Our body cannot speak out to express what is going on inside it! But it gives out certain signals to let us know about the changes that it is going through. We often do not bother to pay proper attention to our body signals! Simple loss of hair, dandruff or premature graying may indicate that something more serious is going on inside our body. Let's see what hair troubles may mean:
- Dandruff: Dandruff can be a result of too dry or too oily scalp. Using shampoo too often or rarely can also lead to dandruff. Dermatologists also believe that dandruff can also result from the growth of a fungus. But dandruff may not indicate adverse health conditions, although yellow dandruff can be an indication of seborrheic dermatitis, an inflammatory skin condition related to hormone, fungus or even certain neurological problems.
- Hair Fall: Dermatologists believe that we lose around 90 to 100 hair each day. Don't worry, around 90 percent of the hair follicles that we have, grow on a regular basis while the remaining 10 percent go to their resting mode (telogen phase) and the hair from these follicles fall out every 2 to 3 months. These are replaced with new hair. This cycle is repetitive.
Hair fall can be a result of crash diets. Our hair requires protein, iron, zinc, vitamin A and omega 3 fatty acids to stay healthy and shiny. These nutrients fall short if the diet is too restrictive. If you are going through a nutritional deficiency or an eating disorder, the effect becomes quiet visible on your hair - they start falling out! - Premature Graying of Hair: Gray hair does not necessarily depict ageing! Premature graying of hair is also related to your hereditary traits. Graying cannot really be associated with poor health, but conditions like anemia, thyroid issues, vitamin B12 deficiency and vitiligo (skin condition in which there is a loss of brown color from areas of skin) can cause premature graying.
What are the Ways by Which You can Maintain Healthy Hair?
Hair not only adds beauty to our face, but they also portray our inner health conditions. Here are a few Do's and Don'ts of hair care:
- Avail Scalp Massages: Though scalp massage cannot treat any health condition or hair fall or dandruff, but it can definitely decrease your tension. Under our scalp lie the nerve endings which are extremely sensitive to touch. A gentle massage of the scalp helps in releasing the feel good hormones apart from relaxing our senses by increasing blood circulation.
- Stay Alert from Medication Side Effects: Some medications like warfarin, anti-depressants, beta blockers, non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, birth control pills and medications used in gout and arthritis can cause hair loss. You need to check with your doctor about the side effects of the medications prescribed by him before starting off with the dosage. You need to take care from the very beginning to avoid permanent hair loss.
- Avoid Too Much Styling: Styling techniques like bleaching, blow drying and flat ironing or even over brushing your hair, may damage the hair cuticle and make hair look dull and dry, even though there is no permanent hair damage! But still, minimizing these practices will allow you to get healthier hair.
- Avoid Pulling Your Hair Too Tight: Pulling hair too tightly as in hairstyles like pony tail, braids or cornrows can damage the follicle and lead to permanent hair loss. Therefore, you need to switch to some other hairstyles in order to facilitate the growth of new hair.
- Eat Hair Healthy Diet: Foods that contribute to hair health are spinach and carrots containing vitamin A; besan (chickpea flour) and walnuts containing zinc; and salmon and almonds with omega 3 fatty acid content. These are the foods which also promote heart health.
- Avoid the Direct Exposure of Scalp to Sunlight: Wear a hat while going in the sun. It not only helps in protecting your hair and scalp against sunburn but also keeps you away from the possibility of heat/sunstroke.
Unhealthy hair may not remain confined as a hair-specific problem! Probing deeper may reveal a variety of other health issues as well. In other words, the visible symptoms may act as the indicators of an underlying cause. You need to check out or understand what your body says from time to time!
