Resolve to give your hair and skin more TLC

BY BRAVETTA HASSELL World Scene Writer
Tuesday, January 01, 2013
1/01/13 at 5:23 AM

It's a new year, and what better way to face it than with a fresh face and taking more time to pamper yourself, to feel and look your best.

With a demanding work schedule, family obligations, crazy social calendar and lack of enough sleep, you can't forget yourself.

Giving some much needed, regular attention to your face, body, hair and nails will pay dividends now through the future if you make some concerted decisions about your hair and skin. Make a plan, and stick to it. It doesn't have to be elaborate but should be consistent.

"We can do things topically, but your body can do its best when it has all the vitamins and nutrients it needs to perform its best," said Kenya Carter, owner of Redz Salon and Spa, 1105 S. Peoria Ave. "And most people aren't getting all the things they need."

It is well known how valuable vitamins A, C and E are to hair, skin and nail health, as are a number of vitamins and minerals. So hop to those balanced meals, your fruits and veggies, and lean meats this new year.

Also, "supplement, supplement, supplement, and your hair and nails will grow and grow and grow," Carter said.

Combine a great diet with some practical beauty tips, and you'll be looking and feeling gorgeous in 2013, as well as years to come.

Moisturize was the resounding suggestion from Carter and specialists at the Ihloff Salon and Day Spa, who offered advice in hair, face, nail and skin care to kick off your New Year's beauty resolutions.

Hair

Resolve to invest in making your hair quality hair.

"If your hair's really important to you, then it's usually, for the most part, worth it to spend a little bit of money on it," said Becky Wheelus, a master stylist at Ihloff Salon and Day Spa.

Purchase quality hair products, and put them to use for great results if you want to see your crown and glory at its best.

As with skin and nails, getting that moisture in and keeping it there is paramount. That's especially true in extreme temperatures when dry heat and cold can leach the moisture right out of your strands, leaving it vulnerable to splitting and breaking.

Conditioning can never be underestimated and neither can prepping your hair with the appropriate tools before applying stress.

"Some people are worried that it's going to make their hair greasy," Wheelus said. "But I'd much rather just have to rewash my hair and apply product than not have any hair to wash because it's all broken off."

To combat dryness, Wheelus said to make sure you get a deep conditioner treatment when you're getting a color service. Even if you don't have color but do have dryness, be sure to deep-condition weekly on top of your regular washing schedule.

If your hair is extremely dry, think about shampooing every other day.

Love that flat iron? Make sure that any time you're putting heat to your hair, you're always putting a heat protectant on it first. Always.

Want shiny hair? Consider getting a glaze, Wheelus said - something like a demi-permanent color. It's something you can get when your hair is looking dull.

Carter added that using a lot of heat appliances on your hair will dull its shine. She recommends using serums, which add shine but don't weigh hair down. For curly hair or natural African American hair, Carter said to not forget to use a conditioner with oils in it, as that will infuse your hair with moisture and leave a healthy shine.

Maintaining color-treated hair?

"You really have to baby color treated hair or any chemically processed hair," Carter said. Harsh chemical treatments leave your hair cuticles weak and susceptible to damage.

Deep condition, Carter said. "This hair really needs a lot of moisture." And keep your ends trimmed, as color-treated ends tend to dry out even quicker and, consequently, need to be trimmed more frequently than untreated hair.

Taming frizzy hair? Muggy summers equal frizzy hair, and Wheelus recommends applying light, anti-frizz products. In the winter, tame and refine curly hair with heavier products, such as creams designed to hold and keep in moisture.

Need a trim? If you're wanting just to keep your length, anywhere from four to six weeks is good. If you're wanting to achieve longer lengths, get your hair trimmed about every eight to 10 weeks.

And if you want longer hair? Back down on the foiling a bit, and be sure to get regular deep conditioning treatments whenever you visit the salon.

"Ultimately, the more you invest in your hair, the more it is going to work better for you," Wheelus said.

Baby your face

Resolve to baby your face: Cleanse, tone, moisturize.

If you don't do anything else, cleanse, tone and moisturize every single day, morning and night, said Ihloff Salon and Day Spa esthetician Brooke Vaughan.

Cleansing and moisturizing your face should be done twice a day. Toning should be done in the morning and exfoliation at night.

Vaughan said the use of a liquid exfoliant at night is important because you're sloughing off the dead skin cells that prevent cell turnover, a process she said slows way down as people age.

"Taking care of your skin when you're younger is so important for when you get older," she said. Treating your skin right early will pay off in how you show your age later.

Have oily skin? "A lot of people are surprised to know this but the oilier your skin is when you're younger, the better your skin is going to look when you get older since your skin dries out as you get older," Vaughan said.

Still, continue to moisturize morning and night, even with oily skin.

Dry skin? Think about a hydrating mask that will really infuse the skin with moisture.

"If your skin is feeling drier than normal, just put some moisturizer on," Vaughan said. A tinted moisturizer, which doubles as a sort of sheer foundation, is a great idea.

Prepare for summer

It's especially important, what with all the dirt and oil those hot days generate, that you keep your face clean.

People's faces tend to be oilier than usual in the summer, but that doesn't mean you skip on step three of your face care routine: Moisturize. Make sure it's oil-free.

You can achieve radiant skin from exfoliant scrubs, but use them infrequently.

"(They're) great to use, but anything that's got grit is going to be abrasive on your skin," Vaughan said.

Watch your diet, both Vaughan and Carter agree. Eat your fruits and vegetables, full of antioxidants and vitamins. Vitamins A, C and E are among the most important ones that you can give yourself for your skin.

And "try not to eat fatty, greasy, fried food too much," Vaughan said. "Every now and then is OK, but not every day."

Skin and nails

Resolve to both pamper the skin you live in and deck out those digits.

There's nothing like a manicured hand with a stylish shade of nail polish on it, said Megan Jackson, nail therapist at Ihloff Salon and Day Spa.

But before sweeping on those pretty coats of deep plum, pay some attention to the canvas on which your painting - your hands, as well as all of your body.

"Hydrate that skin. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate," Jackson said. And during the winter, quenching that need for moisture couldn't be greater.

Whether your hands have been in and out of water all season, out in the cold air or simply busy with work, they're constantly needing to be replenished with moisture, just like the rest of your body.

"Keep your hands in gloves if you can," Jackson said. "Use an organic hand-washing soap that does not dry out your skin."

Regular manicures are wonderful. But in the time in between, apply your hand lotions and cuticle cream nightly to prevent hangnails.

Above all, be mindful of your diet, which affects everything - face, skin, hair and nails.

Hair, skin and nails are all related, Carter said, so what you do for one often affects all. That's particularly the case with hydration, as in drinking water.

During winter, Carter said to go with something heavy during the cold dry months of the year, such as shea butter and body butter. Heavier creams that don't have ingredients like mineral oil (which dries the skin out, Jackson said) will seal in moisture.

In summer, use something very light - less weighty than a butter - as your body is going to produce enough oil as it is.

"Jojoba oil is the best," Jacksons said. "It's amazing, and I would use that in place of any other. If you can't do anything, keep jojoba oil on your skin."

For strong nails, their growth has a lot to do with diet, Carter said.

Jackson added that nail polish enriched with protein would also be helpful. A CND Shellac manicure strengthens nails and is chip-less for at least 14 days.

"Your accessories aren't just your earrings anymore," Jackson said. "Nail polish is like an accessory."

It's the icing on the cake, the finishing touch.

Jackson said metallic colors continue to be big. Tinsel silver comes to mind, as does dark titanium.

Spring will bring bright colors, "but if you want that edge, that dark grey and those metals," Carter said. "Oh, I love 'em."

Original Print Headline: Face forward

Bravetta Hassell 918-581-8316
bravetta.hassell@tulsaworld.com

Associated Images:

Model Bobbie West-Callison models hair, nails and makeup by Ihloff Salon and Day Spa. JAMES GIBBARD / Tulsa World. Model Bobbie courtesy of Linda Layman Agency. Hair by Reagan Puente, makeup by Michelle Cover, nails by Megan Jackson, skin by Brooke Vaughan, all courtesy of Ihloff Salon and Day Spa.

Hair, skin and nails are all related, so what you do for one often affects them all, says Kenya Carter, owner of Redz Salon and Spa. JAMES GIBBARD / Tulsa World. Model Bobbie courtesy Linda Layman Agency.

'If your hair's really important to you, then it's usually, for the most part, worth it to spend a little bit of money on it,' says Becky Wheelus, master stylist at Ihloff Salon and Day Spa. JAMES GIBBARD / Tulsa World. Model Bobbie courtesy Linda Layman Agency.