Have you got a hair problem
One of the most significant problems in caring for our hair is that,
despite all the information we are provided with to help us determine our
hair type, most women still don't know what their hair needs. Or they neg-
lect giving their hair the treatment it requires out of laziness. "Most people
don't condition or take care of their hair the way they should," says Ted Giza,
senior stylist at the Avon Salon and Spa in New York City. "For example,
straight hair needs to be washed and conditioned as much as curly hair, and
flyaway static ends are a sure sign of hair that's void of moisture. Hair is an
accessory. We wear our hair like jewelry or makeup. People should say,
'Wow, that's an elegant, beautiful woman' not 'Oh my god, her hair looks
amazing.' If you are getting compliments on your whole look, you have sue-
cessfully found the proportion, style, and texture that work well for you."
If you haven't quite figured out your personal hair care formula, con-
sider some of these common problems that can be easily fixed to give you
healthier hair. "One of the biggest mistakes women make is using the
wrong products the wrong way," says Ted. "You'll know you're using the
wrong shampoo and conditioner by the way your hair responds. If you use
a detangler for dry hair, it will still be frizzy. If you use a heavy-duty condi-
tioner on straight, fine hair, it will look greasy." In today's oversaturated
market, it's easy to be confused about which products to use. "With hun-
dreds of shampoos and conditioners out there, most will work for some-
one, somewhere, sometime. But just because one product works for your
friend, doesn't mean it will work for you."
Another common hair problem is not cutting your hair often enough.
"Split ends are the culprit," says Ted. "They tend to look frayed like fiber-
glass. A lot of women think they don't have to get haircuts while they are
growing out their hair, but the longer hair becomes, the more ends split
and you ultimately have to cut off more than you intended to. Regular trims
help clean up splitting, especially if you blow-dry or style hair regularly."
Getting a proportionate haircut is also key. Ted says, "It's hard for
women to leam to trust their stylists, because while they know they can
probably give a technically good haircut, they may not always choose one
that's right for their face. If you stop getting complimented on your hair,
chances are it probably isn't the right cut or color for you."
Styling aids are another issue, and smoothing a dollop of gel onto your scalp isn't always the answer.
"Most of us don't understand how styling products work," says Ted.
"We don't know the difference between grooming and straightening balms, laminates or silicones, volumizers,
mousses, or gels. We don't know what's meant for the hair shaft, hair
ends, or roots. We apply a product to the wrong part of our hair and wonder why the ends are still frizzy,
unkempt, and dull. More often than not, stylists don't educate their clients about products and too often even
if they do, the clients are not really listening."
