hair breakage

My Hair Diary – October 2015

Swathy · November 2, 2015 · 9 Comments

Wow. We are two months to a brand new year and we will all be one more year older! I think with age people do come to appreciate life more. This year has been very enlightening in that way. And, I can proudly say I shall be entering my 30’s. Now, I can relate to why people say 30’s are very liberating. You appreciate yourself, your thinking changes and you become evolved more than ever!

Anyways, coming back to the post, I did not write about how my hair did last month because by the time I was settled and ready to click pics, it was almost mid-October. The whole of October just went off in the anticipation of Mr. P’s cousin’s wedding and the chronic fatigue becoming a part of life again. It is funny how one can just go on continuously ignoring their health and advising others to not do the same!!

All the travels I have been doing since August has been taking toll on my hair. I have avoided washing my hair except just one place. I think Delhi has hard water because my hair never does well over there! So, the first thing I always do after coming back from lots of travelling is, no not getting a hair spa (I am sure that would be quite lovely and quite expensive as well!), getting a hair spa at home. This has been my routine for the past couple of months, precisely June since it is when I started taking care of myself again! And, it really works for me!!

Hair Spa

Aah..it is nothing special. Just shampoo, rinse twice. No vinegar this time because it would ruin the hair color, if you have any! I have to make sure to wash my hair once every 3-4 days. No, I am not really that diligent. I do get lazy. But, not washing my hair for 4-5 days in a row makes my hair fall because of the dirt so I try not to do it.

After the hair wash, I apply a generous quantity of Schwarzkopf Color Freeze Hair Therapy hair mask. And, sit for anywhere between 15-30 minutes.

Now, I always have one question – How much quantity of conditioner and hair mask is enough? I asked my stylist the same and he actually said a 5 rupee coin sized dollop which I can easily say is not that generous. Then, he added we can add an extra of another half dollop and that would be perfect.

I did try to follow his advise in the beginning and then I started getting bored of the products. So, started scooping a bit more. On second thoughts, I realize now that I am wasting the product unnecessarily and they do not come cheap! So, in case you have the same doubt, you can try this method and see if it works for you.

#OneMonthtoHealthyHair – Thinning Hair or Hair Fall Causes

Swathy · March 20, 2015 · 3 Comments

Life is pretty unpredictable. It can change in an instant and the next instant you find yourself hurling down the hurricane, literally! Btw, something for all of you to ponder upon – you know there is a problem so is it better to face those problems headlong or to bide time till they settle down themselves.

And, that brings us to the major topic in everyone’s life! Hair Fall or Thinning Hair. Why do we get that? Here I am demystifying various reasons for it. So, read all of them patiently and see which one suits your bill and tackle the hair accordingly. Btw, a disclaimer here – this list is by no means exhaustive. There are numerous other reasons but at least I have tried to broadly categorise the causes of hair fall here.

Also Read: Are these factors causing hair fall for you and how you can work around them? {Hair Care}

Reasons for Hair Fall

#1. Shock, Tragedy or Physical or Mental Stress

Any life-changing event, good or bad, is somewhat stressful and has effect on the body, whether it is marriage, moving into a new house, getting pregnant or even travelling. Tragedies like a death in the family or an accident can also have their effects. And, the shock of these things can unravel after a few months.

For the time when these changes are happening in your life, generally the body stays inert and the shock of the event gradually sets in as the time passes. And, then, those changes affect your body. That is why you can notice hair fall certain time after the event.

#2. Diet and Lack of Exercise

I know you must have been tired by now reading this point over and over again! But, nothing can beat this. If you are regularly following a balanced diet and getting your regular dose of exercise, nothing can really harm you. This is most often the simplest cure for all your ailments.

– Lack of protein

Well, hair is made of protein and water. So, obviously, if your body has less protein intake, the structure of the hair is weakened. And, gradually, the hair falls off.

– Weight Loss or Crash Diets

Aah, this is something I would love to go on and on about. Weight loss is NOT the result of crash diets or skipping meals or eating whenever you feel like. All this results in bad health. So, whenever you really think of losing weight, sit back and formulate a plan with a doctor or a dietician. You do not want to compromise on health. And, on this point, I would say that making some very small changes in your everyday life can have HUGE benefits on your weight.

#3. Medical or Hormonal Issues

– Pregnancy

Generally, in pregnancy, you observe hair fall after the delivery rather than during the pregnancy. It is because all the hairs go into the resting stage during the pregnancy and they fall out once body returns to normal state. This is usually temporary and resolves itself.

– Anemia

Iron deficiency, especially when it progresses into full-blown iron deficiency anemia, can cause hair loss. “It sends your body into survival mode, so your body channels oxygen to support vital functions as opposed to ones like keeping your hair intact,” (Source)

– Hypothyroid

Iron deficiency slows your body’s thyroid function and blocks its metabolism-boosting effects, according to the National Academy of Hypothyroidism. (Source)

– Vitamin B family

Vitamin B1 – B12 are all very important for hair growth and healthy hair. And, sometimes, some bodies are resistant to absorption of B vitamins easily from the diet sources which is why they need supplements. For that, you need to get consultation with the doctor. And, eating a balanced diet also helps in this area!

– Immune system

Now, at this point, I would like to mention that there are some autoimmune disorders in which the immune system is hyperactive and considers the hair as a foreign body and starts attacking the hair follicles. There are various types of such disorders with differing intensities. Some of them lead to permanent hair loss and some are treatable.

– Medications

Now, if you have been taking any antibiotics or contraceptive pills or anti-depressant or stimulants or any other strong medications for terminal illnesses, they all can cause some side-effects. And, then, there are medications which your body rejects or does not suit you. So, may be you are one of those categories!

#4. Heredity or Age

– Heredity

Aah. This thing with genes, I wish I could avoid. I have genetically fine and thin and flat hair and prone to LOADS of splits! I so wish I had the hair of my friend. She did NOT know what a split end was?

Yeah, so, you really can not do anything about those genes. They determine most of the things about your hair – color, texture, volume, length, hair fall issues like male pattern baldness.

But, the good news here is that hair changes its texture every 7 years. So, take good care of your hair and you can actually control the genetic characteristics to an extent.

– Age

But, what you can not control is your age and your body’s aging process. If you have not been on the active side, your body’s metabolism and other functioning have already slowed down by the time you have reached the late twenties and the time you cross the 30, your hormones are wreaking all their havoc. The first to witness it is the hair because it is such an unnecessary organ of the body, if it is called an organ!

So, keep yourself physically active and change your hair and skin routine to suit their needs and everything should be fine. Getting a doctor’s consultation should do you good to make out for the deficient vitamins in your body or anything else your body might need.

#5. Scalp Health and Hair Routine

– Scalp problems

Do you have psoriasis or eczema or alopecia areta? Or, may be your scalp is not well fed (poor blood circulation on the inside and nothing on the outside) which leads to weak hair roots. Or, may be you have the common dandruff or just unclean scalp.

– Clean Scalp

Remember never to let sweat accumulate on your scalp. The salt in the sweat causes lot of hair fall. And, then, we have hairs which get broken in between. All this happens because of poor scalp health.

– Hair Care Routine

And, then, your hair care routine also has a lot to do with how your hair is doing. There is a compulsive disorder in which the person afflicted with it keeps on playing with the hair and pulling it all the time. That leads to hair breakage and thinning. The disorder is called tricholomania.

– Chemical Treatments / Overstyling

Similarly, if you treat your hair too harshly, comb or brush it quickly and with force or tie your hair or braids too tightly or overstyling it or using too many harsh products, all this can affect your hair in the long run.

– Changing Products

Another thing is when you change your products or hair care routine, it is generally normal to see a bit of hair fall, because hair takes time to get adjusted with the new routine. So, again this hair fall is temporary and resolves itself.

– Gradual Hair Fall

What you need to keep a lookout on is the gradual hair fall (may happen for years) which you would not be able to notice till it is too late, not the sudden hair fall which makes your hair fall in clumps. It is easy to spot it and handle the situation.

#6. Overdoing your Vitamins

So, yes, this one is internally tied to the hair supplements post I did last week. Sometimes, we overdo the vitamins and that has a negative effect on the body!! So, keep that in mind.

These are a few reasons of hair fall. I have tried to categorize them as broadly as I can but then there are quite a lot of things that must have been left out. So, let me know which hair fall do you think you suffer from?

#OneMonthtoHealthyHair – Why is your hair not growing?

Swathy · March 16, 2015 · 2 Comments

So, another very common hair problem I came across while reading all the participants hair profiles was the complaint that their hairs were not growing. Now, the obvious answer is generally diet and genetics. So, let us explore if there are other reasons why your hair might not be growing.

Genes

Well, your hair type is a lot dependant on how your parents hair are or have been!! And, then, every person has a unique hair cycle which decides how long will your hair grow so if your hair is not growing beyond a certain point, it is because your hair growth cycle is very short.

In this case, the only thing you can do is to maintain the volume and make sure you hair is healthy. You can try to nourish your hair and try to increase the hair growth cycle period but there is no guarantee if that really happens.

Diet

This is another most common issue. Either due to bad eating habits or irregular routine or lack of absorption of the nutrients, your hair is the first to show signs of body abuse.

So, make sure you are taking good care of yourself by eating properly, cutting down on junk food, following a proper routine. And, also, it might be a good idea to get checked for any vitamin deficiencies.

Curly Hair

Well, this is a no-brainer. What happens with curly hair is that it tends to curl more as it grows so you do not really come to know the actual length of your hair!

Now, we come on to more serious reasons.

Age or Lack of Exercise

If you have crossed the 30-mark, the body functioning slows down and it is no longer as active as it used to be. Also, the blood circulation in the body might not be at its optimal.

Even if you are still under 20 but a certified couch potato or one who has minimal physical exercise, it is a good time for you to increase the oxygen flow in your body by working out. Lack of oxygen can impair growth of your hair.

Hair Routine and Scalp Health

Now, a lot depends on how you handle your hair – whether you are exposing it too much in sun or treating it to a lot of chemicals or even using the wrong hair bands.

And, then, we have the scalp issues which I have already discussed about.

Another issue is Hair Breakage. Now, if your hair is dry and brittle or has lots of split ends or if the hair is weak because of the lack of protein, your hair would fall off early and not grow to the desired length.

These are just a few reasons why your hair might not be growing. A few other reason are medical like thyroid issues or hormonal imbalances or you might have diabetes. Though the list is endless, I have mentioned a few points to start with!