Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow?
The Significance of Hair Health
You’ve probably heard it said before, but your hair is the crown we wear every day. It reflects who we are, boosts our confidence (hello good hair days:) and can even be a window into our overall health. I always say that “the hair on your head tells us the story of you”. Some of us were born with a healthy happy head of hair, and others… not so lucky. Worse yet, many of us battle pesky hair and scalp issues that can lead to thinning, bald patches or worst, total hair loss. Sadly, if you worry and stress about it, it could make matters even worse so this is why you need to learn what you can to prevent and even give your hair the best chance for survival.
In this guide, we’ll break down common culprits behind your mane mischief, their root causes (pun intended), and how to reignite that luscious glow you once had.
Common Hair and Scalp Issues
So let’s dive into the nitty-gritty—bad pun alert!
Dandruff:
The dreaded dandruff appears when dead skin cells build up. It often brings along itching and irritation for an unwanted bonus.
Causes- Dry skin is usually to blame, but watch out for seborrheic dermatitis, sensitivity to products, or even fungal infections known as Malassezia
Prevention & Treatment- choose a gentle anti-dandruff shampoo packed with zinc pyrithione or ketoconazole— but beware of harsh cheap cleansers, some over the counter products actually overstrip your “acid mantle” creating even more of a problem exposing you to infection and exacerbating the problem. Think gentle cleansing.
Scalp Psoriasis:
You may have noticed red patches topped off with silvery scales common on some other parts of the body too.
Causes: often genetics and immune system related, yet can flair up during times of stress and even change of season.
Prevention & Treatment: While there may not be a magic cure-all wand, topical corticosteroids can help calm things down while vitamin D might just do the trick too. Don’t forget to keep your scalp exfoliated and moisturized. You can find great salon prescribed products for this too during mild bouts of the flairups.
Alopecia Areata:
This one can be quite scary when you start to notice patches of you hair coming out. These can grow and spread. Thank your overactive immune system mistaking those follicles for intruders.
Causes: Your body’s defence system goes into overdrive here. Often stress can trigger an immune system malfunction and your hair and skin are one of the first to get affected.
Prevention & Treatment: Unfortunately there aren’t any foolproof prevention tactics available yet. However, treatments such as corticosteroids or minoxidil might give those naughty hairs a chance at coming back again! We find that a three-prong approach works well with the hair supplements, steroid creams, and taking time to relax and breathe.
Telogen Effluvium:
A fancy word for “help, I’ve been struggling with..(fill in life strain here)”. Stressful life events or trauma often trigger a shedding episode. I can see when a client has had one of these life events and nail it to within two weeks even if it happened 2 years ago just by looking at the hair loss pattern in their hair.
Causes: Major life changes? Hormonal shifts? A bout of medication? A change in diet? Death in the family? Even moving house or jobs can trigger telogen effluvium.
Prevention & Treatment: I preach breathing and yoga or other ways that make you feel calm and centred and in control. Managing your stress is the biggest (but not the only) solution to hair shedding. Diets rich in fish oils and vitamin B complex also support your cells beautifully. Focusing on nutrition and wellbeing will help you strengthen everything until regrowth happens naturally once underlying issues are resolved.
Androgenetic Alopecia (Male/Female Pattern Baldness):
Well, sadly, as time marches on, our hair marches off.. Gradual thinning becomes apparent as hormonal changes cause both men AND women heartbreakingly barren spots up top.
Causes: Genetics and hormones are to blame for this type of hair loss. Rumoured to be your mothers fathers genes. But ive not seen any hard evidence of this. And as far as the hormone side… lets look at testosterone.. it gives men bravado and takes away their Samson locks if left unchecked.
Prevention & Treatment: You will have heard of Minoxidil, and may its partner Finasteride. Minoxidil doesn’t actively stop hair loss, but instead it helps promote new hair to grow faster, fuller and thicker. Finasteride, on the other hand, helps stop hair loss and promotes new hair growth by blocking the production of dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Maintaining proper nutrition combined with stress reduction will slow down progress toward baldness before its its too late. Even if you start once it has begun receeding, proper steps to stop it in its tracks will help stave off the inevitable. In some cases, once its gone its gone, but early and steady steps can be taken to keep what you have.
Traction Alopecia:
Excessive tension from ponytails and braids are the main culprit here. But even excessive extension use for prolonged periods of time or incorrect application for the hair type.
Causes: Tension applied nonstop translates directly onto poor follicles getting inflamed due fatigue leading them to recede and fall out.
Prevention & Treatment : To preserve your hairline and thinning due to pulling, avoid styles where you feel uncomfortable when you take them down.. that is a tell-tale sign that you are putting your follicles under stress. Allow breaks between the more extreme looks so growth gets restored, and scalp can recover. Some topical soothing treatments like rosemary oil also assist recovery efforts along way whether they’re minty scalp treatments or soothing aloe gels.
Caring for Your Scalp
Here is your hot tip for the day—A healthy scalp means healthy hair. Think of your hair as the plant and your scalp as the soil. Soil needs feeding and essential nutrients, just like your scalp. It needs looking after just like the skin on your face. The only difference is that you have follicles that grow long strong hair.
- Cleanse Regularly: your shampoos should be chosen based on your scalp type not your hair type. This is the sure fire way to a successful happy hair. Then ou choose the rinse or conditioner and mask to suit your hair type.
- Exfoliate Wisely : Just like facial scrubs exist ,so do gentle scalp exfoliators effectively removing buildup promoting vibrant follicle function
- Hydrate Consistently : Moisture matters!! Light oils like argan/ jojoba and olive oils pamper scalps nicely without cloginh pores
- Avoid Heat/Chemicals Where Possible : Less heat styling/harsh chemical treatment means fewer irritations encountered plus damaged areas minimized giving hair the best chance of staying strong.
Nutritional Support For Healthy Growth
What should everyone prioritize??
- Proteins: Essential building blocks derived from keratin ensures supplies come rolling in through meats/fish/eggs/nuts etc.
- Iron Rich Food: Spinach/red meat/lentils fortified cereals boost iron levels preventing thinning
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Found within fatty fish/flaxseed/walnuts encourage optimal circulation assistance supporting healthy scalps. Omega-3 supplements also make a great brain and joint food!
If you have any questions about what to do and this is making you more confused or concerned, please reach out to your hairdresser or if they cant help you, a doctor can get you a blood test or you can seek a trichologist appointment. Best of luck getting the hair of your dreams and I’m always on hand if you are looking for a certain hair fairy god mother. @ginaconwaysalonandspa
Love Gina