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Miss Bodyline's advice column

Daily Hair Care

All of us know how to shampoo and condition our hair ... Check out the following tips to know more regarding daily hair care . The following necessary tips may help you to improve your hair care routine.

REGULAR HAIR CARE
An effective hair-care involves cleansing, toning and conditioning routines carried out regularly.
An important aspect of effective care is the use of proper hair-care products. Different types of hair need different hair-care products. The use of wrong products is detrimental to the hair.
After cleansing, the scalp and hair need toning exercise. The toning of scalp and hair is achieved by gently massaging the head. This helps in stimulating and invigorating the blood circulation required for the healthy growth of hair.
Brushing the hair regularly is important both to free it of dust, dead cells and tangles and to stimulate the scalp. A brush which has bristles with rounded tips is best, since it is less likely to scratch the scalp or tear and split the hair. Also the best brush has boar and nylon bristles - the boar bristles carry oil and help moisturize hair, while the nylon ones gently exfoliates the scalp. The key to a good stroke is in brushing the hair from nape of the neck towards the crown of the head.
The most important part of hair-care is conditioning. It is a restorative routine. If the hair is excessively stripped of moisture or oil due to harsh cleansing, sun or application of harsh chemicals such as perm lotions, etc., the conditioning routine aims at restoring and correcting the imbalance. Conditioning products are especially useful for long hair, where the overlapping scales which cover the outer layer of hair often get roughed up as it grows. Usually, dry hair should be conditioned once a week, normal hair once a fortnight and oily hair not more than once a month. All conditioners are mainly a combination of oils or waxes, detergents and emulsifiers, with optional extra ingredients, often incorporating herbal extracts with gentle plant and vegetable oils and essences.
Hair Loss, Baldness
Nutrition/Vitamins
Hair loss occurs when the diet is inadequate in the B vitamins - especially B6, biotin, inositol and folic acid; and the minerals magnesium, sulfur and zinc. The B vitamins, especially B5 (pantothenic acid and B3 (niacin), are especially important for hair growth.
Certain essential amino acids are found to control the thinning and thickening of hair in laboratory animals. For example, when rats were fed a diet deficient in magnesium, they lost their hair in bunches. The situation was even more serious with some other B-vitamins. When rats were fed a diet low in biotin or inositol, they became hairless! This nutrient-deficient condition was found to be reversible. When the rats were fed a diet that was rich in B vitamins, it resulted in the complete restoration of hair.
Heavy intake of vitamin supplements, in some cases, have resulted in stimulating hair growth. Men deficient in vitamin B6 often lose their hair. When they are deficient in folic acid, some men became completely bald! As in case of animals, when normal intake of theses vitamins were restored, the hair also returned in most instances.
Taking large doses of vitamin A (100,000 IU or more daily) for a long period of time, on the other hand, can trigger hair loss, but stopping the vitamin A will reverse the problem. As in case of deficiencies, often the hair grows back when the cause is corrected.
Essential fatty acids (flaxseed oil, primrose oil, and salmon oil are good sources) improves hair texture. Prevents dry, brittle hair.
Raw thymus glandular stimulates immune function and improves functioning capacity of glands.
Dosage: 500 mg daily.
Caution: Do not give this supplement to a child.
B-Vitamins
 

Until next time,
Miss Bodyline.