Hair is more than just about preserving our body heat. It’s one of the first features other people notice about us so we use it pretty much as a canvas with which to stamp our own personal style, hide certain facial flaws or highlight our best assets. Because of the importance of hair as a sexual attraction tool, we are willing to splurge on a plethora of styling and hair dying products that eventually damage hair cuticles, making a once shiny, lustrous, healthy hair into a dry, frizzy mass of split ends.
Dermatologist Zoe D Draelos reveals some facts you may not know about hair and ways to keep it up in tip-top shape :Hair in our 20sHair is at the healthiest when we’re in our 20s but then this is also the age during which many women fall victims to fad diets. Nourished hair needs protein, vitamins and minerals and if it doesn’t get enough nutrients, hair will lose sheen and lustre and will look dull and brittle. Also since meat is a great source of protein, Draelos advises vegetarians to supplement meat with dairy products like cheese, yoghurt and milk. Hair in our 30sPregnancy is a common event for women in their 30s and during the pregnancy state, hair is in excellent condition but hair starts to fall off six months after birth. While hair will eventually grow back for most women, women who have a female-pattern hair loss may not be as lucky. Hair in our 40sSo begins the disguising of grey hairs. Draelos says that dying our hair is damaging but if you have to dye your hair, use a colour within three shades of your natural hair colour, especially if the desired colour is lighter. Getting our hair dyed more than 3 shades lighter usually needs the assistance of peroxide which everyone knows is a murderer of healthy hair. Also at this time, women enter the periomenopause stage during which estrogen levels decrease, resulting in thinning of hair (decrease in hair diameter). Hair doesn’t grow as quickly, if at all. Hair in our 50sAs hair continues to thin, Draelos suggests women should decrease the amount of time they leave in styling products like hairspray and hair dyes and to use protein-conditioners that can strengthen hair by up to 10%. Draelos’ biggest tip is to do as little as possible to your hair. Using too many styling products and subjecting your hair to various treatments can do much more damage than sticking to the basic routine of shampooing and conditioning. Other tips from haircare websites : From http://www.salonweb.com/pro/shampoo.htm–* check the ingredients of your shampoo and opt for an ingredient called sodium laurel sulfate which is gentle on your hair and won’t leave it dry. * to prevent or help damaged hair : - use thermal protector when using heating products- do not blow dry hair completely but leave some moisture in- blow dry on a cool setting- use low or no ammonia hair colour- comb through wet hair & never use a brush- eat protein-rich foods like chicken, fish and nutsFrom http://www.free-beauty-tips.glam.com/–* treating dandruff : - try a vinegar wash (mix 2 teaspoons of vinegar with 6 teaspoons of water. Apply to scalp and keep it in by wrapping a towel around your head before going to bed. In the morning, apply the mixture again then rinse. No need to worry about any smell as the smell of vinegar will evaporate quickly.
