healthy hair central

*Image courtesy of passamanarie

Are split ends and hair growth related?

The dreaded split ends that make your hair look like you haven’t paid attention to it in weeks, frizzy and uncontrollable. Oftentimes friends and family (and even strangers on the street) will tell you to cut off split ends the moment you identify them. So oftentimes we do, but why exactly are we cutting those split ends, does it provide any benefit or do we do it because it’s what we have always done’? Are split ends and hair growth correlated?

Why we cut off split ends

First things first, look at this incredible close-up of what split ends look like – pretty damaged as is. What you are seeing there is the cortex, which is composed of long-coiled proteins called keratin that provide texture and strength to your hair. Usually the cuticle protects this layer, but with split ends, the cuticle is damaged. This causes the protein fibers to unravel.

Now, what happens if you do not cut off the problem area is the shaft of each and every individual hair is going to continue to split. In other words, the problem is going to spread, like a crack in your windshield. What starts as a small problem, eventually grows and becomes a much larger problem. Therefore, unless you cut it off now, you will have to cut off a larger amount of hair later to resolve the problem.

When to cut them off

The moment that split ends occur, you only need a light trim, maybe about a half-inch or so to take care of the problem area. Wait longer, maybe an inch past the tips, and you are left with no other alternative but to take off considerably more.

There are lots of steps you can take to prevent split ends, but the second they occur the best step to take is just cutting them off to prevent future damage to the rest of your hair. Although split ends and hair growth are not directly correlated, managing split ends can increase how much healthy hair you have in the long run.

Our blog entries are for your information only and are not intended as medical advice. Because everyone is different, we recommend you work with your medical professional to determine what’s best for you. Toji: Pure Density is designed to support healthy hair growth, and comes with a 3-bottle guarantee. Yes – this means you can try it for 3 months, and if you don’t grow faster, thicker, longer hair we will gladly provide you a complete, 100% money back, refund . For more info, check out our site: www.tojilife.com.

*Image courtesy of Larry Rosenstein

How do rubber bands cause hair loss?

If you are reading this, rubber bands cause hair loss, do not use rubber bands to hold your hair back or to style your hair – do we have your attention? If you look at undamaged, healthy hair, you will find it has a cuticle layer that is tightly sealed. This protects your hair. Using rubber bands may damage your hair, which means that you will see changes in hair moisture, strength, shine, and elasticity. And the worst part about it? Once hair is truly damaged, it is impossible to repair it completely.

Studies show rubber bands cause hair loss

Studies show that people who regularly use rubber bands to put their hair in ponytails have hair that simply stops growing. The growing has ceased because of the trauma caused by the use of the rubber bands. The hair is literally broken at the scalp. How many times have you fidgeted with your rubber band? Because they are so difficult to remove and fit tight, they can cause trauma to the hair.

What happens with damaged hair?

It does not matter if you damage your hair by pulling it back too tightly, over-processing, or use rubber bands, it may lead to the deletion of the whole cuticle layer, uplifted cuticle scales, brittle cuticles, and decreased shine. Because damaged hair is dry, porous, and weak, it becomes very difficult to manage. Due to the stress on the hair because of the tight elastic, it may result in hair breakage.

What is the alternative?

It is important to remember that anything applied to the hair too tightly can cause the hair to break. This includes clips, pins, and numerous other hair accessories. If you want to control your hair, try fabric scrunchies. These are often less harsh for your hair. Alternatively, you can use rubber-padded clips and combs. If you use pins or clips, use them in different places on your hair. That way, breakage is not localized in one single area.

Our blog entries are for your information only and are not intended as medical advice. Because everyone is different, we recommend you work with your medical professional to determine what’s best for you. Toji: Pure Density is designed to support healthy hair growth, and comes with a 3-bottle guarantee. Yes – this means you can try it for 3 months, and if you don’t grow faster, thicker, longer hair we will gladly provide you a complete, 100% money back, refund . For more info, check out our site: www.tojilife.com.

Image courtesy of lethargic

Good God, you are so stressed out. Johnson wants his reports at his desk by morning and this PhD program is just spreading you so thin! Speaking of thin, have you looked at your hair lately? I’m not saying that you’re balding, but I believe your neck is growing a bubble.

It’s high time for you to calm down, because stress – not your intelligence – is the reason that you are prematurely balding. You see, stress has a huge impact on liver health, which in turn affects your hormonal balance and hair loss. Here’s more detail about stress and hair loss, if you’re curious.

Take a breather, smarty pants, because this is reversible. Next time you go to the drugstore, buy yourself some vitamins, like fatty acids, B vitamins, and magnesium, because these all cleanse the liver. While you’re there, make sure to pick up some Biotin and fish oils, as they provide nutrients that may help restore your hair.

Take some time and re-evaluate your stressors and how you can reduce them. Strap on your sneakers, and go for a run around your block – have some fun with it, pretend you’re running away from Johnson (our little secret; don’t worry, I hate him too). Once you get back to your apartment, stretch and meditate, put on some Enya, listen to some NPR, just make sure to breathe in and out, and in…and out.

All done? If you’re not sure what that is you’re feeling, it’s probably because you’re finally relaxed. It’s been a while, hasn’t it? Keep it up, chronic stress causes such ailments like headaches, high blood pressure, heart problems, diabetes, skin conditions, asthma, arthritis, depression, and anxiety.

Our blog entries are for your information only and are not intended as medical advice. Because everyone is different, we recommend you work with your medical professional to determine what’s best for you. Toji: Pure Density is designed to support healthy hair growth, and comes with a 3-bottle guarantee. Yes – this means you can try it for 3 months, and if you don’t grow faster, thicker, longer hair we will gladly provide you a complete, 100% money back, refund . For more info, check out our site: www.tojilife.com.

Even if you seem to be cleaning out loose strands of hair from your shower drain more than usual, there is still a silver lining: it may be too early to diagnose yourself with male-patterned baldness just yet.

Male-patterned baldness (or androgenetic alopecia if you want to impress your dinner date with a fancy new word) is the most common form of hair loss in men – in fact, about 95% of all hair loss in men is attributed to this pesky little disease.

If you find that you are shedding your mane at a rapid rate — well, there is good news and bad news:

The Good:
Depending on your age, lifestyle, and your hair’s growth cycle, we all lose between 40 to 120 strands per day. With male-patterned baldness, the issue is not losing the hair – the problem lies in the inability to grow it back.

The Bad:
The only way to know for sure if you are indeed suffering from male-patterned baldness is time, so before you go mourning the loss of your locks to the teeth of your hairbrush, it’s best to face the facts. According to the North American Hair Research Society, as many as 50% of men are affected by male-patterned hair loss by the time they reach 50, with hair loss beginning as early as puberty – and you thought all you had to worry about your awkward existence at that age.

If your patience is wearing thin (much like your hair), there are treatments that can help defy the cruel prank that Mother Nature has played on you.

For some OTC help, studies show that there is a 45% increase in hair thickness when using Rogaine’s 5% solution, with re-growth occurring as early as two months after starting treatment. For some big-time follicle stimulation, prescription-strength Propecia is the only medication available for male-patterned baldness. If instant gratification is more your speed, you can always shell out the bigger bucks for a hair transplant.

Then again, there are always hats…

Our blog entries are for your information only and are not intended as medical advice. Because everyone is different, we recommend you work with your medical professional to determine what’s best for you. Toji: Pure Density is designed to support healthy hair growth, and comes with a 3-bottle guarantee. Yes – this means you can try it for 3 months, and if you don’t grow faster, thicker, longer hair we will gladly provide you a complete, 100% money back, refund . For more info, check out our site:www.tojilife.com.

*Image courtesy of Stuartpilbrow

You’ve had a long day, trust me, I know. You’ve just stepped out of the shower, and you’re about to brush your hair before you go to sleep — so which should you reach for, the comb or the brush?

When it comes to the race against your hairline, the proper styling is essential in order to avoid the dreaded comb-over. Although hair loss from brushes and combs is not permanent, it is essential to use the correct ones in order to prevent leaving behind any of strands from your cherished coif in your hair styling tools.

Sink your teeth into this: Ever notice how much hair seems to fall out more when taming your tresses straight out of the shower? Since wet hair is weaker than dry hair, it must be treated like a newborn baby to prevent damage, like breaking and splitting, or even worse – falling out. After a shower, or anytime when you are detangling your hair, it is best to use a wide-toothed comb to manage your mane.

But don’t throw away that brush just yet: Brushing your hair helps improve shine by distributing the oils throughout the length of your hair. The best way to do it? Start at the end and work your way up – that way, if you encounter a stray knot, it will not cause as much damage or hair loss as haphazardly working from the scalp.

So let’s recap: which should you use? The correct answer is both, combing is for detangling, while brushing is for shine. Seems simple enough right? If you still find yourself having to clean out your brushes and combs often even when using both correctly, don’t blame your tools – blame it on your genes.

Our blog entries are for your information only and are not intended as medical advice. Because everyone is different, we recommend you work with your medical professional to determine what’s best for you. Toji: Pure Density is designed to support healthy hair growth, and comes with a 3-bottle guarantee. Yes – this means you can try it for 3 months, and if you don’t grow faster, thicker, longer hair we will gladly provide you a complete, 100% money back, refund . For more info, check out our site:www.tojilife.com.

*Image courtesy of Gerrilynn Nunley

It’s the dog days of summer, and you might as well move to the closest beach because you are really living it up this year. You have cleared your agenda to make room for sun and fun, but are you protecting your hair?

Your hair acts like a shield against the sun, protecting your scalp and your hair from receiving damaging rays. Unfortunately for us, our shields have cracks that we must mend in order to have healthy hair after a long day with the bright sky – those destructive UVA and UVB rays that can harm your skin can also penetrate your scalp and cause damage to the cuticle and inner structures of your hair, causing hair loss.

So how do you know if your tanning is taking it’s toll? Fortunately enough, there are some signs that show that you are experiencing sun damage from long-term exposure, like: faded color, dry hair, split ends, frizziness, and thinning tresses.

The best way to protect yourself from the sun is with a hat, whether wide-brimmed or if you’re just borrowing your boyfriend’s baseball cap, a hat will protect your hair – and skin! You can also protect your hair with carefully chosen hair products, like shampoos, conditioners, leave-in conditioners, and hair sprays that contain SPF.

After the sun sets, make sure to use deep-conditioning treatments to restore your hair to its natural state. Remember, never, ever, use sun-activated hair-lightening products that were oh-so popular in the ‘90s – blondes may have more fun, but these products have high levels of peroxide and alcohol that will speed up any damage caused by the sun.

Our blog entries are for your information only and are not intended as medical advice. Because everyone is different, we recommend you work with your medical professional to determine what’s best for you. Toji: Pure Density is designed to support healthy hair growth, and comes with a 3-bottle guarantee. Yes – this means you can try it for 3 months, and if you don’t grow faster, thicker, longer hair we will gladly provide you a complete, 100% money back, refund . For more info, check out our site:www.tojilife.com.

*Photo courtesy of Phil Grondin

healthy hair central

Category Archives: Healthy Hair Habits

Split Ends and Hair Growth

Are split ends and hair growth related?

Why we cut off split ends

When to cut them off

Hair Loss Prevention – Rubber Bands Cause Hair Loss

How do rubber bands cause hair loss?

Studies show rubber bands cause hair loss

What happens with damaged hair?

What is the alternative?

Chill Out, Smarty Pants: The Link Between Intellectuals and Hair Loss

Lost and Found: Is Losing Hair Daily a Sign of Male-Patterned Baldness?

Hair Loss Court: The Case of Comb v. Brush

Your Hair vs. the Elements: Does Long-Term Sun Exposure Cause Hair Loss?