Caring for your crowning glory

One of the most humiliating and exasperating health issues, is sudden and inexplicable hair loss. An integral part of your overall health, caring for your scalp and hair is as important as caring for your body. Here are some tips…

Hair fall is probably one of the most common problems experienced by both the young and the old. It is considered a rite of passage—something that happens to you naturally as life progresses. However, regardless of your age or station in life, there’s no denying that it can be extremely alarming when you find more and more hairs on your comb every day. Just as in the weight loss industry, there’s a lot of false propaganda about hair loss too. Here, are some facts to improve your odds of growing a healthy mane of hair.

Why it happen

Once you first start to lose hair, well-meaning friends and relatives often flood you with advice on how to preserve the rest. This is because we believe that hair loss is the direct result of a poor diet, infections, drugs or even pollution in congested cities and can be reversed. But experts say that in most cases, it’s your genes that are to blame. “Modern science believes that hair loss is not directly related to diet or exercise,” says Dr Bishan Mahadevia, a plastic surgeon and a qualified member of the ISHRS (International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery) “The root cause of common hair loss is some kind of genetic defect and increased hormonal susceptibility as a result. Nutritional deficiencies accentuate the genetic hair loss (making it worse) and therefore such a deficiency should be detected and corrected by supplements or medications,” says Dr Mahadevia.

Correct nutritional deficiencies

If you are genetically predisposed to hair loss, pay careful attention to your diet. “Nutritional deficiencies (especially iron, protein and calcium deficiencies) can aggravate hair loss, especially in young adolescent girls, which mimics genetic pattern baldness. High calorie food with more of carbohydrate and fat in the diet can trigger excessive male hormone secretion on the scalp. That’s why a balanced healthy diet is essential,” says Chennai based Dr Murugusundram, consultant dermatologist, trichologist and founder- secretary of the Hair Research Foundation of India.

You may have heard that frequent washing of the hair could cause breakage or strip the hair of its natural oils, but keeping the hair and scalp clean is now considered an essential for hair health. “The first rule to hair care would be to wash the hair every day with a gentle shampoo,” says Dr Murugusundram. “Only a clean scalp can grow healthy hair. Dandruff (which accumulates on an oily scalp as dirt builds up and clogs the pores) is another important cause for hair loss.”

Understand the role of oil

Generations of Indians have hailed oil as the messiah of hair fall and the solution to all our hair woes. If you’ve grown up with the habit of oiling your hair regularly, you might be surprised to learn that oiling does little to promote its growth, but it does protect the hair shaft. “Hair oil is simply a conditioner that acts by forming a protective cover on the hair shaft. It provides a good barrier from environmental element such as pollution, salty or chlorine water, heat of the sun, dryer or hair straightening iron and chemicals such as hair dyes. However, it is a myth that oil helps in the growth of new hair,” explains Dr Mahadevia. “It neither helps nor retards hair growth. As an effective conditioner, it changes the texture of the hair, making dry and dull hair look smooth and shiny. By coating the hair completely, it protects the water evaporation from inside the hair shaft.” If you are one of those people who hate to oil the hair and even detest the smell of hair oil, Dr Mahadevia recommends the use of non oily conditioners such as Livon or Tricoz. “People with dry skin and dry hair can use it everyday or alternate day and others can use it a few times a week at night time. Wash in the morning to avoid excess oiliness during day,” he says.

Yoga for hair health

Yoga offers two important benefits that are vital in controlling hair fall—stress relief and increased blood supply to the scalp. Under a qualified instructor, try the sarvangasna and shirshasana, which can provide immediate effects. Pawanmuktasana, vajrasana and postures such as the downward facing dog and the camel pose are also highly recommended.

Source : thehindu dtd 24/05/2012