posted
10/04/11
Hair loss has been a problem that society has tried to address for centuries with minimal success. From shampoo, to laser combs, medications, and also from ancient Egyptian practices with lettuce and massage preparation made from Fir Tree extracts, man has tried different methods and therapies to stop hair loss and stimulate re-growth. Castor Oil was used by the Egyptians to encourage hair growth. They were mixing it with Sweet Almond Oil to improve the aroma and make the oil smoother and easier to spread. In the rainforests of South America, the Taiwano Indians treated scalp problems with heated extract of banana.
The most amazing aspect of balding is its aesthetic aspect. It is not dangerous physically; people do not die from it. Why is so much attention directed at the problem of hair loss? Hair has always played an important roll in attraction and expression. Early man’s vanity demonstrates the power and influence that hair held even before tools were developed for shaving. More recently in the sixties and seventies during the hippie era, the “cool” thing to do was to let the hair and bear grow.
Men and woman have always been greatly concerned regarding hair loss. A lot of men and women consider themselves less attractive as their condition worsens. Some peoples suffering begins as early as their late teenage years or young adult age. Individuals at this already difficult age can find that the condition puts a strain on their relationships, hampering their ability to seek out partners in the competitive mating game.
Today, there are many treatments available to combat hair loss. Some solutions, such as transplants (to relocate hair follicles), can be long and painful procedures costing thousands of dollars. Shampoos and lotions have shown some success in arresting the progress of the disease, but offer little, if any re-growth.
In today’s society, there are solutions that are not expensive and are the easiest solution for baldness in man. In the last ten years, shaving has become the most popular way to handle baldness. It is a less expensive way to take care of the problem. Even men without the problem of baldness, shave their head. Shaving has to be done on a regular basis, but is a less expensive alternative.
Men have a tendency to go towards expensive and complicated methods in handling this problem, where sometimes the best solution is the simplest one.
posted
22/02/11
People lose hair for various reasons. Illness and medication, like chemotherapy to treat cancer, can cause hair loss. Hair loss can also be inherited from a parent. Often, hair thins because it is fine-textured, or because too many harsh chemicals have been used on it, so it breaks easily.
What if I have hormonal hair loss?
Typical female baldness begins with a generalized thinning of the whole scalp. Contrary to male pattern baldness is that no receding hairlines or hair loss on the crown takes place. A generalized thinning of the hair occurs. It is seldom that a man displays the same type of hair loss pattern as a woman
The thickened hair root prevents the hair bulb from returning back to its place in the skin. Because of this, new hair will be produced, but will not be able to settle. The growth phase will then be disrupted and the hair bulb will continuously produce new hair, which, instead of lasting the normal five years, will only become a few weeks or months old. Now you have constant hair loss!
Personally, I prefer products by L’Oreal, such as Excellence. It’s easy on the hair. It never made my hair feel any thinner and adding some auburn highlights to my brown hair always makes me feel like a new person. Because my hair is fine, I never use the enclosed conditioners with hair color products. Hair conditioners often make fine hair feel thinner and unmanageable. On the other hand, if you do want to use some conditioner, use only a fraction of what’s recommended! And never use conditioners on your scalp, just put some at the hair ends.
Another great product that I highly recommend is Rogaine. Rogaine has gained a reputation of being able to reverse the hair thinning process!
Bottom line: While we’re feeling the way we do during the menopausal years, I think it’s important to try anything to help ourselves feel and look better.
Now that you know a little more about what are the causes for hair loss, we urge you to find out more about how hair loss, or hair thinning can be prevented! Yes, it is true, there are many effective products on the market right now which has been proven to be truly effective in reversing thinning hair problems! Come! Find out more!
posted
15/02/11
We do our shopping and purchase our hair care products and assume we are doing the right things for hair health. Through promotion and marketing we are led to believe that some of the products available today are things we just can’t do without. But is that really true?
To find the answer you must first look at the structure of hair. Below the skin is the hair follicle, the sebaceous gland and blood vessels. The hair itself is made up of protein. When you brush your hair it causes the sebaceous gland to produce sebum. This oily substance coats and protects the hair from the elements. It also stimulates the blood vessels to provide the nourishment your hair needs. Brushing your hair and or massaging the scalp are beneficial to hair health.
With commercial products, most shampoos and conditioners contain harsh chemicals and synthetic products. In shampoos, that means it can over clean your hair and strip it of its precious oils. Now you need to condition it to replace the oils. It can harm the scalp and hair follicles. It is the same with laundry detergents. They are loaded with fillers and less actual soap so that they can sell you more detergent. It’s a money making strategy that has worked so they will continue to do so.
Now if you are like most people, you’ve read the labels but don’t have a clue as to what the ingredients really are and what their function is. Here it is in layman’s terms:
1) Distereate and propylene glycol or glycol are petroleum based (crude oil). They are very cheap which is why they are widely used in the cosmetic industry.
2) Isopropyl alcohol is another very cheap solvent.
3) Propylparaben or Methylparen are preservatives that are synthetic. The human body typically does not understand synthetic, it understands organic.
4) Cetearyl alcohol is an emulsifier and it can be natural or synthetic. Synthetic is often used because it’s cheaper and easier to produce.
These petrochemicals are absorbed through the skin, then down through the organs and tissues. Many believe that long term exposure to these toxins can cause permanent damage anywhere in the body, and yet, governments have sided with big industry to not require them to disclose what these products contain or what they really are. Instead we have big fancy names you can hardly pronounce let alone understand.
The solution? It’s not as hard as you think. It’s as close as you health food store or even your own fridge. Here are some tips:
1) Buy a natural liquid soap from the health food store. Also purchase some essential oils such as lavender (for all hair types), rosemary, clary sage, cedar wood, birch and peppermint (for hair loss) bergamot, rosewood, eucalyptus etc. Also purchase natural oils such as olive, jojoba, or avocado. Here’s what to do; in a clean spray bottle, pour in about ฝ a cup of distilled or spring water. Add 1 cup of liquid soap. Then take 2 tsp of your vegetable oil and add 10 to 20 drops of your chosen essential oils. It can be just one or several combined oils. Shake gently. There you have it. Simple as that! (Essential oils always need to be in a vegetable oil base because of its concentration). You should not need a cream rinse after that because oils will be replaced.
2) If you need deep conditioning, try saturating your hair in mayonnaise or warmed olive oil. Wrap tightly and cover with a shower cap and let rest on the hair for approximately 20 minutes, then rinse out. You can also take 2 egg yolks and whisk them until frothy, then add some warm water. Pour over hair and leave on for 2 minutes then rinse well.
3) It’s a good idea to do a final rinse on your hair with something acidic such as cider vinegar, lemon juice, beer or even milk. Add any of these ingredients with some water to rinse your hair with to restore the alkaline/acid balance of your hair and scalp, and take off any residue you may have left on your hair.
There are many good natural recipes for healthy hair but these are a few things to get you started in the right direction. Experiment with different essential and vegetable oils to find what you like best. Natural, your body understands, so here’s to a good hair day!
