Category: Cosmetic Health

Vitamins and Hair Loss

Vitamins are necessary for your body health as well as hair health. Different vitamins contribute to maintain your body metabolism and hair growth. These also prevent your hair from falling. So it is very important for you to take different vitamins in your daily diet in sufficient quantity. Some of the most important vitamins and minerals that are necessary in maintaining your hair growth are biotin, folic acid, magnesium, sulfur, zinc and inositol.

Having these vitamins and minerals in enough quantity will prevent hair loss and maintain your hair growth. However, consuming these vitamins and minerals in excess may cause a lot of problem. So it is very important for you to know, how much of these vitamins and minerals you needs in your daily diet. You can take the help of your nutritionist to gain knowledge of this. You also can get sufficient information from internet websites and magazines etc.

Scientists have performed a number of tests on these vitamins and minerals to know how these helps human hair either to grow or prevent them. And from different studies the vitality of these vitamins and minerals for human hair has been established.

For example; scientists have found that a deficiency of magnesium results in hair loss in porches. Similarly, a deficiency of inositol or biotin result in total hair loss or complete baldness. Luckily, the complete baldness has never been the case with females, till date.

If you think that you are losing your hair and need some more vitamins to consume in your diet, you can choose from various food diet rich in vitamins necessary for hair growth.

You also can opt for multivitamins. But before choosing any option, it would be better in your interest to consult your doctor or nutritionist to know the exact intake that you need to have. As you know that the excess of vitamins and minerals also leads to problems like hair loss. So think for a minute, if the reason of your hair problems is an over consumption of vitamins and minerals.

For example: vitamin A is good for your immune system and your hair health if you consume in right quantity. But when taken in excess may cause hair problems and many other health problems too. Fatty acids are another example; different fatty acids maintain your hair texture and save them from dryness, but when consumed in excessive quantity leads to problems.

This is also in best interests of yours to prefer diet rich in different vitamins and minerals rather than opting for vitamin supplements and multivitamins. Make sure that your diet contains all the necessary nutrients and vitamins and minerals. Eat whole grain breads, a lot of leafy green vegetables, especially greens and drink a lot of water. Include in your diet various dairy products like milk, cheese, butter and poultry products like egg, etc. Sea food like cod fish will also help your hair to make good, gorgeous and healthy.

Eat a lot of whole fruits. Although, you can have fruit juices occasionally but having more of whole fruits than fruit juices is much better idea.

You also can try on different shampoos and hair oils to maintain your hair health. But dont try any product on the basis of TV advertisements.

Ask your doctor or health care expert for the right kind of oil and shampoo that will prevent your hair from falling and make healthy and good looking.

No matter what you try for your hair health, it is always better idea to have food rich in different nutrients and vitamins and minerals to maintain your body and hair health.

Top Nutritional Tips to Support Healthy Hair Growth

1. Eat adequate amounts of protein.

Protein is composed of the amino acids essential for the building of new cells, including hair. Five amino acids are of particular relevance to hair growth – cystine, cysteine, methionine, arginine and lysine.

Inadequate protein intake over a lengthy period can force hair into the resting phase with shedding a few months later.

It is obvious then that sufficient portions of protein rich foods should form part of your daily diet. The best sources of dietary protein are lean meats, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy products, soy, nuts, grains and seeds. At least 15% of your daily calories should come from protein-rich foods.

2. Eat adequate amounts of useful carbohydrates.

Carbs are an essential source of energy and help in the growth of body tissues, including hair. They are an important source of the B vitamins that are vital to healthy hair.

It is important that you concentrate on consuming non-refined carbs rather than the sugars and white flour that are so prevalent in many over-refined carb products. You should place an emphasis on consuming vegetables, fruits, whole grains, brown rice and potatoes. It is recommended that you obtain 55-60% of your daily calories from the carbohydrates found in these foods.

3. Achieve a healthy balance of dietary fats.

Fat is used in energy production and can be found in both animal and plant foods. Your body needs sufficient levels of fat to maintain good health. That fat should be obtained from a mixture of lean animal and plant sources. Roughly 25-30% of your daily calories should come from these sources.

4. The right nutritional balance is one that suits your personal circumstances.

How much of each food group you eat depends on a host of factors including age, sex, health and level of physical activity.

When choosing meals and snacks, take account of the following key principles of sound nutrition:

– Eat a variety of foods.

– Apply moderation to your consumption of junk foods.
– Choose natural and lightly processed foods as often as possible.

– Do not over cook.

5. Support a nutritious diet with a few carefully chosen supplements.

Following a nutritious diet is essential for good hair health, but on its own this may not be sufficient for a number of reasons:

– Modern farming methods may deplete the nutrient quality of food.

– High stress levels may diminish nutrients in your body.

– Dieting may affect nutrient levels.

– Aging reduces the ability of our bodies to utilize certain nutrients.

– Exercise can deplete some nutrients.

It may be sufficient to supplement with a well-balanced multi-vitamin / mineral product but a number of products are available that specifically cater for the requirements of healthy hair.

The Drug Propecia and Hair Loss

The drug propecia is a prescription hair loss medication designed mainly for men with mild to moderate hair loss. The effects of hair loss and propecia were studied in several clinical trials, and propecia was found to be better than a placebo.

The men in the studies, aged between 18 and 41, took propecia daily for a year. Some men took a placebo. Of the men who took the propecia, 86% either did not suffer further hair loss, or actually increased the amount of hair in the affected areas. Only 14% of men had continued hair loss.

The drug propecia has been found to be ineffective for women. This, combined with the potential danger of abnormalities to a male fetus, means that propecia is not prescribed for female pattern hair loss. Propecia has not been studied in older men, or men with complete baldness, and it has not been proved to work with a receding hairline. Propecia is not suitable for children, no doubt due to its negative effect on developing male genitals.

Generally, propecia is a very safe drug for hair loss. Most men taking it did not have any side effects, though some reported:

* erection difficulties

* reduced amount of semen

* less sexual desire

These were not permanent changes, and when those affected stopped taking propecia, their symptoms disappeared. Some men who reported these side effects were also able to continue taking propecia without the side effects continuing. The report I saw did not say whether the side effects just stopped, or if other treatment was undertaken to counteract them.

The drug propecia has only been studied on men for up to two years, and these men had no problems taking it for this period. However, based on research over a period of 32 years on men who are deficient on the enzyme that propecia suppresses, 5-alpha reductase, the mechanism by which propecia works seems to be quite safe for long term use.

Disadvantages of Taking Propecia

Propecia is not a cure for hair loss. Propecia works by interrupting the conversion process of testosterone to its metabolite, dihydrotestosterone (DHT for short). It does this by effecting the enzyme catalyst, 5-alpha reductase, that is involved in the conversion process.

In male pattern hair loss, there is an excess of DHT in the part of the scalp where hair loss occurs. So, by reducing the amounts of DHT in the scalp, propecia effectively works to prevent new hair loss, and allows hair to regrow. However, to continue the benefits of propecia, you’ll need to take it for the rest of your life. Once you stop taking propecia, the DHT levels will rise again in the scalp, and hair loss will return to pre-propecia levels.

The Drug Propecia and Pregnancy

Women should be very careful not to handle propecia if they are pregnant, as it can affect the development of the sex organs in a male fetus. So, it would be wise not to touch any open packets, or broken tablets. If you must, use a glove. Unbroken tablets are safety coated, so the active ingredient of propecia, which is the potential problem, is not present on the outside of the tablet.

For men taking propecia, if your wife is pregnant, there is no risk to her unless she is exposed to the active ingredient from a broken tablet. She, or the baby, won’t be harmed when her partner is taking it.

However, given that in some men propecia affects the amount of semen produced, if you are trying to conceive this may pose a problem. This side effect does not affect all, or most, men. But check with your doctor if you think this may be a concern.

Sudden Hair Loss Is stress is the cause??

People often fail to realize how stress affects physical health as well as hair health. However, it affects the overall health of an individual. This does not mean stress is always bad. Sometimes, stress is good for making an individual focused towards an approach and deciding better.

In fact, some people perform better under stress and do much better. Stress up to a certain level is good, although there are no fixed parameters to establish up to what level it is good but sever stress leads to disease like anxiety, sudden hair loss and other physical health problems. Many of the people associate stress directly with sudden hair loss.

Telogen Effluvium is a kind of hair loss that occurs due to sever or sudden stress. Heavy stress in a person does the shedding of hair that pushes premature hair follicles into the resting phase. Sudden hair loss due to stress in a person appears within 2 to 3 months after facing of some stressful situations. Although, our hair falls daily and falling of about 100 hairs per day is considered very normal.

In stressful circumstances a person losses almost 300 400 hair per day and almost 70% of the hair scalps. Sudden hair loss is temporary in most of the cases. However, in some of the cases the sudden hair loss problem undergoes continue till the problem of stress is solved.

There is a well said quote, every problem has a solution, and so the problem of sudden hair loss too. Treating sudden hair loss naturally is one of the best way to solve the problem. Are you wandering, how?

Here are few tips to solve your hair loss problems and easing your level of stress:

Do physical exercises: Your body secrets out a hormone called adrenaline that is good for you but when body secrets this hormone in excess, this causes stress and sudden hair loss. Doing regular exercise and physical workout reduces the level of adrenaline hormone in your body. If you do physical workout on a regular basis, your body and mind will be relaxed and you will get much better sleep. Your health will also improve as a result of physical exercise.

Take enough sleep and relax: Take proper sleep and do some relaxation. You do not need special techniques to do relaxation. Only you need a peaceful place, which you have to create, be it your bedroom or office desk. Just sit in good posture, keep your body straighten, do some deep breathing and focus on good thoughts. You can use your office desk during a short tea break or lunch hour to do the same. Include relaxation in you daily routine for 20 minutes or so, daily.
You will notice the significant change in your lifestyle once you start doing this stress busting exercise. Good sleep is very important in easing stress. Sleep enough and sleep properly to ease your symptom of stress. Once your level of stress or adrenaline in your body starts dipping, the hair loss will automatically decrease.

Have good diet: Eat good diet. Take diet rich in proteins, vitamins and minerals in sufficient amount. Eat whole grain breads, dairy products (milk, cheese, butter, etc) and poultry products like eggs and chickens. Also include in your diet fishes and meats. Avoid added sugars. Eat a lot of leafy green vegetables and whole fruits.

Doing all above will help you in staying in good shape and reliving your stress. This ultimately will solve your sudden hair loss problems.