De-Stressing Your Way to Healthy Hair, Skin, And Nails

With the stress of finding a way to pay all the bills, costs associated with sending your kids back to school, and allergy season wearing your body down, it’s no wonder why your hair, skin, and nails are the least of your concern. But did you know that stress can be very damaging to your hair, skin, and nail health?

Stress and the Skin
When a person becomes stressed, the level of the body’s stress hormone (cortisol) rises. This in turn causes an increase in oil production, which can lead to oily skin, acne and other related skin problems. Even if you do not typically get acne, you can develop temporary stress-related acne due to increased oil production. While dermatologists are still debating whether stress actually causes skin disorders, they seem to agree that stress triggers or aggravates skin conditions such as acne, hives, eczema, psoriasis, rosacea, warts, cold sores and blisters. So to keep your skin healthy, it is important to control your stress level. It can make a difference between having smooth clear skin and having a skin condition that may need medical attention.

Stressed-Out Hair
There are many reasons why men and women lose their hair, but stress may be the primary reason for unexplained hair loss. When someone is under stress, hair can go into the telogen (fall-out) phase. Telogen effluvium is a very common hair loss problem that can occur up to three months after a stressful event. After the initial hair loss, hair usually grows back in six to nine months. But if it does not, consult a dermatologist as the hair loss may be due to a medical condition.

Effects of Stress on Nails
Some people develop the nervous habit of biting their nails or picking at them when they feel stressed. Another stress-related nail habit is rubbing the fingers over the thumb nail, which can create a ridge across the nail. This rubbing causes a distortion of the nail plate, and when the nail grows, a raised ridge forms in the middle of the nail. Additionally, physical or emotional stress can cause white horizontal lines to appear across the nails. Brittle, peeling nails also are a common side effect of stress. To control the effect stress has on your nails, it is important to control your physical reaction to stress. So avoid biting, sucking, or rubbing your nails.

How to Reduce Stress
The easiest way to reduce stress is to change the way you react to a situation. But we all know that is easier said than done. Some other ways to reduce the effect stress has on your body include, adequate rest, exercise, proper nutrition, and relaxation. An adequate amount of sleep can help recharge and rejuvenate the body, making it more resilient. Exercise helps release hormones (endorphins) in the body that can reduce stress. Proper nutrition provides vitamins and nutrients to promote hair growth, nail strength, and skin health. And relaxation calms the body, soothes the mind, and may even give you the boost you need to face those stressful events head on. So when the stress becomes overwhelming, take a moment to take a break. Walk in the park, go to the spa, or simply have a good laugh with friends and family. Something as simple as a change in perspective can make a difference. So tonight, pour a glass of wine (or non-alcoholic beverage of your choice) and toast to looking at the glass half full.

By Emily James (Avenue L Salon And Spa)

TOP 7 TIPS FOR EATING HEALTHY ON A BUDGET

A healthy diet can help you to keep your medical costs down, but how do you justify the added expense of healthy foods? Try these simple tips and you won't have to:

1. Buy Reduced Produce

It's no secret that fruits and vegetables are good for you, but the price of fresh produce isn't nearly as good for your budget. To stretch your shopping dollars, look for a reduced rack at the grocery store. You can often pick up super ripe produce for a fraction of the regular price.

2. Go frozen

Frozen vegetables are usually fresher and cheaper than anything that can be found in the produce and canned sections of the store. Cruise down the frozen food aisles, and you'll find big bags of veggies at bargain prices – sometimes as little as $1 a bag.

3. Shop locally

Your local produce stand or farmer's market can be a great source for healthy bargains. For the best deals, shop often and look for reduced produce or end-of-the-day specials.

4. Grow Your Own

Slash your produce prices even further by growing your own healthy eats. Start a plot in your backyard or a container garden on your patio, and enjoy homegrown fruits and vegetables all season long. Like fresh herbs? Grow your favorites in small pots by the kitchen window, and take a snip whenever you need it.

5. Substitute Oil

Slash the fat grams in your cakes, muffins and other baked items by replacing the oil in recipes with an equal amount of no-sugar-added apple sauce. It won't change the taste of your recipe, but it will change the healthfulness of it.

6. Substitute Eggs

Reduce your cholesterol consumption by substituting the eggs in baked goods with a tablespoon of soy flour. You can pick up a bag for as little as $2-3, and it will last you for quite a long time.

7. Skip the Salt

Sodium lurks in lots of foods, and it's just not something that your body needs a lot of. Limit your consumption by purchasing no-salt-added or low-sodium versions of canned foods. This switch won't cost you a dime, so it's probably the simplest switch of all.

PREPARING HAIR FOR SPRING

Ladies Spring is around the corner and a lot of you are ready to free yourself from the winter braids and weaves, ready to get the new cropped do, add some color and put a bounce in your step. The key to this is healthy hair and you should educate yourself about whichever process you are going to do.

HAIR TIPS

·         After removing braids or weave you should wait at least 24hrs before getting your hair chemically processed.

·         The night before getting hair processed do not wear a scarf and try to refrain from itching as this can irritate the scalp.

·          You should definitely have a consultation with your stylist so you can decide on the best process/choice for your hair.

If you are thinking of doing a color talk it over with your stylist because she would best know the condition of your hair and which method of color is best for you.

Temporary Rinse

The rinse is applied to the shaft to enhance your natural color.

Pros: A temporary rinse is gentle enough to apply on relaxed hair without damage. You can also use it at home.

Con: It only lasts from shampoo to shampoo

Semi permanent

A color formula, created without peroxide or ammonia, coats the hair shaft.

Pros: A semi permanent formula enriches your natural shade, covers gray and causes no damage.

Cons:  It lasts only four to eight shampoos and since the color doesn’t penetrate the hair shaft, it cannot lighten but only darken hair.

Demipermanent

A formula consisting of pigment mixed with low-grade peroxide (5 to 10%) deposits color onto the hair shaft.

Pros: It uses no ammonia, which can cause hair to dry out. It deepens and intensifies your               existing color.

Con: You might need to wait at least two weeks after a relaxer to apply, depending on the condition of your hair.

Permanent

Color is mixed with peroxide and ammonia to penetrate the hair shaft, which changes the hairs natural shade.

Pro:  Permanent formulas can create a completely different color that cannot be rinsed away.

Cons: This type penetrates the hair shaft making it more porous and prone to extreme dryness. New growth starts to show within a few weeks.

THE SMOKEY EYE

Smokey eye confuses a lot of people even though it is an easy look to do. People always think of dark,dramatic colors when they hear smokey. Although the look can definitely be dramatic,it is not necessarily dark. Smokey eye is actually about how you place he eye colors, not the colors to choose.


You will need three eye colors: a highlight, mid-tone and a contour. The highlight color is a light fleshy color, usually a shimmer. Your mid-tone is almost always a matte and should be a shade or two darker then your natural skin tone. The contour color can be matte or shimmer. I prefer a matte for the Smokey eye look. Most often the color will be a dark brown or grey but a pretty green or purple can look awesome.

So how do you achieve a Smokey eye? Three simple steps.


Apply the highlight shadow to the brow bone and to the duct of the eye.

1. Next apply a mid-tone from lash line to crease, blend where it meets the highlight.
2. Then apply the contour color starting at the lash line and blend it up towards the crease so it blends with the mid-tone. It should look like it softly fades from light to dark. Smudge the contour color along the bottom lash line as well.

Finish the look by applying eyeliner to the top and bottom lash line. Add your favorite mascara and you are set!

HEALTHY SKIN AT EVERY AGE

       Today our skin has to work hard to stay healthy. Pollution, toxins, UV rays, cigarette smoke, stress – these are some of the culprits that irritate our skin and cause fibrous tissue-elastin and collagen, which give the skin its structure to break down. Premature aging is the result. Technology is on our side, however. Today we have unlimited skin-care options. Here’s the tried and true information to keep your skin healthy and clear 

*Come Clean: it’s important to cleanse your face twice daily, morning and before bedtime. Cleansers containing 1 or 2 % salicylic or up to 10 % glycolic acid works wonders on ace prone skin. If dryness is a problem, look for ingredients like lactic acid, glycerin or hyaluronic acid. Sensitive skin types benefit from products that are soap and fragrance free.

*Exfoliate: cleansing, toning and moisturizing your skin is not enough, you have to go deeper, especially if you have oily skin. Sometimes the old dry and dull skin hangs on, dulling your complexion and clogging pores. Oily skin is a magnet for dead skin.

*Tone Up: you can use an astringent or other toner or freshener after washing your face to remove any trace of make up or pollution. Toners and fresheners recommended for dry to normal skin are usually mild and contain no alcohol. Astringents best for oily skin normally contain alcohol. This is more drying to the skin. Both can work to restore the skins ph balance.

*Moisturize: All skin types need regular moisturizing with humectants, ingredients that attract water from the atmosphere to the skin. Generally creams contain the highest percentage of humectants followed by lotions, then balms and gels. Choose based on your skins needs for moisture.

*Protect: Sunscreen is very important whether in your lotion, moisturizer or makeup. We need to keep our skin protected. It is very crucial against the sun’s ultraviolet rays.

LOVING YOUR HAIR........

     Our hair in all its diverse textures- from kinky to curly to wavy to straight - is truly one of the marvels of our ethnicity. Whether we celebrate the rhythm of our natural coils or opt for straighter styles, our options are greater than ever. Know your hair, the TLC your mane needs to stay healthy and luscious, and you can make everyday a good hair day.
      To keep hair healthy and looking great, you have to know its strengths and weaknesses, what stresses it, and what it can and cannot do. Knowledge is power-and the more you know about the true nature and structure of your hair, the healthier it will become and the better you will look and feel.



BASIC HAIR CARE TIPS TO KNOW:

* Increase your use of moisturizing shampoos and conditioners to counteract the dehydration that is caused by the elements.
*Whenever possible apply leave in conditioner especially on the ends, to keep frizzies and split ends in check
*Let go of the old time saying about squeaky clean hair. The truth is that squeaky hair means you have stripped the hair of its natural oils.
*With relaxed or color-treated hair frequent deep oil and moisture conditioning is vital to maintain its health.
*Cover your hair with a silk scarf before bedtime to help your hair stay put and protect it from friction and breakage that can result from sleeping on cotton pillowcases
*Feed your hair from the inside. Include these essential nutrients to your diet:
   - Omega 3 fatty acids (found in an abundance of salmon and flaxseed oil).
   - Protein (found in soy and tofu, meat, poultry and dairy products).
   - Vitamins and Minerals (found in fresh fruit and vegetables).