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your hair.
But what about hair loss and graying?
HONEY AND HAIR LOSS
Hair loss is one of the most vexing cosmetic problems facing both men and women. Hundreds of thousands of materials have been suggested as a treatment but the truth is the only topical treatment that has been proven to work is Minoxidil. And even this is not effective for the majority of people. There is no proof that honey prevents hair loss and there isn’t even any scientific reason that it would work.
HONEY AND GRAY HAIR
Gray hair is the result of melanocytes (pigment-producing cells) in your hair follicles shutting down. Literally, your gray hair has no pigment, thus no color. Fortunately, exposure to honey will not cause your hair to turn gray. In fact, it might even help stain your hair to make it darker.
CINNAMON AND YOUR HAIR
While honey is primarily sugar, cinnamon is made up of a variety of bioactive materials, including cinnamaldehyde, essential oils and antioxidants. If either honey or cinnamon would have an effect on hair loss, cinnamon certainly would be a better candidate. There is some evidence that cinnamon has an anti-inflammatory effect. Another anti-inflammatory ingredient, silanediol salicylate, is currently being studied for its potential to reduce hair loss, raising the possibility that cinnamon might also help in a similar way. However, there is still no solid proof that anti-inflammatory agents help stop or reverse hair loss.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Neither honey nor cinnamon has been proven to help stop hair loss or turn hair gray, but if you are going to try one, go for cinnamon. At least it has the potential to do something.
ARE THE PICTURES ON THE BACK OF THE SHAMPOO BOTTLE ACCURATE?
Rosanna requests: On the back of many Pantene shampoo bottles, there are pictures—one that shows damaged hair and one that shows repaired hair after the use of Pantene. Are those pictures realistic and, if so, how long does it take for the repair to take place?
Pantene has been the market leader in shampoo for over ten years, partly because it is an inexpensive and excellently formulated product. However, to maintain this kind of market dominance, you need more than great technology. You need the best marketing in the industry and that’s what Procter & Gamble (the makers of Pantene) has.
PANTENE SMOOTHES HAIR FIBERS
Believe it or not, the pictures on the back of Pantene’s bottles do give a reasonable representation of what is happening on your hair. What is shown are two pictures of hair strands—one strand has cuticles that are jagged and lifted up, the other strand is smooth and nicer-looking. The message you are supposed to get from this is that by using Pantene shampoo and conditioner, your hair will be softer, smoother and shinier. Is it true? It is true that the cuticles (the outer layer of a hair fiber) of damaged hair will look jagged and lift up from the fiber. The image is an artist’s rendition of a close-up microscopic view of the hair. When a fiber is treated with a conditioning shampoo like Pantene, it leaves a coating of silicone and polyquat that “glues” down the cuticles and makes the hair look smooth.
This effect is immediate and doesn’t require weeks of product use. But Pantene’s advertising claims that your hair gets better after a month is more story than fact. Hair gets better right away. There could be a minor improvement over time but, for the most part, as soon as you apply Pantene you’ll get the benefit.
We should mention that almost any conditioning shampoo could put a similar picture on the back of its shampoo bottles. Any shampoo that leaves a coating of silicone or polyquat will have this smoothing effect on the cuticles. Also, any conditioner will have this effect, too.
THE BOTTOM LINE
The images on the back of a Pantene shampoo bottle do demonstrate how the product actually works. The effect is immediate and one you can get from almost any moisturizing or 2-in-1 shampoo.
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ALL THOSE HAIR COLOR PRODUCTS?
Sandy wants to know: What do all those different hair color products do? Also, do they damage your hair if you add highlights?
Highlights, lowlights, washable, semipermanent, demipermanent, permanent! With all the different hair color products out there, it’s no wonder people are confused. Add to that all the different color shades and it’s enough to make you give up.
TYPES OF HAIR COLOR PRODUCTS
Hair colors are all classified by the length of time they will last in your hair. Here they are in order of shortest-lasting color to longest.
1 Washable: These are temporary dyes and stains that wash off relatively easily with shampoo. They are also called “deposit only” colors. The benefit of this type of coloring is that it does not damage hair. The drawback is that the color does not look as good or last as long.
2 Semipermanent: If you are unsure about a new hair color, the semipermanent route may be the way to go. These products deposit color on and just below the surface of hair. They do not break down your natural color so they can only be used to make your hair darker. Demipermanent hair colors use the same basic technology but last a little longer. They look good and do not damage your hair as much as permanent colors, but they also don’t last as long.
3 Permanent: These colors completely change the hair and can make even the darkest brunette into a bleach-blond bombshell. They work in a multiple-step chemical process. First, the color that is already in the hair is chemically broken down with hydrogen peroxide. This step also has the effect of opening up the hair “pores” so the color molecules can get in. Next, color is applied and allowed to chemically react. As it reacts, the color molecules get too big and become locked inside the hair shaft. This is how the color becomes permanent. This method gives you the most natural, longest-lasting hair color possible. Unfortunately, it is also the most damaging to hair. There’s always a trade-off.
4 Highlights: Blond highlights are the result of bleaching hair in a controlled way. Aluminum foil is often used to keep the peroxide bleach away from hairs that are not to be colored. The process is permanent (until your hair grows out, of course) and highly damaging. But it does make your hair look great!
DOES HIGHLIGHTING HURT HAIR?
Permanent highlights chemically break down hair, so they definitely make it weaker. But most people like how highlights look, so they are willing to suffer a little damage. Washable highlights are based on temporary colors and do not damage hair. If you are unsure whether you will like having highlights, starting with the washable kind is an excellent idea. If you want the look to last longer than a couple of days, however, you’ll have to get permanent highlights.
THE BOTTOM LINE
While permanent hair color is damaging, it looks better and lasts longer than the semipermanent and washable options. If you want your hair color to look as good as it can, go for a permanent color and have it applied by a skilled hairdresser.
IS A RELAXER THE ONLY WAY TO GET HAIR REALLY STRAIGHT?
Valerie asks: Is there anything out there in the market to straighten my hair without using a harsh chemical relaxer?
The quest for straight hair has led people to try everything from pulling, ironing and blow-drying to chemical treatments. Chemical relaxers have a number of drawbacks, including being inconvenient, expensive and, worse, painful. Relaxers are the most damaging