What are hair relaxers?
Although there is no official definition, this term is typically used to describe hair care products which are designed to relax the hair. They work by using powerful chemicals that re-align the hair follicles so they lie straight. The most common active ingredient they used is known as lye; an alkaline sodium hydroxide substance. With a pH that typically ranges from 12 to 14, this acid can easily burn the scalp and destroy the hair follicles. Over the past several years, there have been some natural hair relaxers that have come onto the market that incorporate gentler ingredients. However lye hair relaxers still remains the most popular due to their low cost.

What are the dangers of using hair relaxers?
As we’ve already pointed out, they have the potential to cause chemical burns when they come in contact with the scalp. For some people, they also destroy the hair follicles, which can result in temporary hair loss. However there are many people who have reportedly experienced permanent areas of baldness over time from using hair relaxers. In addition to these aesthetic problems, some products may be dangerous if they are absorbed by the skin and make their way through your body (at least in theory). This is why it is definitely best to avoid using a hair relaxer during pregnancy.

Should hair relaxers be completely avoided?
It is a personal decision; one must weigh the pros and cons to determine whether or not it is right for them. That being said, many people are turning to the newer formulations of natural hair relaxers which are reportedly known to have fewer adverse side effects. Alternately, many women are cropping their hair short and turning to wigs and quick weaves instead. A quick weave is like a wig, but it is worn over one’s natural hair. It certainly is a safer way to have straight hair, but the drawback is that it may not look real if a low quality quick weave is used.

The hair is composed of the same type of cells as the skin which is known as the epidermis. Hair grows from a hair follicle that is rooted in the epidermis. The sebaceous glands of the hair scalp releases an oily substance called sebum to lubricates and protect the hair and the skin. The hair cannot be nourished externally but its nourishment must be derived from the bloodstream.

As a person grows older, the thinning of scalp hair occurs. Typically, baldness begins with thinning at the front temples and gradually to the bare scalp on top. Baldness may show early signs at the age of 20 or 30 years old and it will progress into his later years.

Women may experience loss of hair after the age of 50. Male baldness patterns usually occurred in women after menopause. Baldness in women depends greatly on the hereditary genes and the local effect of male hormones on the hair roots. The male hormones are produced by the adrenal glands and its symptoms are only apparent after it has stop functioning. Women rarely have complete baldness. Hairloss in women is usually unnoticeable compare to men and can be covered up by changing the hair style.

People who are advancing in age will have a tendency to develop grey hair. Greying of hair is caused by the diminished cell activity in the hair root. Some people dye their hair to prevent people from noticing their grey hairs. Dyeing of the hair will not causes hair loss unless the person is allergic to the chemicals in the dye. If the person is allergic to the chemicals in the dye, it will suffer from a rash and temporary loss of hair. Whatever that is done outside of the hair shaft, including dyeing, and straightening of the hair will not affect the hair root. The hair root is more vulnerable to changes in hormone levels, high fevers and side effects of drugs.

Sometimes, combing the hair will cause some hair to fall out. There are some of the 50 to 100 strands of hair that we losses each day. These hairs can be recognized with a white top at the end of the hair and they will be replaced by new growth of hair. Shampoos and conditioners can help to improve the quality of your hair if use appropriately. If you suffer from psoriasis or dandruff with reaction, medicated shampoo will promote regrowth of hair. Taking vitamins will not help to prevent genetically determined hair loss.

Women that have male hormones tend to hair dark facial hair. This usually happens during or after menopause. Women from the Mediterranean region frequently have lots of facial hair just like man. These hairs can be removed without harm unless the hair derived from a mole. If the hair grows out of a mole, you can use a scissor to trim the hair. Women that have unwanted hair on their body can have them bleached, plucked or trimmed with scissors. If you shave the hair, it will not encourage the hair to grow back faster but it does produce sharp, stubbly ends. Depilatory creams can be used but it should be used with mindfulness because it can cause skin irritation. Electrolysis can remove unwanted facial hair permanently without leaving scars but it must be done by a trained technician.

Older people tend to develop hair problem such as graying of hair and hair loss. The age at which hair problems occurs varies from person to person but it generally happens on everyone who is 60 years old and older. Men tend to suffer from hair problems at a younger age than women.

If you take these vitamins in sufficient amount in your diet then you can do a big favour to your hair’s health. However, if you take them in excess then they can cause problems for you. Hence, it is important to know the right amount to take. This is where you can consult a nutritionist.

If you believe that your hair loss is a direct result of deficiency of vitamins, then you can modify your daily diet accordingly. You can even take multivitamin pills for this purpose. However, before going forward with either option, you should consult your physician or a nutritionist who will be able to advise you on the exact dosage of vitamins that you need.

This is vital because if you end up taking excess of these vitamins, you can suffer from hair loss. Therefore, think about it and talk to your doctor before taking any such step.

While vitamin A benefits your immunity as well as keeps your hair healthy if you take it in the right quantities, it can cause your hair to fall off in addition to other health problems if you take it in excess. Another example are fatty acids. You can keep your hair moisturised and prevent them from drying out by consuming the right amount of fatty acids. However, in excess they can cause various hair problems.

It is always better to go for a diet that is rich in various minerals and vitamins instead of going for several vitamin supplements or multivitamins. You should ensure that your diet is balanced and that it contains all the necessary vitamins, nutrients and minerals.

You should include whole grain foods, green leafy vegetables, in your diet. You should include sources of protein such as eggs, meat in your diet. Dairy products such as milk, butter, cheese are also essential for your health. Sea food is especially useful for your hair. Include a lot of fruits in your diet.

Several shampoos as well as hair oils claim to help your hair improve in health. You can try on a few and decide which one works for you better. However, do not go about trying every new product. You will only damage your hair in this way.

Therefore, eat healthy food and keep your hair healthy.

The reasons that cause some people to endure abnormal hair loss vary and are most often, subjective.

A very common and in fact, known reason is due to hormonal imbalances. It can be in relation to thyroid or due to the basic male or female hormones going nuts or out of balance. These hormonal changes cause women to lose abnormal amounts of hair after giving birth.

Often people suffer from abnormal hair loss after a few months of suffering from some severe illness or even a major surgery.

Sometimes, certain medications are to be blamed. Some of these medicines are blood thinners or anticoagulants, medications for treating gout, contraceptive pills, chemotherapy as well as some antidepressants.

Consuming vitamin A in excess can also cause hair loss. Sometimes, abnormal hair loss might be an indication of some underlying disease such as diabetes or Lupus that has not been diagnosed.

Hair loss also depends on hair care or hair treatment. If you subject your hair to repeated trauma such as tying up in cornrows or pig tails or even using too tight rollers regularly, then you can expect them to become weak at the roots and fall off.

Using hot oil treatments or even perming your hair over a prolonged period can cause your hair follicle to swell up and hence, cause hair loss.

A more known and common factor that is mainly responsible for male pattern baldness is the genetic factor. It usually begins with a receding hair line and it can cause eventual balding of the top of your head.

A female version of the male hair loss is alopecia. It is characterised by thinning of hair over your entire scalp. Hence, women are able to disguise it or hide it more effectively than men.

Some of the kinds of hair loss are treatable while others cannot be treated. When hair loss is due to medication or hormones then it can be treated by changing the medication or by balancing the hormones. However, other kinds can be a bit difficult to treat.

Hair loss can be prevented and you can deal with your hair problems in an easy way. Here is that easy little cure that will help you say good-bye to hair loss.

If you want to treat hair loss then you have to get to the “root” of your problem. Hair loss can be due to a number of reasons, the most common being hereditary. However, it can also be because of hormonal imbalance or due to aging.

Therefore, you should treat your problem according to its cause. Several different varieties of medicines, lotions and shampoos are easily available in your local drugstore for solving your hair problems. Some of the most common products for hair loss that you can get at your local drug store or pharmacy are Hair genesis, Revivogen and Nugen HP.

Besides that, you can even go and get a physician’s help and get prescription medicines for your problem.

One more reason for hair problems is clogged hair follicles. A certain hormone dihydro testosterone in excess is responsible for causing the hair follicles to block that leads to eventual hair problems. Dihydro testosterone or DHT as it is generally called can be dealt with. In fact, you can control it by neutralising it by using an inhibitor, 5 alpha reductase.

Now, hair genesis, Revivogen and Nugen HP are also effective in reducing the levels of DHT. As a result, they can help in controlling hair loss while promoting the health of your hair.

Nugen HP is effective in controlling your hair problems naturally. In other words, it helps to block DHT in your hair follicles and thereby, working to cure your hair worries.

Hair genesis is also quite effective when it comes to hair problems. This is also a DHT blocker thereby making it more effective towards fighting hair loss. Above that, it is also natural.

Besides taking any medications for your hair problems, whether it is over-the-counter or prescription medicine, it is important that you watch your diet carefully. Your hair needs care and nutrition to flourish.

Remember, hair is something that the body can afford to lose in case of lack of nutrition. Therefore, if you do not provide enough nutrition for your body, your hair will bear the loss of it. You should take a balanced diet regularly.

In addition to a proper diet, you can prevent your hair loss by using special conditioners such as Revivogen, Tricomin, Nisim and Folligen.

You can fight this problem and keep your beautiful mane.

In fact, we seem to be missing the problem that is causing so many people to lose hair. It has been considered that anything from stress and genes to environment can cause hair loss. While numerous specialists are working to seek a solution for this problem, they are yet to discover the root of this problem. Most often, it is subjective and what can work for some group of individuals might not necessarily work for the other group.

Every individual hair grows from its own personal hair follicle. We normally lose about 50 to 100 hairs on a daily basis. However, if you lose any more than that, you are on your way to baldville.

Baldness can be quite devastating and that is the reason so many people are working to solve this problem and the reason we have so many products in the market claiming to solve your problem.

In fact, you can benefit from some speciality drugs such as Propecia. However, about 50 per cent of men suffer from some kind baldness.

Now, if you have already begun to lose hair, then you can some simple things to keep matters from getting worse. However, if nothing helps, you should always seek help from a professional so that you can get help.

Above all, it is better to go for preventive methods rather than curative methods. Therefore, start caring for your hair from today. Depending upon your hair type, you should be washing your hair. In case, you need to wash it every day then make sure you are using the right kind of shampoo.

There are number of myths going around regarding hair loss and ways in which you can prevent it or enhance it. One of the most common is that men are the primary sufferers of hair loss. The fact is that women also suffer from hair loss. However, the myth is because of the pattern of hair loss in men is much more evident.

One more myth is that if your father had it, then you will definitely have it; there is nothing you can do about it. Well, the fact is that while hair loss can be hereditary, it is not always so. Therefore, even if your father had hair loss problems, chances are that you might not get it.

Other myths are that I am going to go bald anyway, so why care for it. well, if you do care for your hair, then you can prevent baldness, if not forever, at least for a few more years.

Now, there are several reasons because of which women suffer hair loss including hormonal imbalances during pregnancy, menopause, and harsh treatment of hair. Sometimes, unhealthy eating in combination with a stressful lifestyle can also lead to many hair problems. On the other hand, hair thinning can be genetic also.

A common type of hair loss because of medical or genetic factors is androgenecia or alopecia. In this problem, your hair becomes so thin that you can actually see through them.

Then there is alopecia areta. It causes bald patches, however if you do not treat it, it can cause total baldness.

Whatever the hair problem is, it can seriously affect any woman causing adverse effects on her self-confidence that might lead of depression and anxiety.

If you want to solve your hair problem then you need to know what the exact nature of your hair loss is. You can have a variety of options when it comes to treating any hair problems. It mainly depends on the severity as well as the type of hair problems.

You can consult your doctor who will probably suggest some kind of cream or oil that you can apply on the scalp. In case your hair problems are the result of some hormonal changes or heredity or any severe health problem, then you might be prescribed some specific medications for this.

While you can get help from any doctor, you can also seek to solve the problem on your own. Here are a few tips on how you can do it.

Watch what you eat. Your hair need proper nutrition to remain healthy and beautiful. Remember, when it comes to distributing nutrition among your body’s organs, hair come last on the list of preferences. In other words, if you do not consume proper nutrition then the first organ to suffer will be your hair. Therefore, take a diet that is rich in the appropriate nutrients so that your hair can be nourished well. If in doubt, consult a nutritionist.

Sometimes, hair loss can occur because you might be putting them through a lot of trauma. Therefore, go for the hairstyles that are comfortable and easy on your hair. Avoid tight ponytails, plaits or chignons.

Avoid or minimise the use of hot tools for hair styling such as straightening irons, tongs or curling irons. These can cause strain on your hair and eventual loss.

You can accessorize your hair using hats, jewellery or scarves to take attention away from them.

Stay positive about life because stress can also be a major factor.

The first step is to discover why you are losing your hair.

Alopecia areata : Round bold patches

• Round patches of complete baldness may be Alopecia areata. The scalp is smooth and hairless in the involved areas.  
• It is also known as Alopecia totalis, loss of all scalp hair and Alopecia universalis loss of all body hair.
• At this point what causes this is not known though a scalp biopsy may be performed to try and find out a cause.

Alopecia areata treatments

• Topical corticosteroids (medium to very high potency)
• Subcutaneous (under the skin surface) steroid injection
• Ultraviolet light therapy
•  Using irritating agents to promote re-growth

Androgenetic alopecia: Male Pattern Baldness

1. Most common type of male hair loss.
2. It involves a receding hairline and hair thinning on the crown.
3. Hair loss begins at the hairline and crown. The hairline recedes to form an M shape or widows peek. Hair begins to thin on the crown, creating a Monk’s top. The two areas slowly expand until hair frames the scalp in a horseshoe pattern along the sides of the head.
4. Causes are hormonal (male sex hormones) or a genetic predisposition.
5. The hair follicle shrinks. Hair becomes shorter and finer. Eventually the follicle is small and there is no hair growth at all.
6. The follicle is still functional with the possibility of new hair growth.
7. The pattern of baldness is how Androgenetic alopecia is identified. A skin biopsy can be used to identify if a different disorder is causing the hair to falling out. A hair analysis can discover if arsenic or lead poisoning is the problem.
8. Male pattern boldness is not a medical disorder.
9. It is not typical male pattern boldness if it involves;- hair is coming out in patches
   - breaking of hair shafts
   - there is redness
   - there is scaling
   - there is pain
   - It happens quickly
   - The hair is shedding in scattered areas on scalp

If any of the above is occurring seek medical attention because something unusual is causing the hair to fall out.

 Androgenetic alopecia treatments

Minoxidil or Rogaine

o   It is applied directly to affected areas.

o   It will slow down the loss of hair for many men.

o   Hair re-growing does occur for some men.

o   Once treatment stops hair continues to fall out

Finasteride or Propecia or Proscar

o   This is a prescription pill.

o   It inhibits production of the male hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT).

o    It will slow down the rate hair falls out.

o   There may be some new hair growth.

o   It can be more effective than minoxidil.

o   Hair will start falling out again once you stop taking the drug.

For some men the best hair loss treatment for either condition is hair restoration surgery or a hair transplant. This involves taking bald resistant follicles and transplanting them to the balding area. It can be seen as the best hair loss treatment simply because the hair will continue to grow once moved. There is no need to continue taking medications of undergoing continues treatments. Only you know what is going to be the best solution for you, your budget and self esteem.