Hair and Your Health
Hair and Health
By Judi Ketteler
We tend to regard hair only as a reflection of our personal style, but as a living, growing part of our body, it's also tied in to our physiology. "Hair reflects internal changes -- things like sickness, nutrition and stress," says dermatologist Paradi Mirmirani, M.D., a faculty member of the American Academy of Dermatology and staff dermatologist with Kaiser Permanente. There are three parts to your hair: the hair shaft (the fiber), the hair bulb (the root) and the hair cycle (the period of rest and regeneration). Most problems are related to one of these three things, says Mirmirani.
Hair Mysteries Solved
Issue: Gray Hair
It turns out that going gray is actually your hair bleaching itself. European scientists have discovered that years of damage to hair follicles results in high levels of hydrogen peroxide buildup, which blocks the melanin that colors our hair from doing its job, reports ScienceDaily. Color is stripped from your hair before it reaches the surface, first turning gray, and then white. This discovery is a monumental step in allowing scientists to experiment with increasing the enzymes that prevent hydrogen peroxide buildup in hair follicles and discovering how people can retain hair color as they age.
Issue: Excessive hair shedding
Each individual strand of hair has its own cycle, growing for six to eight years, resting for a few months, and then shedding. "About 10 percent of your hair is shedding at any one given time," Mirmirani says, pointing out that many things can interrupt the cycle and cause more hairs to shed earlier, including stress, fever, weight loss (even 10 pounds) or low iron levels. If you're noticing more shedding than usual, examine your lifestyle to see what might have changed or consult your dermatologist for tests.
Issue: Hair that is dry and has lost its luster
Oh, the things we do to our hair in the name of beauty, like daily blow-drying and using the flat iron. "Hair becomes dry when the cuticle starts to break down and the inner fiber is exposed," Dr. Mirmirani says. Excessive heat can cause this -- especially heat applied to wet hair. She recommends air-drying your hair partially before blow drying, only using the flat iron on dry hair, and using a daily conditioner. Remember that hair fiber with color is more prone to damage, so be extra cautious if you color-treat your hair.
Issue: Brittle or easily breaking hair
Some hairstyles can actually affect the health of your hair's bulb, Dr. Mirmirani says. She sees this a lot with hair extensions or ponytails pulled too tight, day after day. "Think of it this way, if you keep pulling on the bulb of a plant, eventually, you can damage it," she says. Take it easy when you're pulling your hair back, and don't brush your hair vigorously when wet. Use a wide-tooth comb and comb through gently. As for Marsha Brady's 100 strokes a day for shine? Not so much, Mirmirani says. The less brushing, the better.
Issue: Split ends
Split, or "dead" ends are the result of damaged or weathered hair. "The hair splays apart because the outer layer (or cuticle) of the hair shaft has worn away," Dr. Mirmirani says. But the good news is, you can snip them right off, and immediately your hair will look healthier. Another trick is to keep your ends well-conditioned. Remember there is a difference between the function of cleansing and conditioning: Shampoo is for your scalp, and conditioner is for the actual hair fibers.
Issue: Dandruff
Dandruff can be hereditary, but it's still a mystery what causes the flaky stuff. Daily shampooing is your first line of defense, but if the itchiness and flakes persist, try an anti-dandruff product. Dr. Mirmirani cautions sparing use of these products, however, because they are very harsh to your hair fiber. Try alternating the anti-dandruff product with regular shampoo until the dandruff clears up, and then switch back to your regular shampoo.
Issue: An unexpected bald patch of hair
You may have Alopecia Areata, which occurs when your immune system starts attacking the hair bulbs. It doesn't destroy it, but the bulb won't start to grow again until the attack is called off. According to the National Alopecia Areata Foundation, it affects five million people in the U.S. "It could be stress or it could be environmental factors -- we really don't know," Dr. Mirmirani says. It can happen one time or recur with some frequency. The hair can grow back though -- it's not permanent damage. If you find a sudden bald spot, see your dermatologist.
Issue: Thicker hair than you've ever had before.
Either you're just super lucky, or you're about to have a baby. Sure, the hormones of pregnancy can make you lose your lunch, but they are also the cause behind the thick, lustrous hair you'll probably notice if you're expecting. When you're pregnant (and for a few months postpartum), your hair stays in a high state of hair growth, with only minimal hair loss. Enjoy it while it lasts!
Recent Comments
AmyBlake73 01:09:18 PM Jul 07 2009
I am 36 years old and i have short hair how can I let my hair grow faster.I have tried everything
crazyhellboy 07:36:25 AM Jun 10 2009
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Goldiesilver56 04:20:58 PM Apr 20 2009
I must have had a "blond" moment, because I didn't post the correct link to the before mentioned fabulous gray hair website! Here it is: http://www.goinggraylookinggreat.com Enjoy!
Goldiesilver56 04:08:01 PM Apr 20 2009
Obviously, the jury is still out there far enough that a pill to take for banishing gray is a long way off! Here's a thought: With all the stress that we have to contend with, why not just embrace your "real" haircolor? Start your own "silver revolution"! If you just can't wait for the scientists to sort this one out- look not farther than this site: http://goinggraylookinggreat.com
Txsunflower76 10:19:44 PM Mar 10 2009
okay for starters im a hairstylist.and this article maybe on to something.in thetraining classes I have been to over the pat 15 yrs. I've learned that your hair reacts to whatever you put in your body.Everything we injest whether its food, liquid, the air,medicine, lotion. etc it all enters our body.All those things have some sort of chemical make up. In chemistry we all learned why not to mix certain chemicals. I do not believe that hydrogen peroxide is the only reason that causes grey hair but its a start. When people color their hair the peroxide you mix with the color itself is made with a percentage of hyrdogen peroxide. Read the ingredients on the developers. some people would use regualr hyrgogen peroxide that you put on cuts on their hair and go into the sun. it lightened their hair(mind you not a pretty color) so it is possible for that to happen inside the body. we build up toxins.so its feesible to say that it can cause grey hair at any age.
salusmacalus4664 02:06:49 PM Feb 26 2009
Then i wonder why my husband's hair turned gray when he was 12...
jedh1994 05:42:20 AM Feb 26 2009
My husband never lets me forget that he began getting gray hair after we got married. He was 32. The article is very interesting. My mom, now deceased, had a funny answer to me, when I asked her what her natural hair color was. "I have been dyeing it for so long, I forgot"..
m320753 05:36:49 AM Feb 26 2009
tisket 72 i got gray there also. some one told me it worried too much for lack of traffic
Earldean8 03:04:47 AM Feb 26 2009
how did they know i found my first white hair yesterday???lol
