Simple Remedies for Dry Scalp

Due to various environmental factors, having a dry scalp has become a common problem. Fortunately, treatments for such a problematic scalp condition can come in the form of essential oils or simple scalp massages.

The following are easy-to-apply treatments for dry scalp:

- Rub in half a cup of warmed coconut, neem, or olive oil or a mixture of all of them. Part the hair in many sections and rub the oil gently at the roots of your hair liberally. Wrap up your head with a steamed hot towel or a shower cap for 15–20 minutes.

This will allow the oil to penetrate the hair follicles and roots and nourish them deeply to reduce the dryness and itchiness. You can also leave it overnight and wash it off the next morning. Do this at least once every fortnight. Even if the scalp is not dry anymore, you may continue this therapy for better hair texture and a healthier scalp.

- Massage your scalp with or without oil. Massaging helps increase the blood circulation. A good circulation helps maintain the vitality of the scalp and hair follicles.

- You may use shea butter or mix it with olive oil and massage it onto the scalp for deep natural conditioning.

- Consume a diet rich in vitamins A, B, C and trace elements like zinc, manganese, magnesium, copper and cobalt. These — although required in extremely small amounts — are vital for a healthy skin and scalp.

Yellow or orange fruits like oranges, mangoes, and papaya are rich in vitamin A and citrus fruits are rich in vitamin C. Sprouts and dark green vegetables are rich in vitamin B complex.

If none of these dry scalp treatments work for you, then don’t waste any more time, seek help from a qualified dermatologist. You might be suffering from a graver condition like psoriasis or eczema, which will need special and appropriate medical treatment.

Alternatively, you can try other treatment methods like homeopathy or ayurveda, which are known to be extremely useful in skin and hair conditions.

Herbs that Help Stop Hair Loss

Everyone has concerns about the condition of their hair at some time in their life and wonders whether they will go bald ahead of time or unnaturally. Most men accept that they will go bald one day due to male pattern baldness, but women sometimes go bald as well and it is more upsetting for them.

Most individuals believe that hair care should start early on in life. Women certainly take care of their hair from an early age, but traditionally men did not, especially in northern Europe.

Mediterranean and Asian men, on the other hand, do take care of their hair from an early age. Whether this is why Mediterranean and Asian men are inclined to retain more of their hair longer, I do not know, but it could be.

Anyway, northern European boys are starting to take care of their skin and their hair, so we shall find out in a decade or two. There are plenty of products on the market that claim to be able to take care of hair and some even say that they can restore hair lost due to alopecia (medical term for hair loss).

There are also traditional, natural, home remedies for hair loss. One of the main reasons cited by doctors for hair loss is poor circulation in the scalp, which starves the hair follicles of oxygen, eventually killing them.

If this is a fact, then there is no reason a frequent massage cannot help. Massage is famous for increasing the circulation of blood, so perhaps a regular scalp massage is (part of) the solution. It is certainly a fact that a trip to the barber or a salon in the East frequently involves a short scalp massage.

Lots of individuals believe in the power of some oils to restore hair before it had suffered too much to survive. Before the seventies, lots of men rubbed bay rum into their hair and scalp as a tonic, but it is rarely seen these days.

Tea tree oil at 5% concentration is very popular because of its antibiotic and antimicrobial properties. Tea tree oil can clean up infestations of head lice, yeast infections (and others) and dandruff, all of which can lead to or be a sign of imminent hair loss. Other oils used are olive oil and lavender oil.

Aloe vera is utilized in Asia for nearly all skin and hair issues. It grows wild there and is cultivated in most gardens too. In the West, you might have to use preparations containing aloe vera, but if you can get the leaves, crush them and rub the jelly into your scalp and hair.

Some people believe in the remarkable curative powers of honey. Honey can be massaged into the hair and scalp about an hour before you shower. Honey may be a bit thick for some people, so you could thin it down with olive oil.

Some people have faith that cinnamon and ginger can help restore hair, so you could add one or both of them to olive oil or to a rinse.

What’s the Story, Crowning Glory

It is with good reason that a person’s hair is called the crowning glory. A thick, glossy mane of well-managed hair is a beautiful sight and the aim of almost every person in the world, male and female alike.

Hair growth comes with its own set of problems and solutions but the thing to remember is that a regimen or tips that work for one person may not always work for another with a similar hair type. Hair growth depends on a number of factors and these include lifestyle, diet, and genes. Hair grows, on average, half an inch per month, but this is not true for all hair types.

Let us first deal with lifestyle. A person who is active and gets plenty of exercise will have healthier hair than somebody living a sedentary life. This is because exercise stimulates blood supply to the hair follicles and this encourages growth and strengthens the hair so that hair loss is reduced. Exercise is often cited as a hair fall solution as it is better to get to the root of the problem (pun intended!) before trying other hair loss treatments.

Another part of your lifestyle is the regimen you follow for the maintenance of healthy hair. This includes the fact that you need to wash hair frequently with a gentle shampoo and to take care that the residue thoroughly washed away. After this, a conditioner is often applied, especially to the roots, and this makes the hair smoother and more manageable by straightening the fibers in the hair. An essential part of your routine should be to apply hair oil at least once a week.

Hair oil comes in so many varieties; just like with shampoos, it can be hard to choose one. A popular choice is jojoba hair oil whose qualities nourish hair and some claim that it helps improve hair growth and health. Using oil does help condition the hair, and the very act of massaging the scalp increases blood circulation which in turn increases the rate of hair growth.

There are many commercial hair loss treatments as well as many more home remedies available to anyone looking for a hair fall solution and some of these can be very effective, but having a varied and healthy diet which includes plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, fish, dairy and some meat and fats is essential. Also necessary is to reduce your stress levels. Both of these changes go a long way in preventing hair fall.

Heredity or genes also play a large part in determining your hair type and it is unfortunate that hair loss can, in part, be blamed on our genes.

Ideally, hair care really deserves this much attention. But with our much-busy lifestyles and polluted environment, it is becoming much tough for us to sustain the health of our hairs as long and as much as we want.

Supplements for the Nourishment of the Hair and Scalp

Supplements for hair growth can augment the lack of nutrients reaching the hair roots or hair follicles in the scalp. People are looking for new ways to improve their health, including their hair. There have been countless studies performed on the treatment for hair growth.

Depending on the cause of the hair loss, and the extent, there are certainly a number of supplements for hair growth that offer great results. Supplements are necessary to restore levels of your health and to treat hair loss.

Aside from keeping tabs of your nutrient intake, there are several other things to consider to help prevent further hair loss, protect hair and add volume to your existing hair.

One’s lifestyle choices — smoking, alcohol consumption, late-night partying — can be causal factors of hair loss. In females, hormone imbalance is arguably the most common cause of hair loss. Sometimes, birth control pills, pregnancy, and menopause can create hormone shifts. Stress is another potential cause of hair loss.

Taking supplements for hair growth is an advisable means to prevent further hair loss. Eating a protein-rich diet can also provide the building blocks to make hair thicker and stronger.

When it comes to choosing the best supplements for hair growth, there should be best sources of vitamins and nutrients, some of them are the following:

1. Vitamin D

According to the University of California, vitamin D is able to help the hair grow, and because it can be easily absorbed by the scalp when exposed to sunlight, scalp nourishment is then achieved.

2. Vitamin C

With its antioxidant properties, vitamin C has the ability to prevent premature hair loss. An intake of vitamin C adds lustre and thickness to the hair.

3. Vitamin E

This vitamin helps regrow hair and prevents further hair loss when taken internally or applied to the scalp. You can find vitamin E in nuts, vegetable oils and seeds, as well as wheat germ, tomatoes, and avocados.

4. Vitamin A

This vitamin helps regrow skin and hair and prevents hair loss. They come naturally in yellow and dark green vegetables. Vitamin A encourages production of new hair.

5. Vitamin B

This vitamin can address stress-related hair loss problems.

What Are the Best Hair Loss Treatment Options?

A hair loss shampoo is one of the popular regular choices for stopping hair loss. Should you be encountering symptoms of hair loss, then a hair loss shampoo may offer a simple and cost-efficient treatment and improve hair growth.

To understand how hair loss shampoos work, we need to understand why hair loss occurs in the first place. A hormone by-product called DHT (dihydrotestosterone) is one of the root causes of hair loss in men. DHT is triggered inside the hair follicle by the male hormone testosterone in combination with a naturally occurring enzyme 5AR (5-alpha reductase). Excessive DHT subsequently disrupts natural growth functions of the hair follicles which leads to ongoing hair loss.

Hair loss shampoos are generally developed to inhibit or halt the production of DHT in the hair follicles which may avoid hair loss and also promote growth of hair.

Look for a hair loss shampoo that is definitely the highest-rated solution and one of the several solutions that you can buy with all-natural anti-DHT ingredients. The foundation of that shampoo should be to provide a hair loss treatment that is an effective, anti-DHT hair therapy which is perfect to be used in conjunction with a thickening conditioner for that full hair loss therapy.

You can also go for a hair loss shampoo that is formulated with minoxidil, which is a potent anti-DHT agent. Some hair loss shampoo brands offer a two-month free trial with a four-month purchase of the product and guarantee to show visual results after 3–4 weeks of use. No doctor’s prescription is needed. These brands also come with a 90-day money-back guarantee if you fail to see results.

Aside from hair loss shampoos, there are all-natural hair loss products, but some may be formulated specifically for men only. These are sold as tablets and scalp therapy foam combination but can also be used separately. This product also works by inhibiting the production of DHT from testosterone with no known side effects. This hair loss product may offer a complete money-back guarantee with proven results within 90 days.

But there are also hair loss products formulated specifically for women. Sold as a scalp therapy shampoo foam, it offers a combination of natural rosemary and cedarwood oils which are naturally rich in antioxidants and are known to inhibit free radicals within the scalp and hair follicles, thus promoting healthy hair. This product is also offered as oral capsules which can be used as a regular dietary supplement.

Minoxidil is one of two FDA-approved hair loss treatments. Minoxidil is also sold as a foam topical treatment with recommended regular use twice daily. Minoxidil is an active anti-DHT agent and will help to stimulate new hair growth by inhibiting DHT formation inside the hair follicles.

Understanding the root cause associated with hair loss is extremely important prior to selecting the appropriate treatment methods suitable for your condition. Hair loss shampoo solutions can offer a simple yet powerful therapy to arrest hair loss right at the beginning.

Treat Scalp Itchiness, Prevent Hair Loss

It can be quite embarrassing to scratch your head in the middle of a meeting or the hot date that you have been waiting for so long. It is not only awkward but may even cause hair loss. With this feature on home remedies for itchy scalp, you can now relieve yourself of the discomfort. You may think that buying the most expensive shampoo or conditioner will do the trick but unfortunately it doesn’t. Identifying the causes and implementing the following home remedies for itchy scalp will help you combat it.

Remedies for Scalp Itchiness:

1. Itchy scalp as a result of dryness can be effectively treated by massaging your scalp with a combination of pepper mint oil and water. The massage has to

be done gently and on a regular basis.

2. Prepare a mixture of olive oil, almond oil and coconut oil and warm it. Now apply this warm mixture on your scalp to get effective relief from itching caused by

dandruff. You can also apply a paste of baking soda powder and water on the scalp to treat the itchiness.

3. Soak fenugreek seeds in water and make a paste in the morning. Add lemon juice to this paste and apply this paste on the scalp. Leave it on for an hour and then

rinse thoroughly.

4. Another good remedy for itchy scalp as a result of dryness is treating your scalp with a mixture of one avocado and two bananas. This mixture acts as a rich

conditioner and provides effective relief from dryness of scalp, thereby reducing the itch.

5. Diet plays a vital role in the condition of your hair. Intake of vitamin A (carrots, potatoes, eggs) along with vitamin C (citrus fruits, kiwi) and zinc (sea

food, nuts) is very important.

Most of us tend to ignore the symptoms and allow them to pile on. The truth is that an itchy scalp can be an indication of even greater scalp problems such as hair loss which one may be turning a blind eye to. In many cases, an itchy scalp gets treated by following simple over-the-counter measures; however, if the symptoms persist, it is always advisable to have the opinion of a qualified doctor or trichologist (hair specialist) or dermatologist (skin specialist).

6 Simple Scalp and Hair Care Tips

Many women have had their hair chemically processed, whether it is rebonding or relaxing or colouring. Then there are the serums and other products that we use to make hair soft and smooth. All these take a toll on the hair and leave it looking dull.

Here are some ways to give the hair and scalp some tender loving care:

1. Use sulphate-free shampoos. Traditional shampoos are usually made with harsh detergents (sulphates) that strip away natural oils. This makes hair dry and frizzy and can cause oil glands to overproduce and make hair oily and flat with dry ends.

Yes, sulphate-free shampoos don’t make hair as soft and silky as most shampoos but they are kinder to your scalp. Perhaps it is impossible to avoid sulphate-free shampoos forever, so what can be done is to use them one week every month. You’d be surprised that after one use, there will be no more itchiness and definitely less falling hair.

2. Stay away from heat. Lay off the curling iron, blow-dryer and straightening iron for a few days and you’ll find that your hair is shinier and less dry. Yes, heat can really damage hair, especially if you iron it when it’s still damp. A few days sans heat will definitely do wonders for your hair condition.

3. Comb hair before shampooing. This will result in less falling hair as detangling wet hair can result in a lot of breakage. When you have tangles, always start from the bottom couple of inches and work your way up. Be gentle when combing hair, wet or dry.

4. Take vitamins. The vitamins you take can help your hair become healthier. Vitamin C prevents hair loss because it acts as an anti-oxidant. Lysine is an amino acid and one of the building blocks of protein. Because hair is made of protein, adding lysine to the diet helps prevent hair loss. The suggested dosage is 500 to 1000 mg daily. B vitamins reduce the stress that can cause hair loss. The best way to take B vitamins is in a complex where all of the B vitamins are combined.

Vitamin D is actually a hormone and because hair loss can be connected to hormones, adding vitamin D to the diet grows hair. Vitamin A stimulates the hair follicle where hair growth begins. Vitamin E is important for the circulation in the body and has been shown to grow blood vessels, which increases circulation. The increased circulation improves the body’s ability to make new hair.

5. Regularly clean brushes and combs. Regularly refers to at least twice a week. These tools get run down if not cleaned regularly and/or properly. Hairbrushes and combs collect debris and the transmitted build-up is not good for your hair.

6. Use a shampoo mask. This is best for chemically-processed hair. Use a hair mask at least twice a week.