Healthy Hair--You've Heard the Phrase 10,000 Times, but What Exactly IS Healthy Hair?
by www.SixWise.com
Hair is much more than just a decorative piece or even something
to keep your head warm--your hair keeps an accurate record
of your life (whether you want it to or not).
"Your hair tells what you eat, where you live, your
lifestyle, and habits," said Emma Freeman from London'
s Natural History Museum. "Your hair is what you do."
That's because your hair is able to trap within its physical
and chemical structures everything you eat, drink or apply
to it.
So if you smoke, take medications or drink, you hair knows.
And, since hair only grows about 0.3 to 0.5 millimeters a
day, it can keep this record for months or even years.
Each strand of your hair is strong enough to hold 100
grams (a typical chocolate bar is about 60 grams)!
|
What IS Hair, and Why do We Have It?
It's thought that hair has adapted into the type we know
today to help us identify each other and also to attract members
of the opposite sex and display status.
We each have about 100,000 hairs (some of us have up to 150,000)
on our heads, and the main component of them is a protein
called keratin (this protein also makes up feathers, claws,
nails and hooves). Hair also contains fats, pigment called
melanin, vitamins, traces of zinc and other metals, and water
(about 10 percent to 13 percent of hair is water).
Below your scalp, cells in your hair follicles actively grow
and then die. When these cells die they harden into "hair."
As cells below them continue to grow, they push the dead cells
upward, which is how your hair continuously grows out of your
scalp.
It's the center part of the hair shaft, called the cortex,
that's responsible for giving hair different qualities, like
curl. The shape of your hair is determined by the shape of
your hair follicle and its opening (these vary on everyone
and also vary by ethnicity). As your cells harden into hair
and are pushed through the hair follicle, they take on its
shape.
The outer layer of the hair, the cuticle, is a protective
layer. Cosmetic treatments and too much brushing can damage
the cuticle, though, and cause it to break away over time.
If your hairs' cuticles are healthy, your hair will be smooth
and glossy since light can reflect off of them.
Truly healthy hair comes from having a healthy body.
|
You may describe your hair as thick or thin, and this is
determined by how many hairs you have on your head and how
thick each hair shaft is, which is all determined by your
genes. Someone with "thick" hair will have a lot
of thicker hairs, whereas a person with "thin" hair
likely has fewer overall hairs that are thinner in diameter.
Scientists agree that there are three major hair types, each
of which is attributed to a different race:
- Asian: Hair is straight and black.
- Caucasoid: Hair may be wavy or straight, and is
pale blond to black.
- African: Hair is tightly curled and black.
Why Does Hair Get Oily (or Dry)?
The hair on your head is lubricated by a natural oil called
sebum. How much is produced is genetically determined, but
hormone levels can also influence it. That's why teenagers,
who have raised hormone levels, tend to have greasy hair.
Dry hair usually occurs because the cuticle has been damaged
by chemical treatments, etc., making it porous, and the cortex
is unable to retain water.
What Makes Hair "Healthy Hair"?
|
Dry, Damaged Hair? Giovanni Nutrafix Hair Reconstructor
to the Rescue!
 Nutrafix
is a deep conditioner that adds volume and health to
porous hair with an organic protein pack formula for
healthy, beautiful hair.
-
Formulated with certified
organic ingredients.
-
Reconstructs extremely damaged
hair.
-
Giovanni products utilize vegetable
proteins, which absorb
more easily into your hair shaft, preventing build-up.
Animal proteins break down into fatty acids, coating
your hair, creating build up.
-
Nutrafix is excellent for hair that has been exposed
to harsh weather conditions, oxidation, heat styling,
permanent waving, coloring and bleaching
-
Reenergizes over-processed hair, very concentrated,
promoting high shine, thickness and body
-
Fills in porous hair with rich
proteins, rebuilding hair from the cuticle
layer
-
No animal byproducts
-
Cruelty Free, never tested on animals
-
pH balanced
-
No Lauryl or laureth sulfates
-
No artificial colors or fragrance
-
Won't strip hair color
Learn
More and Order Your
Cost-Saving 2-Pack Now!
|
Conditioners, special shampoos and other hair treatments
can increase the shine of your hair, help protect it and even
repair some damage (we highly recommend the safe and
very effective Giovanni
Nutrafix Hair Reconstructor formulated with certified
organic ingredients, it helps reconstruct extremely damaged
hair). But, if you want your hair to be truly healthy, it
has to come from the inside.
That's right. A healthy diet is the best way to have truly
healthy hair (and skin and nails). Without it, your hair will
lack shine, be more brittle and may even become thinner and
more sparse. In severe cases, nutrient deficiencies can even
lead to hair loss.
Want to make your diet a "hair-healthy" one? Here
are some tips from Shari Lieberman, PhD, CNS, University of
Bridgeport, School of Human Nutrition:
-
Make sure to include essential fatty acids like omega-3
(found in fish (salmon, mackerel), flaxseed and walnuts);
they play an important role in the health of your hair.
-
Get enough healthy protein (hair is made mostly of protein).
This can be beans, eggs, free-range chicken --anything
that you like as long as you get plenty.
-
Include a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables in
your diet. They have vital nutrients, even beyond vitamins
and minerals, that may play a role in your hair health.
Recommended Reading
Wild
Yam: Why it's NOT Recommended for Progesterone but Does Provide
Eight Other Health Benefits
Emu
Oil: The Amazing Arthritic Pain Relief Secret of the Australian
Aborigines
Sources
The
World of Hair
Hair
Facts