Archive for May, 2009

Causes of Hair Loss in Women and Women Hair Loss Treatment

Thursday, May 28th, 2009

Causes of Hair Loss in Women

Though women seem to be less prone to hair loss than men, the process of ageing does entail loss of hair for women too. In contrast to men, who lose hair visibly with advancing age and become bald, women lose hair in a different pattern, with the result that though they seldom suffer from bald patches of the kind men do, they do lose their longer and thicker hair. Thus, women’s hair grows shorter and thinner with age, which makes their hair look less voluminous. Ageing causes the glands beneath the scalp to produce lesser sebum, as a consequence of which hair looks duller and becomes weaker.

Also, during pregnancy the female body undergoes great hormonal changes, as a result of which women tend to lose a good deal of hair after delivery. This is because the level of androgens, a group of hormones, falls drastically after delivery, which reduces the rate of production of sebum by the sebaceous glands. This may cause hair to fall in lumps, but gradually the rate of hair fall decreases as the body regains its normal hormonal balance. Women may also suffer from similar hair loss during and after menopause.

Home Remedies for Womens Hair Loss

There are several easy home remedies to treat hair loss. One of the most popular remedies is to massage your hair and scalp with the yolk of an egg and leave it on for an hour before washing it off with water and a mild shampoo. This acts as a natural conditioner that cleanses the scalp and nourishes the roots of the hair, thereby preventing hair fall.

Another useful remedy for hair loss is to soak a spoonful of fenugreek seeds in a cup of water overnight and massage the hair and the scalp with this liquid the next morning. Cover your hair with a towel after application and wash your hair with water after a couple of hours. Following this procedure daily for four weeks cures hair loss. Alternatively, you can boil a few rosemary leaves in a pot of water for a couple of minutes and the strain away the clear liquid into a container. Use this solution to rinse your hair every time you shampoo it to prevent hair loss. You may also soak some mustard seeds in a cup of boiling water and drink this solution after it cools down a bit. Consuming this tonic every morning is a natural means of countering hair loss.

Hair Breakage Causes and Home Remedies to Prevent Hair Breakage

Thursday, May 28th, 2009

Causes of Hair Breakage and Hair Breakage Tips

Hair breakage is more common in people with dry hair, as lack of natural oils and moisture in the hair makes it brittle. Also, when there is improper blood circulation in the scalp and insufficient nutrition of the hair roots, hair tends to become weak and fragile and breaks easily.A few simple measures may be followed to prevent hair breakage. Drink plenty of water and include lots of fruits and raw vegetables in your daily diet. This keeps the scalp well hydrated and supplies vitamins and minerals to the hair follicles, which makes them stronger and prevents hair from breaking easily.

Also, avoid stepping out into the sun, as the harsh radiation of the sun dries up the natural oil and moisture in the hair and makes it dry and brittle. If your work involves staying outdoors for long hours, make sure you use a hat or an umbrella to protect your hair from direct sunlight as well as air pollutants. If you regularly visit a public swimming pool, make sure to use a hair cap to prevent contact with the chlorine in the water, as this has a tendency of damaging the hair and making it prone to breakage.Also, do not shampoo your hair too frequently as the chemicals in commercial hair products tend to make the scalp dry and cause hair to become weaker.

Another precaution that you must take to prevent hair breakage is to never comb your hair while it is still wet, as wet hair is especially susceptible to external injury and breaks easily on the application of pressure. You may blow dry your hair for a minute or so before combing it very gently. Keep away from hair coloring products and styling agents as these often contain strong chemicals that are potentially harmful for your hair.

Hair Breakage Remedies

Besides these general rules, you may also follow a few home remedies to prevent hair breakage. Oiling your hair regularly ensures that the roots of the hair are well nourished and strong, which prevents hair breakage. Mix olive, lavender, coconut and castor oils, warm the mixture gently and apply it on the scalp and hair every alternate night before going to bed. Condition your hair twice every week with an egg white blended with lukewarm water half an hour before washing it. You may also add a little vinegar and a tablespoon of olive oil into this mixture and leave it on the hair for 30 minutes before shampooing. This is an excellent way of repairing damaged hair and preventing further hair breakage.

Natural Ways to Regrow Hair and Tips for Regrowing Lost Hair

Thursday, May 28th, 2009

Loss of hair is just as natural a process as hair growth. However, when the rate at which one loses hair exceeds the rate at which hair grows naturally, their hair begins to look sparse and thin, which may ultimately lead to balding. Though this condition is more commonly associated with advancing age, sometimes younger people might also be adversely affected by excessive hair loss. This may happen due to certain nutritional deficiencies in the diet, which make the roots of the hair weak and cause rapid hair fall.

Tips for Regrowing Hair

One of the most important aspects of hair care is to ensure that your diet is rich in essential nutrients like iodine, copper iron and vitamins. Eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and cereals, soybean and dairy products, and use iodized salt in cooked food in order to supply your body with these nutrients. This ensures that the hair follicles are sufficiently nourished and that the rate of hair growth increases.

Another easy way of stimulating the roots of your hair is to massage the scalp vigorously with your fingertips till there is a warm, tingling sensation. This is an effective way of improving blood circulation in the scalp and to the roots of the hair and promoting hair growth. Also, massage the roots of your hair with castor oil thrice a week before going to bed. You may wrap up your hair with a towel or a shower cap and wash your hair with a mild shampoo the next morning. In addition, drink a mixture of equal portions of spinach and lettuce juice at breakfast every morning in order to regain lost hair.Alternatively, you may also consume a glass of alfalfa juice mixed with lettuce and carrot juice every day for similar results.

Once every week, add coconut milk, Indian gooseberry oil and castor oil in equal proportions and apply this mixture to your hair and scalp and leave it overnight. Wash your hair with water the next morning. This is an effective way of nourishing the roots of your hair and making them stronger. If you want to address the loss of hair in a few patches on the scalp, grind lime seeds and black pepper into a fine powder and add a little water to this to obtain a thick paste. Now apply this paste on the patches on the scalp and wait till it dries before washing it away with water. Daily application of this mixture helps regrow hair.

What Causes Gray Hair and Tips to Stop Graying of Hair

Thursday, May 28th, 2009

Gray Hair Causes

Hair gets its natural color from a pigment called melanin that is produced in the hair bulb. As one grows older, the amount of melanin produced in the hair bulb keeps decreasing, which leads to the natural process of graying. However, sometimes hair starts graying prematurely due to factors like deficiency of nutrients like vitamin B, copper, iron and iodine in the diet, insufficient sleep, stress and anxiety, overconsumption of alcohol, tea and coffee, excessive intake of oily, sour and spicy food, and prolonged illnesses like typhoid. Graying is also genetic in nature and often runs in the family. Regular use of hair dyes and colors and lack of proper hygiene may also cause graying.

Gray Hair Cure - Home Remedies to Stop Gray Hair

Though it is difficult to stop the graying process completely, the rate at which hair turns gray can be arrested by following a few simple home remedies. One of the easiest ways of countering graying is to make liberal use of curry leaves as condiment in cooked food. You may also crush a few fresh curry leaves and add the juice into a glass of buttermilk and drink it every morning to prevent graying of hair. Also, every morning crush a small piece of ginger and add it to a tablespoon of honey and eat this mixture. This helps prevent graying.

Another useful remedy is to add a pinch of common salt into a cup of strong black tea and massage your scalp with this. After about an hour wash your hair with water. You could also apply butter made from cow milk on your scalp twice every week in order to treat graying hair. Indian gooseberry is known to be highly effective in stopping hair from graying. Cut a few of these berries and dry them in shade. Then boil them in a cup of coconut oil till a dark sediment gets deposited at the bottom of the container. Massage your scalp with this thick extract once every week.

Alternatively, you could also rinse your hair with water into which Indian gooseberries have been soaked overnight. A mixture of the juice of these berries to which a few drops of lime juice and almond oil have been added is also beneficial in treating graying hair. Alternatively, you could soak a few dried pieces of ribbed gourd in coconut oil for four days and then boil this solution till it is reduced to a dark and viscous decoction. Massage your hair and scalp with this extract to treat graying hair.

What are the Best Homemade Deep Conditioners for Dry,Damaged hair

Thursday, May 28th, 2009

Deep Hair Conditioners

The natural texture of hair is determined by the amount of natural oil (sebum) that the sebaceous underlying the scalp are able to produce. When the production of sebum is inadequate, hair looks dry and dull. Moreover, dry hair may also be the result of overexposure to direct sunlight, contact with air and water pollutants, excessive use of hair coloring and styling agents, application of heat or pressure on the hair through mechanical means of perming hair and nutritional deficiencies in the diet. Such hair becomes

Deep Conditioner Treatment

It is essential to follow a regular conditioning regime in order to treat dry and damaged hair. One of the most effective ways of conditioning your hair at home is to apply a little vinegar on your hair while rinsing it with water. You could also soak your hair in a solution of apple cider vinegar and water for 10 minutes before shampooing your hair. Using this solution as a hair spray is also helpful in treating dry hair. Follow this regime at least thrice a week to add a natural bounce and glow to dry and damaged hair.

Another useful home remedy for dry hair is to mix in equal proportions avocado paste and the pulp of an over-ripe banana and apply this paste all over your hair. Leave it on for an hour before washing it away with warm water. Washing your hair with a little beer after shampooing it also helps condition it naturally. Apply a tablespoon of low-fat mayonnaise on your hair 15 minutes before washing it in order to give dry hair a natural sheen.Once a week, you could also make a natural conditioner by mixing a tablespoon each of glycerin and castor oil and adding to this a little apple cider vinegar and some mild herbal shampoo. Washing your hair with this solution restores to it a natural softness and shine.

You should also massage your scalp every alternate night with tea tree oil before going to bed, as this is an excellent natural conditioner for dry and damaged hair. Alternatively, heat equal quantities of olive oil and honey and apply this to the roots of your hair to treat dry and dull hair. In addition, mix two tablespoons of gram flour into a cup of coconut milk and massage your hair and scalp with this mixture. Leave it on for 5 minutes and then gently wash your hair with water.