Welcome Autumn With A Trip To Believe

Whew! The kids are back at school (maybe even off to college), vacation is over and your tan is (unfortunately) fading. Summer is behind you and, as you watch the leaves begin to fall, you know winter is not far behind. Before the snowy season hits, with all its attendant beauty troubles, we here at Believe want to help you say adios to all the summer flakes, frizzes and dryness and welcome fall in a radiant way.

Let’s start at the top: Your hair...While you were having fun at the beach or pool, your poor hair was frying and being stripped of essential moisture. (We won’t even mention what your poor scalp had to deal with — all those flakes from sunburned skin clogging up the pores. Never fear, we can fix that scarecrow hair by treating you to a deep conditioning session with one of the Believe team. Not only will we give you a fabulous (and relaxing) scalp massage, but your hair will drink in all the vitamins and minerals it needs to replenish itself, Then take home some help in the form of Aestelance Protein & Mud or the delectable smelling Dieci Plus Hair Mask. Ask about Shine & Moisture Treatment Vials, too, to keep your hair sated right through the coldest October night (quick to add to your service and only $10).If frizz is your problem, don’t let it get worse now when we all have to turn on our home and work heating systems. Book an Ultimate Soothing Treatment from Olio and Domani. This odorless treatment provides intense repair as it smooth and softens even the most unmanageable hair and it last two full months. Book a treatment now for only $90 (hurry! This sale ends soon.)Don’t forget to make an appointment to correct that color bleached by the sun, too. Lisa, the Master Colorist, will be off October 17-19^th, so book soon so you don’t miss her limited availability, And no doubt you need those summer-dried ends snipped. Come in soon for a seasonal cut.As to that skin of yours…We hope you used lots of sunscreen this summer but even if you didn’t, you are bound to have suffered some UV ray damage and dryness. With the complete line of Thunder Ridge Emu oil products we carry at Believe, all of them rich with moisture, we’ll have your complexion glowing again in no time. Now is also the perfect time to stock up on all your favorite products. Believe is having a sale! Buy any two products and get the 3^rd  20% off! Try our Fig Naturals, locally made, natural deodorant and lotion bar and kiss that flaky skin goodbye.Once your hair and skin are back in shape, show them off a little. We have Dye Ties (get five hair ties or three headbands for $10) and do a good deed while getting a great look by buying a pink clip-in hair extension, also for $10, in the month of October. All proceeds will go to the American Cancer Society. Decorate your wrist with a Pura Vida bracelet (insert photo) Buy any three and get $1 off.Call Believe for an appointment now. Come show us your vacation photos, sip a cup of tea as the     winds of autumn howl, give your hair and skin the deep conditioning, moisturizing, cut and color you need to face the changing seasons and leave looking your best. We hope to see you soon!

Static Electricity: Avoid Getting Zapped This Winter

Winter is here (though in some places in the country, you wouldn’t know it) and with it comes dry air, overheated houses and the (literally) pain known as static electricity. Our hair stands straight up, our clothes stick in places we’d rather they not, and when we touch a doorknob, we get zapped.

There are ways to cut down on the nuisance, but first a quick look back to grade school science and what causes static electricity?

Atoms make up all physical objects and have inside of them electrons, protons and neutrons. Electrons carry a negative charge, protons carry a positive charge and neutrons are (as their name indicates) neutral. Opposite charges attract each other (just like some men and women we know) and like charges repeal each other. If all the charges are balanced, they become neutral.

Static electricity indicates that the charges are unbalanced and they build up on the surface of an article until they are discharged. One way that happens is by rubbing of certain materials against another. That action can transfer the charges --like if you rub your boot on a carpet, the extra electrons collect on your body, waiting to be released, say when you touch your doorknob or cat—then zap! You get shocked.

A cool way to demonstrate the attraction part of the principle (and amaze young kids) is to start a very thin stream of water flowing from a faucet. Run a plastic comb through your clean hair 10 times and bring the comb (slowly) close to the flowing water without actually touching it. The stream of water will bend towards the comb—just like magic.

Taking off your hat in the winter often causes your hair to stand straight up. Electrons get transferred from the hat to your hair and since objects with the same charge repel each other, your hairs are trying to back away from each other—that’s why your hair stands on end.

Okay, so now you know why static electricity happens, but what to do about it?

• Dry hair and skin adds to the problem. Come into Believe for a deep conditioning treatment at least once a month during this season when we are all heating our homes and offices.
• Use a daily conditioner like Iden Treatment to keep moisture in your hair. (Aestelance Butter can even be used on your dry skin—another catalyst for static electricity.)
• For a mid-winter treat, try a cup of heavy cream mixed with a teaspoon of lavender oil (tucked in a shower cap) as an overnight treatment.
• Switch from using plastic hair brushes to ones with natural bristles (we have a great selection at Believe.
• You may even want to spray a little anti-static spray on your hair brush before you blow dry (you can use the same spray on your clothes) like Aromatic Lotion Anti-Static Spray by Aestelance.
• In a pinch, wipe your hair (and the front and back of your panty hose) with a fabric softener dryer sheet.
• High quality hair sprays and gels like Iden Finish Spray and Hydrogel which we stock at Believe will help cut down on the problem.
• When it comes to your clothes—only dry them about 90% and then hang to dry.
• Sort natural materials from synthetics in your dryer or consider drying the synthetics entirely on a clothes rack.
• Try using vinegar in the rinse (the smell wears off as the clothes dry) but don’t mix it with bleach, else you might keel over from the fumes!)

Be sure to book that conditioning treatment at Believe right now to help make sure that your winter isn’t a hair-raising one.

Cold Winds, Warm Rooms=Dry Hair

Our mothers used to sing us a nursery rhyme that read, “The North winds will blow and we shall have snow, and what will poor robin do then? She'll sit in a barn to keep herself warm with her head tucked under her wing.”

The rhyme kept running through our heads as we watched the unbelievable Halloween snow! But it wasn't just our heads we wanted to tuck away...it was our hair. We at Believe know what those cold winds (and the overheated places we go to get away from them) can do to our hair—dry it right out until it feels (and sometimes looks) like straw in poor robin's barn. That's why we stock products from Agadir International—which contain a miracle substance known as Argan Oil.

Argan Oil comes from the fruits of the native Moroccan Argan tree (Argania Spinosa). Each tree can live up to two centuries! Since getting the oil is a labor-intensive process usually done by women (all the fruits must be shelled and crushed before the oil can be pressed out of them), the precious Argan Oil is one of the rarest oils in the world. But Moroccan women have long known the secrets of the oil and have used it in skin care (and their diets) for hundreds of years.

The oil is high in essential fatty acids including linoleic acid (omega-6) which stimulate intracellular oxygenation, which helps restore the balance between fats and water content in the cells of your hair—often lost in harsh weather. These fatty acids not only help repair the hair, but protect it also. Adding to the wonderful properties, the oil contains high levels of Vitamin E, which is a powerhouse when it comes to neutralizing free radicals and antioxidants in the hair shaft. This makes the oil perfect for regenerating and nourishing dry hair. Aragan Oil is also high in lipids, including omega 9 oleic acid helping nourish, moisturize and improve hair's elasticity—a real boon when you are constantly taking a hat on and off (which breaks hair). Argan Oil even helps cut down on that annoying hair static we all get in cold weather.

The fruit of the Argan tree (sort of a cross between a walnut and almond) produces an oil that is lightweight and not greasy. It has a very low molecular weight, so it penetrates right into the hair shaft without weighing the hair down. It can, therefore, be left in the hair for continuous conditioning. The result? Healthy, shiny, moisturized hair. Another benefit of using products rich in Argan Oil is that you won't suffer from that itchy, dry scalp that the cooler weather brings. The oil even helps stimulate hair growth and helps with those nasty tangles and split ends, too. Argan Oil has been called the “Wonder of the 21^st Century” and we, at Believe, have to agree.

All Agadir products are even on sale this week with 20% off. Stop by Believe and try the products we carry that contain this miracle oil. We've got the whole fabulous line. 

 Once you do,we're sure you will stop hiding your head under your wing.

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.