NEVER HAVE A BAD HAIR DAY AGAIN

Tease the fact from the fiction with our haircare experts
By Deanna Michalopoulos

A blast of cold water at the end of your shower can tame frizz and add shine to your tresses

FACT
Brace yourself for the big chill. Cold water can help close the cuticle, the outermost coating of your hair strands. The cuticle is built like slats on a roof – one piece layered on top of the other all the way down the shaft, says Dr David Kingsley, a trichologist (hair and scalp expert). Heat lifts those layers, allowing the moisture in your hair to escape and frizz to go wild. Cold water (or even a cold blast from the hair dryer) can seal the cuticle, helping your hair maintain moisture. Plus, when the cuticle is smooth, light reflects easily off its surface, so your hair has a healthy sheen. But this is only a temporary fix. If you’re dealing with a super-damaged mane, your cuticle will rise once you start abusing it with appliances.

Washing your hair every day will make it fall out faster

FICTION
Whether you shampoo or not, you shed about 100 strands a day. The funny thing is that if you rinse off less often, it may seem as if you’re losing more hair because water hasn’t helped to rinse away those loose threads, says Dr Kingsley. So when you finally lather up after a three-day camping trip – or, uh, a super-lazy weekend on the couch – you can expect nearly 300 individual locks to collect in the drain.

Ancient Greeks and Romans cooked up hair dyes that nearly measured up to modern ones

FACT
In a study published in 2006 in the journal Nano Letters, researchers uncovered a 2000 year old hair dye formula that calls for applying lead oxide, slaked lime and water to the hair several times for raven-shaded results. It exists today in a similar recipe on the market called Grecian Formula, says study author Phillippe Walter, a senior research scientist at the Research and Restoration Center of French Museums. Who knew?

Stress can make your hair fall out

FACT
Reason No. 2537 we’re grateful not to be contestants on any reality show: extreme tension doesn’t just harm your heart and widen your waistline – it can also wreak havoc on your hair. Stress throws a wrench into your strands’ growing cycle, which can make it shed prematurely, and also tweaks hormone levels that trigger hair loss, says Dr Kingsley. Plus, anxiety sets up a roadblock between fuel and your follicles, so your hair doesn’t get the nutrients needed to keep growing.

Trimming your hair regularly makes it grow faster

FICTION
“No, not at all,” says Dr Kingsley. “Even if you shave your head, hair is still a dead fibre that grows about half an inch every month.” But he has a theory on how this rumour was misconstrued as fact: let’s say your locks are a centimetre long; four weeks later, they will have doubled in length. But a centimetre growth on hair that’s 45cm long is 1/36th of your length – which doesn’t seem so long.

The right product can mend split ends

FICTION
Sorry to say, your strands are like Brad and Jen: once they’ve split, there’s no reunion. The ends of your hair, the oldest section, have endured the most heat exposure, dye jobs and brushing, all of which wear away the cuticle, leaving behind frayed edges that spread up your hair shaft. The only thing that will cure the fray is a snip of the scissors, says Dr Kingsley. Get into the habit of visiting your stylist once every (you guessed it) six to eight weeks. Between visits, use both a rinse-out and leave-in conditioner. Keeping your hair moisturised is one of the best ways to prevent split ends.

Pluck one grey hair, and two or three more will sprout in its place

FICTION
“Grey hairs don’t send messages to other hairs to turn grey!” says Dr Kingsley. “Genetic coding is what makes the next one turn grey, not plucking of the first one.” But this doesn’t give you the green light to start mining all the silver out of your scalp. Tugging at the roots can cause permanent damage to the follicle, resulting in hair loss or thinning. If your new hue is bothering you, you’re better off investing in a box of hair colour.

The average head of hair can withstand about a ton of weight

FICTION

A healthy head of hair can actually withstand 12 tons. (That’s right: trick question!) Your hair is made up of keratin, which is between 85 to 95 per cent protein and snakes down the centre of your hair shaft in a four rope-like chains. As it turns out, these amino acids are super strong. Before you conduct any at-home experiments, though, take note: while your hair may be strong enough to support your car, your scalp most

certainly is not. http://www.womenshealthmag.co.uk

Vitamins and herbs for strong, healthy hair

(NaturalNews) Men and women alike desire thick, healthy and shiny hair. Chances are people who possess all of these traits are supplementing with certain vitamins and herbs, or eat a diet that feeds their hair these nutrients on a daily basis. Hair is not just an extension of our bodies. It has become a symbol of beauty, health and status. In order to get the coveted body, bounce and sheen you desire there are certain nutrients you should be concentrating on putting in your body.

Vitamins for healthy hair

The first vitamin for hair health is biotin. This is actually a form of vitamin B that is widely used to help prevent hair loss and stimulate hair growth. It is often recommended for chemotherapy patients to help increase the rate of growth.

It is also useful for thinning hair and is thought to help with loss of hair pigmentation although no conclusive evidence has been found. Biotin helps our bodies to break down fats, protein and carbohydrates. It can be found naturally in Swiss chard, liver, halibut and goat milk, to name a few.

Several other B vitamins help with hair loss or slow hair growth as well. Panthenol, or vitamin B5 is often used externally in shampoos and other hair products to help increase thickness. It has the ability to penetrate the cuticle and increase the diameter as a topical supplement.

A deficiency of vitamin B12 can lead to anemia, which stunts hair growth. Supplements of this vitamin often fall short as they don't absorb very well. Vitamin B12 shots are given for energy support in those who are deficient. However you can also increase your levels of this vitamin by eating foods such as grass fed beef, egg yolks and free range poultry.

Antioxidant vitamins are also an important source of nutrition for healthy hair. Vitamins C, E and A are important for the health of the skin and hair. They increase the health and efficiency of the entire body, thereby "freeing up" the resources to feed your hair the nutrients it needs on a daily basis. They help promote healthy connective tissues and cellular growth. A diet rich in these vitamins provides support for vibrant, abundant hair growth. Vitamin E also increases scalp circulation which in turn promotes hair growth.

Herbs for healthy hair

The foremost herb known for adding beauty and luster to the hair when taken orally is horsetail. Named for its long brush-like appearance, this herb is packed with a nutrient called silica. Silica is a substance that strengthens bones, nails and hair.

Siloca adds resilience to the hair by fortifying it with strength and thereby lessening breakage and thinning. Silica also is known for increasing shine and body thanks to the additional strength and presumably increased volume of hair. It is a relatively inexpensive herb and is used extensively for brittle or unhealthy hair.

Rosemary is an excellent herb to use topically to promote hair growth and increase scalp health. When applied to the scalp rosemary increases circulation and helps to gently remove excess sebum and dandruff, which can inhibit healthy hair growth.

Lavender is another herb that enhances the beauty of the hair. Lavender helps increase shine and gently cleanse deposits that dull the hair.

Hops are not only a main ingredient in beer. They make an excellent natural hair conditioner and softener when applied topically. The herb also contains silica so it helps fortify the hair from within. Many popular hair supplements use this to add strength and resilience.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/034727_herbs_healthy_hair.html

Your daily cup of coffee may be aging your skin

Maybe you take all the right steps — all 17 of them , even — to care for your skin. But simple, seemingly innocuous habits like a daily cup of coffee may be undermining your best efforts, explained New York City dermatologist Dr. Deborah Wattenberg this morning on TODAY. Here's what to avoid to keep your skin looking young and healthy.

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1. Seriously, stop smoking.

"Smoking is probably the worst thing you can possibly do for your body, including yourskin," Wattenberg explains — yet 20 percent of Americans are still lighting up.

Here's just one reason to consider kicking the habit: Nicotine and other chemicals found in cigarettes destroy the skin's elastin and collagen, leading to wrinkles and fine lines. Smoking also takes a toll on the skin's blood vessels, restricting oxygen flow and subsequently causing your skin to appear dull and sallow. Habitual smoking can also lead to those pucker lines around the mouth, Wattenberg says.

2. Wine, candy and coffee are aging your skin.

Turns out, all of your favorite vices — alcohol, junk food and caffeine — are wrecking your skin, too. "Alcohol and caffeine ... act like a diuretic and prevent you from holding on to water, so your skin looks sort of prune-like. It can get dry and get washed out," Wattenberg says. "Junk food contains a lot of preservatives and that will do the same thing."

So if you're drinking a lot of caffeine or alcohol, remember to stay hydrated. We need about six to eight glasses of water per day, anyway, but if you're drinking a lot of lattes to get through the day, you'll need to drink even more water to keep your skin looking pretty.

3. Your lack of sleep is written all over your face.

Actually, if you're drinking caffeine to stay alert throughout the day, we need to talk about that, too. You may think you're getting away with six hours of sleep a night, but your skin tells the real story.

"When you don't sleep, stress causes the release of the hormone cortisol, (which) makes your skin oily (and) causes acne, which makes your skin look less attractive," Wattenbergy says.

4. Be nicer to acne-prone skin.

This is counterintuitive, but Wattenberg says when your skin breaks out, make sure you don't scrub your face too aggressively. "The worst thing you can do when you have acne is to try to scrub away your acne," Wattenberg says. "People try to do that all the time, and come in with irritated faces as a result of scrubbing or overwashing."

Acne, she explains, isn't caused by dirt or uncleanliness — it's hormones that are more likely making you break out. So instead of rubbing your face raw, wash gently, using products that are going to target the acne like salycilic acid. "And you don't want to pick and squeeze — it causes scarring, pigmentation and makes it worse because you can drive the bacteria deeper into the skin and create infections," Wattenberg says. Yikes.

5. You're not wearing enough sunscreen.

Yes, we know it's winter. But you still need to apply sunscreen — several times a day, Wattenberg insists. "Once a day is probably one of the worst things you can do for your skin, because the sun is still really strong, and people spend a lot of time outdoors," she explains.

Especially in parts of the country where the weather is turning snowier and icier, remember to reapply your sunscreen — the sun reflects off the snow and ice, and you can get burned easily. "Sunscreen is the key to youthful skin," she says.

you can see more   http://today.msnbc.msn.com

Cold cure: experts zinc they've found the answer Could this be the end of the common cold?

If you just can't shift the sniffles, zinc could be the answer you've been waiting for. According to a new study, taking zinc syrup or lozenges within one day of the start of your cold symptoms could help reduce and even prevent infections. It's thought to work by coating the virus and preventing it from entering your body through the thin lining in your nose. Laboratory tests at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research in Chandigarh in India also show that the virus can be stopped from reproducing.

ZEST SAYS: The dosage, timing and formulation of taking zinc is still uncertain. Plus, there are worries over the toxicity of zinc when used long-term and in high doses, as it may cause stomach upsets, nausea, and vomiting. For now, stick to what we are sure of: keep wrapped up with a big scarf, even pulling it up over your face to help stop airborne bugs. 'Cold air slows down the flow of mucus that raps viruses and can also reduce the white cells that fight them,' says Professor Ron Eccles, director of Cardiff University's Common Cold Centre. Just remember to wash your scarf regularly at 40°C or more to destroy germs, and you could be germ-free until spring. 

Top tips to fade stretch marks

Most of us have them, but there's plenty of easy steps that you can take to reduce stretch marks now and prevent them in the future, too

When your weight fluctuates it's stressful enough - without adding stretch marks into the mix.

7 in 10 girls developed stretch marks during puberty, and nine out of 10 women get them during pregnancy. Most of us will have them at some point in our lives. Unfortunately stretch marks never fade completely, but there are some things you can do to improve their appearance and prevent more developing in the future.

What causes stretch marks?

When the skin is stretched rapidly over a short period of time, the middle layer of skin can break in places, forming red or purple streaks that gradually fade to a silvery white colour.

A stretch mark is essentially the same as a scar, so maximising the skin’s ability to heal and strengthen itself is key to reducing their appearance.

You are what you eat

Luckily, this could be as easy as tweaking your diet; plenty of foods can protect against stretch marks.

Firstly, essential fatty acids can help restore moisture and elasticity to the skin, so try to include foods such as avocados, olives, salmon, mackerel, nuts and olive oil in your meals.

Silica, which is found in cucumbers, whole grain bread and rice, carrots, and leafy greens, can help the skin to repair and become more supple.

Getting enough zinc in your diet is crucial to help wounds to heal, so try to include some lean red meat and chicken, or beans, nuts and seeds if you’re vegetarian.

Vitamin C can help to produce collagen, a protein in the skin which helps improve strength and resilience; citrus fruits, tomatoes and red peppers are all great sources.

Finally, the more hydrated your skin is, the more likely it is to withstand stretching without scarring, so drink plenty of water .http://www.zest.co.uk