healthy hair central

You might love the natural way your hair curls, but you definitely don’t feel that love when you brush it and its frizz gets in the way; this is definitely everything but the polished and sleek look you’re aiming for. So, without further ado, here are twelve very simple tips to keep your hair frizz-free:

Avoid brushing your hair once it’s dry. The right time to brush curly hair is after you wash and dry it gently with towel. Use a brush, comb or your own fingers to brush slightly wet hair and then apply an anti-frizz product to easily maintain it throughout the day.
If you have to comb your hair while it’s dry, add some water to your tresses. However, the best way to achieve good results remains finger-combing your hair with wet hands to slightly style and untangle it.
Another way you can manage frizz is by taking some conditioner, watering it down a bit and applying it to your hair tips gently.
A convenient way to control frizz and add shine to the hair is to use conditioners that are protein-infused.
Using too many hair styling appliances, such as a hair dryer and flat iron, can make it brittle and easy to break. So try using these products as little as possible.
Dryness is one of the major causes of frizz, so keeping your hair moisturized can help you reduce this symptom. Simply use a conditioner, natural oil or an anti-frizz cream for this purpose.
Using chemical products like relaxers and straighteners can also make your hair weak and cause breakage, therefore steer away from these as well.
When you’re drying your hair, consider using a round brush to smoothen the cuticles since it’s gentler on the hair.
If you want to give your hair a lift and a smoother look, dry the roots only and let the tips and shafts dry naturally.
Using products containing alcohol can make your hair dry and increase its frizziness. So before buying a shampoo or a conditioner, go through its ingredients and make sure that it’s alcohol-free.
If you tend to experience afternoon frizz, you can get rid of it with a bit of children’s detangling spray. This is perfect as it won’t give your hair a greasy look.
A professional would know best how you can keep your hair frizz-free all day long, so talk to your stylist and find out which products would be best for you.

Try these simple tips and enjoy smooth frizz-free hair all day long.

Dealing with dandruff isn’t easy, especially after you have tried every treatment in the book. However, there are a few things you can do to bring back all your black clothes and be less conscious about pesky white flakes. Here are ten easy tips to incorporate into your daily routine.

1. Shampoo Your Hair Every Day –

Keep your scalp clean by washing it daily. You will get rid of the excess oil, dirt particles, and flakes that come with dandruff.

2. Change Your Shampoo –

If your regular shampoo is useless, buy a new one that contains either zinc pyrithione, selenium sulfide, salicylic acid, or ketoconazole. These ingredients fight off the main cause of dandruff: the malassezia fungus.

3. Pick Three Different Shampoos –

Don’t stick to a single brand of shampoo. A resistance may form with the constant use of active ingredients, so it’s better that you use three shampoos and rotate them monthly.

4. Lather Twice While Washing Your Hair –

By lathering twice, you’ll be able to wash off the oil accumulation and flakes first, allowing the ingredients to penetrate further into skin cells.

5. Use Tar Shampoo –

Consider switching to tar shampoo as it helps decrease the hair cell turnover. Its drawbacks, however, are its odor, ability to stain light hair, and irritation of scalp.

6. Rinse Your Hair –

Rinse your hair with a conditioner, crème, or even with lemon juice. A good conditioner will make your hair manageable, reduce its stiffness, and seal its moisture.

7. Check The Sensitivity Of Your Scalp –

If you have sensitive skin, avoid harsh chemical shampoos as they might inflame your hair follicles and cause folliculitis, the inflammation of one more hair follicles.

8. Don’t Irritate Your Scalp –

If you scratch your scalp, wounds will begin to appear. With wounded skin, you shouldn’t use a medicated shampoo until your head is healed.

9. Avoid Sweat –

Workouts or exercises can make you perspire excessively, leading to skin cells flaking. So shower after a workout to curb your dandruff.

10. Don’t Use Sticky Stuff Often –

Using hair styling gels, mousses, sprays or any such product support oil buildup. So avoid applying them often.
With these tips, you can kiss dandruff goodbye once and for all. What has and hasn’t worked for you? Comment with your thoughts or tips.

Women enjoy flaunting their hair; it is their crown of glory and one of the features that make them stand out. However, healthy hair is becoming a rarity among today’s women as they tend to face a number of hair-related problems. If you’re wondering what those are, here are five common issues.

1. Dandruff

Dandruff is the white particles that stick to your roots and are hard to hide. If you’ve been careless with your diet lately or are suffering from a low metabolism rate, scalp infection, and stress, dandruff is inevitable and so is hair loss. The solution to this problem is anti-dandruff shampoos and a healthier lifestyle.

2. Split Ends

Split ends occur when your hair turns brittle and dry. If you comb or brush your hair more, go for perms and dye frequently, or expose your hair to heat often, split ends will quickly form. Use conditioners that suit your hair type to avoid split ends.

3. Frizzy Hair

Women consider frizzy hair a curse, but it’s basically an issue caused by loss of moisture. To protect the natural moisture of your hair, don’t brush your hair often, especially while using a hair dryer. This condition can be hereditary passing from parent to child, so identify the cause first and then look for a treatment.

4. Flaky Scalp

Flaky scalp is yet another common issue women want to get rid of. Dead skin flakes reduce the hair growth process, leading to hair loss. To reverse this condition, you need to take vitamins and stop using hair styling products with high chemical content.

5. Hair Fall

Just like men, women can be victims of hair loss. The main causes of hair loss among women are stress, birth control, hormonal changes, DHT, menopause, reaction to medication, and excessive use of styling products. To counter this issue, use a shampoo formulated to combat hair loss that provides nutrition to your hair and cleans off the dirt, oil and other residue.

If any of these issues haunt you, consult a specialist immediately or use home remedies for the best results. What issues haunt your hair? Comment below with your thoughts and hair issues.

Did you know there’s a right way to wash your hair in the shower that minimizes breakage and increases how healthy your hair looks? Learning the proper technique to wash your hair will help keep your precious hair on your head. We recommend a 5-minute wash 3-4 times a week. Healthy hair begins with a healthy scalp. You too can have healthy hair by properly maintaining your scalp and follicles. Start with warm water and rinse with cool water. Here are the steps to healthier hair:

Step 1: Brush before you shower

Brushing before you shower not only reduces the amount of hairs that get caught in your drain, it will also help minimize breakage and stimulate circulation in your scalp.

Step 2: Wet your hair and apply the shampoo

Wet your hair, and apply a quarter-size of shampoo into the palm of your hand. Start by applying to the roots of your hair and moving your way down. If you have really long hair, don’t be afraid to use more shampoo.

Step 3: Massage your scalp

Massaging your scalp increases the circulation and delivery of nutrients that help nourish your hair to grow. Before you rinse, use the shampoo on your hair to gently massage your scalp with your fingers. Create circular motions by rubbing your scalp and gently running your fingers away from the scalp. Restart the massage every 20-30 seconds by quickly running your hands under the water. Adding water to the shampoo on your scalp will help the shampoo break down and increase nutrient delivery to your scalp.

Step 4: Rinse with lukewarm water

Use lukewarm water to gently rinse your hair. Make sure you rub from the scalp down to get rid of built up gunk in your scalp and hair.

Step 5: Rinse with cold water

If you’re looking to use conditioner, now is the time. Apply it to the mid-length of your hair and move down. Finish your wash by rinsing with cool water to seal the cuticles.

Enjoy!

1.Double check your home treatments and technique

When treating your own hair at home, it’s easy to be overzealous and damage your scalp without even knowing. Because you can’t easily view your scalp, you won’t even notice the difference. If you straighten, process, color, or heat your hair at home, try getting a second opinion from a professional to make sure you are doing it correctly. Paying a stylist to do it once is cheap in the long run, and may teach you some important techniques that you can use when you style at home.

2. Make sure you’re getting enough vitamins.

The modern diet of our society can be an insufficient source of vitamins and minerals that are used by the body to maintain healthy hair. For instance, Iron-deficiency anemia is common when the body isn’t getting enough iron. You can get your vitamin levels checked by monitoring your daily intake, or by having your physician run a test. Vitamin deficiencies can be easily resolved by supplementing your daily intake with a multi-vitamin.

3. Get rid of hairstyles that tug on your hair.

Braids and weaves that are made too tight often pull out hair that otherwise would be on your head. Keep your ponytails and braids loose to keep your hair from unnecessarily being pulled out.

4. Skip the flat iron if your hair is still wet.

Wet hair breaks easier than dry hair. Before doing any form of tugging on your hair, make sure your hair has adequately dried via air or a soft blow dry. Blow dry on the lowest setting and feel your hair over time. It will look and feel significantly healthier than blasting it on high heat all the time.

5. Do not leave products in for longer than advised.

Contrary to conventional wisdom, that tingling feeling you feel on your scalp by leaving products in for longer than advised may be significantly damaging your hair and scalp. Follow the instructions and recommended time to minimize hair and scalp damage.

6. Eat adequate amounts of protein.

Protein is one of the main building blocks of hair. Check your diet to make sure you’re getting enough. The more active you are, the more protein you will need in your diet to promote healthy hair growth.

Photo by cc by 2.0

Your body needs a balanced diet to promote the growth of healthy hair. The effect of diet on the health of your hair does not happen over night. It takes time for hair to grow out. Your hair follicles require a proper diet to improve the health of your hair. Your diet is important but there are also other lifestyle considerations that affect the health of your hair. Smoking, hormonal imbalances, and lack of sleep can also affect your hair health. Although nourishing your hair with proper nutrition is important, there is no amount of nutrients that can make up for those concerns. Still, you have a lot of room to improve if your diet is not as good as it could be. Regular intake of the following foods will lead to a well-rounded diet that provides your hair with the nutrients it needs to grow healthy. Keep in mind this list is not prioritized in any way. Also, we recommend that you try to get all of the foods into your regular diet instead of focusing on one or two.

1. Salmon

Salmon’s abundance of protein, vitamin D, and omega-3 fatty acids make it a super food for your hair. Your body is unable to make omega-3, an important nutrient in hair growth, so eating salmon ensures you get enough.

2. Poultry

Poultry is high in protein, zinc, iron, and B vitamins. Your hair is primarily comprised of protein and the growth cycle requires adequate amounts to grow hair.

3. Kale

The iron, beta-carotene, folate, and vitamin C in kale help maintain healthy hair follicles and aid with the secretion of essential scalp oils.

4. Walnuts

Walnuts contain the most omega-3 fatty acids out of all nuts. Walnuts also contain biotin and vitamin E, which increases your cells resilience to genetic DNA damages. Also, walnuts contain copper, which helps your hair maintain its sheen an color.

5. Yogurt

Yogurt is high in protein, vitamin B5, and vitamin D. Vitamin B5 is commonly cited as a hair nutrient that aids in healthy hair growth. Make sure you’re getting enough by visiting the dairy section of your local grocery store

6. Oysters

Oysters contain protein and zinc, an ingredient that aids against hair loss.

7. Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes provide beta carotene which is used by your body to create Vitamin A. Vitamin A is used to produce oils that promote a healthy scalp. Without Vitamin A, the scalp can become dry and flaky.

8. Eggs

Eggs are a great source of protein, zinc, selenium, sulfur, and iron. Iron aids with delivery of nutrients to the scalp. Without iron, the scalp can suffer from inadequate amounts of oxygen and other elements needed in the hair growth cycle.

9. Blueberries

Blueberries are a great source of anti-oxidants such as vitamin C. Vitamin C aids in nutrient delivery and ensures that your hair follicles receive the precious nutrients of your daily diet. Vitamin C also shelds the body and hair from free radicals in the body.

10. Legumes

Legumes are high in protein, iron, zinc, and biotin, and are great for vegetarians looking to supplement their protein intake.

Now that you know what foods are great for healthy hair, how has your diet been? Comment below and let us know if you’ve been feeding your hair correctly, or if you have foods you think should be added to this list.

Photo By http://goo.gl/EhBWUo cc by http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Accounts of people with red hair can be traced back through history to ancient Greek and Roman periods. Red hair has been found among ancient Chinese and even found to be common among some Polynesian tribes. Overall 1-2% of the population at any given time have red hair with 5-6% of red heads being found in Northern and Western Europe. So where did red hair actually come from?

Red hair is by far the least common natural hair color and the highest concentration of red heads today live in Northern and Western Europe. The largest concentration of red heads can be found in Scotland which boasts a 13% red headed population.

Red hair is actually the result of a genetic mutation which is also responsible for fair skin and freckles. In 2001 research indicated that the gene for red hair possibly began its origins with none other than Neanderthal man. Red hair is actually caused by a mutation in the Melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1r), which tells cells to produce either a lighter or darker pigment of melanin called eumelanin. People with the mutation of the MC1r gene actually produce another melanin called Pheomelanin which is responsible for the lighter red/brown pigments.

While medieval beliefs often thought that red heads were the sign of sexual desire and moral degeneration; science has told us that it’s just a mutated gene that produces the fiery red colors of the red head. A far cry from the witches, werewolves and vampires that were once thought to be the cause.

Resources

Have you ever tried to count the hairs on your head? It may seem like a task that you can complete with some time, but chances are you’ll never make it. The average individual has approximately 100,000 hairs on his or her head. This number is the same for both men and women. Do you think that you could count that many tiny hairs?

More on Hair

On an average day an individual will lose 60 to 70 hairs. But don’t worry. Most of those hairs are replaced with new growth. The average person will also regrow about ½ an inch of hair every single month!

Hair on the head is not constantly growing, however. If it did you might see yourself looking like a gorilla and not liking what you are seeing. There are active phases and resting phases. The active phase is known as the anagen phase while the resting phases is known as the telogen phase. The hair comes out of the head during the telogen phase.

Why Do We Have Hair?

Do you have any guesses? Hair protects the skin from harm and irritants. Our entire body is actually covered in hair, although some of it is too fine for us to see. The only exception to this is the palms of the hands and the feet. These two areas do not have any hair on them. Of course, men have more hair than women in most cases.

Hair is something that each and every individual has, and some of us have more than others. Hair plays an important part in how we perceive other people and how they perceive us, so it is no wonder that most people look for ways in which they can prolong the life of their hair, make their hair appear fuller and healthier, and try to regrow hair that has been lost through aging.

Resources

http://www.mayoclinic.org/medical-edge-newspaper-2012/mar-02a.html http://www.sharecare.com/question/hair-functions-purpose

When it comes to men’s health there are few subjects as touchy as hair loss. It seems that since the first man lost his hair, others have begun looking for ways to avert the problem. Since that time, numerous tales have been developed promising natural ways to prevent hair from falling out. One of the most fantastic of these stories surrounds the myth that the way you sleep actually has influence over the amount of hair that you will lose.

If you have not heard of these myths in the past, it goes something along the lines of sleeping in a certain position will cause the hair on that side to fall out at a faster rate. While there is some good evidence showing that sleep loss or deprivation will lead to hair loss, none of this evidence suggests that your sleep position will have a similar effect. The people that tell these stories usually have found them from a forwarded e-mail or pulled them from the depths of the internet. If in doubt you should always consult a doctor or a website that can actually be trusted. In other words, look for sources that you know to be reputable for real information about hair loss.

If you are still wondering about hair loss and what really causes it, you can find quality information in this regard. Your genes actually play a large part in determining how much hair you will lose as the follicles in your hair are essentially pre-programmed already. In other words, lying with your head in one position versus another will not make a shred of difference. The best thing that you can do when it comes to sleeping is to make sure that you are getting enough of it and that you are comfortable throughout the night.

Resources

Everything in your body is nurtured by your blood. Without having nutrient-rich blood traveling throughout your body, vital organs would not receive the material they need to function. Your brain needs good blood flow, your limbs, your skin, and organs too. Following this logic it makes sense that without good blood flow to your hair, it will not grow well, and will even start to die. If you rob your hair of the nutrients and other materials that it needs to thrive, then it will wither.

Decreased Blood Flow Leads to Hair Loss

Many things can lead to premature hair loss in a person. Hair loss can be brought on by a poor diet, inflammation of the scalp, imbalances in internal chemistry, and by decreased blood flow. It is also true that a bald head will have less blood flow too. Without hair actively requiring nourishment to grow, your body will send less blood to your scalp and it will remain a poor area to grow hair.

Increasing Blood Flow

The solution to your problems is not to go through some ridiculously expensive and invasive surgery to artificially make your blood pump better to your scalp. What you want to do is to provide a healthy environment for your body to grow in. To do this give it a good diet that contains all of the minerals, nutrients, and calories that it needs to produce healthy hair. If you give your body what it requires to function then it will correct low blood flow on its own and your scalp will begin to see decreased hair loss, and even hair regrowth over time.

Unfortunately testing for blood flow is not going to be very effective. If you are already balding or bald you are going to find that you have less blood flow to your scalp. This may or may not be because of a lack of nutrients. Your body naturally sends less blood to the scalp when it is not growing hair. It is a leap of faith of your part to improve your diet and lifestyle in order to promote healthier levels of blood flow in your body. There is a good chance that this will help your hair repair itself, or even begin to grow back in.

Resources

Tag Archives: lifestyle

1. Shampoo Your Hair Every Day –

2. Change Your Shampoo –

3. Pick Three Different Shampoos –

4. Lather Twice While Washing Your Hair –

5. Use Tar Shampoo –

6. Rinse Your Hair –

7. Check The Sensitivity Of Your Scalp –

8. Don’t Irritate Your Scalp –

9. Avoid Sweat –

10. Don’t Use Sticky Stuff Often –

1. Dandruff

2. Split Ends

3. Frizzy Hair

4. Flaky Scalp

5. Hair Fall

Step 1: Brush before you shower

Step 2: Wet your hair and apply the shampoo

Step 3: Massage your scalp

Step 4: Rinse with lukewarm water

Step 5: Rinse with cold water

2. Make sure you’re getting enough vitamins.

3. Get rid of hairstyles that tug on your hair.

4. Skip the flat iron if your hair is still wet.

5. Do not leave products in for longer than advised.

6. Eat adequate amounts of protein.

1. Salmon

2. Poultry

3. Kale

4. Walnuts

5. Yogurt

6. Oysters

7. Sweet Potatoes

8. Eggs

9. Blueberries

10. Legumes

More on Hair

Why Do We Have Hair?

Decreased Blood Flow Leads to Hair Loss

Increasing Blood Flow