rmwms
Well-Known Member
I'm just sharing an interesting read.
(BlackDoctor.org) -- Imagine how it must feel to be afraid to comb your hair, because you know that every time a comb or brush goes anywhere near it, clumps of hair fall out. Or to face the challenge of having to camouflage your thinning hair by pulling the few remaining strands over bare patches or placing hair pins at specific points, so that nobody will notice your hair is falling out. It isn't pleasant, but for various reasons, many women live through that experience everyday.
When it comes to hair loss, we all lose between 40 and 120 hairs on average every day. Given that we have around 120,000 hairs on our head, we can afford to lose some hair each day, especially as in normal circumstances the hair is replaced and grows at a rate of about 1cm per month. After a hair has finished its growing period, it goes into a period of rest and is eventually shed. And because there is a cycle to hair growth and hair loss, we don't end up bald. However, we can go through stages in our life when hair starts to thin out, and as we age our hair is more likely to become thinner.
Braiding
In Black women, a loss of hair or thin hair around the hairline is common. Trichologist Tony Maleedy believes that tight braiding at a young age is often to blame for thinning hair later on in life. "When the hair has been braided too tight, it puts pressure on the hair follicle over time, which leads to the formation of scar tissue in the follicle, and eventually hair will no longer grow. I find it personally very sad when I see Black women with very tightly braided hair, because I know the damage it does," says Tony. "I would also recommend that apart from avoiding tight braiding, for healthy hair, women should avoid products that contain petroleum oils, and look out instead for vegetable oils in products, for example coconut or almond oil", he adds.
Healthy Diet
Thinning hair isn't however just caused by tight braiding. Stress is also known to lead to hair thinning, becoming more fragile, or just simply falling out. Over-processing of hair with chemical treatments can also damage the hair and cause it to thin. Other factors include genetics, i.e. family history of hair loss and health problems.
Leading trichologist Philip Kingsley believes that diet plays a significant part in promoting healthy hair growth. He suggests that because hair is protein, one of the most important constituents of our diets should be protein, eaten at least he suggests at breakfast and lunch times. For healthy hair he recommends that we drink lots of water, keep salt to a minimum, avoid black tea and have alcohol only in moderation. He also suggests the following as a diet for healthy hair:
Breakfast
• Fresh fruit plus one or more of the following: cereal or muesli with skimmed or semi-skimmed milk, plus yogurt.
• Minimum two slices of whole wheat toast with cottage cheese, low fat cheese, lean ham or bacon.
• One or more eggs, fish or other protein.
Lunch
• Make sure that you drink at least eight glasses of water a day
• Lean meat, fish, chicken or cottage cheese (4/5oz)
• Vegetables, baked potato and mixed saladChoice of dessert
• Preferably fruit
Dinner
Dinner can be anything of your choice. (Remember to check with your doctor before following any diet plan)
The first thing to do if you notice that your hair is starting to thin, is to seek professional help, preferably from a trichologist. Hairdressers may be able to offer some help, but they tend to treat the symptoms rather than the cause of your hair problem. If you want a professional diagnosis as to what is causing your hair to thin, see a trichologist.
If you feel that you already know what is causing your hair to thin, there are an number of products available targeted at addressing the problem of thinning hair.
Hair Treatments
Phytologie has brought out Phytocane, a hair serum for thinning hair, which is specially designed to combat hair loss problems. Phytocane fights against thinning hair by opening up the scalp, stimulating cell and keratin production and improving circulation to the hair bulb. It can be used as a treatment and for general hair care.
Joy Miller from the Errol Douglas salon recommends the Nioxin range of products, which treat the ‘living portion of the hair in the scalp skin.’ In other words, the products concentrate on the living rather than the dead hair.
The range includes Bionutrient Cleanser to help reduce hair loss by improving the scalp. Scalp Therapy to deliver moisture to the scalp and hair, Bionutrient Treatment to nourish the roots, Cytogen designed to help in the advanced stages of thinning hair, Follicle Booster NX3 an intensive nutrient treatment for thin looking hair, and Structure and Strength a conditioner for damaged hair.
Bharti Vyas has also brought out a range to treat the scalp and promote healthy hair growth. The BV Scalp Polisher conditions and treats the scalp first, before the hair. It works works by exfoliating dead skin cells from the scalp, then cleansing
it. Specifically designed to treat conditions such as falling and dry hair, the range also includes a moisturiser, volumizer and Keshya Hair Oil, which when used regularly, helps to reduce dryness and irritability.
Organic Root Stimulator products are based on natural products, and are designed to work on the same principles that promote plant growth. The Fertilizing Balm contains 14 herbal extracts, and a phytic acid complex, which is used to exfoliate clogged follicles. Ideal for use on fragile hair.
Finally, Paul Mitchell’s Hair Repair Treatment is designed to repair fragile, damaged and chemically treated hair. It’s moisturising formula helps to restore strength, elasticity and shine.
Tips
Prevention is better than cure, and thinning hair can take a long time to repair, so look after your scalp and make sure you use good quality hair products, eat well and reduce the amount of stress in your life.
(BlackDoctor.org) -- Imagine how it must feel to be afraid to comb your hair, because you know that every time a comb or brush goes anywhere near it, clumps of hair fall out. Or to face the challenge of having to camouflage your thinning hair by pulling the few remaining strands over bare patches or placing hair pins at specific points, so that nobody will notice your hair is falling out. It isn't pleasant, but for various reasons, many women live through that experience everyday.
When it comes to hair loss, we all lose between 40 and 120 hairs on average every day. Given that we have around 120,000 hairs on our head, we can afford to lose some hair each day, especially as in normal circumstances the hair is replaced and grows at a rate of about 1cm per month. After a hair has finished its growing period, it goes into a period of rest and is eventually shed. And because there is a cycle to hair growth and hair loss, we don't end up bald. However, we can go through stages in our life when hair starts to thin out, and as we age our hair is more likely to become thinner.
Braiding
In Black women, a loss of hair or thin hair around the hairline is common. Trichologist Tony Maleedy believes that tight braiding at a young age is often to blame for thinning hair later on in life. "When the hair has been braided too tight, it puts pressure on the hair follicle over time, which leads to the formation of scar tissue in the follicle, and eventually hair will no longer grow. I find it personally very sad when I see Black women with very tightly braided hair, because I know the damage it does," says Tony. "I would also recommend that apart from avoiding tight braiding, for healthy hair, women should avoid products that contain petroleum oils, and look out instead for vegetable oils in products, for example coconut or almond oil", he adds.
Healthy Diet
Thinning hair isn't however just caused by tight braiding. Stress is also known to lead to hair thinning, becoming more fragile, or just simply falling out. Over-processing of hair with chemical treatments can also damage the hair and cause it to thin. Other factors include genetics, i.e. family history of hair loss and health problems.
Leading trichologist Philip Kingsley believes that diet plays a significant part in promoting healthy hair growth. He suggests that because hair is protein, one of the most important constituents of our diets should be protein, eaten at least he suggests at breakfast and lunch times. For healthy hair he recommends that we drink lots of water, keep salt to a minimum, avoid black tea and have alcohol only in moderation. He also suggests the following as a diet for healthy hair:
Breakfast
• Fresh fruit plus one or more of the following: cereal or muesli with skimmed or semi-skimmed milk, plus yogurt.
• Minimum two slices of whole wheat toast with cottage cheese, low fat cheese, lean ham or bacon.
• One or more eggs, fish or other protein.
Lunch
• Make sure that you drink at least eight glasses of water a day
• Lean meat, fish, chicken or cottage cheese (4/5oz)
• Vegetables, baked potato and mixed saladChoice of dessert
• Preferably fruit
Dinner
Dinner can be anything of your choice. (Remember to check with your doctor before following any diet plan)
The first thing to do if you notice that your hair is starting to thin, is to seek professional help, preferably from a trichologist. Hairdressers may be able to offer some help, but they tend to treat the symptoms rather than the cause of your hair problem. If you want a professional diagnosis as to what is causing your hair to thin, see a trichologist.
If you feel that you already know what is causing your hair to thin, there are an number of products available targeted at addressing the problem of thinning hair.
Hair Treatments
Phytologie has brought out Phytocane, a hair serum for thinning hair, which is specially designed to combat hair loss problems. Phytocane fights against thinning hair by opening up the scalp, stimulating cell and keratin production and improving circulation to the hair bulb. It can be used as a treatment and for general hair care.
Joy Miller from the Errol Douglas salon recommends the Nioxin range of products, which treat the ‘living portion of the hair in the scalp skin.’ In other words, the products concentrate on the living rather than the dead hair.
The range includes Bionutrient Cleanser to help reduce hair loss by improving the scalp. Scalp Therapy to deliver moisture to the scalp and hair, Bionutrient Treatment to nourish the roots, Cytogen designed to help in the advanced stages of thinning hair, Follicle Booster NX3 an intensive nutrient treatment for thin looking hair, and Structure and Strength a conditioner for damaged hair.
Bharti Vyas has also brought out a range to treat the scalp and promote healthy hair growth. The BV Scalp Polisher conditions and treats the scalp first, before the hair. It works works by exfoliating dead skin cells from the scalp, then cleansing
it. Specifically designed to treat conditions such as falling and dry hair, the range also includes a moisturiser, volumizer and Keshya Hair Oil, which when used regularly, helps to reduce dryness and irritability.
Organic Root Stimulator products are based on natural products, and are designed to work on the same principles that promote plant growth. The Fertilizing Balm contains 14 herbal extracts, and a phytic acid complex, which is used to exfoliate clogged follicles. Ideal for use on fragile hair.
Finally, Paul Mitchell’s Hair Repair Treatment is designed to repair fragile, damaged and chemically treated hair. It’s moisturising formula helps to restore strength, elasticity and shine.
Tips
Prevention is better than cure, and thinning hair can take a long time to repair, so look after your scalp and make sure you use good quality hair products, eat well and reduce the amount of stress in your life.