Christopher Stephens Beauty Blog

Want healthy nails?

Nail health affects all of us - both men and women. And the truth is that the path to good nail health is not as difficult as some people think. They just need to be cared for on a frequent basis, just like our hair and skin. So here are a few maintenance tips to get and keep healthy nails.

A lot of people use hand cream and moisturizer on a daily basis but neglect the nail portion of the hand. It's very important to moisturize the nails in order to keep them healthy. Regular hand cream or nail-specific moisturizing cream for nail health can be used.

Summer hair tips

Today was an interesting day at our salon. It seemed like everyone was talking about how much they are enjoying the summer, but at the same time complaining about what the summer sun, heat, humidity, and chlorine from swimming in pools is doing to their hair. It's true - all of these things can damage your hair's cuticle and result in dry, drab, split, brittle or frizzy hair and ends. Here's what I told everyone during my mini pep talk/speech:

Great tips for your nails

Following are some great tips for your nails.

• It's best if you don't wear dark nail colors too often, because they can cause the tips to yellow. So always apply a base coat under dark colors.
• Many people don't realize that nails need a balance, just like our skin and hair. If you keep hardening them with coats of product, they can snap easily. But if you moisturize them regularly, you will help prevent chips, and keep them flexible enough so as to prevent snaps. Try a heavy duty moisturizing cream like Nailtiques Nail Moisturizer.

Can hair become sunburned?

With summer in full swing I bet you're having some days where you come home from the beach and your hair feels like it's "fried." Well hair can’t technically burn because it’s not alive, but sun exposure can damage your hair’s natural protective film, however. According to a study by the Renee Furterer Research Center, after just three days of sun exposure, the scale-like cells that cover each individual hair shaft begin to pull off. This makes your hair dry, dull, fragile and brittle. So when heading out for some summer fun be sure to choose hair care products that contain sunscreen since your hair can suffer damaging effects from the sun if not well-protected, just like your skin can.

Protect Your Skin

Don't you wish for clear and healthy skin? We all do. But a lot of times we don't practice proactive skin care, and that is simply anticipating future problems, needs, or changes that may take place with our skin, and heading them off at the pass so to speak. If you begin a proactive skin care regimen now you can help protect and heal your skin of blemishes and maybe prevent the growth of new ones. With proactive skin care, you can also slow down or stop premature aging of the skin. So try the following:

Celebrity beauty secrets

Celebrity Nail Secret: Uma Thurman’s nail expert uses a cotton ball dipped in facial skin toner to wipe nails clean of residues and natural oils before applying base coat or color. This helps the polishes stick to the nails.

Celebrity Hair Secret: How does Angelina Jolie's hairstylist add "emergency"volume to the roots of Angelina's hair? He does this with a little sprinkling of baby powder and a hair dryer. You rub the bady powder into your roots and then blow dry it away. Viola!

Help for thinning hair

The emotional effects that thinning hair/hair loss have can be great. So anything that we can do to help would be a step in the right direction. Can Nioxin be that help?

Useful Anti-Aging Tips:

Ah, the perennial fountain of youth. Where is it? Well, until it's found try some of the following tips to keep father time from showing his presence and keep that youthful glow all about you.

Prevent brittle nails

Are you tired or embarrassed by brittle, splitting nails? Well, you're not alone. Although brittle nails are occasionally caused by an underlying medical problem, they are usually caused by overexposure to water or harsh chemicals and/or exposure to cold weather particularly when you go outside without gloves. All of these promote drying of the nail bed which causes your fingernails to become brittle and fragile.

Basic nail care

Our nails may be small but they play an important role in our daily chores. They help protect our fingers and improve dexterity. So to keep them healthy and attractive, here are some tips to consider: