When I consult clients about their lifestyle and hair maintenance routine to try and get to the bottom of some of the hair issues they are experiencing, I come to find out that many of them are simply stressed out. When we are stressed, we feel tension in our necks, arms, backs and can at times feel achy all over. When our necks and shoulders are tense and constricted, the blood capillaries contract, which causes the blood and oxygen supply to the scalp to get sluggish. Inevitably, our hair and scalp becomes stressed too. Signs of this are a tight, dry, flaky scalp, dull hair and eventually hair loss. Let’s go into a New Year taking care of our bodies, our skin, our hair and our scalp. Here are some tips to help you to ‘give your hair a break’ for 2012:

1. Hydrate yourself. A flaky scalp can sometimes be due to dehydration. Keep this in mind if you are a heavy alcohol drinker. Be conscience to get those 8 large glasses of water in daily as well as practice some relaxation techniques and unwinding in a hot bubble bath to unwind.

2. Give yourself regularly scalp massages. This will help to relieve tension and increase oxygen and blood flow to the scalp to help nourish the root and follicle. Another way to increase blood flow is to lay flat on your back across your bed with your head hanging off the side of the bed for a few minutes. Just another option but I prefer the first idea.

3. Get some rest. Beauty comes from within. Tiredness along with stress can wreak havoc on your hair.

4. Healthy food brings about healthy hair. You can use every product on the shelves at your local beauty supply, but the only real solution comes from within. A poor diet leads to an impoverished scalp. If you know you’re not eating a balanced diet, you need to supplement.

5. Supplement your diet with vitamins and minerals. B complex, antioxidants, selenium and zinc are great to start with. Don’t overdose. Take the recommended daily amount. The local pharmacy or a vitamin shoppe will carry an all-in-one hair and skin supplement vitamin. Also don’t rule out consulting with your personal physician to start a plan and vitamin regimen that’s right for you.

6. Take Fish Oil Supplements or add oily fish to your diets to encourage the flow of sebum thus adding much flexibility to the hair.

7. Essential oils can also benefit the hair and scalp. Tea tress and eucalyptus have antiseptic properties which can be very soothing to a dry, tight scalp; and lavender is very relaxing.

We all have hair and scalp issues from time to time. The problems that you are having are not always “your diet”, but they could be seasonal, the wrong shampoo or conditioners, or over styling using too much product and possibly using it the wrong way. Following are 3 quick fixes that will hopefully help fix these problems in no time.

1. Split ends are usually caused by over processing, over styling, hair accessories, rough treatment and also under conditioning. The only way to really get rid of split ends is to cut them off, despite what you’ve heard or all the products you’ve seen with empty promises at your local supply. Ends should be trimmed every 6 to 8 weeks, so please ladies, STOP holding on to ends that need to be gone! It just doesn’t look good to have length, but 3 inches of it is thin because of split ends. The perfect products for ends prone to splitting are moisturizing shampoos and conditioners (including leave-in conditioners), hair moisturizers and pomades. Try to minimize the heat and definitely protect your hair at night with a silk bonnet or scarf along with a silk or satin pillowcase.

2. Dry, dull hair can come from chemical over processing, heat damage, salt water, chlorine, sun exposure and even poor circulation and poor diet. Using a moisturizing, sulfate free shampoo will keep from stripping the natural oils from the hair and scalp. Use conditioners such as hair masks, hot oil treatments, deep conditioning treatments and protein treatments depending on hair texture and severity. One solution that is popular right now and is a good investment is a hair steamer. The steaming process will allow the oils and/or conditioner to penetrate up to 5 times more than a conventional hair dryer and will definitely leave your hair feeling soft and moist. To protect against heat damage, make sure you use a heat protectant to guard your hair strands before exposure to heat. Also, look for products that contain UV protectors on the label. To make hair more lustrous, adding a serum to the hair when styling will give hair a polished finish. Consult a professional as to proper treatments and hair maintenance needed.

3. A Flaking scalp can be very irritating as those flakes lift up throughout the hair, especially if it’s combined with itching, tightness and inflammation. It doesn’t matter if it’s dandruff, dry scalp eczema or seborrheic dermatitis, you just want it fixed. Here’s the quick low down on the common “flaky” problems you’re facing:

• First of all you need to know what you’re dealing with: When you comb or brush your hair and you notice tiny, dry, powdery bits on your dark blouse, you have dry scalp. If the flakes are larger and look slightly moist or greasy, they are dandruff. If you have large greasy flakes with a red, irritated scalp, you probably have seborrhea. If the scales stick to the scalp, it may be psoriasis. Dandruff and dry scalp are both forms of dermatitis. Dandruff is often mistaken for dry scalp. It’s said that dandruff is caused by an overgrowth of yeast that’s found on even healthy scalps. It is a result of skin cells dividing and multiplying at an accelerated rate that they reach the surface before they die and clump there. These flakes are white and scaly that can easily become infected, resulting in scabbing and inflammation (seborrheic dermatitis), usually linked with a food allergy or poor diet, and is aggravated by stress or excessive intake of dairy products and junk foods.

• Dry, flaky scalp can result from poor circulation, using harsh products causing natural oils to be stripped from the scalp and not sufficiently rinsing products from the scalp properly. Dry scalp can feel tight and accompanied by flakiness. If you have a dry, flaky scalp, use a clarifying shampoo (cider vinegar can be added) to remove dead skin cells and any build up of shampoo or conditioner on the scalp. Then try an oil treatment or scalp cream designed for dry, itchy scalps.

• Dandruff is seasonal, occurring more frequently and more severely from October to March, when your hair is exposed to dry indoor heat. The following rinses can be used every couple of weeks to help combat the flakes. (1) Blend ten drops of thyme essential oil with 100ml of apple juice, massage into the scalp, leave on for five minutes and rinse and follow with a mild shampoo. (2) Boil a few sprigs of Rosemary in 2 cups of water and cool. Rinse through the hair and massage into the scalp. Herbal antiseptics like tea tree oil that fights bacteria and yeast are great alternatives to dandruff shampoos. Also mild shampoos that include rosemary or sage can also help to control dandruff and won’t dry out your hair and scalp. Also take 500mg capsules of evening primrose oil every day until condition clears.

• Itchy red patches are a common sign of eczema or psoriasis. Consult a Trichologist if unsure. If you have either, it is more likely than not that your immune system is under stress. To treat at home, use a mild, sulfate free shampoo, then massage aloe vera juice into the scalp, leave on and style as normal. Aloe contains 18 amino acids as well as numerous vitamins and minerals. Aloe also contains anti-inflammatory properties; anti-bacterial properties, immune stimulating properties and general tissue repair properties. Perfect for eczema or psoriasis inflamed skin.

If your scalp condition does not clear up or is an extreme case, please don’t go at it alone. Consult with a Trichologist or Dermatologist.

Have you ever walked into the salon excited about your soon-to-be new look and walked out enraged because things didn’t go quite like you had imagined? We (yes, me too) have all experienced horrible service whether it be customer service in general or a terrible haircut or hairstyle. I see ladies all too often that come in the salon with nightmare experiences from their last salon, and nine times out of ten it’s a communication breakdown. There is a method to the madness and I want to share some tips that may just help you from going down that road again.

1. Schedule a consultation. This step is so important to your overall experience at the salon. When you find a salon or hair stylist, you want to make sure you schedule a consultation to communicate what your ideas or desires are for your hair. Remember that communication is a two-way street. You need to provide information and understanding to your hairstylist and the hairstylist needs to provide information and professional direction to you. To avoid miscommunication, give as much information as possible about your hair and its history and also get some understanding of basic terminology such as layering, feathers, tapering and trimming. If you don’t understand what the stylist is saying, this is the perfect time to ask. Make sure that the stylist is easy to talk to with a pleasant personality, and the same is expected from you, the client.

2. Get a virtual makeover. There are online websites that allow you to get a virtual makeover by uploading a photo of yourself and try on different hairstyles to get an idea of how a particular style, cut or color may look on you before you actually commit. When you find a look that you like, print it out and take it in to the stylist to show during your consultation. This is a pretty neat idea.

3. Bring pictures. We are visual people. It’s hard to describe a cut or style and be sure that the person listening really visualizes the same picture in their mind as you. You’re taking a huge chance of not getting the look you were hoping for. So, show us a photo of the cut you had that you really liked or bring photos printed from online or from a magazine of the look you want to see on yourself to be certain you are getting what you want.

4. Be realistic. Keep in mind that magazine photos are taken at a photo shoot where there’s a hairstylist and an assistant or two right by the models’ side during the whole shoot to make sure every hair is in place. They may use wind machines, hair pieces, extensions, and even whole cans of hair spray. There are also lights shining on the models’ hair to make the color more vibrant. Not to mention the photo retouching that gives the hair an even shinier, fuller look. So, try to bring photos of models or celebrities at movie premiers or on the red carpet. These photos look more natural because there’s not a stylist trailing them right before the shot fixing every hair that’s out of place.

5. Speak up. Tell your stylist if you didn’t really care for that last look she gave you. Be specific. Tell them why you did or didn’t like the style (be gentle) and discuss what you would like to achieve this time around. It doesn’t help you or the stylist if communication stops because you refused to speak to the one who can help get it right. Take a deep breath, call them up or on your next visit communicate the issue right away and work together.

6. Listen. Be open to the recommendations and direction your stylist has to offer. If you have done your homework and chose a salon or stylist you feel you will can vibe with, then there has to be a certain level of trust. Listen, ask questions and get a good understanding of their suggestions so you can then make an informed decision. Ultimately, it’s your call.

7. If all of the above fails, then you have no choice but to move along and find another stylist. Pay attention to styles that you like on your friends, co-workers or even the cashier. Especially if they have a similar cut like the one you’ve been envying or a similar hair type and texture as yours. Don’t be afraid to stop and ask where they go to get their hair done. They’ll more than likely be flattered.