Impressions Hair Care and Spa Serene's Blog

Reflexology Massage: A Natural Approach to Pollen Springtime Allergies

April 23rd, 2010 • Posted by Akua Boachie • Permalink

That's it, the cold weather is behind us as winter is officially over. It's now time for the longer days, warmer weather and changes in nature. Where I live, you can feel that spring is amongst us; with the birds singing in the trees, the plants sprouting up, the flowers timidly blooming. It's time to rejoice, however for more and more people it's time to think about their dreaded allergy: hay fever! Hay fever is a common condition which affects a growing number of children and adults. It usually occurs in spring and summer when there is more pollen in the air. You can experience hay fever at different periods of the year depending on the type of pollen causing the allergy. The symptoms are sneezing, a runny nose and itchy eyes. What happens is the immune system overreacts when the body comes in contact with pollen, and a chemical called histamine is released by cells in the nose, mouth and eyes. This is what triggers the symptoms of an allergic reaction. Unfortunately, hay fever cannot be cured but there are ways of reducing the symptoms. Anti-histamine tablets are commonly taken but if you want to opt for a drug-free therapy, you should try foot reflexology In reflexology therapy, there are preventive treatments that can be done every year prior to the hay fever period, followed by reflexology sessions during the worst season. Reflexology can help to minimize the symptoms by focusing on the main reflex points connected with the sinuses, head, eyes and adrenal glands. You might find improvements from the first session, generally you will have to follow a course of 4 or 5 sessions for better results. The important thing is to renew this treatment every year before the hay fever period. If you suffer from hay fever, I really advise you to come visit us at Spa Serene for a reflexology with our talented massage therapist and you will be able to enjoy the outdoors again!

Relaxed Hair, Natural Hair...Which Is The Best Option?

August 13th, 2009 • Posted by Akua Boachie • Permalink

Relaxed or Natural? Which one is better? Which should you choose? I have personally explored both the world of relaxed and natural hair; they both have their pros and cons.

Years ago, I decided to grow my natural hair out due to all the damage I had done to it. Anyway you can think of damaging your hair I did it; too excessive heat, too slathering on gel, spritz, gluing in tracks, yanking out tracks and the worst of all, letting my girlfriends put in my relaxeres in for me. "KEEP AWAY FROM KITCHEN COSMETOLOGISTS!" Many people are probably thinking, "Girl your mom is a stylist, a good one at that, why were you letting others do (damage)your hair?" I know--temporary insanity on my part.

While going natural, I kept my hair in braids and sewn-in styles because I loved having versitile options. I also wasn't too comfortable with the length, I cut all the relaxed hair OFF! I did my conditioning treatments and trims regularly. I did this for about 15 months. The result was a brand new grade of hair on my head. It was beautiful. It was so strong, it was black, shiny, it was healthy! At this point I was ready to begin wearing it out and sport the cute natural styles that I see all of the women nowadays wearing. This was gonna be great.

No one told me how patient you have to be with natural hair. My curl pattern is also very, very tight, not those cute, loose or even wavy tendrils of hair. I tried the presses, but my hair would instantly draw up. Pressed hair in humid-Georgia is a hard look to wear, especially in spring/summer months. I constantly was putting moisturizers, spraying in moisturizers, products to define my curls and it just didn't seem to work for me, my hair would literally suck everything up and still feel kinda dry. I also missed the versatitlity. It's not surprising to see me with a new hairstyle every other month, so I felt very limited. I was so tempted to put the "creamy-crack" a.k.a relaxer back in my head. I felt so conflicted though. I had taken all this time to grow out this beautiful, strong, shiny hair, but at the same time, I couldn't get the versatility and styling I wanted. What was a poor girl to do?

So after talking to all of my girlfriends, doing research and most importantly talking to my hair care profeesionals, I decided to go ahead and relax my hair a little over 3 months ago. Do I regret the decision? No. The difference now is that I had a great head of hair to start with and I went through many tough experiences to appreciate it more. I get it shampooed & conditioned weekly, I do deep conditining treatments every 3 weeks, I limit the heat I put on my hair, I moisturize my hair and scalp daily---I don't play know GAMES with this HEAD! My hair today is healthier than ever and I have the two thing that I've always longed for with my hair; HEALTH & VERSATILITY!

So, I've experienced both and which one is better? I honestly can't answer that for you. It all depends on what works best for you. While going natural, I regained the strength & luster that I longed for and while going relaxed I got the options that I love. Its all about healthy hair maintainance. Make sure that licensed, reputable, professionals are the only ones putting any kind of chemicals in your hair, make sure you deep condition every 2-3 weeks, get your trims regularly and moisturize you scalp and hair. Also, put down the flat-iron! When dealing with weaves and braids, make sur that you go to someone who is also reputable and knows what they are doing because these processes, when not done correctly, can put your hair in a vulnerable state. For more help with your hair, make sure that you visit us here at Impressions Hair Care & Spa Serene. Our stylists are always more than willing to help you through your hair issues and we also do COMPLIMENTARY hair consultations. 'Til next time!