Search Results: Kristian Richards
10 Blood Circulating Foods
Citrus Fruits
When you eat foods that are high in vitamin C like oranges, tangerines, and grapefruits, it removes excess cholesterol to help make the blood thinner. Try regularly eating these tangy, flavorful fruits to help prevent plaque buildup and poor circulation.
Dark chocolate
It’s official, chocolate is good for your hair. Your eyes are not deceiving you. The cocoa in dark chocolate naturally contains flavonoids that can lower blood pressure and improve blood flow. Just make sure to eat it in moderation.
Broccoli
Go for this dense, green veggie to really get blood circulating to your scalp. It delivers vitamins to the hair follicle and its oils can give your curls a boost in the shine department. Broccoli is also an excellent source for vitamin C — it even contains more than oranges.
Sunflower Seeds
Opt for the unsalted version of these seeds. They are rich in vitamin E and antioxidants that help reduce the formation of blood clots. You can also try pumpkin seeds if you prefer them.
Ginkgo Biloba
Known to increase blood flow, this herb derives from one of the oldest surviving species of trees. It assists in dilating the blood vessels, which increases blood circulate to the brain, ears, eyes, and legs.
Turmeric
With its deep, yellow-orange hue and mild flavor, this spice invigorates the blood and prevents the formation of blood clots that inhibit blood flow.
Watermelon
Pinkish, reddish foods get their pigment from a natural antioxidant called lycopene. The lycopene in this sweet, seeded fruit contains its blood circulating properties.
Cayenne Pepper
This spicy pepper contains capsaicin, an active ingredient that stimulates digestion and circulation. It increases blood flow and the metabolic rate, raises the body temperature, and prevents platelets from creating blockage.
Goji Berries
This fruit is high in fiber and known for its various healing properties. They help increase the white blood cell count, which is responsible for fighting infection. They also have a high iron and calcium content, which help to normalize blood pressure and regulate healthy blood flow.
Garlic
This powerful and pungent food is a natural antibiotic that fights infections, strengthens the immune system, and keeps plaque from blocking your blood vessels.
Ginger
Fresh ginger is great for lowering blood pressure and dilating the blood vessels. It stimulates the heart, which helps to increase blood flow throughout the entire body.
When there are issues with getting your hair to grow, it’s important to rectify the situation both internally and externally. A number of factors contribute to reduced hair growth, from your scalp being too dirty or your pores being blocked from build-up.
It is true that nothing but time can make your hair grow, but there are ways to help stimulate hair growth. Check out these options to give your curls extra encouragement.
1. Peppermint Oil
With a fresh aroma, this strongly concentrated oil must be diluted before applying the scalp. It penetrates the scalp and stimulates the hair follicle, allowing for more oxygen production that gives your curls the green light to grow.Tip:
Apply it directly to the scalp with a gentle massage and cover for 20 to 30 minutes.Check out this DIY Peppermint Pre-Poo recipe to help stimulate blood circulation to your scalp.
2. Lavender Oil
This sweet smelling product has antibacterial properties that keep the scalp clean and the pores open. It helps to reduce issues that can prevent hair from growing like excessive dandruff.
Tip:
Use this fragrant herb as a rinse by boiling it in water and allowing it to cool. You can also use it as a deep conditioning treatment by infusing it with oil for three or four weeks before using.
Don’t know what to do with the remaining lavender oil? Here are 5 Ways to Use Lavender Oil.
3. Rosemary Oil
Hailed as one of the most effective oils in hair growth, rosemary oil is known for its scalp stimulating properties. It gets the blood circulating in your scalp, which also assists with thinning edges and balding spots.
Tip:
Try diluting this essential oil with jojoba oil and gently massaging it into your scalp.
If you want to use products that have rosemary oil in the formula, check out 8 Herbs for Healthy Hair article.
4. Stinging Nettle
This herb does double duty. Allowing stinging nettle oil to sit in your hair overnight can help combat hair loss and also give your curls a boost in the growth department. The nutrients help regenerate the hair and prevent the overproduction of DHT, a hormone that contribute to hair loss.
Tip:
You can purchase this herb in oil form and leave it on overnight or make a tea and use it as a rinse.
5. Jamaican Black Castor Oil
It can be incredibly frustrating to have a nice, full head of curls with noticeably thinning edges due to heat usage, over-styling, or other types of damage. Now that you know how to treat your hair better, you can make amends by applying Jamaican black castor oil to your trouble zones. As with any remedy, patience is required but if you are persistent about using it, the thickness of your edges will return.
If you are wondering what exactly is castor oil, read about Jamaican Black Castor Oil and 4 Reasons Why Castor Oil is Basically Magic.
6. Aloe Vera
This mega hair growth stimulant is jam-packed with more than 20 minerals and an abundance of vitamins like A, C, and E (just to name a few”>. It helps hair grow by reducing the overproduction of sebum — an oily substance that your scalp secretes. Excessive sebum can slow hair growth by clogging your pores. Because it is an antibacterial, aloe vera works by zapping that oily build-up and allowing your pores to breathe.
Read more about The Science of Aloe Vera and the benefits for your hair.
7. Sage Oil
This oil increases blood circulation to your hair follicle. It also aids in controlling excessive sebum from the scalp. If your curls are limp and your strands aren’t growing, sage oil might be the move for you.
To incorporate sage in your regimen, here is a Herb Infused Hot Oil Hair Treatment to try.
8. Onion Juice
The smell might be less than pleasant to some (or most”> but this DIY treatment has been used for ages and for a good reason — it works! Thanks to its high sulfur content, it is incredibly effective in stimulating and increasing your blood circulation.
Tip:
Blend or chop onions and then strain the juice. Apply to your hair for 15 min. and then wash thoroughly.
Are you thinking onion juice is weird, well it gets weirder. Check out this list of Weird Hair Ingredients.
9. Apple Cider Vinegar
When your scalp is battling build-up, trying to get your curls to grow is an uphill battle. Product build-up, dirt, and grime all contribute to disrupting your scalp’s natural pH levels and effecting growth. Restore balance and stimulate hair growth with an ACV rinse following your shampoo. It will leave your hair soft and give it shine.
Want to know more about the chemistry behind apple cider vinegar and your hair? The CurlChemist gives us The Scoop on Vinegar.
10. Eggs
Eggs are full of all of the major essential vitamins and minerals (except for C”> including zinc, iron and selenium.
Tip:
Try beating an egg and applying it to your hair in order to increase oxygen and blood production to the scalp. This application also assist in healthy cell division. Rinse it out after 20 minutes with cold water (warm water makes it curdle and stick to your hair”> and shampoo.
Give it a few tries in order to gauge results.
Eggs are also a great help for those with high porosity hair. Check out this Rum and Egg Hair Recipe if you have difficulty sustaining moisture in your strands.
When contemplating returning to your natural hair texture, the idea of cutting off all of your hair may seem super scary, and that makes complete sense. Do you want to embark on this hair journey but don’t want to cut 90-95% of your hair in the meantime? If you have thought long and hard about going on this tremendous journey and feel like it’s the right decision for you, do not be dissuaded just because you think you have to do the big chop.
The big chop is the right choice for some curly girls who have decided to cease relaxing their tresses — but not all. It is not the end all be all of the first steps of your hair. You can do whatever you want to arrive at the same result. If you’re a little (or really”> scared, rest assured that there are other ways to get from point A to point Z. Take a deep breath and relax. You have options! There is no one right way to do this thing! You have a choice and here are alternatives that will help you if you’re on the ledge of taking that natural leap but don’t want to snip off your strands.
5 Big Chop Alternatives
The road to having your hair just the way you want it is paved with a myriad of good-intentioned products.
Along the way there may be encounters with some that put that pep back in your step and the perfect kink back in your coils, but there may also be some bumps in the road before you reach that blissful place of hair nirvana.
Everyone’s hair is completely and entirely unique with a wide spectrum of possible reactions to certain ingredients and chemicals, but some of us may also be dealing with sensitive skin that impacts our options with it comes to using products.
There are many possible irritants found in lots of products that might not bother the average curly haired-bear but for some people the range of dyes, fragrances, parabens, sulfates and other chemicals can lead to unpleasant and uncomfortable skin reactions. Luckily, there are still lots of brands that make products suitable for people with sensitive skin who want to maintain their lovely skin and curly tresses.
Taliah Waajid Enhancing Herbal Conditioner
Creamy, dense and thoroughly moisturizing, this chemical-free conditioner has a great smell and does wonders for softening your hair.
Brigeo Deep Conditioning Mask
Deep damage calls for deep repair and this conditioner uses rosehip oil, aloe vera and essential oils to get the job done to reinvigorate parched curls.
Shea Moisture Organic Coconut and Hibiscus Curl and Shine Shampoo
Neem oil helps this gentle cleanser hydrate your hair to bring that silkiness and shine back to your curls and coils .
Essentious Rejuvenate Protein Treatment
Reconstruct and repair your hair with this aloe vera-based product designed to strengthen and restore protein to chemically-damaged curls.
Oyin Handmade Whipped Pudding
Although this moisturizer is rich with its blend of botanical oils and saturating oils like shea butter and cocoa butter, it is still light, airy and perfect for rejuvenating dry hair thirsting for penetrative moisture.
We’ve all been there: staring at ourselves in the mirror with some random, odd, oftentimes natural concoction sitting on our tresses wondering what the hell we were thinking.
As you start rinsing the muck out of your hair, the thunder and lightening start crashing in your brain as you curse yourself for taking advice from that message board or video guru that lead you astray. But, then, right before you lose all hope, the clouds part and you can see the sun shining through. You might just be imagining things, but your hair does feel softer, doesn’t it? And you know what, that little bounce is back in your locks too, isn’t it?
Such is the life of the curly girl on the search for just the right thing to take her hair to the next level. But, there is light at the end of the ingredients list. Sometimes you have to kiss a few frogs before you find the perfectly wacky thing for your ‘do.
Weird Hair Ingredients
Beer
Believe it or not, this party staple has more than just once function. Instead of simply drinking it, some have tried using it on their hair rinse after shampooing, citing the brew as a good source of protein that coats damaged hair.
Onion Juice
If you can get past the strong, sulfurous smell then this is the ingredient you need to help with thinning and greying hair. Studies have actually shown that helps in regenerating hair follicles and is helpful in treating fungal infections which can sometimes cause hair loss.
Molasses
This thick, sweet syrup is often found in the kitchen cabinet but can be used to help increase moisture in hair just like a conditioner.
Tea
It’s true, you can drink tea for hair growth but you can also use it on your hair. Pick the type according to your own color – black tea for dark hair, chamomile for lighter hair – and allow it to sit. You can deepen, boost or brighten your hair color with some fresh-brewed tea that compliments your natural color. It also softens your curls.
There’s a new curly-haired star on the rise, and she’s only nine years old. Curly cutie pie Quvenzhané Wallis (pronounced “Qui-ven-ZHEN-ay””> took the silver screen by force with her debut in 2012’s critically-acclaimed film “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” and now she’s making Oscar history before the awards season has even fully taken off.
On Thursday, the bright-eyed, natural showstopper became the youngest ever nominee for the Best Actress category. She shares the nomination with other actresses including Emmanuelle Riva from “Amour,” Jennifer Lawrence from “Silver Linings Playbook,” Jessica Chastain from “Zero Dark Thirty” and Naomi Watts from “The Impossible.”Wallis’ cute coils, vibrant personality and star power presence have catapulted her into the spotlight. It’s clear that this little girl has what it takes to keep an audience captivated just by listening to the anecdotes circulating about her from how she boldly fibbed about her age just to be considered for a role in the film to how she beat out thousands of other girls and eventually landed the prestigious nomination.
Most recently she starred in an awesome, imaginative short video “Dream” featured in the New York Times and was also spotted giving an acceptance speech by reading right off of her bright pink smartphone on Critics Choice Awards where she snagged the Best Young Actor/Actress trophy.
Among the many questions being asked about her now is how the rising star will wear her hair for the big 85th Annual Academy Awards event. We’ll just have to wait until the big night to see whether she will wear a dressed up version of her little afro like in “Beasts of the Wild,” or with her natural hair straightened like she’s been seen most recently in the spotlight. Either way, Quvenzhané is sure to shine on the red carpet like the star she’s shown everyone she can be.
via TwitterModel Amber Rose has been in and out of the spotlight for a number of reasons throughout the years, ranging from dramatic romantic drama to daring fashion feats. Although most of the attention has chosen to pay attention to her gorgeous curves and bright, blonde hair all this time, since her break-up with Kanye and embarrassing NSFW photos making their way onto the web, she’s been cooling off with her main squeeze, Wiz Khalifa.
With her pregnancy in full swing, Amber Rose chose to stay land-bound while her chart-topping fiance embarked on his international tour around the globe. While happily vacationing on the beach, she was spotted with her adorable baby bump, but without her well-known platinum blonde tresses! She let her natural side out and wore a short, cute crop cut in a beautiful chocolate color leaving the bleach back in the salon for a little bit.
The mother-to-be and brunette for the moment may be choosing to embrace her natural roots more and more as the due date for her little one draws closer and closer. In addition to donning a darker hair color, she’s also mentioned on Twitter that she wants to have a natural childbirth as well prompting questions of whether or not the brown look might be here to stay with her interest in going natural in full flare.
Only time will tell. She’s known to switch up her style when it comes to both fashion and beauty as her fans have seen over the years. One thing is for sure, though: whether she’s rocking the platinum blonde short cut, another bright, bold color or something closer to her natural brown, her little bundle of joy will always have a mom that’s known for standing out.
What do you think of Amber’s darker hair color?
In a world where only about 4 percent of women consider themselves beautiful, it’s no wonder so many feel awful about their tresses. Between embarrassing hair pat-downs in airports, men making insensitive comments about natural hair, ads insinuating a certain hair type’s inferiority and top-notch stylists urging women with kinky hair to chemically-alter their natural texture, it is clear why many women regardless of age, skin color, financial status, education level or hair type are struggling to embrace their hair.
A recent survey released by the well-known beauty and skincare company, Dove, revealed a shocking and depressing sentiment among women about their hair: they don’t like it.
Sad State of Hair-Esteem
Out of the 1,000 women surveyed, only a mere 7 percent of them reported that they love their hair. In fact, the survey showed that Black women were more likely to report satisfaction with their hair than any other race – at a whooping 14 percent. Still not as high as Dove would have wanted.
The Make Friends With Your Hair project was a bit of a social self-esteem mission. And although the Dove.com site is complete with cute games, quizzes, tool kits and advice on how to be the best you, their survey definitely let the cat out of the bag on how women truly feel.
Other finds in the survey also show that women value taking care of their hair more than feeding themselves, putting on makeup or sleeping in for a few extra minutes in the morning. According to the survey, one in five women have skipped a planned social event because of unpredictable hair!
Live Above the Fray
Did you know that the average woman changes her hair 104 times in her lifetime? With the female life expectancy in the United States at about 80, that means that women in the U.S. change their hair at least once a year, or about every 280 days! Ladies, we have got to embrace our hair’s natural beauty!
If you can relate to the whopping 93 percent of those 1,000 women surveyed that can’t find the beauty in their hair – natural or otherwise – take a step back from the haters and find a community that values the diversity of beauty. It’s important not to be discouraged by the information presented by polls like the one Dove conducted.
Challenge yourself and others to resist stifling beauty standards by not letting your tastes be dictated by narrow-minded people. You’re fine – and we mean, FIIINE, and so is your hair.
Want More?
Learn how the creator of MopTop learned to overcome the curly hair bashing she received as a child, and moved on to create a curly hair empire – all about embracing and being empowered by your curls!
Final Thoughts
Curlies, let’s get to the bottom of this! Do you love your hair? Why or why not?
Even the curliest of us occasionally likes to test the grass on the other side of the hair texture fence. The transformation from full head of lively hair to a sleeker, straighter look can sometimes take much longer than wanted or expected, though. For some women, the amount time it takes can actually deter them from jumping ship for a day.
So, how can you add another look to your portfolio of endlessly curly stylishness without spending hours upon hours in front of the mirror, gel in hand, straightening iron in the other?
For some, the answer can be found with the latest hairstyling innovation—the MP3 flat iron. This new flat iron does double duty by both getting your tresses bone-straight and offering a bit of built-in entertainment that might make your time in front of the mirror a little less monotonous. While the design is still standard, like most flat irons, the new one comes complete with speakers and the capacity to hold up to 500 songs.
As with any new technological innovation, there are varying stances on the implication. A foray into various beauty blogs, message boards and fashion magazine sites shows that while a few women think it’s a decent idea, some of them view the MP3 flat iron as a marketing gimmick. However, both sides of the lighthearted argument make valid points concerning price, usefulness and purpose.
The MP3 Flat Iron Iron
Pros:
- Great for travel
- Listen to tunes without disturbing anyone else
- Makes long tasks a little more entertaining
- Customizable playlist
Cons:
- A little pricey!
- Might not be useful if you can pump your own tunes
- Loud music so close to your ears
- Another MP3-capable device is a bit redundant
This just may be the type of product for a certain demographic of bone-straight aficionados and not a one-product-fits-all flat iron.Even popular media outlets are conflicted on the merits of this multitasking flat iron. ABC’s highly rated morning show, “The View,” named InGlam’s Onyx Ceramic Digital MP3 Flat Iron one of 2011’s summer beauty essentials. Pop culture and fashion magazine Nylon was openly conflicted, and sent out a call to readers asking whether or not the MP3 flat iron was a good idea or not.
For example, if you’ve got a banging stereo system that you can crank full blast while you alternate straightening your hair and singing into the flat iron, perhaps an MP3 straightening iron is no new invention. However, if you have roommates or parents that don’t want to hear your jams at 8 a.m., the new tool may come in handy.
With so many different devices combining technologies to make things more convenient, it is easy to see how it might be overkill to have a phone capable of playing MP3s, an iPod or another actual MP3 player as well as a MP3 flat iron, but a curly girl can always use options, right?
