Tuesday, February 10, 2009

SHORT HAIR

Short hair presents few problems in and of itself. There are of course issues with the quality of hair worn in any style (curly, fine, thick, frizzy, oily) which will be discussed below. The major consideration in short hair is to match the cut to the shape of your face.There are seven basic facial shapes: diamond, heart, oval, rectangle, round, square, and triangular. Not all facial shapes are compatible with all cuts. Diamond-shaped faces that are narrow at the forehead but wide at the cheeks with a small, pointy chin work best with cuts that add more fullness at the crown of the head to balance out the width of the cheeks.Heart-shaped faces with their wide foreheads and small chins looks best when paired with a layered bob with lots of volume. Asymmetrical cuts also compliment this facial configuration. Oval faces are characterized by high foreheads and narrow but round chins. This is the most balance of all the facial shapes and works well with any cut.Rectangular faces are long with high foreheads and defined jaws and chins. In general a chin-length or shoulder-length cut will be most effective to call attention away from the length of the face and to give an overall softening effect. Some fringe or bangs at the forehead also works well.Round faces have wide foreheads and full jaws. Because the shape is similar to the oval, most styles will work but be sure to have fullness above the ears. The softer the cut and the more the layers come forward toward the face the better the style for this facial type. Asymmetrical cuts are also good.The square face with its "lantern" jaw and wide forehead needs a graduated cut with lots of volume at the crown. Triangular faces, on the other hand, that are widest at the jaw and more narrow at the temple can actually accommodate most styles except those with volume at the top or crown of the head.

CURLY HAIR

Curly hair care can present many issues because this hair type is so susceptible to frizziness. Many people use the old method of lightly spritzing the hair with hair spray, allowing the product to dry, and then shaping the hair with either their fingers or a brush. Be careful about doing this too much, however. Hair spray contains alcohol and if your hair gets too dry the frizziness will only get worse.Always use a wide tooth comb and try to gently detangle your hair while it is wet. Never brush wet hair, however. It is best to allow the hair to drip dry. Beware of straightening products. Most contain harsh chemicals that will damage your hair over time and can lead to hair loss. If you feel you must straighten your hair use a steam straightening device set to the lowest temperature or go to a salon. Professional hair care products for straightening should cause less damage to your hair in the hands of a competent stylist.

FINE HAIR

With fine hair, the shorter the cut the better. Generally fine hair is very limp and cannot take the weight of a longer hair style. You should have the benefit of good sheen, however, so a short and relatively blunt style will give the illusion of volume. (Layering only makes fine hair thinner.)Don't do anything to make the hair brittle, which leads to breaking and split ends. Avoid the excessive heat of blow drying and curling irons. Read the labels of your hair care products and avoid harsh detergents like sodium lauryl sulfate. Minimize the use of hairsprays and gels that contain too much alcohol. These products will dry out the hair.Don't over condition. This leads to chemical build-up. "Leave in" conditioners are especially bad in this regard. At least once a week shampoo with a product designed for cleansing the hair only. This will combat build up from conditioners, which leaves the hair even more limp and less manageable.

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