Posts Tagged ‘hair growth’
Sunday, July 11th, 2010
What exactly is a hair follicle? This is what produces our hair, and when something goes wrong, it doesn’t. A healthy hair follicle will produce, on average, a hair growth rate of half an inch of hair per month. There are many factors that keep hair follicles healthy, as well as damage – or kill – them.
The hair follicle is actually a part of the skin which grows hair by packing old cells together. Attached to each follicle under the skin are sebaceous glands, and the more sebaceous glands there are, the thicker the density of hair. The sebaceous glands secrete an oily/waxy matter, called sebum, to lubricate the skin and hair – our natural conditioner. The glands deposit sebum on the hairs, and bring it to the skin surface along the hair shaft. At the base of the follicle is a large structure that is called the dermal papilla, and around the papilla is the hair matrix. Cell division in the hair matrix is responsible for the cells that will form the major structures of the hair fiber and the inner root sheath. This is one of the fastest growing cell populations in the human body, which is why some forms of chemotherapy that kill dividing cells may lead to temporary hair loss. The dermal papilla nourishes all hair follicles, and plays a pivotal role in hair formation, growth, and cycling.
Keeping the hair follicles healthy and supplied with the proper nutrients helps to prevent hair thinning and hair loss. For instance, androgens can adversely affect the dermal papilla and hair matrix’s ability to help grow hair — but it has been found that certain enzymes can lessen the adverse effect of androgens and promote hair growth. Hair needs a balanced diet to stay healthy with proper levels of nutrients, minerals, and vitamins. Hormonal imbalance can cause hair loss as well.
Each follicle normally goes through a five-year cycle of growth and rest, with about 90% of the follicles growing hair at any one time. These healthy hair follicles should last a life time, but there are several major causes of hair loss: genetics, aging, poor diet, and unhealthy lifestyle. We cannot control the aging process and genetics, but we can help keep our hair follicles, and bodies, healthy — and we can even stimulate hair growth where healthy hair follicles are present. Taking good care of your hair follicles and hair, with proper nutrition, supplements, and hair care products, can help maintain or increase hair growth.
Tags: hair follicles, hair growth, hair loss, hair thinning, promote hair growth, stimulate hair growth
Posted in Natural Hair Growth | 1 Comment »
Saturday, June 6th, 2009
Bald men do not get a date with the prom queen and women with thinning hair are not likely to date the captain of the football team. Of course, few people experience hair loss as early as high school; however, our cultural views about hair loss are usually firmly set by the time we reach adulthood. It does not take a scientific study to prove that hair loss can affect your social life, and your career.
The news is rife with stories of discrimination against overweight people. Most politically correct people will now call them weight challenged, but does that even begin to undo the average person’s first impression of people with substantial girth?
We assume that they have no discipline and self-control. Even when they have a relatively proportioned body, attractive facial features or a great head of hair, our cultural prejudices will kick in. We either ignore them, try to fix them, or make jokes about their condition.
With few legal cases on the books, it is difficult to prove that the weight challenged suffer from unfair discrimination in employment. However, certain jobs, including the military, do impose weight restrictions on potential applicants. So, career opportunities for people whose weight exceeds the standard can be limited.
Career discrimination against bald people and those who are losing their hair is one of the hidden costs of hair loss. Our cultural perceptions of competency and leadership potential are tied to a genetic message hardwired into the human psyche.
In the days of the hunter-gatherer lifestyle of early humanoids, the strongest men were appointed to track down dangerous predators like the saber-toothed tiger. Even those who were charged with hunting down the beasts that provided food had to meet certain requirements of speed, strength and virility. The bald and the old need not apply. With survival a priority, the subtle discrimination against people with hair loss took root in human culture.
We all know that appearance can affect career opportunities. Many people in line for management and corporate leadership positions go to great expense to hide any evidence of hair loss. They dress for success by investing in the right clothing, shoes and other career props. They also realize that they must treat hair loss aggressively before it affects their career opportunities.
Being the most competent and qualified often is not enough if your competition has more hair!
Tags: bald, baldness, career opportunities, cultural prejudices, discrimination, genetic message, hair growth, hair loss, hidden cost, strength, thinning hair, treatment, virility
Posted in Female Hair Loss, Natural Hair Growth | Comments Off
Thursday, May 14th, 2009
In the 21st century, hair loss has become a full time preoccupation for many people. It’s possible that the aging of the U.S. population has spurred the growth of the hair loss industry. On the other hand, since our lifestyles involve more stress than ever before, it’s likely that the number of people who suffer from hair loss is significantly higher in these times. Environmental chemicals and untested health and beauty products are also creating new ways to lose hair. Ergo, more people need ways to regrow their hair after the damage has been done.
It’s only natural for Americans to expect the medical community to provide real relief for hair loss problems. After all, we can send a man to the moon, so why can’t we prevent or cure baldness?
So far, we know quite a bit about hair loss causes. Scientists have identified and classified the most common and unusual causes for hair loss, by gender, age, and ethnicity. We can even predict a genetic predisposition to some types of hair loss. Treating hair loss, even when the cause is known, isn’t as simple as it might seem to the ailing victims. Unfortunately, the science of hair loss treatment is relatively new, compared to astronomy, chemistry and physics.
Hair loss science must focus on preventing system malfunctions. The human body produces chemicals and fluids to regulate interdependent systems and processes. Our intake of vitamins, minerals, proteins and other nutrients determine how well balanced and efficient these self-regulating systems are. A malfunction in one process can affect other systems. That’s why an untreated iron deficiency may not only result in tiredness and shortness of breath, but also hair loss.
The science of hair growth must focus on helping the body recover from a disease state or system imbalance. In order for scientists to help us regrow hair, they must provide the correct intervention - chemical, herbal, nutritional or psychological that each individual requires. Then your body can heal itself and rebalance the affected systems and processes that contributed to your hair loss.
Tags: baldness, chemicals, hair growth, hair loss, hair loss causes, intervention, nutrients, protein, stress, treatment
Posted in Female Hair Loss, Natural Hair Growth | 1 Comment »
Thursday, February 19th, 2009
The Food and Drug Administration recently issued stringent new guidelines that require the testing of all herbal supplements. Compliance with this ruling will be phased in through 2010. The FDA does not regulate herbal supplements, since they are not considered to be drugs. However, in recent years, there have been some notable cases that linked severe illness and even death to some herbal supplements. In most instances, the herbs were not the culprits. The FDA and other independent researchers found that the manufacturers’ formulations were at fault.
In 2007, the Occupational Medicine Clinic at University of California Davis reported on the case of a woman who started taking kelp, fish oil and other supplements to relieve menopause symptoms. Over a two-year period, she suffered from fatigue, memory loss and severe alopecia. Since she was self medicating, her physicians were at a loss to find the cause of her symptoms.
At one point, she doubled her daily intake of the kelp supplement and stopped taking the others. Her hair loss increased. This decision allowed her physicians to isolate the potential cause. Lab testing revealed that she had toxic levels of arsenic in her blood and her urine. Her doctors recommended that she stop taking the kelp supplement. Normal hair growth resumed within two weeks.
UC Davis investigated potential problems with arsenic in kelp supplements. They purchased nine samples produced by different manufacturers, including three that the women had taken during the previous two-year period. Eight of the samples had traceable amounts of arsenic. Seven exceeded the acceptable levels set by the FDA for food products. None of the samples had indication on their labels that they contained arsenic.
Supplement Toxins
Kelp is not the only herbal supplement that has been found to contain unacceptable levels of toxins. In 2006, many users of the male enhancement supplement ExtenZe complained of unusual symptoms. Tests of the product found high levels of lead, which can trigger alopecia. Some homeopathic and Ayurvedic supplements have been reported to contain illegal amounts of arsenic, mercury, or lead.
You can recover from alopecia caused by certain supplements. Rescue your hair from their side effects. If you take herbal supplements and you have unexplained hair loss, read reports from the FDA and reputable sites like WebMD to find out if other consumers have complained of thinning hair and patchy bald spots.
Tags: alopecia, arsenic, Ayurvedic, ExtenZe, FDA, hair growth, herbal supplements, homeopathic, kelp, lead, male enhancement supplement, patchy bald spots, thinning hair, toxic, UC Davis
Posted in Health & Wellness, Natural Hair Growth | Comments Off
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 »
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
Posted in Health & Wellness, Natural Hair Growth | Comments Off
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 »
Tuesday, December 30th, 2008
Happy holidays! The season for shopping, travel, gifting, office parties and family gatherings has arrived! From Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day, the season is so short that sometimes, it seems that they all happen on the same day. For most people the holidays are fun and pleasurable. However, many people experience increased levels of physical and emotional stress during the holidays. Ignoring increased prolonged stress can lead to sudden hair loss.
Of course enduring yet another rendition of Aunt Maggie’s tips on getting hitched and starting a family is not likely to cause enough stress to make your hair fall out. However, many studies show that prolonged stress does cause sudden hair loss. Stressful events like the death of a family member or partner, divorce, and job loss are often responsible for sudden hair loss. Rapid weight loss or gain, chronic illnesses, pregnancy and surgery can also cause intense stress and sudden hair loss.
Stress related hair loss, telogen effluvium, is severe hair loss that affects a large area of the scalp. The victims do not develop bald spots, thin patches, or a receding hairline. The medical community characterizes this kind of hair loss as temporary. During a period of intense stress, the body sends signals to your hair follicles that force them into a resting phase. These hairs simply fall out when you wash or comb your hair, just as they normally would. The difference is that more hair follicles are resting when you are under extreme stress than would be if the body was alternating between the resting and growth cycles that result in normal hair loss. Once the stressors are removed and your level of stress is reduced, the hair normally grows back.
For some people, sudden hair loss is caused by alopecia areata, a stress-related condition. The body’s white blood cells attack your hair follicles and they stop producing new hairs, very quickly. This condition may eventually affect the entire scalp and even body hair too. Although the hair usually grows back, some people have more than one episode of alopecia areata. Repeated episodes disrupt the normal growth cycle for your hair. The resulting hair loss must be treated professionally.
Treating stress-related hair loss is often difficult. Some people develop nervous habits, like rubbing their scalp or
twisting strands of hair, as a reaction to intense or prolonged stress.
Anxiety about sudden hair loss is especially common among women. Even when the original stressors are reduced or removed, it may take months to restore your hair’s natural growth and resting cycles.
Tags: hair growth, hair loss, stress
Posted in Health & Wellness, Natural Hair Growth | Comments Off
|
