Simple Steps to Have Shiny Hair

If you love the look of your hair when it’s shiny, glossy and frizz-free, you might be saving up for an in-salon keratin straightening treatment, or tried one already. At a high cost, these treatments promise to turn even the frizziest, most unruly manes into manageable sleek locks, with results that last for months.

But recent headlines have warned of the hazards of these treatments. It turns out that formaldehyde fumes from the smoothing ingredients, which are sealed into the hair with a flatiron, can cause lung, eye and skin irritation. This is true, government investigations found, even of treatments that are advertised as being formaldehyde-free. That’s led some stylists to don gas masks while providing smoothing treatments and to offer masks to their clients as well.

OK, so this news might be unsettling, but don’t despair. Some simple steps will help you achieve smooth, shiny hair — without putting your health at risk.

1. Pick the right shampoo and conditioner. Sun, heat-styling, chlorinated water and chemical styling processes leach protein from hair and make curly hair especially difficult to manage or style straight. Shampoos and conditioners that are protein-enhanced temporarily smooth the outer portion of the hair fibre, making strands glossier and more manageable. Look for products that are labeled acid- or pH-balanced; many contain hydrolyzed keratin.

2. Be gentle with wet hair. Curly or wavy hair is especially fragile when it’s wet, so blot — don’t scrub — hair with a towel to dry. Keep in mind that those super-plush towels that feel so good against your wet skin aren’t the best choice for blotting your hair. Strands of hair can get caught in the loops of regular terry towels, leading to frizz. You might want to invest in a towel designed for drying hair. Some are made of microfibres that whisk water away quickly, cutting drying time.

3. Detangle hair with care. Use a wide-tooth comb to gently separate curls. Finer hair may require a leave-on conditioner or detangling product, while thicker smoothing creams and straightening lotions often work best on coarser, curlier hair.

4. Practice healthy heating habits. To minimize heat damage, coat locks with a thermal protection product, allow to partially air-dry, then blow hair completely dry. Be patient; use clips to divide your hair into several sections and then place a round boar-bristle brush under a 3-inch section of hair. Attach a condenser nozzle to your dryer and hold so the airflow aims downward to smooth, not ruffle, the cuticle. Before releasing the brush, hit the ‘cool’ button on your dryer. Letting the dried hair cool while it’s still held tightly in the brush will help set the smooth, shiny style in place.

5. Add a spritz of shine. Spray your hairbrush or your palms with a shine spray and run it lightly through your hair. If you apply the spray directly to your hair, you’ll likely get too much product on your locks, and that extra moisture could lead to frizz.

Hair Loss Solution: Topical Wet Products or Wigs?

Yes, there comes a point in life when you will be faced with the option of whether to choose a wig or to go for hair loss treatment, when faced with a hair thinning or hair loss problem. Hair loss and hair thinning are very prevalent conditions that affect millions of people across the world today. Could this justify the reason why there are millions of stores, both physical and virtual stores, dedicated to selling wigs?

The answer as to whether to go for a wig or opt for a hair loss treatment lacks a straightforward answer. This is because there is no option that will affect the other’s use. In other words, were you to choose a wig, you will still continue with your hair loss treatment beneath that wig. The other alternative would be to go on with the treatment for hair loss without the wig as you watch your hair grow — naturally all over again. The choice therefore boils down to an individual’s taste and preferences, and the situation at hand.

One thing that is unquestionable is whether or not to use a hair loss treatment; unless you want to be stuck with a wig for the rest of your life, you really have no option but to choose an effective hair loss treatment that will grow back your natural hair. Luckily, the market provides you with a wide gamut to choose from, ranging from herbal and natural medications to topical prescription and over-the-counter applications, to hair transplant surgery — all of which come with their pros and cons — to help ensure you restore back your natural hair.

Hair loss treatment is highly recommended as it is the only guaranteed way you can restore back your hair. Perhaps you are cautious with hair loss treatments because of the adverse side effects of using the chemicals that most of them come with? This is where you can invest in a good wig, or several of those, to help you as you wait for your hair to grow back naturally.

There are natural alternatives that you can rely on to help boost natural hair growth without having to resort to using these chemically-laden hair loss treatments. As expected, the process will be significantly longer, so a good-quality wig can come in handy in such a situation. A wig also comes in handy if you are on treatment for an underlying health condition that could be causing your hair thinning problem.

Whether to opt for a wig or seek hair loss treatment is pegged on different factors, but it all boils down to what is good for your hair and scalp health.

5 Hair Care Tips to Prevent Hair Loss

There are several successful treatments for hair loss. With the right treatment, you should be able to stop your hair from excessively falling out and even regrow the hair that you have lost.

There are many natural hair loss treatments that you’ll find people using. Remember that with any method you use, you should plan to see results over time, not immediately.

The base of every successful hair loss treatment is having the right hair care regimen. The following are easy tips to apply in taking better care of the scalp and hair:

1. Make sure to get the required amounts of vitamins A, C, B, and E, as they’re essential for proper hair growth. They help in maintaining good blood circulation, thus helping to increase oxygen to the scalp.

2. Massaging the scalp with herbal oils like jojoba oil or olive oil. It’s always been seen that oils of thyme, lavender, rosemary, and cedarwood have been able to help with hair loss (alopecia).

3. You’ll want to avoid excessive blow-drying of the hair and chemical shampoos. The hair and scalp can be damaged by hair colouring or other treatments.

4. Herbal treatments such as amla, henna, shikakai, and reetha can be used to shampoo your hair. In particular, amla powder is known to be a powerful antioxidant that will help to prevent hair loss and greying of hair. It’s also a rich source of vitamin C. Shikakai works well as a shampoo as it doesn’t remove the natural oils that are present in the hair. Henna also works as a great natural conditioner.

5. You’ll want to reduce stress from your life as much as possible. You can do this by exercising or even meditating. You’ll want to try to avoid smoking as the nicotine can decrease blood flow to the scalp and hamper healthy hair growth.

Causal Factors of Female Hair Loss

Hair is women’s crowning glory. It helps them achieve the best look for their face with a few snips and twists. Women, like men, also suffer from hair loss — though it is somewhat less perceptible. Even though it is not a typical issue, hair loss in women may also happen due to some hereditary and environmental causes.

The medical term for baldness is ‘alopecia’. It got its name from the Greek name of fox, ‘alopex’. Foxes are observed to have thinning of fur when distressed with skin problems.

Alopecia may be permanent or temporary, depending on the pattern occurring. The most common one is androgenetic alopecia, which occurs gradually but stays permanently. This pattern is a combination of androgens (the male hormones) and genetics. Another type of hair receding problem is alopecia areata or patchy hair loss.

Depending on the condition of the scalp, the hair usually grows back. The most common hair loss experience for many women is when their hair thins after giving birth or after having fever, weight loss and stress. This is called telogen effluvium. Lastly, traction alopecia occurs from certain hairstyles like ponytails and tight braids.

There are fairly a couple of factors that cause excessive hair loss in women . Hormonal problem is one; thyroid gland–related sickness is another; stress; chemotherapy; and surgery are also common reasons for baldness. Some ladies in their early 30s experience this problem, due to genetic susceptibility or by a hair chemical treatment. Generally, women begin to have alopecia in their fifties.

Age is one common factor of hair loss in women, especially those over 50. When a woman ages, a lot of biological changes happen like change in hormone production due to menopause. At the age of 50, the scalp is no longer very able to produce much more hair. Hair loss in women in their 50s usually appears as diffuse hair thinning.

Hair loss in women that are due to sickness, childbirth, and radiation therapy do not necessarily need treatment as the hair normally grows back once the medical condition stabilizes. Head coverings like hats and wigs may be temporarily used to cover baldness. Hair loss brought on by age, hormones and genes can be treated with topical or oral medications.

Although not a direct treatment to baldness, hair transplants can be considered as a fixed solution to permanent baldness, especially if the issue is significantly affecting a woman. This process is costly and painful, but the outcomes are normally permanent.

Ayurvedic Herbs to Address Hair Loss Problems

There are many herbal products that can be used to prevent and treat hair loss, one of which is amla (Indian gooseberry). It is a very efficient tonic for hair loss. If one is suffering from excessive hair loss, a regular consumption of amla is helpful in restricting the depletion of hair as well as in increasing its strength. Amla powder is also a very good conditioner or used in the final rinsing of hair after shampooing.

Consumption of two tablespoons of honey with a cup of warm water early in the morning reduces the chances of hair loss. Triphala is an ayurvedic herb used for blood circulation and tissue rejuvenation of hair. Reetha and shikakai herbs are also a blessing for the scalp and hair. In places where reetha and shikakai are found in abundance, the locals use it for washing the hair. They also have an antiseptic quality. Reetha is particularly boon for people with sensitive skin.

The extracts of reetha produce lather with soap and perfectly serve as a natural cleanser for hair. It is also anti-allergic and prevents dandruff. Since dandruff is a basic cause of hair loss, reetha indirectly helps in preventing it. Shikakai is native plant of South India and is popularly known as the fruit for hair. Shikakai is a detoxifying agent for the blood in the scalp.

It removes oil and dirt from hair exposed to pollution. In addition to these advantages, it also is helpful in freeing hair of fungal infection. It also prevents hair from premature greying. Due to these properties, both reetha and shikakai are helpful in preventing hair loss. It also acts as a medicine in cases of hair loss due to fungal and bacterial infections. Brahmi is an herb which is helpful in strengthening the hair roots and preventing hair loss. It helps in the rebirth of new strands of healthy hair.