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 Hair Styles Advice - Hairstyles GalleryOne commonly used hair dye is henna - a natural colourant. It is a permanent hair dye. Though henna imparts an orange-red colour to the hair, this colour can be altered by the addition of indigo logwood and camomile. A real advantage with henna is that it is a superb conditioner. It gives the hair body and bounce. Moreover, allergic reactions to henna are extremely uncommon - all these advantages have made henna a favourite colourant. Hairdyes often cause reactions Paraphenylenediamine is a major component of all the synthetic permanent hairdyes. It frequently causes allergic skin rashes- so it is necessary for you to do a 'patch test' before using these dyes, to check whether your skin is allergic to the hair dye. For a patch test, prepare a small quantity of the dye. Apply it to the skin (usually behind the earoron the inside of the arm, at the elbows) and leave it untouched and uncovered for at least 24 hours. The product should not be used for dyeing the hair, if any reaction (redness, irritation or blistering) develops. If there is no reaction, then it is safe to use the dye at that time. Since sensitivity can develop at any time (even after previous safe use) it is advisable to carry out a patch test every time you want to dye your hair. Reactions to these dyes appear several hours after use. Although not very common, reactions when they occur are both painful and unsightly. Itchy swellings and oozing then develop on the scalp, neck, forehead, and eyelids. Some people also develop breathing difficulty spon after applying the hairdye. Prolonged use of the hairdyes can result in the darkening of the skin of the face and neck. Some doctors are of the opinion that hairdyes increase the risk of skin cancers-but this is really doubtful. Hairdyes also weaken the hair protein and increase the porosity of the hair. This results in weakening of the hair. This weakened hair is more prone to other mechanical and chemical damage. Because of this effect, several permanent hairdyes available in the market incorporate conditioners into the dyes. These help to reduce the damage of the hair caused by hairdyes. Hair Curling and Hair Straightening TipsHow do hair perms work? Perming is a chemical process of changing the shape of hair, so that the new style is retained through several washes. Perming lotions contain chemicals which cause some of the bonds within the protein fibres of the hair to break. The lotions remain on the hair for the necessary development time during which the desired number of bonds (25-30%) are broken. A new pattern is then imPosed on the hair by winding it on rollers. The lotion is then rinsed off the hair and a neutraliser is applied to enable the disrupted bonds to reform with a new pattern, giving the hair a new shape. Perming can be achieved either by a cold process or by a hot process. In cold waving, thioglycollates are used to break the bonds, while in hot waving, alkalis are used. 'Soft perms' are also available for home use - they act in the same way but contain bisulphites which act more slowly and to a lesser extent-the result is a softer perm which does not last very long. Normally the professionally given perms should last until the treated hair grows out or is cut off. What can gowrong with a perm? A number of factors combine to make the perm successful: the correct strength of the lotion, the curler size, the degree of tension with which the hair is wound around the curlers, and the development time. Things can go wrong with any of these and spoil the perm. You might not be satisfied with the style of the perm. With small curlers and too much tension on the hair, the hair looks frizzy. Similarly, in case of too long a development time the curl becomes too tight. With a short development time and larger curlers the perm is loose. Damage to the hair is another problem with perming; this occurs most often in the hair which is already damaged by dyeing. Even in normal hair, too prolonged an application or too strong a lotion may cause damage, because of the weakening of the bonds in the hair protein. The cuticuiar scales are also damaged during perming and may even be lost - this leaves areas of hair naked making it look lifeless. If sufficient damage has been caused to the hair, it may break, either immediately or within a few days of perming, as you comb or brush your hair. In rare cases skin irritation can occur-this is the result of careless application of.the lotion or if the lotion is allowed to remain for too long in contact with the scalp. In view of the problems your skin and hair are likely to face, it is better to get your hair permed from an experienced beautician. How often can you perm your hair? This depends on the condition of your hair. Some damage does take place during perming and this is more so if the hair has been dyed earlier and it is therefore better to avoid re-perming your hair earlier than 4-5 months. Can curly hair be straightened? Yes, hair can be straightened just as it can be curled. This is done either by using chemicals or heat. The hair straightening is brought about by breakage of the bonds and formation of new 'ones and this too makes the hair weak. Of the chemical meth. ods, one technique uses a strong alkali and the other involves the use of a reducing agent. The former tends to have a stronger effect. Setting Your Hair - Hair Care AdviceWhat are setting agents and hair sprays? Setting agents keep the hair set longer. They are applied to wash the hair before it is set. A film of the agent is left on the hair and as the hair dries, it is glued together giving it a stiff and thick appearance. Hair sprays, on the other hand,are used on hair which has been set. They keep hair in place. Both, setting agents and hair sprays have very little chemical effect on the hair proteins. They both contain water soluble polymers, but in different formulations. Mechanically, they have two different effects: because they minimize the need to comb, they reduce hair damage; but they make hair stiffer, so it becomes difficult to comb, thereby increasing the damage to the hair while combing. Both these opposing effects are generally balanced. Blow drying : Many of us use a 'dryer' for setting hair. Sometimes we use it simply to rapidly dry wet hair. Heat is potentially damaging to the hair because it results in the loss of natural oils and moisture. Also 'heat treated' hair is more prone to damage, because heat weakens the hair protein. This is especially so if the hair was wet prior to heat drying. It is best to avoid a dryer altogether; but if this is not possible follow these precautions:
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