Raise your hand if you agree that a scalp massage is one of the best things about getting your hair done at the salon. All of our worries seem to fade away once our stylist or their assistant rubs our scalp with their fingertips in gentle, circular motions. In fact, we get so comfortable that there have been multiple times when we fell asleep at the shampoo bowl only to be awoken by loud hair dryers.

It’s pretty obvious that scalp massages help to instantly alleviate stress. Yet, we’ve heard many times that this simple technique is also great for the overall health of our scalp and hair. We’d believe just about anything after a five-minute massage. So we asked Anabel Kingsley, a trichologist at Philip Kingsley, and Triana Francois, a hairstylist at Haven Spa in New York City, to explain the health and beauty benefits of a scalp massage.

Scalp massages can decrease stress and boost your mood.
Stress prevents the body from functioning properly, according to Francois. “Scalp massages increase the production of serotonin, a chemical in your body that increases your mood,” she says.

Scalp massages help to create a good environment for hair growth.
The treatment promotes circulation to the hair follicles. Francois explains, “Blood flow to the hair cells means healthier hair growing out of your scalp.”

Scalp massages stimulate blood flow to and from the skin.
As Kingsley notes, this increases oxygen supply, aids in lymphatic drainage and improves the suppleness of the skin. Be sure to look for active ingredients like menthol and peppermint in scalp masks, drops and toners to deeply penetrate into the skin.

Two basic types of scalp massages are effleurage and petrissage.
Effleurage involves circular, stroking movements and petrissage is gentle kneading and lifting of the scalp. These two are the most common types, according to Kingsley. “Scalp massage should start at the front of the scalp and work towards the back. It should be done gently yet firmly with consistent pressure,” she says.

Scalp massages should be a regular part of your hair regimen.
While there is not set amount of scalp massage you must give yourself, Kinglsey advises doing the treatment once to twice a week for 5 to 10 minutes.

“It should be stressed that where hair loss and/or hair thinning is an issue, diet, lifestyle and metabolic functions must be looked into,” says Kingsley. “Scalp massages using the appropriate products will help encourage and support new growth, but alone it will not be enough to get sufficient results.”

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There's a huge trend in beauty journalism right now to stay away from wording like, "anti-aging" and "10 years younger." We want to empower women of all ages to feel great about themselves, we want to stop feeding into (media-created) insecurities that only youth equals beauty and we really, really want to stop the negativity that the word "aging" implies.

And here I've gone and titled this thing, "Hairstyles That Make You Look 10 Years Younger."

Many popular hairstyles, from beach waves to the top knot, rely on hair that isn’t freshly washed. Dirty, grungy, gritty texture is cool, so why would you want to use clarifying shampoo? A little grit can add texture and bounce to your mane, but too much and you’ll end up with greasy roots, limp strands, and no volume. If you like to go a few days in between washings you need to make your shampoos count. Even if you wash your hair every day or two you should do an occasional deep cleanse to remove product buildup, mineral deposits, and other deep level dirt. Learn more about clarifying your strands in the notes. ––  Laura Martin

Step: Select a clarifying shampoo that’s designed to address your specific needs. Some deep cleansers are designed for product buildup and dirt, others are designed to remove environmental pollutants and mineral deposits.

Step: Normally, when shampooing, you focus application at roots, but clarifying shampoos need to be distributed along the entire length of the strand. Work into scalp first, then massage down hair, all the way to tips, rubbing strands gently between strands to break up deposits.

Step: Rinse thoroughly, for at least two full minutes, and condition. A clarifying shampoo will strip away some of your natural hair oils, so follow a rich treatment conditioner like this hair repair masque.

Special thanks to Laura Martin for this post. Laura is a professional hair stylist, former senior educator at ARROJO cosmetology school, and a creative non-fiction MFA student at Georgia College, Milledgeville, GA. Follow her inspirations on twitter @LarMarStyle

by Kendra Alvey

Something great has happened in my life recently and I want to shout it from a mountaintop. I want to tweet it, Instagram it, make it my Facebook status and make a Vine about it. No, I didn’t get pregnant or land my dream job. I didn’t join a cult. I accepted my curls. I decided that curls rock. Curls are cool! Curls are like if pizza had a baby with a tiny polar bear who wears leather jackets just ‘cause he feels like it. Curls are better than ice cream with gummy bears on top. (OK, maybe I went too far with that last one.)

This level of curl-acceptance is a recent development. I wasn’t always like this. I’ve spent hundreds of dollars on Japanese straightening treatments and Brazilian blowouts. I’ve burned my neck with straightening irons and paid six times what my friends did at the dry bar. I’ve put 75 different products in my hair and let it dry in a braid expecting shiny, soft waves and then crying when the result was a crispy but still somehow frizzy rope. Then there was the time I asked my friend Matt to iron my hair — with a real iron — so that my crush (a boy with dreadlocks) wouldn’t see my unsightly curls. Oh, the drama.

Those days are now behind me. From now on, I’m embracing my hair. And you, my curly-haired sisters, should too. Here are 12 reasons having curly hair rocks:

1. You are easy to spot in a crowd. You could be lost in a swarm of humanity at Disneyland and your group will be able to find you. You cannot get lost. Believe me, I’ve tried.

2. Sometimes children will stare up at you and your curly locks like you’re the Queen of all the Muppets and Disney Princesses. Last 4th of July, this happened to me and it was awesome. The little girl kept looking from my hair to her own straight hair and laughing.

3. Fancy hair means curls. When you’re pulling bridesmaid duty, your hair is already “fancy” so you’ll spend minimal time in the chair and maximum time “making sure the champagne is OK.”

4. With curly hair, you don’t even need sleep or caffeine; you already look alert and quirky. Go get ‘em, Tiger! Turn that yawn into a roar!

5. Curly hair equals big personality. You can try being shy with curly hair, but people think you’re bold and approachable so you might as well be bold and approachable. Think of all the friends you’ll make! Oooh, you’re so popular!

6. Wearing your hair curly feels like a rebellion. Oh yeah, look at you, you’re such a rebel. Congrats, you little badass.

7. You can dress like the lead singer of an ‘80s hair band any time you want. All you need is a hair pick, some hairspray and a little eyeliner and HELLO, 1983 Jon Bon Jovi!

8. Who needs a bun maker? Your big, awesome hair makes a super fierce topknot without any help from a stupid foam donut. And, you don’t need any help making it look artfully messy either. (The same goes for braids and side-ponytails.)

9. Curly hair distracts from whatever you want it to: circles under your eyes, pre-menstrual chin breakouts, the earrings you hate but are wearing anyway because your great-aunt gave them to you and you’re meeting her for brunch.

10. On an island vacation, you can let your hair dry naturally and hit the Mai Tai bar early while your girlfriends are still blow-drying and flat ironing and curling and spraying.

11. There are no photos of you with a bowl cut that might pop up on Facebook on Throwback Thursday. Maaaybe a couple of claw bangs pictures, but no bowl cuts!

12. You’re rocking your natural hair and you’re beautiful for it. Seriously. You’re gorgeous. I want to hug you. Come here. Where are you going?www.huffingtonpost.com/kendra-alvey/12-reasons-having-curly-hair-rocks_b_4826904.html

Follow Kendra Alvey on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Kendragarden

7 hairstylist reveal their secrets for having bangs.
by  Jane Larkworthy

1. Take Baby Steps
“Start slow; don’t do a lot at first,” suggests Bumble and bumble’s Jimmy Paul to bang virgins. “See how a few wispy bangs look first. You can always do more if you love it, and if you don’t, you can just push them aside.” That said, Paul loves how bangs can also function as a curtain. “They’re great to hide behind, and they’re gentler on your forehead than Botox.”

2. Go Long at First
“Start off a little longer than you think,” advises James Pecis. “Hair always shrinks and retracts, especially if it’s cut wet or has a natural wave. You can always cut more,” he says. “When they’re too short, you feel exposed—sort of like forgetting to wear pants in the morning.”

3. Bangs Can Be the Best of Both Worlds
“If you have long hair but don’t want to cut it all off, bangs are a great way to make a big change while keeping the length,” says Orlando Pita. “I tend to prefer long, sexy bangs, anyway.”

4. Consider a Cowlick
“If you have a cowlick, don’t get a straight fringe,” warns Pecis. “Unless you’re ready for the constant maintenance of fighting the cowlick every morning.”

5. Plan Ahead
“Ask your Stylist for A ‘grow out’ clause,” says Sally Hershberger. “Some bangs, if they’re long enough, can blend into layers in a matter of one haircut cycle.”

6. Embrace Your Natural Texture
“I love curly hair with bangs,” says Paul. “It’s a look that’s not for the faint of heart, but it’s wildly fashionable. I also love a wide, thick bang, but that’s really a commitment. It’s the hardest to grow out.”

7. Go Against the Grain
“Blow drying them yourself takes practice,” says D.J. Quintero of Serge Normant at John Frieda. “When you’re drying them, guide them in the opposite direction that they naturally fall.”

8. Bangs First
“I always begin with the bangs [in a blow out], for two reasons,” says Bricel Perez of DreamDry Blow Bar in New York’s Flatiron district. “First, I want to tame annoying cowlicks while they’re still wet. But, for stylists, doing them first also means we still have the clients’ attention. That way, we can ask how she likes them to look before she loses focus and goes back to her phone.”

9. Spray. Stay.
“I always finish with a bit of hair spray when I’m done,” says Serge Normant, who taps his Meta Luxe Hair Spray. “It’s kind of insurance that they won’t misdirect. Just don’t use a heavy, wet spritz.”

10. It’s Just Hair
“We’re going through a short fringe moment right now,” says Pecis, who uses Oribe Matte Waves Texture Lotion. “This season of shows had a surprising amount of girls who went for the above eyebrow chop. Hair grows back. Cut a fringe and be cool.”

Original Article