Sclerotherapy

Have you tried this procedure? It is an injection of a sclerosing agent into spider veins. The agent chemically damages the vein from the inside causing the vein to clot. The clot is then absorbed (aka disappears) into the body over several weeks to months. This causes the spider veins to disappear. Potentially it can take 3-5 treatments to completely dissolve the vein. But it is very successful.​

So what are the drawbacks? ​

• Cost, if you can find a deal it can be purchased for $100-$175 per treatment. A "treatment" varies from clinic to clinic some charge this for a 15 minute session. Some clinics consider injecting both legs completely one "treatment". Also medical grade compression stockings are required post treatment to help your legs heal
• Pain, the feeling of the injections is similar to bee stings. One session can include 1-100 injections depending on how many spider veins you are treating. ​There isn't much pain post treatment, just a general aching, swelling sensation. Only the pain of knowing how much money you paid to feel this way and how much more you will have to spend.
• Healing, the healing process takes a minimum of 3-6 months. Unfortunately those veins don't instantly disappear, they very slowly dissolve and usually more than one treatment is required. With 6 weeks between treatments​ x 3 treatments you are usually looking at a minimum of 6 months before you feel like you have perfect legs. Post treatment while healing you have very bruised looking legs which for me means no shorts. This series of treatments are generally done in the winter. 
• Limitations, sclerotherapy only works on small superficial veins, not larger vericose veins. The treatment for the larger veins usually requires laser treatment which is outrageously expensive.​

I can't wait until this treatment is out of date and replaced by something that delivers instant results and is able to treat more than just spider veins. Its ridiculous to think that anybody should have to spend thousands of dollars to have "normal" looking and feeling legs.​

How to Choose a Shampoo

It's a daunting task, even for me because there are just too many options. Even if you decide that you like a brand they usually have 10-20 different options for you to choose from. Why so many options?

First of all you have to decide what it is you are struggling with, let me give you some examples​

• ​You want cleaner hair
• You want bigger hair​
• You want skinnier hair
• You want more hair​
• You want your hair to be less frizzy​
• You want you hair to feel less dry​
• You want to protect your color​
• Your scalp itches or you think you might have some flakes​
• You don't know what you want but you just don't want to spend too much or buy cheap shampoo.

Lucky for you most higher end shampoos are multi-taskers so you may only need one or two in your arsenal to satisfy your needs all year round. 

These are the products my clients are purchasing the most of...​

​Kevin Murphy Angel Wash: This is a product that helps your hair become bigger, fuller, more voluminous. Often considered a volumizing shampoo but it is so much more. It protects that beautiful color you have in your hair. It helps to heal and repair any damage that is happening to your hair, and unless its a pixie cut there is damage. This shampoo also helps to control frizz and reduce breakage. I'm sure you're dying to use it already.

DS-Laboratories Revita Shampoo: If you are concerned with hair loss, hair thinning, or excessive shedding, this is the shampoo for you. This hydrates, feeds, and stimulates the hair follicle to reactivate the growth cycle that is either too short or lying dormant in the follicle. This will also help protect your color and prevent damage although if you are struggling with frizz you might want to consider rotating this in with your other shampoo.​

DS-Laboratories Dandrene: If your scalp is occasionally itchy or you are seeing some flakes this is the product to try. Not only does it calm inflammation and itching but it helps to rid your scalp of the fungi (I know it sounds gross, but everybody has fungi on their scalp, sometimes it just gets out of control)​ and control excessive oil on your scalp. It also calms inflammation and itching so you won't feel embarassed by those flakes. 

Kevin Murphy Maxi-Wash: If you want your hair clean, like really clean, squeaky clean this is the shampoo for you. It will remove product buildup without removing color. It will remove chlorine from blonde hair, it will remove all the sweat from dancing, the stale club smell, the old hairspray and glitter leftover from the weekend. It removes buildup of chemicals that you didn't even know were there. It also contains a natural antiseptics to detoxify the hair and scalp. ​

Kevin Murphy Born Again: This is an ultra rich moisturizing shampoo for tortured or chemically dehydrated hair. It is wonderful if your hair feels crispy, dry, lifeless, dull or in general uncooperative. We all have our days. This shampoo acts like a conditioner. Also if you feel like your hair has too much body or fly away feeling it is craving moisture and this might just be the drink it needs.

If you have other questions concerning other brands or problem you are experiencing with your shampoo please let me know and I will guide you towards a wise choice. ​

Side note: Don't ever purchase a 2 in 1 shampoo, they don't exist, it's a myth.​

Don't forget to read: How to wash your hair​

How to Wash your Hair

When you look at the direction on the back of the shampoo bottle it says wash, rinse and repeat if necessary and if have questions call the hotline. Ridiculous right? who needs help washing their hair? Well I have news for you. You need help washing your hair! Don't worry, don't panic, you haven't been doing it dreadfully wrong but there are some things that could be doing better.

First let's start with your shampoo. If you color your hair or have thinning or delicate hair or hair that you feel just doesn't do what you want it to do then you need to upgrade your shampoo. No more drugstore shampoo, it's cheap stuff made with sodium laurel sulfate which is equivalent to DAWN dishwasher detergent or TIDE clothing detergent, very soapy to give you all those bubbles, but very drying to your hair, skin and scalp and believe me it is not doing your style any favors. I know you think you are saving so much money by using it but when you consider how much you spend on your color, or how mush you like having hair, and how frustrated you get mid-day because you are once again having a bad hair day it just might be worth it. I'll give you some brand suggestions that range from $18-40 per bottle. It sounds like a lot of money compared to the SUAVE that you have been using but it will last you a lot longer than that cheap bottle, so you can already half the cost because these shampoos are not watered down, they are concentrated so you can use less and get waaaaay more!
1. Take a shower, get in there, get your head wet. If you have color in your hair I recommend you use a cooler temperature water than the scalding hot water that my skin likes.
2. Take your brand new fancy shampoo bottle and distribute a small amount in the palm of your left hand. If you have chin length or shorter hair you will want to use a dime sized or smaller amount. If your hair is shoulder to chin length you will want to use a full dime, more like a rounded marble size. If your hair is longer than shoulder length you can use a flat quarter sized amount. Start with a very small amount, remember you can always repeat later!
3. With the appropriate sized amount of shampoo in your left hand you're going to start the most important and most missed step of shampooing. Take your right hand and put in in the palm of your left hand with the shampoo, rub that shampoo around in your palm like your washing the palms of your hands with it, this is called emulsifying! I can't believe more people don't know about it. emulsify that shampoo until it is spread like a lotion all over both of your palms, then...
4. Apply the palms of your hands to the top, back and ends of your hair to evenly distribute the suds (it will most likely be a lot less sudsy than your previous shampoo) . rub your palms together again and go back to the top of your head. Use your fingertips to massage your scalp fairly aggressively, then use those fingertips to scrub the middle back and finally your ends. This should last about a minute or so depending on how long it has been since have last washed. Rinse with a warm to cool water, again avoiding hot water if you have color in your hair.
5. If you are an infrequent washer or you just want to enjoy the experience again then repeat process. Viola. you are now a professional shampooer.

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I know it doesn't seem like a big difference but the simple act of emulsifying activates the lovely ingredients that you paid for in your new fancy bottle of shampoo. Now tell me this method isn't better than just plopping a glob of cheap shampoo on your head and improperly rinsing leaving itchiness, dryness, or limpness where the glob was applied. Also on a side note. You do not need to wash everyday or even every other day. I typically wash my hair 2-3 times per week but get it wet and condition it everyday. Although I know some people who love that "dirty hair" feeling who will go 8-9 days without wetting or shampooing, hence dry shampoo but I'll cover that in a different post. 

Must Have Travel Items

We are going on a road trip! So these are some of the essentials that I am rounding up. ​

​1. Say yes to cucumber facial towelettes: These are light and refreshing, not too soapy or strong scented.

2. Fake Bake Platinum face lotion: This has been a miracle product for me, it helps reduce any age spots and helps cover them with a slight tan. Must have at all times!​

3. Dermalogica Skin Perfect Primer: Evens out skin texture creating a smooth flawless base for makeup application. Also a multi-tasker because it is SPF 30 broad spectrum which means it has both UVA and UVB rays under control. ​

4. ​Melaleuca Tooth Polish: I've been a devotee of this tooth polish  for over 11 years now and no cavities!!! It doesn't have the sugar that normal toothpastes have and it has Melaleuca oil T 36 C5 or tea tree oil as most people know it by. It works so well and tastes so good!

5. NIA Helio Hydrating Shampoo and Conditioner:​  Described as the absolute pinnacle in cosmetic science. This shampoo and conditioner allows ingredients to penetrate the cuticle and deliver active ingredients inside the hair shaft

These are just a few of my favorites! Tell me what your favorites are.​

Fishtail Braid

​This braid is a beauty! It looks complicated, and it is the first 4-5 times you try it, but then once you get it you will always use it. I'm sure that you've noticed by now braids are big, and they are so easy so why shouldn't they be?

Items needed: 2 pony tail holders, large toothed comb or brush, pomade, hairspray, patience and shoulder strength.

1. Brush or comb your hair away from your face towards your soon to be ponytail. Make sure to smooth out any bumps or ridges that will be bothersome. Let go of your hair.

2. Pomade up: Take a small (dime sized or less) amount of pomade and emulsify it in your palms; pretend that you're going to wash the palms of your hands with it.

3. Smooth your hair back into the ponytail evenly distributing the pomade across the top of your head and down through your ends (dirty hair makes for good braids). Apply elastic to secure ponytail smoothing and gathering right smack in the middles of your head or lower at the nape of your neck so the braid will cascade down one side and over your shoulder.

4. Divide ponytail into two even sections. Starting on your left side; grab a small piece of hair from underneath the left section at the base of your ponytail. Wrap this small section up, around and over and then join it with the right section, it is now a prt of the right section. Now the right side. Grab a small piece of hair from underneath the right section at the base of your ponytail. Wrap this section up, around and over the right section and then join it with the left section. It is now a part of the left section. 
Repeat these two steps continuously until you reach the bottom of the ponytail. 

5. Secure with small elastic ponytail holder. Beautiful.

E Salon

Have you heard of E Salon? Its an interesting concept. I found the site through some bogus ad that was pretending to be a complaint from hair stylists who supposedly hate this product. I don't hate it, and I'm not worried its going to put me out of business. There's so much more to what I do as a stylist than applying root touch ups. Truth be known I do them to myself at home too, so there is no shame in trying to hide those greys in secret.​ Anyway E Salon is a online haircolor company that custom blends either a demi-permenant or permanant haircolor that you can apply to yourself at home. I couldn't get exact details on the price but it's between $20-25 plus shipping. I'm also not certain how many applications are in each mixed bottle. But supposedly the bottle has it's name on it so that's a big selling point with this company. Another cool feature is that they will review a recent picture of you to make sure that the color and tone you have selected will really be appropriate. 

Honestly I would try it, but I know how to order color, if I didn't I would have been confused by finding my custom blend on the website and I probably would have made my way through the ordering process and then stopped at the last minute before ordering because I would have been afraid of making a monumental mistake. ​Then having to pay for a color correction, which you do not want to do.

Birthdays

Fall means lots of birthdays, including mine!! What makes you feel good on you birthday? Is it a phone call from a friend, a specially chosen gift, nobody remembering your birthday (that's only nice after the age of 35)?​

Well here are some suggestions for a few good gifts:​

For the friend who is into their skin: Dry brush and almond oil​

​For the friend who loves to make smoothies: PB2, powdered Coconut Water, Berries and this amazing Smoothies book. 

For the friend who loves technology: iTunes gift card, c'mon who doesn't want this?​

For the friend who you want to spend more time with: Concert tickets to any show and drinks beforehand.​

For the friend who has kids: Bose noise canceling headphones would be ideal​, but they are expensive. For a quick substitution may I suggest earplugs and a bottle of wine. 

For the friend who never wants to spend money on themselves or anything else: A magazine subscription! It will make them feel loved all year, just choose the topic you think they would like best. Or if you want to irritate them choose a subject they don't like at all and have them suffer 12 times a year when they receive it. ​

For the awkward pre-teen who already has everything but thinks they have nothing: I find that more is really more in this circumstance. They want big gifts, but they want a lot of gifts equally as much. I like to get one gift that they really want like a video game, or a awesome cell phone case and surround it with mediocre but thoughtful gifts like, MIO water enhancer​, gum, nail polish, chapstick (but my lips hurt real bad...) Maybe even some cold hard cash if you're so inclined. The key to remember here is that there is no way you can pick out something cooler than this pre-teen can pick out themselves, don't even try.

For your Dad: Powertools, a tablet or a home cooked meal are tops on men's lists.​

For your Mom: Brunch of course, or a good book, a sentimental card​, a framed photo of yours truly . 

“There is no such thing as fun for the whole family.”

— Jerry Seinfeld

Style

Are you looking for a different way to style your hair? Are you tired of the same ponytail that is lurking behind your head everyday? Here are a few tips to help you jazz it up without taking too much time or effort!​

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​www.acupofjoe.blogspot.com

​A Ponytail Twist is a fabulous way to perk up that pony! ​

1. Grab a rubber band, some bobby pins, pomade and hair spray. 
2. Divide your hair into two ponytails, one small section on your right, one larger section on your left. ​
3. ​Apply pomade: Place a dime sized or less amount of pomade in your palm, emulsify it in your palms like your going to wash your palms with it. 
4. Secure left side with 1 rubber band towards the nape of your neck. ​Grab right section smooth hair away from your face gathering into a ponytail while twisting to achieve a rolled look.
5. Wrap the twist around, and under tucking the ends into the twist and directing the ends downward into the rest of the ponytail. Secure with bobby pins directing the pins into the base of the left side ponytail.​

A sleek side parted ponytail is another way to jazz it up. It just involves a little more work​.

1. Comb or brush through the hair to smooth out any bumps or ridges that want to poke out, especially around the nape of the neck. ​
2. Pick a part. Using a comb define a side part. This will depend on your personal style but I encourage you to go a little bit deeper part than you normally would.​
3. Apply pomade: Place a dime sized or less amount of pomade in your palm, emulsify it in your palms like your going to wash your palms with it. Use your tacky pomade hands to slick back your ponytail into the upper middle section of your head. ​Smooth and straighten your hair tightly back preparing to secure it into a rubber band. You may need to grab the brush again to really lay down any bumps. Repeat step 2 if needed. Sometimes you just need a little more product to achieve the sleek look. 
4. If you want to disguise the ponytail holder to achieve a totally sleek look you can leave out of the ponytail a small section at the base of your neck.​
5. Secure ponytail​ using a rubber band elastic. Pull up leftover bottom section of hair towards the ponytail, wrap this section around the rubber band to "hide" it. Secure any loose ends with a bobby pin into the base of the elastic. Spray with a loose setting hairspray. Beautiful.

www.joannagoddard.blogspot.com

www.joannagoddard.blogspot.com

Curly Girl

Have you heard of the curly girl method? It is a "new" way of treating your curl locks with a old school twist. Basically you aren't supposed to use silicones of sulfates in your hair. Which apparently I am somewhat unknowingly addicted to. I didn't know it until I started having withdrawl symptoms. ​I am now on week two of this curly girl method, which is when it is supposed to magically transform from blah to fab. So I'll keep you posted on when that happens. Let me go through the basics with you.

• ​Purchase a Deva Curl trial kit. You can usually pick one up for $35-50. It includes 5 products and a hair drying towel. It will be enough to last two to three weeks.
• ​Forget about every other styling product you have purchased or loved for at least two weeks to give this a try.
• Sit back and wait for amazing results to happen. Meanwhile apologize to your hair for ever straightening it or cursing those curls. You want them back and this time you will never stray (fingers crossed).​

Curly Girl: The Handbook

By Lorraine Massey, Michele Bender

Buy on Amazon

DevaCurl Try Me / Travel Kit

DevaCurl

Buy on Amazon

Brazilian Blowout

No-rinse, easier-to-use formula delivers better curl and frizz reduction in just 60 minutes with ZERO down time!

0% Formaldehyde released before, during or after the treatment.

A new & improved proprietary plant-derived Kerasafe™ Bonding System effectively deposits and seals essential amino acids onto the hair for a smooth, frizz-free surface that lasts up to 12 weeks.

Smooth, frizz-free radiant hair in 60 minutes!

ZERO DOWN TIME!

Deep conditions and promotes radiant shine.

Improves the overall health and condition of the hair.

Acai Aftercare Maintenance Products help maintain the treatment between visits.

Brazilian Blowout ZERO+ has been shown to be most effective with clients that have thinner hair or less challenging waves and/or curls. ZERO+ delivers actually promotes volume at the root area of the hair for exceptional body and bounce.

I am offering special pricing to my new and current clients through the end of September $165 for 12 weeks of smooth, frizz free hair!​

Extensions

This is a wonderful video from Cinderella extensions that visually explains all the different extensions that I offer. Enjoy.​

Yeah

​New blog! Go figure, just as soon as I start getting something figured out (blogging) I go and try to make it more complicated. I've changed platforms already, I know, I know, my two or three current subscribers are going to have to just find me again, but I think it's going to be worth the switch. Let me tell you why...

​Logan, Julia and Cheyenne up waaaay too late

• I can easily add pictures, quotes, videos, different fonts, cool stuff. So I am hoping that people would actually enjoy and come back to my blog. 

PLEASE IF YOU LIKE IT: FAVORITE-SHARE-RETWEET-TWEET-FACEBOOK POST-TUMBLR POST. Hi DS2DIO ! #BELIEVETOURAUDITIONS This is my application for the online BelieveTourAuditions. I think it's the biggest opportunity i've ever seen in my life, so THIS IS IT ! haha I hope you guys enjoy it, i'm trying to share my passion, my life.

Justin Beiber crew is finishing casting ​their #Believe tour. In addition to the traditional casting call He is reaching out to his online community. Dancers are asked to submit their audition videos by August 17th. The sooner the better. Im voting for this guy. 

Band Hair

What does good band hair look like? ​​​​Most band members seem to take the low approach to grooming, at least the majority that I see who are actively touring out on the road. I cant blame a fellow for not wanting to get a bad haircut. Its tough to know who to go to when you don't know where you definitely shouldn't go. This is what I admire seeing in band style.

Greg Bridges, salseman, soloist and daddy​

“It doesn’t matter how long my hair is or what colour my skin is or whether I’m a woman or a man.”

— John Lennon

1. Grooming in any way impresses women so even if you don't want to get your hair cut, wash it, put some product in it (a gel or pomade is perfect for most men) and get it out of your eyes.
2. Facial hair, have it trimmed evenly. We don't like long beards, ever.​
3. Brows, if you have dark hair please get the center between your brows waxed, it can be done at the same time as a haircut or a beard/sideburn trim​
4. Confidence, but not cockiness. Pay attention to details and you will succeed.​

Chlorine Removal

It's summer, you're swimming, or your kids are. All is going well until you start to notice that your hair is starting to turn a lovely shade of slimy green....ahhhhh! What do I do now? 

Fist of all let's start with what to do before you jump in that pool. Your hair is porous (especially if you are blonde) which means that it will absorb water like a sponge. So instead of absorbing all the pool water get your hair wet with tap water. You can shower rinse it, spray it with a water bottle or run it under the sink. Then take a conditioner, the thicker the better, and run it through your damp ends, but don't rinse it out, leave it in. At this point you should try to braid your hair back or put it up in a loose bun,but sometimes we just want to jump I the pool. I know this sounds like a lot of effort but when you consider the time and money we put into our hair it's really not that much. Although after I've had a few drinks by the pool most things seem like quite an effort. 

For the kids, and in this circumstance I mean girls because of the length of their hair; same rules apply try to French braid or double braid before swimming. Wet hair, towel dry, spray with leave in conditioner and braid the hair. These water lovers need it the most. They stay in until their hands get wrinkly and their lips get blue. Once they get out of the pool unfortunately you have to un-do that pretty braid and shampoo out the ends. This is a detox shampoo (try to make me go to rehab, I say no, no, no. RIP Amy Winehouse) kids and adults can use, try using it twice in a row to really build a good lather. It will gently remove the residue buildup without stripping color from your hair. Concentrate on shampooing your ends where your hair is the most porous.

More concentrated efforts for chlorine happen when it's really gotten too late. Honestly,if you are trying to repair your hair at this stage it's probably going to be too late in most circumstances. I've tried bleaching it out which doesn't remove the greenish/grayish color very much at all. I've tried bleaching and toning but you can't tone out a residue. I've tried the home remedy route, things like baking soda, vitamin c, seen tomato juice not work, then ended up removing or cutting off all of those un-happy lengths of hair anyway. Luckily most of these experiments have been on extensions which means removal is just as easy as replacement. 

I don't have full time access to a pool so I don't really suffer from this problem. These are the rules I follow when poolside. Sunscreen, hat, lip balm, cold drink, pull my hair up as high as I can and try not to get dunked but if it happens I won't regret it. Enjoy the rest of your weekend! 

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