General Information

Satin pillow case. For super extra care, use a pure Satin Silk (100% natural satin silk) pillow case. It is important to sleep on a slippery surface, such as a satin pillowcase. The reason for the satin pillowcase is because keeping the cuticle smooth, flat and healthy is the first priority in maintaining healthy hair. When you destroy the cuticle, you speed the downfall of you hair's health. The cuticle lies flat, overlapping, like shingles on top of a roof. When you rough up the cuticles with heat, you destroy the hair. Sleeping on a satin pillowcase helps prevent the cuticle from getting beaten up during the night as the head moves around and puts pressure on the hair. It is also better for you skin in helping to prevent facial creases caused by the face laying in the same position for an extended time, squished in some unnatural way.

Brushing is an activity which is often done without even thinking about it. First rule: never ever brush wet hair. Second rule: whenever possible, start to comb your hair before you start to brush. Combing has to be done bottom up. Start combing at the end of your hair. Go through some inches until all knots are combed out, and then restart some inches higher. If your hair is really messy today, separate it and comb each strand on its own. After you detangled your hair by this method, you can use a brush to go through the whole length, top down. Do not brush abruptly. Often the end of a hair fiber is much brighter than the hair near the scalp area; this indicates that the hair fiber was broken, or stretched to rip, which is the result of rude brushing or combing.

Brush your hair daily going through the scalp eighty to one hundred strokes. Brushing the hair stimulates the scalp oils and adds sheen. Use a paddle brush, any other type might cause damage and split ends. You have to use a good comb/brush. Don't buy cheap plastic stuff! The problem is not that it might rip your hair, but it causes electrostatic, which has an effect like glue - whatever you do with your comb, it will only catch more static.

Pony Tails. If you put your hair in pony tails try to use a coated rubber band or soft cloth hair scrunchies. Try not to use clips or bows too often as they tend to break and crease the hair.

Alkali shampoos: Most shampoos contain sodium hydroxide (lye) or other alkali substances. As most people are aware, sodium hydroxide (lye) is the “DRAINO” stuff that unclogs the drain pipes. Stay away from shampoos that contain sodium hydroxide (lye).

Baby Shampoo. These shampoos are formulated at pH 7.4 (alkali) same pH as the liquid inside our duct, hence “No More Tears”! But, it is harsh for the hair.

Ionic Conditioning. The Ionic Reconditioning is based on the ceramic used from the iron. It emits charged ions from the surface with heat. The idea is that these neutralize charges on the hair fiber to eliminate static and the result is indeed nice and smooth. But it doesn't repair damage in any way I can see.

Ionic blow-dryer; do they work? In theory, yes. But it is very difficult to measure how much a hairdryer which generates negative ions emits them. Negative ions break water molecules into micro-fine particles. So they can easily penetrate into hair shaft. The measuring equipment is super expensive, and it is almost impossible for a small salon to detect how much the equipment which generates negatives ions emit.

In my opinion using negative- ion tools is better. But what’s most important is the use of high quality shampoo, treatment and hair protector which protects hair from the heat of hair dryer or iron. Many people misunderstand about Negative ions. Negative ion is nothing if it does not break some elements into very fine particles. In short if hair care products, shampoo and conditioner etc., are made of very fine particles they can penetrate easily into hair.

When you choose shampoo and treatments look at the ingredients such as; keratin and collagen and much other protein (Serine, Glycine, Glutamic acid, Alanine, Lysine, Arginne etc.) We have to know how to implant keratin and collagen in the hair porosities. ID CARE collection use heat. By applying heat, keratin and collagen become highly polymerized and strong and adhere in the porosities. It will not flow out of hair. It is like cement for hair. By applying heat we can create new cuticle and fibril. I recommend ID CARE Heat Repair Shampoo, ID CARE Heat Repair Treatment, ID CARE Heat Repair Silk Lotion and ID CARE PPT.

Ceramic Irons; are they better? Acutally, ceramic iron can be both ionic and generate far-infrared heat. Far-Infrared Rays (FIR) are well beyond the ability of the naked eye to see. All ceramic irons generate very small traces of negative ions which are negligible as far as benefits that can be derived. Damaged hair typically carries many positive charges. The negative charge emitted by an ionic iron neutralizes this positive charge on the hair and helps the hair to lay flatter. The heater size makes a great difference introducing higher temperatures as well even distribution of heat against the entire panel surface, and quicker heat recovery times when the iron is constantly in use such as in a salon.

Traditional heating devices use Near-Infrared Rays (NIR), the surface of the hair gets hotter than the interior, and the interior gets heat by means of conduction from the surface. This process creates frizzy, dry and damaged hair.

Ceramic with Far-Infrared Rays (FIR) deeply penetrates the hair cortex. Hair is heated softly and evenly from the inside out, drying hair safely in a fraction of the time. When this occurs water molecules from outside the hair are absorbed to the inner core. The moisture is locked in place with a protective barrier which also reduces chemical and bacteria build up. Ceramic Far Infrared Rays reduce frizz and make the hair soft, shiny and healthier.

If your hair is curly, consider straightening your hair chemically. This will reduce friction damage to the hair and the time for the styling process. If your hair is slightly wavy there will be less friction damage to the hair, and you may not need to straighten your hair chemically. Use Redken's "Anti Snap" or "ID Care Silk Lotion" as heat protection / repair prior to using the flat iron. However, remember that prolonged use of heat source on the hair can, and will cause damage, regardless of heating elements or the protecting products used.

Though irons come with the high temperature setting 180-220 degrees Celsius, you should use the lower setting to avoid "frying" your hair. 130 Degrees Celsius is usually the temperature that changes the shape of your bonds.

You should always have your hair dried 100% before you iron your hair. If the iron is set at a low temperature (80-100 degrees Celsius) it is okay to have a little moisture but any temperature above can actually damage your hair from within. Some hair types are stronger and might be able to withstand high heat but some hair types can easily be damaged. I highly recommend you iron your hair when it is 100% dry.

If you are using any oils or any protectants, apply the protectant on, blow dry the hair 100%, and then iron the hair. There will still be some steam from your hair but that is the oil or protectant burning and not your natural oil that your hair needs. There is a misconception that Ceramic Irons will not damage the hair, but that is incorrect, Ceramic Irons will minimize damage if used correctly. The Ceramic irons protect the hair by minimizing your need to iron the hair over and over by utilizing Infrared Rays to reach the bonds faster. If you want to fully protect your hair, use heat protectant (Hydrolyzed Keratin) and you will notice shinier and healthier outcome.

Look at the label!!! Here is a guide to how gentle your shampoo is according to the surfactant used.

Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate - very, very, harsh
Ammonium Laureth Sulfate – very harsh but better than the above.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate – better than the above, but still a little harsh.
Sodium Laureth Sulfate –ultra-gentle cleansing substance. Great pick.
TEA lauryl Sulfate – good pick.
TEA Laureth Sulfate – good pick.

Static electricity. Exposing your hair to dry air can create a great deal of static electricity to build up in your hair, sometimes causing it to stand on end. Here's a trick to get rid of static (also known as flying hair); use a mister, and spray some water onto your hair. This will discharge your hair. After brushing you can apply a small amount of hair spray such as “Airtight 12” by Redken. Or, after preparing your hairstyle take the hairspray and spray it on your hairbrush, now simply brush it through your hair and distribute evenly over the length of the hair from the roots to the ends. This will allow your style to maintain its bounce and flexibility, but will be rid of the dreaded static electricity and flyaway hair.

Your own test lab! Test mousses and gels and everything that goes on your hair. Apply a small amount to the palm of your hands, rub hands together, gently shampoo with an acid balanced shampoo, and rinse; if it leaves your hands with a wax or sticky film, do not use the product. You can also test hair-care products and, especially, hair sprays by applying a small amount on a hand held mirror; blow-dry to dryness. Rinse gently, apply a small amount of an acid balanced shampoo (as though you’re shampooing the hair). Rinse, towel dry gently; if it is difficult to remove or leaves a film on the mirror, it’ll be difficult to remove from the hair as well.

Silicone in TR and hair care products: Most TR Products contain silicone such as dimethicone which is used to coat the hair during the straightening process. Dimethicone optimizes combability and adds brilliance. You cannot think of silicones as an impermeable coating. Perhaps under an extreme condition where the hair was very porous and a lot of repeated use and heat is used they might be "baked" in and make penetration difficult but for the most part they don't hinder penetration of other ingredients. No matter how much you cover the cuticle with coating chemicals, it doesn't make the hair any healthier. The issue of the silicones "peeling" the cuticle is not true. If anyone is seeing peeling films they come from styling polymers and these do not remove the cuticle either. However any abrasive styling techniques can wear down cuticle scales through friction.

To shampoo or not to shampoo! Shampooing frequency for normal hair depends on whether hair is curly or straight. Shampoo and condition straight hair every day for a sleek radiant look. Curly hair however becomes too fluffy if it’s washed too often, so it’s okay to shampoo and condition every other day.

Should you occasionally switch shampoos? High quality shampoos do not create film build up on hair; they continue to work effectively as long as you use them, so there’s no need to switch products. Choose the right products for your hair: - Fine or thin hair can sometimes be more delicate and could benefit from a protein enriched shampoo and conditioner formula with a light level of conditioner. Curly hair may look dry, and therefore can benefit from a regimen which includes moisturizing ingredients.

Watch for product build-up on your hair. Do you use hairspray with thermal flat iron or curling iron? If so, the product may be literally “baked” into the ends of the hair. Most hair care products can leave quite a build up on your hair. Even the regular water contains copper and other materials that cling on to your hair and cause it to go dull and limp. You might be surprised what you'll find, and what you'll find might explain why your hair is just hanging and doesn't have any volume. Hair Cleansing Creme Shampoo clarifies and removes copper, iron minerals and styling product residue which can interfere with chemical services. It drastically improves your hair's condition and appearance. Use an acid-balanced, clarifying hair cleansing shampoo such as Redken’s “Hair Cleansing Crème Shampoo” once every two months or more often; according to how your hair feels.