When Diana Ross came into Peter Lamas’ hair salon four decades ago he transformed her from a Supreme in a wig to a solo star with a mane of beautiful, natural curls. What he did for Ross he also did for Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, after years of spraying and teasing her hair, it was dry and brittle. Lamas spent months bringing it back to life, growing out her iconic bob and creating a softer and longer look. With all his experience, Lamas knows the effects harmful chemicals can have on us long term, especially if we are using them in our hair on a regular basis, that is why his products contain only natural ingredients. Lamas’ hair care line, Chinese Herbs, promises to stimulate and energize weak hair and your scalp. We spoke to him while he was in Toronto, Canada, to learn more about how we can revitalize our hair.
It starts on the inside
Lamas’ philosophy is, To grow beautiful and healthy hair, it begins on the inside. He believes the products we use on our hair act as a camouflage because the way to truly improve your hair is to change how it grows. What you want is to grow beautiful and gutsy hair from the inside out. How do you do that? You feed the scalp, Lamas explained.
Hair loss and breakage
Hair loss is a source of panic for many women. One of the contributing factors for hair loss is stress. What happens to your scalp when you are stressed is it tightens, Lamas said. When it tightens it prevents the circulation of the capillaries beneath the scalp that are feeding the papilla, where the hair grows out of, from performing and bringing the nutrients to the hair.
Lamas says breakage stems from over processing of the hair with too many products that use harmful chemicals. He claims an effective way to remedy this issue is to invest in one high quality product, like a serum or great shampoo, instead of too many cheaper products with little lasting effects. Investing in a good product helps you to grow stronger and more resilient hair that can take on the abuse we get from blow drying, flat irons, pollution and daily wear and tear.
Try: Peter Lamas Chinese Herbs Re-Energizing Scalp Serum, $45, available at Shoppers Drug Mart.
Oily scalp
If you have an oily scalp that gives your hair a dirty look just a day after shampooing, you may be washing your hair too much with a shampoo that strips your hair of its natural oils. Lamas says your body tells itself that it needs to quickly reproduce the oil because of the dehydration and this process results in an overproduction of oil, giving you that greasy look. If you want to wash your hair daily, use a gentle shampoo that dissolves the oils that block your hair follicle and create dandruff, but doesn’t take away your hair’s natural moisture.
Try: Peter Lamas Chinese Herbs Energizing Shampoo, $22, available at Shoppers Drug Mart.
Lamas encourages his clients to treat their hair with the utmost care and stop overdoing it on products that only provide a temporary solution. Organic, gentler products with rich ingredients will help you grow tougher, more beautiful hair. The natural you is the best you.
