How Healthy Is Your Hair?

As we head into the cold winds and heated homes of Fall and Winter, now would be a great time our hair health a checkup. If you've got lots of damage, frizz, split ends or if that perfect sunny day on the beach dried the life right out of your mane, now is the time to get it in shape---before the leaves blow and the snows fly.

But first you have to know what's happening, so get a strong light and a good mirror and check out your hair:

• Is it dry and flyaway? Stop by Believe for a deep-conditioning treatment right now (you should also schedule one a month until we get your hair in better shape. You should also use a leave-in conditioner like AEstelance's Butter.
• Is it broken all along the length? Consider treating your hair with kid gloves for a while. Shampoo less often and then only with a conditioning shampoo like Semi De Lino Color Protect. Don't blow dry your hair. Instead pat it (don't rub) dry with a towel and let it air dry whenever possible. Use a wide tooth comb on wet hair, never pull with a brush. And about the brush—use a natural bristle brush that has widely-spaced bristles and is gentle on your hair.
• Does it look fried or dry? Put away the hot rollers and flat-iron and use your hair dryer (only when necessary) on the coolest setting.
• Are you sporting split ends? Come into Believe for a trim. We will save the length while getting rid of those tired old ends (their 15 minutes in the spotlight are over...)
• Is your hair getting thin? If you see more of your scalp then you used to (or worse—find ever more hairs in your brush) you might be having a reaction to medications or suffering hormonal changes (for example, many women suffer hormonal hair loss when they are pregnant.) Make an appointment with your doctor if you think this may be the case. If you see an actual bald spot, it could be a sign of alopecia areata, a disease that causes such patches. Or maybe you started dieting (be careful and keep eating a balanced diet. Your skin, hair and nails will be the first to reflect it if you don't.) Also watch how tightly you pull your hair into a ponytail or braid. You can literally pull your own hair out over time—it's called traction hair loss.
• Does your hair look dull with no shine? To get shiny healthy hair (like those women on the commercials, flipping their manes in slow motion) is largely an inside job. We at Believe can recommend some shine-filled products like the Chromastics line or even apply a clear semi-permanent glaze. But when it comes to dull lifeless hair, you are what you eat. Try salmon, packed with high-quality protein, vitamin B-12 , iron and essential omega-3 fatty acids to support a healthy scalp. If you are a vegan, you can add twp tablespoons of ground flaxseed daily to get the same omega-3 fats from a plant-based source. Spinach, broccoli and swiss chard add vitamins A and C, need to produce the oily substance known as sebum—your body's own hair conditioner. Walnuts, cashews, pecans, and almonds provide zinc, which helps keep hair from shedding. Poultry (with its protein) makes hair strong and less faded (eggs work, too.) Last, but never least, low fat dairy, particularly that all-important yogurt, are great sources of calcium which is very important for hair growth.
• Does your hair have no bounce? Get the rest of your body bouncing. Exercise gets your blood pumping and that circulation goes right to your hair follicles, shaking them out of their summer slumbers. Take advantage of the cool weather to walk daily (or even run) and see the benefits in your hair (and skin.)

Now is the moment to make your change-of-season hair appointment at Believe (soon enough, you'll have to drive through slush...ugh!) so come in and see us and share a glass of cider while we come up with a strategy to get—and keep---your hair healthy. We are waiting for you here at Believe and can't wait to hear all about your summer.

Silver Is Sexy!

We have a lot of customers at Believe who qualify as Baby Boomers, and they are proud to have made it –healthier and fitter—than any other generation, into their late 50's and beyond. But no amount of vitamins, supplements or yoga classes can erase on of the most visible passages of time...gray hair. When you go gray, is mostly determined by genetics, but how you go gray is up to you. No need to have mousy, washed out helmet hair like the “old” ladies or gentlemen of the last generation. Silver is the new black, baby and gray is great (with a little help.)

One of the reasons for going gray we hear the most at Believe is that our customers find their hair needs dyeing every few weeks—say every three instead of every 6--and then roots show up. Since these are often gray roots, they look dull. Or silver roots which shine like beacons announcing “I need to be dyed.”

Maybe you are tired of the battle or maybe you just want to let your true—more mature—self out and the effort to constantly look younger be damned.

Whichever the reason, here are some things to consider before you take the plunge. (If you went silver or white young in life, read on for tips on keeping your shiny silver vibrant and consider not getting your hair colored. Silver hair framing a young face can be striking.) But if you are of an age where your hair is starting to turn due to normal aging...Consider this:

• If you bristle when someone guesses your age as over 40 or sees you with a young child and assumes its your grandchild and that doesn't bring a smile to your face, you might not want to go gray. If you're still squeezing into miniskirts and dating 20-somethings, the fact that you might get treated differently with gray hair is probably not going to make you happy.
• Are shiny silvers peeking through your do? Sometimes Mother Nature's color is prettier than any color we can apply at Believe. If you are gifted with shiny silver or snowy white locks, why fight it? Not sure? Come into Believe and talk it over. We'll give you an honest opinion.
• Do you have wildly interesting streaks of grey or white now? If they are framing your face or giving you men an adorable Jon Stewart skunk streak, you might not want to mess with success. Let your hair alone until more has gone gray—then decide if we should color or not. The same goes with highlights. If you are used to lots of blonde (or even other color) streaks, letting your whole head go one color—even if it is silver—might not offer enough “drama” for you.
  
  
  

  
• Are you confident enough to pull it off? Remember Meryl Streep in “The Devil Wears Prada'? Now there was a confident silver-haired woman. So is Jamie Lee Curtis in all those yogurt commercials. From Dame Helen Mirren to Richard Gere, confidence is the magic key to making gray magical instead of mousy.
  

  

  
  
• Are you a “dirty blonde”? The problem is light hair going gray looks dirty, so either make it all gray/silver or color it all blonde. In this instance, hit 'em hard or go home.
  
  
  

  
• Got six months? If your hair is long, no matter how good a job we do at blending your roots to hide the demarcation line it's going to take a while to let your gray grow in. (Your hair grows about a half an inch per month.) Consider a shorter style for this period and then, when its passed, you can grow long lovely silver hair like Emmy Lou Harris. 
  
  
  

  

• Can't stand the wait? Get lowlights in the meantime to help blend in newly-emerging grays and come into Believe often for cuts to get rid of that old dyed hair.
• Get tough. Silver hair can grow out coarse or wiry. We at Believe will show you how to use a flat iron to jeep the frizzies in check. Anti-frizz serum like Chromastices Repair will help too, Keeping your hair in great condition both by using a daily conditioner and occasional deep conditioning like Aestelance Protein or Mud Masque will help keep up the moisture content of aging hair.
• Don't forget to drink gallons of water and take an age-appropriate vitamins. Water helps keep your hair from being dull and the vitamins help it grow more quickly.
• Going for the gold...err silver: If you make the decision to cross that line into gray or silver, we're behind you 100%. We'll recommend shampoo (like Aestelance Clarifying), conditioner (like Scruples White Tea) and even a few tricks of the trade to bring out the gloss (A clear semi-permanent glaze).

Shine like you mean it, with some help from Believe.

Slicing and Dicing: Razor Styles Are Back

Whether they are called “chopped”, “shredded” or “shingled,” razor styles are back with a vengeance (and for men, they never left.) Whether used on long locks to give your waves a bit more romantic flow or used as multi-lengths to sex up a long do, razors can be artistic tools in the hands of an expert (like us here at Believe) or a weapon when wielded by a neophyte hair stylist with no experience. Working with scissors is taught in Hairstyling 101 but whisking away hair with a razor takes a cool hand. The three-inch blade adds texture by having a looping effect on the hair shaft. The razor can get rid of heaviness and bulkiness (you know those tufts of hair on the side that look like wings or that pile on top that weighs your style down like an invisible hat?)  Razors are usually used on wet hair to keep things manageable and the blade will cut the ends so that you don't look like you stepped out of the chair a minute ago.  The genius in a razor cut is that it removes bulk while building volume. How? Strands that are shortened help puff up the longer ones, but a razor cut isn't for everybody. If your hair is thin, too short already or frizzy, the razor cut may not be for you and some stylists say a razor cut isn't for curly hair either. Really the only way to tell is to come on in and let us look at (and feel) your hair and the way it grows. We will use our trained eye to tell you if the razor cut will make you feel beautiful or go batty. Long hair can be less boring when cut with a razor or, if you are worried about having to grow out all that hair to one length again, ask if a triangular wedge will work for you—it makes regrowing hair much less visible. (Or perhaps just your bangs can be done to give a long style a sense of movement.)  One word of caution about razor cuts: They tend to lose their shape sooner than hair cut with scissors, but for that wispy look, razor cuts really have no equal. From bob to flowing waves a razor cut will make a big difference in your look, so come in for a consultation first! We won't go all Jack The Ripper on you and bring out the razor until we, together, have determined it will be the best technique to use on your hair. You are an individual and at Believe, you will get an individual cut. Call us at 914-747-0778 today to make an appoint at Believe.

Help Us Shake A Tail Feather!

We hope this post finds all our friends and neighbors in New York and New Jersey safe, sound and dry with nary a broken branch in their driveway...

Now that Hurricane Irene has finally headed out to sea, we at Believe would like to give you the next thing to get excited about...Hillside Food Outreach's 2011 Dancing With The Stars Benefit. This year, something new has been added..Lisa, the owner of Believe will be dancing as one of the “stars”!

The event will be held October 15th, 2011 at 6 pm at the Matrix Center in Danbury, Connecticut and the $65 ticket price includes a full catered dinner, plus free beer and wine.

Both a Judges Choice and People's Choice winner will be chosen (it costs $10 to cast a People's Choice vote for your favorite dancers.) Judges this year include Gina Bombero of “So You Think You Can Dance,” and former winner himself, Vincent M. Tamagna, Chairman of the Putnam County Legislature, who will be joined by other judges yet to be named.

“Stars” (besides our own Lisa) include Lillian Melchior of Mahopac Marina, cosmetic company owner Donna Berry, financial planner Jesus Lopez, Anthony Mirdita, CFO of Putnam Community Hospital, Allison Stockel, executive director of the Ridgefield Playhouse and Dr. Evan Powderly, principal of Armonk's Byram Hills Middle School. Jeweler David Yurmin is donating a gift of fabulous jewelry for the winner, who also gets a gorgeous trophy.

Since the stars aren't professional dancers, local dance studios donate studio time and three months of lessons to get the dancers in shape. Lisa also promises to give frequent updates on the Believe Facebook page about how training is going. Be sure to go “like” Believe's page here.

Last year's benefit raised $20,000 and Hillside Outreach is hoping to double that this year. The money goes to provide food assistance to families with children, frail, elderly, disabled and housebound individuals. Today, Hillside has brought together over 350 volunteers to home deliver to over 1650 Westchester and Putnam County residents in need and they continue to grow every day, but they need to fund that growth.

“I've been a great supporter of KathyPurdy and the work the staff and volunteers at Hillside Food Outreach do for those in need in our community. Looking out for each other, particularly in these tough times, is what makes living and doing business in this area so rewarding,” says Lisa. “True, I'm no professional dancer, but I will give it my best shot—and have a lot of fun doing it—because it's one more way I can help Hillside meet its goal. I hope to see lots of you come out to support me and this great cause.”

Tickets to the Hillside Food Outreach's Dancing With The Stars Benefit can be purchased on the website at www.hillsidefoodoutreach.org or by calling Westchester 914-747-0095, Putnam 845-225-3393 or Fairfield 203-702-4881or we have tickets here at Believe. Stop on in or give us a call at 914-747-0778.

Say Goodbye to Summer Hair & Skin

Whoosh! Hear that sound? That is summer flying by (does it get shorter every year or just seem that way?) The start of classes is right around the corner, parents are rushing everywhere to get their kids off to school (or—gasp--college) and the lazy days of beach-going and sun-tanning are soon to be behind us...But, even in the midst of this seasonal insanity, you can start getting your hair and skin ready for autumn.

Here's a few hints and tips to try until you can get in to see us at Believe for a good cut, a deep conditioning treatment, some new (not bleached out) color and some fabulous products to hydrate your skin:

Remove the buildup: Between sweat, salt and all the conditioning creams gels, pastes and waxes you've been using to keep your hair from turning into summer straw, your hair cuticle is filled to the brim with products—making it less receptive to even welcome additions. Use this quick at-home recipe to clear out the buildup and get your hair ready for some much-needed moisture: Mix ¼ cup of apple cider vinegar with a quart of distilled water and one tablespoon of nettles or comfrey root (grab it from your garden or a health food store.) Boil the herbs and water together and let them steep for 20 minutes. Cool, strain out the herbs, and mix in the vinegar. Pour it through your hair, let it work for a couple of minutes and then rinse it out. (By the way, if you use this same infusion—in larger quantities—in your bath, you can take the sting out of late-season sunburn and make it turn brown by the next day.)  Then schedule a deep conditioning treatment with us and get our recommendations of what to use to start replacing some of your hair's vital moisture with products like  AESTELANCE PROTEIN & MUD OR AGADIR MOISTURE MASK (smells delicious) and SHINE TREATMENT VIALS that we carry at Believe.

Exfoliate summer scales: Your skin has its own summer version of scaly skin (tanning and peeling create a million little flakes you can't see, but certainly feel in the form of constantly itchy skin.) Use a natural loofah to scrub your skin down every shower and when you have a moment to yourself, put a handful of leftover nuts or seeds (pumpkin or sunflower) along with fresh herbs (like lavender or rosemary) into a clean coffee grinder. Grind till they are a coarse meal. Pour ¼ cup of the meal into a bowl, mix with enough yogurt to make a paste, and rub all over your body. Dry skin left from the summer sun will scrub right off. Once you are smooth as silk, keep it that way with GOAT'S MILK AND ESSENTIAL OILS ZUM BODY LOTION, a fabulous product we have here at Believe. 

(Btw, Goat's milk is very similar to our own skin's PH, so it works awesomely with our bodies.)

Emergency hair conditioner: If you cram in that last-minute day at the beach and your hair tells the tale, use this emergency conditioner until you can get in to see us at Believe for that deep conditioning treatment your hair really needs: Pour a shot of vodka and a few drops of any essential oil, a half of a ripe avocado and some mayonnaise into a blender. Mix it together, slather on your hair, wait 20 minutes and rinse. Voila! Shiny, healthier hair (but this is only a stop-gap measure. Your scalp and hair cuticle need a serious assessment and long-lasting products. We've got both at Believe.)

Way too soon the cool winds of autumn will come along, ready to play havoc with your hair and skin (followed closely by that time when we cover all exposed part with mufflers and scarves and hide our much-abused hair under scratchy hats, compounding the damage.) Call us for an appointment at Believe, now! Make the time to give your hair and skin the deep conditioning, moisturizing, cut and color you need to face the changing seasons looking and feeling your best. 

Enjoy the last days of summer and we hope to see you soon at Believe.

You Deserve To Be Treated Like Royalty

Legend has it that thousands of years ago an emperor named Shen Nung was traveling through his empire, when he grew thirsty and a servant was dispatched to find water. What the servant brought back was brackish and foul—not fit to pass the lips of the ruler, but it was the only liquid available. 

So Shen Nung, being a resourceful leader, ordered the water to be boiled. When it was sufficiently boiled, the water was again presented to the Emperor. At that moment, a leaf blew into the Emperor's cup, who took it as a sign, so he left the leaf in until it had steeped and tea--as a drink for royals --was born.

Some teas were just for the royal court and White Tea was given as tribute to the Emperor himself. It was the tea used for the original (and now famous) Japaneses Tea Ceremony. Love of this particular tea grew and by 1885, tea plants were cultivated (and grafted) to specifically develop White Tea.

But the Chinese couldn't keep this wonder plant to themselves forever. Recently the benefits of White Tea have become known in the West, where it was discovered that the tea not only offered health benefits when drunk (it is full of antioxidants and may lower blood pressure, reduce cholesterol and even prevent cancer) but was an amazing addition to beauty products as well.

At Believe, we carry a line from Scruples called the White Tea Luxury Collection including:

Sulfate Free | Restorative Shampoo

Sulfate free, fade resistant formula

Restores and nourishes hair leaving it silky, shiny and soft

Gently cleanses while preserving salon hair color and texture services

Protects and tames hair

Use as a body wash for luxuriously soft skin

and...

Soothing Daily Conditioner

Tames, detangles, smoothes, seals and improves hair's integrity

Extends the life of your hair color and texture investment

Weightless formula for daily use

Enriched with nourishing botanicals and vitamins

Leaves hair unbelievably silky and shiny

We are happy to order the other fabulous products in the White Tea Luxury Collection like Restorative Conditioner, Magical Serum, Medium Hold Gel, Leave-In Miracle Foam Conditioner,
Satin Paste, Velvet Molding Gloss and Embrace Luxury Hold Hair Spray if you absolutlely fall in love with the line (and we think you just might.)

What is so special about the White Tea line from Scruples?

• Acts as a moisturizing lotion for hair, adding radiance, shine and condition.
• Contains sunscreen to help prevent hair color from fading.
• Provides thermal protection from heated styling tools.
• Creates unbelievable body and manageability.
• Makes a great styling cocktail when combined with any Scruples styling product for added conditioning.
• Remarkable perm pre-wrap to protect and condition.
• Add to hair color and lighteners for extra moisture and scalp protection.
• For a porosity equalizer, apply to hair prior to refreshing the ends with hair color.

So don't the salt and sun of Summer wreck havoc with your hair. Treat yourself like royalty with Scruples White Tea Luxury Collection. Come in and try this fabulous line of products at Believe.

(Psssst: Hurry in. The Scruples products are on-sale right now!)

Light Up Your Face--Highlights and Lowlights

Have you ever seen a really bad hair-coloring job? You know the type that looks like a bottle of ink got spilled on someone's head? (This is often seen on men who grab a box of Just for Men and dye their own grey away. Guys: Step away from the dye bottle!)

At Believe, we've seen (and fixed) quite a few.

The reason bad dye jobs look so ...well, bad, is that nature didn't give us one color hair, but multiple colors that blend into the rich tapestry making our color shine. Whether its the gorgeous copper tones in brunette hair, shiny platinum in blonde hair, or that hint of lovely dark blue that shimmers for those of you lucky enough to possess jet black hair.

So what to do if your base color is fading or grey hairs are showing up to make you look older than your years? Come into Believe to get your hair colored but consider adding highlights or lowlights to bring out the depth and beauty of your hair.

We all grew up with home highlighting kits and probably spent at least one Saturday afternoon having our friend paint on highlights for us (this was probably not the same friend we let iron our hair on our mother's ironing boards--since we stopped speaking to her after that scorching incident.) As we should have learned then, but bears repeating now: Do not try highlighting at home. This really is a job for professionals (like us here at Believe.)

Highlights and lowlights are spot hair color processes. Depending on what look you wish to achieve, they can be used separately.

Highlights are when thin or thick strands of hair are lightened (at least two shades lighter than the rest of your hair and this doesn't have to mean you make your highlights shades of blonde only. Got dark brown hair? Consider caramel highlights or brown highlights with black hair.) Try not to go more than three shades lighter than your hair color (unless you are opting for rock-star highlights like lavender, electric blue or crayon yellow. In that case, throw the rule book out the window and let's rock!)

The object of highlights is to brighten up your color and draw attention to your face (that's why highlights are applied to frame your features.) Add as many or few as you like—we can always add more—and remember, the thinner the highlight, the more natural the look. If you want them to stand-out, go for chunky highlights. Also, you don't have to refresh your highlights every time you come get your hair colored (unless you want to change out the tone for another.) Every other time will do.

Lowlights can also pump up the drama in your hair—but in a more subtle way. For these, think or thick strands are made two or three shades darker than your natural color. (Because they are less noticeable, lowlights have to be refreshed only every third time or so you visit Believe to have your color done.)

Of course, you don't have to stick to either high or lowlights alone. You can mix it up by asking for tri-colors! Highlights are added near the top of your hair (to make you shine like the star you are) and lowlights near the bottom (to give the illusion of more volume and dimension.) Tri-colors are tricky things. It takes a little artistry to get the right look (good thing Lisa, the owner of Believe is one of the few Master Colorists in Westchester, eh?)

Call at Believe and make an appointment to come in for a consultation. We'll be happy to show you how highlight, lowlights and tri-colors can add some va-voom to your color. You'll be turning heads in no time!

Baby Skin

There is little on earth smoother than a baby's skin and keeping it that way just takes a little know-how. So, whether you've just had a baby or have the joy of caring for a new grandchild, here's a little refresher on how to keep that bundle of joy's skin healthy, soft and sweet-smelling.

Some Problems You Might See

• Diaper Rash: This is the rash most often seen on a baby's skin. It can be caused by diapers that are too tight, wet diapers left on too long or even an allergy to diapers, detergents or baby wipes. Make sure you do baby's laundry in mild detergent (fragrance-free and hypoallergenic) and avoid fabric softener. Use wipes with no chemicals, change the baby often, and let the little one go diaper-less (on a towel) if he or she does develop diaper rash. Air is the best cure.
• Prickly Heat: Small pinkish red bumps appear on babies (usually during the summer or in an overheated house in the winter) around their neck, armpits, diaper area or skin folds. They are caused by a baby sweating. Dress the baby in layers and unwrap them one-by- one when they start heating up. They really won't get a chill.

Acne: Yes, even newborns get acne! It starts in the womb, when babies are exposed to their mother's hormones, which boosts oil production in the skin. Clogged oil glands lead to pimples. Don't do anything to them―they will clear up by themselves in a few weeks.

• White Bumps or Milia: 50% of newborns get these little white bumps on their nose and face. These are caused by dry baby skin that blocks oil glands. These, too, will go away in a few weeks.
  
  

How to Care For Baby's Skin

• Ditch The Powder: Remember the old days when we all powdered babies' bottoms? No more. Experts are worried that babies can inhale fine particles of talcum powder, causing them lung trouble. Corn starch-based powders are safer, but yeast, which causes diaper rash, feeds on cornstarch, so you may want to do away with it, too.

Watch For Sunburn: Avoid direct sun if the baby is under 6 months old (they burn and dehydrate much too quickly). After 6 months, buy a cute baby hat (that covers their forehead and the back of the neck), take an umbrella, and use strong sunscreen developed especially for babies. You can even put zinc oxide on baby's ears, lips and nose. Sunglasses are good, too, to protect the little person from the sun's bright rays. But, if you took every precaution and the baby still gets mild sunburn, apply a cool cloth to the area for 10-15 minutes a few times a day. For more severe sunburn, get the baby to the pediatrician.

Make Bath-Time Relaxing: Temperature is the thing babies complain about most when it comes to the bath. Test the temperature of the water with your wrist or elbow. It should be around 90 degrees. Keep a warm, wet washcloth on the baby's tummy for the duration of the bath, which, for infants, should last about 5 minutes. Wash the baby with a hair and bath product like Indigo Wild's Wee Bar Soap from their Lavender Lullaby Collection. The gorgeous scent will calm the baby down, while making him/her smell great, too. Pat, rather than rub, the baby dry afterwards.

Try Baby Massage: Put the baby on his/her back. Use a mild lotion like Indigo Wild's Wee Body Lotion. Warm it in your hand and rub gently around baby's face and temples, then down the tummy, using a circular motion. Rub each little finger and then down to the legs and feet, gently rotating the ankles and remembering to rub each toe. Turn the baby over and do the neck, shoulders and back. (Easy does it on the pressure.) Having listened to your soft voice and followed by being wrapped in a snuggly nightgown, the baby is ready for a great night's sleep (which, if you are watching a baby, you can certainly use, too).

At Diaper Changing Time: Indigo Wild also makes a lavender-scented Wee Rub for use on baby's bottom (instead of those medicinal smelling ointments) and even makes Lavender Lullaby Wee Mist to spritz the general area of the aromatic diaper pail (it works great on stinky summer dogs, too!)

We carry all of Indigo Wild's Lavender Lullaby products for babies (we always send them out as gifts to our friends who are expecting or have just welcomed a baby!). All are hand-made with totally organic ingredients like goat's milk, meadow foam seed oil, shea butter and sunflower oil. They smell so good, you'll never go back to Johnson & Johnson products again. Stop by Believe and see the whole line and congratulations on your new addition!

Twisted, Beaded, Braided-Give Us A Head With Hair

From real laurel leaves in classical Greece to gold-encrusted replicas in Imperial Rome, hair ornaments have been used throughout the ages as objects of beauty and as social messages.

In ancient China, the ji ceremony awarded 15-year-old girls a hairpin that showed she was old enough to marry. Auspicious birds and beasts, such as the dragon, phoenix, duck, deer and the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac, were also popular. The deer denoted success. The duck assured marital bliss. 
The five petals on a plum represented blessings, high-salary, longevity, luck and wealth. When Chinese lovers had to part, they often split a hairpin―both of them keeping a half until they were reunited.

Tibetans, women in some African tribes, and Native Americans, braided the hair and adorned it with silver, stones, bones, beads and feathers--while in the Middle East, Muslim women had to hide their hair under veils with their real hair shown only to their husbands. (Married Orthodox Jewish women still wear wigs to this day for that same reason and so as not to distract men from their prayers.) Indian women had no such restrictions. Their hair was often as decorated as their saris.

Renaissance women plucked their hairlines to give the coveted high forehead look and then covered their hair with nets of pearls or jeweled caps and the hardly-ever bathed ladies of Queen Elizabeth's court took to wearing velvet headbands (no doubt to keep their dirty hair away from their faces.)

The 18th century might take the cake when it comes to historical hair ornaments. Women hair was piled high―very high―over wire cages and held together with starch and horsehair. Atop the towering coiffures (requiring several hours and ladders to create) were fantastical models of birds' cages (with live birds,) war ships with flags flying, and entire bowls of fruit (long before Carmen Miranda brought the latter to Hollywood.) Not only were these hairstyles hard to sleep in (custom made to accommodates their necks, leaving their hairstyle in tact) but the material used to create the towering style proved a perfect nest for vermin.

Practicality came back in fashion after the excesses of the 18th century. First lady, Dolly Madison, introduced jeweled turbans and the flappers of the 20's fit headbands snugly over bobbed hair.

 In the '30's few women could afford anything more than “bobbie pin.” Hairnets used during a day's work in the factory for the Rosie the Riveters of World War II, gave way to fashionable nets called “snoods” for evening. “Lady Day”-- Billie Holiday-- became famous for the gardenia behind her ear and the fashion was taken up by film stars like Dorothy Lamour. The 1950's saw the helmet hair of Doris Day, which didn't allow for lots adornment, but the long and loose hair of the 60's more than made up for it.

Janis Joplin and the other hippies of the time braided beads, feathers, jewels, stones―anything at hand―into their wild manes and it's been anything goes pretty much ever since.

When Bo Derek rose from the water in the movie “10”, cornrows (for white women) interspersed with beads came into fashion. Hair sticks like those in ancient Japan made a comeback.



Sex In The City's Carrie Bradshaw put damn near anything in her hair―including a bright blue bird for her wedding to Mr. Big. Paris Hilton popularized extensions (a take on the African American weaves) and Believe is riding the wave of that popular trend by offering colored extensions (one or two in different colors make for a fun statement at a party or the beach) and we even have feathers to weave into your Summer 'do.

All too soon the cold winds of winter will make us cover our heads with hats and scarfs. Why not let your Hair fly--adorned-- in the breeze? Take a page from the lyrics for the namesake number of the musical “Hair”:

Give me a head with hair...

                                                                 Knotted, polka-dotted

                                                               Twisted, beaded, braided

                                                    Powdered, flowered, and confetti-ed

                                           Bangled, tangled, spangled, and spaghetti-ed

At Believe, we are all singing. Come in and let us decorate your Crowning Glory with fun extensions (and think about giving the one with feathers a try. C'mon, you only live once!)

When the cat's away...

Every boss in America holds their breath a little when they go on vacation and have to leave their business in the hands of their staff...everybody but Lisa Koebbe Bevan, owner of Believe, that is.

She gets to head on down the highway knowing her business is safe, sound and running like clockwork, thanks to Believe's Manager, Shannon Marriott.

“Shannon is my right-hand woman,says Lisa. "She's smart, intuitive, hard-working and the clients love her, almost as much as I do.”

There is a lot to love. Not only does Shannon lend a hand on the styling side (blow-drying, helping with the fun extensions-some with feathers—Believe uses as fundraisers for charity, doing color for select clients) but is a whiz at the administrative side of the business.

“I set appointments, order supplies, send out email blasts, run payroll and make sure things run on schedule,Shannon says. "Sometimes that does mean lighting a little fire under Lisa's rear end, I admit.”

In return, Shannon is learning a lot. She gets to observe, up-close and personal, the workings of her boss, Lisa, who is a board-certified colorist (one of only 2,500 in the country). Shannon, who studied Cosmetology in high school is ever enthusiastic about adding new techniques and tips to her stylist toolbox. But Shannon is equally grateful to interact with (and learn from) all of Believe's great clients and staff.

“I majored in Communication and minored in Business at the University of Albany and I get to use my education every day in my position here at Believe, says Shannon. "I am learning about how people work together, how best to communicate with the varied personalities of the staff and, most importantly, how to meet the needs of our clients and keep them happy.”

Shannon, who has been with Lisa for three years (she answered an ad in the Pennysaver and Lisa is still thanking her lucky stars) will be manning the ship on July 19^th and 20^th while Lisa is away for a short vacation.

“I'll be doing color and blow-dry sessions, answering the phones, scheduling appointments and will try to find time to even get a little cleaning done,says Shannon. "I like being busy and this summer at Believe is keeping us all hopping...and that's a good thing.”

Call Shannon now to schedule your Believe appointment before leaving for your own vacation.