healthy hair central

Stop the Hair Break Blues with Vitamin C A good hairstyle has a lot to do with a great lifestyle. Soft and shiny hair not only gives a terrific look, but also helps to prevent hair from breaking. That’s why intelligent people rely more on hair care vitamins to maintain their hair in a healthy manner. Although you need to include a wide range of vitamins in your daily diet to enjoy normal growth and development, if you want to keep your hair healthy and witness a faster growth, you must pack your body with required amounts of vitamin C! Also known as ascorbic acid, this vitamin, in particular, offers immense power to hair follicles to ensure incredible hair growth.

Vitamin C sources

If you want to prevent hair loss, vitamin C can help. The water-soluble vitamin, found in abundance in several fruits and vegetables, can work magic on your hair by helping you grow them as long and strong as you want. Citrus fruits, mango, strawberry, and watermelon serve as vital fruit sources of vitamin C, while among vegetables broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, tomato and potato are found to be rich in ascorbic acid that is essential to promote a thick hair growth.

How much should I take?

Be it fruits or vegetables, the best food sources of vitamin C are those that are eaten raw or uncooked. To program a perfect diet that is rich in vitamin C you must know how much of the vitamin your body needs. The dietary reference intake recommended for men and women is 75 and 90 mg/day, although the same is likely to differ depending on age and a host of other factors.

Take Vitamin C regularly

Vitamin C supplements also play a critical part in promoting healthy hair, and you can really take full advantage of them by including the supplements in your diet on a regular basis. As a vital antioxidant that is capable of preventing damages caused by free radicals, vitamin C can treat your hair problems effectively through its continuous supply into your body.

Resources

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/vitamin-c/NS_patient-vitaminc/DSECTION=evidence

do men who are bald have higher levels of testosterone There are so many people who have always tried to get the connection between baldness and the testosterone levels among men. This is as a matter of fact one of the most common questions that so many women have. You can come across it in their meetings and their pep talks, but the one thing that they do agree on, or pretty much the one thing that society agrees on is the fact that baldness does have an effect on the level of testosterone on men.

Lower levels of prostate cancer

According to scientists, this is as a matter of fact one of the greatest truths you could ever come across in as far as the hair is concerned. Forget about all the other myths about hair growth and testosterone levels. This one for sure you have to appreciate. Did you know that the risk of getting prostate cancer tends to be lower as you grow bald? Well, scientists have proven that with time, men who get to age 30 and experience reduction in hair usually have a lower chance of getting prostate cancer. For most people this sounds like a unique statistic. This is especially so since a good number of people usually consider baldness to be a bad thing altogether.

Lower chance of tumors

Besides that there are also concrete reports that the persons who tend to lose their hair earlier usually are at a lower risk of getting tumors. This was as a result of an experiment carried out at the University of Washington Medical School. This study was carried out on 2000 persons. In the event that you are looking for more on the study, you can also refer to the Cancer Epidemiology journal for more details on the same. It is important for you to take note of the fact that by the age of 30, guys usually have suffered some hair loss. As a matter of fact credible reports put this statistic to around 30% of the male population. However by the time the guys get to the age of 50, it is expected that nearly half of the population have gone through hair loss.

Understanding the catagen phase of hair growth The best way to define the catagen phase is by looking at it as a short transition stage. It is the stage where the hair transitions from being a growing, healthy component, into the shedding and replacement phase. The active growth of the hair comes to an end here. While the growth phase may take anywhere between two and eight years, the catagen phase only lasts a few weeks.

What specifically happens?

Even though it is a relatively short period, there are quite a few changes to the hair during the catagen phase. The follicle stops producing hair and the production of pigment stops as well. The hair follicle also begins to shrink, dwindling all the way down to approximately 1/6th of its previous size. The base of the hair follicle begins to move towards the surface of the skin and the dermal papilla breaks away. The hair bulb stays in the skin, and has a new hair form in it.

Club hairs

You may read that the catagen phase is considered ‘complete’ once a club hair is completely formed. When the part of the hair follicle that is breaking off comes into contact with the hair shaft, it is considered the formation of a club hair. Because this cuts off the old hair from the cellular regeneration and blood supply, the hair now transitions into the final phase.

Trademarks of the catagen phase

During this period, the following is true about our hair:

• Our hair disconnects from the blood supply
• The detached follicle will slowly shrink to approximately 15% of its original size
• The production of color pigment by the hair bulbs stops
• When the new hair is formed, the hair bulb is pushed towards the surface
• At any time, you can expect around two to three percent of our hair to be in the catagen phase

can trauma cause hair loss Is there a link between trauma and hair loss? This is a very good question. As a matter of fact this is one of the most common questions that a lot of people have to deal with in the world today. On more than one occasion there are so many people who have been victims of this condition. For this reason therefore it is important to try and address the situation as it is. Trauma does indeed cause hair loss. As a matter of fact, the whole thing is about being stressed up.

How does stress affect your hair health?

Stress has its ups and downs on people, and in most cases, the conditions resulting from stress are usually bad on the skin and the human body in general. The hair is not an exception in this scenario. It has been proven over and over again that hair loss can be caused by traumatic experiences. This usually happens as a matter of fact when you are subject to stress as a result of your trauma.

Telogen effluvium

For those who are not aware, Telogen effluvium is the name of the condition resulting from such a scenario. So how should you handle such scenarios in the event that you become a victim? Well, it is important for you to look into ways of making sure that you can reduce your level of stress, and most importantly get to achieve longer healthier hair.

In order to handle your stress levels appropriately, you will need to try and make sure that you can most importantly control your level of anxiety. Stress and trauma are pretty much related, and if you can control your stress levels, you can rest assured that you will be ok.

Don’t tug on your hair

In the event of a traumatic event there are so many things that can happen. In most cases a lot of people tend to be stressed up as a result of traumatic events. Literally, there are those who even get to the point where things are so tough on them they tug at their own hair. Well, you will have also gone a long way in aiding in hair loss by doing that.

Healthy Hair After Pregnancy It almost seems like a cruel joke, women notice that their hair looks shinier and thicker during pregnancy, but three to six months after giving birth, they may find themselves struggling with hair loss.

Why hair loss can happen

As we have discussed before, a hair follicle may produce a new hair every three to four months and then rest. During the rest period, ‘old hair’ falls out and makes room for the new hair to grow. However, the hair follicle rest periods are drastically reduced during pregnancy because of the abundance of hormones. After the estrogen levels are reduced again after giving birth, the hair follicle rest mode is going to work harder than before to return to normal.

This means that between 5 and 10 percent of hair needs to return to rest mode, which is natural. While this may be natural, it may seem as though you are losing more hair because the resting state was dramatically reduced during pregnancy. So in short, the woman is not going bald; it is simply the hair growth coming back to normal. According to the American Pregnancy Association, this hair loss will affect approximately 50% of women.

Hair regrowth

The hair lost after pregnancy will eventually grow back. However, it is possible to enhance hair regrowth by maintaining adequate nutrition or supplementation. Most women lose a great deal of nutrients through breastfeeding. The normal regrowth rate for most women (approximately 1/2 inch per month) should be back to normal between six and twelve months after the woman delivers her baby.

Enhancing hair regrowth

While avoiding hair loss after giving birth entirely may be impossible, there are ways to ensure that hair loss is reduced. It is important to be gentle with the hair while it is fragile; this means no flat irons, curling irons, or blow dryers because these provide excessive heat that may damage the hair.

As previously mentioned, it is important to provide a proper hormone balance. This means a well-balanced diet that contains antioxidants and flavonoids. In addition, in order to help stimulate regrowth and reduce hair loss, it may be a good idea to consider supplementing with minerals or vitamins.

Sulfur and Hair Loss Sulfur is a naturally occurring mineral and a key component of a number of different nutrients that we consider essential for our health. Some nutrients that depend on sulfur include the vitamins thiamin and biotin, and the amino acids taurine, cysteine, and methionine.

The vital functions of sulfur

Because it is a part of some of the amino acids in our body and part of keratin (a family of fibrous structural proteins), sulfur provides additional strength to our nails, skin, and our hair. It also helps with the production of collagen, an important element that helps our body create artery walls, cell structure, and connective tissues.

Sulfur and hair loss

This important mineral does not just benefit our overall health, but will also help regrow hair. If we look at the makeup of hair, we will see that our hair is naturally rich in sulfur. Sulfur can provide nutrients and stimulate the circulation of our hair, skin, and nails. Because it works so well in many different aspects of our body, it is often referred to as the “beauty mineral.”

That is not the only benefit to increasing our sulfur intake to a healthy level. Sulfur will help metabolize B vitamins, including Vitamin B1, Vitamin B5, and Vitamin B7, all of which are important vitamins for healthy hair. It is possible that a lack of sulfur leads to hair loss or hair that feels weak or dry to the touch.

Natural food sources

It is possible to make sure that you receive enough sulfur through your diet, but it would require a balanced diet that many people simply do not follow. The sulfur dioxide gas leaking into the air produces a smell that has been likened to rotten eggs. It is possible to find sulfur in protein-rich animal foods such as seafood, poultry, beef, eggs, and dairy. Especially egg yolk is a great source of sulfur. Some naturel produce sources of sulfur include raspberries, seaweed, kale, turnips, garlic, and onions.

msm and hair loss - toji pure density Many people on the Internet are talking about the positive benefits of Methylsulfonylmethane or MSM and hair loss prevention. What is it exactly? This water-soluble, sulfur-based compound comes from the ocean and is the third most abundant ingredient in the human body. MSM has been cited to have many benefits to growing healthy hair. MSM is naturally found in many plants and vegetation -adding MSM to your hair regimen may be a good idea if you are trying to grow the healthiest hair possible.

What is MSM and hair loss prevention?

It is a naturally occurring form of organic sulfonyl sulfur. We can find this compound in the fluid of every living organism on the planet. We also find it in a number of different foods, including a number of grains, meat, milk, green vegetables, and most of the raw, fresh fruits. It is also present in many common beverages such as tea, coffee, and milk. This crystalline solid sulfur powder is tasteless, odorless, and a pure white.

How can MSM help with stronger and longer hair?

Studies show that MSM provides stabilizing effect on the functions of our body. The sulfur in MSM is necessary for keratin and collagen, both of which are essential components for healthy nails, skin, and hair. MSM also provides established antioxidant benefits. These can alter or disrupt the chain reactions of lipid peroxidation that causes damage to the cell membranes.

A safe alternative

MSM is considered a safe substance to take; its toxicity is similar to water. Approximately 85% of the sulfur found in all living organisms is composed of MSM and its related compounds. Unfortunately, much of MSM is lost because of its volatile composition during even moderate processing. Long-term storage, pickling, smoking, drying, and traditional cooking can all deplete the MSM content of our food.

Peer-reviewed studies

A study published in the July issue of “Biomolecules & Therapeutics” in 2009, used magnesium ascorbyl phosphate (MAP) alongside MSM. The study was performed on laboratory mice and a constant 7.5% MAP solution was provided to the mice with an MSM solution ranging from 1%, 5%, and 10%. The study demonstrated that the rate of hair growth for the mice was directly linked to the percentage of MSM administered. A higher percentage of MSM led to more hair growth. This demonstrates that a combination of MAP and MSM can promote healthy hair growth.

Even though our hair may not look it when we observe it with the naked eye, it is constantly renewing, regenerating, and being replaced. The hair growth cycle for every hair has a long period of growth and relatively short period of rest. During the rest period of the hair growth cycle, the hairs are still connected to the hair follicle, but have stopped growing completely. After the resting phase is over, a new hair begins to grow as the old hair is shed. Thus, the entire hair growth cycle starts over. We look at the three stages that the growth cycle of a hair consists of.

The growing stage – anagen

This is the actual growing stage of the hair follicle and takes quite a bit longer than most people may assume. The anagen stage will typically last between three to five years.

The intermediate stage – catagen

Hair follicles do not move from the growing stage directly to the resting phase; they go through the intermediate stage known as catagen first. During this phase, the hair follicles are preparing to enter the resting phase. The deeper portions of the hair follicles begin to collapse and the phase only lasts anywhere between one and two weeks.

The resting or shedding phase – telogen

We have come to the end of the line for the hair follicle and arrived at the resting period. This will take anywhere between three and four months and the older hairs begin to fall out, leaving room for newer hairs to grow. The majority of the growth cycle of a hair follicle is taken up by the anagen phase (approximately 90%). At any given time, approximately 10% of the hairs on our head are going through the telogen or catagen phase, which means that they are not actively growing. However, we avoid bald spots during this process because the hair follicles are distributed over the scalp randomly.

Fact or fiction?

*Photo courtesy of Cour10e Fox

Do you want to have your hair stay longer for a very long time without risking going bald? The chances of you getting so many yes answers to this question are very high. There are so many people who will stop at nothing to make sure that they get to retain their hair. Well, much as this is a dream come true for many people, some are never that lucky. There are lots of myths that have been put up to try and explain the issue of hair loss to many people. One of the most common of these is that hair gel and hair spray usually cause hair loss. This is as far from the truth as can be. There are so many logical reasons why hair loss is persistent, and you can be sure that your incessant use of gel and hairspray do not rank up high on the list of things not to do.

Can styling products cause hair loss?

Hair gel has its own disadvantages in as far as the hair is concerned but none of them includes making you go bald. In most cases the use of hair gel only makes your hair dry. Besides that it has also been reported to cause extensive damage to your strands of hair individually. However the one thing that hair gel does not do is causing baldness. Over time there are so many scientists who have been able to prove that hair loss is not caused by use of hair products, and it is high time you got to believe this.

It could be other causes

There are lots of reasons why you might lose your hair. A good number of the reasons have been exploited already in lots of avenues. From shock to heredity and hormonal changes, all these are some of the most prevalent reasons why you tend to lose hair. There are also those who lose their hair as a result of medical conditions or some form of illness. Some of the medicines that have been known to cause this include the medicines for depression, blood pressure and heart conditions. Those who take medicines for joint inflammations are also at a risk of suffering hair loss.

Pregnancy and healthy hair different for everyone

*Photo courtesy of seanmcgrath

There are many changes to a woman’s body when she becomes pregnant, but the changes to a woman’s hair while she is pregnant are rarely talked about. Pregnant women often notice that their hair feels much thicker than it did before they became pregnant.

Pregnancy hormones may change the hair texture or hair growth during pregnancy. That is not to say that every pregnant woman will experience this, the hormones affect all women differently. Some will notice no significant changes to their hair while others experience fast-growing hair that feels much fuller. The increased amount of estrogens will lead to thicker hair on the scalp by extending the hair’s growing cycle.

When do women notice?

The level of hormones starts to increase during the first trimester, so this is likely when most women experience pregnancy-induced hair growth. Even if a woman notices a dramatic difference, the hair often returns to its normal growth pattern approximately three to six months after the woman gives birth.

Popular misconceptions

Pregnant women who do notice a significant difference often assume that their head of hair feels much fuller while they are pregnant, but they are in fact not growing more hair. Whereas almost 90% of our hair is constantly in the hair growth stage, the increased level of estrogen ensures that this level increases even further. This leads to a more luxuriant, thicker head of hair.

Possible hair loss?

Most women have probably also heard that pregnancy is often associated with hair loss. However, this is not until AFTER the woman has given birth. While the woman is pregnant, she will have healthy hair because of the abundance of estrogen. However, it is possible that the vomiting and nausea will lead to poor nutrition, especially in the first trimester. During that time, it may be a good idea to take supplements to prevent hair loss. Of course, it is always a good idea to discuss that with your healthcare physician before you take anything while pregnant.

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