"Hair lightening," referred to as "bleaching" or "decolorizing," is a chemical process involving the diffusion of the natural color pigment or artificial color from the hair plus the raising of the cuticle making the hair more porous. This process is central to both permanent hair color and hair lighteners. Most hair lighteners and bleaches can make your hair turn gray at a younger age.
Application techniques
Typically, hair coloring is used in one of two ways:
1. One color is applied to all hair on the head, to produce a uniform color effect, or
2. Several individual color preparations are applied to selected sections of the hair, to produce streaks or gradations of color.
The latter technique can be used to create many different effects, from subtle highlights acquired during a day at the beach, to more dramatic looks, such as bold, chunky highlights. The terms most commonly used to describe these techniques are:
* Highlighting, where sections of hair are treated with lighteners, usually to create blond streaks.
* Lowlighting, where sections of hair are treated with darker hair color.
* Foils, where pieces of foil or plastic film is used to separate off the hair to be colored; especially when applying more than one color.
* Cap, when a plastic cap is placed tight on the head and strands are pulled through with a hook.
* Balayage, where hair color is painted directly onto sections of the hair with no foils used to keep the color contained.
Both application techniques can be used with either color treatments that range from temporary to permanent.
Exotic hair colorants
While the majority of hair coloring products are designed to produce natural-looking hair color shades (typically blond, red, brown or black), a minority of hair coloring products are designed to create hair colors not typically found in nature. These are available in almost any color imaginable, including green or fuchsia.
These dyes are typically sold in punk-themed stores (such as comic book and music stores). In the U.S. they are sometimes sold under the brand names "Beyond The Zone", "Clairol Jazzing", "Manic Panic", "Special Effects", "Punky Colors", and a permanent alternative in some colors (like INTENSE infa-red reds and darky inky purples and blues) is available in the U.S. under "Paul Mitchel: Inkworks" and "Chi: InfaReds". Some exotic color shades are blacklight reactive, which suggests that the wearers typically want their hair color to show up under nightclub lighting.
The chemical formulae of exotic colored dyes typically contain only tint, and have no developer. This means that they will only create the bright color of the packet if they are applied to light blond hair. Therefore, the majority with darker hair (medium brown to black) are advised to use a bleaching kit prior to tint application in order to get the full effect of the color. Some people with fair hair may benefit from prior bleaching as well, as the yellow undertones of blonde hair can make blue dye look green, and to make the hair porous to easily absorb the pigments into the hair shaft. With colors like pinks, blues,and greens its extremely important to make sure you lighten the hair to a light enough blonde. Gold, yellow and orange undertones in hair that hasn't lightened enough can adversely affect results.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Types of hair color
Hair coloring products are typically categorized based on the length of time they effect the colored hair. The four most common classifications are 'temporary', 'semi-permanent', 'demi-permanent' (sometimes called 'deposit only) and permanent.
Temporary hair color
The pigment molecules in temporary hair color are large and, therefore, do not penetrate the cuticle layer, allowing only a coating action that may be removed by shampooing.
Acid dyes are used to coat the surface of hair, since acid dyes have a low affinity to hair, thus can be removed after a shampoo. The penetration and color strength of temporary hair color can usually be improved by applying a bleaching prior to the application of the hair color.
Temporary hair color is available in various product forms including rinses, shampoos, gels, sprays, foams and others. This type of hair color is typically used to give brighter, more vibrant shades or colors such as orange or red, that may be difficult to achieve with semi-permanent and permanent hair color. Temporary color is also used by some teens for events at school and Halloween. This phenomenon is because temporary hair colorants do not penetrate the hair shaft itself. Instead, these color particles remain adsorbed (closely adherent) to the hair shaft and can be easily removed with a single shampooing. However, even temporary hair coloring agents can persist if the user's hair is excessively dry or damaged, conditions that allow for migration of the pigments from the exterior to the interior of the hair shaft. While temporary hair color products hold a lesser market than semi-permanent and permanent agents, they have value in that they can be easily and quickly removed without bleaching or application of a different coloring product.
Semipermanent hair color
Formulated to deposit color on the hair shaft without lightening it. This formula has smaller molecules than those of temporary tinting formulas, and is therefore able to partially penetrate the hair shaft. It has no developer, but may be used with heat for deeper penetration. It also lasts longer than temporary hair color, keeping mostly intact up to 4-5 shampoos. They are great for hair that is damaged and fragile. Semi hair color has no Ammonia.
'Demi Permanent' hair color
Companies like Compagnia Del Colore from Italy have found a way to change the color pigment molecules to be smaller than that of semi permanent hair color but still larger than permanent hair color molecules. This is done by mixing permanent hair color with low volume (usually a 7 volume developer) that blows off the ammonia from the permanent tube and deposits color molecules only into the hair shaft. A demi is gentler than permanent color used whenever you want to deposit color without lifting the natural pigment but with the penetration being more than semi permanent color and less than permanent, the results last longer than semi but shorter than permanent hair color. Since they are more gentle than permanent hair color, they are great for tint-backs and colorpriming. They are also great for toning pre-lightened hair. Because there is no lifting of natural hair color, they are not as effective on dark hair, due to the over-powering color already existing in the hair.
Semi permanent hair color should be used with caution. For many of these kinds of tints, especially the darker tones, the 'semi' aspect is less active; the coloring is much more on the 'permanent' side than the temporary. For example, when coloring your hair with a black 'semi-permanent' dye that should last for roughly 28 shampoos, you should expect the color to last longer and fade more slowly, regardless of what the box may or may not disclose.
Permanent color
All "permanent" haircolor products and lighteners contain both a developer, or oxidizing agent, and an alkalizing ingredient as part of their ammonia or an ammonia substitute. The purpose of this is to:
* raise the cuticle of the hair fiber so the tint can penetrate,
* facilitate the formation of tints within the hair fiber,
* bring about the lightening action of peroxide.
When the tint containing the alkalizing ingredient is combined with the developer (usually hydrogen peroxide), the peroxide becomes alkaline and diffuses through the hair fiber, entering the cortex, where the melanin is located. The lightening occurs when the alkaline peroxide breaks up the melanin and replaces it with new color.
Permanent Color is the best choice for grey hair coverage. It has an oxidizing colorant that also uses ammonia and peroxide to lift and deposit the new color, going deep into the hair shaft. The use of ammonia opens the cuticle of the hair to allow the color pigments to penetrate deep into the hair shaft.
When coloring your hair with a permanent tint, you should first remember the fact that it's permanent. It sounds simple, but this color will not fade or become less vibrant if it's doing its job. Your natural hair color will reappear when your roots begin to grow, and you should expect to have to tint it more than once to maintain your new color. If you want to get rid of the added color, you will either have to remove the color with a stripping process (depending on the color of the tint) or color it back to its natural color. Either way, permanent hair color is more difficult to maintain, and to get rid of.
Temporary hair color
The pigment molecules in temporary hair color are large and, therefore, do not penetrate the cuticle layer, allowing only a coating action that may be removed by shampooing.
Acid dyes are used to coat the surface of hair, since acid dyes have a low affinity to hair, thus can be removed after a shampoo. The penetration and color strength of temporary hair color can usually be improved by applying a bleaching prior to the application of the hair color.
Temporary hair color is available in various product forms including rinses, shampoos, gels, sprays, foams and others. This type of hair color is typically used to give brighter, more vibrant shades or colors such as orange or red, that may be difficult to achieve with semi-permanent and permanent hair color. Temporary color is also used by some teens for events at school and Halloween. This phenomenon is because temporary hair colorants do not penetrate the hair shaft itself. Instead, these color particles remain adsorbed (closely adherent) to the hair shaft and can be easily removed with a single shampooing. However, even temporary hair coloring agents can persist if the user's hair is excessively dry or damaged, conditions that allow for migration of the pigments from the exterior to the interior of the hair shaft. While temporary hair color products hold a lesser market than semi-permanent and permanent agents, they have value in that they can be easily and quickly removed without bleaching or application of a different coloring product.
Semipermanent hair color
Formulated to deposit color on the hair shaft without lightening it. This formula has smaller molecules than those of temporary tinting formulas, and is therefore able to partially penetrate the hair shaft. It has no developer, but may be used with heat for deeper penetration. It also lasts longer than temporary hair color, keeping mostly intact up to 4-5 shampoos. They are great for hair that is damaged and fragile. Semi hair color has no Ammonia.
'Demi Permanent' hair color
Companies like Compagnia Del Colore from Italy have found a way to change the color pigment molecules to be smaller than that of semi permanent hair color but still larger than permanent hair color molecules. This is done by mixing permanent hair color with low volume (usually a 7 volume developer) that blows off the ammonia from the permanent tube and deposits color molecules only into the hair shaft. A demi is gentler than permanent color used whenever you want to deposit color without lifting the natural pigment but with the penetration being more than semi permanent color and less than permanent, the results last longer than semi but shorter than permanent hair color. Since they are more gentle than permanent hair color, they are great for tint-backs and colorpriming. They are also great for toning pre-lightened hair. Because there is no lifting of natural hair color, they are not as effective on dark hair, due to the over-powering color already existing in the hair.
Semi permanent hair color should be used with caution. For many of these kinds of tints, especially the darker tones, the 'semi' aspect is less active; the coloring is much more on the 'permanent' side than the temporary. For example, when coloring your hair with a black 'semi-permanent' dye that should last for roughly 28 shampoos, you should expect the color to last longer and fade more slowly, regardless of what the box may or may not disclose.
Permanent color
All "permanent" haircolor products and lighteners contain both a developer, or oxidizing agent, and an alkalizing ingredient as part of their ammonia or an ammonia substitute. The purpose of this is to:
* raise the cuticle of the hair fiber so the tint can penetrate,
* facilitate the formation of tints within the hair fiber,
* bring about the lightening action of peroxide.
When the tint containing the alkalizing ingredient is combined with the developer (usually hydrogen peroxide), the peroxide becomes alkaline and diffuses through the hair fiber, entering the cortex, where the melanin is located. The lightening occurs when the alkaline peroxide breaks up the melanin and replaces it with new color.
Permanent Color is the best choice for grey hair coverage. It has an oxidizing colorant that also uses ammonia and peroxide to lift and deposit the new color, going deep into the hair shaft. The use of ammonia opens the cuticle of the hair to allow the color pigments to penetrate deep into the hair shaft.
When coloring your hair with a permanent tint, you should first remember the fact that it's permanent. It sounds simple, but this color will not fade or become less vibrant if it's doing its job. Your natural hair color will reappear when your roots begin to grow, and you should expect to have to tint it more than once to maintain your new color. If you want to get rid of the added color, you will either have to remove the color with a stripping process (depending on the color of the tint) or color it back to its natural color. Either way, permanent hair color is more difficult to maintain, and to get rid of.
Specialized shampoos
Dandruff
Cosmetic companies have developed shampoos specifically for those who have dandruff. These contain fungicides such as ketoconazole, zinc pyrithione and selenium sulfide which reduce loose dander by killing Malassezia furfur. Coal tar and salicylate derivatives are often used as well.
All-natural
Some companies use "all-natural," "organic," "botanical," or "plant-derived" ingredients (such as plant extracts or oils), combining these additions with one or more typical surfactants. The effectiveness of these organic ingredients is disputed.
Alternative shampoos, sometimes marketed as SLS-free, claim to have fewer harsh chemicals - typically none from the sulfate family. They are sometimes claimed to be gentler on human hair.
Baby
Shampoo for infants and young children is formulated so that it is less irritating and usually less prone to produce a stinging or burning sensation if it were to get into the eyes. This is accomplished by one or more of the following formulation strategies:
1. dilution, in case product comes in contact with eyes after running off the top of the head with minimal further dilution;
2. adjusting pH to that of non-stress tears, approximately 7, which may be a higher pH than that of shampoos which are pH adjusted for skin or hair effects, and lower than that of shampoo made of soap;
3. use of surfactants which, alone or in combination, are less irritating than those used in other shampoos;
4. use of nonionic surfactants of the form of polyethoxylated synthetic glycolipids and/or polyethoxylated synthetic monoglycerides, which surfactants counteract the eye sting of other surfactants without producing the anesthetizing effect of alkyl polyethoxylates or alkylphenol polyethoxylates.
The distinction in 4 above does not completely surmount controversy over the use of shampoo ingredients to mitigate eye sting produced by other ingredients, or of use of the products so formulated.
The considerations in 3 and 4 frequently result in a much greater multiplicity of surfactants being used in individual baby shampoos than in other shampoos, and the detergency and/or foaming of such products may be compromised thereby. The monoanionic sulfonated surfactants and viscosity-increasing or foam stabilizing alkanolamides seen so frequently in other shampoos are much less common in the better baby shampoos.
Animal
Shampoo for animals (such as for dogs or cats) should be formulated especially for them, as their skin has fewer cell layers than human skin. Cats' skin is 2-3 cell layers thick, while dogs' skin is 3-5 layers. Human skin, by contrast, is 10-15 cell layers thick. This is the main reason why one should never use even something as mild as baby shampoo on a cat, dog, or other pet.
Shampoo intended for animals may contain insecticides or other medications for treatment of skin conditions or parasite infestations such as fleas or mange. These must never be used on humans. It is equally important to note that while some human shampoos may be harmful when used on animals, any haircare products that contain active ingredients/drugs (such as zinc in antidandruff shampoos) are potentially toxic when ingested by animals. Special care must be taken not to use those products on pets. Cats are at particular risk due to their instinctive method of grooming their fur with their tongues.
Solid
Solid shampoos or shampoo bars use as their surfactants soaps and/or other surfactants conveniently formulated as solids. They have the advantage of being spill-proof, and the disadvantage of being slowly applied, needing to be dissolved in use.
Jelly/Gel
Stiff, non-pourable clear gels to be squeezed from a tube were once popular forms of shampoo, and can be produced by increasing a shampoo's viscosity. This type of shampoo cannnot be spilled, but unlike a solid, it can still be lost down the drain by sliding off wet skin or hair. Soap jelly was formerly made at home by dissolving sodium soap in hot water before being used for shampooing or other purposes, to avoid the problem of slow application of solids noted above.
Paste/cream
Shampoos in the form of pastes or creams were formerly marketed in jars or tubes. The contents were wet but not completely dissolved. They would apply faster than solids and dissolve quickly. Jar contents were prone to contamination by users and hence had to be very well preserved.
Dry shampoo
Powdered shampoos are designed to work without water. They are typically based on powders such as starch or talc, and are intended to absorb excess sebum from the hair before being brushed out. Hair tends not to "look" as clean as when washed with conventional shampoos.
Cosmetic companies have developed shampoos specifically for those who have dandruff. These contain fungicides such as ketoconazole, zinc pyrithione and selenium sulfide which reduce loose dander by killing Malassezia furfur. Coal tar and salicylate derivatives are often used as well.
All-natural
Some companies use "all-natural," "organic," "botanical," or "plant-derived" ingredients (such as plant extracts or oils), combining these additions with one or more typical surfactants. The effectiveness of these organic ingredients is disputed.
Alternative shampoos, sometimes marketed as SLS-free, claim to have fewer harsh chemicals - typically none from the sulfate family. They are sometimes claimed to be gentler on human hair.
Baby
Shampoo for infants and young children is formulated so that it is less irritating and usually less prone to produce a stinging or burning sensation if it were to get into the eyes. This is accomplished by one or more of the following formulation strategies:
1. dilution, in case product comes in contact with eyes after running off the top of the head with minimal further dilution;
2. adjusting pH to that of non-stress tears, approximately 7, which may be a higher pH than that of shampoos which are pH adjusted for skin or hair effects, and lower than that of shampoo made of soap;
3. use of surfactants which, alone or in combination, are less irritating than those used in other shampoos;
4. use of nonionic surfactants of the form of polyethoxylated synthetic glycolipids and/or polyethoxylated synthetic monoglycerides, which surfactants counteract the eye sting of other surfactants without producing the anesthetizing effect of alkyl polyethoxylates or alkylphenol polyethoxylates.
The distinction in 4 above does not completely surmount controversy over the use of shampoo ingredients to mitigate eye sting produced by other ingredients, or of use of the products so formulated.
The considerations in 3 and 4 frequently result in a much greater multiplicity of surfactants being used in individual baby shampoos than in other shampoos, and the detergency and/or foaming of such products may be compromised thereby. The monoanionic sulfonated surfactants and viscosity-increasing or foam stabilizing alkanolamides seen so frequently in other shampoos are much less common in the better baby shampoos.
Animal
Shampoo for animals (such as for dogs or cats) should be formulated especially for them, as their skin has fewer cell layers than human skin. Cats' skin is 2-3 cell layers thick, while dogs' skin is 3-5 layers. Human skin, by contrast, is 10-15 cell layers thick. This is the main reason why one should never use even something as mild as baby shampoo on a cat, dog, or other pet.
Shampoo intended for animals may contain insecticides or other medications for treatment of skin conditions or parasite infestations such as fleas or mange. These must never be used on humans. It is equally important to note that while some human shampoos may be harmful when used on animals, any haircare products that contain active ingredients/drugs (such as zinc in antidandruff shampoos) are potentially toxic when ingested by animals. Special care must be taken not to use those products on pets. Cats are at particular risk due to their instinctive method of grooming their fur with their tongues.
Solid
Solid shampoos or shampoo bars use as their surfactants soaps and/or other surfactants conveniently formulated as solids. They have the advantage of being spill-proof, and the disadvantage of being slowly applied, needing to be dissolved in use.
Jelly/Gel
Stiff, non-pourable clear gels to be squeezed from a tube were once popular forms of shampoo, and can be produced by increasing a shampoo's viscosity. This type of shampoo cannnot be spilled, but unlike a solid, it can still be lost down the drain by sliding off wet skin or hair. Soap jelly was formerly made at home by dissolving sodium soap in hot water before being used for shampooing or other purposes, to avoid the problem of slow application of solids noted above.
Paste/cream
Shampoos in the form of pastes or creams were formerly marketed in jars or tubes. The contents were wet but not completely dissolved. They would apply faster than solids and dissolve quickly. Jar contents were prone to contamination by users and hence had to be very well preserved.
Dry shampoo
Powdered shampoos are designed to work without water. They are typically based on powders such as starch or talc, and are intended to absorb excess sebum from the hair before being brushed out. Hair tends not to "look" as clean as when washed with conventional shampoos.
Shampoo
Shampoo is a hair care product used for the removal of oils, dirt, skin particles, dandruff, environmental pollutants and other contaminant particles that gradually build up in hair. The goal is to remove the unwanted build-up without stripping out so much as to make hair unmanageable.
Shampoo, when lathered with water, is a surfactant, which, while cleaning the hair and scalp, can remove the natural oils (sebum) which lubricate the hair shaft.
Shampooing is frequently followed by conditioners which increase the ease of combing and styling.
How shampoo works
Shampoo cleans by stripping sebum from the hair. Sebum is an oil secreted by hair follicles that is readily absorbed by the strands of hair, and forms a protective layer. Sebum protects the protein structure of hair from damage, but this protection comes at a cost. It tends to collect dirt, styling products and scalp flakes. Surfactants strip the sebum from the hair shafts and thereby remove the dirt attached to it.
While both soaps and shampoos contain surfactants, soap bonds to oils with such affinity that it removes too much if used on hair. Shampoo uses a different class of surfactants balanced to avoid removing too much oil from the hair.
The chemical mechanisms that underlie hair cleansing are similar to that of traditional soap. Undamaged hair has a hydrophobic surface to which skin lipids such as sebum stick, but water is initially repelled. The lipids do not come off easily when the hair is rinsed with plain water. The anionic surfactants substantially reduce the interfacial surface tension and allow for the removal of the sebum from the hair shaft. The non-polar oily materials on the hair shaft are solubilised into the surfactant micelle structures of the shampoo and are removed during rinsing. There is also considerable removal through a surfactant and oil "roll up" effect.
Shampoo, when lathered with water, is a surfactant, which, while cleaning the hair and scalp, can remove the natural oils (sebum) which lubricate the hair shaft.
Shampooing is frequently followed by conditioners which increase the ease of combing and styling.
How shampoo works
Shampoo cleans by stripping sebum from the hair. Sebum is an oil secreted by hair follicles that is readily absorbed by the strands of hair, and forms a protective layer. Sebum protects the protein structure of hair from damage, but this protection comes at a cost. It tends to collect dirt, styling products and scalp flakes. Surfactants strip the sebum from the hair shafts and thereby remove the dirt attached to it.
While both soaps and shampoos contain surfactants, soap bonds to oils with such affinity that it removes too much if used on hair. Shampoo uses a different class of surfactants balanced to avoid removing too much oil from the hair.
The chemical mechanisms that underlie hair cleansing are similar to that of traditional soap. Undamaged hair has a hydrophobic surface to which skin lipids such as sebum stick, but water is initially repelled. The lipids do not come off easily when the hair is rinsed with plain water. The anionic surfactants substantially reduce the interfacial surface tension and allow for the removal of the sebum from the hair shaft. The non-polar oily materials on the hair shaft are solubilised into the surfactant micelle structures of the shampoo and are removed during rinsing. There is also considerable removal through a surfactant and oil "roll up" effect.
Preventative action – nutrition to reduce hair fall
As stated earlier, major factors for healthy hair of any type remains both genetics and health. A well understood factor to optimum health is nutrition, and this element remains true for hair health. The living part of hair is under the scalp skin where the hair root is housed in the hair follicle. The entire follicle and root are fed by a vein, and blood carries nutrients to the follicle/root. Any time an individual has any kind of health concern from stress, trauma, medications of various sorts, chronic medical conditions or medical conditions that come and then wane, heavy metals in waters and food, smoking etc. these and more can affect the hair, its growth, and its appearance.
Generally, eating a full diet that contains protein, fruits, vegetables, grains, and even an appropriate amount of fat is important (several vitamins and minerals require fat in order to be delivered or absorbed by the body). Any deficiency will typically show first in the hair, perhaps even before it is diagnosed. For example, even a mild case of anemia can cause shedding and hair loss. Among others, the B group of vitamins are the most important for healthy hair, especially biotin. B5 (Pantothenic Acid) gives hair flexibility, strength and shine and helps prevent hair loss and graying. B6 helps prevent dandruff and can be found in cereals, egg yolk and liver. Vitamin B12 helps prevent the loss of hair and can be found in fish, eggs, chicken and milk.
When the body is under strain, it reprioritizes its processes. For example, the vital organs will be attended to first, meaning that healthy, oxygenated blood may not feed into the hair follicle, resulting in less healthy hair or a decline in growth rate. While not all hair growth issues stem from malnutrition, it is a valuable symptom in diagnosis.
Scalp hair grows, on average, at a rate of about half an inch per month, and shampoos or vitamins have not been shown to noticeably change this rate. Hair growth rate also depends upon what phase in the cycle of hair growth one is actually in; there are three phases. The speed of hair growth varies based upon genetics, gender, age, hormones, and may be reduced by nutrient deficiency (i.e., anorexia, anemia, zinc deficiency) and hormonal fluctuations (i.e., menopause, polycystic ovaries, thyroid disease).
Generally, eating a full diet that contains protein, fruits, vegetables, grains, and even an appropriate amount of fat is important (several vitamins and minerals require fat in order to be delivered or absorbed by the body). Any deficiency will typically show first in the hair, perhaps even before it is diagnosed. For example, even a mild case of anemia can cause shedding and hair loss. Among others, the B group of vitamins are the most important for healthy hair, especially biotin. B5 (Pantothenic Acid) gives hair flexibility, strength and shine and helps prevent hair loss and graying. B6 helps prevent dandruff and can be found in cereals, egg yolk and liver. Vitamin B12 helps prevent the loss of hair and can be found in fish, eggs, chicken and milk.
When the body is under strain, it reprioritizes its processes. For example, the vital organs will be attended to first, meaning that healthy, oxygenated blood may not feed into the hair follicle, resulting in less healthy hair or a decline in growth rate. While not all hair growth issues stem from malnutrition, it is a valuable symptom in diagnosis.
Scalp hair grows, on average, at a rate of about half an inch per month, and shampoos or vitamins have not been shown to noticeably change this rate. Hair growth rate also depends upon what phase in the cycle of hair growth one is actually in; there are three phases. The speed of hair growth varies based upon genetics, gender, age, hormones, and may be reduced by nutrient deficiency (i.e., anorexia, anemia, zinc deficiency) and hormonal fluctuations (i.e., menopause, polycystic ovaries, thyroid disease).
Reasons for hair loss - Hormone changes and imbalances
There are various reasons for hair loss, most commonly hormonal issues. Fluctuations in hormones will often show in the hair. Not all hair loss is related to what is known as male pattern baldness, and indeed, women can suffer from baldness just as men do. This includes women experiencing what's referred to as male pattern baldness. There exist on the markets formulas for addressing this specific cause of lack of hair growth yet typically they require around three months of consistence use for results to begin to appear. Cessation may also mean that gained growth may dissipate.
Particularly among women, thyroid disease is one of the more under-diagnosed health concerns. Hair falling out in clumps is one symptom of a set of symptoms that may indicate a thyroid concern. In many gynecological exams a blood screen for thyroid is now a common protocol. Thyroid often shows up first in the behavior of the hair.
During pregnancy and breast feeding, the normal and natural shedding process is typically suspended (starting around month three because it takes a while for the body to recognize and reset for the hormonal shifts the body goes through) for the period of gestation and extended longer if one breast feeds (this includes pumping for breast milk). Upon cessation of either of these, it typically takes around two months for the hormones to shift again to the normal hormonal settings, and hair shedding can increase exponentially, for approximately 3-6 months until hair returns to its normal volume. It is commonly noticed that hair seems thicker and shinier, even, during pregnancy and breast feeding in response to the influx of shifting hormones. It is not unusual also for hair color to change, or hair structure to change (e.g., straighter hair, curlier hair). These changes can occur more often than people may realize yet isn't often reported.
General hair loss
Some choose to shave their hair off entirely, while still others may have an illness (such as a form of cancer--note that not every form of cancer or cancer treatment necessarily means one will lose their hair) that caused hair loss or lead to a decision to shave the head.
Particularly among women, thyroid disease is one of the more under-diagnosed health concerns. Hair falling out in clumps is one symptom of a set of symptoms that may indicate a thyroid concern. In many gynecological exams a blood screen for thyroid is now a common protocol. Thyroid often shows up first in the behavior of the hair.
During pregnancy and breast feeding, the normal and natural shedding process is typically suspended (starting around month three because it takes a while for the body to recognize and reset for the hormonal shifts the body goes through) for the period of gestation and extended longer if one breast feeds (this includes pumping for breast milk). Upon cessation of either of these, it typically takes around two months for the hormones to shift again to the normal hormonal settings, and hair shedding can increase exponentially, for approximately 3-6 months until hair returns to its normal volume. It is commonly noticed that hair seems thicker and shinier, even, during pregnancy and breast feeding in response to the influx of shifting hormones. It is not unusual also for hair color to change, or hair structure to change (e.g., straighter hair, curlier hair). These changes can occur more often than people may realize yet isn't often reported.
General hair loss
Some choose to shave their hair off entirely, while still others may have an illness (such as a form of cancer--note that not every form of cancer or cancer treatment necessarily means one will lose their hair) that caused hair loss or lead to a decision to shave the head.
Treatment of damaged hair
Split ends
Split ends, known formally as trichoptilosis, happen when the protective cuticle has been stripped away from the ends of hair fibers.
This condition involves a longitudinal splitting of the hair fiber. Any chemical or physical trauma, such as heat, that weathers the hair may eventually lead to split ends. Typically, the damaged hair fiber splits into two or three strands and the split may be two to three centimeters in length. Split ends are most often observed in long hair but also occur in short hair that is not in good condition.
As hair grows, the natural protective oils of the scalp can fail to reach the ends of the hair. The ends are considered old once they reach about 10 centimeters since they have had long exposure to the sun, gone through many shampoos and may have been overheated by hair dryers and hot irons. This all results in dry, brittle ends which are prone to splitting. Infrequent trims and lack of hydrating treatments can intensify this condition.
Breakage and other damage
Hair can be damaged by chemical exposure and at times by excessive perming and straightening.
Infections and skin disorders
When hair behaves in an unusual way, or a scalp skin disorder arises, it is often necessary to visit not only a qualified physician, but sometimes a dermatologist, or a trichologist. Conditions that require this type of professional help include, but are not limited to, forms of alopecia, hair pulling/picking, hair that sticks straight out, black dots on the hair, and rashes or burns resulting from chemical processes.
There are a number of disorders that are particular to the scalp. Symptoms may include:
* bumps,
* lumps,
* chafes,
* weeping or bleeding,
* clumpy flakes that do not easily slough off the scalp skin,
* caking skin buildup that appears white or another color than one's natural skin tone,
* excessive itchiness that doesn't go away with a few hair wash, redness of scalp skin,
* patches of thinning,
* clumps of hair falling out,
* shedding,
* pus-like drainage,
* abnormal odor,
* dandruff
Any of these symptoms may indicate a need for professional assistance from a dermatologist or trichologist for diagnosis.
Scalp skin can suffer from infestations of mites, lice, infections of the follicles or fungus. There could be allergic reactions to ingredients in chemical preparations applied to the hair, even ingredients from shampoo or conditioners. Common concerns surrounding dandruff (often associated with excessive sebum); psoriasis, eczema, or seborrheic dermatitus.
An odor that persists for a few weeks despite regular hair washing may be an indication of a health problem on the scalp skin.
Not all flakes are dandruff. For example, some can merely be product buildup on the scalp skin. This could result from the common practice of applying conditioner to scalp skin without washing. This would dry upon the scalp skin and flake off, appearing like dandruff and even causing itchiness, but have no health effects whatsoever.
Split ends, known formally as trichoptilosis, happen when the protective cuticle has been stripped away from the ends of hair fibers.
This condition involves a longitudinal splitting of the hair fiber. Any chemical or physical trauma, such as heat, that weathers the hair may eventually lead to split ends. Typically, the damaged hair fiber splits into two or three strands and the split may be two to three centimeters in length. Split ends are most often observed in long hair but also occur in short hair that is not in good condition.
As hair grows, the natural protective oils of the scalp can fail to reach the ends of the hair. The ends are considered old once they reach about 10 centimeters since they have had long exposure to the sun, gone through many shampoos and may have been overheated by hair dryers and hot irons. This all results in dry, brittle ends which are prone to splitting. Infrequent trims and lack of hydrating treatments can intensify this condition.
Breakage and other damage
Hair can be damaged by chemical exposure and at times by excessive perming and straightening.
Infections and skin disorders
When hair behaves in an unusual way, or a scalp skin disorder arises, it is often necessary to visit not only a qualified physician, but sometimes a dermatologist, or a trichologist. Conditions that require this type of professional help include, but are not limited to, forms of alopecia, hair pulling/picking, hair that sticks straight out, black dots on the hair, and rashes or burns resulting from chemical processes.
There are a number of disorders that are particular to the scalp. Symptoms may include:
* bumps,
* lumps,
* chafes,
* weeping or bleeding,
* clumpy flakes that do not easily slough off the scalp skin,
* caking skin buildup that appears white or another color than one's natural skin tone,
* excessive itchiness that doesn't go away with a few hair wash, redness of scalp skin,
* patches of thinning,
* clumps of hair falling out,
* shedding,
* pus-like drainage,
* abnormal odor,
* dandruff
Any of these symptoms may indicate a need for professional assistance from a dermatologist or trichologist for diagnosis.
Scalp skin can suffer from infestations of mites, lice, infections of the follicles or fungus. There could be allergic reactions to ingredients in chemical preparations applied to the hair, even ingredients from shampoo or conditioners. Common concerns surrounding dandruff (often associated with excessive sebum); psoriasis, eczema, or seborrheic dermatitus.
An odor that persists for a few weeks despite regular hair washing may be an indication of a health problem on the scalp skin.
Not all flakes are dandruff. For example, some can merely be product buildup on the scalp skin. This could result from the common practice of applying conditioner to scalp skin without washing. This would dry upon the scalp skin and flake off, appearing like dandruff and even causing itchiness, but have no health effects whatsoever.
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