Styling Options For Your Hair Type | Every Shine And Hold Option
by Antonio Centeno

I often wonder, what is the purpose of hair?  
Yes, apart from the evolutionary reasons…

What else does hair do outside of adding aesthetic value to a man’s appearance?
To complicate things – without any outside help – hair would suffer a limp and dreary existence.

That’s why a huge hair-care market exists, to spice things up by creating art through defined styles. But how are we expected to choose from the myriad options of hair styling products?

Pomades, waxes, gels, clays, fibers, creams…. it’s enough to make us want to adopt a monkish attitude and shave it all off.

To make it easier for you – I’m going to break down the ABC’s of hair products for you.

There are two common terms you need to understand about hair products.

• Any product labeled shine will reflect light and make your head look glossy. Anything labeled matte will make your hair absorb light and therefore – not shine.
• Pay attention to the holding power of the products because that’s the main distinction between hair products. They are categorized as low, medium, or maximum-hold.
  

Want a full guide to Men’s hair? 

Read More >>>

Bangs are a great way to change up your hairstyle. If you have bangs, you should learn how to properly blow dry them. The secret to avoiding the dreaded "bubble bangs" is to not use a round brush on them (or use it but don't wind the bangs around them) and instead brush hair back and forth across your forehead as you direct the air on them from your dryer.

So many women do not know how to handle their bangs. They use a big, round brush to dry them, and end up with very round, big bangs. Sometimes called "mall bangs" or "bubble bangs," the look is very dated and unflattering. Bangs look best when they are flatter at the base and blown straight.

Put Down That Round Brush

Instead, you want to dry your bangs with a flat or paddle brush. The modern way to wear bangs is two-fold:

1. Dry bangs with a flat brush or a paddle brush. Use your round brush on the rest of your hair if you're dying to create body, but use a flat or paddle brush to create the straight, smooth look that's so popular today.
2. Ensure your blunt or side-swept bangs are not cut too short. Blunt bangs and side-swept bangs should sweep the top of your eyebrows. Anything shorter will date you, unless you can pull off a pixie. The sides of blunt bangs should be slightly longer than the middle. They take a lot of maintenance, but blunt bangs can modernize your whole look.

How to Properly Blow Dry Your Bangs

When your hair is wet, dry your bangs first, then work on the rest of your hair. Always hold the blow dryer nozzle above the hair, blasting the air downward. If you use product like a volumizing spray or styling spray, don't use too much. It will weigh hair down. Spray on hair first, then comb through.

Use a paddle brush or flat brush, ideally one with boar bristles to smooth the hair.

With air blowing on your bangs, sweep them with the brush over to one side first then over the other. Keep doing this until bangs are dried. This keeps them straight and works on both blunt and side-swept bangs.

If You Only Own a Round Brush

If you only have a round brush, that's fine.  Simply use the round brush on your bangs as one would a flat brush and do not wrap the bangs around the barrel.

Hairstylist Nick Arroyo explains in his book “Great Hair: Secrets to Looking Fabulous and Feeling Beautiful Every Day” how to properly use a round brush to dry bangs:

"Instead of wrapping the hair around the brush, place the brush in at the roots and brush from underneath up, from roots to ends, with the heat of the dryer following the same path," he writes.

This will give your bangs volume, while keeping them straight.

Help! I Have Wavy Bangs!

You can have bangs even if you have curly or wavy hair, but your bangs are going to be high-maintenance if you hope to wear them straight.

If you do want straight bangs, blow-dry as mentioned above, but follow-up with a small flat-iron run through your bangs. Pull the iron downward from roots to your nose.

How to Keep Bangs From Getting Gross & Oily

If you have an oily scalp, your bangs can look slicked and sticky within minutes. To prevent this, after drying, apply dry shampoo at the base.

The best remedy for Oily Bangs Syndrome is to apply dry shampoo on your bangs after you dry them,

You can also wash just your bangs and dry them if you want to go a day or 2 between washings. Separate your bangs from the rest of your hair by pulling all hair but the bangs in a ponytail. Wet your bangs and massage in a small amount of shampoo. Rinse very, very well. Blow dry using my rules above.
 
You can train erratic growth patterns and cowlicks in the fringe area with a simple wrap drying technique using the fine teeth of a comb and your blow dryer.


How To Blow Dry Bangs When You Have a Cowlick

There’s help for those who are experiencing hair loss. … You no doubt have heard of the two FDA-approved medications — Propecia and Rogaine — that are designed to help combat hereditary hair loss, but you don’t know which one is the most effective or best suited for you.

Propeciavs. Rogaine: Which Works Better?

Minoxidil is a medication that's commonly marketed under the name Rogaine, and finasteride is marketed under the label Propecia. You might use either Rogaine or Propecia to help treat hair loss. Talk with your physician before you use these medications for hair loss, because they both pose certain health risks, drug interactions and side effects.

Function
Rogaine and Propecia both inhibit hair loss while promoting hair growth, explains the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Rogaine is an over-the-counter treatment used primarily for treating androgenetic alopecia, also called male- and female-pattern baldness, and alopecia areata, an autoimmune disease. Rogaine appears to make hair shafts thicker and increase the number of hair follicles, notes the University of Michigan Health System.

Propecia requires a prescription. It is used to treat androgenetic alopecia specifically in men. It affects male hormones that cause hair loss by blocking testosterone's conversion into dihydrotestosterone, or DHT.

Applications
Rogaine is a topical treatment that comes in the form of a foam, lotion or liquid spray. It is available in a 2 or 5 percent concentration solution that you apply to your scalp twice each day.

Propecia is a pill taken by mouth once daily or as directed by your doctor.

Timeframe
Rogaine topical solutions can take up to four months of daily use to show maximum effect, notes the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. If you don't see a significant change in hair loss or growth after six months of use, you might want to try a different remedy. Unlike Propecia, Rogaine might generate new hair growth that's much thinner and shorter than your regular hair.

Noticeable results from taking Propecia can occur in as little as three months or up to one year. If you stop using Rogaine or taking Propecia, your hair loss will likely resume, and new hair growth will stop, because these treatments don't usually have any effects beyond active use, the Mayo Clinic points out.
 
Side Effects
Both Propecia and Rogaine can cause some side effects. Rogaine can cause itching, dandruff and skin irritation, cautions the University of Michigan Health System. Also, women who use Rogaine could grow unwanted facial hair. Propecia can cause erectile dysfunction, low sex drive and other sexual-function problems in men. Propecia might also cause drug interactions, so talk with your doctor about any other medications that you're taking.

Warnings
Propecia poses serious health risks to women and children. Pregnant or breastfeeding women shouldn't take or even handle Propecia pills, and men taking Propecia should use birth control with their partners to prevent pregnancy while on the medication, warns the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Propecia could cause serious birth defects. Women using Rogaine who also take estrogen-containing medications like oral contraceptives or hormone replacement therapy could experience enhanced hair growth, notes the University of Michigan Health System. If you're pregnant or breastfeeding, you should ask your doctor before using Rogaine.

(source)


Here are some other links I found very informative.

Propecia vs. Rogaine: Which Works Better?

Male Pattern Baldness Treatments

Propecia Side Effects

Pure Brazilian is the best professional smoothing system on the market and here’s why:

• It washes out the same day in the salon, with no down time.
• It gives radiant shine.
• Strengthens the cuticle.   
• Eliminates Frizz
• Improves the health by protecting the cuticle.
• Reduces blow-dry and styling time.   
• Protects against heat damage from styling.
• Prevents split ends and breakage; therefore, promoting growth.   
• Multiple bottle sizes available for purchase.
• Beautiful home care line in both full and travel size   
• Special formulation of minimal chemicals to give maximum results.
• Your color pops, as cuticles are sealed with moisture.
  

Schedule your appointment now for Sleek, Smooth, and Healthy Hair!