When a person with beautiful hair walks down the street, the wind blowing through their flowing, luxurious locks, they will easily be noticed and for good reason. Thick full hair is often seen as a sign of vitality. Is it any wonder so much emphasis is put on the appearance of hair, why so many women long for it and so many men admire it, when hair might actually indicate a person's physical health?
What Doctors Say about Healthy Hair
Dr. Shriva Gupta, a hospitalist at Medical Center Hospital in Odessa, Texas, says healthy hair is not always a sign of a healthy person, but unhealthy hair is almost always a sign there is something wrong in the body. Dr. Gupta says things like dry and itchy scalp, over-oily hair, and hair that breaks easily and is brittle can all be signs of poor nutrition or poor hygiene, and, she says, poor hygiene is sometimes a precursor to poor health.
Yellow, Brown, Greasy Dandruff
Rebecca Anderson, a licensed cosmetologist, says white, flaky, dry dandruff is completely normal, happens to everyone, and is nothing to be alarmed or ashamed about. However, dandruff that is yellowish, brown, and/or greasy might be a fungus or bacterial problems. She usually recommends trying a medicated shampoo, following the instructions on the product, but if the problem persists, a visit to a dermatologist or your family doctor is warranted.
Dry, Brittle Hair
If the hair strands are dry and brittle, consider using a moisturizing shampoo and a quality conditioner to see if the hair strands improve. Dry, brittle hair has many causes, but too much sun and heat exposure are two common culprits. Sun and heat can both attack hair when outdoors in sunlight, but heat can also damage hair from using styling implements such as heat dryers, blow dryers, curling irons, hair straightening irons, and the like. Avoid using these styling tools if your hair is dry and brittle and see if it improves.
Nutrition and Hair
Hair is, essentially, is no longer living once it breaks through the hair follicle and becomes the hair strand that covers your scalp. Because of this, there's not a lot you can do nutrition-wise that will improve your existing hair. However, good nutrition helps form healthier hair follicles and makes stronger, thicker, healthier hair when it's being formed. If you change your eating habits, the new healthy hair will replace the damaged or sick hair.
Because of this, in order to give hair growth the best chance at health, eat a well-balanced meal and consult your doctor about any nutritional supplements that might be required to ensure optimum hair growth and overall health. A balanced diet helps keep the body and hair healthy.
Medication and Disease Can Damage Hair
Some medications have hair-loss, thinning hair and brittle hair as side effects, so be sure you talk with a doctor or pharmacist about possible hair problems with certain medication.
According to WebMD, certain medical conditions, like hypo and hyper-thyroidism, diabetes, and certain other conditions can all cause hair loss, and hair loss can be a symptom of these disorders. If there is unexpected hair loss, poor hair health, unexplained hair damage that doesn't resolve quickly, see a doctor, because the hair might be telling you something else is wrong, and only a doctor can help discover what that might be.
Michelle L Devon - ~~Michelle Devon has 15 years of writing and over a decade of editorial experience, working with hundreds of publications and ...
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