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Let us set the scene for something we’ve likely all experienced: you find your “perfect” new hair style after seeing it on some celebrity, you bring the picture to your hairstylist and nervously wait for the outcome, only to be completely and utterly underwhelmed by what you see in the mirror. “It makes no sense!” you think to yourself, wondering how the exact same haircut looks so perfect on one person, but on you it just looks…off. As frustrating and disappointing as this can be, the good news is that all of this can be very easily explained by basic geometry!

In recent years, hair care fanatics have been spoiled with all kinds of advanced hair styling tools and innovative new products to make the styling process easier and more effective. Despite all this variety, however, the one tool that’s always managed to stand above the rest is the handy-dandy blow dryer. Hair drying technology has witnessed an incredible amount of innovation in recent decades, and today’s hair dryers are faster, gentler, and more efficient than their predecessors. Hence, hair dryers continue to remain among the most purchased hair styling tools on the market. Recently, however, we’ve witnessed the rise of another ingenious hair styling tool, one whose rise in popularity has poised it as a direct contender to the hair dryer’s throne, so to speak. Of course, we are talking about the hot air brush! This 2-in-1 tool incorporates the forced hot air element of the blow dryer within the body of a heated styling brush, allowing users to literally brush their hair while they blow dry it. This brilliant design innovation quickly won over consumers, with hot air brushes becoming among the most popular hair styling tools over the past decade. Move over, hair dryer; there’s a new favorite hair tool in town! Of course, as Sutra offers top-of-the-line versions of both of these products, we refuse to take a side in this debate! We know better than anyone how unique each individual’s hair type and hair needs are, and what works for one user may not be particularly suitable for another. For instance, while our Accelerator 3500 Blow Dryer has long been a customer favorite, we’ve seen an equally enthusiastic response for our Professional Blowout Brush! That being said, we want to break down the key differences between the two products, highlighting areas where each product excels, and allow for you to make your own informed choice. Styling Time When it comes to styling time, this is one area where the hot air brush can’t be beat. By being able to combine the hair drying, detangling, and curling or straightening processes all in one, the entire hairstyling experience is dramatically condensed. Although the powerful motor of the Accelerator 3500 also allows users an extremely rapid styling time, nothing can beat the versatility of the Professional Blowout Brush when it comes to being able to actually cut out steps from the styling process. This key benefit is of particular interest to users who have to rush to get ready in the morning and may not want to take the extra time styling that is required of a blow dryer. Drying Time As the name suggests, a hair dryer is designed to literally dry your hair, and as expected, this is an area where the blow dryer shines. Although hot air brushes feature powerful motors that allow for quick, efficient hair drying, today’s hair dryers utilize infrared and ionic technology that heats the hair from the inside out, which not only evenly and gently heats the hair, but also does it in a much quicker time! If you’re simply looking to dry your hair, then the clear winner is the hair dryer. Ease of Use In terms of making the styling process as easy and user-friendly as possible, we’re going to have to give the point to the hot air brush. While many hair enthusiasts likely know how to use their round brush and blow dryer in tandem with their eyes closed, it often takes weeks, if not months, for users to nail this process. On the other hand, because the hot air brush takes the extra tool out of the equation and frees up an additional hand, users have been known to master the hot air brush in little to no time! Hair Type Compatibility While both tools are more than ideal for all hair types, it is the customizable ability of the blow dryer that makes it a truly universal hair tool. For instance, the Accelerator 3500 features numerous speed and heat settings, as well as included attachments like the speed nozzle and diffuser to tailor the experience to your particular hair type. Ionic technology allows for a gentle, regenerative heating process for dry and damaged hair. Additionally, for hair that is incredibly fragile or brittle, users may want to temporarily avoid any sort of brushing with a heated air brush. Featured in Watch our Video

Ahhhhh, the first time coloring your hair. Nothing is as nerve-wracking yet exciting than that first time you decide to change your natural hair color, hoping and praying that the final results will match what you had imagined while you sit and wait for everything to dry. For many of us, we’ve colored our hair so many times that we can hardly remember the first time we did it! Being a veteran at coloring my hair, there are countless pieces of advice that I’ve learned with each and every hair dye job I’ve ever had, as well as daily maintenance tips that I’ve needed to pick up in order to keep my hair color as is. While I’ve had to learn many of these lessons the hard way, I want to pass along my knowledge to those of you with “virgin-hair” (i.e., untreated hair) before you embark on your first hair coloring treatment. Expect Texture Changes When undergoing any sort of hair treatment, it’s important to understand the function of the cuticle layer of the hair and how it effects your hair texture. In simple terms, the cuticle is an outer layer of the hair strand that seals in moisture, allowing your hair to feel smooth, look shiny, and maintain moisture levels. However, when undergoing any sort of treatment to your hair that is inherently damaging such as coloring, this cuticle layer is very much at risk to becoming opened and damaged, as the hair dye is formulated specifically to penetrate the cuticle to keep the color long-lasting. Thus, it is extremely common for your hair to become much lighter in weight and feel drier and frizzier following a color treatment. In the case of curly hair, this can be even more dramatic, and extra care must be taken to ensure your hair doesn’t turn into a frizzy, unmanageable mess! Sun and Colored Hair Are Enemies After dying your hair, you must take specific precautions to ensure that the color doesn’t fade too quickly. This includes incorporating specific shampoo and conditioners that may contain trace amounts of dyes to maintain the new hair color. However, what many people overlook is that the biggest threat to keeping our same rich, vibrant color is the sun! While we all know the importance of protecting our skin from the sun, did you also know that the sun can cause significant damage to even untreated hair, as well? It’s true, as the rays of the sun naturally dry the hair, and overexposure to the sun can cause our natural hair color to fade over time. When it comes to colored hair, this issue becomes exacerbated, as the dye responsible for our new hair color is even more susceptible to sun-related fading. Thus, it is important to either limit overexposure to the sun after dying your hair or taking precautionary measures such as wearing a hat or applying a product designed to protect the hair from UV damage. On particular product is Sutra’s Hair Cocktail, which contains coconut oil, a natural SPF, to help shield your colored hair from the fading-powers of the sun’s rays. Your Hair Will Need Serious TLC The first week after a color treatment, especially if this is your very first time, your hair will be incredibly fragile and irritated. The hair coloring process is extremely strong and somewhat damaging to the hair strand, and this is even more true when it comes to blonde tones that require strong concentrations of hair bleach. Your hair may feel dry, brittle, and dehydrated, so you’ll need to take extra care in making sure that you baby your hair in this recovery stage. The best course of action will be to limit your washing routine significantly, only using shampoo and conditioner as instructed by your colorist. Additionally, make sure to incorporate frequent applications of leave-in products like a leave-in conditioner or moisturizing hair mask. One of my favorite products for the recovery stage is Sutra’s Hair Mask. This deeply moisturizing mask contains a rich blend of jojoba oil, vitamin E, and omega fatty acids to both condition and hydrate the recovering hair strands while providing a boost to your hair’s health and even leaving a layer of UV protection. Featured in Watch our Video

Just about every day, it seems that there’s some brand-new miracle product hitting the market that claims to be the secret to perfect hair. For proof, look no further than your local beauty supply store, where aisle after aisle is filled with countless hair products that boast incredible claims while sporting a similarly incredible price tag. However, what if I told you that the best hair care product is not only ten times cheaper than any shampoo at the store, but is likely sitting in your kitchen cabinet at this very moment, as well? As you’ve probably gathered from the title, this miracle product is none other than apple cider vinegar! As implied by the name, apple cider vinegar (ACV for short) is a vinegar byproduct produced from fermented apple juice. ACV has been used for centuries in various food products like salad dressings, sauces, and marinades, as well as a natural remedy for just about every health condition under the sun. In recent years, ACV has carved out quite a name for itself in the hair care community, with many touting its use as the answer for perfect, runway-worthy hair that feels silky-smooth with insane shine. But before you go dumping ACV into your hair, read through our breakdown as we separate fact from fiction! Claim: ACV=Shiny, Smooth Hair Verdict: Fact When it comes to ACV and its relationship to your hair, it all comes down to one thing: acidity. You see, our hair and scalp have a natural pH level of around 5, and it is at this optimal pH level where our cuticle layer stays closed and flattened. When the cuticle is closed and flattened, it is able to protect all of the moisture and hydration from seeping out of the hair strand, which keeps the hair strong, shiny, and smooth. However, if the hair and scalp become too alkaline and the pH raises far above that natural level of 5, the cuticle becomes opened and raised, allowing the hair’s moisture levels to become depleted and leading to incredibly dry, brittle hair. Oftentimes, this is due to using a shampoo that is far too harsh and alkaline than our hair prefers. Not only does this cause frizz and unmanageable, dull hair, but this can easily lead to severe breakage and scalp inflammation. Thankfully, ACV is extremely acidic (pH level of 3) and applying it to a disrupted pH environment can help to balance out the overall pH of the hair and scalp, sealing the cuticle and restoring the hair back to its smooth, shiny self! Claim: You Can Replace Your Shampoo w/ ACV Verdict: Fiction Not only is ACV incredible at restoring the scalp’s pH level, but its acidity also makes it fantastic at clarifying and exfoliating the hair and scalp to remove dirt, oil, dead skin cells, and product buildup. However, ACV is almost too good at doing this, which means that using ACV every day or every other day as a shampoo will quickly dry out and damage your hair. Instead, opt to use ACV once, or at most twice, weekly as a clarifying shampoo. We must also note: YOU MUST DILUTE APPLE CIDER VINEGAR! ACV on its own is way too acidic and strong to use in your hair by itself, so make sure to dilute about a tablespoon of ACV in a cup of water prior to use! Claim: ACV is a Remedy for Dandruff Verdict: Fact Dandruff is caused by an overgrowth of fungi and yeast which lead to the annoyingly itchy, flaky pieces of skin that fall from the head and land on our shoulders. Thankfully, ACV is a potent antifungal and antibacterial ingredient, making it an excellent product for not only treating active dandruff but also preventing further dandruff outbreaks. When using, make sure to really make sure the ACV works into your roots and directly into your scalp, ensuring it does its antifungal work! Claim: ACV=Vinegar-Smelling Hair Verdict: Fiction No, ACV won’t make your hair smell like salad dressing. While the vinegar smell is quite pungent during use and application, once the ACV is rinsed out, all that is left is a natural, clean-smelling hair without any dirt or grime! Some specially-designed ACV rinses even include fragrance to enhance your post-wash hair smell. Featured in Watch our Video

For many, no amount of anti-frizz products or internet advice seems to prevent these frizzy hairs, making the dream of frizz-free hair seem like a far-fetched fantasy. But fret not, frizzy-haired gals! We’re here to give you the advice needed to conquer this problem for good!  Frizz Culprit #1: Heat Damage In the vast majority of cases, frizz can be simply chalked up to hair that has become excessively dry and dehydrated due to over-applying or improperly utilizing heated styling tools. When hair becomes repeatedly subjected to overly harsh heat tools, the individual hair strand begins to lose its protective moisture barrier in the outer layer of the cuticle, resulting in rapidly depleting moisture levels. Because of this, the heat-damaged hairs become incredibly dried out and lose weight and body, causing them to lie in a disorganized, messy fashion. The Treatment: Appropriate Heat Styling Many of us simply style our hair too often or too frequently, making our hair easy targets for frizz. If that’s the case, cut back! The second step is to analyze your heat styling tools. Older, more traditional heat styling tools utilize outdated forms of heat technology that produces incredibly harsh, damaging forms of heat to the hair. Instead, upgrade your tool to something that utilizes infrared technology, which uses shorter wavelengths to heat the hair from inside-out and protect the outer layer of the hair, or ionic technology, which emits negative ions to preserve moisture levels in the hair. Thankfully, Sutra’s IR2 Ionic Infrared Flat Iron utilizes both of these technologies, allowing for an incredibly gentle, frizz-free styling experience. Frizz Culprit #2: Excessive Hair Washing Another surefire way to wind up with frizzy hair is by shampooing your hair too often or with too harsh of cleansing ingredients. While shampooing is vital for keeping your hair clean of product build-up, dirt, and oil, the actual act of washing your hair is inherently damaging to your hair. You see, shampoo works to clear your hair of debris due to the inclusion of powerful surfactants, which are basically ingredients that work by scrubbing anything and everything in their path. While this is great for removing debris, the downside is that these surfactants scrub both the debris and the actual hair itself. Thus, a shampoo that is great for clarifying debris from your hair is also excellent at damaging the actual hair itself. When used too often, you’re again risking damage to the outer protective layer of the cuticle, which leads to excessive dryness and frizz. The Treatment: Appropriate Hair Washing First things first: get on the right hair washing schedule! Unless your hair is incredibly greasy and naturally oily, nobody should be washing their hair every day. Most people are better suited for an every-other-day routine, with some able to get away with just once or twice a week! Following this, make sure to incorporate rich, hydrating shampoo and conditioner into your routine, such as Sutra’s Replenishing Moroccan Shampoo + Conditioner, which contains rich oils and nutritious vitamins to maintain moist, hydrated hair. Frizz Culprit #3: Humidity Oftentimes, you can do everything right when it comes to appropriately styling your hair and adopting a gentle hair washing routine, and you still wind up with a frizz-filled mane. In many cases, the cause is completely out of your hands, as your environment may be to blame. Humid air has caused countless victims of the dreaded frizz hair, due to the fact that the wet air disrupts the natural hydrogen bonds of the hair. When these hydrogen bonds are disrupted, our hair’s moisture barrier is again compromised, and the result is dry, weightless hair. The Treatment: Apply Targeted Anti-Frizz Products Thankfully, there are a vast variety of anti-frizz products on the market designed specifically to counteract the annoying effects that humid air has on your hair. These products contain a plethora of hydrating ingredients that infuse the moisture back in the hair, as well as protective ingredients that help to seal the damaged cuticle layer. Sutra’s Rejuvenating Hair Serum is one such product, as a blend of jojoba oil, omega acids, and vitamin E work in tandem to rehydrate the hair while providing a protective layer to seal the cuticle. Featured in Watch our Video

Browse any hair care aisle and you’ll see that just about every product is specifically marketed for either straight or curly hair. There is a distinct difference in maintenance and styling requirements for these two hair types. However, learning about what your specific hair type falls under isn’t as simple as “straight or curly”. For girls with curly hair, however, things become a lot more complicated, as there are numerous subcategories of curly hair types. Thankfully, we’re here to simplify things for all of our curly-haired readers. Follow our guide below, and we’ll arm you with the tips and guidance for taking care of your curly hair type and looking better than ever! Curly Type: Wavy At first glance, it can be easy to dismiss wavy hair as being a curly hair type. Wavy hair lacks the tight, curly patterns we usually picture when we think of curly hair, and for many of us, wavy hair is more of a temporary condition of your hair when you’re visiting the beach, rather than a genetic hair type. However, as women born with wavy hair can attest, this is certainly a very real hair type, with the definitive feature being the natural “S” shape that the hair grows into as it gets longer. For some, the hair’s wavy texture is more subtle and isn’t particularly noticeable unless the hair is grown out. For others, the waves form a dramatic series of repeating “S” shapes from root to tip. For all wavy hair types, the key is to avoid products that weigh down your hair, as wavy hair can easily lose its trademark shape and become flat and lifeless with heavy styling products. Many wavy hair types can get away with using any sort of styling product, while sparingly washing and conditioning the hair with a nutritious yet lightweight shampoo and conditioner set like Sutra’s Replenishing Moroccan Shampoo + Conditioner Set. Curly Type: Curly This is the quintessential hair type that you imagine when you think of the words “curly hair”. As opposed to the “S” shape of wavy hair, this hair type naturally grows into spiral/circular patterns, ranging from loose, soft curls to massive, tight curls. As beautiful and unique as this hair type is, curly hair types are the most susceptible to frizz and breakage and need to be treated with extra care in order to maintain healthy, beautiful curls. A leave-in conditioner used on a semi-regular basis, such as Sutra’s Leave-In Conditioner, is a perfect preventative treatment to ward off frizz, while the best-selling Rejuvenating Hair Serum can be used before and/or after using a heat styling tool to maintain moisture levels.  Curly Type: Coily Coily, is one of the most unique and least common of all the curly hair types. These types of curls are the tightest types and feature a distinctive “zig-zag” shape that makes the hair look incredibly dense and full. The most common concern for coily hair is dryness, and this hair type needs far more moisture and rich hydration than any of the other curly hair types. A rich, thick moisturizing leave-in product is a must for coily hair, and Sutra’s Hair Mask is a perfect option with a bevy of moisturizing, nutritious oils and a deeply penetrative formula that delivers hydration deep within the hair strand for maximum moisture retention.

It’s no secret that pregnancy causes numerous changes to your body during and even after the childbearing process. You see, when a woman become pregnant, her body’s hormone production goes into overdrive. Hormones, such as estrogen and androgen, function like traffic lights for the body’s various organ systems, signaling whether to “stop” or “go” when it comes to just about every type of bodily function. With this in mind, you can imagine how literally every aspect of a woman’s body can change, sometimes dramatically, when she becomes pregnant. We all know about the weight fluctuations, skin changes, and that “pregnancy glow”, but did you know that your hair can change quite dramatically, as well? Longer, Fuller Hair One of the first things you may notice upon becoming pregnant is that your hair is going to get long. It may seem as if your rate of hair growth has been sped up dramatically, and your hair happens to look fuller and thicker, as well. No, you’re not turning into Rapunzel, and no, your hair isn’t actually growing faster. What is actually happening is you are simply losing less hair on a daily basis than you were before. On average, you can expect to shed about 100 hairs per day, but with the spike in hormones during pregnancy, this amount of shedding is significantly reduced, making it appear that your hair is growing faster. As a result, you’ll find your head has a lot more hair than usual, making your styling routine a bit more cumbersome and time-consuming. To help adapt to the change, opt for a styling tool developed for longer hairstyles, like Sutra’s 3” Professional Blowout Brush. Additionally, incorporate a reliable detangling brush to help manage all of the extra hair, like Sutra’s Flexi Brush. Changes in Texture Another striking change your hair might undergo during pregnancy is a dramatic change in hair texture. Your curly, bouncy locks might become straight, limp hair, or your smooth, straight hair might become wavy and frizzy. It can be incredibly concerning to have the texture of your hair change seemingly overnight, and you may find yourself having to re-learn how to work with your hair after spending most of your life used to one type of hair texture. Thankfully, these changes are typically temporary, and your hair should bounce back to its usual hair type post-birth. However, in the meantime, you’ll need to learn to work with your new hair, and it’s best to invest in a device that can be used for a variety of hair types, such as Sutra’s best-selling Professional EZ Glider. Oil Overload While some of these changes can be seen as major positives (longer, thicker hair! Increased shine!), one of the major downsides is that you may find your hair becoming oilier and greasier than before. As mentioned, your hormone production gets sent into warp speed, and one of those hormones, progesterone, is responsible for the production of sebum. When this hormone’s production is increased, so too is the production of sebum by our skin, leading to greasy, oily hair, as well as dandruff and itchy scalp. To combat this, you may need to increase the frequency with which you wash your hair, as well as use lighter styling products. Additionally, a serum containing jojoba oil, such as Sutra’s Rejuvenating Serum, can help control the balance of sebum in your hair, and the natural antibacterial and antifungal properties can prevent the growth of fungus that lead to dandruff. Featured in Watch our Video

It’s safe to say that just about everyone shares a common fear of losing their hair as they get older. If you want proof, just google the term “hair loss”, and be prepared to be overwhelmed by the countless “miracle” creams, pills, and treatments that promise to stop hair loss in its tracks (spoiler alert: they don’t). For most of us, this fear is completely overblown, as hair loss is simply a natural part of getting older and will happen to all of us to some extent. However, what happens when you lose a noticeable amount of hair in a short amount of time? Excessive hair-loss or hair thinning can be caused by dozens of factors, and it is important to not only diagnose the root cause, but to also formulate an attack plan to return your hair to its normal, healthy state.

Everyone, and I mean everyone, learns at an early age of the cardinal sin of falling asleep with wet hair. Will your hair fall out? Will you wake up with some horrible illness? There never seems to be a consensus as to why it is so bad to go to bed before drying your hair, but at least everyone seems to be in agreement that breaking this rule comes with dire consequences and should be avoided at all costs. Despite all this, nearly every one of us has broken this rule at one point or another. Perhaps you had a long day at work or were simply exhausted from some late dinner party, and after a quick shower you simply didn’t have the time or energy to blow-dry or airdry your hair. While this obviously isn’t the catastrophic crime that your mother warned you about as a child, you certainly don’t want to make it a habit, as frequently falling asleep with wet hair carries a few risks. The Negatives For many, the worry about going to bed with wet hair is solely concerned with waking up with messy, unruly hair. In other words, wet hair at night leads to a bad hair day the following morning. To an extent, this can certainly be true, as the constant tossing and turning that we all do in our sleep can cause our hair to dry into a rather disjointed, untamable mess. But beyond a bad case of bed head, this same tossing and turning can also lead to some noticeable hair breakage, as well. You see, when the hair is wet, it stretches out the follicle and places the hair strand in its most vulnerable position. When you add in the tension and friction caused by moving your head against your pillow, this can very easily lead to broken hair strands. Knowing this, your first thought might be to just tie your hair back into a tight scrunch. Wrong! Tight, tied back hairstyles place the hair strand in a constant state of tension, and coupled with the expanding effects of wet hair, this can lead to even further breakage, or even worse, a receding hairline. The other major problem with wet hair sleeping is that it provides the ideal breeding ground for fungi to grow and thrive in your scalp. Fungus needs a moist, warm environment to survive, and this is exactly the kind of environment that is created when your wet hair is held against your pillow for several hours. And of course, once a fungal infection takes root on your scalp, the result is flaky, unsightly dandruff that can be a total pain to treat, as well as dermatitis or other sorts of uncomfortable skin conditions. The Fix Of course, the obvious solution is to simply dry your hair before bed. However, for those of us who simply cannot avoid going to bed without wet hair, there are a number of preventative steps you can take. Many have touted the benefits of using a silk pillowcase or a hair wrap, and either option is worth a try to keep your hair feeling relaxed and protected. A more effective approach would be to apply some sort of a leave-in conditioner, such as Sutra’s Leave-In Conditioner, which will seal the cuticle and prevent it from stretching out to the point of breakage. A lighter product with similarly beneficial effects would be a hair serum, such as Sutra’s Rejuvenating Hair Serum, or an oil blend, such as Sutra’s Hair Cocktail, that contains ingredients with anti-breakage properties. Featured in Watch our Video