Hair has an overwhelming importance in many cultures. It is seen as a crown of beauty, shaped to create beautiful things, and even adorned with jewels to highlight its magnificence. In Western cultures, hair styles, cuts, and care pervades fashion, style, and even health magazines, all seeking to pump a new product or an adventurous celebrity Hair Cut. Yet, despite our endless search for the ultimate hair fitness or the perfect hairdo, men and women alike often find their hair in shambles, destroyed from gels, mousses, sprays, heat styling, and bad cuts from over zealous stylists. Before you read another Allure's best article, borage yourself with new drugstore products, or quote the newest celebrity stylist hair tip, here are some myths and truths about hair and Hair Care.
As a trichologist and former cosmetic chemist, I have heard and, unfortunately, seen some of the hair and scalp horror stories. While I champion Personal Grooming and loving and discovering Your Hair, brilliant hair care should not come at a risk to your hair or scalp health. Here are some things that you should be know.
Truth # 1 Your Hair is Dead, But Your Scalp and the Hair Follicles that Push From the Scalp are ALIVE
Secretly, the most top reputed cosmetic companies will tell you that there is nothing you can do to remedy your hair woes because in reality the hair is dead. And, frankly, this is true if you are using about 98% of the products on the synthetic or non-prescriptive products on the market. Generally, all products are virtually the same, so much that they are created by the same companies and masked under different brands. For example, Estee Lauder is Aveda, Origins and Bumble & Bumble. Loreal is made by the same company as Matrix, Mizani, The Body Shop, Keratese, Garnier, Soft Sheen Carson, Redken, Lancome and Nexxus. This list goes on forever and generally all the products contain the same chemically derived ingredients in a different concentrations. The only difference is the packaging, the fragrance, the chemical dye of the product, or the list of extracts dashed inside. Because many consumers buy frequently off of packaging, they are often duped and run into buying the same products under different names over and over. This causes you to feel that there is nothing that you can do to help your hair, and the message is only hammered home when someone tells you that your hair is dead, your hair cannot repair itself, your hair cannot grow.
But, what you must remember is that scalp health and the providing of nutrients to the scalp is critical for healthy tresses. The hair at the scalp root is quite alive. Have you ever pulled a hair from your scalp? It hurts quite a bit because that is hair is hooked to the follicle and is receiving nourishment from the follicle, which is receiving its nourishing from what is applied to the scalp and what you give the body internally. However, if you feed you Hair What it needs to thrive, as it sprouts, its health will show. So what can you do?
TIP# 1 Eat for your hair and overall body scalp.
I have discovered that patients who are often plagued repeatedly with dry scalp and scalp fungus have anti-inflammatory difficulties and Dry Skin overall. Introduce moisturizing and anti-inflammatory supplements into your diet, such as Evening Primrose Oil, Flax Seed Oil, Biotin, Olive Oil, Sea Buckthorn Oil, Pantothenic Acid, and Green Tea. I have truly seen tremendous results in patients' hair and scalp shine, texture, health, and moisture within 4 weeks of changing their diet or adding oils rich in essential fatty acids to their daily supplement cocktail. To further increase the health of the hair and scalp, apply oil rich products that are water based to your scalp. Yes, oils have gotten a harsh wrap in hair care, but in many cultures, especially those with luxurious hair, oils are a necessary requirement. As an Indian myself, Amla, Brahmi, Coconut, Neem, and many other oils are in daily application to my hair to maintain its beauty. I personally love Beauty 4 Ashes' Mango Scalp Nourish Hair Cream and their Ayurvedic Scalp Food Cream. These creams are lightweight and very soothing to the scalp, especially if you are not comfortable mixing oils yourself and have trouble styling your hair after the application of the oil. A few of my patients have also documented increased hair fullness after increasing their intake of fruits, oils, and nuts and applying Beauty 4 Ashes' Ayurvedic Scalp Food Cream, which can be found in the UK at mybeauty4ashes.com. These products have had quite a success rate in the States at discoverb4a.com and also in Canada at myb4a.com
Truth # 2 Your Hair Can Grow if You Do Not Cut It
I love the versatility of Long Hair, and many others do as well. But, there is also beauty in a wonderful cut. Yet, many of my patients come to me expressing deep sadness about their hair thickness or length. I often hear them stating that they desire Longer Hair, but their hair cannot grow and when it does, their stylist cuts it because it has some form of splitting ends or breakage. It often strikes me as absurd. In India, I went years without hair cuts. It was simply braided or just worn. Further, individuals who have dredlocks may cut their hair very infrequently, and may even burn the ends of the hair to create uniformity and neatness, yet their hair still increases length. I desire more than anything to dispel this lie. You hair can grow without frequents trims to it. While it may grow uneven or even have some splitting, this is common because each hair that sprouts from the hair follicle is on its own timeline. Since some sprouted yesterday and some today, of course they will be different lengths and may split. But, since the hair grows from the root, not the end, your hair can grow, even if you do not cut the end.
Tip #2: If you want your hair to see more length, do not cut your hair, instead nourish it gently to prevent as much damage as possible.
If you want your hair to grow, and you plan on not trimming it, understand that it may not look celebrity like---perfectly even and shaped. But, it still can have volume, shine, and health. During this time, make sure you moisturize the ends, using something as simple as Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Beeswax, Lanolin Butter, or even Natural Hair cream. Natural works best for the hair. Because your hair is a part of you, and you work best on natural nutrients, such as vitamins, proteins, oils, nuts, and the like, it is best to give your hair what you would give your body. Make sure you gently comb your hair during this time as well. This will prevent breakage. And, as mentioned above, do not neglect your scalp.
Truth # 3: Chemicals can hurt the hair
Natural works best for the hair. Because your hair is a part of you, and you work best on natural nutrients, such as vitamins, proteins, oils, nuts, and the like, it is best to give your hair what you would give your body. Products that contain chemicals can create amazing momentary effects. But, they are only hair bandages that use silicones, polymers, plasticizers, straighteners, softening agents, and chlorides to alter the feel and look of your hair for a very temporary period. For this sweet moment of gratification, you often live with years of hair damage or have to endure chemicals that canb negatively impact your health. A constant scalp condition I encountered due to chemicals is purple and red bumps on the scalp from chemical hair dyes. I also often see thick patches of the scalp from the repeated use of shampoos containing SLS, Behetrimonium Chloride, and ALS. Despite the hoorah about chemicals not being bad, many of the chemicals used in hair care products are derived from petroleum or alcohol. Petroleum is toxic and alcohol is very drying and damaging.
Tip #3 Buy Natural, Change Your Hair
Salon Quality and great products can be found with All Natural products. Of course, be cognizant of semi natural products and those that use parentheses to indicate something is derived from a natural ingredient. 100% natural products are out there. And, if anyone tries to discourage you, and they will (I had a patient tell my that Paula someone wrote about how herbs, fruits, and oils are awful for your hair ---how absurd the things we will believe), just ignore them. As a trichologist, I am personally privy to the reality that over 25% of pharmaceutical products are made of plant compounds. As doctors, we search from cures to the hair, skin, and body from rain forests and then apply for the patent, label it as a drug, and rename the plant so that our consumers are not privy to the plant origins. Trust me, your hair will behave better by using natural products. Aubrey Organics and Beauty 4 Ashes make excellent 100% natural products. If you have specific hair care needs, Beauty 4 Ashes has more variety in its product selection and makes products that are suitable for All Hair types.
About the Author
I am a trained trichologist and has studied and successfully completed a recognised Trichology Educational Program. I am a registered member of the International Association of Trichologists.
