Hair Woes

[drvolcanoe]

In the past article, we learnt more about dandruff…one of the many hair issues! Now let’s focus more on HAIR, often said as a women’s crowning glory…and often a source of frustration to aging men – pattern baldness, sounds familiar?


* Ultra-violet (UV) rays – Being in the sun for too long can cause the UV rays to not only damage your hair, but your skin as well. It weakens, lightens, and dries out your hair, gradually causing it to lose its shine*

Following is the first part of a series of articles I’m re-typing out on HAIR WOES…Happy Reading!


INTRODUCTION

All of us want our hair to be healthy, shiny, and beautiful. Some of us spend hundreds on hair treatments to achieve beautiful hair, but unfortunately these treatments are temporary and can be quite costly. Instead of trying to fix our hair every few months, why don’t we get down to the root of the problem and try to stay away from the cause of hair damage, letting our hair grow healthy naturally?

Hair can be easily damaged by the most mundane, everyday actions that are in your routine. Hair tuing, combing, blow drying, and even the way you sleep can cause significant damage to your hair in the long run. To increase your awareness about the damage you and the environment can cause to your hair, here are some primary causes of hair damage.


PRIMARY CAUSES of HAIR DAMAGE:

Combing
Combing or brushing your hair excessively can cause a lot of strain to your beloved locks. If you are in countries with drier air (mostly countries with four seasons), excessive combing might even induce static in your hair, causing it to turn dry and frizzy.

Hair Tying
Tying your hair tightly will also cause a lot of strain to the roots, making your hair drop off, if you absolutely need to tie your hair, do so with a loose ponytail or with something that would be less elastic, line a ‘scrunchee’.

Electrical Hair Appliances
Blow dryers, curling, or straightening irons, anything that uses heat to style your hair can also do damage to it. your hair needs moisture to remain healthy and shiny. Constantly styling your hair with such appliances will only reduce the natural moisture in your hair, causing it to be dry & brittle.

Hair Dyes
The chemicals in hair dyes can destroy the natural structure of your hair. The process of hair dyeing can also leave your hair dry & brittle.

The Wind
Being in a windy place without tying up your hair can cause a lot of friction & damage to it. The wind tangles up your hair & rubs the individual strands together, weakening and causing breakage to your beautiful tresses.

Sleeping
If you sleep on your hair, you might damage it by pulling on the roots. Also, you might cause friction in your hair, turning it dry.

[drvolcanoe]

THE 4-STEP GUIDE to ACHIEVING BEAUTIFUL HAIR


*Make sure you get a GOOD conditioner that has sufficient proteins & nutrients in it to repair split ends and to keep your hair healthy & beautiful*

Now that you’re aware of the primary causes of hair damage, you can achieve & maintain beautiful hair with this 4-step guide.

Step #1: Shampoo, shampoo, and…shampoo!
It is important to shampoo your hair regularly to remove dirt, oil, and build-up. It is recommended to shampoo it at least three (3) times a week to keep it strong, healthy, and shiny (shampooing too frequently might cause your hair to dry out & turn brittle, so make sure you alternate the days between washing your hair). Use the right type of shampoo & work the lather throughout ALL of your hair, scalp, and hairline. Also make sure you completely rinse out any excess lather to eliminate any residue, as they can cause damage to the hair shaft and scalp.

Step #2: Moisturize, for soft & shiny hair
Shampooing your hair can cause it to dry out, so in your hair-cleansing routine, include moisturizing your hair with a moisturizing conditioner. Many people wrongly apply hair conditioners without working it thoroughly into their hair or by not leaving it on long enough. Evenly spread the conditioner throughout your hair, down to the ends of it & leave it on for at least 3 to 5 minutes to get the best results (avoid applying it on the scalp – it makes your scalp produce more oil).

Step #3: Protection from natural elements
As you probably already know, excessive sunlight and being in the wind can damage your hair. UV rays can damage hair by causing oxidation of sulphur molecules within the hair shaft, leaving the hair dry, brittle, and faded. Make sure you can use a leave-in conditioner that protects against UV rays, or wear a hat if you’re going to be in the sun for long periods of time.

Step #4: Nurturing from within
Although you can use external products to care for your hair, it is best to do so by burtuing from within – in other words, maintain a healthy diet! Hair requires the same nutrients as your body. Having balanced meals that are high in proteins as well as vitamins B, C, E, A, & K, will induce an instant response in your hair. For more information regarding hair care & diet, consult your nearest Guardian beauty consultant

[drvolcanoe]

HAIR WEAR

Have you ever tried getting the same hairdo as some celebrities to attain that ‘princessy’ glamorous effect, but can never seem to pull it off? that’s because like clothes, you need to find the right style to suit your face.

While you can use your hair to convey your mood or personality, there are certain ‘rules’ you need to adhere to, based in your face, features, the texture of your hair, your age & your lifestyle.

*Wearing your hair according to these ‘rules’ can make your best features stand out & bring out the glamorous beauty in you*


The Full Forehead
A nice, thick fringe is best to balance out a face with a large forehead. Get your stylist to give you a medium length China-doll cut, with layers that can lend fullness to where it’s needed.

The Oval-Shaped Face
If you have an oval-shaped face, you should be a very happy person – the proportionate shape of your forehead & chin of an oval face allows you to wear your hair ANY WAY you want to!!

The Round Face
Don’t go for a rounded hairstyle that ends at your chin. It emphasized your cheeks & makes your face look even rounder. Go for a cut that is either longer or shorter than your chin. Swept back from your forehead & parted on the side, this style gives the illusion of a narrower face.

The Heart-Shaped Face
Your wide jaw & forehead make your chin look pointy & thin. Go for a short crop or a layered pixie cut so that the hair from your sideburns & the beginning of your nape even out the shape of your face.

The Unmistakable Face
If you have a problem with your large features (eg: a large nose), don’t try to conceal it by hiding behind long hair that is parted in the middle – it only makes everything look more prominent. Full-bodied hair with soft subtle highlights work so much better to balance out your prominent features & to draw attention away from undesired spots.

The Long/Short Neck
You can give your long slender neck a lot of emphasis by keeping your hair short & cropped, or by wearing long hair up in an elegant, red-carpet-special-occasion style. If you have a shoirt neck, you can create the illusion of length by tapering your hair at the base of your neck & going fuller on top.

So first, go grab a MIRROR to ascertain YOUR FACE SHAPE, before tailoring your hair-style to your individual face make-u….what are you waiting for??

[drvolcanoe]

LOSING HAIR

That Part 3 wasn’t the end of these series of article on HAIR WOES yet?

The scariest WOE is the final topic I’m sharing in this blog.
Last, but definitely not the least…we have:
HAIR LOSS!!!


CAUSES OF HAIR LOSS?

Although losing a small amount of hair is considered quite normal, it gets worrying when you start losing too much. There is usually no cause for excessive worry, but for your peace of mind, we’ve listed down the usual causes of hair loss…

Infections
Some infections, especially ones that affect the scalp, can cause hair loss in adults and children. You can easily stop this by treating these infections with some anti-fungal medicines.

Surgery
Three (3) or four (4) months after a surgery or an illness, you might suddenly experience excessive hair loss. This is related directly to the stress caused by the illness and is temporary.

Hormones
Hormonal fluctuations can also cause hair loss. This occurs in both men & women, especially if their androgens (male hormones) & estrogen (female hormones) aren’t in balance. Taking some medication to balance the hormones might stop the hair loss.
It is also quite common for women to lose hair about 3 months after they give birth, as being pregnant also causes hormonal imbalance. When the hormones return to the normal levels, the hair loss should stop & the normal cycle of hair growth & loss startsagain.

Medicine
Drugs can be the cause of hair loss, which improves when you stop the medication. Some of the drugs that can cause hair loss include blood thinners (anticoagulants), gout medicines, chemotherapy meds, birth control pills, and antidepressants.

Diseases
Sometimes, an underlying disease can be the cause of your hair loss, such as lupus or diabetes. It is best to get treatment if you suspect that these diseases cause your hair loss.


CAN IMPROPER CARE of the HAIR CAUSE HAIR LOSS?

Most definitely! Wearing your hair in pigtails or tight rollers can pull on your scalp, causing a lot of strain - leading to hair loss. If the strain is stopped before the scalp gets scarred, your hair will eventually grow back. Scarring however, causes permanent hair loss. Perming, dyeing, and giving your hair hot oil treatments might also cause inflammation of the hair follicle, which can result in scarring & permanent hair loss.

(Source: Reproduced from Guardian Pharmacy’s pamphlet titled Hair Beauty, with some alterations)

[smartone84]

Let me understand this for one second.

You are stating here that tanning (outside or in a tanning bed), can actually cause hair loss???

[rims]

hey,

I have been facing the same problems. recently came across an article on [link removed - spam]which described about herbs good for the scalp. between have you tried a fruity shampoo like herbal Essenes or tried washing your hair in luke warm water. Your scalp might just be sweating with the heat.

take care
rims

[amanda]

i never knew that hot oil may actually cause hair loss... i do hot oil once a month, is this advisable?

[MissSapphire]

some friend of my do it as well ,but not hot... maybe there is a difference...
try Castor-oil that's good for hair losses but you should use it patiently, it will require some time...

[jordanlauren]

I have been wanting thick and long tresses and tried everything. Now it looks like a herbal shampoo, frequent oiling and gentle care will make the difference, although my dream is not yet reached!!

[ralssonjack]

I accept been adverse the aforementioned problems. afresh came beyond an commodity on [link removed - spam]which declared about herbs acceptable for the scalp. amid accept you approved a fruity absterge like herbal Essenes or approved abrasion your hair in luke balmy water. Your attic ability just be afraid with the heat.