Doc, is hair a living thing? My father is bald, does it mean I will be bald when I get to his age? Doc is baldness hereditary? Doc, when I was younger I used to hear a lot about dandruff, what is dandruff? Doc, how do I replace my lost hair? Doc, I am only 22 years old, and my hairs are beginning to fall off at the center, what do I do? Doc, I now barb skin punk. What shall I do to regrow my hair etc.
Yes, over the years I had written about hair, alopecia dandruff ad infinitum. But the questions keep pouring in. I had always requested they Google Dr Sun to read the archives, they will call back saying they saw nothing.
We know that hair is found over the whole surface of the human body except the palms, soles and genitals. There are three types of hair – scalp hair, body hair and sexual hair. Scalp hair resembles the body hair of other mammals. Human body hair is very fine and usually less pigmented. Sexual hair develops around the genitals, the armpits and in men the face. Its growth is dependent on the male sex hormones provided by both sexes at puberty.
The number of hairs on the body varies between individuals, but on average there are about 100,000 hairs on the head.
The following functions of the hair must be noted.
Hair acts as a protective barrier.
The eye lashes protect the eyes.
Hairs in the nostrils and outer ears trap and prevent the entry of foreign bodies.
The eyebrows prevent sweat dripping into the eyes.
Hair also acts to conserve heat.
Air trapped between hairs insulates the skin and stops heat loss.
The straighter the hair strands the more air can be trapped, and more cushioning and protective they are.
Attached to each hair follicle is a strip of muscle which makes the hair stand on end when it contracts, causing “goose flesh “,these muscles are stimulated by cold or emotional stress.
Hair is made out of keratin, tough type of protein. It grows out of follicles in the skin. All the follicles are established at birth and no new ones are formed later in life. The root of the hair is the only live part of the hair : it grows and pushes the dead hair shaft out of the skin. Hair growth is cyclical with a growth phase followed by a rest phase in which the hair is loosened. A new hair then pushes it out.
30 to 100 hairs are lost from the scalp each day. In an adult scalp the growth phase is about 3 months. Hair growth is irregular and at different stages all over the body. Head hair rarely exceeds 3 feet in length.
Massaging the scalp with the tips of the fingers increases the blood flow to the massaged area. This stimulates the follicles and can aid hair growth. It also means that the scalp is kept more healthy, with a greater supply of nutrients and speedier removal of waste products. In scalp massage, it is important that fingers do not slide over the scalp. This exerts pressure on the hair and can damage it. Massage should move the scalp in relation to the skull, not the hair in relation to the scalp. If possible, the hair should be combed so that the fingers can get into direct contact with the part of the scalp to be massaged. Massage can go from the neck upwards to the crown, and then again from the temples back to the crown, thus covering the whole scalp.
Pigment production in the hair follicles slow down with age and often ceases, so that the individual hair becomes colorless sections mixed with colored., when all the hair is colorless it appears white.
The tendency to go gray is inherited, and some people go gray sooner than others. There is no known way to stimulate pigment production once it has ceased.
Two species of lice affect humans phthirus pubis found in the pubic hair and pediculus humans found in hair on the head. Both of them can be contracted in hotel rooms, especially when the white bedsheets and duvas are not ironed properly after washing, so as to crush the lice eggs with hot iron. One must be very careful when sleeping on hotel rooms so as not to get contaminated.
There are two kinds of dandruff. The first affecting about 60% of the population to a mild degree, takes the form of fine dry scales which fall from the scalp. The second kind, which is rarer, takes the form of thick greasy scales, adhering to the scalp. The cause of both types is unknown and there is no real cure for dandruff, but there are things that can be done to control it. Washing with ordinary shapoo may not be enough, in which case a medicated shampoo can be used. These shampoos are designed to remove the scales and delay the recurrence of dandruff. Some have a simple antiseptic and others contain stronger chemicals. If none of these suceed in controlling the dandruff it may be caused by a skin disorder, or some other conditions that a doctor can treat.
There are a large number of clinics suggesting various kinds of treatment, which can include creams, lotions, massage, shampoos and ultraviolet and infrared radiations.
Courses of these treatments are expensive, but there are no known medical grounds for them. In fact there is a risk of being wrongly diagnosed, and being given inappropriate treatment for a condition that could be dealt with by a Physician or a Dermatologist.
If the hairs lost every day from the scalp are not replaced by normal hairs, but by fine downy hairs, then baldness will result. This happens in varying degrees to nearly all men and women. Hair can be lost for various reasons. Physical ailments that cause hair loss include : scars or burns that destroy the hair follicles, skin disturbances, such as dermatitis, psoriasis, or allergic reactions, general bodily ailments such as serious anemia and chemical pollution of the body as in mercury poisoning.
Hair loss can also be caused by mental stress. This is because hair growth is linked with hormonal production, which in turn is closely linked to one’s emotional state. The hair grows back when the period of stress is over.
In the above cases by treating the illness hair will usually be restored. But the commonest type of hair loss is male pattern baldness. This is caused by male hormone influenced by hereditary aging factors. Nothing short of castration can be done about this condition. Not only can it not be reversed, but it cannot be stopped or even slowed down by any means so far discovered.
In conclusion the Don’ts of hair ie what you must not do to your hair include
Do not choose your shampoo for superficial reasons. A too strong shampoo can damage the hair, and leave the scalp dry and itchy. If too weak, it will not clean the hair properly.
Do not brush your hair unless you have to. Brushing pulls and twists hair, damaging its structure and splitting its end.
Do not tug at tangles, especially when wet. If hair gets tangled start from the ends of the hair and comb gently, eliminating the tangles as you near the root.
Do not worry about the few hairs left on the comb or the shower. Hair is constantly being shed and replaced
Finally do no cultivate diet fads, thinking they will benefit your hair. A normal healthy diet provides all the nourishment necessary.
Always be medically guided.
• Please follow me on Twitter @_DRSUN.