Toronto Argonauts and Great Lengths

Great Lengths was excited to be asked once again to be the hair sponsor for the Toronto Argos Cheerleaders. We had a busy spring with the website photo shoot on May 29th and the calendar photo shoot on June 20 and 27th. We are currently selling the calendars at the salon for $10 with all proceeds going to charity.

http://argonauts.ca/video/index/id/18979

How to Buy a Flat Iron

For women who want the look of glossy, straight locks, a flat iron is essential. But which one is right for your hair? The people at folica.com have some tips for flat iron shopping. (http://bit.ly/qhJOXo)

First, you need to consider your hair type. Coarse or curly hair requires the high temperatures of a professional flat iron, that is, one that ranges between 380ºF and 410ºF. If your hair is slightly wavy and of “normal” thickness, you can go with a little less heat—between 360ºF and 380ºF. Fine or thin hair can be damaged easily by high heat, so it is best to find a flat iron with temperature control. The Folica article recommends that people with very fine, straight hair start with lower temperatures (around 180ºF) and work their way up from there.

Second, make sure your flat iron is the right width for your hair. Basically, the longer the hair, the wider the iron should be.

The plates on a flat iron can be made of many different materials, all of which are outlined in the Folica article. The three materials that tend to be highly recommended are: ceramic, tourmaline, and titanium.

Ceramic plates create negative ions (which reduce frizz), diffuse heat and seal the hair cuticle. Titanium maintains consistent heat levels to minimize damage while also straightening hair quickly. Tourmaline is often infused into ceramic plates to create even more negative ions, resulting in shiner, straighter hair.

Need more help with your flat iron? Here is an article about using your flat iron like a pro. (http://bit.ly/nZmOKz). To read about the top ten flat irons in Canada, consult the 2011 list from hairtools.ca (http://bit.ly/o4mQ2k).

And if you have any questions about which type of flat iron to buy, please ask a Great Lengths stylist. We’re always happy to help!

The Health Benefits of Meditation

How often have you or someone else you know said, “I’m so stressed out!” Because of our busy lifestyles, stress is a major problem and it is not just in our heads.

A recent Globe & Mail article positioned stress as a public health issue, and cited research that shows that “[c]hronic stress caused by taking on too much – both at home and at work – has been linked to a wide range of serious health concerns, from Alzheimer’s and depression to obesity, diabetes and heart disease.” (http://bit.ly/rtOdwC)

How to reduce stress? For an increasing number of people, meditation is the answer and science is backing them up.

Dr. Ramesh Manocha at Sydney University led a study into meditation recently. He found that meditation “triggers change in electrical activity of the brain, improving the mind and body in measurable ways,” including improvement in mood and depression levels. http://bit.ly/nHrHHu

Other recent studies have found additional benefits to meditation: initial research at UCLA shows that meditation may help reduce age-related brain atrophy (http://bit.ly/nubjXP); and scientists at Wake Forest University found a link between meditation and reduced sensitivity to pain, a discovery that shows promise for those suffering from chronic pain (http://bit.ly/oUEpjM).

A common misconception about mediation is that it is just a matter of sitting quietly. While that is certainly one aspect of it, there is more to meditation than simply relaxing. As Dr. Manocha notes, meditation is the widening of space between thoughts “until the space is so large you have no thoughts whatsoever in that moment.”

Meditation is a practice, one that takes commitment and some instruction to get started. But it is worth the effort, as research continually shows. To learn more about meditation, try a simple Google search to find instructors in your community or visit your local library where books on mediation are often readily available.