Archive for January, 2009
Friday, January 30th, 2009
Rubbing your scalp stimulates hairs follicles and promotes hair growth! Although this home remedy for hair loss seems perfectly logical, it doesn’t hold up to scientific analysis. The problem is that each hair on your head grows in cycles. Every hair is either growing or resting, at a ratio of 90 to 10. Stimulating the hair follicles won’t make the resting hair follicle switch back to its growth phase. Since the ones that are growing are not part of the hair loss problem, massaging your scalp won’t help them either. Rubbing your scalp feels good, so go ahead and massage your scalp. It’s relaxing.
Ginkgo biloba, ginger, and cayenne pepper all improve the circulation of blood in your body. Standing on your head also sends more blood to your scalp. Sending more blood to your scalp won’t change the number of hair follicles that are producing new hair at any given time. It won’t revive a damaged hair follicle that is no longer able to produce new hairs either.
Can increased circulation help you regrow hair, if your body is genetically wired for male or female pattern baldness or you have a disease condition that is causing hair loss? It’s unlikely, unproven, and unsuccessful for most hair loss victims. Anyone who experiences hair growth with this folk remedy has probably, by coincidence, started their regime at a time when some hair follicles are resuming normal growth, after their resting phase. Voila, new hair growth.
Have you heard that if you mix apple cider vinegar and sage tea together and put it on your scalp, your hair will grow back, within a few months? Apple cider vinegar does have beneficial effects on your hair. It helps to cleanse the hair of buildup from grooming products. Sage tea may also have a similar effect. Once you have removed the buildup of conditioners, mousse, and other hair grooming products, the volume of your hair may increase. Although, the amount of hair on your head isn’t likely to increase, the thin or bald spots won’t be as noticeable. Unfortunately, many people will take this as a sign that their hair growth has resumed.
Tags: apple cider vinegar, bald spots, cayenne, folk remedies, ginger, ginkgo biloba, growth phase, hair follicles, hair growth, Hair Loss Products, home remedies, Natural Hair Growth, resting phase, sage tea
Posted in Hair Loss Products, Natural Hair Growth | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, January 28th, 2009
Let’s face it; human beings are the only species on the planet that endure extraordinary and even dangerous remedies for hair loss. The rest of the animal kingdom just moves on. Humans have been losing hair since time immemorial. Unfortunately, human beings have tried almost everything under the sun to restore normal hair growth. Despite the fact that these remedies are mainly futile, they live on in folklore, like urban legends. Consider that almost none of the widely used folk remedies have any scientific evidence to support them. More importantly, if any of them worked, why are so many people still bald?
According to folklore, baldness sufferers only need to rub the scalp with an egg yolk and leave it on the affected area for an hour. Wash the hair to remove the egg yolk. Rinse, Repeat, Repeat! Eggs are plentiful and relatively cheap. They are certainly cheaper than hair transplants. So why haven’t the millions of bald people worldwide been able to restore their normal hair growth with this home remedy?
On the other hand, people who use castor oil as a home remedy for hair loss must not only rub the oil into the scalp and hair roots, but they must also wrap their head in newspaper and leave both the oil and newspaper on their head overnight. Folklore dictates that this treatment must be repeated for at least seven nights to see results. It’s likely that even after washing the hair every morning, the accumulation of ink from the newsprint will be enough to give many hair loss sufferers hope, if not more hair.
Red Henna is a dye made from a plant found in parts of Asia and Africa. To use it as a home remedy for hair loss, you must spread it on the affected area of the scalp and leave it on your head for about an hour. Wash, rinse, repeat for at least 10 days. If your hair doesn’t return, at least you’ll have a great new hair color – red! That is sure to make your thinning hair less noticeable.
Tags: bald, castor oil, egg yolk, folk remedies, hair loss, Hair Loss Products, home remedies, Natural Hair Growth, red henna, thinning hair
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Monday, January 26th, 2009
Exactly what is healthy hair? Even if a disease or heredity has not affected your hair, you might already have unhealthy hair. Healthy hair does not come in a jar of magic oils or lotions. Hair is alive, like your skin, cells, and organs.
Every day we feed our bodies and hope for good health. Sometimes it’s hit and miss. Sometimes, we cover the whole food pyramid. We try to take in enough calcium for our teeth and bones to grow, vitamin A for our eyes and skin, and other minerals for our blood and organs. Good nutrition is essential for healthy normal hair growth too.
Every hair that appears on your head can grow from one year up to six years or more. Feed that hair, to keep it growing. What nutrients does your hair need to be healthy? The medical community has looked at numerous causes of hair loss. Along the way, they made a few discoveries about hair growth and diet. It’s no mystery; your hair needs the same nutrients that your body needs. To keep your hair healthy, pay attention to foods that contain some nutrients that your hair needs to stay healthy.
Iron is essential for the body’s normal function, particularly for the formation and circulation of red blood cells. Iron deficiencies are common in women, who may complain of constant tiredness. Get the iron your hair needs to be healthy from foods like broccoli, red meat, and apricots.
Healthy hair needs the Omega 3 fatty acids found in foods like salmon, walnuts, and soy. These good fats are also anti-inflammatory, according to research. They will benefit both your hair and your hair follicles.
Biotin, a vitamin that helps the body manufacture hair, is essential to the continued health of your hair. Liver and eggs are good sources of this nutrient, but many people need to use supplements to boost their intake to the level needed for healthy hair.
Tags: biotin, Diet, hair growth, hair loss, Healthy Hair, iron, nutrients, nutrition, Omega 3
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Thursday, January 22nd, 2009
Like adults, children can experience hair loss due to skin conditions, diseases, or hereditary. Fortunately, a much smaller proportion of children have to struggle with hair loss than adults. Children who experience hair loss should be diagnosed by a pediatrician or dermatologist immediately. Hair loss in children is not normal; it is an unmistakable indication that something has gone awry.
Tinea capitis (ringworm) is the leading cause of children’s hair loss. This condition is caused by a fungus on the body’s skin that attacks the hair shaft and follicles. In children, tinea capitis mainly affects the scalp, eyebrows, and eyelashes. The hair loss is patchy, often with areas of noticeably shorter hair. The hair may break at the base of the shaft, leaving a series of dots that resemble razor stubble. The scalp may also have gray flakes.
Approximately one in 1,000 children has alopecia areata. Scientists believe that it is caused by an immune system malfunction. When children are affected, they have smooth bald patches of skin on their scalps. No broken hairs are left behind. The hair loss is rapid; it seems to appear overnight. Nearly 5% of children with alopecia areata will develop alopecia totalis, losing all of the hair on their scalp. A small number of children develop alopecia universalis, a total loss of body hair.
Some children suffer hair loss from hairstyles that pull the hair tightly, like braids and ponytails. Chemical hair treatments and burns that result in trauma to the hair shaft also cause hair loss in children. Friction from unconscious or intentional rubbing of the hair puts enough stress on the hair shaft to cause hair loss in children. Some children have a psychological disorder, trichotillomania that causes them to repeatedly pull and twist their hair. The constant trauma to the hair shaft causes severe breakage.
Telogen effluvium, disruption of the hair’s normal growth and resting cycle, occurs less frequently in children. The primary causes are an acute illness or severe injury, high fevers, and prolonged emotional stress. Vitamin A toxicity, surgery, and Accutane, an acne prescription have also been linked to children’s hair loss.
Tags: alopecia totalis, braids, child hair loss, children, hair loss, ponytails, prescription, stress, Telogen effluvium
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Wednesday, January 21st, 2009
Oprah isn’t the only celebrity who is battling hair loss. Well-known stars, politicians, and other glitterati who made front-page news in 2008, have admitted that their locks have gone the way of the coal-burning stove. Take heart, even the world’s richest, most powerful, and most popular people experience hair loss, like the rest of us.
Brendan Fraser, born December 1968, has reached the age when many men begin to experience the effects of male pattern baldness. His professional career has been going strong since his 1991 appearance in Dogfight, to his 2008 movie, The Mummy: Tomb of the Emperor Dragon. Does he resort to a comb-over or did he shave his head? Neither. For professional work, he wears a rug, designed for him. After all, he’s an actor, so his hair is part of his movie costume, too! Paparazzi and gossip rags repeatedly publish many photos of his thinning scalp. As a celebrity, he’s hunted down like a dog, whenever he appears in public. After all is said and done, hair loss is a personal trauma for most people. At least he has a great makeup artist who can fulfill his dream of having hair again. Even if it’s only until the cameras stop.
Forty percent of hair loss occurs in women. Because of cultural norms and ideas about hair and femininity, women’s hair loss is devastating. Do celebrity women admit hair loss as their motivation for wearing wigs or cutting their locks? Many female celebrities who have never been seen without wigs may be hiding their hair loss. Tina Turner, Dolly Parton, and Sinead O’Connor have all been rumored to suffer from hair loss. Geena Davis , whose hair loss resulted from pregnancy, has a great hairdresser who styling magic is sought after by many expecting glitterati. Unless the paparazzi get very sneaky or one of these ladies decides to appear in a hair loss infomercial, we’ll just keep guessing about the state of their tresses.
Hair loss affects people in every station of life. Celebrities and ordinary people who experience hair loss have this one thing in common. Get treatment to stop your hair before you need an expensive Hollywood makeover.
Tags: celebrities, Geena Davis, hair loss, male pattern baldness, pregnancy, Tina Turner
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Tuesday, January 20th, 2009
The word is officially out now. Oprah Winfrey has a thyroid problem. Thankfully, now that she is getting treatment, she can drop those extra 40 pounds, we hope. What a relief to know why she gained so much weight, in spite of her best efforts to maintain her dietary regime. But, that not quite the end of this story…
Thyroid problems and the drugs that doctors prescribe to treat them have been linked to hair loss. So, while Oprah’s thyroid problems can be corrected, she stands to lose quite a bit of hair before her system return to normal. A surprising number of people have undiagnosed thyroid problems. Women are affected 10 times as often as men, at the rate of 1 person per 1,000 annually. While victims of thyroid problems are being poked, prodded and swabbed in the laboratory, seeking a diagnosis for a myriad of symptoms, many are also noticing significant hair loss.
Hyperthyroidism occurs when the body produces too much of the hormones that the thyroid gland uses to regulate your body’s metabolism. The majority of people with hyperthyroidism are under age 40. Common symptoms that may be misdiagnosed include thinning hair, increased coarseness of hair and dry skin. These symptoms are often hard to diagnose because this condition mimics so many other health problems, including poor diet and aging.
Hypothyroidism is the under production of hormones by the thyroid gland. Although anyone can develop this condition, it is most likely to affect women over the age of 60. Its common symptoms are fatigue, depression, and dry skin.
Most people affected by hyperthyroidism will be treated with antithyroid prescription medications or radioactive iodine. A few people with acute symptoms or severe reactions to prescription and iodine treatments will require surgery to remove part or all of the thyroid. Physicians recommend a minimum of one year of treatment for hyperthyroidism. During this period, your hair loss is likely to continue, and possibly worsen.
Most of the drugs commonly used to treat thyroid problems also cause hair loss, according to scientific studies. If your treatments are successful, you may be able to recover from the hair loss caused by your thyroid problem. If you suspect that your hair loss is caused by disease, make an appointment to have your thyroid function tested.
Tags: disease, drugs, hair loss, oprah hair loss, oprah winfrey, thyroid, thyroid problem
Posted in Female Hair Loss, Health & Wellness, Natural Hair Growth | 1 Comment »
Monday, January 19th, 2009
Ever since scientists created the formula for aspirin, people have learned to trust and rely on pharmacy concoctions to treat common ailments. Modern doctors now routinely prescribe a variety of prescription drugs that help speed up healing and protect us from the side effects of modern illnesses. Every new drug is tested and retested for adverse side effects. For most of us, the benefits far outweigh the majority of minor side effects like dry mouth, nausea or drowsiness.
It’s commonly known that most cancer treatment drugs cause hair loss. Yet few people know that quite a few widely prescribed medications also have the potential to cause hair loss. That’s not exactly a minor side effect. In addition, many physicians and pharmacists may not mention this “little” side effect before you start taking the latest miracle drug. Even when you know the benefits, it good to know if the drugs that you take will result in temporary or permanent hair loss. Then you can choose your treatment wisely or request that your medical professional prescribe an alternative.
The most common medical conditions treated with drugs that can cause hair loss:
- Acne – Accutane (widely used)
- Anti-Coagulants – Heparin, Coumadin and generics
- Depression – almost all including Prozac
- Diet – Amphetamines
- Glaucoma – beta blockers
- Heart Disease – beta blockers, Tenormin, Lopressor
- High Blood Pressure – see Heart Disease
- High Cholesterol – Antronid, Lopid
- Hormonal Treatments – Birth Control Pills, Steroids like Prednisone, HRT (estrogen and progesterone)
- Inflammation – almost all treatments
- Thyroid Disease – almost all treatments
- Ulcers – the big three: Pepcid, Zantac, Tagamet
Less common conditions that may be treated with prescription drugs that cause hair loss:
Convulsions
Gout
Fungus
Parkinson’s Disease
It’s impossible to list every drug that might cause hair loss here. And, the FDA approves new ones every day. To see a more extensive list, visit http://www.drugs.com.
If you are being treated for any of these common conditions, you should either ask your physician or pharmacist if your prescription can cause hair loss. Better yet, used a trusted medical site or the library to look up the drug in question yourself. You may be able to prevent hair loss by switching to a prescription drug that has the same benefits, without the side effect of hair loss.
Tags: hair loss, medications, prescription drugs, prescriptions
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Sunday, January 18th, 2009
These days few people worry about hair loss that results from scalp conditions. In the past, even recently, many people throughout the world suffered from scalp infections and conditions that resulted in temporary hair loss. Many of these scalp problems were thought to be caused by poor personal hygiene. On the contrary, the majority of scalp conditions that result in hair loss are caused by a fungus or an infection. Ringworm, Folliculitis, and Piedra are scalp conditions that affect many people throughout the world.
Ringworm is a contagious fungal skin infection. Although it is called ringworm, the affected person does not have worms at all. It got this name because the bald spots from hair loss look like many small worms. A person can have ringworm anywhere on the body; however, when it occurs on the scalp, it is called Tinea Capitis. When it is untreated, the infection spreads, growing from the size of a pimple to much more noticeable scaly patches on the scalp. The hair shaft may also be attacked by the fungus. This causes breakage and additional hair loss.
People who suffer from Folliculitis experience inflammation of their hair follicles. Initially, this scalp condition resembles acne. As it progresses, the inflammation causes permanent damage to hair follicles and causes hair to fall out. This condition may be caused by a bacterial infection. It is also caused by excess oil from hair grooming products that clog hair follicles. Folliculitis is often associated with exposure to inadequately chlorinated water in swimming pools and hot tubs. It can also be traced to viral agents such as herpes.
Trichomycosis Nodularis (Piedra), an infection of the hair shaft, is caused by a fungus. Round nodules develop on the victim’s hair shaft when this condition is present. Each of the nodules contains spores that ripen and fruit, causing additional infection. Black piedra is commonly found in tropical climates. In Europe and the Southern part of the United States, white piedra is more common. Both types cause patchy, scattered hair loss.
Examine your hair and scalp regularly to check for inflammation and infections. Avoid unnecessary hair loss from unseen fungal, bacterial and viral agents in your environment.
Tags: folliculitis, hair loss, piedra, ringworm, scalp conditions, skin
Posted in Hair Loss Products, Health & Wellness, Natural Hair Growth | 3 Comments »
Friday, January 16th, 2009
Countless urban legends and folk myths make us attempt some insane tricks to avoid hair loss. Take a look at a few of the most popular hair loss myths. Scientific studies have shown that most of them are false. Arm yourself with facts, not fiction.
Wearing hats does NOT cause baldness! So, go ahead and cover your head before you go skiing and snowboarding this winter. On the other hand, overly tight hats will cause hair breakage for some people, especially those with fine hair.
Hairstyles that put pressure on hair by pulling it tightly CAN cause hair loss. If you routinely wear ponytails, cornrows and similar ‘dos, expect to lose some hair from this unnatural tension on the hair shaft.
Quite a few hair styling techniques that people, mainly women, routinely subject their hair to eventually lead to hair loss. Brushing your hair 100 strokes per day doesn’t help your hair grow. In fact, vigorous brushing CAN also damage your hair and may result in scalp irritation that causes hair loss.
Cutting your hair DOES NOT make it grow faster. Cutting it during the full moon also has no known benefit (maybe you’ll have better light in rural areas). Frequent shampooing and blow drying DO NOT cause hair loss. Both can make your hair dry and less manageable, possibly contributing to unwanted breakage.
Many men believe that the hair loss problem is passed down from the father to the son. We now have scientific proof that the tendency to become bald can be inherited from either side of your family tree. If your father has no hair, but your mother does or vice versa, you MAY luck out and leave the planet with a full head of hair.
No one knows exactly how inquiring minds debunked the legend that having more sex keeps you from losing your hair! Although this myth ranks high in folklore, there’s no scientific evidence to support it.
When all is said and done, the facts are clear. Unless you have a physical, medical, or emotional condition that is affecting your hair’s growth, it will continue to grow at the same rate, each month. Then, it will die and fall off your head, soon to be replaced by a new one.
Tags: hair growth, hair loss, hair loss myths, stress
Posted in Health & Wellness, Natural Hair Growth | 1 Comment »
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