| Trichologist shares three key tips for healthy hair |
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| Healthy Hair | |||
| Wednesday, 04 August 2010 00:00 | |||
Dr. Kari Williams, Mahogany Hair Revolution
Healthy hair needs moisture, lubrication and stimulation
By Ricki Jae Morris, My Salon Scoop writerPALM SPRINGS, CALIF. — Good nutrition and healthy styling techniques and products are key to achieving healthy hair, Dr. Kari Williams recently told the women of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. at the group's 53rd national convention in Palm Springs.
Williams, a hair and scalp expert and licensed trichologist, fielded numerous questions about natural hair with the women at the convention held at the Renaissance Esmeralda Resort & Spa and those who joined the live Web chat hosted by My Salon Scoop.
Teaching women how to care for their hair the healthy way is a mission that both Williams and V. Woods, My Salon Scoop owner, feel quite passionate about. So a venue like a sorority convention seemed to be the ideal place to connect with as many women as possible.
"I became an advocate of women seeking more knowledge about healthy hair practices after my own salon drama," Woods said. "I learned the hard way that only as a more educated hair salon client could I improve my own salon experience as well as have healthier hair. With My Salon Scoop, I wanted to make it easier for women to feel more empowered about their hair no matter how they decided to wear their ‘do."
With this in mind, both Williams and Woods trudged ahead fielding questions both at the convention and online. Below is a sampling of what women wanted to know:
Williams and V. Woods, My Salon Scoop founder
"How can I get my hair to grow?" Hair growth was the top question Williams answered during her three-hour visit at the convention and the hour online chat. Bottom line: healthy hair practices; healthy diet. "Ultimately when it comes to growing your hair, and seeing a certain length, you have to incorporate practices (that are) not going to be... damaging to your hair shaft," explained Williams, who owns two Los Angeles-based salons: Mahogany Hair Revolution (the first My Salon Scoop Stellar Salon honoree) and Mahogany Two.
When it comes to thickening the hair, she explained, it's genetic.
"If your hair is naturally fine, there really isn't anything you can do to make it more thick," she said, adding that women can continue to moisturize and lubricate their scalps to promote length. However, if fine hair runs in the family, learn to embrace it.
"Is Dr. Miracles really a miracle?"
"The industry is so innovated with options...(women) get overwhelmed," she said. "Keep it simple. If the product has a good amount of lubrication, (which) means some type of essential oils, that's a great indication that this product is...good for you."
Williams stressed to women that the three key things curly hair needs are moisture, lubrication and stimulation. If this is done, healthier hair is definitely sure to follow. Other key ingredients to keep eye out for were water or glycerin, and stimulating elements like tea tree, peppermint and ylang ylang. Williams also recommended staying within a product line.
"If you're going to try a Sebastian shampoo, try that shampoo and that conditioner, then you would know...if there are changes in your hair, what's causing them," she shared.
"What's a healthy style for me?" 
My Salon Scoop team, including Carol Williams, Dr. Williams, Ricki Jae Morris, and V. Woods, pose at their booth.
Sonia Sears, a sorority member from Brooklyn, N.Y., complained of thinning hair around her temples during the webcast. It first began a couple of years ago. So, she stopped relaxing her hair and transitioned to natural by locking it. But now, she's noticing the thinning problem again.
"So I'm trying to find out how to keep my locs healthy...and strong," she shared, adding that when her locs have snapped off, she's joined them with others.
Examining her hair, Williams noticed that Sears palm-rolls her locs.
"With palm rolling... there is constant tension...and... twisting in (the same) direction," Williams explained. Comparing it to twisting a paper clip, she said if you twist long enough in the same direction the base of the hair weakens and breaks. To prevent breakage, Williams recommended a technique called interlocking. This would strengthen the base of the loc.
When it comes to weaves, understand this: if the braiding process hurts, don't ignore it.
"If you experience any type of pain during the braiding process, speak up," Williams warned. She shared that pain is a signal that something is not right. If ignored, what's being done to the scalp-braiding or sewing-could cause permanent hair loss.
To keep your scalp healthy, remove all weaves after eight weeks. This will prevent fungal infections, which develops when the scalp hasn't been cleaned. This too, Williams stressed, will lead to permanent hair loss.
"Itchy scalp: dandruff or hormone imbalance?"
Williams engages with conference attendee at the booth.
As a hair and scalp specialist, Williams sees hair differently than your regular beautician.
"Our hair is actually dead tissue. Before it becomes...dead tissue they're actual functioning cells in our body, in our scalps," Williams said, adding that when clients approach her with hair issues, her main concern is the condition of the scalp.
Victoria Gaines, a sorority member from Hustle, Va., found this interesting. She shared with Williams that she's been dealing with her "dry scalp issue" for a while.
"You could have a scalp disorder," Williams said. She later discussed that there are different health-altering elements that can cause hair to react in different ways.
"There could be triggers to thyroid issues, or anything going on in the endocrine system," Williams shared. Hormone imbalances, she said, show up as hair and scalp issues.
But the main thing Williams wanted women to understand is that when the hair and scalp are healthy, so is the whole body. "Hair is the barometer of health. If your body is healthy, then your hair will grow."
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Copyright 2010 © My Salon Scoop, LLC
Check out the video highlights from the webcast: Hair-nista Chat: Ask A Stylist Part 1 Hair-nista Chat: Ask A Stylist Part 2 Hair-nista Chat: Ask A Stylist Part 3 Hair-nista Chat: Ask A Stylist Part 4 Hair-nista Chat: Ask A Stylist Part 5 Comments (3)
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I feel like because you were there, a part of me was there too.
Congrats.
Soror LaRita Shelby