We all know that hair plays a big role in fashion, culture, religion and has many cosmetic purposes. But that’s not all it does, it has several important functions such as regulating our temperature, producing skin oils so our skin does not dry out, and also provides us with UV light protection. But don’t take my word on how much society values hair! The global hair care market is estimated to be worth more than 90 billion dollars. This is largely due to society’s desire to maintain thick healthy hair. It’s not surprising so much money is spent on hair care since 50% of men will experience male pattern baldness by age 50 and 40% of women will experience thinning of the hair by age 40. With so much effort, time and money dedicated to maintaining healthy hair, it’s important to know some basics about hair. This includes how hair grows, the most common medical conditions that impact hair health and tips to maintain healthy hair.
Hair is made up of two main parts, the follicle which is found under the skin, and the hair shaft which is the visible part we see above the skin. The follicle is the structure in which the hair shaft grows out of. A complex system of nerve signaling, blood flow, hormones, nutrients and other factors come together to produce the hair from the follicle. If the follicle dies, then it no longer produces hair; this is why it is so important to keep the follicles in your scalp healthy so that they can keep producing healthy hair.
There are a number of medical conditions that affect hair health in both men and women. The most common conditions for men and women is male-pattern hair loss and female-pattern hair loss. Approximately half of all men experience male-pattern hair loss by age 50, and one-third of all women experience female-pattern hair loss at some point in their life. These are genetic conditions which cause gradual hair loss that can lead to baldness. As you get older, there is a higher chance of experiencing hair loss from these conditions. The good news is there are lots of ways to protect and retain your hair!
My top tips to protecting your hair:
Don’t wash your hair too frequently.
- Washing too frequently can strip the oils from your scalp that are important for scalp and hair health. Wash your hair every other day or less.
- Use Shampoo and Conditioners that are sulfate and paraben-free.
- Sulfates may cause your scalp to become too dry causing damage to your hair follicles. Parabens can cause irritation to your scalp which can damage your hair follicles.
- Applying certain essential oils at the correct concentration on your scalp can have positive impacts on your scalp health and hair follicles. It’s very important to use essential oils that have been studied to help hair growth and to use them at the correct concentration. If the oil is too concentrated, it can irritate the scalp. If it’s too dilute, it won’t have any impact on your scalp health.
- Use medication as directed by your doctor. There are pharmaceuticals that can help reduce hair loss. As with any medication they do have side effects, therefore it’s important to discuss pros and cons with your doctor.
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References
Female pattern baldness: Symptoms and treatment.
Cleveland Clinic. (2024, May 1). https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24943-female-pattern-baldness
Hoover E, Alhajj M, Flores JL. Physiology, Hair. [Updated 2023 Jul 30]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-.
Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499948/
Male pattern baldness (androgenic alopecia): Stages, treatment.
Cleveland Clinic. (2024b, May 1). https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24515-male-pattern-baldness-androgenic-alopecia
Petruzzi, D. (n.d.). Topic: Hair care market in the U.S. Statista.
https://www.statista.com/topics/4552/hair-care-product-market-in-the-us/#:~:text=Indeed%2C%20the%20global%20hair%20care,to%20the%20skin%20care%20segment.
