Does Your Hair Have The Humidity Blues?

We haven't even yet hit the dog days of summer and already it feels like stepping into your shower when you walk out your front door.

 The bad news is The Farmer's Almanac predicts a hot, wet summer for our area, full of thunderstorms and high temperatures. The good news is that we at Believe have some tips to help keep the humidity from wrecking havoc with your hair.

When dampness is in the air, hair suffers in three ways: It gets frizzy, flat, or so big you look like a 1940's country music star.

As a general tip, keep your hair moisturized and in good condition. Use a deep conditioner like Agadir Masque once or twice a week, halfway down the length of your hair to its ends. Towel dry it (by blotting, not rubbing)—retiring your hair dryer for the season if possible. Ditto with your straightening iron. The heat from both can damage your hair and make your problems worse. If you have to use a hair dryer, use the diffuser. And, in the sun, wear a ventilated hat. Letting the sun bleach your hair (and make leather of your skin) went out with the Gidget movies.

To deal with the frizz, use a small amount of a silicon-based smoother like Chromastics Tri Organic Extreme just on the frizzy areas. Don't overdo or you risk making your hair look greasy. An amount about the size of a pea is about right. Rub your hands together to emulsify the product and then lightly apply to hair. During the day, make your favorite hand lotion do double duty. Moisturize your hands with it and then rub your hands lightly over any frizz that springs up. (Your hair will smell good, too.)

If your hair goes flat, make sure you are using a shampoo like AESTELANCE G that doesn't leave a heavy residue (such residue gets even weightier when combined with the moisture in the air on a humid day.) You might also want to try a spray-on voluminizer like Chromastics Tri Organic Spray Gel (spray it on your roots while you hair is damp). For a styling product, use AESTELANCE Volume for a light hold and use a flexible hold spray like Scruples White Tea Embrace to finish the style. Other tricks include gentle teasing of the roots (done with a comb) to add volume, and spraying hairspray on the roots at lunchtime, then holding the hair straight up with a brush till the spray dries. A quick gentle brushing and voila—instant volume!

This YouTube video shows the effects of humidity on hair: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AU9JDCt5Hto. Your hair shafts actually poof up enough that you might resemble your neighbor's poodle. If that's the case, you may have to admit you can't fight Mother Nature. Pull your hair back in a classic chignon for the office, a sexy tight top knot (allow a few tendrils to curl down the back of your neck) for a dinner out, and horsetail braids and side-swept ponytails are perfect for a weekend shopping or a day at the beach.

We at Believe are here to help, of course. Whether it's recommending products, giving you a great layered cut to help fight the Flathead Syndrome or teaching you the latest braids--come by and share a refreshing iced coffee or tea and let us help you win the battle against humid hair. We look forward to seeing you soon.

What IS the Brazilian Keratin treatment you keep hearing about?

As the song goes..."Tall and tan and young and lovely, the girl from Impanema goes walking and when she passes, each man she passes goes ah-h-h-h..".

Ok, we can't promise you will be taller or tanner or younger, but we can pretty much guarantee the lovelier part and you can certainly expect more ah-h-h's when you come to Believe for a La Brasiliana Keratin Treatment.

If you spent your whole life:

Avoiding rainy or humid days and fog of any kind (that leaves your trip to London out),

Put yourself in your best friend's hands when she was holding a hot iron near your scalp,

Made your head a toxic waste dump by using every chemical straightening treatment under the sun,

and still think you look like a poodle, don't worry.

Believe can fix the problem. Say goodbye to Jimi Hendrix Head and hello to gorgeous, sleek, and shiny hair. No more damage, no more drama, with the La Brasiliana Keratin Treatment. Let me explain what the treatment is and what it can do for you.

La Brasiliana Keratin Treatment is a revolutionary hair smoothing method that softens, moisturizes, and dramatically straightens your hair. It does not require any strong chemicals. It uses a solution containing keratin & collagen that works with your hair's cuticle and gently take its place inside your hair.

Keratin's strong protective qualities improve the hair both inside and out. It is virtually a “liquid form of hair” that gently blends with the hair on your head, bringing with it what it was lacking and what was lost over the years.

Is the hair dull dry and damaged? Is it curly, wavy, frizzy, has too much volume or is unmanageable? Application of the La Brasiliana Keratin Treatment puts an end to all that. The smaller keratin molecules penetrate the hair cortex, improving and repairing the quality of the hair from the inside. The added strength, elasticity, and moisture result in the smooth, soft, shiny effect. The larger molecules coat the hair cuticle and protect your hair from environmental insults like UV rays, smog, and smoke. It even prevents further damage to the hair shaft.

Because this isn't a permanent treatment, as the keratin-based solution diminishes over time, your hair will eventually return to its natural form, but will stay soft, shiny and healthy looking. The more you receive the treatment, the healthier and more manageable the hair becomes. This is one of the great bonuses of getting a La Brasiliana Keratin Treatment. Your hair keeps getting better!

The treatment takes between 1.5 to a few hours to do depending on what treatment you choose (come sip some tea or espresso and chat with us here at Believe while we work on making you even more beautiful than you already are) and generally lasts around four months. You can also book a manicure or a Revitalizing Hand or Neck Treatment while processing. (Here's another positive surprise about the treatment: Not only does it work with damaged hair—the more damaged the better! The treatment lasts even longer on damaged hair—up to six months.)

Have questions? Yes, we can do the treatment to previously-straightened, relaxed, and color-treated hair. Yes we can color your hair on the same day you get the Keratin treatment. Yes, we can do teens' hair (it's perfectly safe for anyone over the age of 12).

So no more excuses. Wave goodbye to the frizz and spend 2011 loving your sleek, shiny mane. Give us a call at Believe to schedule your Keratin treatment soon.