​As the lines between haircare and skincare become ever blended, we started to second-guess our routine. Should we be treating our hair, namely our scalp, more like an extension of our facial skin? To find out if we should be switching it up for more perfect locks, we consulted the pros—including a board certified dermatologist. Here’s the full story on whether your hair game could borrow from your skin game, and what that means for your morning regimen.

According to Dr. Nancy Samolitis, board certified dermatologist; co-founder and medical director of FACILE dermatology + boutique, yes, you should definitely be incorporating skincare products into your haircare routine. “This is a very important topic that is not commonly discussed,” she says. “Although there are many products available for the hair itself (cleansing, conditioning and styling), most of them are not designed to treat the scalp. This is where the hair is born and keeping this skin healthy will promote healthy hair growth from the start.”

The Skin Story
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This skin on your head (aka the scalp) has its own special set of needs that are often neglected. “The dermal layer in the scalp is very thick due to the density of hair follicles,” explains Dr. Samolitis. “These follicles are each associated with groups of oil glands, so some people may experience oily scalp even when they don’t have oily skin in other places.

“Think of the scalp as the bedrock for the follicles and consider the scalp the way you think of your face, after all, scalp is skin and an extension of our face,” explains Liz Phillips, a trichologist at the Philip Kingsley NY clinic. “Consider all the processes and nourishing ingredients applied to our face, why not our scalp?” she stresses. “Our scalp has a very important function, it is responsible for housing our hair follicles, and need I say more! The benefits of attending to scalp care are two-fold.” Your hair is influenced by many variables—and a big factor in this equation is the health of the scalp.

The scalp is also highly prone to skin conditions that result in itching, redness, and flaking such as seborrheic dermatitis and psoriasis. Not only that, but if you feel like you might be getting a pimple on your scalp, you aren’t imagining things. “The scalp is prone to a unique type of acne, known as folliculitis,” says Dr. Samolitis. There is also types of hair loss (or alopecia) that can affect not the scalp as well as eyelashes and eyebrows.” Ultimately, if you experience these symptoms, it’s best to pay a visit to a board-certified dermatologist who can diagnose and prescribe the proper skin care treatments for the scalp.

Skincare <3 Haircare

If you are experiencing a specific scalp condition, turn to anti-inflammatory shampoos, creams, and medicated products, which will reduce scalp flaking or stimulate hair growth, advises Dr. Samolitis. In general, she advocates for treating and protecting the scalp as we would the skin on our face. “I am a believer in using a combination of hydrating and anti-aging serums on the scalp daily, similar to how we treat the skin on our face. In someone with healthy hair, this daily skincare will prevent damage from the sun and environment, which can cause thinning, brittle, and graying hair.” And you don’t need to look any further than your skincare cabinet for the remedy. “There are several products designed for skincare that are safe and easy to use on the scalp,” she adds. “For my personal use, I blend a few drops of Facile Roots serum, Facile Easy C, and NIA24 treatment catalyst. This creates a cocktail of antioxidants, hair growth stimulators, and niacinamide oil, which is hydrating and reduces inflammation. It is not greasy and can be used on wet or dry hair.” Dr. Samolitis is also an advocate for supplements with anti-aging and anti-inflammatory properties, which can enhance topical products.

If you need to reach for one, cross-functional product, make it a serum. “A serum or light oil formulation is usually the most cosmetically elegant since it won’t affect the hair styling products,” explains Dr. Samolitis who recommends daily application. However, a treatment shampoo needed for itching/flaking scalp can be used 2-3 days a week; one of her personal faves is Sachajuan Scalp Shampoo: $28. She also recommends the Ouai prods for hair health maintenance.

An advanced skincare regime targeted for your scalp can provide much more than just shampoo. “Shampoo is washed away, so it doesn’t always have as much of a lasting effect as a topical skincare product that is left on,” she explains. This is also because sometimes you just can’t wash every day—and who doesn’t have an arsenal of dry shampoo, for the skip the wash, days.

Dr. Samolitis wants to remind you that even if you are experiencing any scalp issues, nothing is hopeless! “A board-certified dermatologist can do a thorough examination including history, medications, diet, blood tests, and maybe even a small biopsy to determine the cause of the problem and help to find a solution. There are even treatments that we can perform in the office such as PRP injections to stimulate hair growth,” she suggests. The more care you put into your scalp and hair, the better your outcome. “Using products that add moisture to the skin is a super effective way to ensure that the scalp environment stays healthy and hydrated,” adds Liz. It’s official—we will be migrating our skincare north for a more balanced scalp!

Want a healthier scalp?  Your how-to is HERE.

 
This article appeared on Mane Addicts

Chopping off all your hair is not the only solution to remedy hair breakage – trust us. Though we’re sure you’d rock that super short pixie, we’re sharing nine reasons hair is breaking that you might want to consider before taking that leap.

So, let’s end the split end cycle, shall we?

Disclosure: there are some products we feel so strongly about, that we can’t help but promote them with affiliate links. This blog post contains some of those fantastic products, and we may receive a small monetary compensation – at no extra cost to you – if you decide to check out these products we love.

Lack of Moisture
There is reason conditioner is a part of everyone’s hair routines, but it is extremely common to lack moisture in your strands, whether that be from excessive heat, treatments, or a number of other reasons. Using a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner is a great start, but spritzing a bit of leave-in moisturizer does wonders, too. We love It’s a Ten.

Too Much Heat
This one is obvious. If applying heat to your hair is part of your routine, don’t sweat it. But applying it too often is where you find trouble. Excessive heat from a blow dryer, flat iron, or curling iron will cause hair to weaken and split – especially on the ends and in the front where hair is often overworked. A good rule of thumb is to limit heat application to a few times a week (you can rock second-day hair or a pony on the other days) and be sure to use a heat protectant spray to prevent damage. Side note, stay under 400 degrees on your styling tools to be safe.

Not Getting a Trim
Who has avoided getting a haircut in hopes of growing a long, lustrous mane? Us, too! But the rumors are true – skipping your routine haircut will do more harm than good. The split ends and hair breakage isn’t worth it, so make sure to get a trim every four to six weeks.

Lack of Protein
If you are lacking protein in your diet, it will show in your hair. Since protein makes up your strands, it builds strong, healthy hair. When you do not have enough of it, your hair is likely to break. Improving your diet will surely help, but there are protein-rich products to supplement your what you are eating, like CHI Keratin Mist.

Color or Chemical Treatments
There is nothing healthy about treating your hair with dye or other chemical treatments like relaxing or perms. They take a toll on your hair, causing breakage and split ends and can have long-lasting negative effects when precautions are not taken.

If you think about it, going blonde literally strips the pigment from your hair, and chemically straightening your hair may give your strands the fried look. However, there are solutions out there to minimize the breakage. Our best suggestion when treating hair is to not do it often, invest in high-quality product, and schedule regular trims to keep ends from splitting.

Wearing Updos (All the Time)
Going for an updo may be convenient and cute, but styling your hair in a pony, braids, or a tight bun does more harm than good. Pulling the hair back weakens strands and causes breakage, especially near the hairline. If you are going to pull it back, it is best to let your hair down after a few hours.

Summer and Sun
Summertime is when stress melts away – except on your hair. From hours under the sun to soaking in the chlorine-rich pool, your hair becomes dry and weak, making it more likely to experience breakage. Using a leave-in treatment regularly in the summer and the colder the months to follow helps re-moisturize and strengthen dried-out strands.

Mishandling Wet Hair
Wet hair is more susceptible to breakage than dry hair, but it is often when it’s wet that it is yanked at, pulled at, and twisted the most. To avoid damaging hair when it is wet, only use a wide tooth comb, and do it gently. However, if you can wait until hair is mostly dry to run a brush or comb through it, that’s your best bet. Breakage also comes from throwing your hair up in a towel or wringing it out. It’s not as harmful to pat it dry.

Washing too Often
This is an ongoing battle for those of us with oily hair. It feels just wrong to go more than a day without shampooing, but it can actually cause breakage when you wash your hair too often, especially with the qualities of most shampoos. They tend to remove natural oils from your strands, which tells your scalp to produce more of those oils. You do not have worry about looking like a grease-ball in between washes, though. Try using a dry shampoo to soak up oils and volumize flat, oily hair. We swear by Batiste Strength and Shine.

By now, you’re probably convinced to chop off those split ends and get a trim.


This article first appeared on Hairstyle on Point

Whether their formulas have changed with the times or stayed delightfully the same, these 26 must-haves are the best beauty products and deserve a permanent place in your medicine cabinet.
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Behold the lotions, potions, and fragrances that, according to 300 experts, have claimed their spots as the best beauty products of all time for your skin, your hair, and everything other beauty concern.

Swimmers know just how quickly their hair can dry out after finishing practice – it can feel like it’s turning into pieces of straw. This dry, brittle hair stems from hours of chlorine exposure in the water. When the hair shafts absorb chlorine, the hair is stripped of its natural protective oil. Repeated exposure to chlorine in practice can cause your hair to crack and eventually split at the ends.

While chlorine is unavoidable as a swimmer, a few good options exist to preserve the health of your hair!

Hair Break-Down

Although your hair can begin to split, chlorine has not been found to cause hair loss among swimmers. Waiting too long to wash your hair, however, can result in hair discoloration – notably a silvery tint.

Discoloration stems from oxidized metal (mostly copper) finding its way into the cracks of the hair cuticles. Once the hair cuticles become severely damaged, more space is available for the metals to settle in your hair.

Because chlorine can damage your hair so quickly, it is necessary to wash out your hair soon after exiting the pool. It is essential to protect your hair after each practice and meet. Here are five shampoos that are perfect to use to avoid “swimmer’s hair.”

1. TRISWIM

TRISWIM is one of the top chlorine-defense shampoos on the market. Its formula includes ingredients such as Organic Aloe Vera, Vitamin A and E, and ProVitamin B5 to truly hydrate your hair. It removes chlorine, salt water, and any green tint your hair may be building up. Not only will it leave your hair clean, healthy and soft, but it will also leave your skin moisturized.

2. dpHUE

This clarifying shampoo works best for swimmers with color-treated hair. Some shampoos contain sulfate which can lead to premature fading, but dpHUEswaps sulfate for Vitamins A and E for optimal hair cleansing. It will leave your hair soft and won’t fade away your awesome color.

3. Ultra Swim

This shampoo uses the same classic hair cleansing ingredients to leave your hair more voluminous and shinier than before. It eliminates all chlorine, copper, and oxidized metal build up to leave your hair clean and damage-free. Another perk is that this can be used in any type of hair: colored, permed, chemically treated or relaxed.

4. Paul Mitchell Shampoo Three

This shampoo is the “stylist” option. It is very good smelling shampoo to leave your hair smelling fresh. To ensure that this product works best, it is recommended to leave the shampoo sitting in the hair for a couple minutes as it works its magic. This product is paraben free and vegan!

5. Solpri Swim and Sport

This shampoo has a main ingredient of Vitamin C, which does a good job at breaking down chlorine from the hair and skin. This bottle comes as a shampoo and body wash combination which makes it easier to carry around one bottle at all times. This product is safe for kids and sensitive skin!

Be a Healthy-Haired Swimmer

While you may love picking at your split ends, know that there is a better way to spend your down-time.

Make sure you take good care of your hair after each time you are in the water! Protecting your hair will keep it looking healthy and fresh throughout this summer season.

Commentary: All commentaries are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Swimming World Magazine nor its staff. 

This article was found on Swimming World

If you are an outdoorsy girl, you understand the struggle that is camping hair. I mean, it does not matter how much you love camping, no one likes waking up and sporting hair that looks like it hasn’t been washed or combed in a month. And unfortunately for me, I was not blessed with hair that looks good when it hasn’t been washed. My hair will take a sharp dive into rat’s nest after the first 20 hours of not having a shower, so camping is a challenge. However, I love camping more than most things in this life, so I have developed some of my own little tricks for taming the mane into looking photo ready. Here are 5 ways to deal with your hair when camping.

1. Braid it

I taught myself how to braid out of pure necessity. If you are on day three of camping, braid your hair; it looks cute and effortless while keeping your greasy locks cleverly hidden. However, if you have thin hair like me, and braids don’t look all that great, you should still pick up this skill. Braid your hair at night, so you wake up with some curls and body to work with instead of lifeless flat hair.

2. Water

Now, please don’t be stupid and wet your hair if you are in a cold region, but this tip has saved me many a time. If you have hair that dries decently well, consider damping it a little in the morning to give it a revitalization. No, I don’t think you should dunk your head in water, unless its 80 degrees, then go for it, but a little water can go a long way. I have scooped handfuls of water out of clear streams and even used extra heated water from coffee in the mornings to give my hair some love.

3. Hats

There is not much to say about this one. Find a hat that you love, that looks good on you, and bring it. Figure out several ways to wear your hair with the hat, so you can use it more than one day without getting bored of it.

4. Dry shampoo

Some people think dry shampoo on a camping trip is high maintenance, but honestly, those people can kiss it. I buy travel or sample size bottles of dry shampoo and pack them with me on every camping trip, even on my backpacking trips. To me, it’s one hundred percent worth the tiny amount of weight and space to have hair I can work with in the mornings. There are plenty of easy ways to deal with your hair when camping.

5. Wear it up

This is very different from the braids and here’s why… I want you to wear your hair up the first day, and every night. The less your hair is down, the less grease and grime it collects, and when you wear it up in a twisted bun at night, you are more likely to wake up with better-looking hair. This is also a way of telling you to not wear a hat too soon. Unless you have crazy good hair, there is no coming back from hat head, so delay putting a hat on as long as possible.
 This article first appeared on Society19