A Healthy Lifestyle Leads to Having Healthy Locks

The next time you visit your hairstylist, you may find yourself on camera, or rather, your scalp may be centre screen. Hair professionals have gone high-tech in search of comprehensive diagnostics when it comes to hair health, which begins with the scalp, and extends to lifestyle, diet, and stress management.

Early assessment combined with small lifestyle changes goes a long way to prevent hair loss and scalp issues, which are more common than people think.

Most people never consider their scalp, and most people don’t care, though the scalp influences the hair condition and everyone wants great hair. An unhealthy scalp is one way that nature tells us we have an unbalanced lifestyle.

A daily regime for scalp care is the first step to healthy hair.

Men tend to have excessively oily hair, whereas women often suffer conditions involving a dry scalp. Asians in general are less likely to suffer from hair loss than Caucasians, who often have extremely dry hair.

Ways to Improve Scalp Health

There are simple ways to improve the health of the scalp, many of which can be achieved outside of a salon.

Maintaining a diet rich in proteins and folic acids is vital. Legumes are one of the best sources of nutrients for hair. Others include soy, fatty fish and leafy vegetables.

While changing eating habits can have a positive effect on the hair, dieting does not.

Nutrition is always great, but drastic dieting is a direct route to hair loss. In addition, excessive alcohol, smoking, sun exposure and heavy use of chemical products contribute to scalp issues. Wearing a hat every day or putting the hair up constantly is also detrimental. When it comes to hair, gentle is always best.

It isn’t necessary to invest a fortune into hair products, but there is a right and wrong way to wash and brush hair.

Your stylist can help you select a suitable shampoo. Hair should be washed as needed, and everyone’s different. Water temperature should be slightly warm, but never hot, and it’s best to let the shampoo sit on the hair for three to four minutes before rinsing thoroughly.

Letting the hair drip dry at night may lead to bacterial build-up.

Some people shower at night, towel-dry and go straight to bed, which is a bad idea. The best way to dry the hair is with a towel, followed by a drier that uses mostly cool air.

And not all hairbrushes are created equal, though technique is more important than an expensive hairbrush.

Choose a brush with wide spread, rounded teeth, and gently brush, massaging the scalp. Avoid brushing wet hair; this leads to breakage and puts stress on the scalp.

Salon scalp care generally involves camera diagnosis, a ‘scaling’ or scrubbing process, ampoule treatment, and scalp massages to improve blood circulation and unclog pores.

The most important thing is to remember that the body is a connected system. A healthy lifestyle leads to radiant hair.

Laser Therapy for Androgenic Alopecia

Androgenic alopecia is known to be one of the most common forms of hair loss in men of all ages. If you are suffering from this type of hair loss, you are not the only one who is noticing bald patches on your scalp. Of all the cases of male baldness, about 95% are attributed to androgenic alopecia.

Usually, ageing is associated with baldness, but occurrence of this pattern of hair loss in men younger in age has raised the concerns. An in-depth study of the root cause of male pattern baldness can help in its effective treatment. A range of hair loss products available in this category help in hair regrowth as well as improve texture of the hair. Let’s take a brief look on male pattern baldness and its treatment.

Male Pattern Baldness: An Inside Story

Based on genetic background, the occurrence of androgenic alopecia can vary from one population to another. The environmental factors can contribute this type of hair loss. Men suffering from this condition experience hair thinning at the temple and the crown. This is followed by a receding hairline on the lateral sides of the forehead and bald patches on the vertex. In order to get a better understanding of this hair condition, it is essential to get an idea about the normal hair growth cycle.

The three phases in the normal hair growth cycle include the growth phase, the resting phase, and the shedding phase. Firstly, in the growing phase, hair growth takes place for an average of three to four years. At an average, about 90% of follicles engage in this phase to grow hair. Secondly, in the resting phase, no hair growth takes place and its length remains the same. The average duration of this phase is about two to four months. Only about 5% of follicles engage in the resting phase. Lastly, the shedding phase is the shortest of all phases in which hairs shed in order to initiate new hair growth.

A lot of natural hair loss treatments tend to enhance the function of hair follicles to help in regrowth and quality of hair. But the problem starts when hair follicles present in the scalp area develop sensitivity to a hormone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Usually, an enzyme 5-alpha reductase present in the scalp area converts testosterone (male sex hormone) into dihydrotestosterone. This over-sensitivity to DHT tends to shrink the follicles in their sizes. In this way, it directly affects their ability to sustain and even regrow new hair. To help these follicles regain their ability to grow new hair, it is necessary to inhibit the production of DHT.

Laser Treatment for Androgenic Alopecia

Laser therapy has been proven to be a boon for medical science. It helps in the treatment of a lot of health conditions. With the advent of laser comb devices, an effective treatment of hair condition such as androgenic alopecia is very much possible. This device emits low lever laser beams into the scalp area to help revitalise the hair follicles. In addition to this, a laser comb can also help in the growth of new hair with improved texture quality.

Hair Loss Due to Divorce and Death

A study finds that women lose hair when they lose their spouses

As may have been written before, many women have issues with their hair, especially at midlife. We may blame hormones or ageing. But in some cases, the problem could be marriage — or the loss of it. That is the conclusion of a study by a plastic surgeon.

In the study, nearly 200 male and female identical twins were recruited, and they were asked to fill out a questionnaire detailing their lives and health habits. Then the study team took pictures of their scalps to judge who had the most hair.

A big difference was found between men and women who had lost hair. For men, genetics was the most important factor. But a few other things helped men maintain hair: not smoking, wearing a hat when under the sun, exercising and avoiding heavy drinking.

These behaviours helped women keep hair as well, but even more important was the state of their marriages. Women in stables marriages were more likely to have a full head of hair than their twins who were widowed or divorced. Other factors that were associated with losing hair included having many children and higher blood pressure.

These results have not been reported in a peer-reviewed journal — which means that they haven’t been verified by an objective outside expert. But the results make sense. We all know that stress can have physiological effects such as hair loss, and smoking and heavy drinking damage the skin.

What’s interesting is the difference of the risk factors between men and women. That’s another example of why research needs to be more gender specific. We are just not the same and researchers need to consider gender differences when they are looking at how genes and environment interact.

Does Anaemia Translate to Alopecia?

Nutritional deficiencies may be the cause of some cases of hair loss so if your hair is thinning or excessively shedding, you may be lacking in essential vitamins.

This Article

Are you anaemic?

If you are not yet middle-aged and are struggling with hair loss, it may be due to anaemia. Other signs of anaemia are the following:

• Tiredness

• Lack of energy

• Headaches

• Breathlessness

• Palpitations

• Paling of skin

• Flaking skin around the nails

• Mouth ulcers

Several studies have examined the relationship between iron deficiency and hair loss. Almost all have addressed women exclusively and have focused on non-cicatricial hair loss. Some suggest that iron deficiency may be related to alopecia areata, androgenetic alopecia, telogen effluvium, and diffuse hair loss, while others do not. Several hair clinics screen male and female patients with both cicatricial and non-cicatricial hair loss for iron deficiency. Although this practice is not evidence based per se, we believe that treatment for hair loss is enhanced when iron deficiency, with or without anaemia, is treated. Iron deficiency anaemia should be treated.

So science has not really established whether there is a relationship between iron deficiency and hair loss, but some research suggest that there is. If you have hair loss and any of the other symptoms, see your doctor for a blood test to check for anaemia. If you are anaemic, a course of iron tablets may be enough to assist hair re-growth.

Food sources that contain iron include leafy green vegetables, beans, nuts, dried fruits, fortified breakfast cereals, oatmeal and meat. Make sure your weekly menu contains some of these types of foods in order to avoid anaemia. Reducing your caffeine intake can also improve your iron levels as caffeine inhibits your body’s ability to absorb iron.

Physiological Factors that Cause Female Hair Loss

Causes for female hair loss are somewhat different than those typically found in men, and the emotional effects can be quite different as well. Female hair loss affects about one-third of all susceptible women and usually onsets after menopause although it can begin earlier. It appears that hormone imbalances or fluctuations are responsible for most female hair loss, including those who have PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), recent pregnancy, menopause, or birth-control side effects.

The most common causes of hair loss in women include inherited genes, temporary metabolic problems associated with pregnancy, unusual stress, chemotherapy, crash diets/anorexia, thyroid hormone deficiency, major surgery, severe infection or high fever. Braiding, cornrows, tight ponytails, and extensions are the most common styling causes. There also may be some sort of trigger that initially causes the onset of hair loss, perhaps a virus or an environment contaminant. Nevertheless, severe or protracted stress from emotional, physical, chemical, or dietary causes can wreak havoc on many of the body’s vital hormones.

It’s estimated that nearly 30 per cent of all people suffering from hair loss or hair loss symptoms and in need of hair loss treatments are indeed women. Treatments for permanent female hair loss include medications and follicular unit transplantation procedures.

Treatments for female hair loss such as lifestyle alterations, balanced diet and exercise, stopping of hormone therapy or birth control medicines may also be sufficient to induce the reversal of hair loss. Your aim should be to seek the best professional advice and female hair loss treatments in order to achieve optimum results.

Most cases of hair loss in women are due to inherited female pattern balding, but medical conditions can also be involved, such as low thyroid levels, hormonal imbalances such as elevated testosterone, binge dieting, and pregnancy. The right vitamins and minerals can also work to promote the proper functioning of your thyroids and keep oestrogen levels in the proper balance.

In women, having an over-active or under-active thyroid gland may cause thinning hair. Treating the thyroid disease will usually help this type of female hair loss.

Hair Loss: What Are the Causes and What to Do?

Hair loss is a very common problem. Many people suffer from this condition, which can have a very negative emotional outcome and create anxiety and stress, both in men and women.

But what are its causes?

• Heredity: Hair loss can be inherited from either the mother’s or the father’s side of the family.

• Post-Pregnancy: Some women experience hair loss a month or two after childbirth because of changes in the production levels of certain hormones that affect hair growth.

• Illness or excessive stress: Sometimes the problem appears due to illness, severe stress, loss of weight and iron deficiency. Also, those who suffer from thyroid disorders are likely to suffer from this condition.

• Bad habits: Compulsive hair pulling and wearing pigtails or using tight rollers can cause a condition called traction alopecia. This condition is reversible only if the pulling is stopped before scarring of the scalp develops. You also need to avoid frequently using hot oil treatments or chemicals because they can lead to scalp inflammation.

• Diet: Baldness may be caused by poor nutrition. More often than not, iron deficiency can lead to this condition, and for this reason, you should check the iron levels in your body and take a supplement, if necessary.

So how can I reverse baldness naturally?

Your diet is a very important factor. Studies show that baldness and the quality of the food we eat are inextricably linked and that people who don’t eat enough food with certain nutrients tend to lose their hair at a faster rate than others. Malnutrition and rapid weight loss are 2 situations that can equate to insufficient intake of vitamins, which can trigger baldness. What is more, low water intake is associated with poor health and with an increased risk of baldness.

The most important nutrients for hair health are vitamins A, C and E, copper and zinc, iron and folic acid. Vitamin A is essential for the good health of the scalp. It’s found in meat, fish, carrots, green leafy vegetables, pumpkins, apricots and peaches.

Vitamin C is essential for the synthesis of collagen and has antioxidant properties. Fruits (especially citrus) and vegetables (celery, peppers, carrots) are good sources of vitamin C. Vitamin E neutralizes free radicals and is found in vegetable oils, nuts, eggs and some cereals. Copper and zinc are useful in protein synthesis. Foods rich in zinc are seafood and mushrooms.

Copper is found in many legumes and in dark chocolate. Iron is a vital element for healthy hair. Dietary sources of iron are liver and red meat and also spinach and lentils. Folic acid holds a key role in the replication of cells including those of the hair. Foods rich in folic acid are red meat, beans, cabbage and lettuce.

Natural and Abnormal Hair Loss

Many people in the world today, whether teenagers or adults, suffer from hair loss problems. Relax, folks! This is a completely normal and natural phenomenon. On an average, men and women lose about 50 to 100 strands of hair each day. However, beyond this average is considered to be a problematic scalp condition.

People with excessive hair fall or hair loss then keep on experimenting with various hair regrowth methods such as the use of harsh chemicals, pharmaceutical drugs and even surgery. But often these methods prove to be ineffective or too costly.

Hair loss is one thing that disturbs both men and women. Before you get panicky, however, you should know that it’s not the end of the world for you. Hair loss is indeed problematic for most people, but the good thing is that there are many natural and medicinal remedies available. These days, many hair growth treatments are available in abundance in the market. All you need to do is to choose the right kind of treatment that will suit your type of hair loss.

Having healthy and lustrous hair is an indication of good inner health. To have beautiful and thick hair, intake of a nutritious diet and proper care of hair are needed. Before going into detail on how to prevent excessive hair fall, we should first discuss the most possible reasons of hair loss.

Some of the common hair loss reasons are stress, frequent hairstyling, genetics, hormonal imbalance, medications, unhealthy diet and over-exposure of hair to the sun. We all are different and have unique needs and hormone levels and enzymes; therefore, our hair and scalp react differently to various treatments. A certain product may be effective for one individual in stopping hair loss and stimulating hair regrowth, but ineffective for another.

Keep in mind that obtaining hair growth is not something that will happen overnight, it requires complete attention and products that can help you with it.