Hair Advice And Tips

When it comes to some types of hair removal procedures, your skin type can help to determine the likelihood that the process will work on you specifically.

In 1975 a US dermatologist named Thomas B. Fitzpatrick devised a system to classify skin types based on a person's physical attributes and their response to sun exposure.

The result is a classification of 6 different skin types:

Type I: Very fair skin that always burns and never tans.

Type II: Fair skin that always burns and sometimes tans.

Type III: Medium skin that sometimes burns and always tans.

Type IV: Olive/light brown skin that rarely burns and always tans.

Type V: Brown skin that never burns and always tans.

Type VI: Dark brown or black skin that never burns and always tans.

The 6 Fitzpatrick skin types range from Type 1 (very fair skin) to Type 6 (very dark skin).

Your skin type is determined by completing a questionnaire that asks about the color of your eyes, the natural color of your hair, the color of your skin, propensity to tan/burn and other questions related to how your skin responds to the sun.

When it comes to hair removal, the specific area to be treated is important since some body parts (ie. face) often get more regular exposure to the sun than other body parts (ie. back) and therefore might be a slightly different shade.

Skin type is a very important determining factor for the success (or lack thereof) of laser and pulsed light hair removal treatment.

When I first received my pulsed light hair removal treatment, one of the first thing the practitioner did was to have me answer the skin type questionnaire to determine my skin type.

She then inputted my skin type into the machine's computer since its settings are customizable based on the skin type of each patient.

Temporary and permanent hair removal technology is evolving constantly and is relevant to both men and women who want to remove unwanted hair.

For more information on hair removal options, visit http://www.PermanentHairRemovalTips.com.

Hair color correction is a big money maker in salons nationwide. The reason: over-the-counter hair coloring products have given consumers the impression that hair color is easy and extremely affordable. One look at a professionally-colored model on a commercial or glossy magazine page, and many people clamor to the closest drug store to purchase a $5 box of color with the hopes of receiving a $50 salon look.

The results are often disastrous, and it can take hundreds of dollars to correct a hair color problem that could have been prevented with just a tiny bit of knowledge and planning.

The most common problem seen with hair coloring at home and in salons is choosing a hair color that is too light for the natural shade of hair. Realistically, color can only lighten hair beautifully by a few shades. If you go any lighter than a few shades, you need to choose a high-lift product such as bleach or a professional highlighting system. Failure to do this often results in hair color that is much too brassy or even orange.

Word to the wise: high-lift hair coloring should only be performed by professionals. The controlled chemicals used in the process, if used incorrectly, can result in irreparable damage and/or chemical burns on the scalp and skin.

Another hair color mistake that is seen quite often is choosing a color that is too dark. Extremely dark hair color can be the most challenging to correct because dark color can actually stain the cortex (inner layer) of the hair, making it almost impossible to lighten. Again, avoid choosing hair colors that are more than a few shades darker than your own to prevent a costly cortex stain.

When it comes to choosing the right shade of hair color to use, pick tones and shades that flatter your skin tone. Choose warm shade of hair color (reds and warm browns) if you look best in warm-colored clothing such as reds, pinks and oranges. Choose a cool shade (beige, pale blonde highlights and neutral colors) if you look best in blues and greens.

As you can see, just a little bid of planning and knowledge can save you from costly hair coloring disasters. And by making an informed decision before you purchase hair color, you will not only save money, you will also save your hair from needless damage.

Hair color is a chemical, and every time you chemically process your hair, you damage it to some extent. The damage can be minimal, as is usually the case with high-end professional hair coloring systems, or can be extreme. And each time you use hair color to correct a problem, you are damaging your hair even more.

Here are just a few tell-tale signs that your hair has been over processed with hair color and other chemicals.

The hair is limp and dull, and no amount of styling can bring back its luster and bounce. The hair color has faded dramatically, and you are left with brassy and banded hair color. (Banded hair color is evident by the sudden change of hair color along the hair shaft. For example: the hair may be dark until about 2 from the scalp where it turns a brassy orange.) The hair is extremely dry and brittle. When it is wet, it is almost impossible to comb it without causing breakage.

You can avoid damage to your hair caused by hair coloring by taking the same precautions recommended for choosing the right hair color. Choosing the right hair color reduces the amount of color applications, therefore, reducing the chances of your hair becoming over processed.

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Hair removal can be confusing sometimes in terms of what method or product to use. To avoid this, one should start with the basics. Like everything else, one should begin with the definition.

Hair - No matter how unwanted it is, you need to understand what hair is because this is what you are removing. Where the hair grows is known as the hair follicle. The word is derived from the Latin 'follis', for bag. This is a sac where a hair shaft grows from and through the open sebaceous (oil) glands.

Each hair follicle normally undergoes a five-year cycle of growth and rest periods. There are about 90% of the follicles growing hair at any one time, growth which averages at about six inches (15 cm) of growth per year. Because of this cycle, whenever someone says that their product removes hair at one time, it doesn't mean that it removes all hair types. Actually, it's impossible to have every hair type removed from an area permanently and in one treatment only. The amounts of each type of hair and growth rate differ from one person to another. Anywhere from 20% to 85% of hairs are in the anagen phase, where hair is actively growing, depending on the surface area and body part where the hair is removed. A lot of hair-removal techniques have shown to be successful on fast-growing anagen hair although this indicates that a single treatment from any procedure is not enough to remove all the hairs of that area.

Potential Follicles are the types of follicles that do not produce hair, but still have the ability to do so. These follicles could be stimulated to produce hair by changes in hormones during puberty, pregnancy, aging, etc., or by chemical exposure or medical conditions. This is the reason why, even if hair is permanently removed, some new hairs may still grow.

Permanent Methods - If you are looking for permanent ways to get rid of hair, you have a few flawed options. A number of ways have been developed to regulate hair growth with the use of chemicals, various types of energy, or a combination. Permanent hair removal ultimately means permanently destroying these areas while sparing the surrounding tissue. This is a tricky test. Choose wisely.

Electrolysis - Electrolysis is a method of removing unwanted hair permanently. In this procedure, a metal probe that is as thin as a hair is slid into the unwanted hair follicle. This is properly done if the probe doesn't puncture the skin when inserted. Upon insertion, an electric current runs from the probe to the follicle and causes localized and contained damage to the area. This results in the inability of the follicle to produce hair. Electrolysis has the best results in terms of longevity of the effects. This method also boasts of 125 years of safety and effectiveness that has been clinically proven. However, this can be very expensive, painful and tiresome. Also, with areas of large amounts of hair, this method may require repeated sessions. If electrolysis is done incorrectly, this may result in partial to full hair re-growth, temporary or lasting skin damage and infection. Electrolysis must be done by licensed and competent practitioners.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Hair Removal