Archive for August, 2009

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How to Treat Hair Loss during Pregnancy

Monday, August 17th, 2009

It is normal for pregnant women to lose hair, as during the period of gestation, the female body undergoes great hormonal changes in order to nourish and give birth to the growing fetus. It is only a temporary phase and hair starts re-growing naturally once the baby is delivered and the balance of hormones in the body is restored.

Home Remedies for Hair Loss during Pregnancy

However, you may follow a few simple home remedies to reduce the rate of hair loss during pregnancy. One of the easiest and most effective ways of stimulating faster hair growth is to massage your scalp with your fingertips after bathing till the point that you begin to feel a warm, tingling sensation on your scalp. This induces the sebaceous glands and the hair follicles underneath the scalp to produce more hair. You may also mix lettuce and spinach juice in equal quantities and drink this mixture every morning at breakfast to prevent hair loss. Often, it is the deficiency of essential minerals like zinc and iron in the diet that causes hair loss in pregnant women. Thus, it is important that you include natural sources of these minerals in your diet, such as eggs, lean meats, whole grains, cereals, pulses and nuts. It is also useful to massage your hair with essential oils regularly and follow this up with a hot steam treatment. Wrap up your hair with a soft, warm towel after this for at least an hour before washing your hair.

A very effective natural remedy for hair loss during pregnancy is to simmer a handful of henna leaves in 250 ml boiling mustard oil till a charred residue settles at the bottom of the pan, and collect the clear liquid extract and apply this extract regularly on the roots of your hair. You may also rub the scalp with a thin slice of onion or massage some onion juice on the scalp with your fingertips for 5 minutes every day. Following this, apply some honey on the scalp. The strong chemicals present in onion juice improve blood circulation in the scalp and induce the hair follicles to produce hair at a faster rate. For another remedy, add a teaspoon of aloe vera juice to a mixture of wheat germ oil and coconut milk and wash your hair every alternate day with this mixture to lessen hair loss. In addition, keep your mind free from stress and anxiety, as these can trigger hair loss too.

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Damaged Hair Repair Treatment | Natural Home Remedies for Hair Repair

Monday, August 17th, 2009

Hair Repair Treatment

There are several factors that may cause damage to your hair: the overuse of hair styling and coloring products that contain harsh harmful chemicals, excessive shampooing which robs the hair and the scalp of their natural moisture and oil content and prolonged exposure to heat or direct sunlight. In addition to these factors, exposure to water pollutants and the regular use of blow driers and curlers too damages the hair. Hair exposed to any or all of these factors becomes weak and consequently brittle and dull, and often has split ends.

A few general measures should be taken to prevent further damage to hair. Drink plenty of water and fruit juices and eat raw vegetables throughout the day to supply essential nutrients to your hair follicles, improve blood circulation in the scalp and keep your hair naturally well hydrated. Always protect your hair from direct sunlight by using an umbrella and wear a hat to keep away dust and pollutants from your hair when you are in busy, crowded places.

Home Remedies to Repair Damaged Hair

There are quite a few simple home remedies that you may find useful in treating damaged hair. Regular application of essential oils like rosemary and lavender, either separately or in combination, helps nourish the scalp and the hair roots or makes hair grow shinier and stronger. Another natural way of restoring to your hair its natural shine is to soak it in some apple cider vinegar for 5 minutes after shampooing and then rinsing your hair with water. This leaves your hair feeling soft and smooth. You may also mash a ripe avocado or banana and apply this pulp all over your hair and scalp. Leave it on for about half an hour and then rinse your hair with water. This is especially useful in replenishing lost oil and moisture.

Every alternate night, you should apply slightly warmed olive oil or coconut oil on your hair and cover it up with a shower cup. Wash your hair with a mild shampoo and conditioner the next morning. Twice a week, you should also apply a mixture of mayonnaise and egg on your scalp and hair, and rinse it away with lukewarm water and a baby shampoo after 30 minutes. This treatment strengthens the hair shafts and gives your hair a natural bounce. You may also mix a tablespoon of honey and an egg using a blender and apply this frothy mixture on your hair thrice a week for similar results.

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How to Treat Lice with Olive Oil

Monday, August 17th, 2009

Head lice are parasitical organisms that infest the scalp, especially in damp and unhygienic conditions. This condition mostly affects children and spreads very easily from one person to another. The most common symptoms are itchy, red bumps on the scalp and the appearance of small oval or round specks on the sides of the hair. Sometimes, the lice can be seen crawling on the surface of the scalp. If left untreated, lice may even cause fevers, weaken the roots of the hair and lead to hair loss. Avoiding close contact with infected persons is a good way of keeping lice at bay.

Olive Oil Lice Treatment

Olive oil is one of the most popular, effective and time-tested natural means of getting rid of head lice. You should gently heat a bowl of olive oil over a low flame for 10 minutes and apply it gently all over your scalp, massaging the roots of your hair with your fingertips. Then cover up your hair by putting on a shower cap or using a plastic wrap, and use a blow drier for 5 minutes in order to heat up your hair. This helps kill the lice. After half an hour, take off the cap or the wrap and use a lice comb or a set of tweezers to extract the lice out of your hair. Following this, wash your hair with a mild shampoo. You may also use mayonnaise instead of olive oil in a similar way to get rid of head lice.

Besides this, there are several other home remedies that might prove useful in treating this problem. You should massage your scalp wit tea tree oil or other essential oils on a daily basis to destroy head lice and rejuvenate the damaged and infected skin cells of the scalp. You may also soak your hair in some white vinegar for at least half an hour so that it seeps through the scalp, and then rinse your hair with an antibacterial shampoo. This is an effective way of removing lice from hair. For another remedy, extract the juice of a large onion in a bowl and gently massage this juice on the roots of your hair. Leave it on for at least a couple of hours so that the strong sulfurous juice of the onion destroys the lice. Now wash your hair with a mild shampoo. Repeat this procedure every day for a week in order to completely kill all the nits and to delouse your hair fully.

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Hair Loss and Restoration

Monday, August 17th, 2009

Hair Restoration

It is natural to lose 20 to 100 hairs every day, but when one starts losing hair at a higher rate, the condition represents some internal disorder. There may be several factors responsible for hair loss: lack of proper hair care and hygiene, heredity, stress, anxiety and emotional shock or trauma, prolonged illnesses such as typhoid and anemia, and deficiency of essential nutrients in the diet.

Tips to Prevent Hair Loss

There are a few basic rules that you should follow to prevent hair loss. Never wash your hair with very hot water, as this tends to make your hair dry and brittle. It is also advisable to let your hair dry naturally instead of blow-drying it, as exposure to heat makes hair grow weaker. Combing your hair while it is still wet also hurts the roots of the hair and makes them weaker and therefore more prone to breaking. You should also avoid using hair styling products as they contain harsh chemicals that may cause damage to your hair in the long run. You should also use shampoo in regulation, as washing hair excessively robs it of its natural oil and moisture content and thereby makes it more prone to breaking and falling. You should also include plenty of fruits and green vegetables in your diet, as they contain essential vitamins and minerals that stimulate the hair follicles and improve blood circulation in the scalp, thereby improving hair quality and strength. It is useful to drink a mixture of equal portions of spinach and lettuce juices every morning at breakfast to prevent hair loss. You may also apply the juice of aloe vera leaves on your scalp half an hour before shampooing to make your hair grow stronger. Alternatively, soak your hair and scalp with some coconut milk for some time before shampooing.

For another remedy, mix a tablespoon of honey with egg yolk and apply this to your scalp. After 30 minutes, rinse your hair with cold water. A mixture of equal quantities of castor oil and almond oil heated together over very low heat should also be applied on the scalp and hair, preferably at bedtime and be left overnight to make hair grow denser and stronger. It is also useful to add the pulp of a raw mango to your regular hair oil and apply this mixture twice a week on your scalp. You may also add some cinnamon powder to warm olive oil and smear this paste on your scalp 15 minutes before you go in for your shower.

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Causes of Androgenic Alopecia and Treatments for Androgenic Alopecia

Monday, August 17th, 2009

Causes of Androgenic Alopecia

Androgenic alopecia is a disorder in which hair becomes extremely sensitive to hormonal changes in the body and keeps falling gradually over a long period of time, causing thinning of hair and even baldness. The pattern of baldness differs, however, between men and women. While men start losing hair from the front and the sides of their head and may ultimately suffer from partial or complete baldness, women do not experience patch baldness and instead their hair simply becomes sparse as they grow older. While the predominance of male hormones (androgens) is the chief cause of this condition in men, in women the problem intensifies because of the reduction in the level of estrogen post-menopause. This condition is hereditary in nature, and may start affecting a person as early as in their twenties. Hair transplants and low-level laser therapy are commonly used techniques of treating alopecia.

Preventing and Treating Alopecia

However, there are a few simple natural ways of preventing and treating alopecia. A healthy, well balanced diet is crucial for maintain proper hair growth and preventing hair loss. Eat plenty of fresh fruits and raw vegetables, as they contain essential vitamins and minerals that stimulate the hair follicles and make hair grow faster and stronger, as well as improve blood circulation in the scalp and result in denser growth of hair. You should also eat wheat germ oil, beans and nuts, as they are rich natural sources of vitamin E which boosts hair growth.

Consumption of rice, whole grains, dairy products and fish is also recommended since they contain a substance called biotin, which is a chief constituent of hair and makes hair grow thicker and stronger. Regular consumption of sea food and use of iodized salt in cooking is also useful in treating this condition, as they supply iodine to the body, which regulates hormonal activity in the body and thereby prevents hair loss. You should also oil your hair regularly so that the sebaceous glands and the hair follicles underneath the scalp are stimulated to produce healthier hair. An infusion made by boiling a handful of curry laves in a cup of coconut oil for a few minutes may also be used regularly to massage the roots of hair. This is an excellent natural remedy for treating hair loss. Applying the paste of some boiled black gram or the juice of coriander leaves on the bald patches is also known to help in treating thinning hair and preventing hair loss.

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