it ​Once you have tinted your hair and achieved the glorious hair color of your choice, there will come a time when most of you will have to face a tedious chore…the retouch.

After four to eight weeks of living with the new vibrant color, you probably have gotten used to and maybe even begun to think of it as your own natural shade. Then there it is, down at your scalp, the telltale sign of darker hair or dull or gray hair threatening to make it known to the world that this new persona of yours is not the original. Now you have to entertain the idea of doing it all again.

Since the first one half to one inch of your hair is un-tinted, you can't treat it the same as the tinted hair. If you apply the hair color to the entire length of hair, it can result in uneven color tone and dry, damaged hair. Instead, it is best to perform what we call the “retouch” This is not as easy as the original application but it is rewarding when it comes to the condition of your hair and the evenness of hair color. Following theses instructions will save you time and trouble.

Prepare:
Gather everything you will need.

1. An old shirt for you to wear.
2. An old sheet or some old towels to spread out on the floor. This
   is important since one stray drop of hair color can give you
   a lasting reminder of this session.
3. Plastic or rubber gloves. These usually come in your packaged
   hair color kit.
4. Clips; four to six of either the long “duck bill” kind or the
   “jaws” variety. You can find these in your local variety store.
5. Kitchen timer or a clock that is easy to keep an eye on.

Proceed:

• Divide your hair into four or five sections. If possible control all the hair in each section with a clip, with no ends dangling.
  
• Put on your gloves and mix your color in the applicator bottle provided in the hair color kit.
• Take down one section of your hair. Using the tip of the applicator bottle divide off a thin slice of hair at the top of the section and place a thin ribbon of hair color along the new growth area. With a gloved finger or thumb “moosh” the color into the hair being careful to spread it only on the new growth. Clip this slice of hair up out of the way and divide off another slice.
• Continue in this way throughout each section of hair until you have successfully applied hair color to all of the new growth area.
• Follow the manufacturer’s instructions in timing. If you have
  resistant or hard to color hair, –sometimes gray hair is resistant—covering it loosely with a plastic bag while processing is helpful.

For faded ends:

• Add a small amount of shampoo or conditioner to your left-over color.
  Wait until the last five minutes of the processing time and apply this mixture to the rest of your hair. This is to refresh the color and is not a necessary step.
• When the timing is complete, shampoo and follow up with a good quality conditioner to preserve the health of your hair.

 

​Losing hair is scary. You may notice that there are more hairs in the drain when you shower or in your hair brush. Soon you may notice that your hair doesn’t feel as thick when styling it.

When you come to the conclusion that your hair density has changed, you start looking for reasons – anything that might be causing it. There are many factors that can contribute to hair loss. One very common cause is nutritional deficiency with iron deficiency as the most important factor. This is most common in pre-menopausal women between the ages of 35 and 50, when heavy menstruation contributes to iron loss often resulting in anemia.

Even if anemia is not present, low iron can cause problems with hair loss. Iron is an essential part of hemoglobin, a part of the red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout the body. Iron deficiency sometimes triggers hair loss in large quantities but it can also be the cause of subtle, slow thinning over several months or even years. 

Warning:
If you think that you may have hair loss due to iron deficiency, go to a doctor to get the proper tests. Don’t go out and load up on iron supplements. You should be tested by a doctor who can prescribe supplements if needed. Self- medicating can be dangerous. Excess iron in the blood can be harmful. It can build up to toxic levels in some people. Studies have shown that too much iron can lead to increased risk of coronary heart disease and even some cancers.

​Focusing on getting iron from natural sources is the best preventative measure. Always make sure that you have a well rounded diet consisting of all essential nutrients and well as iron rich foods. There are plenty of great sources of natural iron in the food you eat.

Be sure that you include several servings of a variety of the following foods in your diet everyday.

• Dried Fruit – especially figs, dried apricots, prunes, raisons, currants and dried peaches
• Leafy Green vegetables – such as dandelion greens, spinach, arugula, kale, mustard greens, Swiss chard and chicory.
• Beans and lentils
• Red meat
• Liver – both beef and chicken
• Oysters
• Clams
• Shrimp
• Chicken and turkey
• Fish – tuna, halibut
• Whole grains and brown rice
• Soybean flour
• Blackstrap Molasses
• Enriched cereals

When eating foods for their iron content, it is advised that you also include food rich in Vitamin C to aid in the absorption of the iron

​
Each individual hair on your head goes through three phases in its lifetime.

• Anagen is the longest phase.  The hair is growing. It usually last 2 to 3 years. If your hair stays short and never seems to grow--you have a shorter anagen phase. If growing long hair is no problem for you, you have a longer anagen phase.
• Catagen or intermediate phase is the shortest phase. The lower 2/3 of the follicle is destroyed. It's preparing to shed.
• Telogen is the resting or falling out phase.  When the hair has fallen out, the follicle is empty and is preparing to return to the anagen phase.

Parts of the hair and skin are a follows:

• Papilla This is a group of specialized cells that are intertwined with capillaries. This is where a new hair develops.
• Hair Follicle This is a sophisticated receptacle in the scalp from which the hair grows. Rapid cellular activity in the bulb is responsible for providing the cells to make form the hair shaft.
• Sebaceous Gland This is an oil gland in the skin. It is hormone regulated and over production of hormones can form sebaceous 'plugs' that clog the follicles.
• Capillaries   These are small blood vessels that carry oxygen and nutrients to the papilla as well as carry toxins away from the follicle.
• Epidermis    This is the top layer of skin that joins the hair follicle.
• Stratum Corneum  This is the layer of dead skin cells. When you exfoliate, this the layer of skin that you remove. Excess oil and debris can build up at the opening of the hair follicle and cause the follicle to be blocked.

The Problem
Many women notice increased dryness, decreased shine and dry brittle hair or a straw-like texture in the years after the age of 40. The body's natural oil (sebum) production slows down as we age. It is said to decrease about 10% for every 10 years of life.
​
Remedies
Nutrition: Assess your eating habits. Certain nutrients help the body to create natural moisturizers.

Drink water. It is suggested that we drink eight 8-ounce glasses a day. If that seems impossible, start slowly with whatever increase you can handle and build up. Carry bottled water with you wherever you go.

Scalp Massage can help encourage oil glands to produce. Read  about Scalp Relaxation.

Change your styling processes: If you use both hair color and
permanent waves, think about giving up one of them. Aging hair is often not strong enough to withstand more than one chemical process. The result of using permanent wave and hair color being dry, dull hair. I have found that unless your hair is beautiful snow white or silver, it is wisest to give up the permanent waves and keep using hair color. A soft, flattering hair color and natural styling is a much more youthful look which in turn adds to any woman's sense of well-being. When giving up a perm, try a short, layered style that is slightly disheveled and not over-done. Use mousse or gel and a minimum of hairspray for body. 

Styling products: Use good quality products on your hair. Lesser quality shampoo, conditioners, etc. may be fine for hair that is youthful, strong and full of natural oils, but not for aging hair. Look for products that are conditioning (moisturizers and protein ), mild in strength and that contain protection from the elements (such as sunscreen.)

As much as I love hair – styling, cutting, coloring – everything about it; there is some hair that I don’t like. It is on my chin or on my lip or an excess of fine hair on my cheeks.
 I have found that as I mature, this hair becomes more noticeable. This is the hair that has to be removed regularly. I am going to tell you about two gadgets that are great for
removing that irritating and unwanted hair. Both gadgets are safe, fast and easy to use.

The Micro Hair Trimmer by Cricket is a tiny battery operated clipper. It is the perfect size for those hairs that regular sized clippers, trimmers and shears
can’t get at. The Micro Trimmer is small enough to trim those pesky nose hairs and gentle enough to get those fine soft hairs that can cause the fuzzy face look on women. The 
Micro Trimmer trims the fuzz off, leaving your face feeling smooth and soft. (Those soft hairs are always very fine, do not grow back heavier and do not feel bristly when they do 
grow back. So don't be afraid to use the trimmer.)

The Micro Trimmer comes with a guard attachment that makes trimming eye brows or a man’s mustache or beard easy. Use it without the guard to shave the hair on the back of your neck.

One AAA battery runs the Micro Trimmer for quite a while, giving it enough power for any job I have found for it.

Smooth Away
This product uses no chemicals but removes unwanted hair while it also exfoliates the skin. This leaves skin feeling very smooth. The effective area of the Smooth Away is a pad covered
with superfine crystals that actually buff away the hair and the dead skin.

Smooth Away comes with two rubber applicators that disposable pads are attached to. The large applicator is large enough to slide three fingers into and is used for areas such as legs,
arms and under arms. The small applicator is one finger size and is used for small areas such as the upper lip and the chin. Each applicator comes with four adhesive backed replacement pads.
Just peel off the old pad and stick on a new one.

It has often been my habit to skip the instructions and to charge in using new gadgets but in this case be sure to read all of the instructions before using the Smooth Away. The instructions
are important. They will tell you to cleanse the area and dry it thoroughly without using creams or moisturizers prior to using the Smooth Away. This is important. It won’t work without following
this step. To remove the hair, gently buff the area in circular motions – first clock-wise and then counter clock-wise. Be firm but gentle. Pressing too hard can cause irritation. Remember that
the pads are covered with tiny crystals that remove the hair and exfoliate. If your skin is sensitive, it is wise – and suggested on the package – to use it on only a small area and then wait
24 hours before proceeding to see if irritation occurs.

When used correctly, Smooth Away does exactly what it claims and makes shaving, waxing and chemical depilatories unnecessary 

(I purchased both of these products with my own money and was not paid to review them.)