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| April 2008 Ageless herbal newsletter
Healthy hair - and how to maintain itOur hair is our crowning glory and we all know that the state of the hair has an incredible effect on how good we look – we all know of the “bad hair day” and how this affects the way we feel about ourselves.
To achieve a rejuvenated and anti-aging look it is essential to take good care of our hair, as nothing destroys a vital look more than weak, thin, lusterless and damaged hair. Being in tiptop shape and good health will be reflected in the condition of our hair, skin and nails. Following a balanced diet, controlling stress levels and exercising moderately will give our hair the ideal conditions in which to grow. We are very fortunate to live in an age where the approach to hair styling and care is more natural. Remember the bouffant style of hair in the 1960’s, where the hair was pasted into an unnatural shape! This look can of course still be achieved these days, but at least the gels and mousses available are much more hair, scalp and ozone friendly. We do still subject our hair to harsh dyes, colorants and treatments, but the research done into most of these procedures has given rise to much gentler treatments. A well trained hairdresser, who keeps his or herself up to date with new technical advancements in hair care and treatments, will have all the necessary knowledge to achieve the best style for your over-all look, without damaging, or limiting damage to the hair and scalp. To take good care of our hair, it is necessary to understand a little bit about how the hair is formed, grows, what affects the health of the hair and what causes hair loss. Hair growth phases
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Studies
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The following herbs are thought to help prevent hair loss and are included in many hair care products. We sell a herbal shampoo and conditioner on our www.Ageless.co.za website, which contains the following, and can be viewed by clicking here.
A powerful anti-inflammatory. It also is active in wound healing, as well as healing ulcers. The vaso-dilating properties promote circulation to the skin. On the scalp it is just as effective and also helps to prevent any itching and rashes.
In hair care, green tea is used with great success to improve the gloss and shine of the hair as well as the tensile strength.
In hair care it is the remineralizing action of calendula that is of importance, as it helps hair that has been damaged, or breaks easily. It also helps to prevent dry, flyaway hair.
When used in fair concentrations in hair products, it not only has a stimulating effect, but also helps to form an extraordinary hair and scalp-conditioning product.
Sage is often used in hair care for combating greasy and oily hair, by regulating the sebum production of the scalp.
It is an extraordinary remineralizer of the skin and hair. It has haemostatic properties and provides natural silica to the skin and hair. The flavonoids and saponins in horsetail have great cell rejuvenating and regenerating properties, adding to the structural strength of hair.
It is an excellent tonic for the scalp and hair, and in folk medicine it has been used to prevent hair loss as it invigorates and sets off new growth, and it is often used in hair tonics or specialized hair products to promote hair growth and to help treat dandruff and hair loss.
Lavender is mainly used for its antiseptic and anti-dandruff properties.
The main benefits of tea tree oil are that it has superb antiseptic, antifungal and broad-spectrum anti-microbial activity on the skin. On the scalp it helps to prevent and control dandruff.
A clinical trail done by Jamieson M and Ormerod AD at the Department of Dermatology, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Foresterhill, Scotland, using essential oils: Thyme, Rosemary, Lavender and Cedarwood, diffused into a base of Jojoba and Grapeseed oil, found that the participants using the oil in a massage treatment to the scalp, showed a significant improvement in their alopecia areata (hair loss), compared to the participants that only used a plain carrier oil massage blend.
It was concluded that the results showed “aromatherapy to be a safe and effective treatment for alopecia areata. Treatment with these essential oils was significantly more effective than treatment with the carrier oil alone”.
Our essential oil sister website sells a scalp massage blend of essential oils of rosemary, bay, cedarwood, patchouli and cypress and ylang-ylang on a carrier of jojoba oil, called hair and scalp blend
For more information regarding this blend, please click here.
A diet including a variety of raw fruits and vegetables, as well as protein and carbohydrates is essential for all over good health, which will be reflected in the condition of your hair.
It also should be noted that the quality of the soil in which vegetables and fruits are grown is important, as well as whether pesticides and herbicides are used and what the effect of these have on the quality of the fruit and vegetables.
The following nutrients are available from normal food sources and are considered essential for good hair health:
The root of the hair originates in the skin, which has to be healthy as a foundation for healthy hair. This vitamin is essential for the development of epithelial cells. The outermost layer of the skin is composed of epithelial cells.
Liver, milk, egg-yolk, carrots, dark green leafy vegetables and yellow fruits are high in vitamin A or beta-carotene.
There is a link between the lack of a vitamin D receptor in the follicle and alopecia (baldness). This leads to our assumption that vitamin D is required for good hair growth.
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Good sources of vitamin D are fatty fish like kippers, sardines, salmon, tuna and mackerel, liver, egg yolk and butter. Smaller amounts are also present in dark leafy vegetables.
This nutrient stimulates the circulation and is an extremely effective anti-oxidant, bolstering the immune system. Vitamin E also stimulates oxygen uptake in the blood, which provides the hair follicle with well-oxygenated blood.
Vitamin E is found in nuts, oils, vegetables, sunflower seeds, whole grains, spinach, oils, seeds, wheat oils, asparagus, avocado, beef, seafood, apples, carrots and celery amongst others.
The group of B vitamins is involved in the improvement of so many body processes, which influence healthy blood circulation and health of the skin, hair and nails. The condition of the hair, skin and nails is a very good indication of the general well-being of a person and reflects the current state of health.
Good sources of various forms of vitamin B include beans, peas, carrots, cauliflower, soybeans, nutritional yeast, bran, nuts and eggs.
A good vitamin B supplement should include vitamin B 1, vitamin B 2, vitamin B 5, vitamin B 6 and vitamin B 12.
Vitamin C is required in the synthesis of collagen in connective tissue. Ascorbic acid also promotes healthy cell development, proper calcium absorption and normal tissue growth and repair, strengthening the walls of the capillaries.
Good sources of vitamin C are green leafy vegetables, berries, citrus fruits, guavas, tomatoes, melons, papayas etc.
Although the jury still seems to be out as to the relationship between iron deficiency and hair loss, the Department of Dermatology at Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio, seems to believe that treatment for alopecia is improved if an iron deficiency is corrected.
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REFERENCE: J Am Acad Dermatol. 2007 Mar;56(3):518-9; The diagnosis and treatment of iron deficiency and its potential relationship to hair loss. Trost LB, Bergfeld WF, Calogeras E. Department of Dermatology, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio 44195, USA.) |
Kelp is used for shinier, healthier hair. It contains many critical trace elements essential for better health.
Kelp is a form of seaweed, which is available as a supplement in health shops and is also used when making sushi.
Magnesium plays an important role in at least 300 fundamental enzymatic reactions and for that reason is of vital importance to our health, which affects the hair.
Magnesium is found in dairy products, fish, meat and seafood, as well as in legumes, apples, apricots, avocados, bananas, whole grain cereals, nuts, dark green vegetables, and cocoa, while hard water and mineral water may also supply it in fair quantities.
Manganese improves the absorption of vitamin C, vitamin B, biotin and choline, all of which impact on the health of the hair. It is also indicated in the stimulation of the creation of the connective tissue in the skin.
Manganese is found in nuts, avocados, eggs, brown rice, spices, whole grains, leafy greens as well as tea and coffee.
It is necessary for a healthy immune system. It is further needed for cell division, and is needed by the tissue of the hair, nails and skin to be kept in top form.
Great sources are found in muscle meat, poultry, fish and seafood, while grains, nuts, eggs, seeds and brewer's yeast also supply good quality zinc.
Biotin, also referred to as vitamin H, is part of the vitamin B complex group. One of the most visible symptoms of shortage of this vitamin is thinning of hair that can lead to total hair loss.
Biotin is present in cheese, beef liver, cauliflower, eggs, mushrooms, chicken breasts, salmon, spinach, brewer's yeast, nuts and can be manufactured in the body should a small shortfall occur.
Inositol is needed for health at cellular level.
Men taking extra inositol reported that their hair loss had improved, with less hair falling out - although this has not been tested under clinical situations.
Inositol is available from both plant and animal sources. The plant form in which inositol is available is phytic acid, which can bind with minerals and so affect their absorption negatively.
The body is also able to manufacture this factor. Inositol is available from wheat germ, brewer’s yeast, bananas, liver, brown rice, oat flakes, nuts, unrefined molasses, raisins and vegetables.
Choline assists in keeping cell membranes healthy and in the health of the liver. It is reported that a symptom of a diseased liver may be hair loss.
Choline is found in egg yolks, beef, wheat germ, oats and nuts
It has been linked to hair growth as well as reversing the graying of hair, but results are disappointing, as extremely large amounts have to be ingested for this effect.
PABA is found in liver, kidney, brewer's yeast, molasses, whole grains, mushrooms and spinach, and can be made by intestinal bacteria.
One of the main activities of this mineral is its anti-aging properties and its ability to help rid the body of free radicals, as well as toxic minerals such as mercury, lead and cadmium.
Brazil nuts are excellent sources of selenium, but it is also found in whole grains and shellfish.
Betaine is an amino acid glycine, a substance that improves liver function. Good liver function may promote good hair health.
Food sources of betaine include beets, liver, eggs, fish, legumes, and whole grains.
Rutin strengthens the capillary walls and promotes better circulation, which is essential for the correct functioning of the hair follicles.
Rutin is found in buckwheat seed, fruits and fruit rinds, especially citrus fruits (orange, grapefruit, lemon, lime).
It assists in the breakdown of fats and thereby prevents the build-up of fat in the arteries. It assists with the digestive system and helps the body remove heavy metals from the body since it can be converted to cysteine, which is a precursor to gluthione, which is of prime importance in detoxifying the liver, the correct functioning of which may positively influence hair growth.
Methionine is found in good quantities in meat, fish, beans, eggs, garlic, lentils, onions, yogurt and seeds.
Your hair and skin require cysteine. It is found in beta-keratin, the main protein in nails, skin, as well as hair. It not only is important in collagen production but also assists in skin elasticity and texture.
The body can synthesize cysteine from the amino acid methionine, but it is also found in high protein foods such as poultry, wheat, broccoli, eggs as well as garlic, onions and red peppers.
These nutrients act together with vitamin C to help maintain the thin walls of the capillaries, therefore preventing bleeding or bruising. Bioflavonoids have been linked to having an antibacterial effect, stimulating bile production, promoting circulation (essential for hair growth) and even assisting with fighting allergies, asthma etc.
Bioflavonoids are found in the white (pith) material just beneath citrus peel, as well as in peppers, grapes, pine bark, onions, garlic, blue and red berries, green tea as well as buckwheat.
Aloe vera improves the condition of your skin, hair and nails by boosting your total nutritional status.
Grape seed extract is a supplement containing procyanidolic oligomers, which help to protect cells from the damage caused by oxidation and free radicals and also promotes healthy circulation, which is essential for good hair health.
Our modern diet may be deficient in all the above-mentioned nutrients, and a well-balanced supplement may be called for.
Following a healthy diet (including a good balance of proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and trace elements obtained from raw fruits and vegetables), exercising properly and avoiding stress is necessary for good hair health. In some cases supplementation - as with the Zest for Life Hair, Skin and Nail formula - can be most beneficial.
A certain percentage of us do have a propensity to baldness and certain preparations and medications are available which seem to correct alopecia (baldness), but we have found that they have to be used permanently, if the make-up of the person simply leads to premature baldness and may not be effective in the long run.
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