The hairstyle that looks good on everyone? (Virtually try it out yourself!)

It is extremely interesting to me (and perhaps me alone?) that despite our focus on skin care-- it is the blog posts about hair (namely how to grow hair faster, and glitter extensions) that seem to be the most popular.  Although people are definitely interested in celebrity skin and anti-aging tips and secrets, it seems that skin interest doesn't hold a candle to the over-whelming display of celebrity hair interest. 

While it is hard to rationalize why this might be (perhaps "tinsel hair" is just having a moment...) but far be it from me to not give the people what they want. 

InStyle Magazine, the utmost experts at informing people about what they want before they even know they want it, has an awesome tool on their website that allows you to upload a picture of yourself in order to test-drive the hairstyle of your favorite celebrities. 
Want to see what you would look like with Katie Holme's Suri-esque bob, or Ashley Olsen's bleach-blonde fringe? Or, perhaps you want to see what Jennifer Aniston's perfectly-perfect hair would look like on you? With the click of a button, your curiosity can be sated.

Recently declared THE haircut that flatters everyone, Jessica Alba's collar length bob is supposed to cover all of the major hair concerns. Long enough to pull back, but short enough to get rid of any damaged ends, this length elongates the neck while slimming the face. The creator of this haircut, hair sensei Fredeic Fekkai, explains another major selling factor to this hair-style: the ease with which it can be styled! He claims it takes about 5 minutes, however for those with thick, curly hair, this would be a very time consuming (possibly impossible) look to replicate. 

Curious about what you might look like with this haircut? Just go here and upload a picture of yourself. If Jessica Alba's particular haircut doesn't do it for you-- there are ample other choices to try out. When you find the one you love, print it out and bring it with you to your next hairdresser appointment. Having a concrete image of what you are looking for will make both your stylist's job easier, and improve the chances of you ending up in love with your final result. 

After playing around on the site, which haircut do you think looks best on you? (Glitter extensions, perhaps?)

Sneak Peak: Jungle Barbie Hair Accessories

Happy Good Friday to y'all. Hey Barbies and Kens, the moments you have been waiting for is finally here. This is a sneak preview of one of the hair accessories that Jungle Barbie will be launching soon. Keep an eye out on the blog for more information.

Have a safe Easter everyone. Thank you for reading. Please remember to leave your comments below and subscribe to follow Jungle Barbie.
Syn

Viviscal Part III: Verdict is in about the hair growing phenom

A pill that makes your hair grow faster, reduces the amount of hairs you naturally shed, makes nails grow quicker, AND increases eyelash growth?! 

The benefits of taking Viviscal sounded too good to be true, so before we decided to literally buy into the hype and stock it on our shelves, we had five very different, very willing participants test-drive it for a couple of months.

The feedback we received substantiated the large order that just arrived, however if you're interested in the specifics; read on...

Our cynical beauty guinea-pig #1 had super thick hair to begin with. However, although she is not 100% sure that she sees a difference in her hair length (although everyone else does), she reports that her nails are now growing so quickly that they have to be filed twice a week. 

Beauty guinea-pig #2 recently had a baby, and was experiencing the massive hair loss associated with that major hormonal change. A devotion to gel-tip manicures had left her nails a disaster, and she was basically praying for a cure to help with the weak, painful nails, and thinning hair. A few months into her Viviscal program, she happily shares that she loves her hair now-- feels and looks thicker, healthier, and shinier, and her nails have regrown so that she is able to enjoy regular manicures again. (Her manicurist is in constant shock upon seeing her fingers. "They grew this much in 1 week?!")

Beauty guinea-pig #3 has been a slave to her extensions for the past four years. Depressed by the damage she has seen the extensions do to her natural hair, she has been looking for a way to painlessly transition herself from extensions back to her natural hair... but didn't see a good way to do it. After taking Viviscal for two months, she happily confided that thanks to the abundance of new hair she sees growing, she is feeling much more confident about weaning herself off the extensions.

Beauty guinea-pig #4 has naturally thin hair, nails, and lashes. After only a couple of weeks of taking Viviscal, she excitedly noticed that there was much less hair in the drain after her shower, and much less hair in her combs and brushes after styling. Now, after completing a few months worth of Viviscal, her nails, eye-lashes, and hair are are noticeably longer, thicker, and healthier looking. 

Handsome guinea-pig #5 is a young-man in his mid-20's who has been increasingly self-conscious about his beginnings of a receding hairline. Extremely skeptical that a dietary supplement would be able to do anything, he kindly acquiesced to participating in our practice-run in the slim hope that Viviscal might do what it promised. And, sure enough-- a few months later, he was ecstatic that the hair loss seemed to have stopped, and instead, a crop of new hair was visibly growing. The biggest skeptic of the group turned out to be Viviscal's biggest cheerleader.

The ingredients appear simple enough; Viviscal only consists of fish cartilage, cherry extract, and horsetail extract, and yet-- somewhere amidst the production process there must be a little magic sprinkled in, otherwise there is simply no explanation for why Viviscal works as well as it does. 

Fortunately for Philadelphia, this magic hair-growing potion can now be found on the shelves at Cosmopolitan Skin Care Solutions.

Tun yuh Han' mek fashion

These days I have a lot of time on my hand and have been putting it to good use. Today, I was going through my sewing box and found this piece of rope. Originally, I bought it to make the handle for a bag. However, it was sitting in my box too long so I found something else to make from it.

I used the rope to make a headband. It was quite easy to make and you can add your own personal style. I think that this headband would look nice with your summer or beach outfits. How would you wear this headband? Where would you wear it to?

This headband is quite versatile as you can also wear it as a belt. Here I wore a red tank, white linen pants, drop earring, sunglasses, white clutch, hat and rope belt. Would you wear this headband/belt? Would you wear it as a belt or a headband? What would you do to add your own style to it?

Thank you for reading my blog. Please leave your comments and subscribe to follow me.

Syn

Long hair over 40?

There used to be all sorts of silly fashion/appearance rules that were once strictly upheld, and have now fallen by the way-side. As long as some taste is involved, navy can be worn with black, white can be worn in the winter, and yes-- women over the age of 40 can have long hair.

Once determined too girlish, many women of a certain age are now embracing the long-haired styles that used to be deemed inappropriate for them. Bo Derek (age 54), Diane Lane (age 46), Iman (age 55), Jane Seymour (age 59), and a slew of other recognizable celebs over the age of 40, look younger, and better than ever by sporting a hair-style that is synonymous with youth, vitality, and health. 

Hair experts agree that as long as your hair looks healthy and is worn in a style flattering to your face, your age has no impact on the length your hair should be. Things to keep in mind (regardless of age) to guarantee healthy looking long hair: 

Long hair is old hair-- anything past your clavicle is at least two years old, and has already been exposed to it's fair share of heat damage, environmental damage, and natural wear & tear. To protect this fragile hair, serious TLC is needed, starting with the way you brush. Although it might seem counter-intuitive, it is imperative to brush your hair starting from the bottom up. It reduces hair breakage to untangle any knots at the bottom of your hair, as opposed to starting at the top of your head and pulling the hair through knots, breaking and ripping your hairs in the process. 

Also, to prevent the ends of these older hairs from splitting and breaking, trims are recommended every other month. (According to an old French tradition, it is believed to strengthen the hair when its cut on the day of a full moon.) 

Deep conditioning treatments should also be used regularly to help protect the more fragile hair-ends. Hair experts recommend applying a deep conditioner at least once a week. Allow it to really sink in by either sleeping with the conditioner in the hair, or by blow-drying the hair to let the heat open the hair follicle and really absorb the conditioner. The more moisture added to the hair, the shinier, healthier, and stronger each strand looks. 

Stress, diet, and even hormonal changes can all impact the way your hair grows. The average person experiences a half inch of hair growth per month, however  Viviscal diet supplements contain a unique blend of fish cartilage, vitamins, and cherry extract that promise to grow your hair longer, faster. (As a bonus, Viviscal also reduces the amount of hairs that are lost on a daily basis, and strengthens your nails and eye-lashes.) 

Women from all walks of life, throughout history, have embraced the idea of long hair, and this is a hair-style that will never go out of fashion as it is a timeless symbol of femininity and beauty. When it comes to long hair, your age isn't the issue-- the health of your hair is. Nurture and nourish your hair, and you can have shiny, luscious locks cascading down your back forever. 

Viviscal Part II: Huge decrease in hair loss

Approximately two weeks into my Viviscal experience, my vanity is at all time high. 

Despite my frequent checks, my hair is not yet miraculously 2 feet longer, or super thick, however-- while the realistic part of my brain understands that changes like that absolutely cannot happen overnight, the little-girl inside of me is still hoping/waiting for some Disney-magic hair experience. 

Even though I am barely into my trial period (Viviscal recommends 6 months before optimal results are seen), some benefits have already manifested, mostly in that my hair shedding seems to have been drastically reduced.

Whereas my dog used to love eating my hair out of the shower-drain, she is now disappointed to find a much less substantial snack waiting for her in the usual spot. My comb-- which used to also enjoy eating my hair after a shower-- is now receiving a lot less sustenance too, and I love it! (Cleaning up wads of my hair, after any of the above situations, was never a fun thing.) 

Stay tuned... after only a measly two weeks, I can't wait to see what future Viviscal use brings. :)

How important is hair to your attractiveness?

It was very timely of Pantene-- the company synonymous with beautiful, long, healthy hair-- to conduct a hair survey right on the heels of our burgeoning Viviscal (hair-growing supplement) experiment. 

While Pantene was surely trying to capitalize on Valentine's Day by figuring out a way that hair is relevant to romance, they devised a way to make woman pay even more attention to the condition of their hair, by questioning men about exactly how important hair is to a woman's attractiveness. 

The results certainly lend themselves to a continued devotion to Viviscal's instructions...

• 74% of men indicated that they initially notice a woman because of their hair
• 44% of men surveyed said that hair is the first thing they notice about a woman, more than her clothes (26%), legs (25%), or makeup (4%)
• More men surveyed said they would be more likely to approach a woman at a bar with great hair, than a woman wearing a low-cut shirt (!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
• 82% of men indicated that sexy hair is a key element to a woman’s overall sex appeal
• 60% of men surveyed say they would rather date a woman with great hair than a woman with big breasts
•  78% of men surveyed consider healthy hair to be a turn-on

It makes sense that men would subconsciously use the appearance of a woman's hair to determine her attractiveness, because hair is an immediate way to gauge a person's health and youth, both of which are huge factors that signal "you should mate with me!" 

Steve Ward, a professional match-maker whom Pantene has hired to represent these findings, has the following down-to-earth response about the results:

"A good first impression goes the distance and these survey results reveal you don’t always have to go for the most revealing look on the first date.

Instead of struggling to decide what outfit to wear, it may be a good idea to start to rethink your hairstyle.

Hair that is healthy and well-kept immediately signals to a man that you are responsible, classy, attentive, and take pride in your appearance and these are all characteristics that men look for in women." 

While these findings are all very interesting, it seems a bit unfair that the survey was so one-sided. Sure men care about women's hair, but what about what women think about men's hair? (And c'mon Pantene, surely you want to ramp up the number of men that use your products too? Why not also sell "sexy hair" to men by quizzing woman about their opinions on men's hair turn-ons/turn-offs?)  

In the end, it seems hard to believe that men would choose a woman with great hair over a large chest, but it seems there is no escaping the subliminal context cues people pick up on when choosing a possible mate. For these reasons, styles that emphasize health, youth, and vitality, will never go out of vogue.

 

And in the meantime, it's just about time for my next dose of Viviscal...

The media seems to love hair-growing phemon Viviscal...

Sorry for the recent plethora of Viviscal information, BUT... after having placed our initial order last Thursday, a big packet of information about the hair-growing product was waiting on my desk for me this morning. 

Flipping through all of the information, these glamorous tidbits are making me that much more excited to start this process, that I was already super-excited about in the first place! 

Hair-beautifying Viviscal high-lights include:

• Super-model Jessica Stam recommending Viviscal to another fellow model, with "temperamental," over-processed hair. After buying a 3-month supply, Model #2 said that the difference Viviscal made on her hair was like night and day, and was simply "amazing". (Not to be catty, but aside from the damaging processes that models' hair is subject to... anorexics physically cannot have thick hair. Therefore, it makes even more sense why those in the modeling profession would flock to a product that allowed their real hair to look healthy.)
  
• Celebrity hair-dresser Guido Palau often tells his model clients with overworked hair, to try a six-month course of Viviscal. The hair-growth product that contains vitamins and marine protein has helped "loads of people" he's known regenerate their hair.
  
• James Murphy, CEO of Lifes2good-- Viviscal's distributor-- has encouraged clients like Demi Moore, Cameron Diaz, and Hilary Swank to take these supplements. "You take one in the morning and evening, and in two months your hair growth will kick in at an accelerated rate."
  
• And, you can even catch Viviscal spokes-person Finola Hughes doing the publicity rounds for the product, as seen here on the Wendy Williams show: 

Ok UPS... I'm even more convinced, and even more pysched. Now, where's my package already?? 

Viviscal Part I: Was this Rapunzel's secret?

Ever wonder why Disney princesses always have super long, thick, lustrous hair? (Ok, even though it's just a cartoon-- somehow you just know that the princess's hair is super silky, soft, and shiny.) Did you ever wonder if there is any correlation between having that gorgeous hair, and the most handsomest prince in the world, falling in love with them?

Granted however, that Disney princesses are just drawings for children. 

So, consider their real-life counter-parts: the models of Victoria's Secret. Giselle, Heidi Klum, Adriana Lima, Marissa Miller, Mirande Kerr, and Selita Ebanks, are all real-life women, whom are considered the echelon of female desirability. Lo and behold, they too ALL have thick, long, shiny hair. 

Would Victoria's Secret models be as sexy, with short/thin hair? Me thinks not. 

With my thin mop of shoulder-length hair, certainly no offense is meant to anyone with short, or thin hair. 

However, without a doubt-- long, healthy hair is sexy hair, and it sends a loud but subconscious message to the world: I am very healthy, you should mate with me. 

Despite the gloom surrounding the current economy, the hair care industry is still receiving it's share of dollars. Most models and celebrities with really long hair are sporting extensions-- which require frequent and expensive maintenance.(Good hair extensions need to be redone every 3-6 months, and start at around $1,000+.)  

And length isn't the only reason why people get extensions though, some get hair extensions at natural looking lengths, simply to thicken the appearance of their hair. 

The extension craze has gotten so big that it has slowly but surely made its way into the tresses of the every-day girls all around you. Those that have extensions readily admit the addictiveness of it, and cannot imagine a day when they would not want to keep up with the mandatory maintenance, despite the financial strain.

However, what if there was a way to allow your own hair to grow longer and thicker, for a fraction of the price of extensions? Vogue magazine recently ran an article where they revealed a secret trick that models employ to always look picture perfect: Viviscal tablets. 

Made of fish cartilage, pop two of these pills a day for up to 6 months and Viviscal promises that your will grow longer, faster.

The ingredients are all natural, and encourage faster growth of new hairs, in addition to prolonging the growth stage of your pre-existing hairs (so that the hairs you already have, don't fall out as quickly.) The final effect is thicker, longer hair, that is all yours. 

A little skeptical, I actually spoke with the customer service people. When probed about any possible side-effects (such as a fishy after-taste-- I was assured there was NO after-taste) I was pleasantly surprised to hear that the only other reported effects were the faster, thicker growth of nails and eye-lashes, too. 

Since the Viviscal supplement cannot change the appearance of the hair already on your head, you are advised to take this for at least six months before you start to see the real results. At about $70 for a month's supply, (an absolute steal compared to the cost of hair extensions) I placed my first 3 month order yesterday, and CANNOT wait for it to arrive so I can start this experiment on myself. 

The question remains: Is it really physically possible for a dietary supplement to allow me to grow the hair of my dreams?! 

Stay tuned to find out... and depending on how this goes down, boxes of Viviscal might soon be for sale next to our boxes of Latisse. 

• Nourishes thinning hair and promotes existing hair growth
• Clinically proven and scientifically tested
• Drug-free and safe from harmful side effects
• Strengthens and nourishes weak hair from within
• One formulation for men and women
• Proven to work for all ages and ethnicities
• 100% natural ingredients

Winter-proofing your legs

"I do some of my best thinking in the bathroom...."

This lead-in left me unsure about where my patient was going with the conversation. 

She stood up and started to unbutton her pants, while I desperately hoped my face portrayed the professional stoicism I was trying to project.

 Uncommon way to bring up something very common

"So the other day, while I was --you know, in the bathroom-- I looked down at my legs, and saw all of these bumps everywhere." 

At this point, she unceremoniously dropped her pants to show me the exact bumps she was talking about. Sure enough, tiny flesh colored bumps covered her legs. 

When Winter and your wardrobe conspire against you...

 Although a mildly uncomfortable way to bring up her concern, the bumps covering her legs were actually quite normal.

 

As the weather gets colder, a bunch of things happen all at once. The indoor heat, outside cold air, and increased use of hot water (for bathing) saps all of your skin's natural moisture, leaving it extremely dry. Dry skin, encased in the popular constricting styles of today (skinny jeans, leggings, jeggings, tights, etc.), create the most ideal set of circumstances for in-grown hairs galore-- which is exactly what my straight-forward patient was suffering from. 

After shaving her legs, her seasonally dry skin blocked her pores, making it hard for her growing hair follicles to break through the skin. Her penchant for tight pants made it even harder for the hairs to grow properly, and break through the skin.

With no exit-way to allow for growth outside of the body, the hairs were instead forced to curl in on themselves and continue their growth underneath the skin. Hence, the plethora of in-growns. 

Year-round smoothness...

Because the mechanics of this problem are easily understood, this is one winter skin care concern that's easily preventable.

1. When bathing, begin by washing the problem areas with an anti-bacterial soap. I'm particularly partial to Dial, but use whichever brand you like. The anti-bacterial properties will help cut down on the existing infected hair follicles, while preventing additional in-growns from occurring.
   
2. Increase your exfoliating! Exfoliating your legs can benefit you in many ways. If you exfoliate before shaving, you may notice a better, more even shave. If you're not shaving, exfoliate anyway! Removing the build-up of dead, dry skin-cells will help get rid of existing in-grown hairs, and allow new hairs to grow easier.
   
3. When you get out of the shower, make sure to give yourself a quick application of moisturizer. Lubriderm and Vaseline both make nice, non-comedogenic (won't clog pores) lotions that will keep your skin hydrated and healthy.
   
4. Finally, allow your legs to "breathe" as much as possible. You can continue to wear tight bottoms, but try to at least wear loose pajamas, and perhaps looser fitting pants a couple days a week. 

It's speculated that Philadelphia is in for another winter like the one we had last year, but by following the above steps you can make sure to have beach-ready legs regardless of the snow onslaught just beyond your window... and perhaps I can be spared from future surprise pants-droppings.

New glitter hair trend?

When it comes to hair, my expertise is in removing it, forever. 

However... being that I'm part magpie (how else can I explain the intense physical draw I feel towards anything shiny?) it was a completely different kind of hair issue that caught my attention last night during Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. (The electric facial thing was intriguing too, but more on that after I do my homework on it.) 

Adrienne Maloof owns major casinos in Las Vegas, a professional basketball team, and a slew of other business ventures. While being very open with the fact that she has more money than she will ever know what to do with, she doesn't want people to think that her sizable bank account "defines" her.

Fair enough.

However, although she doesn't like to think that her money defines her as a person, that concern certainly didn't stop her from having 24k extensions affixed to her head. 

If you look at her hair closely above (or during the show), you can see that there are streaks of metallic, glittery gold running throughout her extensions. And this glitter hair is not an isolated incident-- Beyonce has it too. (And her's photographs better for some reason?)

If anyone can pull glitter-hair off, it would definitely be the doyenne of Vegas, and an award-winning, mega pop-star. For them, the sparkle hair is a fun accoutrement--glamorous and posh, with just the right amount of cheese. 

However, when it comes to us regular folk, I'm not sure this is a look we can ever respectably get away with enjoying; which is sad because there is nothing I would love more than to have strands of rhinestones dripping from my hair. (It might sound like I'm being sarcastic...I'm not.) 

If you are a civilian brave enough to try to this look (kudos!), a $10 version can be purchased from Bling Strands. (Could be fun for a Sweet 16, wedding, New Years bash, or mock Jersey Shore party.) 


For those that want to try this look in a more subtle way, adding some loose shimmer make-up powder into a small hair-spray bottle, and then spraying your hair, can achieve an easy, brush-it-out-if-you-hate-it, version of glittery hair.


This is a trend that I love to hate in any incarnation... mostly because I want it and can't have it. (Glitter hair is not the kind of professional "polish" I want...)