Love Is In The Hair - Valentine's Hair Care Tips
We've got that loving feeling this Valentine's Day so we're going to explain some of the best ways to show your hair you care.
From helping it look thicker, to preventing hair loss, in no particular order, here are three ways in which you can show your hair some love...
People often start to wash their hair less frequently - or even avoid washing it at all - when they start to develop hair loss. Many believe this can cause them to lose their hair but that is untrue. What washing the hair does is shake loose strands that have already been shed but are still caught up amongst other hairs on the scalp. Even without a hair loss condition, it is normal to shed around 100 hairs per day and when we are doing something that makes us focus on our hair - such as washing or brushing it - it can appear that this is causing hair loss. In fact, it is simply removing the build up of loose hairs that have already come out.
How often you need to wash your hair depends upon your hair type; Asian and Caucasian hair types should ideally be washed every day - especially if oily - or every other day, whilst Afro hair should ideally be washed once a week to once a fortnight depending on the length. Shampooing your hair this often, with a shampoo appropriate for your hair type and frequent use, does not cause hair loss but it does keep the scalp clean and healthy; thinning hair also looks thicker when it is clean.
Using conditioner is good for nourishing the hair after washing, but be sure to only apply it from the mid-lengths to the ends. This is because applying conditioner to the roots will weigh the hair down and can make the hair look greasy. Furthermore, it can worsen the appearance of thinning hair by making it appear lank.
As we become more nutritious and diet-conscious as a society, most people understand that what you put into your body will affect your overall health. The effects of what we eat and drink - as well as what we don't - can also show in our skin and in our hair. A poorly balanced diet lacking in certain nutrients can cause the hair to look dull and become dry and dehydrated. This can lead to breakage and, in some circumstances, intense hair thinning from all over the scalp due to a temporary condition called Telogen Effluvium. Although it tends to last no more than six months, in those who are genetically-predisposed, it can accelerate the onset of premature male and female pattern baldness. There are also links between sugar intake and hairloss so it's important to be mindful of your daily intake - especially where 'hidden sugars' are concerned.
Many of the key vitamins and minerals needed for healthy hair growth can be achieved through following a varied, balanced diet. Whilst not intended to replace eating properly, a highly-targeted food supplement designed to promote healthy hair can be useful. Belgravia has developed Hair Vitalics for Men and Hair Vitalics for Women one-a-day tablets to provide optimal doses of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and botanical extracts that are not just important for hair growth and health, but that also feature botanics shown to lower DHT levels. These premium hair supplements are suitable for vegetarians and free from sugar, salt, gluten, lactose, dairy and yeast.
To be clear, this has nothing to do with chemical relaxers or any form of hair straightening - those are to be largely avoided if you want to treat your tresses. What we're talking about here is minimising stress in its many and varied forms. That means both emotional and physical stress as both can cause hair loss or make existing hair thinning - including that caused by male pattern baldness and female pattern hair loss - worse. So here 'stress' means everything from managing stress from obvious sources such as work and family, but also involves squashing bad habits that cause stress to the body.
Make sure you're getting enough sleep, live by the 'everything in moderation' mantra - whether this relates to unhealthy foods or excessive exercise regimes - and stop smoking. Cigarette smoking has numerous negative effects on the body, including causing the hair to thin and has even been linked to prematurely going grey. If you notice you are shedding hair from all over your scalp - as opposed to just the top and hairline which are the areas affected by androgenetic alopecia - and you're otherwise fit, healthy and haven't had any stressful events within the three months prior, it's worth visiting your GP. This is because an underlying illness or dietary deficiency - sometimes due to an inability to absorb certain nutrients due to a medical condition such as coeliac disease - can cause hair loss.
For anyone who is worried about excessive hair shedding, a drop in the density of their hair or sudden bald spots appearing, the best thing you can do is to consult a specialist. Getting a professional diagnosis can put your mind at rest as well as providing you with information about the hair loss treatment options available, and which are best suited to your personal needs.
From helping it look thicker, to preventing hair loss, in no particular order, here are three ways in which you can show your hair some love...
1 Keep it fresh
People often start to wash their hair less frequently - or even avoid washing it at all - when they start to develop hair loss. Many believe this can cause them to lose their hair but that is untrue. What washing the hair does is shake loose strands that have already been shed but are still caught up amongst other hairs on the scalp. Even without a hair loss condition, it is normal to shed around 100 hairs per day and when we are doing something that makes us focus on our hair - such as washing or brushing it - it can appear that this is causing hair loss. In fact, it is simply removing the build up of loose hairs that have already come out.
How often you need to wash your hair depends upon your hair type; Asian and Caucasian hair types should ideally be washed every day - especially if oily - or every other day, whilst Afro hair should ideally be washed once a week to once a fortnight depending on the length. Shampooing your hair this often, with a shampoo appropriate for your hair type and frequent use, does not cause hair loss but it does keep the scalp clean and healthy; thinning hair also looks thicker when it is clean.
Using conditioner is good for nourishing the hair after washing, but be sure to only apply it from the mid-lengths to the ends. This is because applying conditioner to the roots will weigh the hair down and can make the hair look greasy. Furthermore, it can worsen the appearance of thinning hair by making it appear lank.
2 Nourish
As we become more nutritious and diet-conscious as a society, most people understand that what you put into your body will affect your overall health. The effects of what we eat and drink - as well as what we don't - can also show in our skin and in our hair. A poorly balanced diet lacking in certain nutrients can cause the hair to look dull and become dry and dehydrated. This can lead to breakage and, in some circumstances, intense hair thinning from all over the scalp due to a temporary condition called Telogen Effluvium. Although it tends to last no more than six months, in those who are genetically-predisposed, it can accelerate the onset of premature male and female pattern baldness. There are also links between sugar intake and hairloss so it's important to be mindful of your daily intake - especially where 'hidden sugars' are concerned.
3 Belgravia says relax
To be clear, this has nothing to do with chemical relaxers or any form of hair straightening - those are to be largely avoided if you want to treat your tresses. What we're talking about here is minimising stress in its many and varied forms. That means both emotional and physical stress as both can cause hair loss or make existing hair thinning - including that caused by male pattern baldness and female pattern hair loss - worse. So here 'stress' means everything from managing stress from obvious sources such as work and family, but also involves squashing bad habits that cause stress to the body.
Make sure you're getting enough sleep, live by the 'everything in moderation' mantra - whether this relates to unhealthy foods or excessive exercise regimes - and stop smoking. Cigarette smoking has numerous negative effects on the body, including causing the hair to thin and has even been linked to prematurely going grey. If you notice you are shedding hair from all over your scalp - as opposed to just the top and hairline which are the areas affected by androgenetic alopecia - and you're otherwise fit, healthy and haven't had any stressful events within the three months prior, it's worth visiting your GP. This is because an underlying illness or dietary deficiency - sometimes due to an inability to absorb certain nutrients due to a medical condition such as coeliac disease - can cause hair loss.
For anyone who is worried about excessive hair shedding, a drop in the density of their hair or sudden bald spots appearing, the best thing you can do is to consult a specialist. Getting a professional diagnosis can put your mind at rest as well as providing you with information about the hair loss treatment options available, and which are best suited to your personal needs.
The Belgravia Centre
The Belgravia Centre is a world-renowned group of a hair loss clinic in Central London, UK. If you are worried about hair loss you can arrange a free consultation with a hair loss expert or complete our Online Consultation from anywhere in the world for home-use treatment.
View our Hair Loss Success Stories, which includes the world's largest gallery of hair growth photos and demonstrates the level of success that so many of Belgravia's patients achieve.
