Forget the New Year resolutions that are hardly fulfilled. As we begin afresh, it may be good to pay attention your hair’s condition as this may tell a lot about your overall health. Your hair is attached to your scalp, which is a part of your body.
Any hormonal changes in your body, diet change, or high level of stress will definitely show in your hair. Do not rush to treat symptoms such as dryness, frizz, etc; the health of your hair and scalp could be a major tip-off to what’s happening inside your body. So what should you look out for?
Early grey:
Finding a grey hair on the head is one of the nightmares for many women, especially at a younger age than your parents did. As much as it could be genetic, too much worrying/stress can lead to premature greying.
You can prevent more hair from turning grey by avoiding completely whatever activity or circumstance is causing you stress. Free radicals, which are hormones produced when one is stressed, block the signal that tells the hair follicle to absorb the melanin pigment causing it to grey.
Thin hair:
Before fixing the problem of thin hair with wigs and weaves, consider that your thinning hair might be a symptom of hypothyroidism, a condition where the thyroid gland does not create enough of a thyroid hormone called thyroxine.
Other symptoms of hypothyroidism include fatigue, a bloated face, joint and muscle pain. Another cause for thinning hair could be protein deficiency since your hair is essentially built out of protein. Lack of this will lead to thinner strands.
Hair loss:
If your brush carries more hair than usual when you comb your hair, you may be anaemic and if your doctor confirms that, she will likely suggest that you take an iron supplement. In some cases, vitamin B may be prescribed.
Diabetes can also lead to excess falling and thinning of hair. Your doctor is the best suited to confirm this after which the right medication is administered. Infections such as ringworm can also trigger hair loss. It’s a fungal infection that can make its way into the fibres of your hair, causing them to fall out.
A dangerous diet can also have the same effect on your hair. If you embark on a crash diet and deprive yourself of proper nutrition, your weight loss may soon be followed by hair loss.
Crusty scalp:
A crusty scalp is not stubborn dandruff. It could be psoriasis. Psoriasis often goes hand in hand with other chronic conditions, like rheumatoid arthritis.