Dandruff, the facts!

Many of us will have looked down in horror at a fine sprinkling of white flakes on the shoulder of a dark top. But many forms of dandruff do not shed.

Dandruff is characterised by the formation of fine, white or grayish loose skin scales. The epidermis (outer layer of  skin) constantly changes and skin cells renew themselves all the time. The cells begin  to grow from the base layer deeper in the skin and are gradually pushed to the surface, before coming away from the scalp. Continue reading “Dandruff, the facts!”

Does exercise to help your hair?

 

Regular exercise is necessary as part of a healthy lifestyle, but can it prevent hair loss? Maybe. Exercise helps to increase circulation, which may help keep your scalp healthier and in turn help prevent certain types of hair loss. People who exercise also tend to drink more water, which also contributes to overall hair and skin health. Exercise by itself will not necessarily prevent hair loss, but it may help in keeping yourself and your hair healthy. Those who wear hats or tie their hair back while exercising may find that there is an increase in hair thinning due to tight hair-elastic or hats. If you think that your hat or hair elastic is causing damage to your hair, consider loosing the band of your hat or braiding your hair.

Testosterone, does it matter how much you have?

Some people believe that high levels of testosterone can cause male pattern baldness. However, this is not true and has been disproved multiple times in studies. Men who have low testosterone and receive therapeutic injections of testosterone have not noticed any difference in loss of hair. Additionally, studies have shown no changes in the hair of men with normal levels of testosterone who received injections. While testosterone does not cause balding, the main cause of balding is actually from a different hormone. Continue reading “Testosterone, does it matter how much you have?”

Scalp massage, should you bother?

 

The scalp contains far more blood vessels than most other areas of skin on the body. It also contains approximately 100,000 hairs, which is more than any other part of the skin. Scalp massages may promote hair growth by helping to unclog the hair follicle from dead skin and increasing blood flow to the hair follicle.

However, it is important to know that scalp massage is only beneficial in stimulating hair growth in some cases of temporary hair thinning and hair loss. If your hair loss is permanent (like in male/ female pattern baldness) or is in intermediate to advanced stages, the only main benefit of a scalp massage is to help promote the healthy growth of your remaining hair, and to provide relaxation benefits. No amount of scalp massages would help to regrow hair at these phases.

Smoking, is it good for your hair?

Occasional exposure to smoke from a campfire or a BBQ will not cause hair loss. However, smoke can cause health problems including hair loss when it’s part of a larger amount of pollution. A number of studies have shown that pollution in the atmosphere can lead to poor hair health, which can further lead to early forms of hair loss in both men and women. Those who live in cities are more susceptible to hair loss due to the amount of atmospheric pollution caused by traffic emissions present. Traffic fumes can cause hair loss by interfering with the proteins responsible for hair formation, thus weakening and causing hair to fall out. Continue reading “Smoking, is it good for your hair?”