You may already know that the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) goes into effect on January 1, 2020. This law gives California residents certain rights regarding their personal information and how it’s collected and used. Most of you receiving this newsletter are California residents, so I want to make sure you’re informed.

The CCPA is a welcome change and it upholds Hair by Brian’s core values. I’ve been committed to an ad-free business model that keeps your privacy as my highest priority and to never monetize your data.

I’ve published a privacy policy for California residents on my website to show how I’m meeting the new responsibilities under the CCPA.  This policy describes the kinds of data collected, how it’s collected and that data is used, your rights regarding your data, and how to contact me  with questions or requests.

I encourage you to read through my CCPA privacy policy. 

If you have any questions, I’d love to hear from you at brian@hairbybrian.us

Best wishes,
Hair by Brian

Widely renowned as one of the greatest jazz vocalists of all time, Billie Holiday had a stunning voice, whose smoky tones and raw emotion still cause a pricking at the back of the eyes and a lump in your throat nearly seventy years on.

Holiday complemented her showstopping stage performances with a standout trademark beauty look - white gardenias pinned in her hair. What a sight she must have been, standing in the spotlight with a spray of white blooms tucked behind her ear, glowing brightly against her gleaming black hair.

Despite lacking formal training and never learning how to read music, her undeniable musical talent means she is still held as a singing gold standard, and her beauty signature still provides inspiration for countless would-be icons.
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Flashback
While her on-stage look of hair garlanded with gardenias became her trademark, it came about by accident. Rumour has it that Holiday burned her hair with curling tongs one evening, just before she was due to take the stage. One of her fellow performers remembered that a neighbouring venue sold flowers at the cloakroom, so she nipped off and came back brandishing a bunch of the white blooms, which Holiday then pinned in her hair. Holiday liked her emergency hair cover-up so much that from then on, she would be rarely seen on-stage sans gardenia.

Hair. How difficult can it really be? Quite, it turns out. From using the wrong products to using too much of the right product to using product to create a style you shouldn’t be caught dead with, there’s plenty of scope for getting it wrong.

To help bring an end to these follicular #fails, we asked some of the UK’s top hair experts to scratch their heads and dish the dirt on their most-loathed hair mistakes, and how you can avoid them.

1) Using A 2-in-1 Shampoo & Conditioner

To understand why this particular mistake is a serious barnet blunder requires some science. Each strand of hair on your head is covered in ‘scales’ called cuticles, and in order to properly clean your locks, these cuticles need to be ‘opened up’ using shampoo to release any clingy pollution or product build-up. A conditioner’s job, on the other hand, is to moisturise and then ‘close’ hair cuticles.

“For that reason, 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner products simply do not work,” says Daniel Davies, manager at Pall Mall Barbers. “A single product cannot open and close the cuticle at the same time. This results in hair that’s squeaky clean but cuticles that aren’t closed, meaning the hair will pick up pollutants and get dirtier quicker.”

The Fix

To give your pompadour the best chance of standing tall, Davies suggests washing your hair with dedicated shampoo at the beginning of your shower. After rinsing thoroughly, apply a conditioner based on your hair type and leave it to soak in for the remainder of your shower before rinsing out at the end.

“This system deeply cleanses both the hair and scalp and allows time for a conditioner to penetrate the hair, leaving it healthy and moisturised.”

2) Skimping On Scalp Care

Washing your hair is all well and good, but it’ll all be for naught if you don’t take proper care of your scalp. “It’s paramount that the scalp is also looked after to ensure the optimum health of the hair,” says Aveda Master Barber Stelios Nicolaou.

For anyone who slathers on heavy styling aids like wax or gel, this step is even more important as failing to get rid of the daily gunk can result in dry hair, irritation and even dandruff.

The Fix

“When it comes to your scalp, you need a product that will wash away styling product build-up, excess sebum and other impurities,” says Nicolaou.

Bag yourself a product that does this with gentle abrasion, such as something containing jojoba beads to softly scrub away any dross that’s accumulated in your hair. Or, for a really deep and thorough cleanse, consider a more involved treatment such as a scalp mask, which allows active ingredients to absorb fully.

3) Choosing A Hairstyle That Doesn’t Suit You

You might’ve spied that comb-over fade on an A-lister’s Instagram, but that doesn’t mean it’ll get as many likes on you.

“Unfortunately, we’re not all blessed with the same medium-thick, wavy hair that models and superstars are,” says Ruffians creative director Denis Robinson. “For that reason, we really need to be honest with ourselves when choosing our haircuts.”

The Fix

Rather than plonking yourself down in the chair and pointing to a picture on your phone, Robinson suggests a spot of talking therapy before your barber gets to work. “Have a proper chat with the person holding the scissors; if they’re worth their salt they’ll help you figure out the best look for you, taking into account your face shape, hair type, overall style, lifestyle and personality.”

Don’t be afraid to open up the conversation by talking about what your hair does naturally, any kinks or growth patterns that you do, or don’t, like. And you can even extend this to areas such as your beard and eyebrows to find a natural-looking style that works for you that you can then keep up at home.

4) Using Too Much Product

As deliciously coconutty as that cream pomade might smell, there is such a thing as too much hair product.

“Having too much in your hair is never a good look and a dead giveaway that you don’t know what you’re doing,” says Robinson. “It’s like wearing too much cologne – are you covering up something bad?”

The Fix

While a ‘more is more’ approach might be tempting, it’s in your best interest to steer conservative. “Always start with a small amount of product, adding more as needed,” says Jacqui Weaver, creative director at London’s Fish Salon. “After all, you can always add more but you can’t take any away.”

Rubbing product through your hands helps to warm its molecules and make it easier to distribute evenly throughout your hair. Also vital is targeting the roots of your hair by applying product (especially dryer, matte products) to the base of your hair first. Follow these steps and you’ll avoid clumped hair ends and visible residue.

5) DIY Hair-Dying

Tired of grey hair’s ageing effect? Or maybe you just fancy a change? Whatever your reason for dyeing your hair, there’s a correct way to do it. And that’s not at home, in the dark, alone, having built up the courage by sinking a beer or five.

“Colouring is something that’s hard to achieve yourself,” says Sassoon men’s grooming expert Joshua Gibson. “Classic mistakes are canary yellow bleaches, hair dyed too dark or flat for any skin tone, or warm colour tones that pick up on grey and make it look luminescent.

The Fix

As a general rule of thumb, cooler hair colour tones and understated placement tend to suit men better than warmer colours, which is basically code for step away from the damn applicator.

“You should always seek expert advice before colouring your hair for the first time or changing your hair colour,” says Gibson. “And always have an allergy test, too.”

6) Shaving Your Head Instead Of Your Sideburns

There isn’t a barber in the game who hasn’t witnessed first-hand the aftermath of men taking their razor as high as their temples. “This is a classic mistake of starting your face shave too high in your hairline,” says Gibson.

The problem with taking the blades too high up your bonce is that it’s very difficult to rectify the result without taking your whole haircut shorter. Or reluctantly wearing a hat for the next six weeks.

The Fix

Avoiding the need for an enforced buzz cut is a simple case of showing some restraint with the razor.

“Make a point of starting no higher than the top of the cheekbones, around your eye line. This is especially important for longer face shapes, as long sideburns will broaden the shape of the face.”

7) Holding On To What You Don’t Have

Like death and taxes, receding hairlines are an unfortunate fact of life. More unfortunate though, is failing to deal with one correctly. “Many men grow the hair at the front of their head to hide their baldness, but this actually has the opposite effect, making any bald patches even more obvious,” says celebrity hairstylist Jamie Stevens.

The Fix

Embrace the next stage of your life, and the hairstyle to go with it. “Try taking the top shorter at the front, and ask your barber or stylist for their opinion on a way you could change your look to minimise the appearance of your baldness,” says Stevens.

Or cheat by using products that can be used to fill in gaps, helping make your hair appear that bit thicker and fuller.

A Healthy and Clean Scalp is the key to thick, shiny, gorgeous hair.

If your scalp is unhealthy, inflamed and full of toxins, imagine what quality of hair will it grow. Dull, thin, weak that falls out easily.

Like the delicate rose plant which requires the right moisture, soil pH, and nutrients to grow and flourish, our hair too is very demanding.

It needs the right conditions to grow, especially the hair on the scalp. It’s a real tough cookie to crack.

Sadly in the quest to make our hair look beautiful, we are exposing it to an onslaught of chemicals. Everyday use of hair dyes, mousse, sprays, shampoos and conditioners only makes the matter worse.

And it’s not your fault. The flashy advertisement and glossy models lure you in the promise of thicker, fuller and shinier hair. And most of us switch from one product to another only to be left in more hair misery.

Even if you opt for natural hair care, the pollution and water quality is another factor you can’t do much about. Unless we all live in the forest and use pure spring/river water, which would be so lovely.

But if you are a city inhabitant, you can give yourself a scalp detox every so often.

A scalp detox is like doing a deep cleanse. It helps to remove toxins and gunk from the scalp, unclogs the hair follicles, and balances our natural oils and scalp pH.

Detoxing your scalp will rejuvenate and renew the hair follicles and create a perfect environment for hair growth.

Why detox your Scalp and Hair?

• Gets rid of toxin build-up to promote healthy new growth
• Improves scalp circulation, bringing nutrients and oxygen to roots of hair
• Helps regenerate hair cells
• Unclogs hair follicles so hair can grow without any hindrance
• Gets rid of dryness, flakiness and scalp irritation
• Helps with scalp acne
• Most importantly improves the health of your scalp which is the bedrock of your hair follicles.

7 Ways to Detox Your Scalp and Hair
Scalp Detox does sound fancy, but you don’t need to go to the spa to get this done. You can give yourself a scalp detox right at your home, with simplest possible ingredients. Choose from following options:
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1. Scalp Massage: useful for everyone, removes toxins and helps stimulate growth
2. Lime juice clarifying Rinse: beneficial for oily hair or if you live in hard water area
3. Honey and Cinnamon Scalp tonic: if your hair growth is deadly slow or you have bald patches, use this
4. Sea Salt Scalp Scrub: removes dead skin cells and product buildup
5. Cucumber and Lime Scalp Detox: helps with itchy, flaky scalp
6. Baking Soda Cleansing Mask: naturally exfoliates scalp and helps with dandruff
7. Clay Scalp Detox: pulls out scalp toxins; also works as a natural shampoo for greasy hair

I’m sure you’ve done a fair share of internet searches on what type of hair you have and what types of products you should use, based on your hair type—but did anyone ever tell you what products or ingredients to stay away from? I know it can be annoying to have to read through the ingredients list plastered on the back of the bottle in such teeny tiny print, but if you can just scan for these ingredients, you will save time and your hair will thank you.

Curly Hair:
Alcohol + Mineral oil/ Petroleum 
What differentiates your hair from being naturally curly or straight is the shape of your hair follicle. Typically, a curved follicle is what creates curly hair as opposed to round follicles, which are found in people who have straight hair. Curly hair types are prone to being very dry because it’s harder for natural oils to travel down the hair for hydration. So when looking for products for your curly hair, stay away from alcohol which will strip your hair from that extra moisture you need. Another sneaky ingredient to stay away from is mineral oil or petroleum. These two can be deceiving because you think this will seal your hair with moisture, but it is quite the opposite. Mineral oil and petroleum will actually block any moisture from being absorbed into your hair. So don’t be fooled!

Fine hair:
Oil + Sulfates
People who have fine hair have lower hair density which means they have a lower count of hairs on their head per square inch, compared to people with normal or thick hair. The average amount of hairs on a human head is 2,220 hairs per square inch and anyone with more than that is considered to have thicker hair. For fine haired people, this means that you hair is more susceptible to getting oily faster because your scalp naturally produces oils to keep your skin and hair moisturized and since there are less hairs on your head, there is more oil that is being distributed to each strand on your head.

So, with all this talk of oil, the main ingredient you want to avoid is, of course, oil. Applying products to your hair with lots of oil will only seal in the oils that are being produced on your head which will weigh down your hair and make it appear flat and just plain greasy. One more ingredient fine haired people should avoid are sulfates. Sulfates help get your hair clean, but it mostly strips your hair of strengthening proteins and can slow down and even stop the growth of your hair. With already less hair on your head, the last thing you’d want is your hair to stop growing! 

Chemically treated hair:
Diethanolamine (DEA) + sodium chloride 
If your hair is chemically treated, there is already a lot more damage that is done to your hair as well as your scalp. Your hair is basically stripped of all of its nutrients and proteins which means you need to be more conscious of what ingredients are in your products because as you know, there are lots of ingredients out there that help “get the job done,” but can cause more damage to your hair and scalp with prolonged use.

Diethanolamine (DEA) and sodium chloride are two of the main ingredients you should avoid. The ingredient DEA is used mostly in shampoos to create the foaming suds when you lather your hair in the shower. It is also found in brake fluid and antifreeze—yikes! If you have sensitive skin, DEA can also cause scalp irritation. The other ingredient to stay away from is sodium chloride; better known as salt. It strips away moisture that your hair desperately needs each time you go to the salon for a color touch up. Sodium chloride can leave your scalp feeling itchy and dry which can lead to irritation, flakiness and also promote hair loss. Your hair is already put through so much when you decide to treat it chemically, so it’s important to pay close attention to your aftercare! 

This article is from Mane Addicts