Tips for Dry Damaged Hair
For some people, their hair is a point of pride, and they turn heads wherever they go. For people who have dry and damaged hair, on the other hand, others might be looking at them for all the wrong reasons. To help you love your hair again and show it off with pride, below are five tips for how you can manage your dry, damaged hair.
1. Get a Trim
Most of the damage tends to concentrate at the ends of the hair. For that reason, getting a trim can freshen up the hair’s appearance and dramatically reduce the extent of the damage. If you are really committed to getting rid of the damage, you can whack off all the damaged hair and start with a clean slate. As an added bonus, you’ll project more confidence with your brand new hairstyle.
2. Moisturize with Healthy Oils
Dry, damaged hair is thirsty for moisturization. Unlike humans, your hair can’t drink water. Instead, it prefers healthy oils. Once a week, coat your hair with mashed up avocado or warmed extra virgin olive oil and cover your hair with a shower cap and let sit for about half an hour, then shampoo and rinse.
3. Avoid Heat
Until your hair is healthy again, you should completely avoid using styling products such as hair dryers, straightening irons, and curling irons, which can break your already-damaged locks. Even once your hair is healthy again, you should avoid these products as much as possible. Use your hair dryer on the lowest setting, and use a heat protectant or leave-in conditioner on your hair before using styling products.
4. Use Natural Products
You should also avoid harsh chemicals and dyes while you are allowing your hair to heal and use care even when your hair is healthy to prevent damaging it again. Use shampoos and conditioners with natural, moisturizing ingredients like natural oils and ask about gentler options for dying your hair.
5. Maintain Good Physical Health
Ultimately, the best way to keep your hair healthy is to keep your whole body healthy. Keep yourself hydrated by drinking plenty of water and make sure that you are incorporating the proper balance of protein, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, and other vital nutrients in your diet. When you give your body what it needs, your hair will thank you.
Most people are quite familiar with male pattern baldness or hair loss in men. Some women lose their hair too. Certainly, there are other factors that come to play concerning hair loss. For example, heritage and background are factors relating to hair loss and hair growth. Here is something to note. The average person loses about 250 hairs a day through brushing, combing, and shampooing. Excessive hair loss over that rate is a good sign that the hair is thinning. This might be due to a natural process or something more complicated. Here are a few surprising health issues that might trigger hair loss.
Iron Deficient Diet
Surprisingly, an iron deficient diet is responsible for hair loss in some people. The body requires iron to circulate blood through the body. The red blood cells are responsible for transporting oxygen through the body and to hair follicles. The oxygen deprived hair follicles do not receive the required nutrients to grow and flourish.
Zinc Deficiency
People on very restricted diets might lack zinc. The fact is that zinc is a mineral that the body requires for cell reproduction and hair growth. Zinc is also responsible for regulating oil secretion glands that nourish hair follicles in the body. It is also important to note that low zinc levels are associated with hypothyroidism or an underactive thyroid.
Underactive Thyroid
The thyroid gland secretes a hormone that is responsible for triggering growth in the body. The lack of this hormone strongly affects hair growth and the condition of the scalp. Other typical signs that point to an under-active thyroid include weight gain, fatigue, constipation, and depression.
Alopecia Areata
Alopecia Areata is classified as an autoimmune disease. In other words, the immune system in the body is attacking the individual's hair follicles. This causes bald spots and patches across the scalp. It is thought that stress triggers this disease.
Lupus
Lupus is another autoimmune disease that is associated with hair loss. The body attacks the hair follicles, stopping growth. Lupus is a chronic disease that might also attack other parts of the body too. For example, the skin, bones, organs.
Protein Deficient Diet
Hair is composed of keratin, which is a protein. A serious lack of protein in the diet is directly correlated to hair loss. Generally, the average person consumes the required amount of protein to produce healthy hair. However, other underlying medical conditions might affect the absorption of protein into the body.
Apples are Good for Your Hair
The apple-derived ingredient Pyrus Malus (apple) fiber is used as a conditioning agent in hair products.Rinsing with apple cider vinegar will help balance the pH of your hair and remove any buildup on your hair shaft. Rinsing will also close the numerous cuticle scales that cover and protect the surface of each hair shaft. The result is a smoother surface, which reflects more light, and so your hair is shinier, smoother and easier to manage. Apples contain magnesium, copper, calcium and potassium. These minerals can help to lower hair loss.
Vitamin C is Good for Your Hair
Foods rich in Vitamin C help in the absorption of iron, which is essential for healthy hair. The best thing to do is to eat iron-rich foods along with those high in Vitamin C. Good sources of iron are: Liver, beef, pork, fish, leafy greens, fortified cereal, beans, and pumpkin seeds. Good sources of Vitamin C are: citrus fruit, green leafy vegetables, salad, baked potatoes, and tomatoes. Liver, fish oil, eggs and fortified milk are great for maintaining healthy hair
Snacking is Good for Your Hair
Who said snacking was bad? Not us! It is important not to leave it too long between meals. By eating every 3-4 hours can help prevent hair loss. The energy to form hair cells diminishes four hours after eating a meal, so snacking between meals will help boost energy levels.
Apollo is Good for Your Hair
If you are having trouble with thinning hair make an appointment today to meet with our experts and find the right treatment for you. 1 (800) 339-4247
Did you know that many commonly prescribed prescription drugs can cause temporary hair loss or trigger the onset of male and female pattern baldness, and even cause permanent hair loss. Be sure to investigate the side effects of all your medications for hair loss. The drugs below are listed by category, according to the conditions they treat, then by brand name first followed by the drug’s generic name in parentheses. In some categories, individual drugs are not listed. For these conditions, you will want to discuss the possibility of hair loss as a side effect of using any of the drugs that treat that particular condition, since many do contribute to hair loss.
Note that the drugs listed here do not include those used in chemotherapy and radiation for cancer treatment:
All drugs derived from vitamin A as treatments for acne or other conditions, including:
Anticoagulants (blood thinners), including:
Cholesterol-lowering drugs, including:
Many drugs prescribed for the heart, including those known as the beta blockers, which are also used to treat high blood pressure, and include:
All hormone-containing drugs and drugs prescribed for hormone-related, reproductive, male-specific, and female-specific conditions and situations have the potential to cause hair loss, including:
An anti-inflammatory that is also used as a chemotherapy drug:
SOURCE: AMERICAN HAIR LOSS ASSOCIATION