Hair and Now

Jaynie Ralph says that next time you look in a mirror, take a closer look at your hair

Hair reflects your level of health and vitality. It is vulnerable to the stresses and strains of everyday life. Regardless of what the shampoo companies say, if you don’t look after yourself, have a diet full of fruit and vegetables and take regular exercise it can lose its bounce and become dull. In extreme cases it can fall out.
The average head has 100,000 individual hairs – 90 per cent of these are growing, the rest are in transition or resting. Every day it is normal for between 80 and 100 hairs to be shed. But what if there’s more? Barbara Adsett, age 54, started to lose the hair on her crown. She stopped using hair dye to let it go grey in the hope of disguising the bald patch, until one day she was mistaken for her 83-year-old mother-in-law’s sister. She took a drastic look at her diet, general fitness and visited her doctor, who diagnosed an underactive thyroid. Once this was resolved, her full head of hair returned. Certain medical conditions affect hair loss. The most common cause is androgenic alopecia, which can be hereditary, or associated with hormone problems and age. Thinner hair is more likely to fall out and, as we get older, our hair naturally becomes finer. We lose more hair in early winter, as the hair reaches maturity in its growth cycle. Stress has been shown to play an important part in hair loss, especially for women.
Tips • Counter balance stress with yoga, running or swimming. • Eat a well-balanced diet, including sunflower seeds, peanuts, carrots, oily fish, dark, leafy vegetables, beans, artichokes, apricots and coconuts. • Massage your scalp with organic shampoo and conditioner. Rinse with cold water and dry naturally or squeeze dry with a towel. • Avoid brushing wet hair as it can be easily damaged. Avoid curling irons, hairdryers and too much exposure to sunlight. • Drink water and green tea as it contains powerful antioxidants, which scavenge free radicals. • Seek medical advice if you are concerned about hair loss. We know alcohol and tobacco have negative effects on our bodies don’t we? Poor diet, little exercise and high stress can also be hugely detrimental. And as convenient as it would be, healthy hair isn’t something you can buy in any chemist, regardless of what it says on the bottle. Take a good look in the mirror – our health and vitality affects our appearance far more than we realise. Organic shampoo Essential Care, www.essential-care.co.uk Dr. Hauschka, www.drhauschka.co.uk Miessence, www.miessenceproducts.com