Archive for July, 2009

« Older Entries

What Causes Hair Loss in Children and Cures for Hair Loss

Friday, July 31st, 2009

Causes of Hair Loss in Children

Hair loss in children is quite a rare and strange problem. Adults are often plagued by all sorts of problems, and many of their hair loss problems are at least partly age related. However, almost all children usually have healthy, glossy hair that most adults envy. Premature hair loss does sometimes occur, and although it is often not treatable, it is not a sign of any health problem either. However, strictly speaking, this kind of hair loss does not affect children – the earliest it can begin would be the teen years, and this too is quite unusual.

Hair Loss Cures

If there is severe hair loss in a child, the first thing you should consider is whether it is due to a fungal infection. If the child seems to scratch his or her head unusually often or complains of soreness in the scalp, there is a good chance that a fungal infection is at work. You may be able to solve the problem by being very strict about hygiene over the next few weeks. Ensure that the child washes his or her hair regularly, and the hair and scalp are not left damp for hours afterwards. After play time or any activities that cause a lot of sweating too, the child’s head should be dried thoroughly, if not washed. Moisture helps fungal infections to grow, and this is the main thing you need to avoid. If these measures do not seem to help enough, you can try using a mild anti fungal shampoo that is suitable for children. You can also try applying tea tree oil on the child’s scalp, but begin with a very small amount. Tea tree oil, although it is a natural product, is quite strong and harsh, and may irritate the sensitive skin of a child. If there is no adverse reaction to the small amount of oil, you can start applying a more adequate amount daily before going to bed. Wash the oil off in the morning. Once a week, you can also rinse the child’s hair with a solution of vinegar and water, in a proportion of approximately 1:5, after a regular wash.

If the hair loss and other symptoms continue for more than a couple of weeks, in spite of all these measures, then you should consult a doctor. There are some serious medical conditions that can cause hair loss in children, and the earlier treatment begins, the more effective it will be.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Hair Care Treatment | No Comments »

How to Treat Frizzy Dry Hair and Remedies for Dry Frizzy Hair

Friday, July 31st, 2009

Hair that is very curly is often dry, and this is usually not because of a problem with the production of sebum by the scalp. What happens normally with straight hair is that the scalp produces sebum, and this sebum spreads quite easily over the entire hair shaft. However, the more curly hair is, the more difficult it is for sebum to spread all the way to the tip of each hair shaft, and the more likely it is that hair will stay dry. This often results in what seems like a rather odd situation – the sebum accumulates on the scalp, making it oily, but the hair is extremely dry and rough. In most cases, all that is needed is to help spread the sebum that has accumulated on the scalp over the entire hair shaft, right from its root to the tip. This is achieved quite easily with regular combing of the hair. You should comb your hair at least thrice a day, with long, smooth, and gentle strokes that begin from your scalp, running the comb through the entire length of your hair. It might take a couple of weeks for any improvement to show, as your scalp might need to increase production of sebum, but there certainly will be an improvement.

Remedies for Dry Frizzy Hair

In some cases however, combing might not be enough to solve the problem. In this case, you should start oiling your hair regularly, using either coconut oil or olive oil. Some simple, natural conditioners might also help to moisturize your hair and reduce the frizz. Mayonnaise is one excellent home made moisturizer that you can use. Simply apply the mayonnaise on your hair and scalp, leave it for at least half an hour, and then wash it off normally. You can also use egg yolk on your hair, as this is another excellent natural conditioner. Avoid using home made conditioners such as lemon juice and vinegar however; these tend to strip the hair of oil, and are meant for people with oily hair.

You might also want to change your shampoo and conditioner. In many cases, it is the use of an unsuitable shampoo that causes frizz and dryness. Use a mild shampoo that does not destroy your hair’s natural oils, and try using an anti frizz conditioner. You should also avoid exposing your hair to too much sunlight and wind, as these factors can dry and damage hair quite severely.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Hair Care | No Comments »

How to Get Strong Healthy Hair

Friday, July 31st, 2009

Tips for Strong Hair

If your hair is weak and dull, the first thing you need to consider is whether your diet is the problem. You need to ensure that your diet is providing your hair with all the nutrients it needs to grow and stay healthy. Without proper nutrition, any other measures you take will be of very little use. Avoid going on any special diets for your hair or for any other purpose, for that matter. Hair requires too many different nutrients to grow properly, and focusing on a handful of foods is impractical, besides being of little use. Simply ensure that you eat a wide variety of healthy foods in moderation, and on a regular basis.

Besides your diet, regular hair care is of course very important. Washing and conditioning of hair are essential, but it is also important to choose the right shampoo and conditioner. Simply using the most expensive or popular brand will not give you the hair you want. Each individual’s hair is different, and you need to figure out for yourself which shampoo and conditioner, works for you. In addition, you need to figure out the frequency that works for you. There is no truth to blanket rules such as “daily shampooing is harmful” or “daily shampooing is essential”. If your hair tends to be exposed to a lot of dust, dirt, and pollution, you will probably need to wash it everyday. If shampooing leaves your hair dry, you may need to reduce the frequency of washing and also possibly change your shampoo and conditioner. This is a process of trial and error, and it may take a while for you to find the right balance. You need to be consistent with whatever you’re doing in order to know if it’s working, and only then try a different approach.

Next, remember that while regular combing of the hair is very important, it often causes a lot of damage. Never comb your hair when it is wet, and always use gentle strokes, stopping whenever you encounter knots, and opening them with your fingers rather than with the comb. Another source of damage is the sun, wind, and pollution, so you may want to keep your hair covered whenever you are outdoors. Finally, at least once a week you should apply a home made conditioner such as oil, egg, or mayonnaise about an hour before washing your hair. Doing this regularly should give you strong, healthy hair within a month or two.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Hair Care | No Comments »

How to Make Hair Soft and Shiny

Friday, July 31st, 2009

How to Get Soft and Shiny Hair

Soft and shiny hair is something that everyone wants, but not everyone is willing to take the effort to work towards it. Some of us are fortunate enough to have hair that is naturally soft and shiny, but for most of us, this takes a lot of effort. It is of course not possible to change your natural hair type beyond a certain point – some of us just naturally have hair that is rather stiff and coarse – however, by putting some effort into regular hair care, it is possible to improve the texture of your hair to a considerable extent.

First of all, you need to ensure that you are going about the most basic measures of hair care, properly – shampooing, conditioning, and combing. It is important that you use the right shampoo and conditioner for your hair. This is not just a question of choosing a reputed brand or matching the label on the bottle with your hair type (“dry hair”, and so on). Each person’s hair is different, and what works for someone else who has dry hair may not work for you. If your current shampoo and conditioner don’t seem to work for you, try switching to another brand for a few weeks. Also ensure that you do not wash your hair too often, or too rarely. This is another thing that you need to work out for yourself – generally, a frequency of three times a week is ideal, but you may need to wash your hair more or less often. With regard to combing, you should note that regular combing is very important, as it not only stimulates blood circulation and production of sebum, but it also spreads the sebum from the scalp over the entire hair shaft, thus protecting the hair and giving it a gloss. However, if you comb your hair too briskly, or if you comb it when it is wet, you will do more harm than good. Remember that the comb is not meant to open knots and tangles – this is a task that should be done by your fingers. Combing wet hair will also cause damage, because hair is weak when it is wet. Allow your hair to dry naturally, do not scrub it dry, and only then comb it.

You should also oil your hair regularly, especially if it is dry. Preferably use coconut oil, and leave it on overnight, washing your hair in the morning. You can also condition your hair with egg yolk, which is an excellent natural conditioner, twice every month. Finally, avoid using any unnecessary products and treatments to style, straighten, curl, or color your hair, as these tend to dry and damage hair to a considerable extent.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Hair Care | No Comments »

How to Prevent Hair Fall with Hair Fall Treatments

Friday, July 31st, 2009

Treatments for Hair Fall

Just like the treatment for any other condition, the treatment to prevent hair fall always depends upon the cause of the hair fall. This is why most hair tonics and other seemingly universal treatments for hair loss tend to be completely useless. Excessive hair fall can be caused by the use of hard water to wash your hair, by poor hair care or excessive use of harsh hair products, by hormonal fluctuations, by certain health conditions such as hyperthyroidism, by fungal infections of the scalp, by certain nutritional deficiencies, and by a combination of age and genetic factors. Of course, not all these problems will actually cause you to turn bald – factors such as hard water and hair damage will only cause your hair to become thinner than normal, and will not deteriorate beyond a point. Such problems are usually easy to fix – special shampoos are available for use with hard water, and a few simple hair care measures can usually fix problems in that area. Use of a good shampoo and conditioner, regular combing, being gentle when washing, drying, and combing your hair, and covering it when outdoors will usually help you regain a full and healthy growth of hair within a few weeks. In addition, you should of course ensure that your diet is healthy and balanced, so that your hair gets all the nutrients it needs to grow.

However, if you are actually developing irregular bald patches or if your scalp is showing in areas such as the top, front, and crown of your head, you may need further investigation and more specific treatment. A fungal infection will usually involve some amount of itching and inflammation, and will cause you to develop a bald patch in one spot, while the rest of your hair grows rather normally. However, this is not always the case. This is why it is advisable to consult a doctor if the measures described earlier do not work. If the problem is genetic – something like pattern balding – then there may not be much you can do to stop it, as such hair loss is hereditary and age related. However, modern medical treatments such as finasteride and minoxidil can sometimes stop such hair loss if the treatment is begun early. In a small percentage of cases, these treatments are even able to reverse the hair loss to a considerable extent. It is therefore advisable that you consult a hair specialist at the earliest if the basic measures described here do not work.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Hair Problems | No Comments »

« Older Entries