Hair is an essential factor when it comes to defining good looks. It is a reflection of your internal health. Most of the times, hair loss or changes in the texture of the hair could be indicative of some underlying pathology such as hypothyroidism, anemia, cancer, diabetes, and nutritional deficiencies. Hair fall, greying of hair, dandruff, and a receding hairline, are some common hair care concerns. This section gives you tips on hair care to complete your definition of beauty.
Preventing Hair Loss through Diet
Understanding hair loss:
Alopecia is the medical term used for hair loss. Loss of hairs can occur in any part of the body that normally has hair, such as eyelashes and eyebrows. Hair loss to certain extent is common and occurs in every individual. It has been found that a normal, healthy person sheds around 50 to 100 hairs on a daily basis. But most of the hairs that had been shed grow back. A healthy hair has a life cycle of approximately three to six years. Hair loss becomes a problem when the shed hairs do no come back or fail to regrow. Baldness or hair loss is considered as a genetic problem. Hair shedding or temporary hair loss can occur due to various reasons. Poor nutrition and diet, genetics, hormonal changes, and aging are some of the causes of hair loss. Certain medications such as chemotherapy, infections, chemicals and radiation therapy can also lead to hair loss. Some diseases such as anemia, cancer and low thyroid hormone levels can also cause hair loss. Let us see some of the essential nutrients that can help in preventing hair loss.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is a vital nutrient which helps in promoting the growth and health of cells and tissues. Even the cells and tissues of the hair and scalp require this nutrient for better growth. Deficiency of Vitamin A in the body can result in dandruff and thereby causing hair loss. Vitamin A can be achieved in two ways, through plant sources and animal sources. Plant sources contain Carotenoids which converts beta carotene into Vitamin A in the body. Animal sources provide vitamin A in the form of retinol. Some of the vitamin A sources are:

* Red, yellow and orange fruits and vegetables.
* Liver
* Fish oil
* Fortified milk
* Eggs.
Other Vitamins
Vitamin B6, folic acid and vitamin B12 are the three essential vitamins required for the normal formation of blood cells or hemoglobin. Hemoglobin helps in transporting oxygen from the lungs to the tissues in the body which includes the hair, too. Healthy and strong hair is a result of constant supply of blood and oxygen. Deficiency of these vitamins can reduce the blood and oxygen supply to hairs and thereby resulting in hair shedding, slow regrowth and damaged hair. Leafy vegetables, nuts, legumes, fortified cereals are some of the plant sources of these vitamins. Chicken, liver, kidney, pork and fish are some of the animal sources of these vitamins.
Other essential nutrients
Protein is another vital nutrient needed for normal growth of hairs. Vitamin C is essential for producing collagen that helps to strengthen the hair. In some cases, deficiency of biotin can also cause hair loss. However, people who follow a healthy diet will rarely come across this deficiency. Deficiency of iron in the body leads to cause anemia and eventually hair loss. Absence of adequate zinc in the body can result in dandruff as well as hair loss, too. All of these essential nutrients can be achieved through healthy diet. Healthy diet must contain vegetables such as dark green leafy vegetables, cereals and nuts. Fruits such as citrus fruits, berries and melon shall also be included in the balanced diet to prevent hair loss. Animal sources such as meat, poultry, egg, fish and pork can also help in preventing hair loss. Along with these sources, try to keep your body hydrated by drinking plenty of water.
Once you cultivate the habit of balanced diet in your daily regime, hair loss and other diseases will get miles away.
Hair care Tips
Include foods rich in calcium in your diet; calcium is necessary for strengthening the hair follicles and roots in your scalp.

Try not to use hair dyes, hairdryers, and curling irons as these can aggravate the problem of hair loss, resulting in baldness

If you have oily hair squirt water at the roots. This does wonders for your hair.

If you like the glossy look, add a few drops of shine serum to water and spray it on to your hair.

Avoid shampooing your hair daily. Washing your hair everyday deprives it of essential oils and dries your scalp and hair.

Avoid shampooing your hair daily. Washing your hair everyday deprives it of essential oils and dries your scalp and hair.

If you like the glossy look, add a few drops of shine serum to water and spray it on to your hair.

If you have oily hair squirt water at the roots. This does wonders for your hair.

Try not to use hair dyes, hairdryers, and curling irons as these can aggravate the problem of hair loss, resulting in baldness

Include foods rich in calcium in your diet; calcium is necessary for strengthening the hair follicles and roots in your scalp.
Treating Hair Loss in Men
Introduction
Hair is one of the important factors to beautify the appearance of women as well as men. However, not everyone is lucky to stay with this factor for the entire life. Today, men as well as women are suffering from the condition called alopecia. Alopecia is a medical term used for hair loss or baldness. All hairs that grow on different part of our body have a life expectancy of three to six years. A normal hair passes through three stages during its life cycle, growing, resting and falling-out phase. At any point of time, some hairs are in the phase of growing, some are in resting phase and rests of them are in falling-out phase. Once the hair enters in the resting phase, it sheds out after the period of two to three months. It is considered as absolutely normal, if 50-100 hairs shed everyday. After the shedding period, new hairs grow on the site and the growing cycle starts again. Scalp hairs grow about one-half inch a month. As a person grows old, the rate of hair growth also slows down.

Causes of Hair Loss
Essentially, hair loss is considered as a genetic problem. People with hair loss or baldness are found to regrow the hairs at the sites where they lose hairs as a result of shedding. Increase hair shedding is a result of number of factors. Some of the common reasons behind hair shedding are poor nutrition, age, hormones and genes. Certain illnesses or diseases are also associated with the hair loss such as low thyroid hormone levels, anemia, lupus and cancer. It has also been found that medications such as chemotherapy, chemicals and radiation treatment are also responsible for causing baldness or hair loss. Concisely, hair loss can occur as a result of combination of following:
* Hormonal changes
* Family history of baldness
* Trauma, stress
* Burns
* Aging
Hair loss in early life can result in severe baldness in future. Hence, one shall try to avoid the causes of hair loss by taking necessary preventive measures and treatments in the early stages.
Treatments for hair loss
Statistic shows that two out of every three men and one in five women suffer from hair loss. Heredity is the major cause of baldness in men while hormonal changes such as menopause can cause hair loss in women. There are number of hair replacement techniques available for hair loss. However, hair replacement surgery is not of so much use to people who suffer from total baldness. There are four foremost types of hair replacement techniques which include:
Tissue expansion
Tissue expansion is a technique that makes use of a device called tissue expander. This device is placed underneath a hair-bearing area that is located next to a bald area. Tissue expander helps in causing the skin to grow new skin cells, which occurs after several weeks. Another operation is performed to place the newly expanded skin over the adjacent bald spot.
Hair transplantation
Hair transplantation is a unique way of preventing hair loss. The surgeon removes small pieces of healthy hair-bearing scalp and grafts it on the bald or thinning area.

Flap surgery
Flap surgery is especially useful for the one who have large balding areas. During this procedure, a portion of bald area is removed and a flap of the hair-bearing skin is placed on to the bald area.
Scalp reduction
Scalp reduction is a special technique which is performed in order to cover the bald areas at the top and the back of head.
Understanding the Causes of Hair Loss
Causes of hair loss in brief
Statistically, it has been found that every two out of three men and one out of five women suffer from hair loss. There are various reasons which contribute to the hair loss in men. Hair loss in men is typically caused by the effects of the male hormone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT) on scalp hair follicles. It is commonly believed that the hair loss in men occurs from the maternal side of the family. It is because the factors on the x-chromosome strongly influence the hair loss. However, the fact behind the hair loss is that the condition can be inherited from either parent. Improper diet, use of certain medications and some illnesses are also found to cause hair loss problem in men. The most common cause of hair loss in men is androgenetic alopecia or androgenetic hair loss. Androgenetic hair loss is caused by three interdependent factors:
* Hormones
* Genes
* Aging
Let us see in detail how these factors influence hair loss in men.
Hormones
Hormones are the biochemical substances that are produced in various glands throughout our body. These glands secrete their products directly into the bloodstream which are then spread to the different parts of our body. They are usually present in minute amount but are very much effective for the proper growth of our body organs.
Testosterone is a major male sex hormone, which are produced by the testicles. These hormones are responsible for bringing various changes in our body such as sperm production, change in voice, development of sex drive, growth of axillary and pubic hair and change in the basic body shape. These hormones are the major cause of acne and beard growth. These hormones are also associated with the emergence of baldness in males. The presence of androgen, testosterone and its related hormone DHT cause some follicles to regress and die. DHT is found to decrease the length of the growing cycle of hair and increase the resting phase. As a result, the person frequently sheds his hair and becomes the victim of hair loss. It is interesting to know that scalp hair growth does not depend on androgen level but the hair loss does.
Genes
There are 23 pairs of chromosomes in every person, one set of chromosome from each parent. Out of these, genes that are located on the X or Y-chromosomes are called as sex-linked genes and the rest as autosomal. It is believed that autosomal genes govern the common baldness. Hence, it is said that the genes for baldness can be inherited equally from the either parents. Although it has been found that some genes are responsible for certain types of hair loss in men, but the exact genes for male pattern baldness remain unexplained.
Age
Along with the genes and hormonal factors, aging also contribute to the hair loss in men. As the person grow old, his body come across various changes that cause hair loss either directly or indirectly. Hair loss in men varies on person to person depending on their genetic composition and levels of testosterone in bloodstream. With the passing age, a person's total hair volume keeps on decreasing.
If the exact causes behind the hair loss are determined in the early stages, treatments can prove beneficial to counteract the problem.
Taking Care of Hair
Some hair facts Hairs are one of the most important aspects for being smart and look better. However, very few people give attention to these tiny but important parts of our body. Everyone wants to look cool and smart but nobody wants to give a little caring approach towards hair. Many of us are not even aware of some of the basic facts of this tiny part of our body. Let us understand some basics about the hair and try to develop methods to keep this part of our body healthy.
Hair life cycle consists of three phases, growth, transitional and resting. When the cells at the scalp start multiplying rapidly, it indicates the beginning of new hair. These cells together with keratin and other proteins form the hair. Transitional phase starts after the 2-3 weeks of full-grown hair. Resting phase is probably the longest phase of hair which lasts 2-3 months. At the end of resting phase, the older hair sheds and a new cycle begin. At any given point of time, 90% of hairs on the head are in growing phase and rest of them in transitional or resting phase. There are about 100,000 individual hairs on a healthy head. It is interesting to note that about 80 to 100 hairs shed everyday, which is absolutely normal. However, some factors are responsible for increasing this number resulting in hair loss. Heredity, age and hormonal changes are the three most prime factors responsible for hair loss.
Tips for maintaining health of the hair
You need not to spend lot of time and money to keep your hair healthy. Small things performed on regular basis can help the hairs to stay healthy for longer duration. Some of the easiest things to cultivate to keep hairs healthy are:
* Brush your hair gently before washing. This will help in removing the dirt present in your hair.
* Gentle scalp massage will help in better circulation.
* Shampoo your hair whenever you feel they are dirty.
* Always moisturize your hair.
* Apply vinegar to rinse your hair. Rinsing helps your hair to shine.
* Use mild cold water while shampooing your hair.
* Allow your hair to dry naturally.
* Use hairbrush only when the hairs are completely dry.
Add health to your hair
Presence of right vitamins and minerals in your diet is equally essential for keeping the hair healthy. If your body is healthy and properly nourished, the hair will also be benefited. Beta-carotene is one of the key nutrients for normal growth of hair. These substances are converted to vitamin A, which is highly essential for promoting healthy skin, hair and nails. Deficiency of protein may result in thinning the hairs and ultimately to the baldness by retarding the growth cycle. Green and yellow vegetables, fruits and other foods such as fish, yogurt, egg and beans can help in maintaining the presence of essential nutrients in adequate amount.
Other factors such as regular exercise, taking good amount of sleep (at least six hours daily) and staying away from stress are very much essential for better growth of hairs. Some medications are also found to cause baldness or hair loss. Therefore, consult a doctor before taking any kind of medications. Always remember that a nutritious diet, regular exercise and healthy lifestyle can keep you miles away from hair loss or baldness.
Is That Receding Hairline Bothering You?

One saying goes as "Grey hair is God's graffiti."
And the other contradicts it as "Grey hair is a blessing - ask any bald man."
To people who are blessed with hair, grey hair is bothersome. And to people who are worried with receding hairline, even grey hair are a welcome. In this article we will have a quick glance on the facts related to hair loss in men and ways to prevent them.
Factors That Can Cause Hair Loss
Heredity: It is said that the genes for baldness can be inherited equally from both the parents. Hereditary hair loss can be inherited from either the mother's or father's side of the family. This can affect all ethnicities.
Hormones: The presence of androgen, testosterone and its related hormone DHT (dihydrotestosterone) cause some follicles to regress and die. DHT is found to decrease the length of the growing cycle of hair and increase the resting phase. As a result, the person frequently sheds his hair and becomes the victim of hair loss. It is interesting to know that scalp hair growth does not depend on androgen level but the hair loss does.
Age: Aging also contributes to the hair loss in men. As the person grows old, his body comes across various changes that cause hair loss either directly or indirectly. Hair loss in men varies from person to person depending on their genetic composition and levels of testosterone in bloodstream. With the passing age, a person's total hair volume keeps on decreasing.
Medical Conditions: Hormonal conditions such as uncontrolled diabetes or thyroid diseases can interfere with hair production resulting in hair loss. People with liver, kidney diseases and lupus are also at a risk of losing hair. After some major illness or major surgery, one may suddenly lose a large amount of hair. Certain infections of scalp like fungal infections can cause hair loss. Some cancers including leukaemia and lymphoma can cause hair loss even before the starting of the treatment.
Medications: Use of certain medications can also lead to hair loss. Some medications used to prevent and treat acne are associated with hair loss as their side effects. Some medications which are used to treat bipolar disorder in teens can also cause hair loss. Chemotherapy drugs used for treating cancer, some antibiotics used to treat infections and diet pills that contain amphetamines are also responsible for hair loss.
Diet: Eating unhealthy food is also responsible for hair loss. This is one of the prime reasons of hair loss in people with eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia. Hair needs enough protein, vitamins and minerals to grow naturally. Vegetarian people are also at a risk of hair loss as they do not get enough protein from vegetables.
Lifestyle: Stress is another factor that can cause hair loss at an early age be it physical or emotional stress. Absence of exercise and a less active life also affects general health and also your hair. Regular use of styling products and methods (blow drying, ironing, etc.) can damage your scalp, and therefore, may cause hair loss.
Some General Tips For Maintaining Health Of Your Hair
Small things performed on regular basis can help the hairs to stay healthy for longer duration. Some of the easiest things to cultivate to keep hair healthy are:
* Brush your hair gently before washing as this will help in removing the dirt present on your hair
* Gentle scalp massage will help in better circulation
* Shampoo your hair whenever you feel they are dirty and moisturize your hair regularly. Avoid using shampoos containing complex chemicals as they may result in hair loss
* Apply vinegar to rinse your hair as rinsing helps your hair to shine
* Use mild cold water while shampooing your hair
* Allow your hair to dry naturally
* Use hairbrush only when your hair gets completely dried
* It is highly advised not to colour your hair more than once in 6 to 8 weeks
* Avoid using chemicals for hair treatment (like straightening, etc.)
* Cover your head while travelling to save your hair from the effects of pollution
* Hats or caps shall not be used for long duration and must be kept loose while wearing
* Other factors such as regular exercise, taking good amount of sleep (at least six hours daily) and staying away from stress are very much essential for better growth of your hair
* If you have dandruff then get it treated by your doctor
* Consult a doctor before taking any kind of medications as some medications are also found to cause hair loss
Some Diet Tips For Maintaining Health Of Your Hair
* Protein contains five amino acids that are found to be beneficial for preventing hair loss. Lack of protein results the hair to go into the resting phase and eventually to fall out within months
* Fish, eggs, meat, nuts, dairy products, grains and seeds are some of the best sources of protein. Add them in your diet and stay away from hair loss
* Vitamin A is a vital nutrient which helps in promoting the growth and health of cells and tissues. Even the cells and tissues of the hair and scalp require this nutrient for better growth. Some of the vitamin A sources are: red, yellow and orange fruits and vegetables, liver, fish oil, fortified milk and eggs
* Deficiency of vitamin B6, folic acid and vitamin B12 can reduce the blood and oxygen supply to hairs, and thereby, resulting in hair shedding, slow regrowth and damaged hair. Leafy vegetables, nuts, legumes, fortified cereals are some of the plant sources of these vitamins. Chicken, liver, kidney, pork and fish are some of the animal sources of these vitamins
* Always try to avoid processed foods and opt for natural foods
* Also avoid overcooking the food that you would be taking
* Aging can make it more difficult for the body to absorb all the nutrients. In such cases, supplements can be taken to meet the needs of the body
By maintaining a healthy lifestyle and having a balanced diet, you can prevent hair loss to a great extent. It is essential to rule out any underlying disease causing hair loss. If there is one, then it should be treated at the earliest. Do not take any medicine without a doctor's prescription. If you feel you are having hair loss after taking some particular medication then report it to your doctor as a change in prescription may help. Hope these tips help in improving your hair health, and hence, your over all appearance.