Beyonce's New Braided Extensions

Photo: Picasa/WENN

Just over a decade has passed since Beyonce rocked the braided look in Destiny's Child. This week the singer was spotted in New York with her 6 month old daughter Blue Ivy ( the little ones got quite a set of curls!) sporting  long highlighted braids that were piled on top of her head in a ginormous bun. The hairdo is a major change from the natural wavy looks she’s favored for the last few years.

Are salon products better ??

Photo :- L'Oreal Professional

After your last visit to the salon your stylist sold you a bag of goodies that they swore would change your life and daily hair routine. Soon as you get in the car, and the buzz of the salon has worn off, you wonder...." why did I pay twice the price for products I could possibly get at the drugstore??"

Generally salon products are much better then the over the grocery store version. The perfect example is our salon, Highlights in Tel Aviv. We are a dedicated to L'Oreal Professional. L'Oreal is a multimillion dollar company that covers both salon quality products and colors as well as over the counter products. The main difference between the two is the ingredients used. The salon products have a more concentrated ingredients and higher quality protein based conditioners or moisturizing conditioners, thus enabling the conditioner to penetrate deeper into the hair shaft or scalp and lock in moisture. These quality ingredients contribute to the cost of the product and is why they are not typically found in store bought products. While salon products are more expensive then the over the counter version you need to only use a small amount to achieve the desired effect, so in the long run your salon products last 3 times as long as the non professional version.

Is chlorine or sea salt damaging your hair??

Its that time of year again when we’re all hitting the pools and beaches. While that is great, this is the time when we begin receiving calls from customers complaining about and increase in hair loss and damage. Invariably, spending a lot of time in the pool and in the sun tends to be the problem.

For normal hair, constant exposure to chlorine strips the oils, damages the follicle shaft, and fades the hair’s coloring. It goes without saying, that chlorine has the same effect as bleaching your – in fact, it is bleach. So the hue, tint and color will begin to fade and the protein bond structure of the follicle shaft will become weakened – leading to excessive split-ends, frizz and very poor manageability.

For color treated or chemically treated hair, the problem is worse. Chemical treatments typically breakdown the protein bonds rebuilding them into the shape or style you want (think perms, straightening, or relaxing). The bonds have already been weakened and if this is coupled with coloring, chlorine will accelerate damage.
Our recommendation is you try to avoid sun exposure (or wear a hat), use a moisturizing products such as Solar Sublime from L'Oreal Professional. The Shampoo in this range helps to clean the hair and get rid of any chlorine/salt deposits after your trip to the pool or the beach. The second stage in the Solar sublime treatment is a deep conditioner. The After-Sun deep conditioner smells just like fresh peaches, but it's not overpowering. It's just delicious. It's super moisturizing and makes your hair really soft and adds a lot of shine.  Another idea is to avoid chemical treatments as you go into the summer. With a little bit of a tan, few will notice unless you need to cover-up some gray.

Call our Salon to make sure we have it in stock before you come and visit as it fly's off the shelf in summer!

Hair Extensions

Wish you had thick luscious hair like all the Hollywood star? Chances are, if its long and thick.. its packed with hair extensions. If you have been living in the dark for the last 10 years, hair extensions are methods of adding commercial hair to natural hair. Almost anything can be accomplished using  hair extensions,  from adding volume to thinning hair, to lengthening the hair without it looking unnatural.

Over the years we have seen a lot of celebrity hair disasters in the extension department. Britney Spears and Paris Hilton are possibly my top two worst EVER! However not enough credit is given to the rest of the starlets that have fantastic extensions. Probably because most people don't know its not theirs ! Below are a few of my all time favorites who always have picture perfect hair.

 Jennifer Lopez is the ultimate hair goddess when it comes to a full head of cascading locks. Judging by the quantity of hair I would say she uses high quality clip in extensions, or weaves. Weaves are long tresses sewn on small tight cornrows where no one can see them. These techniques are popular with african american women, and were recently made popular by the Kardashian Girls.

 Lindsay Lohan might be walking disaster, but her hair is always flawless. Lindsay uses the strand by strand application technique by companies such as great lengths. Because her hair is much finer it is easier to get a natural look without breaking the bank. This technique lasts roughly three months and you can wash and style you hair as usual. I would recommend visiting the salon every couple of weeks to make sure you don't have any knots or matted pieces.

 Giuliana Rancic from E! definitely won't be ridiculed on fashion police for her hair. She is always on trend with the help of clip in extensions. If your hair is fine, yet long its the perfect way to add body to the sections that are missing hair.

Hair Tip : How to get glossy hair

In a previous post I wrote about the benefits omega 3 for your hair. Salmon is usually everyone's go to fish when they want to maximize their omega 3 intake, but it might not be as beneficial as you think. Most salmon purchased in supermarkets today are farmed. While they still have a decent amount of fatty acids, its no where near the amount found in a wild salmon. Why eat something grown in a farm when there is a delicious, plentiful and inexpensive substitute  : Sardines. The Guyanese people of South America claim that eating sardines will make your hair grow faster and enhance its radiance. If you can't find fresh ones, canned sardines are just as good.

 Singer Leona Lewis is of  Guyanese decent, and if her tresses are anything thing to go by I am sure sardines will definitely be on your menu from now on.