Having been in clinical practice for over 20 years I have seen many thousands of people with hair and scalp problems, and in the vast majority of cases the disorders, particularly those of the scalp, have greatly improved as soon as the scalp is either washed more regularly, or better, more appropriate, products are used on it.
Not washing the hair with shampoo has become something of a trend over the past few years but this really is a very bad idea.
Have you ever looked at the back of your shampoo/conditioner/styling product and wondered what all of those words on the ingredients list mean? And what they are actually doing to your hair and scalp? Here I de-mystify some of the most commonly used product ingredients.
Acute telogen effluvium has an abrupt onset. The active shedding lasts 1 to 4 months and can lead to thinning of the hair over the entire scalp. The bitemporal areas may be most obviously thinned. Once the daily shedding returns to normal, it may take several months for the scalp hair to regain its normal density. The patient’s hair goes back to normal within 1 year of onset of TE in 95% of people. A specific trigger can be found in approximately 75% of patients with acute TE. Continue reading
Hair and frizzy hair frustration seems to peak during the winter months. Perfecting a hairstyle in the morning and finding that by the end of the day your style looks like a dry mess of old hay is a cause of much annoyance. Why exactly is it that we get such frizzy in the winter?
Hair expands, stretches and changes its protein bonds when wet or damp and this also happens to hair when exposed to changes in the environment. When you style your hair it will keep its desired shape until affected by humidity and static electricity, when the hair will revert to its natural configuration. During a single winter day our hair and hairstyle can be subjected to indoor central heating, a cold and damp outdoor climate, wind, drizzle, snow, shops and public transportation. All of these different environments expose our hair to varying levels of humidity and static charge. This, in short, causes your hair and hairstyle to freak out and frizz… and numerous times throughout the day.
Dry Scalp: When it comes to dandruff or flaking, the flakes are actually more likely to be oily than dry – 80% of flaky scalps are. However, flaky scalps are easily remedied by our Clear Shampoo with activated charcoal and menthol. Scalp flaking fluctuates with stress and certain foods – dairy produce being one and white wine being another so try and avoid these.
Dry Hair: Can be remedied by using the appropriate shampoo and conditioner for your hair type: fine and limp, wavy or curly, coarse and frizzy. Occasionally dry hair is naturally produced (along with dry skin) but this is exacerbated by environment and external usage of the wrong products and processing. Sometimes this can be helped internally by eating oily foods: salmon, sardines, mackerel, and by eating olive oil in your food. However, this takes time, so a moisturising conditioner and styling aid would give quicker results.