I second slathering on a good cream/lotion and wearing gloves - during the winter I'll do this with cheap stretchy gloves as much as I can (like on the bus) and it really helps.

There are a lot of good creams to try - people like CeraVe moisturizing cream, which is usually sold in a big tub. It has hyaluronic acid (sodium hyaluronate) which I've found to be a really great moisturizer, although I haven't tried CeraVe. I had a hydrating serum with hyaluronic acid that I was using on my face and my boyfriend asked if he could use it too - turns out he was using it on his dry hands. He said it helped a lot but when I told him the serum was $20 for a tiny bottle he freaked out.

I got a tube of Eucerin Plus Hand Repair Cream, and we use that all the time - it absorbs really fast, so it's a great hand lotion to keep with you and put on whenever you can. It does have some AHAs, which will make your skin more sensitive to UV, so you're supposed to avoid sunlight or use sunscreen. I also use ShiKai's Borage Therapy hand cream; it's nice but does leave a greasy finish so I usually put it on when I can put some gloves on. Both of these are unscented, which I prefer because I'm sensitive to a lot of perfumes, and they're both available at most drugstores including Bartells.

I'll also layer a lot - I'll put on the ShiKai cream, let it sink in, then put something heavier and more occlusive on top, like Burt's Bees Almond Milk Hand Cream. The almond/cherry smell is pretty strong, so I'll probably find something else when that's used up. Something like a hand salve (Burt's Bees or Badger), Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle cream, or plain cocoa butter are also good for layering. You'll definitely want to put gloves on afterwards because your hands will be greasy.

The most important thing is to put a lotion or cream on after washing your hands as often as you can - that will help rebuild the skin barrier. Also try to make a habit of putting on lotion & gloves before and after work as a preventative measure.

Alba Botanica makes a number of shampoos without sodium laureth/lauryl sulfate. I've used the Plumeria and Mango versions, I believe, and had great results. It even smells good. Alba Botanica products are relatively inexpensive and available at most drug and grocery stores here. I'm not sure about availability and cost where you are.

Deva Curl is more expensive and only available in salons, but they have a great product line if you have curly hair. Their entire shampoo line (which they call No-poo) is free of SLS and other detergents. I haven't used their shampoos at home but my stylist uses them when I get my hair cut. I do use some of their styling products, which I LOVE.

I've found it really helps to shave with the growth of the hair. You won't get as close a shave, especially if you're using a single blade disposable, but I get virtually no bumps from shaving. One option is to upgrade to a fancy triple blade razor (assuming you're not already using one), and then shaving with the growth.

Exfoliation is good too. I recommend using a body wash with a little salicylic acid. It seems to help.

Waxing is not going to help with ingrowns or bumps. In my experience with waxing, you have to be even more vigilant with exfoliation to prevent both.

Try a google image search for "80s mall bangs" (without the quotes).

I had this problem about six months ago. This video really helped me. (for the record, I use mabelline 110 foundation powder and liquid, because I'm really pale, but whatever works for you colorwise should do the trick. I have sensitive skin and have never had a bad reaction to mabelline Me! 110, or any mabelline for that matter. Thn grab a cheap kabuki brush and go at it. So without further adiu, the video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ditQv7e4R_U&feature=youtube_gdata_player
.

Couple of thoughts here:

Is there a difference between the way they style your hair and the way you style your hair? What kinds of brushes, products, styling techniques, etc. are they using? For exmample, if they've use a straight iron and you don't, your hair will most definitely look different the next day. As far as the front hanging heavily, that sounds like just a difference in the cut.

I have, in the past, been in the habit of going to whatever cheap salon has an opening because I just want a haircut immediately. What I learned from that experience is that it's the best way to get a bad style. Period. You don't know who you're getting and frankly, cheap salons are cheap for a reason (sorry if that sounds arrogant). All the money you save ends up being a waste after one too many bad cuts.

Do your research (online reviews of local salons/stylists) and save your money for a good place. If you see someone with hair that's similar to yours and you like their cut, ask them who their stylist is. Another good rule of thumb: ALWAYS take a picture with you. Whether it's a picture you find in a magazine, online, or one of you when you really liked your hair, bring it along and tell them that it's what you want. Trying to describe a cut is just too vague because everyone has a different idea of what certain styles should look like.

Try and find a good stylist - someone well-trained who you think you'll stick with and who will get to know you (your likes/dislikes) and your hair. Good luck!

I dunno what "neck shave" is -- maybe touchups for guys with neatly-trimmed beards? But Valentines in Greenwood (at 79th) does a quality hot-towel-and-straight-razor shave.

http://valentinesseattle.com/

I've never had the shave there -- I'm chicken, due to an unpleasant experience involving a cat hanging by its claws from my bare buttocks while I was applying the razor to my skin just a millimeter from my jugular -- but I've seen others getting shaved there, and they all seemed happy. Valentine is an interesting character.

Special Effects. Don't bother with manic panic. It will end up all over your pillow and other pretty things.

I'm trying to grow my hair out too.

First off, tell yourself that damaged hair doesn't count towards length. Cut it off. Damaged hair isn't going to get you where you want to be, and your hair will look better in the interim.

Next, take a look at your hair care routine to see how you can reduce damaged hair in the future. Do you do anything to your hair that might weaken it? Bleaching it, coloring it, or over-processing it shortens its lifespan. Here's what I found works for me:

*Certain kinds of brush materials can damage hair over the long term. Plastic is one. Switch to a wooden-bristled brush or comb. I got mine at The Body Shop for about $6.

*The more bristles on a brush or comb, the more volume you get. If you have thin hair, use a wooden bristled brush. But if you have THICK hair, a brush is just going to make your hair big and hard to manage...and therefore, tangle easily, and break more. I learned this the hard way.

*Consider not washing your hair every day, if you can. The natural oils from your scalp are really good for your hair. Put your hair up in a shower cap for your daily shower. If you can't stand the thought of not washing it daily, maybe consider not shampooing it every day.

*Hot water weakens your hair. I love super-hot showers, so this is hard for me.

*Don't brush your hair when it's wet (it's weaker then too). BUT...(paradox ahead)...

*...consider trying a leave-in conditioner. I use one made by L'Anza and I absolutely swear by it. Wash your hair in the shower as you normally do. Then divide your hair into two parts, massage some conditioner into one part, GENTLY comb it through, and repeat with the other side. Then get out of the shower without rinsing it off. I have really fine tangly hair and this saved me.

Finally, be patient. I've wanted to grow my medium-length hair out for ages, but I had to a adopt a better hair-care routine first, and then largely wait until all my old damaged hair had grown out. Now my hair is about 5 inches longer than the length at which I'd normally get it cut, and the ends are perfectly healthy with no need for a trim in sight.

Good luck!

If you're going for the haven't-showered-in-days-and-don't-care-about-personal-hygiene look, then you are not required to cut your hair.
But, if you care about your appearance and want to look shaggy, but well-kept, I would highly suggest going in every 4-6 weeks to trim, thin out, etc.
As far as layering goes, it depends on the texture, length and thickness of your hair as well as your face shape. I suggest going to a reputable "real" salon and just letting the stylist do whatever she thinks will look best.
If you are really interested in taking advantage of a hairstyle's full potential, you will probably need to learn how to style with a little bit of product. Your stylist can show you this, or there are also tons of videos on YouTube that might be helpful.
My favorite two hair salons in Seattle are Derby (in Ravenna) and Vain (in Belltown).

Don't let him decide to remove it permanently at this age. He does not know what he will want to do with his facial hair as an adult ( I felt the same way as him when I was a teenager, but now I sport a bad-ass beard - if I had permanently removed my mustache I would look ridiculous).

Get him an electric razor - good ones run only about 40 dollars. That is not bad. That will make it fast and easy for him to shave - or just teach him how to shave with a razor, it will only take a few seconds each day, and he will get used to it.

I think this is an instance where you need to NOT indulge your child's whim - he is rebelling against growing up and he is being lazy in adopting a new routine - don't let him do it. Make him grow up on this issue - he will thank you later.

good idea!

pluses: extremely cheap, you smell like pretty plants afterwards, and you get a  decent cut.  there's a supervisor to watch over and and make sure things ended up the way you'd like it.

minuses: it is a looong process. the student has to have their plan approved and critiqued before and after, and if there's a lot of action at the time you visit, you could be there for an hour and a half.

i've never been disappointed!  also, it's so very delightfully CHEAP!

It does make a difference that you're a lady, because where you must go is Olympus Spa in Lynnwood.

Olympus is a Korean style bathhouse- this means ladies only and nudity required in the pools. You may be surprised to learn that being nude around middle-aged Korean and Russian ladies is not an intimidating experience.

$35 gets you in the door and unlimited access to four pools of varying temperatures, a mugwort bath, humid and dry saunas and six relaxation rooms with different kinds of herbal infusions and some complicated Eastern heating system that apparently provides a slew of health benefits. There are places to lounge and read, places to chat with friends, a delicious restaurant and a tea room. You can stay there all day without purchasing any spa packages (many women do), but if you want to go all out get the Korean body scrub and moisturizing treatment. This is not your typical wimpy Western style exfoliation; you will actually see dead skin rolling off your body. Lots of it. Have you ever wondered why so many older Asian ladies still have flawless skin? This is why.

So, in conclusion, the Olympus Spa is where you must go.

I have always preferred the spelling "moustache" myself.

The basic Clubman Pinaud Wax is carried by Fred Meyer and it will cost you a $3-4 a tube as I remember. A few years ago somebody was selling off the stock from a beauty supply warehouse on Ebay and I bought dozens of tubes of the stuff for less than a buck a shot. I can wax on for the rest of my life or nearly so without buying again.

The Whisker Club over in Bremerton sells a couple of esoteric brands you won't find anywhere else, Brother's Love and Stern Hungarian. Brother's sets up like glue (will wash out) and will hold its shape through a night's sleep with no snood necessary (but I think if you went into the backwoods sub-zero temperatures you might accidentally break your moustache off in the cold). Stern is more like a creamy hair lotion that gives very modest hold.

http://www.whiskerclub.org/nonshop/nonshop.htm

I have experimented myself with buying the clean white beads of beeswax and mixing it with quantities of the Clubman (using quick microwave bursts to soften and melt them together) to get a product that is easy to work between the fingers and has better hold than the basic Clubman.

Remember when buying to pay attention to the whether or not the wax is neutral or colored. I have always used the neutral, comes out white and is clear in application. My 'stache has changed from the red-brown of youth to the grey end of the scale and the neutral or white has always worked well.

If you've got the ability, grow it, wax it and let it show.

Steve Raible lost so much of his character when he became one of the plain faced talking heads of television news, such a loss!

Don't use permanent dye your first time (and don't bleach or lift your hair). Semi-permanent dye has come a long way, and can deposit a surprising amount of color, especially on naturally light hair. On virgin, non-heat-damaged hair it might wash out a little more quickly than you'd like, but it will not damage your hair, your roots won't look as bad, and it's easy to reapply if you want to keep it.

The best high-pigment dye Sally carries is Manic Panic (I suggest this one for what you're looking for; the bad review sounds like someone who didn't leave the dye on long enough), though I've mostly used Special Effects (this site shows the color on hair, unlike the company's site. I've used a few of them, and a combo Hot Lava/Blood Red came out pretty cool).

You'll want to have some crappy towels for the first few washes post-dye, and a crappy pillow case that you won't mind getting some dye on. Wash your tub right after showering. Don't wear white shirts. These minor annoyances are worth 1) intense color and 2) not having to permanently commit to a crazy change.

The only "horribly wrong" thing that can happen with semi-permanent dye is an allergic reaction or the color not fully depositing and being too-orange or too-pink, depending on the base of the red.

If you LOVE it, then consider a permanent color and bleaching/lifting your hair. Bright red is a high-maintenance color - even permanent color will look dull/washed out if you don't take care of it, and roots are a constant concern. It's also really fun and attracts tons of compliments from strangers. Post pictures when it's done!

If you listen to Democracy Now (an internet and radio news program, you can find it on the web pretty easily) they did a report on the levels of toxins and shockingly untested chemicals that are in most shampoos, soaps and the like.

I would suggest buying products that really are all natural as much as possible. (And research the products on line before you buy them) Given the levels of toxins we are exposed to without our control on a day to day basis it's worth it to cut out anything extra that you have control over.