Healthy LIFE, Healthy HAIR!!

Hello all! I have been quite lazy over the last month or so but I am back to writing. I have been exercising now that I have turned 40; I have a new look on life. I am focusing more on my health and being a little more natural in my approach. Not only am I exercising, but I am starting to research more natural foods and products. I have noticed so many changes in my body it is unreal, from quirky little noises my knees make when climbing the stairs, to sharp sudden pains at any given time in random places on my body. It is inevitable, we will all get old one day or another; however aging gracefully is an art. The ART of Preservation! So in this blog I have
decided to add a few natural food finds to help us in our quest for preserving our
beauty with special emphasis on hair.

According to nutritionist and author Cherie Calbom, the common American diet actually
consists of everything that starves hair follicles of what they need to grow. “When your body has to go into overdrive to supply body systems with necessary nutrients, the first areas to suffer are hair, skin and nails,” says Calbom, author of the classic Juicing for Life (1992). “Those are the least of your body’s worries when it is trying to feed bones, muscles, blood and organs that you need just to survive. But on a typical American diet high in fat,salt, sugar, meat and processed foods, hair doesn't have a fighting chance!”

Here are a few of my natural finds:
Almonds: When eaten regularly, almonds protect the
body against heart disease, diabetes and weight gain. Interestingly, they also
pack a powerful punch in promoting healthy hair growth. A 1/4-cup serving of
dry roasted almonds provides approximately 45 percent of your daily recommended
allowance of manganese and vitamin E. Magnesium is "an essential mineral
for growing healthy strands." In fact, a deficiency of magnesium within
the body has been linked to hair loss. When consumed properly, magnesium and
other nutrients help the body to not only maintain proper functioning, but also
encourage the healthy growth of hair, skin and nails.
Cabbage- is one of many greens that provide vitamin A, an antioxidant that stimulates
hair growth. Vitamin A can also be found in pumpkin, broccoli, spinach and
meat.
Tomatoes -are high in vitamin C, an essential vitamin that maintains your hair's health
and helps prevent hair thinning and loss. Vitamin C can also be obtained from
turnips, broccoli, green peppers and most types of fruit.
Spinach -is packed with vitamins E, K, C, B2, B6 and A, which all contribute to hair
growth and strength.
Mushrooms- provide zinc, a nutrient that maintains your hair's moisture, which is
essential for hair growth in order to prevent breakage. Zinc can also be found
in dairy products, peanuts, beans, potatoes, yogurt, brown rice and meat.
Asparagus- contains hair-healthy minerals such as calcium, as well as fol ate and vitamins
A and C. High amounts of calcium can also be found in chard, beet greens and
artichokes.
I realize one thing as I take steps to maintain my health and prolong my life, that eating raw vegetables daily is the best solution to most ailments and disorders. If you cannot intake raw vegetables then I highly recommend juicing.

Here are a few quick pics I did last week. I am loving bangs just blow dried straight not a lot of heat, bouncy free flowing look, No chemicals of course. My 13 year old messy natural look. Her hair in the front cut with bangs no chemicals and 14 inch Marcella Ellis Signature Yaki hair in the back..

It 's me below with a handmade wig I made 30 mins b4 going to work... See YouTube video..

My daughter and her friend.. Natural looking blow dried partial weaves...

Happy NEW Years 2012!! Looking back picture Haul

As we look at new beginnings and we say goodbye to another year, I want to take this opportunity to thank all of my readers, clients, friends, family and my team, for being supportive of Marcella Ellis Companies. This NEW Year will be exciting. We will be bringing you new programs, classes, products, new opportunities, new fashion and styles.
For this month’s blog, I want to share with you a GALLERY of pictures from last year, a quick look back on all of the fun we had with our clients, our staff, our many different shows; photo shoots, and endeavors. As we look forward to the future we must remember from where we came. I wish you all the very best this year. May you prosper and grow, live life to the fullest, and continue to be blessed!

HAIR REVIEW and SAGA Closure Piece

My Grandmother's Old Fashion Back Wood Remedies

During the Holidays, I always go through a moment of missing my family, old times and how we were raised. As I was thinking of my grandmother, I started to remember some of the remedies and anecdotes that she used to provide. Growing up with a grandmother that was raised in the back woods of Louisiana, most of her solutions to common problems were all natural. Not because it was the IT thing to do, like it seems today, but because that is the only resource they had. Growing up we made light of some of the concoctions thinking they were so primitive and silly. We only wanted store bought solutions to whatever we needed resolved. I mean all the hocus pocus, oil, vinegar, egg, salt, pepper; ketchup solutions were funny as heck to us.. LOL! Now as a woman I realize the natural remedies that our grandmothers' used were actually much better and better for us than anything we could possibly buy in the store. I am writing this blog to reveal some of my grandmother's remedies and how we utilize these ingredients on most of our handmade healthy hair cocktails mixed in our salon.
Baking SODA (natural cleanser, draws swelling and infection)- Back in the day my grandmother would use baking soda for many things. If we had a cavity or a toothache my grandmother would pack baking soda in the tooth to stop it from hurting. The baking soda would draw the infection and stop the swelling. She also used it when we had a boil with pus, making a paste with water and the baking soda, then packing the bump with the paste. The bump will eventually burst and the pus would drain and would not swell again. Of course baking soda was also used as a cleanser to brush our teeth and was also used as a clarifying cleansing shampoo.
If you have excessive dandruff or build up of product on your hair and scalp, take one tablespoon of baking soda to two parts shampoo. Lather the hair and scalp. Your hair and scalp will be amazingly clean. Only do this when needed not every time you shampoo. Follow up with a apple cider vinegar rinse..

Apple Cider Vinegar- was used for many things, colds, sinus infections, ACV thins mucus almost immediately. One of the first things you will notice after drinking apple cider vinegar is that the color of your mucus goes from white or green and thick, to thin and clear. Some of my Caribbean friends use apple cider vinegar to bathe, it is known to kill germs. For hair we use this acid rinse after the clarifying shampoo to restore pH balance of the hair making the hair smooth and shiny. remember to always use these products like ACV in its natural and organic form.

Vitamin E Pills- My grandmother kept plenty of vitamins in the house she was a firm believer of staying healthy. Visiting the doctor often was not an option simply because it was so expensive. Keeping in good health was a must. My grandmother's skin was beautiful and I would like to say Vitamin E played a major part. Not only did she take the pills internally but she also split the pills in half as a topical solution. She used them on her dry scalp and face as a natural lubricant. Vitamin E has a natural healing power for dry skin.

Eggs (protein used for strong hair) - Eggs are packed with protein, sulfur and biotin, all of which contribute to shiny, strong, healthy hair when eaten or applied as a hair mask. I can tell you story after story how I have used eggs to restore weak, chemically treated, damaged hair but that will take forever. What I will say is that using eggs as a treatment, and even a 911 treatment, has been my saving grace for many of my clients that have experimented on their own hair causing tremendous damage. I have also witnessed one of my clients in particular that went on a high protein, weight loss diet, eating 6- 7 eggs per day. Her hair went from being weak and average to extremely long and strong. After seeing her hair due to her high protein intake I was convinced that protein is a must in our diet as well as using it topically on the hair. Now all of my products are heavily infused with protein. We have testimony after testimony of clients that have taking their hair weaves out and their hair is 4 times thicker, stronger and longer then it was before our treatments.

Aloe Vera Plant- Now my grandmother kept an aloe Vera plant/cactus in the house it was used for many things. No matter what we did from cutting our selves, scraping our knees, blister, cold sores, acne you name it my grandmother went to the plant, cracked opened the cactus and put this slimy gel all over the problem. Miraculously it would heal in a matter of days..

Aloe Vera is known as a healing plant that is used in many ointments, creams, lotions and hair care products. It is also a wonderful skin moisturizer and softener. More importantly, it is a great “skin healer” that is extremely effective on minor burns, cuts, scrapes, insect bites or stings.
Use it for acne, to dry up pimples, for patches of eczema and especially, it's great to use on fever blisters or cold sores.
Be sure to keep an Aloe Vera plant around the house. It is easy to grow and does not require much water since it’s a cactus. Aloe Vera for the hair is used to promote hair growth, prevent hair loss and heal split ends.

Beer- I never knew why my grandmother would put beer in my hair but after researching I figured out why. There is a protein in beer that fills in many spaces that are lagging between damaged cuticles. Cuticle repair makes hair smoother and shinier.

Last but not least.....

MASHED Avocados -are one of the best home remedies for hair growth and make great hair conditioners. They’re packed with essential fats that are super moisturizing. This leaves your hair feeling softer and more elastic and makes it less prone to breakage.

As you can see many of these home remedies serves more than one purpose. My grandmother was very resourceful. As we enter this new era many people are becoming wiser on remedies that are natural and organic. Even if you didn't have a grandmother like mine there are many topics online that provide helpful natural solutions to any and everything. So before you go buy a bunch of overpriced hair products do your research, look in your kitchen, and get a natural healing made by your own hands.

What's going on this month:

We are giving away FREE HAIR WEAVES, HAIR EXTENSIONS and HAIR!!! click link
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Check out our NEWSLETTER

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Our new location is doing great! We have now partnered with LUX LASH BOUTIQUE located in our Fairfax, VA location

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We would like to thank our sponsors for doing an Amazing Renovation JOB!

Call them if you have any home improvement or commercial improvement needs

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Check out our New School for those who are seeking State Licensing.. 2 1/2 month course!!

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Wigs Gone BAD!

Hello all, I am writing today about wigs... I have noticed a lot of women wearing wigs lately and for the record most of them look just like wigs! Many of you notice women in your office, in your family, your friends or maybe even You wearing a wig that looks too wig like. If someone walks up to you and ask where did you get your wig its obvious it looks like one. There are many reasons why one would choose to wear a wig, bad hair days, transitioning to natural hair, minor to extreme hair loss, bad haircut, color or chemical damage, or just because you want a change. No matter what your reasons for wearing a wig, it can be an easy fix to alter your look. One of the main reasons I am writing about this topic today is because wigs should look like your hair once you place it on your head, not like a mop, a helmet or just an artificial addition. The object is to fool someone with the look so that they will think it's your hair.

I have noticed this sudden surge of YouTube video bloggers giving advice on everything hair, wigs, weaves, make up etc... They are actually consulting the general public on what to buy and have you look just as silly as they look. Now, being a major YouTube fan I am puzzled on how so many subscribers take advice from secretaries, government workers, dept store clerks, Starbucks workers etc... on hair, wigs, weaves and makeup from these do it yourself bloggers. I know it is a recession and I understand people trying to find alternate ways to look good for less. However, I don't think it is wise to take advice from anyone on anything unless that is there line of work. For instance one of my girlfriends swore up and down I had a thyroid when I talked to her about some of my symptoms. "Girl you have a thyroid that's what I had, I got it removed, you need to do the same thing." she told me. Come to find out I had gestational diabetes while pregnant, thyroids was never an issue. Again, she is not a doctor and because her knowledge is strictly based on her own situation she can not give advice to everyone. Needless to say YouTube should not be your ultimate source for buying weaves, wigs, hair care etc...unless it is a person that is a licensed cosmetologist. I mean really, we had to pass the state board as well as go to school for at least 2 years to safely administer and give advice to the public.

Anyway, back to the topic, I was having a moment. LOL! Wigs can be cute when worn correctly, but first you must have them cut to frame your face. They must be de-bulked around the front of your face because most wigs tend to come heavy around the ears and temple area, which causes the wig to look fake. NOTE: You should never take the wig out of the bag, put it on and go. It is not ready to be worn like that! If the hair is straight you should comb the hair so that the strands are not still stuck together. Most of the time the wig is folded so it has a crease at the top crown part of the hair. The top part is a dead giveaway, when the wig sits up like a cone head. You should try brushing the top down, laying it flat and then spraying it with a stiff holding spray that does not contain too much oil. If you use a spray with too much oil then the hair will look shiny and stick together even more. Synthetic wigs don't last very long in fact only about 2 -3 weeks if you are wearing them daily. After synthetic hair goes bad it looks awful! If that synthetic hair is bushy on the ends "Sorry" its time to throw it away. You have gotten your moneys worth, unless you are going for the lady of the night, dirty streetwalker look. I have seen bad synthetic hair wigs and weaves, all around the DMV area and it is pretty scary. I suggest if you have the money to invest in a human hair wig, even if it is a little more expensive. At lease the human hair wigs will last a bit longer. You can shampoo and deep condition a human hair wig and keep it looking nice longer, but that also depends on how much you spent on the wig. There are good human hair wigs then there are superior human hair wigs. No matter what type of hair you choose it must be cut and styled to fit your facial structure. Can you do this at home? Maybe. I have revamped my YouTube channel "The Marcella Ellis Project," there I will be giving professional advice, doing tutorials, product reviews, quick and easy styles you can do from home, recession proof do it your self do's, and so much more... Nevertheless, I want you all to subscribe so that I can keep bringing you all the professional advice you need. Feel free to write and leave a comment so that I may give a video review of what you really want to know.

As always, Thanks again for reading my blog, These are just my thoughts! xoxox..:)M.E.

Links:

YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/user/marcellaellis?feature=mhee

Grand Opening Party of our new location 9-29-11

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TRENDS

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News

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Ghetto Hair!!

I really don't want to offend anyone in this blog but I just had to write my thoughts. I mean who cares what I have to say anyway? lol! Whenever I'm out and about I am truly observant to the women in my surroundings. I look at their hair, makeup, clothes etc...I just can't help it, I'm a stylist. So what I've been noticing is a lot of bad weaves, runway avant-garde hair styles taken too far, ridiculous hair colors, hard frozen hair, and so much more. Don't get me wrong I do appreciate creativity, especially when you are doing fashion shows or photo shoots. But walking around in public going to work in these styles should just be forbidden. Shaving all of your hair off on one side and a whole head full of tracks on the other side is Ghetto, especially if you have two different textures going on. Track hair is silky and your hair is nappy, is a no-no.

Here is some advice try blending the cut with graduation from one side to the other creating some balance. This will make the cut look softer and look more like a professional did it instead of a home made style. Also buy hair that actually matches your texture, and relax your new growth so that your hair looks groomed..
The bad weave jobs are a dime a dozen. I see women wearing textures of hair that do not match their own, this is the first dead give away. I'm just saying.. Everyone wants beautiful Indian, Malaysian hair, but it is not a good idea if your hair is short and kinky. I mean who really wants a small nappy Afro on top and long flowing Indian hair on bottom. DON'T get me wrong there is nothing wrong with nappy, kinky, hair but the idea is too match your hair with the weave.

The next give away is unnatural colors and blends.. I think the whole color thing is cute (pinks, purples, etc..) if you are 16 and under. Natural colors like browns, blondes and even some forms of red, like cinnamon, or earthy colors are good, but you must also use these colors with caution. You should always try blending highlights and low lights when using light colors to make the weave look more realistic.

The cut is also very important. You should always put layers around the front of the hair, and soft layers throughout even when wearing the hair long. This helps the weave look more natural as opposed to wearing 18" of hair even all around. It looks very Elvira..ish

The Ghetto invisible part phenomena! I totally understand why someone would want this procedure done. It eliminates one trying to blend in there own hair with the weave. However, I have seen these parts looking absolutely horrible. Some of them with glue showing, tracks visible, and a part as big as a railroad track going right through the middle of their head. First of all, a part should be very thin, not 2 inches wide. So if you are doing an invisible part at home then you should try to lay the tracks close together only enough to see the line. Please try not to get glue everywhere so that it is visible to the public and also hide the tracks. If we can see your TRACKS that's not a good weave.

I know I write about things that no one wants to talk about but I have to keep it real. The bad weaves that look absolutely fake with the heavy eyelashes are making me ill. If your eyelashes look like you have caterpillars on the top of your eyelids 9 times out of 10 your eyelashes are too thick. Most of the nail salons are offering eyelash extensions and that's cool too, but they are applying them with too much glue and 2 packs of eyelashes on one eye. Ghetto! Sorry, they don't look good at all.

Believe it or not I'm really not trying to be funny, I'm writing this out of concern. Some people just don't know and you as their girlfriend do not want to tell them the truth, so I'll do it for you..lol! These are just my thoughts! Love you all and stay tuned for my next blog!


Check out what's hot this month!

http://www.marcellaellis.moonfruit.com/#/trends-september-2011/4554928157



Check out our new salon boutique location Grand Opening 'Sip & See' Sept. 30, 2011 in our news letter...
http://menews.moonfruit.com/

Trying new weaving and extension procedures can be good and bad. Let me tell you WHY!

Hello all Happy AUGUST! It is super hot outside and so many people just want simple and easy.
Trying new procedures can be a plus but sometimes they can also be bad on your hair. My advice to my clients and new clients is too analyze your lifestyle and situation before deciding to try new procedures on your hair. I have people that call me everyday wanting to try something new. My first questions is what do you hope to gain from trying this new procedure? Are you looking for invisible free flowing weaves or extensions that blend seamlessly with your hair? The answer is always yes, don't we all want this? With every procedure there are pros and cons, understanding what is most important to you will help you decide what procedure to choose. I am listing the differences in weaves and extensions and the benefits of having each procedure. I will also list the condition, length, texture, and density your hair should be to obtain these procedures, as well as the disadvantages.

The difference between a Weave and Extensions

Hair Weave is a process of which hair is attached to existing hair or scalp through braiding or another interweaving process. This process is normally done with hair wefts and or wig attachments.


Hair Extensions are hair additions that are individually added to the clients hair in small clusters. Hair extensions are also known as strand to strand procedures because of the individual attaching systems.

When weaving the hair the most commonly form of attachment is braiding all or some of the hair and then attaching wefts of hair to the clients braids. This is mostly called a sewn in weave. This same procedure can be taken one step further by sewing the net on top of the braids, then sewing the tracks to the net, this is called a NET weave.

A more advanced weave is sewing the track to the hair with out braiding, but instead leaving all of the clients hair free. This procedure can be done a number of ways. Some stylists use micro rings to anchor the weft, some use rubber bands, some just use more thread, called pole weaving, Malaysian method, etc.. in substitute for the braid.

So now you understand with a weave you can either have your hair all braided, partially braided, are all out. Terms that are used with weaves are free flowing, natural looking, no lumps no bumps, ultra flat weaves. These are all benefits of having a weave.

Some may think that a weave can be invisible or undetectable to the eye, NO a weave can not be invisible, when you open up the hair and look at the attachment you will see the weft and they way it is sewn with thread. If you are looking for undetectable or invisible to the naked eye keep reading below.

The benefits from having it braided is that you hair is at rest underneath the weave. You do not have to worry about damaging your hair with flat irons, color, or chemicals. We recommend using our soy protein shampoo and conditioner, as well as our own healthy hair cocktail to keep your hair infused with vitamins and protein while under the weave. We have seen tremendous results from numerous clients that have been on our healthy hair care regimen. We have testimonies of just how their hair has gone from shabby, dry, short and broken, to healthy, long, thick and strong.

The other option with weaving is leaving partial or all of the hair out. In this case one must consider how you are going to keep your hair blended with the weave. Now this could mean constant flat ironing, the use of chemicals etc... The dead give away for any weave or extensions, is when the two textures do not blend well. If your hair is thick, course or nappy and the weave hair is not then you are in weave violation.. LOL!

When looking at leaving your hair out consider do you sweat, do you swim, how often do you get caught in the rain, hot showers etc... Even a small amount of moisture can cause most black women's hair to swell and therefore creating a new texture that is not like the weave you are wearing.

This is the same for Extensions.
Extensions require no braids at all. In fact all of your hair is left out and we simply add hair additions throughout your own hair in small strand to strand clusters.

The method of attachment varies depending on your stylists. Fusions, are done with a hot keratin wax, micro linking is done with small rings, undetectable strand is done with a small interlock, these are all examples of extensions. The pros are that we can make the strands big, medium or invisible to the eye. This will allow a beautiful seamless attachment. The cons are they can be high maintenance. The smaller they are the more they tend to fall out fast, they are time consuming to have them put in which means it cost more to have them done, and IF not cared for on a high maintenance plan will cause your hair to break off. In other words you can't put these in and because you paid so much to have them done think they they will last longer than a weave or think that you don't have to do much to them.. WRONG! The cost of these procedures have nothing to do with the length of time they last or even the care you must provide. The costs comes from a professional working on your hair all day, at least 5 hours or more to attach and not being able to take any other client. Most people think when you pay so much for the procedure you want it to last a long time. I totally understand, however these procedures are not for those on a budget or seeking an economical benefit. They are tedious and require a steady hand. Think of it as caviar, only a small portion of it will cost you a pretty penny, but by no means are you full. These procedures can be put in so that they are invisible to the eye and cannot be detected, but they are HIGH MAINTENANCE!
In closing weaves and extensions are exciting because we can always alter your look for whatever reason you choose. The best candidate for a weave is anyone who has thinning, balding, hair loss, hair breakage, chemical damage or those who just want simple safe healthy additions. In contrast, to apply extensions we must use precautions on certain hair types and density. Extensions do not cover balding or thinning, and is not recommended for those who have such. It is best suited for one who has medium to normal hair with the length being at least 5-6 inches long or to your chin.

Always remember, no matter what procedure you choose you must take good care of the process as well as your own hair. Maintenance is a must!

TRY OUR NEW HEALTHY HAIR COCKTAILS!!!!

Trust me, you hair is taking a severe beating this summer! Our Healthy Hair Cocktails are designed to give your thirsty hair relief!

On the menu:


**Pina Colada Super Moisturizing Charge

**Strawberry Daiquiri Turbo Boost

**Banana Cream Energizer

All of our moisturizing cocktails are hand mixed right in our salon. Filled with rich amino acids, vitamins, protein, jojoba, Moroccan, aloe, vitamin E oils and so much more!


Call now to schedule your Healthy Hair COCKTAIL!

301.474.0767

Don't forget to stop by our site! New info Added

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