You Have Questions I Have Answers is something special I wanted to do for my readers. I get emails daily from people all over the world asking random hair questions or looking for hair advice, and I thought it would be a good idea to share some with you in case you can relate. If you haven’t checked out my first You Have Questions I Have Answers #1, check it out here.
Hayden Panettiere does short hair right.
Q. I recently cut my hair boy short on a whim and I wish I hadn’t. Are there any sort of products I can use that will make my hair grow back quicker?
A. I wish I had some miracle answer for this question, but unfortunately I don’t. For starters NEVER do anything drastic to your hair on a whim. There are times in our life where we need a change so bad we practically go straight to the scissors ourselves and chop away at our hair. Usually this won’t end with a smile on your face. When doing something new and drastic to your hair you need to be feeling really good about yourself beforehand. I also recommend that you’ve thought about it for some time before taking the plunge. Trust me, you’ll thank me for this. If you didn’t read my advice before doing this, my best advice is to find new cute ways to style your new hair. Short hair can be so sexy if it’s worn confidently! Add a flair to your look with fun earrings and bright lips. The only thing that I’ve known to really help hair grown quicker (and by help I mean a little nudge) is taking prenatal vitamins or the supplement Biotin which you can purchase practically anywhere.
Yup... sort of the same thing.
Q. Which is worse for your hair- letting it dry natural and then using a straightening iron to straighten it or blow drying it to straighten it?
A. If you are a client of mine who uses a flat iron to straighten or smooth your hair then you know my answer to this question. Unfortunately, regularly flat ironing your hair is one of the most damaging things you can do to. If you have thick strong hair and never notice damage from flat ironing, then have at it, but most people’s hair integrity is compromised by some sort of hair color which makes it far more fragile to handle such hot heat on their already weakened strands. Blow drying your hair smooth with a boar bristle round brush and good blow dryer is much less damaging to your hair than flat ironing. The reason for this is that the brush and the dryer keep moving and never stay on one place of your hair for too long.
If you must use a flat iron there are things you can do to lessen the amount of damage, so don’t throw away your iron just yet.
-First of all, it is really important to use some sort of heat protectant styling product before you put heat to your hair. These products sometimes go on wet hair, and some go on dry hair before you apply heat. The purpose of these products is to coat the cuticle of your hair to create a protective shield so when you apply the heat of any styling tool it softens the blow.
-Don’t hold your iron too long on any section of hair, and if the ends of your hair are weak, try to release the iron before you pull it through them. If you have broken pieces anywhere in your hair ( most women have them around their hair line) try to resist flat ironing. That hair will never recover and grow if you straighten it every day.
– Try not to do it every single day. If you flat iron 7 days a week, even lessening it to 4 or 5 days helps. Try wearing your hair in a cute ponytail or bun, or touch up and bumps with a blow dryer and round brush instead.
Q. What’s the difference between all the brazilian keratin hair smoothing treatments and are they safe or not?
A. Dare I even start on this topic. I’ve written about Brazilian Blowout a few times and got lashed with haters and vowed to never write about it again, however I’m a hairstylist and you as a client deserve to know my thoughts if you choose to read my blog.
First of all, all the different brazilian keratin type treatments are very similar. They temporarily smooth your hair, tame frizz, add shine, and really create fuss free hair for many people. One of the main differences between them is the bonding agent which is the chemical in the brazilian solution that makes the product adhere to your hair. Some contain some forms of formaldehyde while others use some other crazy chemical. The difference with Brazilian Blowout is that the product is rinsed out of your hair in the salon after you receive the service, while some of the other Keratin treatments must be left in your hair for 2-3 days before washing and you can’t sweat, put your hair in a ponytail, or do anything really. Seems silly to me that someone would choose that over Brazilian Blowout, but whatever that’s just my opinion.
Is Brazilian Blowout safe? Is it harmful to your health? These are questions I don’t have straight answers for you. What I do know is that there are thousands of products we use daily in our lives that we slather on our skin that we know nothing about the chemicals in the product. Lotions, spray tans, toothpaste, deodorant, tampons, etc. Or what about botox, tanning beds, chemical peels, artificial sweeteners, are these things safe?
My personal thoughts about Brazilian Blowout at the moment is that I feel ok preforming the service, BUT I do it outside. At my salon we have the luxury of styling hair outdoors, so we are not confined to a room or poorly ventilated salon. If I could not preform the service outdoors, I probably wouldn’t do it. As someone who has the Brazilian on my own hair, I know how incredible the product works, and I will continue to get the service done until I find out I really shouldn’t. As a client, it’s something you do at most 4 times a year. As for us hairstylists, we love our clients, but don’t you think our health is our first priority? Why would we repeatedly preform a service if we felt we were hurting ourselves.
This all being said, use your own judgement, do your own research, and make your own decision.
If you have any hair questions you’d like answered in my next You Have Questions I Have Answers story, please email them to me here
Hi! Thanks for another great blog! I’m actually buying a new hair dryer soon (and a ‘boar’s head bristle round brush?!) but I was wondering if you could recommend a good one that is also affordable? Thx!!
Hi Becca thanks for reading! If you click on the purple wording that says- boar bristle round brush and blow dryer it will take you to another story I wrote recommending tools and where to purchase them. Check that out!