Hair Loss

Posted on January 2nd, 2010 by by admin

What are the causes of hair loss, and can hair loss be avoided or prevented?

Does your hair fall a lot? Don't worry, you're not alone. Millions of people from all around the world suffer from dry, brittle and weak hair. Some of the possible reasons for falling hair are:

Tension
Too much work
Illness
Poor diet
Over-exposure to the sun
Perming
Amateur bleaching
Too frequent and inexpert use of tints, rinses or other colorants

Here is what you can do to prevent hair fall:
Shampoo regularly. Remember, a CLEAN scalp is a HEALTHY SCALP.
Brahmi amla oil also promotes hair growth.
A high protein diet with plenty of fruits, green vegetables and dairy products is a must.
Drink 10-12 glass of water everyday.

Use a very mild shampoo and condition your hair at least twice a week. When you do, make sure you rinse out the conditioner thoroughly, otherwise residue build-up will cause your hair to look limp and dull.

Know your vitamins! IRON is important for healthy hair and brittle, limp hair indicates an iron deficiency. Spinach has a good iron content, so gulp it down!

ZINC helps prevent hair loss and greying. Eat adequate zinc rich foods. Overweight people tend to have zinc deficiency, which is inversely related to the body mass index. Thus if you are overweight and if your hair falls too much, you may want to increase your intake of zinc containing foods. Recipes containing stone ground, wholegrain flour are rich in zinc.

A shortfall in VITAMIN B may cause dandruff, falling hair, loss of colour and could encourage grey hair. So B group Vitamins are essential for gloss, colour and thickness.

VITAMIN C ensures the health of capillaries supplying blood to hair follicles. Make sure your diet includes plenty of fresh fruits and veggies.

VITAMIN E encourages hair growth. Switch from refined flours to wholemeal and wheatgerm, eggs, vegetable oil.

COPPER stops hair from falling. Studies show that the copper content in the blood serum of people with falling hair is less than normal. Different types of alopecia (falling hair) are seen to have a deficiency of this important trace element. Include small quantities of nuts, especially cashews and peanuts, seeds, whole milk and beans in your diet as these contain minute but important amounts of copper.

Homemade remedies for preventing hair fall:

Apply almond oil on scalp and massage.
Grind fenugreek seeds in water and apply on your scalp. Wash off after 40 minutes. Do this every morning for a month ¡V if it suits you! Remember, different treatments suit different types of hair.
Massage warm castor oil + almond oil into your scalp gently. Wrap a hot towel around your scalp so it gets absorbed into the hair. Do this twice a week for healthy, shiny hair.
Add 2-3 drops of honey to a glass of water and use this as the last rinse after shampooing.

Quick Hair Care Conditioner

Mix 1 egg, 2 tbs castor oil, 1 tsp vinegar and 1 tsp glycerine. Beat until frothy and massage lightly into your scalp. Wrap your head in a hot towel, steam, then wash off. This conditioner makes hair thicker, shiny, soft and manageable.

Honey Conditioner

Beat 1-2 eggs (depending on the length of the hair), 1 tsp honey and 2 tsp olive oil. Massage gently into the scalp. Steam, and shampoo after an hour.

Alcohol Conditioner

Beat 1-2 eggs with 2 tsp brandy. Massage into your scalp. Leave for 10-15 mins. Rinse well. The egg nourishes your hair and brandy stimulates hair growth.

Your hair is a vital beauty asset, requiring constant loving care. And with a little nurturing, lush, glossy hair will be yours

ESSENTIALS FOR FALLING HAIR -

Does your hair fall often Arm yourself with these tools to combat hair fall.

Wide-toothed comb

Get yourself a wide-toothed comb. This is probably one of the most important yet underutilized of all hair tools. A wide-toothed comb helps you distribute conditioner evenly all over your hair while shampooing and conditioning. In addition, it also helps get rid of knots smoothly.

The best time to get rid of knots is during conditioning. Apply conditioner and run a wide toothed comb gently through your hair.

While untangling dry hair, do so in sections. Take one section at a time, and first, untangle the ends of your hair. Do so slowly, and don't pull unless you want your hair to fall out in clumps or break.

Don't wait for the last minute before detangling your hair. Every night, while sitting in front of the television, run a wide toothed comb gently through your hair, until you have untangled it completely. Do this every night, and you will notice that your hair remains free from tangles.

Leave-in conditioner
Dry hair tends to tangle easily, and, needless to say, causes it to break. Make sure your hair is never devoid of moisture by always keeping a bottle of leave-in conditioner handy. The next time you feel your hair is dry and rough to the touch, simply rub a dollop of leave-in conditioner between your palms, and apply it to your hair. Comb through with your wide toothed comb. Your hair will be instantly rejuvenated and moisturized. Gradually, the texture will also improve. This is a must if you blow dry your hair regularly, or if it is chemically treated. Such hair constantly craves moisture, so get yourself a bottle of leave-in conditioner.

Oil
Olive, almond and coconut oils are all excellent for the hair. While you could apply oil as an alternative to leave-in conditioner, oil tends to make your hair sticky, and you cannot style your hair well after applying oil. Your only alternative would then be to tie up your hair. For better results with oil, apply just a few drops immediately after washing your hair, when your hair is still dripping wet. Oil doesn't penetrate the strands as easily as leave-in conditioner does though. Nothing beats a hot oil massage followed by a steam treatment, as the steam helps the oil penetrate the hair strands, strengthening them and curtailing hair fall.

Egg
Egg is great for the hair. There are no two ways about it! True, it causes a tremendous stink in the bathroom, and your hair may let off an eggy smell, but the results are instantaneous and worth it! Egg strengthens your hair almost immediately, and the egg yolk leaves your hair shining. Whip an egg with two tablespoons of olive oil and apply it to your hair. Wash off after half an hour. Make sure you wash off with cold water though, or the egg will start cooking in your hair, and would be harder to take off! Use a scented shampoo to counter the smell of egg in your hair, and follow up with a leave-in conditioner. Do this for a month, and you will be amazed by the change in your hair texture and the reduction in hair fall.