By JENNIFER GOULD KEIL

Posted by Charlene Blacer at 11:23 PM | Permalink

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The high price of holy hair

The hottest new extensions come from Indian virgins

By JANE RIDLEY

A stylist at A.F. Bennett salon on Staten Island gives temple hair extensions to a client.   It's no longer enough to wear pricey hair extensions made from human rather than synthetic hair - the latest must-have tresses come from virgins who shave their heads in a traditional Hindu ceremony on the other side of the globe. Stars including Halle Berry, Victoria Beckham, Gwyneth Paltrow and Jennifer Lopez reportedly wear the "temple hair," pristine locks that once belonged to Indian maidens in their teens and early 20s.   Remarkably, these women don't receive a dime for their trouble - the money goes directly to the shrine. The demand for temple hair has now spread to New York City hair salons, where clients spend an average of $3,000 on the extensions - enough to feed a poor family in India for six months.   They are attracted by the purity of the hair - Indian women frequently grow it 20 inches long and rub natural oils into each strand to keep it soft and glossy - as well as its spiritual connotations.   "It is very popular because it is fine but also durable," says Jennifer Rasole, PR director at A.F Bennett Salon and Wellness Spa on Staten Island. "It can be colored, heated and blow-dried exactly like your own hair and looks great even when you're swimming."   The women sacrificing their hair are often brides-to-be who, according to some critics, are mostly unaware that it is sold for profit. Others regard it as their donation to the temple.   They believe that, in return, the god Vishnu will grant them health and happiness. The gesture shows they are willing to give up their pride and vanity before marriage. Every day up to 4,000 stand in line for the sacred head-shaving ceremony at the temple in Tirupati, in hilly Andhra Pradesh.   "It's a wonderful thing," says Batsheva Schilis, 24, of Oakwood, Staten Island, who recently fitted extensions to her hair. "It doesn't frizz in the summer and is easy to straighten and maintain.   "But, if you're a spiritual person like me, you feel an energy from the chi of the woman who donated it. I don't think the Indian women are exploited. They see the ceremony as an honor."   Great Lengths International, an Italian company that buys hair from Tirupati and other Hindu temples, exports the bundles to Africa, where they are washed, sorted and stitched at the root before being finished in Italy.   The product is later shipped to wholesalers and on to upscale salons such as A.F Bennett and Warren-Tricomi in Manhattan. "It is the most like European and Caucasian hair in texture and appropriate for any chemical treatment," says a spokeswoman for Great Lengths International. "This hair is available in the needed quantities to meet the global demand."   She added that the hair is derived from consenting women of all ages and the cash raised by the temples finances community projects. However, though the Indian government regulates the hair's sale, concerns grow about the black market that supplies cheaper versions. It estimates up to 80 of every 100 locks of hair come from illicit dealings where suppliers prey on desperately poor women and pressure them into selling their hair for next to nothing.   "In many cases we fear women are being exploited," says trade minister E.V.K.S. Elangovan. "This is obviously an environment which breeds illegality."

Posted by Charlene Blacer at 11:10 PM | Permalink

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 Some important points to consider when purchasing OR renting a LLLT laser hair comb device.

 1. Total Laser Power & Power Per Centimetre are different.

Simply adding more 5mW laser modules to a basic design does not mean you have more powerful LLLT laser treatment, more modules may treat a larger area at one time, but the MAXIMUM laser power per treatment area is still only 5mW and in most cases much less. A simple analogy is to see further at night, you require a more powerful torch light, by using 2, 4 or ever 6 low powered torch lights side-by-side, you can not see further into the darkness.  Similarly, adding more 5mW laser modules may exposure a larger area at one time but does not result in more powerful treatment.  Only by using MULTIPLE & STRONGER laser modules do you receive more powerful treatment and deeper penetration by the laser light energy into your skin.  For LLLT to be most successful, the laser energy must penetrate below the base of the hair follicle.

2. Design of Laser Module:

Basic laser modules are constructed with a barrel design, they are typically black and around 1" long cylinders.  The light and radiation amplification is produced at one end of the barrel, and the laser beam is channelled through a series of focusing lens to ultimately emit a concentrated laser beam from the end of the plastic barrel. Very similar concept to how a telescope channels light through a long cylinder. They is essentially an analogue design.  A newer concept in laser module design, is a digital and solid state laser scattering module.  Electronic components within each laser module evenly disperse the laser energy.  Laser scattering modules are easily identifiable as they are smaller and more solid than the older black plastic barrel designs used in most LLLT devices.  Here is one comparison:

3. Quality of Laser Modules:

There are medical quality laser modules (found in medical devices) and there are consumer quality laser modules (found in toys, video games, laser pointers etc.) There are also several grades of laser modules such as A-grade, B-grade, C-grade and D-grade.  Over all performance, life time, consistency of power levels and consistency of wavelength are all key factors in determining the quality and grade  of a laser module. Another less known difference in laser modules is what we call the "warm up factor." Some 5mW laser modules we have tested take between 10-15 minutes just to "warm up" and reach their peak power outputs. Meaning during the first 10-15 minutes of your 15 minute session with low grade 5mW laser modules you may be receiving much less than the advertised 5mW. Low grade laser modules also fluctuate in their wavelengths, meaning one batch may be 600nm and another 615nm and another 630nm. Unfortunately a key factor in determining laser module quality is simply cost. A-grade 5mW laser modules may cost 5-10x more than D-grade laser modules. 

Laser comb core design: More and more laser comb products are appearing on the market, most cleverly advertise 5mW power output, or even multiple 5mW laser modules or single 10-25mW laser modules or a total of 45mW or more.  However, how this laser energy is distributed is just as important than the total laser power.  On one side of the spectrum many of the cheaper products have NO dispersion method included in their design.  Meaning they simply install laser modules that give little actual coverage of your scalp. On the other side of the spectrum, other designs use either plastic mirrors, plastic lens or plastic fibre optics to disperse single laser beams into smaller parts - resulting in over all low power per centimetre and a measurable loss of power in the splitting and refraction process. This is very simple to calculate, for example a design using a single 5mW module dispersed over 10cm with plastic light pipes has a maximum laser power output of 0.5mW per centimetre i.e. next to useless. A product like this may be advertised at 5mW, but this means TOTAL POWER, not what actually reaches your scalp per centimetre.  Typically this method also results in wildly uneven laser power distribution. This is a generous calculation as it does not take into account the typical 30% loss of power in refracting and reflecting laser beams.

Quality modules, although extremely expensive to use, provide even and consistent scattering of the laser energy. Actually, the provide EXACT distribution. Digital laser scattering modules are the only efficient and reliable way to uniformly scatter laser energy. The use of mirrors, lens and other plastic fibre optics, although significantly less expensive, results in loss of power and uneven distribution. Again, we can prove this as laser combs using plastic mirrors have outputs between 0.5-4mW per beam. Some brands have one single a 1, 2 or 5mW laser spread over a larger surface, resulting in extremely low over all power and exposure.

Batteries or Mains Power?: 2x AA batteries do not last long in toys, battery laptops and large and heavy and last only around 60 minutes. A couple of rechargeable batteries can not possibly power a medical quality devices for much longer than a few minutes a full power.

Okay, so what did we find is the true laser that is worth to buy or rent and won 5***** by The Laser Comb Review?  CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT! 

Posted by Charlene Blacer at 04:03 PM | Permalink

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PROBLEM #1- My human hair system looks beautiful the day I get it put on, but after a couple of weeks, it looks frizzy, untamed, dry.  I have to buy about 4-8 hairpieces per year!

SOLUTION- Since most human hair systems came were processed, the cuticles need extra care.  Using a product that seals the cuticles, such as The Secure System Maintenace Care Products, before cleansing and after conditioning will help prolong your investment.  Believe me, these products do work.  With proper use, your hair system will lasts you for a good 9 months.

Also remember, not all human hair pieces or hair systems are created equal.  Check with your stylist for references.  Ask to see not only before and after pictures that were just taken, but you need to see pictures of the same person who has worn the SAME EXACT hair piece or hair system for quite a number of months.

If your stylist cannot provide that, then common sense tells you to forget it.  Remember too, that if your stylist tells you, "this is the best hair in the world" is a SALES PITCH!

Hair Care Collection
6 Healthy Essential Se*Cure System for Special Human Hair. Comes with Ultra*Loc, Cleanser, Pro*Condition, Silk*Eez, Liquid Style, Spray Design and Wooden Loop Brush WILL PROTECT YOUR HAIR AUGMENTATION. These contain suncreen and special ingredients that seals and protects the cuticles.

PROBLEM #2- After about one week, my hair integration is going inside my head.  I always have to use a tail comb or a chopstick to pull out my hair.

SOLUTION- That's because your stylist did not pay special attention to the other hair within the netting.  She/He just simply attached the hair in the ends of the netting.  Using my "Individual Loop" Technique, I've learned doing hair extensions, my clients are able to have "no nesting" effect caused by many hair integration units.  This technique does not take a hour long.  It is 3x longer, but well worth every penny.  Your entire hair will be easy to clean without all the hair riding up inside the.  Speak to your stylist and ask if she knows anything about that.  If not, perhaps she/he can come in for a class.

Posted by Charlene Blacer at 03:29 PM | Permalink

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