Faded Sheitel? Don’t give up on your sheitel! Color it today and love your sheitel all over again!

Just like regular hair, the sun plays havoc with our sheitels.  The rays of the sun fade the hair color and our sheitels look old, dry, burnt and unattractive. It’s important to keep in mind that our long hot summers and long hours of sun exposure take a heavy toll on our sheitels as well as on our faces.

One day you may look at your sheitel and see that the whole top of the sheitel (around the “scalp” or “skin” in Hebrew) is faded and the tips of the hair are dry and faded.  If you see this don’t give up on your sheitel; don’t throw it away or relegate it to the Purim costume pile and DON’T run out and buy a new sheitel. 

Your sheitel can be restored - as long as it is one-hundred percent human hair.  Your sheitel can be dyed and then rejuvenated!

As a rule ALL sheitels, no matter what color the hair, will fade in time.  This fading is more obvious with lighter hair sheitels.  Unfortunately red-hair sheitels fade very quickly!   In general, light hair sheitels will need to be dyed every two or three years, depending on how much time you spend outside in the sun.  Red hair sheitels should be dyed once a year!  Dyed red hair in general is “problematic”, whether you are talking about a sheitel or the hair on your head. 

How to love your red hair sheitel all over again!

Let’s first discuss the problems specifically encountered with red hair and then discuss how to rejuvenate your sheitel, no matter what the shade.

So why do red hair sheitels fade quicker than other sheitel colors (for that matter why does dyed red hair fade quicker)?  To put it simply red hair color molecules are larger and heavier than other hair color molecules and can’t penetrate the hair shaft.  (In order for the color to “take” and stay, the molecules must penetrate the hair shaft to color the hair strand).  Therefore red hair color molecules just adhere to the surface of the hair strand and so they are easily washed out with each subsequent shampooing.  I have read that the red color can be shampooed out of the hair in two weeks or so!

So what can we do to mitigate red hair color from fading?  The obvious answer is stop shampooing your hair daily – I have been saying this for years and it is especially true for dyed red hair. 

Now for all the gals who must shampoo their hair daily because their hair is very oily or they are very active and sweat or swim on a regular basis – you get the idea - what can they do?  If your hair feels oily and you feel a desperate NEED to shampoo - try a spritz of dry shampoo or simple baby powder to get out the oil without washing out the color. Want to know how to use baby powder without looking like you are wearing a powdered wig from the 1700s?  Shake a very small amount of baby powder into the palm of your hand and gently sprinkle on the top of your hair.  Comb or brush the powder through your hair with a wide tooth comb or brush.  Then gently shake your head to loosen any leftover powder and then brush/comb out the residue.  You can do this on a daily basis to keep your hair shining and not over-shampoo!

However, when it comes to sheitels, we don’t shampoo our sheitels on a daily basis, but we can reduce the amount of exposure to the sun.  Wear a hat over your sheitel.  Give your sheitel a “break” and wear a tichel.  Just remember your red hair sheitel deserves special TLC.

Loving your sheitel again!

Now let’s get back to rejuvenating your faded sheitel. As I said earlier in this article, all light haired sheitels need to be dyed and revitalized at some point.  The dyeing process should only be done by a professional, but there are certain guidelines you should be aware of.

Firstly when you plan to have your sheitel macher color your sheitel, you should select a color that is a shade or two darker than your desired shade.  If you look at pictures of your sheitel when you first purchased it, you would see it is a darker or richer color than it is today, so don’t worry that the sheitel will be too dark. 

Still not sure about the color/shade choice? I like to dye a hidden section of the sheitel and see how the color looks and "takes".  Sometimes I try two different shades of the same color and then choose the best one.

Secondly, as sheitel hair is no longer attached to our scalp nor contains the hair follicle or the hair bulb, the color can only coat the surface of the hair and as I said the color will fade with time, no matter what we do. 

Thirdly, once the sheitel is dyed we must shampoo the sheitel rather vigorously to ensure that ALL the dye has been removed.  We have to shampoo, rinse and then repeat this process several times (depending on the color), until the water runs clear – this process in and of itself removes color.  Once the residual color is gone, we must apply a good quality hair masque to revive and revitalize the hair.  Once this dyeing-shampooing process is complete we start to dry the hair and lock in the color.

One of the best ways to ensure that this final color stays in the sheitel for as long as possible is to use heat to “lock” in the color – this can be done be using a flat iron on the hair once it has dried.  Once done, the sheitel is now ready to be styled and then worn and loved all over again.

Want to arrange a FREE consultation for sheitel coloring and revitalization?  Contact me today 052-3413249  Get ready to love your sheitel all over again!

Taking care of covered hair!

Today I want to talk to all those lovely ladies out there who cover their hair.  Covering your hair should not mean that you stop taking care of your hair or that you no longer have to take care of your hair. 

I have covered my hair since the day I got married, 35 years ago (wow that is a long time ago) and I have ALWAYS taken care of my hair!

Some of the rules of hair care are the same for every woman and girl; whether she covers her hair or not:

(1)      never shampoo your hair more than once a week

(2)      never condition your hair more than one additional 
time a week

These rules are universal for all womankind; unless you work down in a mine or in a particularly smelly profession.  Shampooing and conditioning are the key verbs here; no matter how “gentle” and/or “natural” the product, these products strip from our hair the important oils needed to help our hair look and feel healthy.  You can wet your hair when you shower/bathe, just don’t shampoo or condition it.

OK, so you can say it: ‘I'll shampoo my hair and then I'll condition it and then I’ll use a moisturizing hair mask.’  And I ask: “Why?”  “Why?” Why strip your hair and then put "back" the conditioning; don’t strip to begin with!  Don't get me wrong - I work out every day and shower after every workout - but I do not shampoo my hair with every shower. 

Now back to our covered hair: while our hair is not regularly attacked by the elements - sun, dust, dirt and pollutants - it must be taken care of. 

I also want to state very clearly: covering your hair does not ruin your hair, does not stop it from growing, does not cause it to fall out, does not cause it to thin out or any other evil.  These are all symptoms of age, illness and a host of hereditary and/or dietary factors.  I have the pleasure of taking care of the hair of a host of lovely ladies of all ages, who cover their hair and I see the proof that covering their hair does not affect their hair in anyway.

If you feel your hair is thinning or in any way becoming unhealthy:

(1)      Look at your diet  A balanced diet should provide all the vitamins and minerals you need for healthy hair, as well as healthy nails and bones!

(2)     Look at your mother and grandmother  Heredity plays a big part here! Did your mother/grandmother suffer from thinning hair at a relatively young age?

(3)      Look at how you treat your hair  Stop pulling your hair back in severe hairstyles that pull and tear your hair.  Stop using rubber bands when you create a ponytail style in your hair that further tears and breaks your hair strands.  Stop over-zealous blow drying, any over-zealous teasing, gluing of extensions and anything that injures your hair on a long-term (as far as hair is concerned) basis.

Now let's talk about how to LOVE our hair.  Each day when you remove your tichel, hat or sheitel gently brush out your hair with a good brush; preferably one with soft bristles with small beaded tips to help prevent further tearing and breaking of hair strands.

Try to air-dry your wet hair whenever possible to prevent your hair from becoming dry.

Want to add shine, texture and vitality to your hair (whether you cover your hair or not)?  Try this great new product that I found recently: TREAT Professional Hair Treatment. 

It’s produced by JOYA, http://www.joya-act.co.il ,

a company that produces a full line of beauty care products.  I have been slowly adding JOYA products to my ‘bag of tricks’ and have been happy with each new product I discover.

Back to TREAT Professional Hair Treatment.   I love using this product on my own hair, customers' and my own sheitels, my customers' hair, as well as my husband’s hair.  Used generously, this product brings back a glow and luster to lifeless hair.

As you know, I always advise using products sparingly, this is one of the few products that I tell clients to use GENEROUSLY! With this product, you hair never gets greasy or feels wet and heavy.

So how do you use this product?

You should work on dry or nearly-dry hair.  Work in sections – you don’t need to comb or separate into neat sections – just work with the following basic sections:

•  the top of your head (from the crown and including bangs/fringe)
•  the sides of your head 
•  the back of your head until the nape of your neck

If you have long and/or thick hair you can divide these section up a bit more.  You don’t need to pin or clip your hair sections. 

Working in sections, use your fingers - spread like a wide-tooth comb -  to open up each section of hair to the roots. 

Spray a spritz or two of TREAT directly into the root area. 

Gently massage the product, fluff and move your fingers, in a zigzag pattern, from the root up to the tips of your hair. Distributing, lifting and fluffing your hair as you go.

When working with the back of your head, I suggest you flip your hair over (even if your hair is not long) and work from the nape of your neck and up to the crown of your head.

Once you've finished a 'round', you can gently brush all your hair.

Repeat this massaging-fluffing-zigzagging-fluffing-brushing process throughout your head. 

You should repeat this whole process on your hair at least two to three times (even four times).  Your hair may feel a bit "wet" at the onset, but the product is absorbed quickly. 

  

In addition, you will love the scent of this product, as much as you will love what it will do for your hair.

The scent and the product’s results even last through a shower (not a shampooing).

How often should you use this product?  I say once a week, but you can use it twice a week or once every two weeks.  It all depends on you.

Remember: Our HAIR is our ‘crowning glory’ so take care of your hair!

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Prevent tangles and knots in long hair sheitels! Share with your friends!

One of the most annoying problems with long sheitels is the fact that the rows of hair that lay on the nape of the neck tend to get knotted and matted.  These rows of hair can be detangled - but like everything else - continuous combing loosens and then tears the hairs in the sheitel.  Eventually, over-vigorous brushing and combing will create bald spots.

The reason this area is so vulnerable to tangling is the fact that this area tends to rub along the collars of shirts, dresses, coats and jackets, as well as get caught in scarves and necklaces. There is no way to prevent this close contact, but there is a way to help prevent the resulting tangles!

For years I have told my customers that they should pay extra attention to this area and GENTLY detangle and comb - with a wide tooth comb or brush - this area after every time they wear their long sheitels.  Regular detangling keeps this area neat and prevents the need for more vigorous brushing when you bring your sheitel in for a 'wash and set'. (Another area of special attention is the “scalp” area of the wig, but that’s the subject of another article!) 

I have tried all kinds of methods to detangle the hairs as safely as possible, but like everything else, I have found that the easiest method is to PREVENT this tangling IN THE FIRST PLACE.  My solution is simple and wig-safe!

My method works great with all sheitels: on new sheitels as well as old sheitels; 100% human hair, blends and even synthetics! 

What to do?

þ First turn your sheitel inside out.  Hold the nape section of your sheitel facing you.  

þIf this is not a new sheitel, gently comb and detangle all the hair of the sheitel - paying special attention to the last rows of hair close to the edges of the sheitel (this is the area that will come in close contact with the nape of the neck). 

þ Take a small amount of silicone gel or Moroccan/Aragon oil and rub it into the palm of your hands.  The gel or oil will keep these rows of hair “lubricated” and loose and less likely to be able to get knotted or tangled. Rub this small amount into the palms of both hands.

þ Using the palms of your hands gently apply the gel/oil ONLY to the roots of the rows of hair at the nape.  Do not rub the oil/gel down through the hair length.  You only want the “roots” of the rows of hairs close to the nape to be affected. The reason for this is that you do not want your wig to dirty or create an oil stain on any of your clothes.

þ Once you have treated your wig, you should not need a wide-toothed comb or brush to untangle your wig hair after a day of wig wear.  You should be able to gently untangle this area with just your fingertips.  

þ This layer of protection should last until your regular month and a half shampoo and set session. If you have been wearing your wig in hot weather or throughout a particularly active day, you may need to reapply a bit of gel/oil and repeat the process.  If you wait months between shampoo and set sessions (which you know you should NOT DO!), the protective properties of the gel/oil will not last and you will need to reapply a bit of gel/oil every so often.

þ Before and after every wear, gently shake out your wig twice. Once while holding your wig inside out and then while holding your wig right side out.  This will help to keep the hairs separate.

Treat your wig with the love and attention it deserves and it should serve you well for a long time to come!