A good lather and rinse (followed by conditioner!) is all most people need to keep their hair clean.  Unless you have unusual hair circumstances, everyday oil and dirt buildup aren’t all that hard to deal with; by now I’m sure most of you have a routine down pat.  But every now and then something weird happens to you (or one of your kids or students!), and you’ll find yourself frantically Googling for advice.  This post will cover some basics of dirty-hair emergency management.  If you have any questions or icky hair scenarios, comment and I’ll see what I can find to help.  Be prepared!

The basic toolkit for dealing with unusual substances includes: (more…)

‘Tis the season to start thinking about keeping warm – and stylish! – during the winter.  Sweaters, hats, gloves, scarves, shawls, earmuffs, neck warmers, wrist warmers, headbands…there are lots of awesome choices, so everyone should be able to find exactly what they want/need!

Some popular winter fabrics are made of natural fibers, while others are synthetic.  Natural fibers (different types of wool and fur) are great for bad weather (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…)

In my last post, I discussed the most important things to know about having very long hair.  This time, I’d like to talk about the flip side of that situation; what to do when your hair is cut short, and you’re waiting for it to grow out again.

Everyone has been through this at some point; you told the hairdresser to take off just an inch and a half to even it out, but when she finally whips the cape off your shoulders, it looks like half a foot is gone and you can’t get it into a ponytail anymore.  Or you chopped bangs, only to find out after the fact that they looked really stupid. And then you spent a couple of months desperately trying to hide the disaster until it grew out enough for you to pretend that it never really happened.

Whatever.  We’ve all been there, and we’ll all be there again at some point.  But next time it happens, you’ll be prepared!

• If your hair was very long and is now significantly shorter, you probably won’t need as much shampoo as you’re used to.   (more…)

Have you ever looked out the window after a long day at work, only to discover that while you were tapping away at the keyboard, a mighty storm is blowing pedestrians up and down the street?  I’ve been caught in sudden wind or rain too many times to count, and had to run screaming into the nearest drugstore for supplies.

Years ago, I got in the habit of keeping a ponytail holder in every purse and toiletry bag and backpack that I own – and in a few coat pockets as well – to protect against the eventuality that I would need to walk up the street with the wind at my back, trying to blow my hair into a Cousin It style over my face.  I try never to leave the house without emergency hair accessories! (more…)