownish (think Bozo!”>. In some cases, it may mean buying a larger hat than your head size in order to accommodate the volume of your hair.

On her blog, Shoeism.com, Thèrése dedicated an entire page to curls and hats, trying to prove that curls and chapeaus are incompatible, without success.

The paperboy hat, for example, worked because it was “pouffy in its own right and balances the pouffiness of the hair.”

“The point was going to be that my stupid flouffy curly hair looks stupid with a hat, but it really doesn’t,” Therese says. “Of course, one could argue that even though curly haired folk often look silly in a hat, it is impossible for me to look anything but fabulous.”

Christo of curl salon Christo Fifth Avenue suggests opting for soft fabrics that are breathable and easy to remove, without changing the shape of the curl. Some women with curls and kinks like looser-fitting hats such as berets, tams and sock hats.

NaturallyCurly blogger My-Cherie Haley is a big fan of colorfully wrapped scarves as a decorative accessory. She’s even developed her own “Love Yourself” line of silk scraves.

Colorful hoods and scarves — or hood scarves — are good choices for curly girls. In addition to being decorative, they keep your head warm on cold, wintry days without squashing your tresses.

When wearing a hat, make sure your hair is completely dry. Otherwise, it will leave a strong demarcation line that is hard to correct.

To make a hat look its best, put your head upside down to get as much lift and support at the root area as possible. Then put the hat lightly on your hair.

“Gravity will allow the hat to settle on its own,” Torch says.

When Massey does wear hats, she makes sure to keep clips in her curls at the crown to keep it lifted.

“It actually aids in frizz prevention because the frizz can’t rise up,” Massey says.

Torch stresses that the hair exposed should be frizz-free and defined. “Otherwise, tuck it underneath.”

On the days you wear hats, carry along some pomade or a curl rejuvenator to combat “hat head.” Some good ones to try include Curly Hair Solutions Tweek and Jessicurl Awe Inspiraling Spray.

“When you want to fix hat head, it’s about fixing from the roots,” Torch says. “Take some Tweek and start rubbing it around the crown. It creates volume. The more you play with the demarcation area, the more you can correct the indentation.”

Hairstyling techniques have been found in every culture in recorded history. With the 19th Century came the development of thermal styling techniques, including heated curling rods, heated combs and flattened irons to change the texture of hair.

Although these techniques were effective, they often led to hair damage.

“In the beginning, the flat iron was very basic,” says Katherine Chen, director of merchandising for Folica.com, creator of the Sedu Revolution Professional Nano Tourmaline Ionic Styler. “Over the past seven years, the technologies have really evolved.”

The Sedu Revolution exemplifies the dramatic technological improvements made in thermal appliances. The Revolution enables people to create any hairstyles imaginable in half the time with no damage.

The Sedu Revolution was in development for more than two years, pulling together the best of the new technologies.

One of the biggest breakthroughs in recent years has been the development of ceramic technology five years ago. This technology enabled heat to be distributed equally onto the hair, eliminating a lot of the damage caused by heat-styling tools.

“People are looking for tools that help them achieve the look they want without damage,” Chen says.

The Sedu Revolution’s ceramic heating element produces gentle moisturizing heat that is less damaging to the hair. It takes this ceramic technology a step further with tourmaline ionic plates, which prevent “hot spots.” When the heat hits the surface of the tourmaline, it produces more negative ions, which help eliminate frizz to close the cuticle to create smooth, shiny hair while far infrared heat penetrates hair from within, resulting in faster styling with less damage.

One of the most important features of the Revolution is its adjustable temperature control, which provides customers the option of choosing the temperature setting that will best suit their hair type and styling needs without damaging the hair.

In addition to preventing heat damage, the Revolution is designed to eliminate the mechanical damage caused by pulling hair through a rough surface, which can snag or break the hair. Its Freestyle Guiding System uses anti-slip edges and ultra-smooth, highly polished plates to capture the hairs within the plates, preventing them from slipping outside the plates. This allows one smooth pass through the hair.

“Imagine if you drag your hair through a rough surface,” Chen says. “It’s almost like sand paper.”

While the No. 1 concern was eliminating damage, Chen says the Revolution also was designed to provide a variety of styling options. Its unique design can help create a straight looks, loose waves as well as curly styles.

Even the best technology is of no value if few can afford it. Professional styling tools can run more than $200, with a 1-year life span. The Sedu Revolution costs $139.95, with a 2-year warranty – a reflection of the company’s confidence in its quality and performance, Chen says.

The Sedu Revolution comes with a Hair Styling Instruction DVD as well as a Sedu Heatproof Iron Pouch.

Folica.com sells hundreds of flat irons. But Chen says the Revolution’s combination of features make the it “one of the best flat irons we’ve seen in years.”

For many children, the thought of summer camp fills them with joy — days filled with meeting new friends, swimming and playing, without the burden of homework.

But for curly kids who spend the year trying to tame their curls and kinks, the joy of camp may be tempered by the fear of tangles and frizz.

“Curly kids cannot bring all their hair accoutrements with them to camp, and they wouldn’t have time to use them even if they did,” says Amber Wylie, spokeswoman for DevaConcepts. “Camp can become a prison in which a curly kid is doomed to day after day of bad-hair-day humiliation.”

So while you’re labeling their clothes and packing up the bug spray, make sure you’ve developed a plan to keep your curly camper looking her best.

First, consider getting a cut before camp, says Risa Barash, creator of the Fairy Tales line of products.

Make sure you talk to your stylist before the cut to communicate what exactly you are looking for — a short wash-and-wear curly cut or a trim that provides different styling options.

“It’s always good for curly kids to keep their curls long during the summer so that they have versatility,” says Christo of Christo Fifth Avenue, a New York salon catering to curls.

Make sure you’re stocked up on the right products to deal with the demands of an active camper. If your child must shampoo every day, make sure the cleanser you choose is gentle. Some good ones to try include Fairy Tales Super-Charge Detangling Shampoo, DevaCare Low-Poo and Little Sprout Children’s Natural Shampoo.

For swimmers, you might want to buy a bathing camp, says Mahisha Dellinger, creator of the Curly Q line of products for curly kids. However, if wearing a swim cap doesn’t fit into their summer fashion style, make sure to drench their hair with water before they enter a pool, lake or ocean, Dellinger says. Then, have them apply a coat of conditioner. She recommends Curly Q Coconut Dream conditioner.

“Applying a conditioner to your hair will fill up the gaps in your hair shaft and act as a barrier to the chlorinated water,” Dellinger says.

Make sure they rinse their hair with water after swimming. You might want to include a clarifying shampoo in the mix that removes chlorine and saltwater, such as Curls Pure Curls Clarifying Shampoo, Fairy Tales Lifeguard Clarifying Shampoo and So Cozy and So Cozy Green Apple Swimmer’s Shampoo. This will prevent the hair from turning green.

A conditioner is a must after a long day of camp activities. Teach your child how to use a comb or brush to run it through her hair and remove tangles.

“The first thing a curly kid should understand is that conditioner is her friend,” Wylie says. “A child should go to camp armed with ultra-creamy conditioner. Lots of it.”

Fine curlies may prefer a spray-in detangler like Curlisto Kids Leave-in Conditioner. Pay special attention to the ends during the summer months. Dellinger suggests mixing a little Curly Q Coconut Dream conditioner with a natural oil, combing it through to the ends and leave it in for extra protection.

The right styles can take the angst out of the camp experience for your curly kiddo. Ponytails and braids are always a cute, easy option. Or pull the hair back with clips or a bandana.

“They will look cute and keep their curls intact,” says Christo.

Dellinger’s favorite curly style for campers are “swinging ponies.” The style can last seven to 10 days with little maintenance. Start with freshly cleansed/conditioned hair and detangle. Then apply Curly Q Milkshake or Curly Q Custard evenly through the hair, from the base to the ends. Part the hair down the center of the hair and use elastics to secure two ponytails. Braid the loose hair in each ponytail, creating up to eight swinging ponies. Secure the ends with elastics.

“You’re ready for camp!” Dellinger says.

Don’t forget the styling products, which can make life easier, keeping the curls defined and frizz-free. Barash stresses that the product should be worked into each layer of hair. Section off the hair and comb through each layer to ensure the product coats each layer of hair. Try Fairy Tales Curly-Q Natural Curl Maker Gel..

Before they head off to camp, help your child learn their new routine. Condition her hair, apply a clear conditioning gel (if needed”> to wet hair and then blot it dry.

“As with anything, preparation is the key, and practice makes perfect,” Wylie says. “And as any reader of Judy Blume can tell you, stop trying to be what you’re not and embrace who you are. If you are curly, be curly!”

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Milk & Honey Hair Smoothie (pre/post swim conditioner”>

1 can of pure coconut milk

1 ripe avocado

2 tablespoons of pure honey

2 tablespoons of olive oil

Mix it up and apply liberally to the hair. Leave on for an hour. This delectable delight will restore moisture and sheen into lifeless summer hair.

— Created by Mahisha Dellinger

When veteran hairdresser Anthony Dickey moved to New York to work in the fashion industry, textured hair was all but ignored, and myths abounded about wavy, curly and kinky hair.

“People focused on it as ‘problem hair’ rather than celebrating its unique texture,” Dickey says. “I figured I had something to say. Hairdressers hold the secret key weapon from their client, and often aren’t telling the truth about textured hair. I felt the consumer deserved to have the same type of information as the stylist.”

So five years ago, Dickey — who has worked with such curly celebs as Alicia Keys, Minnie Driver, Sarah Jessica Parker, Andie McDowell and Gloria Reuben — wrote “Hair Rules!: The Ultimate Hair-Care Guide for Women with Kinky, Curly or Wavy Hair.” The book was chock full of simple tips for all types of curly hair, covering everything from the best shampoos and conditioners to use to the safest ways to relax hair. It has sold more than 30,0000 copies and was featured on the “Today Show.”

“My mission is simple,” wrote Dickey, who has worked at such famed salons as Oribe, Louis Licari, and John Frieda.

“To advise and encourage all women with non-straight hair to strive to attain their beauty, whatever their ethnicity, and whatever their tastes. It’s more bout putting the hair-care industry in line with how to care for kinky and curly hair. You have stylists who have no idea how to work with curls so they just blow it out. Their clients never learn how to work with their natural texture.”

Now, with his new line of products — appropriately called Hair Rules — he wants to provide a set of tools to help women care for their curls and kinks.

“It’s about finding solutions for all of women as it relates to the true classification of their hair,” Dickey says. “Hair rules is a collection of products that celebrates the unique differences and similarities of textured hair with an integrated collection of ultra-hydrating cleansers, conditioners and styling aids, geared to the special needs of kinky, curly and wavy hair.”

Typically, products geared to the kinkiest of textures have been relegated to their own special section in the drugstore aisle, and can be boiled down to two types: those that chemically alter the hair and those that try to tame it with greasy or waxy ingredients. Then there are the products marketed to non-kinky curly hair that he believes often “reflect a one-dimensional approach to kinky, curly and wavy hair.” Few, he says, address the multiple textures of an ethnically diverse world.

Too often, he says, women with curly and kinky hair spend their lives experimenting with a myriad of products and concoctions to enhance their natural texture.

“This is not always an exercise in simplicity, nor are the end results always to their liking,” Dickey says. “Some have given up the fight entirely, abandoning working with their natural texture and turning to chemical or thermal manipulation out of despair rather than choice.”

The Hair Rules collection includes two cleansers: Daily Cleansing Cream Moisturizing No-Suds Shampoo, Aloe Grapefruit Clarifying Shampoo; and two conditioners, Quench Ultra Rich Conditioner and Softening Treatment and Nourishment Leave-in Conditioner. Dickey says one of the myths about conditioners is that they repair damaged hair. He says damaged hair needs to be cut. What conditioners do, he says, is detangle and soften the hair.

Styling products in the Hair Rules line are geared for three different textures. Wavy Mousse is for wavy hair, Curly Whip is for curls and Kinky Curling Cream is for kinkier textures. All textures can use Hydrating Finishing Cream, a non-greasy finishing product that infuses hair with moisture. Products, which all are paraben-free and biodegradable, range in price from $16.50 to $30.

Fragrance is an important component of Hair Rules. He says people tend to view fragrance differently, with some people gravitating toward fruity scents while others favor floral scents. He says the products have different scents, with the fragrance getting lighter as the products get lighter. For example, the Kinky Curling Cream has a honey citrus scent, while the Wavy Mousse has a light, jasmine fragrance.

Dickey has been honing the Hair Rules line for several years, focusing on what clients really want for their hair — “not what my ideal for a line was.” He tested the products on hundreds of clients. What was missing, he says, was an easy way to determine a regimen for your particular hair type.

“We’ve tried our best to develop Hair Rules as it relates to the consumer,” Dickey says. “It’s really about listening. There’s no better focus group around than having your clientele tell you what works and what doesn’t work — whether it be about performance or fragrance.”

While testing the products on his clients, he had to tweak his original ideas. For example he wanted to create a glaze for wavies, but found out they preferred a mousse because it would adhere to fine hair well without weighing it down.

“You have to take yourself out of the equation of what you like,” Dickey says.

Like his book, Dickey says his inspiration for his product comes from his desire to help women learn to love their natural texture.

“I always believed that helping women love their hair the way it was meant to be was an essential first step toward getting them to love themselves just the way they are,” Dickey says.

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Hair Tips from Anthony Dickey

1. Product application is key. Products should always be applied to wet hair, and the hair should be touched as little as possible until it’s dry. “A lot of product gets a bad rap because the application is wrong. Good hair days and bad hair days depend on how it’s applied.”
2. A portable hood dryer is a girl’s best friend, says Dickey. He suggests sitting under a dryer for 5 to 10 minutes to get the wetness out.
3. To prevent shrinkage, find a product that’s one step up in terms of firmness, with a little more holding power. Sit under a hood dryer for 5 to 10 minutes. “If you set the hair before the wetness is out, it doesn’t have time to shrink,” Dickey says.
4. Don’t use a diffuser untile the hair is three quarters of the way dry. Otherwise, he says, you just blow around the cuticle and it gets frizzy.
5. For those transitioning, he suggests weaves. “The bottom line is you need to look good every day, and weaves are a great because they help you wean into the new texture. At the end of the day, you have options. The big chop is just one of the choices.”
6. Cut the hair to the person’s face. “If you’re not cutting the hair for the person’s face, there’s no sliver, slither or thinning that will give you a good curl pattern.”

On most episodes of TLC’s popular show “What Not To Wear,” there is an emotional moment sometime during the week when the makeover subject is unhappy with the changes being made to her personal style.

It’s never easy to have people criticize the way you look, especially in front of millions of people.

For Addie Broyles, that moment didn’t come over her fashion choices – styles deemed too frumpy for her fiancee’s rock-and-roll lifestyle.

“When they gave me straight hair for one of my new looks, I couldn’t believe it!” Broyles recalls of her “What Not To Wear” experience, which aired in March. “It just felt so wrong. I couldn’t believe how strongly I reacted. I cried, I was so upset.”

Broyles’ short, sassy ringlets are a part of her unique style. And while she was open to most of the changes hosts Stacy London and Clinton Kelly suggested during her trip to New York, going from curly to straight was not one of them.

“For most curly haired women, it takes many years to accept being different,'” Broyles says. “Once you’ve accepted and embraced it, it felt like an insult when they tried to make my hair straight. It felt like I was betraying my curly sisters who have worked so hard to accept their own curly hair.”

Before coming up with the hairstyles for Broyles, “What Not To Wear” stylist Nick Arrojo consulted with her at his Soho hair studio.

“He played with my hair for about 30 seconds and that was it,” she says.

The next day, at the show’s studio, he put highlights in her hair and lightened the overall color. Then he cut it with both scissors and a razor. For the past few years, Broyles has cut her own hair, having tired of wasting her money on people who didn’t know how to cut curls.

“I’d had my hair short before so I was prepared for any length,” Broyles says.

Arrojo used a leave-in conditioner on her hair along with wax and a curl enhancer. He then diffused her hair until it was nearly dry and used a pick and his fingers to separate the curls. He then used a curling iron to add curls on top.

Although she loved her new color, she thought the curly ‘do looked a little like a bouffant.

“But here I was, in front of three cameras and the stylist himself, so I grinned and bore it, thinking the whole time, ‘Well it’ll be better when I can get my own hands on it. And at least he didn’t straighten it.”

Yet.

When it came time for her second look, Broyles knew she was in trouble.

“They broke out the hair dryer and a big round brush,” she recalls. “And away he goes. There wasn’t a mirror to see what he was doing, but I could tell he was straightening it. I didn’t like it one bit.”

She tried to be philosophical, telling herself one of the main points of the show is to try out new things and to be open to change.

“So I roughed it out,” Broyles says. “They didn’t let me look at myself, but I felt it on my head. They’d flattened my signature curls into something I wouldn’t even recognize. I peeked at my reflection in a glass window, and that’s when the tears came. I’d made it so far on the show without crying! But I couldn’t help it.”

“They’d taken two decades of being called horrible nicknames like “Mop ‘n Glo” and “Afro Sheen” and turned my hair into what I’d always thought I’d wanted – perfectly coifed, straight-as-a-board hair. But it looked like an awful wig on me. I felt like I’d been stripped of me – the me they were trying to help me get in touch with.”

The series producer pulled her aside and told her they would do whatever she wanted. If she wanted to go back curly, they would do it. But Broyles wanted to see what Stacy and Clinton had to say about it.

“What do you think?” she asked. “They knew. They saw right away what I was talking about. Stacy sat me down on the couch in her office and listened to my whole schpeal about the struggle to embrace my hair as it was. She was willing to let me do whatever I wanted, but she wanted me to at least think of doing a single outfit with straight hair and facing down this demon on camera. She wanted me to show that curly hair, mine or anybody else’s, doesn’t have to be as limiting as it may feel sometimes. She wanted to show that curly haired people have options, just like the straight-haired folks I envied as a younger person.”

So while she sported the straight style on camera for the second look – feeling like an imposter the entire time – she happily rocked her curls for the big reveal back in home in Austin, Texas – her engagement party.

Despite the tears, Broyles felt her “What Not To Wear” experience was overwhelmingly positive. In addition to the suitcase full of cute new outfits she brought home, she says she’s loving her curly cut and color.

“I’ve really enjoyed it now that I’m back and can actually style it myself,” she says. “My routine includes a leave-in conditioner and a wax-based product, but no blowdryer or curling iron. I don’t plan on it being straight ever again. I’m just not a straight-haired gal.”

Redken’s new Fresh Curls line includes products developed specifically for a variety of hair types, from the gentlest waves to the kinkiest kinks.

When it comes to curly hair, no two heads are alike.

Some people have loose waves. Others have coarse, kinky ringlets. And still others may have a combination of waves, curls and kinks – straight on the crown, tight curls at the nape and defined ringlets everywhere else.

“Some people have a very defined curl,” says Omar Sassin, a Redken artist with the Omar Sassin Salon in Tampa, Fla. “Then there is the type of hair that needs a little more help.”

Because of the unique nature of curly hair, there is no such thing as one product that works for all curl types. While some frizzier, coarser curls may need heavier, more moisturizing products, those same products will weigh down finer, looser waves.

“In the past, there used to be a one-size-fits-all approach to curls,” says Noah Hatton, a freelance hair stylist and Redken session artist. “We now have a greater understanding about curly hair, and there are now products that help people understand their own hair.”

That’s why the new Redken Fresh Curls line has a range of products that work on lazy curls as well as those that are more frizzy and unruly.

The new line consists of a shampoo, conditioner, Curl Boost (to wake up curls”>, Anti-Frizz Shiner (to add conditioning shine and block humidity”>, Curl Refiner (a leave-in, anti-frizz detangler for coarse, unruly tresses”> and Spring Mousse (for fine to medium textures, available in April”>. In addition, Redken introduced the new Crystal Curls 06 defining shine gel (for medium to coarse hair”>.

Redken’s new elasto-shield complex includes elastopol to block out humidity and fight frizz; coconut oil to lock in moisture and shine; and oleo-amido and protein for their reparative benefits.

Redken artist Vanessa Arce of Beauty Box Salon in Los Angeles, who has curly hair herself, is thrilled with Redken’s new approach to curls.

She says she has one client who uses the Curl Refiner and Curl Boost on her thick, coarse curls. She follows it up with a little Crystal Curls.

“Her hair is left feeling very soft and defined,” she says.

For finer curls, Arce uses the Curl Boost, and then diffuses the hair. Heavier products tend to weigh down fine curls, making them look flat. “The more Curl Boost you use, the curlier it becomes,” she says.

For clients with the most frizzy, unruly curls, Sassin uses a technique he calls “spinning.” He puts Redken Crystal Curls on the hair, and he divides the hair into sections – the bigger the section, the softer the curl. Then he spins the section around his finger and lets it fall. He diffuses it, finishing off the look with some Fresh Curls Anti-Frizz Shiner.

“People with curly hair understand their hair more than we give them credit for,” Hatton says. “They know what kind of hair they have. They just may be confused about what it needs. These products can help enhance curl, cut frizz down and add shine without weighing it down. It’s just about finding out how strong the curl pattern is, and adapting your products to work with it.”

Although curl specialists have perfected their own unique techniques for highlighting curls, on one thing they agree: Highlighting curls and kinks is much different than highlighting straight hair.

When done poorly, highlights can make the hair look dull and frizzy. But when done well, highlights can add drama and definition to curls, making those ringlets pop. It is an art as well as a science.

Highlights have a reason and must be placed according to the style and texture of the hair,” says Shai Amiel, a curly hair expert at Capella Salon in Studio City, Calif. “When highlighting curly hair, you have to consider the way the curl falls. You must place the highlights just like your curls grow out of your head.

For Amiel, the technique that works best with curls is by hand painting each curl that needs accent. He feels that the basic foil pattern may not look as natural with curls.

When you hand paint the desired curls, you can pick and choose where you want the color,” he says. “You can also see how the whole thing looks and add or deduct certain pieces. Curly hair looks better with highlights that mimic what the sun would do to your hair.

Amiel’s technique is similar to the technique created by Devachan Salon — Pintura.

Pintura captures, defines and highlights the movement and dynamism of each curl,” says Shari Harbinger, color director for Devachan. “It gives the stylist the technical know-how and the opportunity to trust their own artistic eye to create the perfect harmony and balance between tone, shape, light and shadow.

”Using a painted comb brush, highlights are painted onto the hair. While foiling is horizontal, Harbinger says Pintura is vertical. “This automatically gives more contrast to the melody of tones in the hair,” she says.

She says Pintura also is more predictable than foiling. “What you paint is what you get with Pintura,” she says.

Pintura was the brainchild of Devachan co-founder Denis DaSilva, who came up with it 11 years ago when he became frustrated with the effects of conventional foiling on curly hair.

“He felt it looked like on solid color, and this drove him to find a solution,” Harbinger says. “The whole purpose of highlighting curly hair is to define the curls rather than change it. Highlighting should be about texture and contrast.”

Last fall, Da Silva created a unique at-home highlighting system, HC Color Fantasies, that clients can use at home to achieve these same results. It features a unique application tool that’s designed with space to insert color and precisely apply it to sections of hair.

“If you’re going to do highlights at home, you actually have to be able to do it,” Da Silva says.

New York Curl expert Ouidad has created a technique she calls “Sparkle Highlights,” which uses up to four different shades of pigment and color.

“This way I’m able to pick up the exact curl and place the color of my choice on each strand,” Ouidad says. “This generates a full palette of colors that makes curls sparkle and jump out.”

The delicate coloring of the seashell was the inspiration for Jonathan Torch of Toronto’s Curly Hair Institute.

“When you add bands of color to hair, you add dimension and definition,” Torch says. “By breaking the mass with different colors and highlights, you start to see the ringlets individually throughout the curls.

When highlighting, Torch likes to use three tones to create richness, brightness and depth. “It’s almost like shadowing to break out the solid look of the curly hair,” Torch says.

Christo of Christo Fifth Avenue wants highlights to be low maintenance for his clients. That’s why he created Smart Lights. “I don’t go to the outer line, so my clients don’t get bad roots,” Christo says.

Highlight shades should be selected based on the base color and the skin tone.

“If you’re a brunette, you want to stay a brunette,” he says. “So we just spice up your color. We might throw in some cappuccino, caramel or chestnut tones — shades two to three tones lighter. This spices up your style and accentuates the curls.”

An absolute no-no, say curl experts, is using strong bleach on curly hair. It can dehydrate and damage the hair.

“I prefer the more delicate approach,” says Amiel. “I prefer to use color if I can avoid bleach. Strong bleach will blast open the cuticle and create damage and more frizz.”

Amiel uses a glossing treatment after he highlights because it adds shine and seals the cuticle, reducing frizz.

Highlighted tresses also should be deep-conditioned. Curly hair tends to be dry, and color services can make it drier.

“I believe healthy hair just looks better, especially the ever-so-delicate curl,” Amiel says.

You know how sometimes you feel like you’re saying the same thing over and over, and nothing is getting through to your child?

And then one day, something happens that makes you realize they’ve been listening all along.

I was folding laundry when my curly 7-year-old, Emma, came running into the room full of excitement. She told me to sit down because she had a story she wanted to read me out of her “Highlights” magazine. I couldn’t imagine what it could be about. Horses? Cats? Candy?

She began to read “Sassy Noodle Hair. The story is about a little girl named Sass who was going to be in a wedding, and she asks her Aunt Ella to straighten her hair.

“Nobody wants curly hair these days,” says Sass.

She idolizes Tina Marie, a little girl in her class with straight blonde hair – a girl who will also be in the wedding. Her aunt tells her she should appreciate her beautiful curls. But she finally gives in and straightens her hair. When the little girl arrives at the wedding, she looks for Tina Marie.

“I could see a girl with the same dress as mine,” Sass says. “She was standing with her back toward me, and talking to a group of people. But that girl couldn’t be Tina Marie. Because there, spilling out of her tiara, was curl after springing curl. I stood trying to make sense of it all.”

Of course, it was Tina Marie.

“She learned to appreciate her curls,” Emma told me. “You need to put this story up on your web site so kids will like their hair.”

We’ve all had it happen. We finally find our Holy Grail styling product or conditioner. It gives us the shiny, defined ringlets we’ve longed for. Then, overnight, it stops working. Your curls turn to frizz. Your hair feels like straw.

Has your hair become immune to the product?

The unanimous answer is no. If a product isn’t giving you the same results it once did, the culprits could be product buildup, hormonal changes, environmental damage and even the weather.

“There are many reasons why products can seem to stop working,” says curl expert Christo of Christo Fifth Avenue.

A major culprit is product buildup, and improper cleansing.

“You can have too much of a good thing, especially with products designed to control and give weight to curls,” says Ethan Shaw, a curly hair specialist at Ann Kelso Salon + CitySpa in Austin, Texas. “Eventually they can leave a substantial film on the hair.”

A clarifying shampoo. or a vinegar rinse, should be used once or twice a month to remove buildup from products. Products that contain oil, silicones and waxes are especially susceptible to buildup, creating a barrier that can prevent products from doing what they are supposed to do.

Jonathan Torch of the Curly Hair Institute in Toronto, Canada, says protein can also affect how products work over time.

“Some proteins can cause the hair to become brittle, and can cause breakage if they build up,” Torch says. “The smaller the protein molecule, the deeper the penetration into the hair. The larger the molecule, the easier it is for it to buildup as the protein adheres to the outside of the hair shaft.”

Seasonal changes can have a major impact on the effectiveness of products.

“The weather does have a huge effect on how your looks, and how products seem to work,” Shaw says. “Humidity, or lack thereof, can give or take away curls.”

Many times, people may not realize their hair texture has changed over time. It may become coarser, curlier or thinner. Hair tends to change every seven years.

In some cases, the length or style of the hair may change over time, requiring different types of products. A light gel that may have worked perfectly in a short curly style may not be heavy enough for longer ringlets.

“Just think of how different your hair was compared to when you were a kid,” Shaw says. “It’s natural for your hair to get more or less curly, and more or less coarse, especially with gray hair.”

Because of that , the formula of a person’s styling products will have to change as well as the way she uses them, Christo says.

If you’ve been using the same products for several years, and have noticed a change in how they work, consult with your stylist. There may be different products better suited to the changing needs of your hair.

Ouidad, of the New York curl salon Ouidad, believes it’s a fallacy that people need to change their products over time — a creative marketing strategy perpetuated by product manufacturers trying to sell more products. She said she constantly tests her products on her clients and on herself, and she believes good products continue to perform over time.

“When there is a change in the way it works, it is most likely from an extenuating circumstance, such as a medical conditioner or a chemical process such as color or straightening,” Ouidad says.

It’s been a busy two and a half years for Blended Beauty. During that time, the Canadian curly-hair product company has grown from five to 23 products—a vast array of cleansers conditioners, spritzes, lotions, butters masks and puddings. The company has had three web sites, and the products have had three different labels.

Founder Stacey Canfield believes Blended Beauty now has hit its stride. The company has broadened its strategy from biracial curlies to all curl types—from waves to kinks. The company’s product line, as well as its web site and packaging, now better reflects the diversity of Blended Beauty’s customers.

The child of a white French Canadian mom and a Black Guyanese dad, Canfield was born with a head full of tight ringlets. After years of texturizers, braids and extensions, she decided to embrace her natural texture. But her challenge was to find products that worked with her natural hair texture.

Her search led her to create Blended Beauty, a line of natural hair-care products for curly and kinky hair. Initially she thought the company’s five products would meet the needs of her customers—people with curls like her own.

“I didn’t realize that other curlies were looking for products,” Canfield says. “I’ve listened to what everyone has asked for. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for the customers.”

For example, she added products like Straight Pearl and Straightening Glaze, for those who like the option of wearing their hair straight some days. These products contain beantree, a natural silicone replacement. She created her Blended Cutie line for kids. She has created lighter and heavier versions of products in response to customer requests.

Blended Beauty’s two newest products, Blended Beauty SilkShake and Blended Cutie Curly Cake Shake, were developed because customers were asking for a creamier spritz. The products, which work on all hair types, have the styling effect of a a light Soft Curls & Swirls or a Butter Me Up, adding definition without the weighing hair down They also work as a detangler and as a moisturizer, “sucking moisture from the air into the curls.”

“Some people like to add a leave-in cream when they’re not washing,” Canfield says of the two products. “You can use them even if you don’t have another product in your hair already. I love them so much! I think it’s my new favorite, for sure.”

She spent six months creating the products, tweaking them until she felt they were perfect. The self-proclaimed perfectionist searched the globe for the perfect sprayer top for the bottles. SilkShake and Curly Cake Shake will available this month.

Canfield says she has no plans to create any new hair products — at least not in the near future.

“One product led to another, which led to another, which led to another, but I think I’m pretty much done now,” she says.

In addition to the creation of new products, the outside of the bottles now have a new look, with new labels. Gone are the cute characters.

“I didn’t want to have characters that related only to one type of person,” Canfield says. “I found a look that matches the new web site and suits my personality. This will definitely be the last label change.”

The new labels not only have a new look. They’re also more earth friendly, made from corn instead of vinyl or petroleum. They are more biodegradable, and require less energy to make, she says.

To accommodate requests for larger sizes, Blended Beauty now has 500 ml sizes available of Curl Quenching Conditioner, Tug Me Not Conditioner, Soy Cream Shampoo, SIlky Swirls Shampoo, Curly Frizz Pudding, Jelly Cream and Butter Me Up. Eventually, all the products will come in larger sizes.

Blended Beauty’s web site also got a face lift several months ago. It includes such features as hair and product charts that match hair types with specific Blended Beauty products.

“We’ve had a lot fewer questions regarding what to buy since we put up the chart,” Canfield says. “The biggest advantage is you don’t need to have a Paypal account to shop on the site.”

Canfield said her next focus will be the Blended Beauty Complexion line she created a year ago, which she plans to market more aggressively. She also plans to create body products and hair accessories, as well as a styling video.

When Justin Hickox decided to develop his own product line, he wanted to make sure that anything with his name on it was the best it could be.

The products were designed by the Justin Hickox Studio staff of hair design and color specialists. Hickox uses his Portland, Ore. salon as the test lab, trying out products on clients to make sure they meet his standards.

“(Hickox Studio”> products never make it to the web site until they’ve been tested two to three years in the salon,” Hickox says. “If there’s stuff out there that’s a lot better, the product never makes it to the web site. Our line doesn’t have a lot of gimmicks. They’re just products that work.

Although they have been available at the salon for decade, Hickox only began offering his products online four months ago.

“I don’t want to have a product line that I play with for a little bit and sell,” Hickox says. “I want to hold them to a higher standard.”

Hickox was destined to be in the hair business.

His parents, John and Sharon, owned a salon, and he worked there from the time he was 13.

“I can’t remember a day that I wasn’t at the salon working or just watching,” says Hickox. “It was a natural progression for me.”

After he graduated from school, he returned to Portland, Ore. to begin the year-long apprentice program at his parents’ salon. He went on to work as a stylist in the salon while taking classes to learn how to teach advanced techniques to future apprentices. During the past 11 years, he has done hair for television, photo shoots, fashion shows and celebrities.

Through a group called Intercoiffure Mondial — an international organization of over 3,000 countries worldwide — he was exposed to some of the leaders in the hair-care industry. These people served as role models and mentors as Hickox became a successful hairdresser in his own right, opening his own salon in 2000 and launching his own line of products.

Hickox says his initial decision to develop a line of products came from his own frustration with what was on the market.

“I was finding that a lot of things products were making my life harder,” he says. “Products designed to give the hair shine were creating buildup as well. They were solving one problem, but creating another one at the same time. I wanted to bring out a line that was good for my own needs.”

The Hickox Studio line currently has 14 products in it.

One of the stars of the line is Phat Hair — a gel-mousse that has become a favorite among Hickox’s curly clients. When he developed it, he wanted a styling cream that gave definition without being to heavy. It creates frizz-free, defined curls without feeling sticky or dirty. Other products that have been big hits with the curly set include Pink Stuff and X-Treme Wax.

“I put my name on it because I feel my name is the ultimate stamp of approval,” Hickox says of his line.

They’re no bigger than the head of a pin.

But families have been known to go to desperate measures to get rid of lice.

Just ask Penny Warner, founder of Texas Lice Squad.

When Warner’s two young daughters both complained about itchy heads, Warner thought it must be from all the swimming they were doing.

“By the time I realized what it was, both girls had lice, I had lice and my husband had lice,” Warner recalls.

She treated them with Nix three times, Rid two times and with olive oil. She cleaned her house from floor to ceiling. She threw out clothing and bedding. The family even vacated their house for a weekend hoping the lice would go away while they were gone.

“They came with us,” she says. “I cried. The children cried. It took eight months to get rid of them.”

When her daughter came home with lice two years later, Warner was determined that she would never go through that ordeal again. So she got on the Internet and found a non-profit organization in Florida that helped people get rid of lice. The owner told her about how to use nit combs and non-toxic products to eradicate lice.

An idea began to form in her mind. Warner discovered that nobody in the state of Texas offered a similar service. At the time, she was working as director of risk management for a large Houston hospital system, suffering from major job burnout. After talking with her husband, she decided to start her own delousing service.

“I knew I couldn’t be the only mother in the world who felt like I did,” says Warner. “If I had found a place like that two years ago, I would have paid any amount of money to get rid of the lice.”

She opened for business on April 1, 2006, putting up a web site and sending out flyers to local pediatricians. Initially, the calls trickled in. But word about Texas Lice Squad has quickly spread, and she now gets as many as eight calls a day. She estimates she has treated 500 to 600 people so far.

“Now I’m to the point where I have to turn people away,” Warner says.

Warner has flown to Alabama to delouse a family and regularly travels around the state of Texas. Her customers have come from as far away as Africa for her services. “If people are willing to pay my expenses, I’ll go anywhere,” she says.

Warner is opening her Texas Lice Squad treatment center October 15 in Missouri City near Houston and plans on expanding to Texas cities such as Dallas and Austin.

Warner is part of an emerging industry that has sprung up to battle head lice — one of the most common issues for young children and their parents.

Lice spread from one child’s head to the other through contact with an infested person’s clothing, brushes or other belongings. Discourage your child from sharing combs, brushes, towels or hats with friends. Lice make their home in human hair, nourishing themselves with blood from the scalp, holding onto the hair with hook-like claws found at the end of their six legs. The average number of lice on a child’s head is about 10.

In recent years, they have become increasingly difficult to get rid of as they have become resistant to chemicals such as permethrin and pyrethrin, which are found in Nix and Rid, which can trigger asthma and other respiratory problems. Scientists at the Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre in Cardiff, UK discovered four out of five lice were resistant to the chemicals. And many are ineffective against the eggs, which is why it can be so difficult to get rid of lice.

Warner charges $80/hour for her services, with the average session lasting 2 1/2 hours. During the session, she painstakingly combs out every nit and uses a non-toxic enzyme solution that softens the glue that attaches the nits to the hair shaft. She just worked on a curly headed little girl who took four hours to delouse.

She knows it may sound expensive. But she believes it’s money well spent, when one takes into account lost days of school and work and countless hours of frustration. Warner guarantees that children will be readmitted to school the next day or the fee is returned.

In addition to helping families eliminate lice, Texas Lice Squad offers a variety of preventative steps in an attempt to safeguard the child and other family members from reoccurring cases.

She sells a peppermint spray — lice don’t like the smell of mint — that can be used once a day. Parents are urged to comb their child’s hair for five minutes a night to makes sure every nit is gone. Once a nit hatches, a female louse can lay up to 300 eggs.

She has some parents who want her to come back in a week for peace of mind. “If you can check once a week, you can save yourself so much heartache later on,” Warner says.

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Austin stylist Georgia Bramhall of Pink Salon cuts all of her curly clients’ hair dry.

“It shows me their real hair and what it naturally wants to do,” Bramhall says. “When it’s wet, it totally changes into something different. If it’s wet, it’s practically straight.”

Mia Fanali of D. Sabrina Salon in Westport, Conn., never cuts hair dry.

“When you comb out the curl and you try to cut it dry, it won’t fall that way again.,” Fanali says. “I also like to get all the dead ends off — from the perimeter to the layers. When you cut the hair dry, it doesn’t give you that opportunity.”

Scottsdale, Ariz., stylist Victor Sabino always starts off his curly cuts on dry hair to get a basic shape. Then he shampoos it and cleans it up when it’s wet.

“Then I dry it and finish up the cut from there,” Sabino says.

Three stylists. Three different philosophies about whether curls should be cut wet or dry. It’s no wonder curlies are confused.

Curl experts all are passionate about their techniques, whether they cut the hair wet, dry, wet into dry, dry into wet, or some other variation on the theme.

Cutting hair dry is not a new concept. Many hairstylists over the years have used variations of dry haircutting techniques. The late John Sahag is generally considered to be the pioneer in the the dry-cut technique. Sahag, who advocated the shift to dry cutting in the late 1970s, believed that when the hair is cut dry, it creates a natural shape according to the way the hair grows, enabling the stylist to remove bulk and weight to create movement and dimension. Wet hair, he believed, did not allow for natural inconsistencies.

In recent times, one of the biggest proponents of cutting curls dry is “Curly Girl” author Lorraine Massey of Devachan Salon in New York. All stylists at Devachan Salon cut curls dry.

“Unless a stylist can see how much spring there is in your curls, he won’t understand your hair and he’s likely to cut too much when it’s wet, only to discover that fact after your hair dries,” Massey writes in her book “Curly Girl.”

Rosie Da Silva of Devachan Salon likes to cut her client’s hair curl by curl.

“I can’t do that with dry hair,” Da Silva says. “You have to feel the texture. When you cut curly hair wet, you’re not really seeing how it’s going to look.”

New York stylist Jose Valdez has been cutting hair dry for the past 15 years. He believes it enables him to sculpt the hair, chiseling away to create shapes with dimension and balance.

“Why not cut hair dry?” Valdez says. “You do, after all, wear your hair dry. Cutting the hair dry lets me see exactly how your hair will fall as you’re wearing it. I can create perfect angles that not only accentuate your best features, but that suit your personality as well.”

Stylists who cut curly hair wet also have valid reasons why they prefer to do it that way.

Jonathan Torch of the Curly Hair Institute in Toronto says he prefers to cut curly hair wet because he can manipulate the curls and read the ringlets.

“When I work with dry hair, the more I play with it, the bigger it gets,” Torch says.

If a person has a combination of loose and tight curls, Torch said he might cut the looser curls dry to help them blend it with the rest of the hair.

“Then I wash the hair and do the full design,” Torch says.

Christo of Christo Fifth Avenue believes cutting the hair wet gives his clients more options.

“You can wear it curly, wavy or straight,” Christo

Dustin David of the Dustin David Salon in Los Gatos, Calif., takes a customized approach to his clients. For clients with tight curls, he cuts it dry, shampoos and styles it and then cuts it again. For clients with looser, wavier curls who wear their hair both curly and straight, he irons it straight and cuts it flat ironed. If the curls are looser and the client always wears her hair curly, David cuts it wet.

“To me, each person is an individual,” David says. “No matter how similar their hair seems, the cut needs to be customized to take into account their texture, density, length and lifestyle.”

All stylists stressed the importance of having the client come in with their dry and styled so they get a realistic look at the the curl pattern.

“Before I do the haircut, I analyze the curl, analyze the volume, touch the hair to see how much it expands,” Torch says. “But I couldn’t even imagine cutting curly hair dry.”