Traction Alopecia: Even Hair Extension Celebs Get Bald Spots

Hair extensions.

Most of your favorite celebrities have them. But did you know that some of these beautiful Hollywood heads are also suffering from traction alopecia?!

Traction alopecia is hair loss caused by pulling on the hair, and can occur when someone wears fake hair or hair extensions. The weight of these added hair strands are much too heavy for the follicle, and it in turn, dies, or stops growing normal hairs. Even wearing simple clip-on extensions for several hours a day, can rip out one's natural hair.

And that's when a hair extension wearer will freak out. Hair breakage can occur, and one is left with severely damaged, thin locks, and at worst, bald spots, which sometimes remain permanent. And that is a frightening experience we would never wish on any woman.

Take a look at the photo snapped about a year ago. That's supermodel Naomi Campbell at a NYC fashion shoot. You can clearly see the bald spot she has developed for wearing straight hair extensions for a number of years now.

And we aren't trying to make Naomi Campbell the poster girl for traction alopecia. We are merely emphasizing a point here---that getting instant, long, full hair can come with its consequences.

We happen to think that Naomi has a stunningly beautiful face, and she is gorgeous, even with a hair weakness.

Celebrities like Entertainment Tonight's Nancy O'Dell, Paris Hilton, the Kardashian sisters, and many others, are slaves to their Rapunzel-like extensions. They cannot seem to let them go. You might remember when Kim K had her hair 'cut' a few months ago. Then about a week or two later, had the extensions put back in. We're really not sure how long her real hair is. We thought her shorter hair looked healthy and prettier on her petite frame.

Sure, celebrities go to the best hair professionals around, and probably shell out $5,000 or more for some instant,long, shiny tresses. But bald spots can happen, even to beautiful, wealthy women, as the photo of Naomi Campbell clearly reveals.

Hair extension experts advise extension wearers to head to the salon every 6-12 weeks for maintenance. And some stylists believe in the power of coconut oil to condition the hair shaft and make it stronger. The oil is rich in fatty acids and very nourishing, and the hair shaft is able to absorb all its goodness.

How to Condition Hair with Coconut Oil.

Need Some Root Rescue? A Must-Have For Makeup Bags

When Jennifer Lopez was crowned People magazine's 'Most Beautiful' person earlier this year, she admitted in an interview, that she started going gray at age 23, and has since then, been touching up her roots every 2 weeks!

Don't laugh. We know how she feels. We, too, began going gray around the same age, and it's been a beauty battle that NEVER ends. We think it's especially tough for dark hair, because roots against a brown or black mass of hair stick out quite prominently.

That's why we LOVE those quick-fix root pens! No bigger than a tube of lipgloss. Easy to carry around and rapid to the rescue. You use them just like you would a tube of mascara. Comb on, let dry, and you're back in business!

Today, we're looking at QuickTint ($14.95, at QuickTint.net. We like the simplicity of this QuickTint pen and the staying power it delivers. Plus, it comes in 10 glossy shades:

Pale Ash Blonde, Honey Blonde, Medium Reddish Brown, Strawberry Blonde, Auburn, Copper, Medium Ash Brown, Medium Golden Brown, Dark Brown and Rich Black.

We like this stuff because it is water-proof, and can even stay on through a couple shampoos. To remove it, take an eye makeup remover pad and swipe over the QuickTint color, and then shampoo, and it's gone.

Yes, QuickTint is a makeup bag must-have for us, because you never know when a lone gray hair or pesky root will pop up, and that's usually at the wrong time.

We give QuickTint a thumbs up!

Freaked Out About Foundation? Then Try Tinted Moisturizer

Not a fan of foundation, no matter how you put it on....liquid, cream, spray-on, powder?

That's okay, but don't think you can walk around bare-face, and look so amazing.

Foundation serves a key beauty purpose:

It balances your skintone and can cover up less than perfect skin issues.

But we get it. Some women don't like the feel of foundation on their face. It's 'too heavy.'

Fine. Then let's put on a great tinted moisturizer, and you're good to go!

And we have a wonderful product by Hourglass, called 'Illusion Tinted Moisturizer' ($55, at Sephora.

A bit pricey at $55? Maybe, but this tinted moisturizer delivers the goods in a big way. You get superb coverage with a barely there formula, plus---it's oil-free. Doesn't grease up.

And Illusion Tinted Moisturizer also performs a little magic, according to the Hourglass company:

"Added Instalift® at 3% lifts and visibly tightens the skin within one hour of application. Hyaluronic Filling Spheres™ at 3% help minimize the appearance of wrinkles while increasing skin's hydration levels to deliver a healthy, dewy radiance."

It's available in 6 shades to perfectly match your complexion.

Let's face it---we all need a little coverage, and if foundation is just too fake, hard to match, or feels wrong, then choose a tinted moisturizer. You will love the natural-looking results and polished finish to your complexion.

Off The Shoulder Top: Hot Fashion Budget Tip Of The Day

Is it just us, or do off-the-shoulder tops seem to be a hot trend for Fall 2011?!

Flip through some of your favorite catalogues or pop into some of your preferred boutiques, and you will notice off-the-shoulder tees, sweaters and more, in some yummy autumn shades, like eggplant, rust, and olive.

Do we dare to compare?

Yes. We're all in the hunt for a great bargain these days. Let's take a look at our Hot Fashion Budget Tip of the Day:

Two gorgeous off-the-shoulder tops by Victoria's Secret and Body Central, with two different price tags. The VS top will run you $39.50. The Body Central Top will cost you $19.80. According to our math, the cheaper off-the-shoulder top saves you $19.70. So, you could practically buy 2 for the price of 1, at Body Central.

Don't get us wrong----We adore Victoria's Secret. But sometimes, it's more fun to save $$$ and get a pretty duplicate for less.

You be the judge. Take a look at both off-the-shoulder tops, and decide if there's a huge difference in style and quality. We think both are beautiful in a stretchy, flattering fabric.

BodyCentral
VictoriasSecret

Lindsay Lohan's 'Lost' Porcelain Veneers: Where Did Celebrity Smile Go?

Porcelain veneers. Many beautiful celebrities in Hollywood have them. And these perfect fake teeth can cost up to $2,000 and more, for just one veneer.

Now, let's take a look at actress Lindsay Lohan in the top, double-shot photo. The pic was snapped a couple of nights ago, as the troubled 25-year-old walked a red carpet event in L.A..

Ever since a much less-than-perfect smile emerged from Lindsay Lohan's mouth Tuesday evening, the ugly chatter has not ceased. And this poor young woman cannot get a break.

Lots of cruel internet gossip is calling LiLo's smile a 'rotting mouth,' 'meth mouth,', and worse.

But we see it more like this: Lindsay's perfect porcelain veneers are missing, and what you see are her real teeth---stained, a bit yellow, and not perfect like her smile was in the photo below of the younger actress in 2005. She was 19 in that pic. And study her smile there---Lindsay's super white teeth appear to be those of porcelain veneers.

So, where have LiLo's porcelain veneers gone? Who knows. She's probably having them re-done. But in the meantime, maybe she should have skipped the unforgiving flash bulbs of the red carpet until she got back her beautiful smile.

We believe the top photo shows Lindsay Lohan with teeth that have been prepared previously for veneers, because the cosmetic dentist removes only about 1/2 millimeter of enamel from the surface of each tooth before placing the veneer over the natural tooth.

We did a little research on porcelain veneers, and can see why Hollywood is hot for this perfect, dazzling smile:

Natural-looking results
Made from extremely durable material
Minimally-invasive procedure
Resistant to staining
Correct multiple flaws
Long-lasting solution - 10 to 15 years
Restore strength and functionality to the teeth
Customized for your individual smile
Relatively quick process - one to two appointments
Restore your confidence, smile proudly.

We found our veneer information here.

Palladium Instead Of Platinum? Celebrities Are Wearing It

Palladium is as beautiful as platinum, and almost half the price of gold!

That's what the Palladium Alliance International industry is saying, in a new, mega-million ad campaign featuring celebrities like Kelly Osbourne, Pam Anderson, and Rose McGowan in a clever tagline, I'm So Over Heavy Metal."

Would you wear the newest thing in bling? Palladium instead of pricier platinum?

Palladium is a member of the platinum family, but lighter in weight, very durable, and a naturally white precious metal. And metal experts say you can't tell the difference between the two. Plus, if you have sensitive skin, palladium is hypo-allergenic.

In this up & down economy, it might be wise to take a closer look at palladium, and make your dream of owning some elegant jewelry pieces a reality, by not blowing your budget.

We found some Wall Street stats for yesterday, October 12th:

Platinum closed up $36.00 at $1552.00 an ounce.
Palladium closed up $6.00 at $610.00 an ounce.

To learn more about the new thing in bling, visit:

ImSoOverHeavyMetal.com
PalladiumJewelry.org

Makeup Artist Mario Uses Inexpensive Liquid Eyeliner For Kim's Wedding Day Glamour

Although Kim Kardashian's wedding took place 6 weeks ago, people are still raving about her 3 gorgeous gowns and the stunning makeup applied by her personal cosmetics pro, Mario Dedivanovic.

And we all got to witness the extravagant nuptials of Kim and Kris in a special E-channel broadcast on Monday night. Lots of people were complaining that the 2-night, 4-hour wedding reality show only gave fans about a 30-minute glimpse into the gala celebrity event itself. That was disappointing, but looking at Kim K's makeup up close, was worth the long wait.

Her makeup man, Mario, did an incredible job transforming the dark-haired beauty into a Cleopatra-esque bride. And her artist generously gave out all the makeup details at his website. Most of the cosmetics he used were high end, like Lancome, Dior, and La Mer. But Mario Dedivanovic did go 'cheap' on Kim's eyeliner, and you can try this beauty tip, too:

"I lined her eyes (top lid only) using Cover Girl Line Exact Liquid Liner in Very Black," Mario says. "Start out with a thin line at the inner corner and gradually thicken the line as you go towards the outer corners. Wing the liner up and out."

Amazing! Kim K's cat-eye signature look always comes out perfect and polished, and we can't believe that one could get the same, high glam effect, using a $5.59 drugstore find, but there's the proof.

We like the concept of the CG Line Exact Liquid Liner because it is similar to a sharp-pointed felt pen and glides over the eyelid smoothly. The only downside to the CG liner pen, was its stingy amount. We ran out of liner within a week or so.

We were baffled. Where did the product go?

To see more of Kim Kardashian's step-by-step glam wedding makeup, check out Mario Dedivanovic's website here.