Fantasia Salon / Spa and Wig Specialists

We know there are various reasons for thinning hair and we’ve talked about lots of them from illness and medications (chemotherapy) to genetics, inheriting your hair loss from a parent. Often hair thins because it is fine-textured to begin with, or because too many harsh chemicals have been used on it so it breaks easily. Here are some hair-care tips to help protect hair, prevent further hair loss and add volume to your existing hair.

Coloring. If your hair loss is heredity, you very likely have healthy hair overall. Therefore, your hair can benefit from permanent or semi-permanent color to give body and volume to hair. Medications can weaken harm causing it to break or fall out. Semi-permanent color is good in this case because it does not contain ammonia or peroxide. It will not damage hair but will give it body and volume.

If your hair is fine-textured, semi-permanent or permanent color is fine, as long as it is professionally applied. Colored hair can easily get over-processed, which damages it causing further hair loss.

Use volumizing products. We talked about this one before. Many over the counter volume-building products contain paraffin, which is beeswax. Beeswax is not good for the hair because it can build up and make the hair break.

However, volumizing products sold in salons can help. They won’t weigh hair down, and they won’t damage it. Mousse, for example, can be applied a the root area for support. Then, begin, blow-drying the root area, applying tension with a brush to build volume. Use a light finishing spray to hold it.

Shampoo and condition your hair when dirty. To protect your hair, the best practice is to shampoo only when the hair is dirty. Because fine hair gets dirty faster, people with fine-textured hair need to shampoo more frequently - even though fine hair breaks more easily. For that reason, fine-textured hair benefits from a good shampoo and volume-building conditioner.

Find a style that suits fine hair. Blow dryers should not be a problem even if your hair is fine. However be careful about putting high heat directly onto hair. Flat irons and curling irons can cause damage and breakage. Because they contain very strong chemicals, curl-relaxing products are a no-no for fine hair.

Perms. Perms can help give volume to fine-textured hair. But the hair must be healthy- not dry or brittle. Only a gentle body-wave is advised because tighter waves can damage the hair. Because the chemicals in perms are harsh, it should only be used as a last resort for fine-haired people. Make sure you have a professional hair stylist give you a perm so that your hair does not get damaged.

It is possible to add volume to your existing hair by trying some of these things. Find a good stylist to help you with this so you can flaunt your thin hair!

Our body needs a healthy balance of all nutrients in the diet in order to maintain a healthy life. This article focuses on various types of vitamins which contribute to hair loss problems.

Para-Aminobenzoic Acid, also known as PABA, is one of the essential vitamins for hair loss problems. It is part of the B complex family and a deficiency in PABA may lead to grey hair.

In combination with folic acid, PABA is found to be effective in restoring healthy hair. A diet rich in vitamin B can restore hair color. It also aids in improving excellence and potency of hair growth. You can get PABA from whole grain and yeast.

Inositol, also belonging to the B complex family and is typically found in brain cells, muscles, liver, kidneys and the eyes. Men loose their hair twice as fast as women, so perhaps it is that men are lacking in inositol and that is why they have the hair loss problems.

Inositol aids in hair loss problems and offers beneficial effects in different types of skin problems.

Biotin, also known as vitamin H and again, belongs to the B complex group. It is essential for hair health. Biotin functions in fat metabolism. Fat is essential for body growth including hair growth. It also helps in prevention of gray hair. Egg yolks are a great source of biotin. Milk and yeast are good sources as well.

Vitamin E consists of antioxidant properties that offer scalp stimulation by enhancing blood circulation. You can get vitamin E from cold-processed vegetable oils, raw seeds and leafy green vegetables.

If you are suffering from high blood pressure or taking anti-coagulant medications, you should not take vitamin E supplements without consulting your doctor.

Vitamin C is also an antioxidant. It is one of the essential vitamins for hair loss issues. It helps maintain healthy skin and hair. There are plenty of natural foods available that-are rich in vitamin C. Citrus fruits, kiwi, strawberries, pineapples, tomatoes, green pepper, red pepper and many others are a great source of vitamin C.

Vitamin B complex which includes niacin (vitamin B3), pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), vitamin B6 and vitamin B12; all contribute significantly with various health conditions. B3 helps promote good scalp circulation and is abundant in wheat germ, chicken, fish, turkey and meat. Large intake can cause what is referred to as a niacin flush. Vitamin B5 helps prevent premature graying and hair loss. You will find B5 in egg yolks, whole grain cereals and organ meats.

When it comes to hair, you definitely are what you eat! And, supplementing your diet makes a whole lot of sense!

Several weeks ago, I wrote about something totally bizarre I had read about, the Bird Poop facial. Well guess what? I have stumbled across something equally as bizarre and that would be the therapeutic use of camel urine. Yep, it’s actually considered an ancient Islamic ‘remedy’ from the time of the prophet Mohammed and believe it or not it is big business for men and women in Yemen.

Camel urine has become fashionable among Yemen’s young people who claim that it strenghtens the scalp, slows hair loss and promotes healthy hair.

According to the Arab TV network al_Arabiya, hair salons the country are requesting this precious ‘tonic’ and are selling it at four dollars a litre, which is an outrageous price considering the income level of most of the buyers not to mention that is it is freely given to begin with!

One university student reports that she has been using camel urine since elementary school days. Since the first time a neighbor mentioned that she had been using urine for years because it made her hair more beautiful and shiny, the student reports that everyone in her home is now using camel urine. And, it’s not just women, reportedly, men are using it to stop hair loss.

A local barber reports that he is forced to buy large quantities of camel urine for his business.

A boom in the sale of camel urine has prompted people to begin breeding more camels and they are constantly giving them more liquids in order to collect more urine.

I am not making this stuff up, I wish I was!

Some people claim that camel urine is good for the liver however, the claim is discredited by the University of Sanaa who says it is harmful for the human digestive system. I’ll place my bets with the University.

The use of camel urine has its roots in Islamic religion. In the prophet Mohammed’s tradition, it talks of the benefits of camel milk and urine. Foreigners are said to have gone to the holy city of Medina with high fever and the prophet ordered them to leave the city and drink urine and milk from a camel to help them recover.

Personally, I think if you are trying to shore up your scalp and improve the health of your hair, Hair Support System and tweaking your diet would be far better than camel urine. Just my thought…do what you like…

Hereditary influence is a factor in almost all cases of permanent hair loss. Temporary hair loss, on the other hand, can result from nutritional deficiencies, as well as other causes. If a proper diet is maintained, poor nutrition will be avoided and thus, this will help reduce hair thinning and hair loss. Here are a few facts which may help us re-evaluate what we should or should not be eating.

Did you know that a high fat and high sodium diet contributes to hair loss? This type of diet is harmful to our kidneys and increases the acidity of our blood which results in hair loss. Having a low to moderate fat diet may help slow down the hair thinning process. According to some studies, male pattern baldness is connected to high testosterone levels which may have resulted from a diet too high in fat and animal protein.

However, on the other hand, too low protein in one’s diet is not good for the hair as it can lead to hair loss since it can make the hair go in to a resting phase. So, balance is a good thing.
Mono-saturated fats such as those found in nuts and extra virgin olive oil encourage hair growth and revitalize hair follicles.

Too high carbohydrate diets are not good for healthy hair. Carbohydrates are converted to glucose during the digestion process. This raises the blood sugar level of the body which can promote hair loss. Avoid foods with high carbohydrate content such as rice, pasta and potatoes.

Alcohol lowers the zinc, vitamin B, vitamin C and folic acid levels in our body. Each of these are important for the health of our hair. Not to mention the fact that alcohol contains a high level of sugar and calories.

Caffeine decreases the levels of vitamins B and C, potassium and zinc in our body. This deficiency of vitamins strains the adrenal glands which increase levels of DHT, which as we’ve previously discussed, induces hair loss.

Anemia is one cause of thinning hair. Avoid anemia by eating lots of iron-rich foods such as dark green leafy vegetables, dried fruits, cherry juice, liver, eggs, raisins, dates and whole grain cereals.

Silica is another nutrient that helps improve the health of hair. It can reduce hair loss, promotes healthier hair regrowth, strengthens hair follicles and gives shine and luster to our hair. In studies done abroad, silica has been shown to slow down hair loss. An example of silica rich foods would be raw oats, green and red peppers, cucumbers and sprouts.

Be sure to incorporate iodine rich foods into your diet as they are very critical in maintaining the health of your hair. Use sea salt to flavor your food. Eat vegetables such as spinach, carrots, turnips and cabbage. Pine nuts, mustard, millet and cold-pressed seed oils such as pumpkin, walnut and flax seed oil are also rich in iodine.

Can we stop hair loss with diet alone? Maybe not but we can slow it down and be healthier in the process just by following some of these dietary guidelines.