Keep The Dead Alive!

If you pull your hair it’s your scalp that hurts. Your hair doesn’t have any neurons, nerve cells that carry information between the brain and other parts of the body. So officially, hair is not alive like other parts of the body. It’s why you won’t feel pain when scissors snip at your locks. However, hair contains facts, pigment (melanin), water (at least 10 per cent of dry hair), and traces of vitamins and minerals. Taking a good care of your hair is a must to keep it healthy. Here are some tips!

Washing hair the right way

· Comb your hair before you wet it, so it will wash easily. Rinse your hair under a shower (if possible), using gentle strokes with your fingertips (and not nails!). Pour a dollop of shampoo on your palms, rub your palms together, and apply the shampoo to your scalp. Remember it’s the scalp you put the shampoo on, not the end of your hair, as the shampoo would dry the hair ends and cause them to weaken and split. Also, do not ruffle your hair all over your head as you shampoo because it will get all tangled up. Afterwards, rinse the shampoo off.

· You need to shampoo your hair for a second time. The purpose of the first shampoo is to clean the oil and dirt off; the second shampoo is supposed to let the shampoo treat your hair. So, repeat the process, but let the shampoo sit on for around a couple of minutes. Rinse the hair completely after this.

· To get the excess water off your hair, just squeeze the water out. Do not pull or tug at the hair because the hair is at its most delicate when it is soaked. When the excess water is out, apply a dollop of conditioner and aplly it along the hairline and the ends of the hair. Pile your hair then inside a shower cap and let the conditioner stay for around ten minutes. Then rinse it off completely.

Routines that will help

· Combing instead of brushing

Brushing will pull out hair that isn’t ready to be molted quite yet, breaks healthy hairs, and scratches the scalp. Use a brush for styling only; not to “exercise” the scalp.

· Eating fresh vegetables and fruits

Eating too many sweets, chocolate, and cookies will do no good. Replace them fresh fruits and vegetables, which contain vitamins needed by your hair.

· Choosing the right shampoo

Before buying a bottle of shampoo you should be sure of your hair type; whether it’s normal, dry, or oily. The best way to check is dabbing a tissue on your scalp the second day after washing. If it has an oil blot, you have normal hair. If the tissue shows nothing, it is dry. If strands stick to each other, then it is oily hair.

· Applying hair mask

A scalp massage will help stimulate and moisturize the scalp. You can either have it a hair salon, (ask for a cream-bath treatment), or do it by yourself at home (apply hair msk cream).

· Having enough beauty sleep

Apparently stress can affect your hair as well. It will cause scalp disorder which may result in disturbing the health of the hair. So, try to get enough sleep and rest to reduce stress.

Curing the problems

· Shake the dandruff away

Dandruff is made up of bits of dead skin that peel away from the scalp as as result of the effects of metabolism. Normally, dandruff, in its early stages of growth, is not visible to the naked eye. It become visible only after enlarging into pieces of dead skin (what we normally call “dandruff”).

As dandruff can become stubborn, the best thing to do would be to start using anti-dandruff with shampoos. Look for anti-dandruff shampoos with zinc pyrithione, selenium sulfide, salicylic acid or ketoconazole as the active ingredient. To keep your scalp from developing immunity to these shampoos, go ahead and rotate brands at least once a month. Whatever you do, never ever scratch the clumps with your fingernails. It will cause wounds on your scalp.

· Deal with the split ends

Don’t bother with any hair product ad that claims that it can cure split ands. Split ends happen when the proactive cuticle has been stripped away from the ends of hair fibers. Once the hair cuticle is removed, it is impossible to replace. The best treatment is to cut off the split end of the damaged fiber.

The next step is to give the rest of the hair a good hair treament such as having a hair cream-bath or applying hair mask.

Homemade recipe for hair treatment

Hair loss : massage scalp with beetroot juice every night

Damaged hair : blend 1 wgg, 25 cc of olive oil, and a quarter of a peeled cucumber. Spread evenly through your hair, leave on for 10 minutes, then thoroughly rinse. For the best resluts year round, continue this treatment monthly.

Oily hair : blend ½ teaspoon aloe vera gel and 1 tablespoon lemon juice and add a little of your regular shampoo. Wash your hair as usual, but let the shampoo on for a few minutes.

Dry hair :

· Mix 1 tablespoon honey and any type of vegetable oil. Distribute mixture evenly all over the hair.

· Coat dry hair with mayonnaise, cover with a plastic shower cap and leave on for 10-20 minutes.

· Mix 1 avocado, 2 egg yolks, and olive oil. Massage gently into scalp and hair, then cover the hair with a shower cap for 20 minutes. Shampoo as usual.

· Combine mashed avocado with some coconut milk. Mash together until it’s smooth and about as thick as shampoo. Comb it through the hair and let sit for 10-15 minutes, wash out. (c’ns vol 7 no 53)