Help for Thinning Hair

Though thinning hair can be caused by a medical condition, often it's just a natural part of getting older. Fortunately, in many cases, the solution is as close as your local drugstore or hair salon.

By the editors at Daily Glow

You may think of thinning hair as a male problem, but it happens to women, too, and for a number of reasons. Causes of thinning hair include health conditions such as a thyroid disorder or a serious deficiency in certain nutrients. Some medications can lead to thinning hair, too. And if you seem to lose hair suddenly, it may be that a stressful situation in your life has caused a response called telogen effluvium. When this happens, your hair will thin noticeably about two to three months after the event and take several months to grow back in.

Usually though, thinning hair is an inherited trait. In women, locks tend to thin out on the top or sides of the head or at the crown. This is likely to be more obvious as you get older, when hair fibers naturally get thinner.

Adding Volume to Thinning Hair You can make the most of the hair you have, and even help it regrow, by trying the following tips:

• Shampoo sparingly. Protect your hair by washing it only when it’s dirty. Use a thickening shampoo and apply it only to the scalp, then use a volume-building conditioner. Between you can give your hair more volume by spraying dry shampoo into your roots.
• Blow-dry with care. Let your hair partially dry before using a blow-dryer; this will keep water from heating up inside hair strands and making them brittle. Set your blow-dryer to cool or warm —not hot.
• Don’t overstyle your hair. Putting your hair in tight braids or ponytails can make hair more brittle and more likely to fall out; so can regular curling with irons or hot rollers.
• Try minoxidil (Rogaine). The only FDA-approved treatment for hair loss in women, this product is available over-the-counter in a liquid or foam that you rub into your scalp twice a day. The good news is that minoxidil can prevent further hair loss and promote new hair growth. You have to stick with it, though: It can take up to 12 weeks to see results, and you have to keep using it to keep hair growing.
• Consult your hairdresser. The right haircut can hide sparse areas. Coloring your hair can help, too, especially if you add a few highlights around your face and go with a base shade that’s not too dark or too light.

When to See a Doctor If you suddenly notice hair loss, it’s a good idea to consult your doctor. He or she may want to perform tests to see if you have a medical condition that’s causing your hair to thin. If your hair loss is caused by a medication you take, talk to your doctor about switching to something else.

For serious hair loss in one area, you may want to talk to a dermatologist about hair transplant surgery. This involves taking healthy hair follicles from a part of the scalp where hair is plentiful and moving it to a sparser area.

So take heart if you’re bothered by the number of strands in your hairbrush: There’s plenty you can do to turn your hair from thin to terrific!

How to Get Rid of Dandruff Naturally

The best natural remedies you can try at home.

It’s often tough to make and its accompanying itchy, flaky scalp — disappear. But you may not have to resort to those heavy-duty dandruff shampoos to cure your case. Try a few of these natural dandruff remedies to make those flakes disappear.

Give your scalp a drink. Beer, which contains plenty of vitamin B and yeast, can help do battle with whatever’s causing your dandruff (including killing off a nasty fungal infection). Rinse your hair with a few ounces of beer every night to help revitalize your scalp.

Squeeze on a little lime. Massage lime juice onto your scalp to help clear away the flakes and make your hair shine. Leave the lime juice on for at least 15 minutes before rinsing it away.

Just beet it. Experiment with this tried-and-true natural dandruff remedy: Boil several beets in a pan of water until the water turns a nice dark shade of purple, then massage the water into your scalp. (You may want to wear latex gloves when you’re doing this, and be careful about getting it onto your forehead, as beet juice can really stain the skin.) Leave it on for at least a half hour before rinsing it away.

Moisturize your scalp. Dandruff often results from dry skin on the scalp, so an oil treatment may be just what the doctor ordered. Heat up a little of your favorite oil — coconut oil, olive oil, rosemary oil, or lavender oil are all excellent choices — then massage it onto your scalp. Let it soak in for at least a half hour with a hot towel wrapped around your head before you shampoo it away. Tea tree oil, a natural antiseptic and antibacterial treatment, can be an extremely effective natural dandruff remedy. Simply soak your scalp in a little tea tree oil and let it sit for 15 minutes before rinsing it away, or add a few drops of the oil to your favorite shampoo.

Consider vinegar. Apple-cider vinegar is often recommended as a natural dandruff remedy. Soak your hair with equal parts apple-cider vinegar and water, then leave the mixture on for several minutes before rinsing it out.

Stay healthy. Improving what goes into your body can make your dandruff disappear. Make sure you stay fully hydrated (at least 64 ounces of water each day), and eat a well-balanced diet. Doctors recommend ensuring you get plenty of B vitamins and zinc in your diet, as these nutrients can improve the look of your skin — including your scalp.

How to Help Your Hair to Grow Faster

It is easy to get "hair envy," especially when you see those girls with shiny, long hair flowing halfway down their backs. While it's true there is no product or secret herb that will cause your hair to grow faster than it's meant to (hair growth has a lot to do with your own genetics), the good news is that there are steps you can take to help stimulate your hair to grow as fast as it can.

Take care of your insides. Taking a daily multivitamin that contains calcium along with vitamins A and C will not only help your hair grow faster, it will also add shine and an overall healthy appearance to your hair. Many of these vitamins and minerals can be found in the foods you eat as well. Fruits, vegetables, and whole wheat bread are all great sources of the nutrients needed for healthy hair.

Massage your scalp. Give yourself a scalp massage every day. A scalp massage is easy to do yourself and will stimulate the hair follicles on your scalp, causing hair to grow faster. You can massage your scalp in the shower while shampooing your hair. Simply start at the base of your neck and, with your fingertips, massage all the way around your hairline. Then go back to the base of your scalp and massage from your neck to your forehead with a circular motion. Repeat this process as often as you like. Not only will this stimulate hair growth, it feels wonderful as well!

Avoid over-combing, brushing, and processing. Bushing, combing, and processing your hair can cause it to become dry and damaged, which makes the ends brittle and discourages hair growth. Avoid brushing or combing your hair when it is wet as it is the most susceptible to damage. When your hair is dry, try to only comb, brush, and style it once or twice a day. This leaves your hair to naturally grow faster and stay healthier.

Treating a Dry Flaky Scalp

A dry, flaky scalp can have a number of causes, from winter weather to harsh hair products. A little TLC and the right products can go a long way toward restoring moisture to a dry scalp.

By the editors at Daily Glow

All skin cells shed, and the skin cells of the scalp are no exception. But sometimes so many scalp skin cells are shed that they become noticeable as tiny white flakes in your hair and on your shoulders. If you have a dry, flaky scalp — especially if the flaking is confined to the top of the head, the hairline, or the back of the neck, and the flakes are tiny and white — the cause may be as simple as dry winter weather or the way you take care of your hair.

In some cases, scalp flaking can be due to another condition. makes skin cells flake off, but they’re usually oily rather than dry. If heavy dandruff is accompanied by intense scalp itching, the problem may be a form of called seborrheic eczema, which causes irritated skin to become red and inflamed. Scalp also causes flaking, but the scalp is typically itchy and irritated and the flakes, or scales, are silvery.

Treating Scalp Flaking
If you have a dry, flaky scalp, it may be time to make some changes to your hair-care routine. Try the following tips:

• Shampoo the right way. Especially in winter, when the air is dry, use a shampoo and conditioner for dry scalps. It also helps to limit how often you shampoo. Too-frequent shampooing can strip the scalp of moisture from its natural oils. And use only a little shampoo each time. Using too much makes it harder to rinse it all out — and any shampoo left behind dries and flakes off.
• Turn down the heat. Too much heat on the scalp can irritate it and dry it out, making it even flakier. Taking long showers that are hot, hot, hot can add to the problem. The same goes for overusing blow-dryers and curling irons. Instead, shower with warm (not hot) water, and let your hair dry naturally.
• Massage your scalp. This increases blood flow to the scalp. It also helps clear any blocked pores, and that can release the scalp’s natural oil. A scalp massage also loosens dead skin cells, making them easier to wash away.
• Use an oil treatment. Try one from your local drugstore or hair salon, or try olive oil — some people swear by it. Rub the oil into your scalp, wrap your hair in a towel and leave it on for about a half hour. Then rinse the oil out with lukewarm water and shampoo.
• Wear a hat in summer. Getting a sunburn on your scalp adds to its dryness. Cover your head with a hat when you’re in the sun.

When to See a Dermatologist
If at-home treatments don’t do the job, visit a dermatologist to see if there’s a medical reason behind your flakes. He or she can prescribe medications for eczema or psoriasis, if it turns out that you have one of those conditions. Your doctor can also prescribe a dandruff shampoo or suggest an over-the-counter one.

When it comes to banishing a dry flaky scalp, the solution is a one-two punch of adding moisture and protecting your scalp and hair from heat and sun.

Hair and Scalp Massage

Reap the benefits of hair and scalp massage. Here's how.

When you go to the salon and someone washes your hair and massages your scalp, don't you feel as if you've had a mini spa treatment? In fact, you have! Hair and scalp massages not only feel fabulous but are essential in maintaining beautiful, full hair and a healthy scalp. Here’s what you need to know about hair and scalp massage.

The Benefits of Hair and Scalp Massages

• They cleanse the hair and scalp of oils, dirt, and bacteria.
• They lubricate the scalp, making it healthy and promoting hair growth.
• They scrub the hair from roots to tip, stimulating growth and vitality.
• They help rid your scalp of prevent these conditions from developing.
• They soothe a dry, itchy scalp, especially after you’ve been sweating.
• They soften the hair, making it easier to style and more radiant.
• They make your hair resilient, better able to protect itself against severe weather, treatments, and overstyling.
• Some say that a proper hair and scalp massage can even relieve such ailments as headaches, lockjaw, whiplash, muscle spasms in the neck, tension, depression, mental fogginess, and more.

How to Give a Hair and Scalp Massage

• Do it yourself at home every time you use on your hair. Press your fingertips into the roots of your hair, rub and massage your head vigorously, comb through slick wet hair with your fingers, and tickle your scalp with your fingernails. Press your thumbs along the scalp areas behind your ears and slide them down to the base of your neck. Many techniques work — experiment to find the ones you like best.
• Try these massage techniques:
  • Friction massage: Use the pads of the fingers of both hands (not the fingertips) to make rapid circular movements firmly over the whole scalp, starting from the front of the head and moving back to the nape of the neck. Then, from the nape of the neck, use the same motion to move forward to the front of the head. Your scalp will tingle and feel totally relaxed
  • Kneading massage: Use the pads of the fingers of both hands (not the fingertips) and spread them out over the scalp. Press firmly and rotate the skin rather than the hands. Continue kneading slowly over every area of the scalp. This will boost blood flow to the scalp and energize you instantly.
• Add an essential oil to your hair and scalp massage:
  • Coconut oil will make hair fuller and silkier and will promote growth.
  • Tea tree oil will help combat dandruff.
  • Eucalyptus oil can enrich hair with minerals.
  • Olive oil tackles dry, brittle hair.
  • Lavender oil can soothe the skin and relieve tension.

Hair and scalp massages are easy, inexpensive, and work wonders for more than your hair. Make them a habit!

The Benefits of Hair and Scalp Massages

The Benefits of Hair and Scalp Massages

• They cleanse the hair and scalp of oils, dirt, and bacteria.
• They lubricate the scalp, making it healthy and promoting hair growth.
• They scrub the hair from roots to tip, stimulating growth and vitality.
• They help rid your scalp of , and , or prevent these conditions from developing.
• They soothe a dry, itchy scalp, especially after you’ve been sweating.
• They soften the hair, making it easier to style and more radiant.
• They make your hair resilient, better able to protect itself against severe weather, treatments, and overstyling.
• Some say that a proper hair and scalp massage can even relieve such ailments as headaches, lockjaw, whiplash, muscle spasms in the neck, tension, depression, mental fogginess, and more.

Hair and Scalp Massage

Reap the benefits of hair and scalp massage. Here's how.

When you go to the salon and someone washes your hair and massages your scalp, don't you feel as if you've had a mini spa treatment? In fact, you have! Hair and scalp massages not only feel fabulous but are essential in maintaining beautiful, full hair and a healthy scalp. Here’s what you need to know about hair and scalp massage.

Reap the benefits of hair and scalp massage. Here's how.

When you go to the salon and someone washes your hair and massages your scalp, don't you feel as if you've had a mini spa treatment? In fact, you have! Hair and scalp massages not only feel fabulous but are essential in maintaining beautiful, full hair and a healthy scalp. Here’s what you need to know about hair and scalp massage.

When to See Your Doctor

When to See Your Doctor
If you’ve tried over-the-counter shampoos without success, call your doctor. There are prescription shampoos containing selenium, ketoconazole, or corticosteroids for more stubborn cases. It’s also a good idea to seek medical help if your scalp becomes very red or painful, or if you notice fluid or pus coming from your scalp. This could be a sign of an infection that requires treatment.

For most cases of dandruff, however, the right over-the-counter shampoo and a steady stream of warm water are all it takes to control those flakes.

Treating More Severe Cases

Treating More Severe Cases
If you have the symptoms of a more severe form of seborrheic dermatitis that affect your scalp, you can help control them with the following steps:

• Part your hair into small sections and apply a dandruff or medicated shampoo to one small area at a time. Rub it into the scalp well, then rinse thoroughly.
• Try a relaxation technique. One of the triggers for this skin and scalp condition is stress. If your personal stress-o-meter is stuck on “high,” consider meditation, yoga, deep breathing, or another technique or practice that can help you relax.
• Get enough sleep. Fatigue can also cause seborrheic dermatitis to flare up, so make sure you set aside enough time to get a good night’s sleep.

What to Do About Mild Dandruff

What to Do About Mild Dandruff
You can’t prevent dandruff, but in most cases, you can control the problem with home treatments. Try these strategies:

• Wash your hair daily with a dandruff or medicated shampoo. Look for products that contain coal tar, pyrithione zinc, salicylic acid, selenium, or ketoconazole.
• Massage the shampoo into your scalp well, then leave it on for five minutes to give it time to work. Rinse thoroughly. This gets rid of the cells you’ve dislodged, and it keeps shampoo residue from adding to your scalp irritation.
• Try different types of shampoos until you find the one that works for you. Over time, a shampoo may lose its effectiveness and you may need to switch to another.
• Avoid excessive heat on your scalp. Frequent blow-drying can contribute to flaky skin.
• Try not to scratch your scalp. Scratching can leave cuts in the skin and may lead to an infection.

All About Dandruff

The itching and flakes associated with dandruff are a nuisance that can make you feel self-conscious. You can't prevent dandruff, but the proper use of over-the-counter shampoos usually relieves the symptoms.

By the editors at Daily Glow

The itchy scalp and white flakes of dandruff that you may have noticed on your sweaters and blouses are usually not a medical problem, but they can certainly be embarrassing. Dandruff, a mild form of a common skin condition called seborrheic dermatitis, appears when skin cells grow and die off too fast.

Contrary to what you may think, dandruff usually isn’t caused by careless hygiene. In some cases, dandruff results when a fungus that naturally lives on the scalp grows out of control. If dandruff flakes are yellowish and oily and the scalp is red, the cause may be another form of seborrheic dermatitis, one that’s called cradle cap when it occurs in infants. Hormonal changes and the onset of winter, with its cold, dry air, can make dandruff worse.

Repair Your Hair With Egg Yolks

You don't need to spend hundreds a year on conditioning treatments. In less time than it takes to make breakfast, you can make an egg yolk conditioner! Here's how.

Is your hair dry, dull, damaged, brittle, coarse, or frizzy? Egg yolks might help repair your hair. You can use just egg yolks alone to repair your hair, with other ingredients, or as part of a hair mayonnaise. Here is everything you need to know about hair repair and egg yolks.

Deep-Conditioning Treatment
Replace your deep conditioner with a homemade egg yolk hair repair treatment. Here’s how:

• Crack open one egg (two if you have very long hair) and separate it so the yolk remains, then pour the yolk into a mixing bowl. Beat the egg yolk quickly with a fork or whisk until it is completely broken up and watery.
• Add one tablespoon of olive oil to your egg yolk. Beat again with the whisk or a fork until it is completely combined. If you don’t have olive oil, you can use baby oil instead, as it makes hair especially smooth and smells lovely!
• Next, slowly mix in one cup of lukewarm water. This is necessary in order to dilute the egg yolk and oil, which makes it easier to spread evenly throughout your entire head of hair.
• Wet hair completely in the bath or shower, then cleanse with a gentle shampoo. Rinse with cool water and squeeze excess water from hair.
• Pour half of the homemade egg yolk conditioner on top of your head. Use hands to apply the other half of the conditioner to the bottom of hair.
• Comb your homemade conditioner through your hair using a wide-toothed comb or your fingertips. Be sure to coat hair evenly Let it sit for five minutes.
• Rinse your hair thoroughly with lukewarm or cool water — not hot! Never use hot water when using eggs on hair. Hot water might actually cook the egg on your hair, making it smelly and hard to clean. Cool water rinses leave hair especially shiny.

Here are some other egg yolk remedies to repair your hair.

• To strengthen and repair hair, mix two egg yolks with two teaspoons of castor oil. Massage into hair, let sit, then rinse thoroughly and style as usual.
• Whip eggs with white wine vinegar to form a foamy mix. Pour the mixture over your hair and rinse with cool water. Try this once a month to keep hair smooth and lustrous.
• Beat an egg yolk until frothy. Add warm water to dilute and massage into hair and scalp. Rinse and apply conditioner, then rinse and style.
• Egg yolks work very well on dull dry hair when mixed with plain, unsweetened yogurt. Form a paste from this enriching combination and spread all over hair. Leave on for 30 minutes, then rinse, and you’ll find your hair shinier than ever!
• Immerse olive oil into a bowl of egg yolks and whisk — this is essentially a homemade mayonnaise. Massage into hair and let sit under a plastic cap for up to a half hour. Rinse with warm water.
• For a super-intense egg yolk hair repair treatment, combine one tablespoon of honey, one egg yolk, a half teaspoon of almond oil, and one tablespoon of yogurt. Make a sudsy paste and apply it to your hair. Let sit for 90 minutes. When you rinse it off, your hair will be completely moisturized and smooth.

Egg yolks are an easy, inexpensive, all-natural way for you to repair your hair and leave it healthy, beautiful, and strong.

Hydrotherapy

Hydrotherapy — spa treatments that incorporate water — can be relaxing or invigorating. Learn how hydrotherapy works, and the benefits these treatments can offer.

People have recognized the healing and restorative benefits of water for ages. Cold water is invigorating because it induces the blood vessels closest to your skin to constrict, increasing blood flow to your internal organs. Hot water helps you relax and dilates the blood vessels near your skin’s surface; In addition, the perspiration that hot water encourages may help remove toxins from your body. And the massaging effect of moving water can stimulate circulation. Today spas are harnessing water’s power with a range of treatments. Here are a few of the options you might consider:

Vichy shower: In this treatment, you lie on a table and water rains down on you from jets above. Your technician can change the temperature and pressure of the jets depending on the treatment you’ve selected and the benefits you hope to gain from it. You might choose a Vichy shower only, or the shower might follow another spa treatment, such as a body scrub or wrap, when treatment materials need to be rinsed off your skin. A Vichy shower might also come before a body massage.

Scotch hose: Your technician uses this to spray hot and cold water at specific parts of your body that you want treated. The pressure of the hose gives the water a massage-like feel. You stand up for this treatment, while the technician sprays the water on your body. The hose is designed to switch quickly between hot and cold water so you can get the benefits of both temperatures, and spas may offer regular water or seawater sprays.

Swiss shower: In this treatment, you stand in a shower stall that has multiple jets on each wall. The jets massage you with sprays of hot or cold water. You might also have a hand-held shower jet that you can use to direct the flow of water to trouble spots. This treatment may be offered alone or as a prelude or follow-up to other treatments, such as a massage, a body scrub, or a body wrap.

Infusion tub therapy: You soak in a bath to which seaweed, herbs, salts, mud, or oils have been added. Some tub treatments pair a scalp massage with the soak.

Whirlpool therapy: You lie in a tub filled with jets that pulse water at your skin. This treatment can help you relax before you move on to other spa treatments.

Steam therapy: This treatment uses water in its gaseous rather than liquid state. The hot steam encourages perspiration and opens up the pores of your skin. Spas may offer steam therapy in specially designed rooms, or in tents that cocoon the body, leaving the head exposed and cool. Saunas can create the same effect, and some body wraps use sheets or towels soaked in warm water to produce similar benefits. You can lose a lot of body water quickly with these treatments, so they generally don’t last longer than 15 or 20 minutes.

Most water treatments run from 20 minutes to one hour. They can be beneficial for most people but are not recommended for pregnant women or people with severe osteoporosis, diabetes, or low blood pressure.

Why not give the restorative power of water a try and include hydrotherapy in your next spa session?