Search Results: YouBeauty

Hair giving away your age? With a few simple tweaks, it is possible to turn back the strands of time.

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Conquer Frizz (-5 Years”>

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Stop the Split End Cycle (-8 Years”>

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Switch Up Your Color (-10 Years”>

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Tackle Thinning Strands (-15 Years”>

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Renowned stylist Eva Scrivo shakes up old beauty rules and helps you find the best, rich hair color for this season.

So you went light when you were feeling bright and cheery this summer (nothing says “summer” like sunkissed, Jennifer Aniston-esque highlights”>. Now the cozy, cooler season is upon us, do you have to go back to the dark side?

We spoke to L’Oréal Professionnel Celebrity Colorist, Eva Scrivo, of the Eva Scrivo Salon in New York City to put the winter color questions to rest.

MORE: The Best Hair Color for Your Skintone

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L’Oréal Professionnel Celebrity Colorist, Eva Scrivo

YourBeauty: If you love your beachy, summer highlights, what’s the best way to tweak them in the winter?

Eva Scrivo: There are several ways you can maintain a bright blonde that still feels winter appropriate. For example, adding and integrating a few lowlights next to some very bright pieces and warming the hair with an overall glaze brings some continuity to the overall hair from top to bottom, making it feel more season appropriate.

YB: What’s a lowlight again?

Eva Scrivo: The lowlight is often just a warmer version of your own natural color. Basically, your natural hair color, but enhanced. By looking at the base color, you can formulate the lowlights…That’s how you customize a color for each client. There might be specific trends that are universal, but the way that we customize and individualize the color for each client makes it especially flattering to her skintone.

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MORE: Balayage: A Healthier Way to Highlight

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YB: What would you tell women who thinks they “should” go dark in the winter?

Eva Scrivo: People do ask to go darker, but the change doesn’t have to be so drastic. As long as there’s depth around the face and the base color, the overall tone of the hair looks darker and richer. Sometimes it’s just about adding back some dimension that gets lost in the summer months from exposure to the elements.

You have to keep things in balance, and not just go darker because it’s winter and you think you have to. Sometimes it’s not about going darker, but about going richer and shinier. You don’t have to go as dark as one might think. It’s about doing what works for you and making it season appropriate, but not feeling you have to go darker if you want to stay light.

Not to add fuel to the fear-of-aging-fire, but concentrating only on your skin may not be the holy grail of youth.

Hair goes through its own unwelcome transformation as the years pass, and while grays are the most obvious sign of aging hair, evidence shows that individual strands also change in texture. Yes, your previously smooth-growing strands may start to emerge from your scalp in a more wavy and kinky way.

Seriously, what’s next on the aging agenda?

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QUIZ: How Old’s Your Hair? 

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A study found a statistically significant increase in individual hair curvature between ages ten to 60, which also leads to a loss of luster and smoothness. Put plainly, you could expect your hair to become frizzier and less shiny, usually starting around your fourth decade. “It’s unclear why this happens,” says Jeni Thomas, senior scientist at Procter & Gamble. “This is one of the age-related hair changes that is least understood, although studies indicate the change does happen.” While the study focused on Japanese women, Thomas says the results suggest that these unwelcome changes can affect all ethnicities.

Any woman who is suddenly plagued by renegade flyaways that are rough to the touch would agree.

This whole new growth pattern situation, paired with the fact that the natural production of scalp oils decreases every year, can lead to un-pretty results for your head. But enough with the bad-news-bears stuff, all anyone wants to know is how to fight the frizz. Thomas says it’s all about moisture. “Without hair’s natural oils, it can feel rough and dry and more prone to damage. Cut down on damaging styling habits like flat-ironing and chemical treatments, and use conditioners as far up the hair fiber as you can,” she says.

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MORE: We Tried It: Frizz Busters

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Frederic Fekkai stylist Anthony Sorensen, who tends to the hair of the ultimate grand dame Martha Stewart, says the key is to restore and retain moisture so hair looks and feels more soft and smooth. “Anti-aging” hair products may sound like BS, but legit ones like the Pantene Expert Collection Age Defy line are formulated to provide hydration and protection without weighing hair down. “Avoid anything that’s high in ammonia and alcohol because those ingredients are drying, and instead look for products with moisturizing ingredients such as olive oil,” says Sorensen. Make friends with masks and leave-in conditioners, and be sure to apply moisturizing products before heat styling.

According to her trusty stylist, Ms. Martha thinks the Fekkai Salon Technician line is a good thing because it hydrates and prevents brassiness, whether you’re gray or you’ve colored your hair. Speaking of dye, Sorensen says that going darker can be conditioning for the hair, but lighter shades and highlights can be quite drying, so keep that in mind before committing to a blonde lifestyle.

With increased kinks and frizz, even the straightest of hair becomes less manageable and you’ll find that it doesn’t lay the same way as it did in your youth. Wash-and-go gals might have to tweak their styling regimen to include smoothing blowouts and more volume at the roots to mask the “puffiness” that comes with irregular texture. But all hope is not lost. With a bit of effort you’ll find that gorgeous, healthy hair isn’t only for recent college grads—think Julianne Moore, Brooke Shields and Courteney Cox, who aren’t Hollywood ingénues but have the kind of hair every woman covets.

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GALLERY: Hot Hair Oils: What Works?

You probably exfoliate your face regularly — and completely neglect your scalp. By whipping up this sweet, sugary treatment every few weeks, you can easily revitalize both your scalp and your hair.

“Sugar acts as an alpha hydroxy acid, which exfoliates by penetrating the hair’s cortex and stimulating cellular activity of the follicle,” explains Sam Brocato, owner and stylist at Sam Brocato Salon in New York City. “It also moisturizes and exfoliates the scalp leaving hair soft manageable.”

Almond oil provides moisture and facilitates the work of the sugars while also delivering vitamin E, which is essential for hair and scalp health, according to Brocato. “Folic acid is also prevalent in almond oil, which is proven to stimulate hair growth, and lemon juice helps add shine.”

Ingredients:

• 2 ½ Tbs turbinado sugar
• 2 ½ Tbs white sugar
• 1 ½ Tbs almond oil
• 1 ½ tsp lemon juice

Blend all ingredients in a bowl with a wooden spoon or chopstick. For five minutes, gently massage into freshly shampooed hair, concentrating on the scalp. Then allow it to absorb for five minutes. Rinse out treatment with tepid water, then dry and style as desired.

While the stigma associated with female hair thinning and loss makes the subject feel taboo, it’s an extremely common complaint. “There’s a misconception that hair loss in women is rare,” explains Robert Bernstein, M.D., founder of the prestigious Bernstein Medical Center for Hair Restoration in New York City. The truth is, 30 percent of women will experience some form of thinning. But there is hope. These six solutions help with thinning tresses at any age.

MORE: The Structure of Hair

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Thinning Hair Help

We’re not knocking the power of a fantastic face cream, thickening mousse or high-tech teeth whitening session, but the foundation of your beauty is pretty grassroots — it’s your diet.

The health of every organ affects our appearance. Just as eating well can keep our heart in tip-top shape, we can shave years off our looks if we chew the right things.

Our skin is barraged inside and out by stress, hormones, junk food and weather, just to name a few. A healthy diet helps your skin withstand these insults via nutrients that help repair, maintain and enhance it.

“The more support you give your skin the more support it will give you,” says Doris Day, M.D., a New York dermatologist and author of “Forget the Facelift.” Whether it’s clearer skin you’re after or more lustrous locks, read on to find out which beauty superfoods can help you get even more gorgeous.

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Beauty Foods

Being able to identify plants is more than plant-nerd cool. It’s real world cool because it means that you can forage, and isn’t foraging just about the trendiest thing a nature lover can do these days?

With wild gathered food featured on the menus of the finest restaurants in the world — Copenhagen’s Noma, a restaurant serving foraged ingredients, has topped Restautant Magazine’s “World’s 50 Best” list for the third year in a row — foraging has officially moved past its pauper roots and into the realm of real-world consideration, and not only for sustenance, but for beauty products, as well.

There is a special kind of joy that comes from foraging that gets right to the heart of what makes it a wonderful pastime. It is a treasure hunt; it is beautiful way to get in touch with your surroundings and the cycles of the seasons; and it nurtures your soul to move through the landscape and see it with a different set of eyes.

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MORE: Read Leaf Magazine’s Autumn 2012 Issue

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Disclaimer: When foraging, be sure that you follow foragers’ guidelines. Know what you are picking, do not pick an area clean (leave plants to grow for the next person and the next season”>, and use with caution. Many plants have powerful medicinal qualities, and should be treated with care when ingesting or using on your body. Be sure to consider allergies.

Flip through our gallery for foraging ideas, and follow the recipe below it to distill your plants into botanical tinctures or oils, which you can then use on your skin alone, in our cold cream recipe (also below”>, or to add a dose of ski-improving punch to your bath or shower.

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Foraged Beauty Recipes

Sea Salt Spray

Say you’ve just ironed your hair sleek or are sporting a fresh, bouncy blowout. Do you skip working out afterward?

That’s all too common the case, claims U.S. Surgeon General, Regina M. Benjamin, M.D. Speaking at the recent Bronner Bros. International Hair Show in Atlanta, Benjamin used her bully pulpit to take on the “excuse” many women have of prioritizing a smooth hairstyle over breaking a sweat in a heart-healthy workout.

In particular, Benjamin says the trend is especially prevalent among minority women. Citing a study from the Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in which 103 African American women in the surrounding North Carolina region were polled, a third listed hairstyle maintenance as the number one reason they wouldn’t exercise.

MORE: Haircuts for Highly Textured Hair

“Many African American women with coarser hair use either heat straighteners or chemical products to straighten their hair,” says dermatologist Amy J. McMichael, M.D., the physician who led the study. “Depending on how coarse or fragile their hair is, they can’t just wash their hair after exercise without having to go through the whole process again, and that can take hours.”

The study goes on to state that 77 percent of African American women in the U.S. can be classified as either overweight or obese. Meanwhile, the surgeon general recommends 150 minutes per week (about 20 minutes per day”> of moderate to intense physical exercise. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, however, 31.6 percent of African American women do not get any physical activity in a given month.

Benjamin says she aims to get more women moving by eliminating hair as an acceptable reason to not work out. That could lower obesity rates and weight-associated health problems like high blood pressure and diabetes.

However, the surgeon general acknowledges that it’s not difficult to understand why there’s such a fuss about hair and workouts among women in the first place.

“If you go out and spend $40 to $50 to get your hair done, you don’t want to go out and get it all sweaty and wet that afternoon before you got to show if off,” Benjamin told CNN. “Other ethnic groups would come up and say the same thing. I don’t think it’s limited to African American women.”

While Benjamin says her solution is to work out at night so that she is home and done for the day when she’s finished, other active and fit women who have careers that demand high maintenance hair needs have learned how to strike the balance between feeling good and looking good.

MORE: Yoga Class Focuses on Curly Hair and Body Image

As Miss America 2009, Katie Stam often juggled intense workouts with a packed schedule of glitzy public appearances. To transition from sweat and reps to full-on pageant queen regalia, Stam would depend on two things: a cloth headband and clip-in extensions.

For traditional gym workouts, Stam found that a thick cloth headband soaked up perspiration, protecting her fine hair from slicking back flat. Drinking lots of cold water and keeping a towel on hand were also key moves.

Yet it was the hair extensions that made getting gorgeous a cinch afterward.

QUIZ: How Much Fitness Are You Getting?

“You can have them styled before you work out. When you finish your session, clip-in already fabulous hair that looks like you’ve spent the last several hours at a salon,” says Stam. “They are an investment, but they last forever, and no one can tell the difference!”

For the fullest results, Stam keeps two kinds of clip-ins: a fuller, thicker sheet of hair, and then smaller one-inch pieces. Extensions can be styled just like natural hair with tools like flat irons and curling rods. In fact, they hold style better and longer than natural hair.

High-kicking up to 16 shows a week as a Radio City Rockette, Kandice Pelletier says that sweat has been a fact of her daily life for years. The former Miss New York swears by dry shampoo, citing Ojon as her favorite brand. The product can come as either an oil-absorbing powder you tap onto the scalp or in an aerosol that sprays an alcoholized version. Both drugstores and department stores sell a variety of brand options today.

However, Pelletier believes that keeping it simple can often make the biggest statement. “I think there is something really sexy about a confident woman putting her hair back in a clean ponytail,” says Pelletier.

MORE: Tame Your Hair Troubles

Meanwhile, running 20 to 25 miles a week and maintaining a regular routine of sit-ups, pushups, spin class and the treadmill keeps Montclair, New Jersey dermatologist Jeanine Downie, M.D. on her toes, while balancing the demands of a polished, professional image.

“Many of my African-American patients say to me ‘What about your hair?’ I struggle with the same issue as them, as I perm my hair every three months,” she says. “But I would rather have a fit body and pull my hair back if I need to,” shares Downie, who adds that she uses a scrunchie instead of an elastic to keep dents out of her strands. (Who knew the 90s could come back in such a helpful way?”>

After working out, Downie opts for a diffuser instead of a blow dryer to absorb dampness while maintaining style. She sometimes set her hair in pin curls at night, so that the styling time is absorbed into snooze time.

And what of women for whom fitness is a 24/7 lifestyle?

Braids are the saving grace for Micaela Butcher, who is a senior Core Fusion teacher at New York’s Exhale Mind Body Spa. Her days can consist of multiple sweat-inducing workouts, but she doesn’t allow that to her slow her down.

“My hair texture is kinky-curly, so sometimes I’ll braid it in a fun style, so that when I’m done, I’m already good to go.”

QUIZ: How Healthy is Your Hair?

Are you starting to feel stressed about a big event? Here’s one thing you can relax about: your hair.

People, particularly women, get stressed because of the idea of “perfection” they build up in their heads that they can’t possibly live up to. Every time I’ve stressed about anything, it’s never been worth it, and I’ve looked back and thought, “I can’t believe I did it again!”

Let yourself off the hook a little bit. One way to do that is with your hair. Sure, you want your hair to look beautiful, but people will mostly respond to how you feel. If you feel calm, you will radiate beauty. People want to see a happy person, not the perfect-hair person who is obviously stressed.

QUIZ: How Stressed Are You?

Schedule your cut and color now so it’s out of the way and you’re not trying to squeeze appointments into your busy schedule. Then add a few easy styles to your hair routine so you can look pulled together, but with ease and effortlessness.

Hair Accessories

Simple pins, clips and headbands from the drugstore — in metallic silver or gold, black, tortoiseshell or a bit of crystal — are great because they present the idea that you’ve made an effort, even if all you’ve done is add a clip to your regular hairstyle. It’s a simple psychological trick. Something as easy as side part and a plain bobby pin can work wonders.

Read More: Finding Your Signature Hairstyle

Braids

The best part about braids is that you don’t even have to be that good at them since they look soft and pretty when they’re a bit rough and imperfect. You don’t have to do anything intricate — just a nod to a braid is enough to impress people. If you don’t want to braid all of your hair or dive into the braided circlet look, try a little braid or two starting at your part.

Read More: Curl to Toe Career Makeover

Twist

If you’re running around, especially if you’re hosting a party, the last thing you want to worry about is your hair. With a simple knot or twist you don’t even have to wash your hair. Revive your hair with a spritz of dry shampoo, then pull it back, twist and add some pins. It doesn’t need to be perfect — just the act of lifting your hair back will make you look pulled together.

Keep in mind that people are going to remember being relaxed and sitting around the table together, not that your hair was perfect!

GALLERY: Iconic Celebrity Hair Color

Question: Do you have a signature style? Are you presenting yourself and your hair in a way that’s true to who you really are and does it make you feel beautiful?

I think individuality often gets lost these days and that’s a shame. Even on the red carpet, everyone looks the same. Where are today’s Chers and Diana Rosses? Where are all the iconic beauty moments?

Finding your individual style and being happy with it is such a positive affirmation. Sure, not everyone can be (or would want to be”> Cher, but every woman has the power to find the hairstyle that makes her feel like she is being true to herself.

I like to promote individuality in women. The icons of beauty have stuck by their own looks. The most beautiful women in the world are the ones who have individual style and are comfortable being themselves. They’re the ones we really look at and remember.

MORE: What is Your Hair Saying About You?

When I look back in history at women who stand the test of time with their style and beauty, they’re women with a strong sense of self. At the time it might have seemed like they were being outlandish, provocative or that they were pushing buttons, but really they just knew who they were and didn’t apologize for it.

I recently worked with Kristen McMenamy on a photo shoot — she’s an iconic model from the eighties who is still modeling in her late forties. She always has (and still does”> push buttons. Right now her hair is completely gray, but she wears it long to her waist. People might say, “She’s in her forties — why doesn’t she cut it or dye it?” But if she did cut it, she would look mumsy and frumpy — she would lose herself.

We look up to her because we love people who bend the rules. We love an anarchist. We love a woman who stands up for herself and says, “This is the way I look and this is the way you are going to see me.” It’s a very attractive quality. Sometimes they make us nervous because they’re outspoken, but we need people like that in this world.

Liza Minnelli, Cher, Elizabeth Taylor, Dolly Parton, Diana Ross — these are women we remember.

QUIZ: How Healthy is Your Hair?

Your hair can help you project who you really are. When you look in the mirror, I want you to be able to say, “My hair represents who I am.” That’s very important because people read you by your hair very quickly.

The reason hair is so important to fashion shows is because, when the girls first walk out, the editors look at the hair and shoes straight away to decipher the message the designer is trying to get across. It’s a very quick indicator of what is about to happen.

To find your individuality and signature style, it’s very important to look at yourself differently. Try to strip away any preconceived ideas of what you “should” look like.

MORE: The Psychology of Hair

It sounds strange, but look long and hard in the mirror and sit with yourself. Pull your hair up and to the side and down and all around. Think about it: When does your hair make you feel happy? When do you feel the most comfortable? When do you feel most beautiful? Really be honest with yourself.

Experiment with your beauty — experiment with your hair. Somewhere along the way you’ll stumble upon what’s really you. If you never take chances with your beauty, with your hair color, your haircut or a new style, you’re never going to find out who you truly are. It doesn’t have to be an earth-shattering change — sometimes it can be as simple as switching your part from one side of your head to the other.

It’s very hard to let yourself stick out, because we’re not sure. It’s easy to blow dry your hair instead of leaving it curly and wild because you know that if it’s straight and shiny people will say you have pretty hair. But you might have lovely wavy, coarse, thick hair that could look beautiful if left natural.

Like I said in my past column, there’s no right or wrong hair. We’re so open nowadays — natural hair, very “done” hair, sleek and straight, punk, dreads, pixie — it doesn’t matter. It’s not an era like the fifties where we’re all stuck in the same look. The only ruts we get stuck in are the ones we bring on ourselves.

The women we look at as iconic are the ones who are happy with their style, whatever it may be. That is when we think: “Wow, I wish I could feel like that.”

What a fantastic affirmation to think that someone could be thinking that about you.

Read More: Textured Hair Sweeps Fox Dance Show

When we think of hair gel, we think of Elvis, Snooki…and King Tut.

Wait. What?

Yup. Believe it or not, a new study suggests that ancient Egyptians styled their hair with a fatty compound that resembles modern-day hair gel. In fact, some of the styles were even strikingly similar to styles seen on the red carpet today. Now that’s trendsetting.

MORE: Find Your Signature Hairstyle

A research team led by Dr. Natalie McCreesh at the University of Manchester studied the hair samples of more than a dozen male and female mummies, both young and old (if you can call a three thousand-year-old mummy young”>. They found that some mummies used this “gel” on their hair both in everyday life and in preparation for death, which gives scientists new insight into two fascinating areas of study.

“We have known that hair was important to the ancient Egyptians, yet never before have we seen the use of ‘product’ to style the natural hair. Most other research has focused on wearing wigs,” McCreesh said, explaining that research suggests more noble Egyptians wore wigs. That may explain why most peoples’ ideas of Egyptian hair conjures up images of Liz Taylor as Cleopatra.

“We have also discovered that special care was taken to preserve the deceased’s hairstyle during the mummification procedure, placing significance on retaining the individual’s appearance in the afterlife.”

The gelled styles discovered on both male and female mummies ran the gamut from short and curly, to long and wavy. Some children even wore short styles slicked back and to the side, McCreesh said. Apparently mummies knew how they wanted their ‘do done, just like us!

QUIZ: How Healthy is Your Hair?

So where can we get our hands on this time-tested (literally”>, all-natural hair gel? Well, that’s where you might have to be patient. The exact recipe is still a mystery to scientists. It contains palmitic and stearic acid, but from there it gets a little fuzzy. Until then, you’ll just have to stay tuned. It seems the real secrets of the tomb are yet to come!

Unless you were lucky enough to be born with picture-perfect hair — immune to frizz, breakage and flyaways (yes, Gisele, we’re talking to you”> — you’ve got a hair hang-up or two.

Everyday wear and tear, plus harsh hair habits such as daily blow drying, wielding hot tools like curling irons and getting chemical straightening treatments, punish your strands. The result? Frizzy, crispy, lifeless hair that’s chock-full of split ends.

Rather than putting up with a slew of self-esteem-blowing bad hair days, you can take smart steps to handle these hairy situations. Here’s how to tame your mane and get the healthy, radiant hair you crave.

1. Breakage

Most breakage occurs from everyday wear and tear. Everything you do to your hair — brushing, blow-drying, styling — can tear it. The less you mess with your hair, the less breakage you’ll likely have. Treat your hair like a delicate silk blouse and go easy on the vigorous brushing, scorching heat and tight clips.

2. Thinning

If your mane isn’t as full and lush as it used to be, your hair may be thinning. Maybe your ponytail is getting skinnier, or you can see more of your scalp through your part — a sign of allover, evenly dispersed thinning — or you’ve noticed thinning in small patches.

General thinning is usually due to the natural aging process and hormonal changes, but diet, medical issues, some prescription medications and stress can all be a factor. If you think your hair is unusually thin, consider talking to your doctor. In one UK study, 67 percent of the women in a thinning-hair group had the endocrine disorder polycystic ovarian syndrome.

If you regularly wear your hair in tight braids or twists, or if you sleep in tight rollers, you might be experiencing traction hair loss, which is when constant tugging on the hair follicle causes patches of hair loss. Sometimes a small bald patch is the first sign of alopecia areata, a disease that causes hair loss. If you can’t think of a reasonable explanation for your thinning hair, see your doctor immediately.

Read More: 5 Top Tips for Thinning Hair

3. Pregnancy-related thinning

During pregnancy, your hair may feel thicker because estrogens extend the growth cycle, leading to longer hair that’s less likely to fall out. Though most common lore says hair always gets thicker, that isn’t the case for a whopping two-thirds of women who see no change or even thinning hair during pregnancy. After birth, your hair may fall out in clumps as the growth cycle shortens again. Don’t worry; you’re not balding! Your system is just resetting. The changes you see are rarely permanent — hair typically goes back to normal over time.

4. Frizz

Fine, curly hair is most prone to frizz, but any hair type can get frizzy. Hair is dependent on the whims of humidity, because hair expands when exposed to dampness and reverts back to whatever your natural texture is (unless you have a permanent straightening treatment”>. The healthier the hair, the less likely it is to frizz, and anti-frizz products can help to some degree.

5. Flyaways

Flyaways are usually broken pieces of hair sticking out at a jagged angle. Do whatever you can to prevent breakage (deep-conditioning masks, chilling on the hot tools”> and get your hair trimmed every six weeks to eliminate frayed ends.

6. Split ends

Truth time. There is no such thing as a split-end mender. The only way to get rid of them is to cut them off. If you’re prone to split ends, regular trims (every six weeks”> can help control them. If your ends are getting super-tangled and hard to comb, you may consider cutting your hair to a shorter length. Split ends are caused by daily wear and tear, hot tools, blow dryers, brushes — anything that damages the hair. When you notice split ends or tangled hair, it’s time to crop those locks.

7. Limpness

Flat hair with no body or bounce is usually a fine-haired gal’s problem, because the extra oil glands in fine hair produce more sebum, which makes hair appear heavier. Dry shampoo can do wonders for absorbing oil and lifting the roots. Thicker-haired folks might start to see limpness if their hair is thinning. This could be due to aging, but if your hair is thinning and it seems out of the ordinary, see your doctor stat.

8. Too much volume

Although ladies with fine hair might kill for some of your volume, your hair can be hard to manage. The key here is getting the right haircut for your hair type. Investing in a great cut can make all the difference in the world.

Read More: New Keratin Smoothing Treatment Products

9. No shine

Shine happens when the cuticle (outside layer of hair”> lies flat and reflects light. The healthier the hair, the shinier it is. Overuse of hot tools or multiple chemical processes damage the cuticle layer and rob hair of its beautiful luster. Heat-protectant styling products (to use before tools”> can help.

10. Won’t grow as long as you’d like

Everyone has a unique hair growth cycle, which determines how long your hair grows before it falls out. A shorter cycles means you can’t grow your hair past a certain point — sometimes that’s shoulder length. Although there isn’t much you can do about this, also consider that your hair is breaking off before it can reach its potential length. Getting your hair trimmed every six weeks will eliminate frayed ends and help your hair reach its full potential.

11. Tangles

Tangles happen when the cuticle (the outside layer”> gets roughed up and clings to neighboring strands like Velcro. Chemical processes, hot tools and everyday wear and tear are tough on the cuticle. Be gentle when combing out tangles so you don’t make the damage worse. A dollop of conditioner on the area will help your comb slide through smoothly.

12. Greasiness

Greasiness most often happens in fine hair, but it can strike anyone. If you frequently use silicone-rich hair products, wax or pomade, your grease might be from product buildup. Alternate in a clarifying shampoo every three to four washes. Also, dry shampoo can be a godsend for sopping up oil at the roots and adding volume.

13. Dryness

There are tons of reasons you might have dry hair: chemical processing, frequent dips in a pool, overuse of a blow dryer or just plain ol’ genetics. Dryness leads to damage, since it reduces the number of hydrogen bonds in your hair (which give your strands flexibility”> and weakens its resistance to daily stresses like brushing or combing. Hydrating shampoos and conditioners can help, as can adding an omega-3 supplement to your diet to add moisture from the outside in.

14. Color fade

Water fades color. In fact, up to 80 percent of color fade is due to water alone. Your hair absorbs water, and as your hair dries, the dyes drain out with the water. If you’re a staunch everyday washer, try every other day. To stretch out the time between washes, try a dry shampoo on your roots to absorb oil and pump up volume (available at salons or drugstores”>.

Read More: Polyquaternium-59: Sun Protection for Your Curls

These days, legendary 90’s supermodel Cindy Crawford laments not the inevitable loss of collagen or slowing metabolism that accompanies aging. She simply wants her old hair back. “Everyone loves to talk about plastic surgery and all that stuff, but hair is the most underestimated thing,” she recently told Allure magazine.”If you have good color and shiny hair, you can see that across a room. Now I look at my daughter’s and I’m like, ‘You have my old hair! I want it back!'”

That’s because just as our skin succumbs to the pull of gravity, our hair — an oft-overlooked feature in the gargantuan anti-aging industry — changes in ways that we wish it wouldn’t. Yup, we’re talking hair loss, thinning, graying and dullness.

QUIZ: How Healthy Are Your Strands?

While plenty of experts say the slump starts after age 30, it varies from person to person. “There are many factors that play a role,” says Alan J. Bauman, M.D., a top U.S. medical expert on hair loss and restoration. “Heredity, diet habits and even over-styling can cause your hair to age prematurely. An often overlooked factor is smoking, which is especially damaging to your hair.”

Mindy Goldstein, Ph.D., former president of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists, echoes this sentiment. “The follicles in aging hair are smaller and have less pigment,” she explains. “So the thick, coarse hair of a young adult eventually becomes thin, fine, light-colored hair.”

Mane Matters

Gray hairs may be the most obvious sign of impending dotage, but they seem less distressing when we take a closer look at all the other annoying ways hair quality degrades with age. “The first sign of loss is shine and opulence, which we associate with healthy hair and youth,” says N.Y.C.-based hairstylist, author and salon owner Eva Scrivo. Another issue: thinning. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, about 30 million American women are dealing with hereditary hair loss. Diet, medical problems, hormones, stress and certain medications can also be factors, so if the loss is dramatic (more than typical 100 strands you should expect to shed every day”>, see a doctor to rule out any major issues.

It’s a bummer, we know.

MORE: Going Gray Gracefully

Product Rx

Luckily, with so many new over-the-counter and prescription products it’s never been easier to add life to your locks. Scrivo recommends first buying trial sizes in order to suss out what really works without making too big a financial commitment “What worked in your 20s is not going to work in your 60s,” she points out.

Strength: In her role as vice president of research and development Dr. Goldstein helped develop Keranique, a new anti-aging hair care line for women that’s imbued with a keratin and protein complex to help strengthen the hair shaft and make hair appear fuller, stronger and shinier.

Unilever’s recently launched Clear Scalp & Hair Therapy also targets the scalp to create optimum hair health, and Aveda’s new Invati products aim to “rehabilitate” and reduce breakage.

Shine: Just like skin loses its glow, most everyone tends to see a lack of overall luster. The key is keeping the outermost layer of hair—the cuticle—flat and smooth so it reflects light. But years of wear-and-tear, styling and sun damage means the roughed-up cuticle doesn’t reflect way it used to. Silicones are one way to get the glow back, but ultimately weigh down hair. Scrivo swears by all-natural amla oil, an Ayurvedic remedy that naturally strengthens the hair and nourishes the scalp. “Brush it in your hair before you go to bed, then rinse it out in the morning,” she advises.  She also recommends Shu Uemura’s Prime Plenish, a line specially formulated to bulk up aging hair fibers and Kérastase’s Age Recharge line to strengthen brittle strands.

QUIZ: Are you Eating Right for Your Hair?

Glaze treatments also provide weeks of effortless glossines, but there are other, more holistic, not to mention easier ways to help preserve and produce luster.

Brush: Dead skin cells collect on the scalp. “Imagine if you never exfoliated your face,” Scrivo says. “Regular brushing really helps.” She points out that there are three cycles of hair growth: growth, shedding and resting. If you’re not brushing properly making sure bristles stimulate the scalp, you can actually deter the progress, she explains. Most hairstylists recommend the Mason Pearson Popular brush because it combines both plastic and boar bristles for a deep combing.

Clarify: Scrivo recommends Bumble and Bumble’s Sunday Shampoo, a once a week product to remove build-up. “If it feels too stripping, pour a drop to into your regular shampoo,” she says.

Diet: When we’re young, we tend to eat fats — both healthy and otherwise — without batting a lash. But with age comes a slower metabolism, so fatty foods get banned, which is better for our waistlines, but not for the hair. The simple  remedy? “Eat an egg everyday,” Scrivo advises. Duck eggs are her preference because they contain five times the amount of biotin to foster healthy strands.

Bauman gives the thumbs up to supplements. “Iron and protein deficiencies are among the most common nutritional triggers for unhealthy hair, while vitamins, especially B, are important to the overall health of hair.” He likes treatments such as Viviscal Professional and pharmaceutical grade biotin to help support longer, thicker, healthier hair.

GALLERY: The Secret to Natural-Looking Hair Color

Color: Add some richness to your fading base color to recreate the youthful highlights that suggest a summer of playing outdoors. “Hair color can be so transformative because it not only adds dimension, it also boosts your complexion,” says Scrivo. Skin with pink tones would do well to seek cool-toned highlights; add golden hues to warm up dull skin and help add a glow-inducing reflection around your face. “Obviously, it’s more expensive to get professional highlights than just doing a single process at home out of a box,” says Scrivo. “But it’s an investment into look more youthful.”

Cut: Never underestimate the power of a great haircut. Because the planes of your face alter with time, a great cut can play up all the right features, while downgrading those you’d rather not. For example, well-positioned layers can draw the eye up and a strategically angled bob can strengthen your jaw line and emphasize cheekbones. Scrivo recommends soft, side-swept bangs to create an asymmetrical line that can help widen and plump narrowed features.

‘Tis the season for camp, slumber parties and head lice. No shock considering that when kids come in close proximity to one another, lice tend to leap from one BFF to the next.

“A lot of people assume that when school starts everyone comes down with lice. But many kids get exposed to it during the summer and just don’t know it,” said Mandy Ottesen, owner of Fresh Heads Lice Removal in Jacksonville, Fla.

First the creepy facts: Lice are parasitic insects that take up residence on our scalp and feast on human blood several times a day. The unhatched eggs they lay are called nits. Nits are about the size of a knot in a piece of thread, while adult lice are roughly the size of a sesame seed. While they are not known to spread disease, there’s no denying they’re a nuisance.

Read More: 12 Snacks For Super Hair

Preventative Shampoos

These better-safe-than-sorry sudsers use strong, essential oils such as rosemary, eucalyptus, peppermint, lemon grass or tea tree oil to repel lice. The idea is that when used daily, they make your head smell “very perfumey and not like a person,” explains Jessica Sammis,Owner of Nit Nabbers in Charlotte, NC,

“None of these preventative shampoos have any effect on lice eggs though,” adds Ottesen. And to make matters worse, roughly 30 percent of the time, they won’t do anything to live bugs either. So while they may have some olfactory effect, they also give a false sense of security.

Read More: The Science Of Hair

Treatment Shampoos

So your child has lice. The first step is to avoid freaking out. “You don’t have to tear your whole house apart,” explains Sammis. In addition to cleaning sheets in hot water and a hot dryer along with a good vacuuming, certain shampoos will help strip kids’ strands of these pesky creatures.

One such brand, Fairy Tales Hair Care, markets a line of lice treatment and prevention shampoos and conditioners that are “loaded with organic herbs to cleanse, condition, style and most importantly, help repel hair lice.”

Another company, Jolis Cheveaux, also sells an all-natural, non-toxic shampoo they say is safe for children and used by professional technicians to treat and prevent lice infestation at home, school or camps.

What makes them work?

“These cleansers either use an enzyme that breaks down the glue that the lice use to hold onto your head (so when you comb, they come out easier”>,” explained Sammis. “Or the formula incorporates a very oily liquid, like olive oil or coconut oil, which smothers live bugs and suffocates them.” Active ingredients can also include pyrethrins — a naturally occurring insecticide from the chrysanthemum flower, or permethrin lotion — a synthetic pyrethroid.

If over-the-counter shampoos don’t work, you can get a stronger prescription shampoo that contains either malathion lotion, an organophosphate chemical often used as the base for insecticides, or benzyl alcohol lotion, an aromatic alcohol. Both substances are FDA-approved, but kids under 6-years-old should steer clear of malathion.

Take note though, these shampoos only kill live lice, not unhatched eggs or nits (that’s why most recommend reapplying in 7-10 days”>. Also, lice can get resistant to these pesticides, warns Sammis.

The best lice treatments? Get a good lice comb and meticulously comb and comb every day until they are gone. These tools have several, densely packed metal prongs that detach lice from stands.

Preventing lice in the first place can be difficult and has nothing to do with one’s cleanliness. ”It’s sort of the wrong place at the wrong time,” added Sommis. If your child has a friend with lice, a preventative shampoo is your best bet — along with daily head checks.

Read More: Hair Care Tips

The Science Behind Grays

It’s long been believed that we go gray when the cells in the hair follicle (called melanocytes”> stop injecting the strands with melanin. For most people, those first errant strands start popping up sometime in the mid-30s to early 40s, but for some, it occurs even earlier than that. The result: an unpigmented hair that, despite its gray appearance, is actually white.

“Each hair follicle stops producing melanin at different times,” says Perry Romanowski, a cosmetic chemist in Chicago. “So the combination of white hairs lying against other colored strands makes them appear gray.”

But a breakthrough three years ago at the University of Bradford in Great Britain found that was only half of the gray hair puzzle. They discovered that youthful hair cells produce hydrogen peroxide that gets converted into hydrogen and oxygen. But as we age, even that system starts slowing down leaving hair to essentially bleach strands from the inside out.

Genetics also play a role, as does genotoxic stress (chemical stressors that bring about DNA damage”>, not the plain-‘ol my-kids-are-driving-me-crazy melee. A stressful life event such as divorce or illness can also trigger a condition that causes hair to shed more quickly and the regenerated hair could grow back gray.

Read More: Genotoxic Stress Turns Hair Gray

To Dye or Not to Dye?

So now that hair is essentially colorless, it should be easy to chemically add it back in, right? Unfortunately, no. “Gray hair completely lacks melanin and doesn’t have anything to back up the pigments, so the color appears washed out,” says Ni’Kita Wilson, YouBeauty Cosmetic Chemistry Expert. Think of it as white paint on a white wall versus a layer of white paint on a glass window; the color won’t be as pronounced.

Coloring gray hair may be difficult, but it’s not impossible. Black and brown tones will have the easiest time reviving their strands as “darker dyes are absorbed best by gray hair,” says Romanowski. And while blondes and redheads may have to work harder to camouflage those ashy strands, grays aren’t as apparent on lighter shades as they are on deeper ones.

Read More: The Best Hair Color for Your Skintone

For locks that are about 20 to 25 percent gray, use a demi- or semi-permanent hair color that’s closest to your natural tone in order to blend away the grays with minimal damage to the hair. Both types deposit color without ammonia, but the demi-permanent color “uses a stronger concentration of hydrogen peroxide to open up the hair cuticle and inject more color,” says Romanowski. As a result, demi-permanent color lasts almost twice as long as semi-permanent. Semi-permanent color delivers a rich, shiny color but fades out in six to 12 shampoos.

If more than half of your hair is gray, go the permanent color route. Permanent hair color contains ammonia which opens the hair cuticle to allow the color to penetrate.

Many colorists advise not taking on the challenge of coloring gray hair yourself — at least not the first time. “Gray hair is not something you want to take a chance on,” says Vasken Demirjian, a hair colorist and owner of a salon in White Plains, New York. “See a colorist who has studied color and has had years of practice.” Keep in mind, too, that if things go haywire as you DIY, the color correction can cost more than a regular salon visit for coloring.

Caring for and Coloring Gray Hair

Whether you are between salon visits or starting to see a few grays pop up, products with temporary hair color can work wonders, thanks to foolproof application and a wide range of color choices. The following products conceal grays effectively and help maintain hair health.

Read More: Celebrities with Gray Hair

1. For Strays and Small Amounts of Gray. “For most people, gray hairs start sprouting around the temples and the hairline,” says Vasken Demirjian, a hair colorist and owner of Vasken Demirjian Salon in White Plains, New York. “Hair mascaras are great Band-Aids to hide grays in between colorings,” says Demirjian. Generation Klean’s Gray Disappear contains moisturizing vitamin E and panthenol and is free of parabens, sulfates and propylene glycol. Results last until your next shampoo.
2. For Touch Ups. Colorists recommend Roux’s Tween-Time Touch Up Stick because “it’s an ideal temporary fix for your hair part,” says Giselle, a hair colorist at the Riccardo Maggiore Salonin New York City. This combination of paraffin and synthetic beeswax binds color to the hair and lasts until you wash it out. To apply, dampen the stick or apply straight to wet hair.
3. For Lifeless Locks. Grays are more prone to dryness than pigmented hair. Hydration is key. To pre-empt parched, wiry strands, strengthen locks with Yarok’s nourishing treatment serum. Massage a dropperful of the avocado, apricot, yarrow and orange blossom oil blend from scalp to strand before shampooing.
4. For Large Sections of Gray Hair. You can cover a decent chunk of gray regrowth in seconds flat with Gray Away Root Concealer. The temporary color (available in four shades”> comes in aerosol form and adjusts to you hair tone. It’s also sweat-proof and stays put until the next time you shampoo. Point the nozzle toward roots and move the can continuously for even coverage. Use on dry hair for best results.
5. For Easy Maintenance. The TouchBack Plus line of color-depositing shampoos and conditioners help professional color go the distance. The wash-in tone adheres to roots and stray grays for up to three washes. Available in eight shades.
6. An Easy DIY Option. Clairol Natural Instincts is a non-permanent, ammonia-free, hair color kit that helps blend away grays while adding more depth and dimension. “I recommend it to first timer DIYers.” says Giselle. “It’s easy to do and lasts for up to 28 shampoos.” The ColorTreat conditioning treatment that’s included contains panthenol and coconut oil to strengthen locks, giving them bounce and vitality.
7. Another great option is to moisturize, protect and care for your gorgeous gray curls as they grow in. With the right treatment and without the harshness of constant coloring, your gray curls can be even more stunning than they were before! You won’t even think of covering them up!

The other day, I went to get a manicure and the technician said I reminded her of a celebrity. “Julianne….” she trailed off, blanking on the last name as she stared at my red hair. “Moore?” I said. She nodded profusely. I get this all of the time. It doesn’t matter that Julianne Moore and I look completely different. We both have red hair and therefore look alike.

Funny, I never see the same thing happen to blondes and brunettes. But I guess I should be happy that society no longer lumps us ginger-haired gals into those all-too-common stereotypes — from being called the “unwanted, redheaded stepchild” to making the assumption we’re all seductive Jessica Rabbit-types. (Though there are still guys who dare to ask if the “carpet matches the drapes.” Cringe.”>

Now there’s the animated movie “Brave,” in which the lead female character, Merida, has a beautiful explosion of bright red hair. Sure, she’s described with the usual adjectives associated with redheads — “passionate,” “fiery” and “headstrong” — but most of all, she’s brave. And chances are, lots of little girls are going to be influenced by this strong character and proudly donning bright red wigs come Halloween.

There’s also been a recent surge of strong redheaded actresses on TV and film (some natural born, some bottle-born”>, including Amy Adams, Emma Stone and Jessica Chastain. Nearly every hit TV show has a redheaded character these days, including Joan on “Mad Men” (Christina Hendricks”>, to Jessica on “True Blood” (Deborah Ann Woll”>, Emma on “Glee” (Jayma Mays”>, Julia on “Smash” (Debra Messing”> and Lily on “How I Met Your Mother” (Alyson Hannigan”>.

Read More: Beauty, Inside & Out with Christina Hendricks

While watching an hour-long TV show recently, I noticed at least three different commercials featured redheads — something I never saw growing up. We’re everywhere these days, even though we apparently make up only about 2 percent of the world’s population.

In other words, we’ve gone mainstream.

Like Merida in “Brave,” I was born with bright red-orange hair — a shade that seemed to defy nature, along with fair skin and freckles, a gift from my Irish father. There was no blending in with this color. By junior high school, the shade thankfully subsided to a more palatable, but still comment-eliciting, strawberry blonde. But growing up in L.A. and surrounded by a sea of sun-kissed blondes, it was hard not to feel self-conscious about my coloring. I didn’t want to be unique. I wanted to look like everyone else. So I squeezed lemon juice into my hair and used Sun-In to make it more blonde. And since sun tanning was futile — I would only burn and get more freckles — I used to wish that all of my freckles would somehow magically morph together to form a tan.

Read More: Hollywood Goes Red

I was too young to realize that unique is just another word for special. I also didn’t realize that red hair doesn’t last forever and fades as you get older. It would take growing up and going off to college in Boston (where there was no sunshine to lighten my locks”> for my hair to become more brown than red.

The fire disappeared. And I was surprised to realize how much I missed it.

My red tresses were not only tied to how I felt about my own identity, they were a big part of my identity (my mom was so upset over my suddenly darker mane that she actually thought I’d dyed it brown”>. I eventually started getting professional highlights to help put back some of that red I’d once wished away.

After losing most of my red hue, I finally saw my hair color for what it was — rare and special in its own right.

Read More: The Best Red for Your Skintone

Of course I’ll occasionally toy with the idea of trying on another color for size only to find myself surprised by just how protective my family, friends and even my colorist are of my crimson locks. I once asked my long-time colorist, Carrie McCard at Rita Hazan Salon, to dye my hair a pretty chestnut brown. She refused. “You’ll look like everyone else!” As a teenager, I would have welcomed those words, but as an adult, I realized in doing so I’d lose my most unique feature — something I now embrace wholeheartedly.

My husband was born with auburn hair, though, like me, his red hair turned brown years ago, and now his red flecks only make an appearance when he grows a beard. Now I’m pregnant with twin girls, which means there’s a good chance they’ll inherit our distinct shade. If they’re lucky enough to be born red, I’ll know exactly how to help them love and accept every fiery strand on their precious, beautiful heads.

We don’t always treat our hair well. In fact, if your hair only knew what you were putting it through, it might be pulling its hair out! To show you, let’s check out the structure of hair — how it grows, how it can end up in your shower drain and how it can look as lively as sun-scorched grass.

The average head has 150,000 hair follicles. The adult body has five million. That number comes from your genes and remains constant throughout your life.

QUIZ: How Healthy is Your Hair?

The thickness and condition of your hair can change, and so can whether or not you lose the strands that come from these follicles. You lose 50 to 200 hundred hairs a day, on average. Individual hair strands grow about six inches per year, and women from 16 to 24 years old grow it the fastest.

Some people have trouble growing hair beyond a certain length due to a short active phase of growth. People with very long hair have a long active phase of growth.

Arms, legs and eyelashes have a shorter active phase of growth, about 30 to 45 days. That’s why hair in these areas is so much shorter than on your scalp. Eyelash transplants from the scalp need to be trimmed every few weeks.

Remarkably, each hair strand has its own blood supply. As a result, your health and diet greatly influence your hair. Hormones also control your hair. That’s why men have beards, chest hair and male-pattern baldness, while women typically do not.

Your hair is made of a follicle and shaft. Follicles are tunnel-like segments in the epidermis of your skin. They live under the skin’s surface and extend into the dermis. The hair follicle base has few blood vessels to nourish the cells. The bulb at the base is the living part. The shaft that we see above the skin is dead.

The hair shaft’s made of keratin protein. The majority of the shaft is made up of the inner layer (medulla”> and the middle layer (cortex”>. The hair cuticle, which looks like a tile roof under the microscope, serves as the outer, protective layer that covers the medulla and cortex.

Your hair needs oil to keep it shiny. Tiny muscles surround your hair, occasionally giving you goose bumps when you feel a shiver. These muscles squeeze glands that moisturize your hair with sebum — your personal vitamin E-rich hair and skin conditioner.