Post Pregnancy Hair Loss!

Often my clients who have been pregnant lament, "my hair was so thick and lush when I was pregnant because of the prenatal vitamins. Then I had the baby and it all fell out!"

I'm sure prenatal vitamins benefit your hair too but read on to get the real truth about that thick pregnancy hair and why it all fell out.

There are 3 phases of hair growth for your hair.  In a nut-shell:
Anagen:  the active growing phase of your hair.  The avg. person's head hair grows 1/2" per month.
Catagen: the "resting" phase which occurs for about 2-3 months.  The hair stops growing.
Telogen: the stage in which hair is shed, or falls out.  It is very normal to shed up to 100 hairs per day for a non-pregnant person.

TRUE:  during pregnancy your hair may appear thicker.  This is because higher hormone levels prevent normal hair loss.  Your hair tends to stay in the Catagen phase longer and fewer hairs fall out each day which cause your hair to seem thicker.

Once you have the baby, your body and hair will try to return to pre-pregnancy shape.  A few months after having the baby many women notice more hair falling out.  This is NORMAL and  happens because the Catagen (resting) phase shortens and the normal hair loss that was delayed by pregnancy tends to take place all at once.  If gobs of hair come out in the shower, know that it's just your hair trying to get back to it's normal growth cycle. While some of your hair is falling out, new hair is growing in.  See Katie Holmes below and this will all make sense.

The entire Holmes-Cruise family sported short 'dos at thier '06 wedding.
Check out Katie's baby bangs. (New growth where Telogen occurred.)

I cropped some bangs to hide the significant hair loss around my temples after baby #2.
Tawny (left) was preggers here, probably enjoying her thick, lush hair. :)

Some clients have chosen to cut their hair shorter, or add layers to increase fullness.  Others, like me, cut bangs to help disguise the "baby hairs" and hair loss around the face.  I have known clients whose hair is normally curly, go straight and straight haired clients go wavy or curly.  Hormones.  We can blame it on the hormones.  Luckily, there are beach waves and smoothing treatments, clip-in and permanent extensions, so a good remedy is at your nearest salon if you need it.  :)

Have patience, after a few months your hair will balance itself out. And If you are preggers now and loving your thick locks, just ENJOY them!

Latisse-Day 62 & Eye Makeup Remover I Love

Latisse-Day 1

My ever faithful journey with Latisse, the prescription eyelash lengthing and thickening product, continues!  The picture below was taken on day 62, once again with no makeup, just me and my lashes.  I have definitely noticed a difference.  My lashes, especially on the end corners, are much longer and starting to thicken.  Each bottle of Latisse is 3ml and lasts two months and costs about $120 per bottle. I got mine for less because I bought two bottles at Plastic Surgery Associates of Santa Rosa.  I am now on my second bottle and will continue to apply one drop of Latisse to a clean, sterile brush (included) to each lash line, each night, for 2 more months. 

Latisse-Day 62

According to the Rx clinical studies, 78% of patients saw increased lash length and thickness by week 16.  Once I complete my 16 week trial, I can then go on the “maintenance” plan and apply Latisse every other day or every two days. 

So what is the growth phase and time line of an eyelash?

Just like the hair on our head, our eyelashes go through 3 stages of growth. 

Stage 1:  Anagen-the active growing phase that lasts 30-45 days (much shorter than the growing phase of scalp hairs which is 2-6 years!) 

Stage 2:  Catagen-the stage of transition where the eyelash is no longer growing, but where the sheath of the eyelash attaches to the hair’s root.    

Stage 3: Telogen-the fall out stage or the hair’s resting phase where it’s just sort of hanging out and looking pretty.  An eyelash hair will rest for about 100 days before falling out on its own.

Lashes will fall out during Telogen, but also from tugging on lashes or wiping them too vigorously when removing makeup.  My advice is to avoid tugging or wiping your lashes to roughly by using a gentle oil-free eye makeup remover whenever taking off eyemakeup.  If it’s the kind that you put on a cotton ball, douse it generously and then hold it to your eye for a few seconds before wiping away traces of mascara, eyeliner etc.  

Trust me, I don’t get paid to say this but a few of my all time favorite eye makeup removers are:  Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover by Mary Kay $15 (3.75 fl.oz).  I use this every night and one bottle lasts me about 3 months.  (Peggy is a great MK consultant if you’d like a recommendation.  I can get you her info.).  

Lancome Bi-Facil Double-Action Eye Makeup Remover $26 (4.2 fl. Oz.) and Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes ($6.49 – 8.49 for 25 toweletts.) for traveling.  They come in a regular, sensitive and hydrating formulas and you don’t have to worry about putting them in your carry-on luggage since they are not liquid.   

Let me know what eye makeup remover you love and where we can get it!  More pics to come as I round out my trial study of Latisse.  And most importantly, I tell you if I think it's REALLY worth the $$.

Oh Baby Bangs!

Does your little girl's hair look like this?  

This is my 18 month old baby with a full head of hair gone wild!

So why don't I just cut this girl some bangs, right?  I mean, I do cut hair for a living!

I have vowed to not to cut the dreaded, thick baby bangs on my daughters no matter how frustrated I get with their wild and crazy hair.  Read on....

My signature 'do.  8 yrs old.

Think back to your youth and that awesome bowl cut you sported!  (Please tell me that wasn’t just me.)  Those bangs I had definitely started from the center of my head.  Sorry mom, I know you loved that 'do.  The grow out process was challenging to say the least.  (See awkward picture below.)  

1989-growing out the bangs and the year my now-husband
fell in love with me.  Go figure!

All of Ivy's hair grows forward from the swirl
at the top of her head.

Natually, our hair really grows in a swirl (for some people that would be swirlsssss) hence the natural cow licks we have.  From this swirl our hair wants to grow straight forward and into our eyes.  As we get older and grow more hair we can part, brush and train the hair to fall to the sides and back.  But our little bitty girls have such fine hair that no matter how hard we try, it often just falls right into their eyes.

To avoid having to grow out the thick bangs later, you must refrain from cutting what you THINK would be bangs.  Check out the video, starring me and Ivy Jo, for more detailed info.
Baby Bangs Video!


If your baby won’t wear hair clippies, neither of my girls will, then try for the top knot.  The clear rubber bands work great and don’t hurt when you take them out.  Better yet, they are about $1 for 100 at Sally’s Beauty.  www.sallysbeauty.com.

Your child may have to sport this top knot until her hair grows in enough to start combing it down and to the sides.  Then, you’ll see some baby hairs growing in and THOSE my friends are the real bangs! 

Check out the "real" bangs that are growing in!  

Now maybe, just maybe our daughter's won't blame us for the awkward years...yeah right!

Latisse Update-day 30

I won't even bother posting a pic of MY lashes because to anyone else they wouldn't look any different than they did on day 1 or on my last Latisse posting - day 13.  BUT, I am starting to notice them thickening and getting a touch longer.

These are NOT my lashes...just a pretty eyelash inspiration pic.  :)

According to the Rx instructions, 69% of people using Latisse notice the biggest change in thickness and length after 60 days...good thing I have a 4 month supply!  Thank you very much Plastic Surgery Associates of Santa Rosa.  Check out their site for events and deals:  www.enhanceyourimage.com

The nightly ritual isn't too time consuming or burdensome for me.  After I remove all traces of eye make-up and cleanse my face I swipe on my Latisse.  One drop for each top lash line on a clean, disposable brush.  I doesn't sting my eyes or cause any discomfort for me.  Then I do my usual moisturizing routine, keeping any creams away from my eyelashes.

I understand that once I reach my long lash potential, after the 60 days or so, I can go on "maintenance" and use the Latisse every other day or so.

I'll keep you posted!!

Custom Color Conditioner...FREE!

Don't you just love the way your hair looks when you first get it colored at the salon?  So fresh and shiny.  Love that!  

What if I told you I could help you keep that fresh look and minimize the "brassy" or "yellow-y" tint that seems to creep up on your hair somewhere between week 3 and the next time you find your way to my salon chair?

4oz Custom Color Conditioner Bottle
(shown empty)

Welcome Custom Color Conditioner!  This isn't a new product or theory but one that I think needs to make a comeback.  

"Color" shampoos and/or conditioners have gotten a bad rap over the years mainly because we've all seen the LOLs (little old ladies, bless their hearts) walking around with a blue or pink cast on their silvery, white hair. Yep, if you've seen that before you've witnessed someone overusing a "wash," as they used to call it, to cancel out unwanted pigments in their hair.  Most likely, they were given poor instructions and used the pigmented shampoo too often, therefore the purple effect.  

Definitely NO GOOD.

SOLUTION 2010 STYLE!!

YOU are a heavily highlighted blonde whose hair tends to take on a yellowish hue. (By the way, this can happen for MANY reasons. ie: minerals in water, chlorine, product build up, sun, medication etc.)

WE create a custom conditioner for you that has just the right amount of purple pigment to cancel the yellow tones.  Use this once or twice a week (AT THE MOST!) and leave on for the amount of time it takes you to lather your body and shave your legs.  Rinse your hair, then rinse off the bottle so no pigmented conditioner gets on your white shower tiles.  :)

Same goes for you brunettes with red/orange undertones...we'll whip you up some Custom Color Conditioner with a shot of green or blue to help cancel that brassiness.  (I know those colors sound scary but really it's just color theory.)

That's it.  How about it?  Ready to try? 

Buy any full size conditioner at Studio 128 and if you fit the description, we'll make you your own 4oz Custom Color Conditioner FREE!

Oh, and if you are a skeptic and ask why we do this for you for FREE, then you haven't been coming to Studio 128 long enough to trust our genuineness.  But also we believe that if you hair color looks great, all the time, then you will be happy, and your hair will be happy.  Then, when people ask where you get your color done, you'll be happy to tell them.  :)  Happy, happy, happy!!  (as my day used to say.)

xoxox

Big & Sexy

Powder Play-Big Sexy Hair

Sprinkle lightly on roots, at crown

New fave product!  It's called Powder Play by Big Sexy Hair.   Love this superfine powder to sprinkle on my roots and the entire crown of my head to give some added lift, height, aid in big back combing or to just "dirty" up my freshly washed hair.  Use this product after you've dried your hair and you'll get some serious lift and texture.  The bottle is small enough to throw in your purse too.  Just don't over do it - a little goes a long way.  Too much and you'll feel the need to wash your hair all over again.  Oh and it instantly dissolves, so no white powder shows on black roots!!  Yippee!

You can buy it anywhere Big Sexy Hair products are sold for about $16.  http://www.sexyhair.com/html/wheretobuy.aspx

P.S. GREAT secret weapon for styling updos!!

Longing for luscious lashes with the help of Latisse

So exactly 13 nights ago I began another new journey with Latisse.  I have been eager to try this "miracle" product that is proven to thicken and lengthen eyelashes.

I received a promo email from a local (Santa Rosa, CA) plastic surgeon, where, I admit, I did go for a free consultation (www.enhanceyourimage.com).  I didn't go through with any cosmetic surgery but my interest in other cosmetic procedures was piqued!

So night 13...each night I stare at my lashes to see if I notice any growth.  So far, nada.  Attached my "before" pic.  Zero makeup.  Just me and my naked lashes in all their glory.

Star worthy?  I'll be the judge in another 17 nights or so...

Welcome...ME!

So, I'm totally new to blogging unless you count Facebook and Twitter as blogging.  Anyway, I'm welcoming myself to this forum 'cause I'm not sure anyone else will!

I hope this blog becomes a living, breathing "thing."

Looking forward to the journey...