Dyeing our hair a new shade shifts us into a new sense of being, gives us a new persona to assume and fulfill. We can be the boisterous blonde we never were, the seductive brunette, the electric redhead or the mysterious ebony-haired beauty. And with this exciting new shade also comes a stunning blast of self-confidence and invigoration.
Changing the color of our hair gives us freedom and a sense of renewal, even if the only thing different from yesterday to today is the color of the strands on our heads. Depending on your comfort levels, you can try at-home coloring kits or you can make an appointment with your stylist. Opt for highlights only or color your entire mane for the ultimate head-turning factor. Hair normally has a moisture content of approximately 10%. If your hair�s moisture content drops below this level the key is to increase the hair�s ability of attract and retain moisture. This is accomplished by using moisturizers.
Good ones have "humectants" that not only replace lost moisture but actually attract moisture and retain it in the cortex of the hair. Essential fatty aids (EFA�s) are great moisturizers. One of the best and most cost effective essential fatty acids is safflower oil. It is the kind you can buy to cook with. It is rich in EFA�s.
The scalp produces the best EFA�s called sebum. The problems is once the hair grows past the neck line or does not have direct contact with the scalp the scalps natural oils can not be utilized throughout the hair shaft.
You can manually replace the lost by:
- Placing 1 or 2 drops of safflower oil in your palms and rub them together.
- There should only be enough to make your hands "shine" in the light.
- Carefully take your hair (while dry) and "scrunch" the small amount of oil to the ENDS first and work toward the scalp.
- Leave this in your hair.
- 1-2 drops of safflower oil on dry hair is so small, you won�t notice it is there.
Doing the above as often as necessary will ensure your dry hair will have the proper amount of humectants to attract and reatin moisture. The key is that a small amount will go a long way.
