Hair raising stories

Hair has no vestige of vital function in man, yet its psychological functions seem immeasurable. The loss of the crowning glory in the recent times has put more pressure than ever on the human psyche as it is a personalized means of display to the society. Hair loss can have a deep impact on a persons self perception and self esteem.

Hair growth cycle: In normal circumstances hair production in each root happens in a cyclic fashion Each hair undergoes a Growth phase which lasts for 3 years, followed by a Resting phase of 3 weeks and is finally shed. The Shedding phase can last 3 months. at any given time 50 – 100 (10%) hair are in shedding phase. this accounts for hair normally seen in shower or a brush or comb after use.

• Total follicles in man- 5 million
• Follicles on scalp – I lakh
• Hair over body can be terminal or vellus
• Terminal hair of scalp, brows, lashes, beard are cosmetically important
• In scalp significant hair loss occurs with increasing age
• Each hair is genetically programmed to grow to a maximum length, retained for some time ,eventually shed and then replaced

This nullifies the concept of using hair oils to increase the length of hair

• Rate of hair growth is 0.03mm /24 hrs
• This varies according to region, sex and age

A variety of factors can alter this hair cycle thus pushing the hair to a premature shedding phase causing alopecia (hair loss)

Alopecia and thinning hair is a common ailment people face; there is typically a well known pattern for hair loss which can help a qualified person to establish that you are indeed losing your hair. In the very early stages of Alopecia however, the subtle signs may be missed by one leading to progressive and gradual thinning of hair which may be noticed only after significant skin surface is visible between hairs. Most women may see this as widening of the parting made between hairs.
On a typical human scalp, approximately 10-15 % of the follicles are in the Telogen (shedding) phase at any one time, Those with conditions such as Telogen Effluvium and Androgenetic Alopecia (Male/female Pattern Baldness),hormonal imbalances, medications, stress have a much higher number of telogen hairs on their scalp.

• Telogen effluvium
• Androgenic alopecia
• Alopecia areata
• Chronic diffuse alopecia
• Nuritional and metabolic
• Hormonal disorders
• Cosmetic
• Scalp Infections

Precipitation of anagen hair into telogen cycle results in shedding of club hair and is called as telogen effluvium. It starts at 2 to 4 months of the triggering episode (fever, pregnancy, surgery etc) and lasts for 3-5 weeks. At height of shedding upto 34-53% of hair can be lost.

Changes occur in genetically prone hair roots following exposure to male hormones at puberty eventual thick hair are progressively transformed to thin called as miniaturisation process. Causing male pattern hair loss

Visibly seen as a recession of frontal hairline, thinning of top hair, finally Progressing to complete loss at front and top of scalp
The onset, rate and endpoint of hair loss are genetically variable and its severity increases with age
This happens in women too, three main patterns have been identified. There is a diffuse frontal-vertical thinning, male pattern type, and diffuse thinning of the vertex.
In general, women maintain a frontal hairline even with marked patterned loss

Patchy hair loss characterised by asymptomatic noninflammatory,nonscarring hair loss involving scalp and /or body hair

• Hair coloring- cuticle breakage, dry hair
• Hair waving / perming
• Straightening
• Bonding and rebonding
• Traction alopecia

• Seven out of ten women tinker with the color of their hair, and, about 65 percent of women who color their hair do it at home.
• Coloring of hair has now also caught up with men

People need to color hair either to camouflage gray, Thicker fuller hair effect or
Pure Cosmesis for an animated desire to look different always exists.

Once you color your hair, it demands special care to maintain its new hue and luster
Colored hair is compromised hair, so you need to give it extra care with mild shampoos, rich conditioners and a safe harbor from environmental assault to keep the color fresh. The first step is to skip shampooing for at least 24 hours to 48 hours, after you color. This gives the pigment a chance to really adhere instead of swirl down the drain,

Avoid detergent shampoos and high alkaline formulas, which will accelerate the rate at which your hair loses its new color. This is something to remember the next time you mistakenly color your hair too dark.

If your color has started to fade, try a color spiked cleanser (also known as color depositing shampoos). These formulas will deposit a hint of color onto your hair to freshen it up between colorings.

It would surprise many to know that cleaner hair is less shiny than dirty hair. Shine is a quality which people desire in hair. Bad hair is seen as dull limp oily or fly away hair which can be corrected by choosing right shampoo and conditioners for hair type and life style.

• Cleansing should be minimum
• Frequency of cleansing depends on hair type,climate,life style
• Choose shampoo according to hair type
• Minimum trauma while drying/styling
• Do not comb wet hair
• Use wide toothed comb with rounded
• Dry the hair naturally, if hair dryer used, hold 6 inches away from scalp
• Avoid tight bands, buns clips to prevent traction alopecia
• Avoid Coloring/straightening/waving if possible

But if you happen to undertake any of these, staying out of the sun, wearing a hat when out and employing UV blocking products will help blunt the color sapping effects of ultraviolet rays. If you swim in chlorinated water, wear a cap to keep your locks out of harms way.

• Remember, hair gets roughed up during processing. Regularly apply a rich conditioner to combat the dryness and to help flatten the cuticle, so light can best reflect off of each strand.
• Diet rich in proteins, minerals and vitamins helps

Trichoscopy uses something called Epiluminescence Microscopy (ELM), along with automatic digital image analysis for measuring human hair. Simply put, it takes a digital image of a section of the scalp, and not only instantly counts the number of hairs there, but also determines their length, width, and their current state (Growth, Regression, etc.)....this pattern can be evaluated on different area of the scalp or body in the same sitting and compared.

It is now used to understand the rate of hair growth, the size of hair fibers, the frequency of shedding hair follicles, and the quantification of shed hair. scientific knowledge imbibed through qualified personnel brings about efficacy of the treatment that is given and this can add insight into the research of various treatments for restoring lost hair.
Increased demands have resulted in development of multiple new modalities medical and surgical to restore hair

It is important to hence make best use of medical concepts to understand dynamics of hair growth and use these to enhance hair
In case hair loss is severe a dermatologist should be consulted to evaluate, identify and correct the cause of hair loss

THE INFORMATION IN THIS ARTICLE REFLECTS THE VIEWS OF THE AUTHOR ONLY. A QUALIFIED HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL SHOULD BE CONSULTED BEFORE USING ANY THERAPEUTIC PRODUCT DISCUSSED. ALL READERS SHOULD VERIFY ALL INFORMATION AND DATA BEFORE TREATING PATIENTS OR UTILIZING ANY THERAPIES NOTED IN THIS PROGRAMME.