I’ve tried going to bed with wet hair and dry hair, up hair and loose hair, covered and not.  I’m sure most of you have as well, in your quest to figure out the best way to keep things from getting too out of hand overnight.  This next series of posts is going to discuss a few of the options, and why one or another might work best for your needs.

Gotta include a couple of fun facts first.  Obviously, the original purpose of a nightcap was to keep a person warm in a poorly heated house.  Think about it: you can keep everything but your head under the covers.   (more…)

‘Tis the season for gratitude, so I’m going to use this post to express thanks.

As you can see, hat and hairstyles have been coming and going throughout the ages.  Every now and then something “retro” or “vintage” comes back into play, but there are plenty of toppers and ‘dos that have faded into the shadows of history – with good reason.  You have to wonder what inspired some of these styles!  But mainly, I’m grateful that people rarely walk around looking like this anymore – and that I’m not expected to follow these trends.

• Rubber bathing caps with fake flower petals: These are not comfortable.  They do not look real.  They do not increase your hydrodynamicism (I totally made up that word, but you know what I mean).  Stick with plain Lycra folks, ok?
• Nightcaps: I know we have modern heating to thank for this one as well, but I’ve seen one too many episodes of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman that featured Horace and Myra in hideous 19th century pj’s, complete with a pompom-ed stocking cap for him and a frilly mob cap for her.  And as someone who covers completely for much of the day, bedtime is my only chance to let my scalp breathe.  When it’s dark, no one can see your greasy/unstyled/frizzy hair anyway, so you might as well let it down. (more…)

There are bad hair days, and there are bad hair days.  They might be caused by laziness, mistakes, accidents – or your hair might just be particularly high maintenance.  Even hair-coverers have them: sometimes your tichel just won’t tie right or keeps sliding back, or a hat you love suddenly makes your face look fat, or your wig is in desperate need of a professional wash and set.  It stinks when your normal routine fails you like that.  But to put things in perspective, imagine having a permanent bad hair day. (more…)

For the fun of it, I just Googled “hat’ and then “hair” to see if any interesting news stories popped up.  I thought I’d find some fashion reviews, or celebrity mentions, or something like that.  Well, I got two good stories – but they were NOT what I was expecting!

The best hat-related story was funny, in a horrible sort of way.  A woman got mad at her ex-boyfriend, and for revenge, she put 24 of his favorite baseball caps in the bathtub, doused them in gasoline, and lit them on fire.  She was arrested on charges of mischief and arson, (more…)

Most women wish, at some point, for different hair than they were blessed with.  In many cases, there are ways to circumvent nature: perms and curling irons, straightening devices and chemicals, dyes and cuts and styles and products, and more.  Today, I got to thinking; people with long hair can always cut it shorter, and there are lots of interesting style options when your hair falls below your shoulder blades; you can put it up if you want it to look elegant, or keep it out of your way.  But what do you do if you’ve got short hair and are longing for some length?

When a celebrity needs longer/fuller/more dramatic hair, they spend thousands of dollars on professionally-applied human-hair extensions (more…)

Did you ever stop and wonder what the difference between curly and straight hair really is?  I mean, obviously they look different, and require different methods of hair care, but what is the cause of this difference?

Scientifically, follicle shape is to blame.  Straight hair grows out of round follicles, while curly comes from oval-shaped follicles; it also grows out of the head at more of an angle.  Softer or looser curls have fewer twists over a given length than tighter curls.  Because it is easier for the oils secreted by the scalp to flow down straight hair, curly often seems dry in comparison.

The chemical makeup of a hair also affects its curliness.  Hair is mostly made up of a protein molecule called keratin (the same protein that fingernails are made of).  If the protein in your hair has formed a lot of disulfide bonds, it will be curly.  Changing the texture of your hair, either through water, heat, or chemicals, involves breaking or creating more of these bonds.

Because curly hair is prone to dryness, it shouldn’t be washed as often as straight hair; it may even benefit the most from a shampoo-free wash routine.   (more…)

One of the first things you notice about a bride is her hairstyle.  One of the big things a bride has to decide is how to wear her hair!  What kind of veil, and which hairpiece are only a part of that decision.  The hairstyle itself is a big deal.  Whether you want to go up or down, classic or contemporary – there’s a lot to consider.

First off, think about your dress, your veil/headpiece (if you’ve already chosen it), and the overall style and vibe of your wedding.  Your personal taste – and comfort – count as well.  If you’re getting married out of doors on a hot summer day, (more…)

Have you ever seen women working out with their hair down?  I’ve never understood how people can do that.  Doesn’t it get extra-messy?  Isn’t it annoying to have it flapping in your face as you run/bike/dance?  And don’t get me started on the ones I’ve seen wearing wigs on the treadmill!

When you’re exercising or playing sports, the last thing you want is your hair getting in the way.  It can even be unsafe; if vision is blocked or loose hair gets caught in equipment, you could get hurt.  The same problems can apply if you make the wrong choice of hair covering, not to mention that certain items can be ruined from sweat or frequent washing.   (more…)

Summer is upon us, school is nearly out, and everyone’s anxious to beat the heat in one way or another.  Do you cool off at the pool, or are you more of a beach bunny?  Personally, I think there’s a time and a place for both, preferably at a resort in Jamaica (although I will never understand salt-water swimming pools).  But whether you’re getting wet in salt- or chlorine-infested water, you need to protect your hair to keep it healthy and manageable.

One overall piece of advice is that wet hair can’t really absorb more water.   (more…)

Sometimes, even with a trusted stylist, the look you come away with is NOT the one in the magazine photo that you showed her.  Or what looked fabulous on Reese Witherspoon looks horrendous on you.  Either way, you’ve got a problem; what do you do when a haircut comes out badly?  And if that bad ‘do is in a wig (which won’t ever grow out!), you’re in even bigger trouble.

First of all, you should talk to the stylist.  Tell them what you thought your cut was going to look like, and give them a chance to come up with a way to fix it.   (more…)

I know, I know, it sounds gross (unless you’ve already tried it!).  And I’ll admit that I haven’t gotten around to trying it myself, and don’t know if I ever will.  But I’ve heard some intriguing things about “no-poo,” and one of these days maybe I’ll get bored and take the plunge.

The idea behind not using shampoo is that the chemicals in most commercial varieties are basically detergents; they dry hair out.  This has created a cycle that most of us assume is normal, where your scalp has to produce lots of extra oil to keep hair from being totally desertified.  So if you go for more than a couple of days without washing, it gets greasy and nasty, and you run screaming for the Pantene.

But, if you can handle a week or two of extreme grease as you go cold turkey off shampoo, you’ll be rewarded (more…)